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Registered Phenomena Code: 538
Object Class: Beta-White
Hazard Types: Transmutation, Contact, Extra-Dimensional?, Emotional, Ideological
Containment Protocols: RPC-538 is currently contained within Site-063 inside a Maximum Security locker, being transferred out of its original location at Site-042 in order to comply with ███-███ security protocols.
Were RPC-899 to suffer extended failure of critical components, usage of RPC-538 may be necessary for its restoration or recreation. While such an outcome is undesirable, exploitation of RPC-538's properties could preserve existential stability.
For this purpose, documentation recovered from Site-042, especially blueprints and files discovered in conjunction with RPC-538 (See Discovery), is to be preserved: proper use of RPC-538 and RPC-899 may prove impossible without them.
Site-042 itself is expected to survive this contingency, and as such the aforementioned documents (as well as RPC-538 and its own file) are to be stored prior to activation.
Investigation regarding the procedence of RPC-538 is ongoing. AET Unit 538 is to take special interest in anomalies or documents referencing one "Cloverfield Institute."
BLANKET TEST BAN: 0█/06/2008 — PRESENT
Issuing Authority: AET Unit 538, Sierra-08 Captain G. Logan
Reasoning: In the event of a containment breach, RPC-538's properties may prove insurmountably difficult to reverse or ameliorate, and result in site-wide loss of personnel and resources. (See Incident 538-001.)
Description: RPC-538 designates a 20cm by 15cm metal box, containing an indeterminate amount of wood splinters measuring an average of 3.5cm in length. These are believed to belong to the Pinus longaeva species, and are designated RPC-538-1. The left side of the box is engraved with the words "PROPERTY OF CLOVERFIELD INSTITUTE — X DIVISION".
RPC-538's properties come into effect when any RPC-538-1 instances are used to attempt to puncture any other object or being, at which point the instance will snap in half and its target will vanish. In place of the target, a pair of objects or persons with similar characteristics to the target will appear.
Individuals generated in this manner vary greatly in behavior and memories, with each one seemingly possessing parts of the original person's memory. While unconfirmed, it is believed that not all memories are conserved during duplication. Most notably, duplicate persons are highly hostile toward each other and will refuse to cooperate or interact.
Addenda Documents:
Document #001-538: Testing Log.
TEST ROUND 01 MATERIALS:
- Interview Room 03
- RPC-538
- 8g iron cube (Pure; 50cm x 50cm)
- CSD-0890
- File for RPC-538
- Remote-operated mechanical arm
--------------------
PROCEDURE:
Interview Room 03 will be repurposed for testing, removing all furniture on the interviewee's side. The separating glass will be replaced with bulletproof equivalent for the protection of Res. Aachen and Lewis, who will observe the test and note results at will.
A remotely-operated arm will be used to make splinters contact successive targets. Should destructive results ensue, Interview Room 03 is ready to temporarily seal itself with blast shielding until the situation can be addressed.
TEST 01
--------------------
TARGET:
8g iron cube.
PURPOSE:
To further define the characteristics of RPC-538's duplicative property.
OBSERVATIONS:
Two smaller metallic cubes appeared beside the location of the original cube, and slowly moved to opposite ends of the interview room. After 4 minutes, they did not express further anomalous behavior.
Close-up observation revealed that each cube weighed approx. 4 grams, substantiating the assumption that RPC-538 splinters equally distribute the components of its targets. However, both cubes (hereon referred to as cube 1 and 2) were observed to deviate significantly in composition from the original cube.
While the original was purely composed of iron, cube 1 included approx. 16% Chromium, making it a ferritic stainless steel alloy. Cube 2 removed a number of impurities in its composition, but otherwise stayed identical to the original. The initial movement was quickly explained as the consequence of magnetic repulsion: both cubes appear to have gained substantive electrical charge upon manifestation, generating quickly-decaying magnetic fields of near-identical properties.
TEST 02
--------------------
TARGET:
CSD-0890
PURPOSE:
To test the psychological properties of RPC-538.
OBSERVATIONS:
Duplicated subjects referred to as CSD-0890-01 and -02. CSD-0890-01 lacked CSD-0890's orange jumpsuit, being instead dressed in casual clothing, as well as numerous characteristic scars across her face. CSD-0890-02 was largely identical to CSD-0890, but showed further wounds across her entire body.
Upon manifestation, CSD-0890-01 stared at -02 for a brief moment, then began angrily berating her. CSD-0890-01 repeatedly blamed -02 for making repeated mistakes in life, with particular focus around the murder that resulted in her imprisonment. CSD-0890-02 stayed silent for 12 minutes, listening to -01. Upon the conclusion of this period, -02 physically assaulted -01. ASF personnel separated them before significant wounding could occur.
Extended observation revealed that CSD-0890-01 lacked all symptoms of cocaine abuse that CSD-0890 was known to have: her left hand was unaffected by gangrene, and stomach ulcers were absent. On the contrary, CSD-0890-02's symptoms had increased, resulting in a complete lose of motility to the left hand.
Psychological behavior diverges along a similar vein: CSD-0890-01 lacks most psychological signs associated with participation on the criminal world, while -02's have intensified. Both appear to strongly resent each other, but CSD-0890-01 is significantly more vocal about it.
After one week, the resulting splinters from the original RPC-538-1 used in the test were put together, and subsequently returned to their original state with no evidence of snapping. CSD-0890-01 vanished, and CSD-0890-02 acquired most characteristics of the original CSD-0890. Further observation is pending, but it is believed CSD-0890 is significantly healthier than before the test.
TEST 03
--------------------
TARGET:
File for RPC-538.
PURPOSE:
To test the effects of RPC-538 on information.
OBSERVATIONS:
Resulting documents denominated Files 1 and 2. Excerpts attached below.
File 1:
Summary: SU-538 is a rectangular iron box that contains a seemingly infinite amount of wooden splinters, whose side reads "PROPERTY OF CLOVERFIELD INSTITUTE — X DIVISION." SU-538 has the unique property of producing duplicates of any object touched with its splinters, which makes it an useful asset in terms of mech production.
File 2:
Description: RPC-538 is a 20x15cm metal box, containing an infinite amount of wood chips of 1.3 inches long[sic] which correspond to a pine tree. The left side of the box has the words "PROPERTY OF CLOVERFIELD INSTITUTE — X DIVISION". Any object that touches the sharp end of a splinter will be duplicated.
File 1 has significant changes in perspective, describing RPC-538 from the point of view of a multi-planetary organization by the name of "Somnium Institution". File 1 touches upon numerous concepts discussed in science fiction, among them advanced industrial robots, travel at superluminal speeds, and planet-wide exploitation, and how RPC-538 can be exploited for their improvement.
fig. 1
References to the Authority are made in a subtle manner, describing it as an antecessor and later rival from which Somnium Institution split, which resulted in RPC-538's acquisition. File 1 lacks a test log, instead possessing a brief series of addenda-like updates (stylized as "Nota Bene") describing transfer to numerous projects. A unique isotype took the place of the RPC document format Object Class symbol, as digitally recreated in fig. 1.
File 2 is largely a simplified version of RPC-538's document, lacking a streamlined clinical form. Its test log is significantly expanded, including two dozen entries, of which most are reiterations of each other with minor variations. The totality of the test log is a reiteration of RPC-538's description.
Of note, the entire "Discovery" section is unaltered, if many of its currently-censored aspects have been replaced with content that does not correspond with the original information.
Both files are significantly shorter than the original.
During retrieval of test materials, File 1 accidentally contacted a snapped instance of RPC-538-1 and activated its properties. Resulting files have been designated File 1A and File 3. While File 1A is largely identical to File 1, if significantly reduced in content, File 3 diverges further from the original.
File 3.
SUMMARY: SIA-0538 is a metal box, 20cm wide and 15cm long, which contains an unknown number of wooden splinters. Its side has the words "PROPERTY OF CLOVERFIELD INSTITUTE — X DIVISION." SIA-0538's ability resides in duplication: any item contacting its splinters will be split.
Mars Facility 07 has conducted extensive tests to SIA-0538, but its ability cannot be used for monetary gain. Duplicated objects halve in mass, and one of them becomes impure. SIA-0538 is thus functionally useless.
File 3 is written from a point of view that is strikingly similar to File 1, but the protagonist organization has been shifted to a system-wide corporation ("Stevenson Investors Association") engaging in numerous unethical practices, including slavery. Science fiction aspects are further detached from baseline reality, but it is evident that the Association is victim to a cycle of over-industrialization that has depleted most resources across the Solar System.
Somnium Institution appears to be referenced as a short-lived project conducted by the founder of the Association. The Authority does not appear to exist. No unique Object Class-like symbol was attached.
Of note, the inscription on the side of RPC-538 appears not to change in any way in any file produced during this test. The significance of this is unknown.
Document #002-538: Incident 001.
DECLASSIFIED
Name & Rank: A. Miller : ACI Investigator
Unit: MST Sierra-08 ("Sundowners")
Date: June ██, 2018
Authorized By: Director C. Mulberry
Site: 002
Reason: Record & Documentation
Mission Task: Investigation
Objective: To investigate loss of contact at Site-063.
Mission Commander: Cpt. G. Logan
Relevant Phenomena Composure: On July ██, 2018, during a routine testing session of RPC-538 at 14:26, remote contact with Site-063 was lost. MST Sierra-08 were dispatched, fearing assault by a hostile Group of Interest. Echo-73 ("The Bastards") were put on standby to aid in combat if necessary.
Findings: Sierra-08 found that Site-063 had multiplied.
Three near-identical facilities matching the layout of Site-063 had replaced the original, distributed in a triangular fashion with less than 500 meters of distance from each other. Notably, the original 18 containment chambers of Site-063 were distributed throughout all three copies in an unequal manner.
The first Site-063 instance explored by Sierra-08 (referred to as Site-063-A) resulted in hostile reception from its personnel: while initially assessed as unaltered, it was quickly discovered that Site-063-A's internal documentation came to reflect that of the Association for Ecclesiastical Primacy (AEP). Despite the apparent change, practices and organization were largely identical to the Authority rather than the Association's, if having nominal changes regarding positions, clearance, and terminology. Furthermore, no relationship between the Catholic Church and Site-063-A were apparent, and internal corruption was noted to be rampant among their leadership.
Despite the apparent similarity between Site-063-A's AEP and the Authority, personnel within Site-063-A treated Sierra-08 members as if there was an existing rivalry or tension between them. They were denied access to Site-063-A, and numerous references to "poor leadership" on behalf of the Authority were made.
Site-063-B underwent radical changes after manifestation, seemingly undertaken by its personnel, geared toward research and development for economic gain: such personnel appeared to be under the belief that they were members of the Global Enterprise for Advanced Research (GEAR), a registered Group of Interest within the Authority database, despite no communication between either ever occurring. The implications of this are unknown.
Personnel on Site-063-B consistently criticized the Authority's approach toward the anomalous as "tried and tested", directing such criticisms at Sierra-08 personnel as if they had influence toward Authority policies. They were similarly disallowed inside Site-063-B.
Site-063-C remained seemingly unaltered, save for a significant loss of professionalism and responsibility, as well as technical knowledge regarding anomalies: a regression to 1980 Authority customs is suspected. Site Director C. Flanders developed a radically different attitude toward personnel than his previous detachment, becoming increasingly authoritarian in regards to enforcement of existing policies and development of new, at times arbitrary ones.
Sierra-08 were criticized for "straying too far" from the Authority's original purpose and policies, although the exact reasoning for such an accusation is still unknown.
Despite such criticisms, Sierra-08 were allowed to freely investigate Site-063-C: RPC-538 was found in its chamber, along two splintered instances of RPC-538-1. Sierra-08 were forbidden from accessing the chamber.
No necessity to contact MST Echo-73 was found. Efforts to resolve the situation are ongoing.
Further Analysis: Personnel at all three Site-063s refused to elaborate on the circumstances that led to the anomalous multiplication of the original Site, explaining it instead as a feud or rivalry sprouted from differences in opinion and approach for the anomalous at large, as well as personal grudges between administrative officials.
What exactly provoked this incident is unknown, but Cpt. Logan, who has familiarized himself with previous RPC-538 tests, proposed the possibility that two instances of RPC-538-1 may have triggered their anomalous properties at once, thus duplicating Site-063 twice at the same time. While this theory does not explain why or how RPC-538 affected Site personnel to such a degree, it is substantiated by the presence of two splintered RPC-538-1 in Site-063-C.
It is also apparent that personnel and anomalies were distributed unevenly across Site-063 instances, as detailed in the table below.
| - | Site-063 | Site-063-A | Site-063-B | Site-063-C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | 156 | 27 | 61 | 68 |
| Anomalies | 22 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
This is in stark contrast to previous tests conducted with RPC-538. The anomaly's properties may prove unstable in certain conditions, or entirely unpredictable. Cpt. Logan recommends cessation of testing under a blanket ban.
Sierra-08 will attempt to recover the RPC-538-1 instances involved in the incident in hopes of reverting it.
INCIDENT 538-001 UPDATE
In the two months following Incident 538-001, Sierra-08 managed to gradually construct diplomatic relationships between all three Site-063s. The development of such relationships entirely relied on their growing distaste with Site-063-C's Director, C. Flanders, who Site-063-A and -B came to associate with the nebulous "reasons for their departure of the original Site."
At one point, assistance from MST Delta-4 ("Garcas") was necessary to stage a nighttime coup against Director Flanders, with Delta-4 agents posing both as Research personnel and an ASF patrol unjustly targeting them. As a response, Director Flanders attempted to hold the Site hostage by enclosing himself within his office and threatening to cut off power to vital containment systems. He was eventually forced out by another Delta-4 intervention, and temporarily held at Sierra-08's forward operating encampment.
As this was occurring, Site-063-C personnel successfully engaged in communication with Site-063-A, claiming to have reformed into a unique organization by the name of "New Dawn Initiative".1 Site-063-A and -C subsequently "partnered", engaging in collaborative operations regarding containment: hostile relations were noted to fade very quickly in the ensuing two-week period.
In response to the coup, Site-063-B personnel held an internal vote on August ██th, deciding to merge operations with Site-063-A under the promise of conserving unique R&D initiatives. What caused personnel across all three Site-063s to desire merging of operations is still unknown, if speculated to be associated with Director Flanders: up until this point, Sierra-08 personnel handling the incident believed that hostilities between them would be irreparable.
On August ██th, all three Site Directors decided to reunite their instances of RPC-538-1 as a symbolic token of diplomacy, as suggested by an embedded Delta-04 agent. A ceremony to do so was carried out on the following day: communications were once again lost.
Once they were recovered, Sierra-08 personnel informed Mission Command that, while Site-063-A through -C had successfully reversed RPC-538's properties, two further facilities of comparatively minuscule size had manifested beside the recovered Site-063, designated Site-063-D and -E and claiming to belong to corresponding unique organizations "Anomalous Research Consortium" and "Federal Agency for the Strange and Anomalous". It is believed this is the result of two minor groups of disgruntled personnel somehow exploiting RPC-538-1 to avoid merging.
Despite Cpt. Logan's worries that this development would further the duration of the incident, the situation was quick to resolve itself: both novel facilities were severely lacking in personnel and resources necessary to continue functioning throughout an extended period of time, with Site-063-D quickly collapsing in the following three days and being successfully reintegrated.
Site-063-E is, as of writing, pending neutralization. Current Sierra-08 projections place critical failure of power generation components in September of this year, likely prompting complete collapse of operations. A final resolution for Incident 538-001 is pending.
Discovery:
RPC-538 was first recovered during renovations of Site-042 after reclamation.2 During this process, a previously-unknown containment chamber was accidentally breached, containing both RPC-538 and a pair of aged documents beside it. During discovery, all splinters inside RPC-538 were intact, save a pair of snapped instances placed over the aforementioned documents.
Such documents have been attached below. Document #001 has been partly classified in compliance with Smokescreen 42-001 Protocol.
Document #001-S042.
Item #: ███-538
Anomaly Class: █████
[REDACTED]: ███-538 does not normally present harm to individuals, but should nevertheless be kept in a locked container at all times. Use of ███-538 must first be approved by 2 Class-B Researchers. It must not be retrieved for any other reason.
Description: Moved to Site-██ 2007. Recovered from "Cloverfield Institute, X Division" dig site: believed to be much older than initially assumed, together with other Cloverfield infrastructure being used since our foundation for containment and archival.
Object is a metal box carrying several hundred pieces of wood. Contact with other objects splinters each piece and creates two duplicates of opposing qualities. It has been shown to duplicate individuals to negative psychological effect.
Document #538 appears to have significant relationship, and will be kept together with the item. It shares the characteristics with a series of 538 similar documents recovered from the immense "X Division" facility, all of which have been essential for initiating and preparing our operations, even if their direct use is not required.
Addendum: Moved to Site-42 (reclaimed Cloverfield facility) per CCK-Class Reality Shift Scenario preparations for its conservation, because of its fundamental significance. Document #538's conservation is essential for our successors.
Document #001-S042.
In any city, in any country, go to any governmental institution of age exceeding twenty years. Look for a guardsman or administrative official, and ask them to discuss "The Holder of Splinters". Should they respond with a simple look of futile understanding, they will then take you far from town, into a sizable warehouse that you will not see until you are close enough to touch.
Two men, both officials of one Cloverfield Institute, will receive you, one with your father's face, and one with yours. One of them will be tired, but filled with the wisdom of age. Another will be sharp, but with eyes nearly blind. They will take you down a set of stairways in the center of the warehouse, pithing through the Earth's marrow below its own foundations. Should you hear the argument between both men reignite, do not hesitate to continue walking, lest you wait long enough for the opportunity to fade. As you walk down, both will become one, then fade into the uniform darkness of the stairway.
As you reach the base of the stairway, the path will become branches, thousands upon thousands brightly piercing the nothingness, continuing forward for what seems to be forever. A sea of screams, voices raging indistinct, will echo from places unseen. Do not let them hear you, or the screaming path will repeat until the stars fade.
Keep walking, and the branches will entwine together, gravitating toward a singularity. Many things of great evil will come with you, but they will soon vanish: Malformed creatures, Gods from the deep sea, Hastur and Lost Carcosa, a raven and the Red Death, Demons and dancing shadows rise from the light of the path, only to sink again.
And at the base of the pine tree, one thing only awaits: the Unknown, peeking behind the closet door.
"What is the end of all things?" — You must ask. It will not move, but you will know its answer. "To die", it will respond, making no noise.
Do not doubt to correct it. "To change, and to see its offspring flourish." Fail to follow these steps, and you will hide away in horror. Succeed, and the closet door will open: empty, as it always was. Left in the ground will be a simple box, loaded with sticks and splinters. Before picking it up, speak to yourself in a soothing voice: "you must never forget where it all began."
That is Object 538 out of 538. You can now change the course of history, but you must never forget where it came from.
You must never forget where we all came from.