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No light sources are to be allowed within 25 meters of the containment area at any time.
No battery operated or otherwise self-sustaining light sources are to be allowed within the facility at any time.
Failure to comply is grounds for termination regardless of security clearance level.
RPC-737 in containment
Registered Phenomena Code: 737
Object Class: Gamma-White
Hazard Types: Animated Hazard
Containment Protocols: RPC-737 is to be stored in the lowest level of subterranean Site-███, in a 5m x 5m x 5m suspended container made of a radiation shielding material of sufficient thickness such that all forms of high energy electromagnetic radiation will be unable to reach the interior of the container. The interior of the container is to be filled entirely with saltwater with a salinity of at least 35ppt.
The exterior of the container is to be coated with Vantablack1 or a similar light absorbing material. The container is to be kept in complete darkness at all times.
At least 8 sonar devices are to be placed inside or integrated into the container which shall constantly monitor the object in real time from multiple angles. Any strange movement displayed by the object is to be reported to the Site Director ██████ and Head Researcher ████████. Any apparent growth is to be reported immediately to Head Researcher ████████ and the Board of Global Directors.
Maintenance crew members are to inspect the entire external surface of the container daily using short-range ultrasound. Any structural damage detected is to be repaired immediately using a fast curing, lead-based gel to fill any cracks and pits.
All light sources within the containment facility are to be wired to multiple kill switches located no more than 25 meters from one another. All kill switches must undergo weekly testing to ensure they function properly. On-site mechanics shall repair any malfunctioning kill switches immediately upon discovery. Any maintenance staff caught putting off or ignoring repairs are to be given grade B Amnestics and dismissed from the facility.
At least 4 members of Mobile Specialized Team Echo-21, codename "Sleeping Sirens"2 are to be on site at all times and will respond immediately in the event of a breach.
In the event of a containment breach, all available staff are to immediately pull the closest kill switch to shut down all light sources in the facility. MST Echo-21 will then be sent in to assess damages and either re-contain the object in the original container or set up temporary containment until a new containment chamber can be made and transported to the facility. If MST Echo-21 are unable to re-contain the object within 30 minutes after the containment breach alarm is sounded, the facility will automatically be flooded with seawater, and the entrance gate blast doors will close permanently.
In the unlikely event of a facility escape scenario, Protocol 737-BLACKOUT is to be enacted immediately. [REDACTED] is to be moved into position in front of the sun. All power to surrounding areas is to be cut until containment can be achieved.
Description: RPC-737 is an animated, amorphous blob of an oil-like substance. Since imaging RPC-737 requires exposing it to light, very few true color photographs and videos of RPC-737 exist. From the small amount of imagery we have of the object, we can ascertain that under normal lighting conditions the surface of RPC-737 most closely resembles the glossy black look of crude oil. Whether or not RPC-737 is made of crude oil or simply superficially resembles it is unknown.
Due to the difficulty of acquiring samples from RPC-737, its internal makeup is also unknown. All attempts at procuring samples of RPC-737 for study have failed. Any further attempts must be done under the supervision of Head Researcher ████████.
RPC-737 is capable of changing shape (but not size) at will, allowing it to flow like liquid through small cracks and form fit into openings, making especially difficult to capture or contain. It does not seem to be able to separate into multiple parts, however, and instead moves as a single continuous mass.
RPC-737 will actively seek out any light source it can find and engulf it completely. Through some unknown method, the consumed object will disappear completely after a seemingly random period of time. Where objects absorbed by RPC-737 end up is unknown. RPC-737 seems to break all known laws of conservation of mass and energy.
If no light sources are present nearby, RPC-737 will slowly begin to shrink in size until it reaches a minimum total volume of ~50ml. Upon reaching its minimum volume, RPC-737 enters a seemingly dormant state. When it does move, RPC-737 appears sluggish, as if moving in a way that conserves as much energy as possible.
When exposed to electromagnetic radiation, especially between 380nm and 750nm3 RPC-737 will rapidly increase in size. The more luminous the light source, the faster RPC-737 grows. Saltwater seems to inhibit this growth. When submerged in saltwater with a salinity of 35ppt or more, the growth rate of RPC-737 is ~35% slower when compared to a dry environment. Request for the transferal of RPC-737 to one of the Authority's many underwater containment facilities is currently pending. Request denied.
████████'s Note:
Not happening. If it escapes back into the ocean, we may never find it again.
- Head Researcher ████████
At the time of writing, the fastest recorded increase in volume during testing was approximately 10L/s when RPC-737 was exposed to an 800 lumen LED light in a dry environment. Due to the possibility of a containment breach, the test was immediately aborted. MST Echo-21 was able to safely recontain the object without incident. Further testing of light absorbing properties is permanently banned by order of the Board of Global Directors.
To date, the largest documented volume of RPC-737 is estimated at ~1200L. Whether or not RPC-737 has a maximum volume is unknown. The possibility of exponential growth when exposed to sunlight is a major concern, and may lead to an Ω-B3 Event if left unchecked.
Director's Note:
I don't care whether or not RPC-737 has a maximum size. Running experiments to find out has far too much risk involved. The last thing we need is this thing breaking out and somehow devouring the sun. - GD-03
RPC-737 was discovered by the Authority deep in the Atlantic ocean, coordinates [DATA EXPUNGED], on December 3rd, ████, after research vessel ███████ reported to the US coastguard that their submersible █████ was lost due to attack from an "unknown source". Authority operatives intercepted the transmission, confiscated all material related to the event, and administered grade A amnestic agents to the crew of the research vessel. A cover story that the submersible had malfunctioned and sunk was then distributed to the media via Authority media connections.
MST Echo-21 was dispatched in an Authority submersible with specialized sonar equipment and sent to retrieve the object seen attacking the █████ in the recovered video. All lights were removed from the submersible before departure. Any video cameras were removed due to lack of need.
After 3 dives and over 49 hours of searching in the area of the █████'s last transmission, the object was located in a small opening in a cliff face approximately 1650m below sea level. The object had shrunk in size significantly, and no trace of █████ or the crew aboard was found. Echo-21 was able to successfully contain the object using the submersible's on-board suction based sample collection system. The object was then transferred into a sealed, opaque container and sent to Site-███, where it now resides.