RPC-702

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Registered Phenomena Code: 702

Object Class: Alpha-White Beta-White Gamma-White

Hazards: Emotional Hazard, Sentient Sapient Sentient Questionably-Sapient Hazard, Teleportation Hazard

Containment Protocols: As RPC-702 effortlessly breaches all attempts at containment, it is best contained by simply being convinced to remain within Site-089. RPC-702 can be assigned to a handler of the day1 who will either occupy its time with enrichment activities, or simply accompany said handler. No severe/escalating forms of forced containment is to be performed on the possibility that it may drive RPC-702 away from staying in, or returning to Site-089.

RPC-702 has been fitted with a pet collar containing a global tracker. Whenever it leaves Site-089, the locations registered by the tracker are to be triangulated and investigated as areas of interest with relation to RPC-702's previous 'family'2. Whenever RPC-702 returns from another period of absence, it is to be reminded of the need for its help and companionship in a friendly and non-reprimanding tone.

A cage with a mild heating element has been set up within Site-089's recreation room. Whether the cage door is locked or kept open is irrelevant due to RPC-702's teleportation/deformation capabilities. Staff are reminded to maintain vigilance over their own meals while RPC-702 is close by unless they wish to experience the abrupt disappearance of their meat portions. Staff are also reminded that RPC-702 materializes its own sustenance, and hence should not be fed at the cafeteria so as not to encourage bad behavior.

RPC-702 should not be shown any live video footage of Authority personnel it regularly interacts with, or has recently interacted with. It should especially not be encouraged to go to said personnel (See: Containment Attempt #3, Breach #1).

Description: RPC-702 is a carnivorous reptile of the Serpentes suborder, matching the physical descriptions of a Japanese mythological creature commonly referred to as the "Tsuchinoko" (ツチノコ, lit. Child of Dirt). RPC-702 features an unusually rotund length-to-girth ratio, possessing an overall length of 45cm with a body girth of 12.5cm (expands to 15cm post-feeding), the body sharply narrowing to form a thin and prehensile tail of 10cm. RPC-702 predominantly features light-brown scaling across its body, three darker-brown ovals along its back perpendicular to its length, and cream-coloured ventral scales.

Although for all intents and purposes a snake, it shows various outlier traits such as functional eyelids and lacrimal glands that allow it to display advanced distress in the form of crying. It is also capable of using its narrow tail as a crude appendage to grab and manipulate objects.

RPC-702 presents a friendly and affectionate disposition with an intelligence roughly comparable to a parrot/child. RPC-702 is capable of utilizing a limited vocabulary and vocalizations towards expressing happiness, confusion, unamusement or distress, and actively seeks to interact with nearby sapient beings for attention. RPC-702 displays notable empathy, and prioritizes approaching and comforting depressed or PTSD-suffering individuals. RPC-702 possesses a mildly gluttonous personality that will cause it to follow staff bearing food3 and repeatedly beg for portions, and may swallow unobserved food whole.

Despite its rotund appearance, RPC-702 is highly mobile and agile. It is capable of bursts of speed of up to ██km/h and able to jump █ meters in height. It can also adhere onto various objects and personnel via an anomalous mechanism similar to van der Waals force, allowing it to attach to personnel in impractical positions (such as the top of the head) that would otherwise result in it falling off.

RPC-702 appears highly resistant to bludgeoning damage, featuring an elastic body deformable to cartoonish proportions. In a series of accidents and experiments, RPC-702 has been: squashed, kneaded, stretched, flattened, compressed, stepped on, sat on, fallen on and various other actions. Despite these sustained shapes it merely voices displeasure as it slowly reverts to its original dimensions, unharmed in the process.

Most notable is RPC-702's teleportation capability; it commonly chooses to manifest this by entering crevices, openings or pockets, creating a "squeezing" sound, then manifesting elsewhere through another crevice, opening or pocket. Barring any lack of such openings, RPC-702 can also choose to abruptly vanish where it sits. RPC-702 also uses this ability to keep itself fed and hydrated with miniature packaged goods that appear to originate from RPC-702's dimension of origin (LoI-702), corroborating with footage produced by a remote camera strapped to RPC-702.

RPC-702 is occasionally known to vanish completely from Site grounds; While sometimes returning to LoI-702, it is also sometimes believed to be searching for PoI-702s: a family of six who it once lived with. Upon return, RPC-702 sometimes displays a sad countenance, evidently not succeeding. The collared global tracker RPC-702 wears has registered RPC-702's location at several spots across the globe: local investigators have not found any anomalous significance to these locations, but they may be locations of sentimental value that RPC-702 and its surrogate family could have visited in the past.

Discovery log: The Authority's Verification Department investigated discussions of a "very short talking snake carrying a photo" on an international herpetology forum, including videos, pictures and interactions with it. While several witnesses describe easily trapping or picking up the anomalous reptile due to its friendly nature, these reports would always end with its disappearance while in captivity. Japanese forum posters were noted to react particularly strongly within the thread, claiming the creature bears similarities to the fabled Tsuchinoko.

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The forum thread in question. The latest reply was by a Japanese herpetologist speculating causes of RPC-702 being in Europe, strongly urging it to be sent back to Japan for further study and conservation.

While the forum thread was shut down under pretense of being a coordinated prank, Authority agents traveled to Einbeck (Germany) where the entity was last sighted. RPC-702 was found with a scarf wrapped around its neck and a bindle threaded through the cloth, approaching every human it encountered for help. RPC-702 presents a family photograph to the agents, strongly implying a desire to seek out the PoIs depicted within the picture.

RPC-702 was picked up by hand and obtained without effort. Within the transportation van, RPC-702 somehow made its way from the rear compartment into the lap of the agents at the front seat. It was assumed at the time that RPC-702 squeezed into the front compartment through a gap. Upon arrival at Site-155, an attempt to interview RPC-702 by assigned Researcher [REDACTED]4 was swiftly abandoned, citing RPC-702's limited understanding and vocabulary.

RPC-702 appeared to react with elation when informed that the PoIs featured within the picture are being tracked. When asked to describe the scenario that led to its predicament, RPC-702 requested a drawing implement and was provided a pen. Having difficulty in using the pen, it sketches a crayon and gestures to it as a request. Once provided a set of crayons and paper, it proceeds to make a sequence of crude drawings:

  1. A cartoonish caricature of the photograph: A couple with 4 unusual children, accompanied by snakes of all lengths, shapes and sizes. RPC-702 is clearly depicted in the center, cradled in the joined arms of PoI-702-1 and PoI-702-2. The rattlesnake is drawn with accentuated angry eyebrows.
  2. RPC-702 emerges out of a mousehole with a big smile, presumably for another day of activities with the family.
  3. RPC-702 makes its way around the household. It produces a speech bubble containing a question mark. Cobwebs are strung along the corridor.
  4. RPC-702 comes across the family photo laying on the floor. It is dusted over.
  5. RPC-702 looks down and drips tears as fellow RPC-702s surround it and put their tails on its back in solidarity.
  6. RPC-702 looks back while standing before a sunset, wearing the scarf and bindle with the photo in its mouth, beginning its journey to look for the PoIs.

The search for PoI-702s 1 to 6 continues, as well as that of the anomalous snakes and giraffe. No success has been made so far. It is believed that one PoI might be tied to Einbeck, due to RPC-702's repeated visits to the area.

Containment attempts:


Update: RPC-702 underwent a lengthy disappearance episode spanning a week, its global tracker nonresponsive. Upon its return, a pleased RPC-702 was observed to be carrying a letter in its mouth. While the letter is freely given with RPC-702 even encouraging the letter's contents read to it, attempts to retain and archive the letter fail as it consistently vanishes and resurfaces either in RPC-702's possession or its cage. A photocopy has been made and the original letter is left with RPC-702. The letter matches the handwriting behind the photograph, confirmed as PoI-702-1's:

Attempts to query RPC-702 on PoI-702-1's location are met with confusion and ecstatic headbobbing. As such, a reply letter has been written and attached to RPC-702 to be delivered to PoI-702-1. While RPC-702 appears to have understood the instructions to deliver the letter to PoI-702-1, no reply has been sent back.


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Footnotes

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