RPC-802

The Golem of Monte Cristo, or, Garpon, Ruler of Beasts 2: Battleground Vesuvius

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Registered Phenomena Code: 802

Object Class: Beta-Purple

Hazard Types: Aggression Hazard, Animated Hazard, Geological Hazard, Transmutation Hazard, Auditory Hazard, Titanic Hazard

Containment Protocols: Since Incident 03/02/2020, RPC-802 is contained in a soundproofed Beta-level storage locker on Site-313. Any personnel who speaks Turkish or are of Turkish ethnicity are forbidden from entering the anomaly's storage area or interacting with it in any way until how it activates can be ascertained.

As RPC-802 is partially a historical archival document, any handling of it must abide by the Department of Historical and Pseudohistorical Studies Archival Collections Management Policy. Disassembly of the object for the purposes of cleaning and maintenance is permitted.

In the event that RPC-802 reactivates, testing personnel are to physically restrain it until it can be disassembled. As the entity cannot absorb or directly harm living organic tissue, it is recommended that containment personnel remove as much clothing as is feasible before attempting to engage it. RPC-802 can be deactivated by physically separating its components, or striking it with sufficient force to knock individual layers of the anomaly's paper matrix out of alignment.

Should RPC-802 become too large to physically restrain, engagement with directed-energy or vibrational weaponry is recommended. As the entity will always attempt to move in the general direction of the island of Montecristo, defensive operations should be prepared with its presumed eastward trajectory in mind. Tactical planning manuals dealing with RPC-802 breaches and RPC-802-1 are currently under production based on information gathered after 03/02/2020, and will be released for ASF and Containment use when complete.

Direct application of RPC-310 has proved effective in the containment of RPC-802-1. However, due to the substantial difficulties in controlling that entity, and the collateral damage inevitably caused by its activation, the practicality of this solution is limited.

Description: RPC-802 is an anomalous mathematical apparatus constructed by Leonardo Da Vinci sometime between 1503 and 1505. The anomaly consists of a cube-shaped framework of pine wood, measuring 69.3cm3 containing 33 smaller wooden sub-frames which themselves support a matrix of interlocking sheaves of cloth paper. The sub-frames are constructed to allow for the easy removal of individual sections of the paper matrix with minimal risk of tearing or catching. All materials used in the construction are non-anomalous, and the anomaly demonstrates physical and chemical wear consistent with its year of manufacture.

Documentary Evidence of RPC-802

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Golemic/Hebrew Mystic Tradition: As the anomalous properties of RPC-802 have only recently been discovered, research into its exact history is still fragmentary. Liner notes from several of Leonardo's notebooks dated 1503-1504 mention Da Vinci consulting papers by "Alemanno", believed to be Yohanan Alemanno (c. 1435-1504), Italian Jewish philosopher. While it is unclear if Alemanno and Da Vinci ever met, Alemanno is known to have been familiar with the esoteric works of Solomon ib Gabirol (c. 1021-1070), a neo-Platonic Andalusian Jewish philosopher who 11th-century sources claimed had produced an intelligent anomalous construct for household work.

A later passage dating from 1505 includes a crude rendering of the Hebrew word אמת.1 Surrounding text reads "why think in words when patterns will do? Alas, that such terrible things [sic]". The obverse of the page bears a passage which appears to have been partially scratched out or rubbed off. The legible section reads "soil and stone remember […] blood of the holy."

Connection to Monte Cristo: Several passages of Da Vinci's works indicate that he had a close working relationship with the scholars of local Benedictine orders, and was aware of the existence of the Monastery of St. Mamilliano2 on Monte Cristo. A liner note near several sketches of crude stone sculptures or rough forms for sculptural works states "Mamilliano- They say he slew a monster in the name of Christ. Could the roots of the place still contain such a blessing?"

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Each paper layer of RPC-802 has been inscribed with a complicated set of geometric patterns which are theorized to represent some form of symbolic language based on mathematical logic.3 These patterns have proven extremely difficult to transcribe or copy in any form.4

The trigger by which RPC-802 activates is currently unclear, though it is known to relate to the physical presence of a person of Anatolian Turkish ethnicity speaking the Turkish language. When RPC-802 activates, all non-living, non-gaseous matter within a 2.4cm radius of its outer surface becomes animate, creating an airtight spherical structure around the anomaly. Any matter in contact with this new outer surface slowly becomes animate as well, causing the anomaly to continuously grow in size.5 RPC-802 will use this shell of anomalous matter to become mobile, rolling on a linear path towards the island of Montecristo, Italy.6 While rolling, RPC-802 will avoid obstacles, and has demonstrated the ability to climb near-vertical surfaces as well as substantial resistance to extremes of pressure and temperature.

Research Addendum: The following represents conjecture based upon limited data gathered during a single containment breach. Research is ongoing.

When the object encounters the island of Montecristo7 it will immediately cause the entire mass of the island to a depth of approximately 1km to become animate. The process begins with the lowest depths of the island, which become porous and skeletal. This serves to negate the explosive effects of the sudden displacement of several dozen cubic kilometers of water due to the movement of the island's geological structures.8 Over the course of the next half-hour, the island mass will detach from the sea bed, reforming into a vaguely humanoid shape with the land surrounding the ruins of the Monastery of St. Mamilliano9 acting as the "head" or "peak" of the structure. RPC-802 will move across the surface of the island as it changes shape, eventually taking up a position within the walls of the monastery ruin.

When in humanoid form, RPC-802 is redesignated RPC-802-1. This entity demonstrates limited sentience, and will aggressively engage any vehicles or entities which move within line of sight. RPC-802-1 attacks by physically striking at targets with its limbs, though its great size and speed of movement also generates concussive shockwaves capable of causing significant damage. The entity seems unwilling to leave the geographical location of the original island for any length of time, and will move back towards it if drawn away. When active, RPC-802-1 can be deactivated by disrupting the function of RPC-802 directly. "Boarding" RPC-802-1 is difficult, but the entity will make no attempt to shake off or attack personnel moving about on its surface. RPC-802's spherical coating can be easily broken and will not re-form itself while RPC-802-1 is active.

Addendum: Incident 03/02/2020: RPC-802 Containment Breach: During initial investigation of anomalies discovered in the Crypta sub Vesuvia on 03/02/2020, RPC-802 was accidentally activated by Research personnel. Members of the Order of St. John the Hesychast had been unaware that RPC-802 possessed anomalous properties, and had stored in in a disused wine cellar with several other minor anomalies considered to be non-threatening.

The events of 03/02/2020 are still being analyzed to construct a full timeline of the situation. As an interim measure, this document presents excerpts from interviews by the currently-ongoing Incident Investigation Team.

Junior Researcher Aydin is responsible for the initial activation of RPC-802. He has received no formal reprimand for the incident, as the nature of the anomaly was not known at the time. The initial interview was conducted in Italian.

Aydin: …They showed us to this old, uh, sort of crawlspace? Dusty, spiderwebs, looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Brother Joe- uh, Brother Giuseppi, he pointed out a few minor anomalies they just left on shelves. There was, uh… I think a maquette for a statue of Venus that was always warm to the touch, um, a little clockwork thing that he said rang whenever you brought it near unripe olives- mostly junk, really. So I'm moving in with Brother Giuseppe and he says something about one of the anomalies on the wall to our left- I think it was a sundial that always cast a shadow as if it was noon. And I get distracted, and bam- smash my toe into the corner of one of the shelves. I was wearing pretty thin shoes so, uh, naturally I swore a little in pain, not thinking- I said, uh, "Orospu çocuğu!"10 And then as I'm regaining my balance there's a thump from behind us and this, uh- this ball of wood and dust drops off a shelf and rolls out the open door. I think the monks tried to chase it down but…

Local ASF forces familiar with the island of Montecristo were able to deploy by helicopter to the upper reaches of RPC-802-1, locate RPC-802, and deactivate it by repeatedly striking its frame with the butt of a rifle. The anomaly immediately ceased to function. A substantially reduced and weakened RPC-347 was recovered during cleanup operations. Research on how exactly RPC-802 restored the geography of Monte Cristo, and how exactly it returned to being an island without causing a catastrophic seismic shockwave, is ongoing. A large-scale effort to determine how exactly Leonardo Da Vinci was able to construct a major sentient geokinetic anomaly is also ongoing.

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