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Registered Phenomena Code: 742
Object Class: Alpha-White
Hazard types: Contact, Emotional
Containment Protocols: RPC-742 is to be kept in a reinforced display case in Site-077 and is only to be accessed for testing. Testing is to be confined to CSDs and subjects must be interviewed after an RPC-742-1 event. Any RPC-742-2 instances created are to be performed and recorded for archival purposes.
Description: RPC-742 is a torn piece of manuscript consisting of only a musical bassline which dates back to the early to mid-1700s. Notably, RPC-742 appears torn and yellowed with age. Many of the small excerpts/notes visible are heavily faded. When placed in the hands of an individual, an RPC-742-1 event occurs.
During RPC-742-1 events, any individual/s grip onto RPC-742 with one hand, while grabbing writing utensils in the other. That individual then composes an original piece of music of varying instrumentation and performance duration. After finishing the composition the subject will cry for 10-20mins. RPC 742-1 events can only be interrupted with either the use of lethal force or being rendered unconscious.
RPC-742-2 is the piece composed during the 742-1 event, usually consisting of the tittle “Adagio in [alternating key]”. Each song is melancholic and appears to be synonymous with past memories with differing levels of trauma.
Discovery: RPC-742 was originally discovered in 1998 after the death of Remo Giazotto, a classical composer, when RPC-742 was sent to ██ █████, a colleague of his, as stated in his will. ██ █████ was (as of 1998) employed at the Milan Conservatory and had inspected the RPC mid-lecture, triggering an RPC-742-1 event. Students immediately called emergency services upon discovery that they couldn’t move him out of his chair or stop him from writing. Upon the conclusion of the 742-1 event, investigating Authority agents witnessed another 742-1 event triggered by a student after attempting to move RPC-742. After confiscating both 742-2 instances and administering amnestics to all witnesses, RPC-742 was successfully contained.
RPC-742-2 documentation excerpt:
742-2-#1: Named “Adagio in G minor”. Upon retrieval of the personal notes of Mr. Giazotto, he wrote about what is now known as an RPC-742-1 event, to paraphrase: "all I could remember thinking of the war, I could not stop until I finished”. The notes concluded with Mr. Giazotto deciding to let no one near RPC-742.
742-2-#35: Named “Adagio in D diminished". Subject reminisced a time when they were younger and first entered a cemetery. Subject declared this was when they were first frightened of the concept of death and had experienced reoccurring nightmares of zombies attacking him/rising from the ground. Listeners described this piece as “Macabre”.
742-2-#46: Named “Adagio in E# major-minor”. Subject reminisced this was the feeling of severe bipolar disorder, felt consciously for the first time. Subject seems to have made the rise and fall of emotions to the rise of music in a major key and the fall of music in a minor key, and conflicting tempos, keys and rhythms also seen throughout. Listeners described this piece as "confusing to listen to", however, could keep track of their whereabouts upon reading the manuscript.
742-2-#76: Named “Adagio in C# minor”. Subject reminisced on a vehicular manslaughter charge they were found guilty upon. Subject seems to have conveyed this through the use of a continual, quiet but tense chord played throughout, leading to a large blaring sound in the middle, then slowly dying down till the end. Listeners described this piece as “intense”, with further comments stating it reminded listeners of a slasher movie soundtrack.
742-2-#95: Named “Requiem in F# minor” Subject reminisced on their fiancé, who was hit by a car and suffered internal haemorrhaging for 2 weeks before eventually dying. The piece was full of chromatic runs both up and down, leading to a slow fade out on all instruments listed. Listeners described the piece as “beautiful but sad”.
742-2-#100: Subject was one Monkey of the Saguinus oedipus (Cotton-top Tamerian) family. Extreme care was taken to allow the Subject to write while gripping RPC-742. To the surprise of supervising researchers, the subject was able to write out a piece, and was deemed playable by musicians. The piece was extremely bizarre for human listeners, with the music consisting of 2 screeching violins playing an erratic rhythm at a fast tempo. When played to other Saguinus oedipus they showed signs of anxiety (erratic behaviour, pacing in enclosures, etc). When played to other types of monkeys (Chimpanzee, baboon) results were inconclusive.
Addendum-01: A letter was sent to the Authority 1 year after initial containment, holding a copy of a letter supposedly sent from the early 1700’s (Archived as Document-742-01).
Hello members of the Authority
It has come to our attention that you have found an art piece of great historical value. It is well known in our annuls that the creator of this evasive fragment was an esteemed member of the music world that was looking to join our Academy all those years ago…the reasons pertaining to why that didn’t occur is outlined in the letter we’ve also sent you. All we ask is if you’re able to tell us the status of the artwork in question, if it is somewhat workable, is there possibility to negotiate for this art piece or at least the music it creates? I promise we will pay a considerable amount for either.
Please respond ASAP. Regards: Schoenberg - Curator of Music
L'Academia della vera arte
Document-742-01:
Curator, with regards from Munich.
I arrived in Munich with little trouble and visited the Duke as I did back in 1722 to ask about the location of the potential new member. To my dismay, I discovered that ser Albinoni was not from Munich as I thought, but Venice. With our residence there persecuted by the Auctoritas I believe it best we not pursue him any further, despite the massive promise he showed me with his first time creation.
Nevertheless…I will travel to Venice and see if I can persuade ser Albinoni to turn in the piece for his own safety. His work, The Sonata of Emotion, was an amazing thing! just a mere touch and you could write the most beautiful of melodies! The piece I made for our fair Academy was constructed by that mere touch.
I know the risk I am taking. Should I not return, consider Venice another city lost the Auctoritas. Do not make any attempts to contact either me or ser Albinoni and consider the manuscript lost. This is a risk I take for the beauty of art, this manuscript unlocks something in people…this something MUST be shared with the world.
Here’s to hoping we have another piece like “The Joy of Creation”
Regards: █████
L'Academia della vera arte
Researcher’s note: Something interesting I recently noticed, wanted to add it here for others to speculate. All 742-2 instances made have had the name “Adagio”, meaning a slow tempo and often played for sombre effects. But there were a few instances where 742-2 instances surrounding the death of someone were labelled as a “Requiem”, a death march. Is this a difference made consciously by the subject? Or is it possible that its being made by the RPC? Make no mistake, its very simple to argue that the subject could be making this decision, as Occam’s razor has taught many of us. But if there is a possibility that the RPC is making this difference, why is it? Was it “programmed” to do this? Or does it have a mind of its own?
*Update:* The document sent to us by the Academy mentioned an 742-2 instance called “The Joy of Creation”. This has got me concerned at the possibility of there being other RPC-742 instances possibly out there. Or perhaps this is the same piece? Why it now creates “adagios", could possibly be due to the previous theories I made, but this still doesn’t give concrete answers. I propose we cross reference all of Tomaso Albinoni’s works and expand our search in all European libraries.