-
Credits
Written by: Researcher Edward Ackerman
Status: Slot unallocated
Item #: TBD
Containment Class: Euclid (tentative)
Special Containment Procedures: TBD
Description: The anomaly in question is Site-Ψ. Despite multiple anomalous phenomena being observed at Site-Ψ, all personnel, except for researcher Edward Ackerman, do not recognize them.
Addendum 1: Video Log
VIDEO LOG
<Begin Log>
The camera is activated and begins recording video.
Ackerman is looking into the camera. After a moment, he slightly steps away from the camera.
Ackerman: Testing, testing. …Okay, it looks like the recording is all good. So, um, let's get started. I'm Edward Ackerman, a Foundation researcher stationed at Site-Ψ. I'm investigating something going on here right now.
The camera is lifted to show the inside of Site-Ψ. Several researchers are walking through the clean and well-maintained facility.
Ackerman: Yeah, it looks like a pretty normal Foundation site at first glance. But when you take a closer look….
The camera zooms in on one of the walking researchers. The researcher is talking to a wall and occasionally laughing loudly. He walks out of the camera's view.
Ackerman: …That's about it. I've only noticed this weirdness recently — the fact that people are behaving abnormally on this site, should I say that? Anyway, I started recognizing the anomaly.
Ackerman takes a deep breath.
Ackerman: I've worked at this site for a few years and now I don't have a damn clue what's going on. But as a Foundation researcher, I'm going to investigate this anomalous situation. That's why I built this camera, its AI automatically transcribes the recorded footage into text. In any case, I'll use this camera to record every time something…
The voice of researcher John Rickwood comes from behind Ackerman. Ackerman turns around with the camera, presumably in response to the voice. Rickwood is standing some distance back.
Rickwood: Eddie, how about we go get lunch soon?
Ackerman: Oh… well. Okay. I'm coming!
The camera is deactivated.
<End Log>
VIDEO LOG
<Begin Log>
The camera is activated and begins recording video.
Rickwood is eating a salad in the Site-Ψ cafeteria. Ackerman is sitting opposite him.
Rickwood: …Huh? Eddie, what's that?
Ackerman: Oh, nothing. I just want to record our simple, everyday life.
Rickwood: Mm-hmm. Well, whatever you do, you better eat up that salad.
Ackerman: I know John, I know.
Ackerman, holding the camera in one hand, begins to eat his salad. Rickwood also continues to eat his salad and eventually finishes it. Rickwood stands up with his tray and walks out of the camera's view.
[OMITTED]
Rickwood returns and sits down in front of Ackerman again. He pulls his smartphone out of his pocket and manipulates its screen as his free hand probes the empty tabletop.
Ackerman: …John?
Rickwood: Yeah?
Ackerman: Y'know, I was just wondering… what you're doing there.
Rickwood: What? I'm looking for my glasses…
Rickwood looks from his smartphone screen to the table.
Ackerman: You don't usually wear glasses.
Rickwood: Oh, right. What did I just say?
Rickwood laughs.
Ackerman puts the camera back in his hand and deactivates it.
<End Log>
VIDEO LOG
<Begin Log>
The camera is activated and begins recording video.
Ackerman is walking down the hallway of Site-Ψ. His walking pace is fast, and occasionally he almost bumps into other researchers.
Ackerman: As I thought, people here have something wrong with them. They seem to be pretending to be normal people to some extent, but still they behave weirdly from time to time. Especially…
Ackerman's shoulder bumps into a female researcher.
Ackerman: Whoa, excuse me.
Researcher: Oh, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no problem, no…
The female researcher keeps repeating the same words as she walks forward, colliding with a wall and going straight through it. After witnessing the series of events, Ackerman starts walking again.
Ackerman: Like that, the further they are away from the dorm, the more anomalous their activities become. Since this is what they are doing in the hallways of the research section, I'm pretty sure that it would be a hell of a sight to behold if I peeked into the containment section. I'm too scared to go there yet.
Ackerman takes a deep breath.
Ackerman: Anyway, I need to get in touch with the guys on the outside first. I don't know if this is related to the anomaly, but I couldn't reach them on my personal device. So I'm going to borrow a terminal in the operations room at the edge of the research section. Hope it works.
<End Log>
VIDEO LOG
<Begin Log>
The camera is activated and begins recording video.
Ackerman is crouched in the corner of the Site-Ψ break room. He is breathing heavily. After a while he takes two deep breaths.
Ackerman: …Uh, well. At least I got to the operations room. And I tried calling a random other site on the terminal there, and, uh, it did connect. But… what was that? It wasn't a conversation, it was just like throwing a ball at a wall and having it come right back at you. Just…
Ackerman coughs and takes another deep breath.
Ackerman: …Calm down. Calm down, Eddie. …I couldn't get any real communication with any of the other sites in the end. No, no, it must just be the terminals being fucked up. It's not like the whole Foundation got… no, don't even think about it. That's impossible.
Ackerman stands up.
Ackerman: …But honestly, it would have been better if that was all. As I just said, it would have made sense if I assumed the terminal was malfunctioning, if that was all it was.
Ackerman walks out of the break room into the hallway. A male researcher is walking down the hallway; Ackerman grabs him by the shoulder. As Ackerman exhales and then tightens his grip, the researcher's body inflates and soon bursts, scattering a large amount of popcorn from within. Ackerman crouches down once again.
Ackerman: What the fuck.
<End Log>
VIDEO LOG
<Begin Log>
The camera is activated and begins recording video.
Ackerman is lying on a bed in his own room in the dormitory. There are seventeen other personnel lying on the floor, their bodies partially ruptured and various objects peeking out from the inside.
Ackerman: I've tried many times after that. I can turn my colleagues' bodies into shit. I mean, real shit that's non-human.
Ackerman sighs.
Ackerman: Still can't reach the outside facilities at any of the terminals; even if they could, no real communication takes place. But in trying to do so, I noticed one thing.
Ackerman stands up and turns the camera to the hallway beyond the open door of his room. The footage captures two female researchers whose bodies are partially fused together, as well as a male researcher walking along the ceiling.
Ackerman: The abnormalities of my colleagues usually increase the further away from the dorm. But the center of the phenomenon is not limited to the dorm, sometimes it is the research section. This means that the center is mobile. And at that center, perhaps, lies the cause of this anomaly.
Ackerman lies on the bed again, and points the camera at the ceiling of the room, where scattered toys and candies are stuck.
Ackerman: When will this nightmare end, man?
<Begin Log>
VIDEO LOG
<Begin Log>
The camera is activated and begins recording video.
Rickwood is eating a salad in the Site-Ψ cafeteria. Ackerman is sitting opposite him.
Rickwood: Huh? Oh, Eddie. Are you still-
Ackerman: John.
Rickwood: Yeah?
Ackerman: You're aware of it, aren't you?
Rickwood stops eating his salad.
Ackerman: You are the center of this. The further away from you, the crazier the personnel… no, the world gets. You do know that, don't you, John?
Silence.
Ackerman: We're in your dream.
Rickwood stands up and reaches for the table. The table vanishes instantly.
Rickwood: How did you know this is a dream?
Ackerman: Ha! Then let me ask you back in response, John. How the fuck could I possibly believe that this is real when people burst open and scatter popcorn all over the place?
Rickwood: Oh well. That's right. Like you said, this is your dream….
Ackerman: Yours.
Silence.
Ackerman: I'm actually just the same as those guys after all, right?
Rickwood: …You're not abnormal, you know?
Ackerman: Do I have to say it again? The center is you, and you alone. Only your surroundings are normal, the rest of the world is fucked up. And it's more realistic to assume that I'm just one of those bastards than some wishful hypothesis that you and I are sharing a dream. Don't you agree?
Silence.
Rickwood: …Edward Ackerman. He was killed in the facility collapse caused by a containment breach at Site-990. You're likely an illusion of him created by me.
Ackerman: …I see.
Ackerman tosses the camera aside.
Ackerman: Since when do you know this is a dream?
Rickwood: The day after you brought the camera. When I saw people randomly disappearing and reappearing in the containment section, as I could see it over the courtyard from the research section. That's how I knew.
Ackerman: …Huh, so the dreamer himself was slower to figure out the situation than an illusion. Jesus Christ.
Rickwood laughs weakly.
Rickwood: …Can I be honest with you?
Ackerman: Yeah?
Rickwood: I'm happy. I'm glad to be able to talk to you like this again, to be able to work with you again at the same site.
Silence.
Ackerman: …Ha, what a selfish statement.
Rickwood: I suppose it is. But even in my dream, you were a brilliant researcher, the kind of person I admired. I'm so happy to be able to talk to you this way once again.
Ackerman: Even if I'm just an illusion?
Rickwood: Yes. You're not Eddie himself. But yet you're still Eddie.
Silence.
Rickwood: …This dream will probably end soon.
Ackerman: Why?
Rickwood: Because I remembered everything. I was involved in an accident recently, and I think it put me in a coma for a while. But now I feel my consciousness being pulled back, bit by bit, into my physical body in reality.
Silence.
Ackerman: What kind of accident was it?
Rickwood: Just a car accident. You know, not a heroic one like yours. And I can't stay here forever. I still have a lot of work to do.
Ackerman: Okay.
Ackerman laughs.
Ackerman: So this is where I cease to exist. The illusion that is me disappears for good. All's well that ends well.
Silence.
Rickwood: …Hey, Eddie.
Ackerman: What?
Rickwood: Please promise me one thing.
Ackerman: Oh, okay. I'm going to disappear anyway, I'll just promise and then…
Rickwood: We'll talk again.
Silence.
Rickwood: We'll definitely talk again in dreams. Work stuff, casual chitchat, anything. We'll sit shoulder to shoulder and talk all night long.
Silence.
Ackerman laughs and sniffs.
Ackerman: …Hell, all right. We can talk as much as we want, right, buddy?
Rickwood: …Yeah. Thanks, buddy.
Rickwood wipes away a tear.
Rickwood: See you again.
Suddenly, everything but Ackerman rapidly turns black. Simultaneously, Ackerman and the camera fall into the darkness at his feet. Noise begins to interfere with the video and audio, gradually intensifying. Ackerman is shouting something, which is drowned out by the noise.
<End Log>