Secondary Class:
{$secondary-class}
Special Containment Procedures: To search for SCP-PL-388-2 instances and the SCP-PL-388 event, a network of reconnaissance satellites and the “Snow Eye 2" program are designed, responsible for detecting significant xenon (Xe) deposits and visual scanning for instances of the anomaly.
Once an SCP-PL-388 event is detected, an anomaly eradication team - MTF-Jota-18 “Snowy Lumberjacks"- is dispatched to it , it consists of two groups that constantly have to be on standby to operate during the active time of SCP-PL-388-1, they operate on a seasonal rotation basis - Group A deals with cases in the northern hemisphere, and Group B - in the southern hemisphere. MTF-Jota-18 moves with the course of winter on the planet to the outposts best strategically located for rapid response to detection of SCP-PL-388 anomalies."
MTF-Jota-18 "Snowy Lumberjacks"
Currently, the active team is dispatched in a specially prepared Sikorsky UH-60 "Black Hawk" class military helicopter from the Foundation's facility where the decommissioning unit is currently located. The team includes three security agents with sapper training, two agents specialized in operating unmanned vehicles, and two pilots with training in controlling helicopters in extreme weather. MTF-Jota-18 has specialized equipment created by the PL-388 research team: a set of 4 flamethrowers, powered by a condensed mixture of FNEm-4, incendiary-explosive charges of condensed FNE-3, and two UAVs with flamethrowers mounted on a boom arm, and equipped with FNE materials used for self destruction in case of emergency.
The SCP-PL-388-2 can be safely neutralized by burning/melting the instance at temperatures between 1450℃ and 1500℃ with FNE mixture-fueled fire, or by blowing it up with small amounts of FNE-enriched explosives. SCP-PL-388-2 does not significantly potentiate the explosion of these bombs, so a safe and controlled explosion can be made for emergency and rapid destruction of the instance. It is recommended that the explosion be covered up as "disposal of unexploded bombs from the wars" or "an accident during the transportation of military explosives."
Dr. Kasztaniecki's note:.
Any information found related to the whereabouts or activities of Ryszard Myszka's, should be forwarded to Agent Józef Kortynant (operational code PL-2061), of the investigative branch.
version of procedure: 3
The entire neutralization process (excluding evacuation and isolation of the area) takes between ten minutes and two hours for a single medium-sized instance.
Assessment and protection of the area:
- When an SCP-PL-388 “event" is detected, immediately isolate the area within a 10 km radius around the object. The Foundation's standard procedures for isolating the area affected by the anomaly apply.
- The civilian population should be evacuated from the SCP-PL-388 area immediately upon arrival under the pretext of a terrorist attack, and any people who have been exposed to SCP-PL-388-2 should be administered Class A amnestics.
- The decommissioning strategy should be carefully planned, taking into account the possible consequences for personnel and the surrounding area, as well as the terrain.
NOTE Any instance of SCP-PL-388-2 should be treated as an unstable unexploded weapon of mass destruction. Extreme caution is advised.
Decommissioning procedure:.
- In the situation where the SCP-PL-388-2 instance is located in a water tank, it is recommended to precisely bomb the object with FNE-3 explosives in the form of a small air-to-ground bomb with an autonomous guidance system.
- Any threat that has the potential to awaken the anomaly from hibernation should be immediately countered.
- If the SCP-PL-388-2 instance exhibits dangerous behavior (e.g.: color change, enlargement of it, rapid melting of the structure) or poses a threat to personnel, immediate action should be taken to neutralize it with FNE-enhanced explosives.
- If the SCP-PL-388-2 instance is in a stable state, melt it with a flamethrower fed with a FNE mixture.
Note from Agent Kortynant, addressed to members of MTF-Jota-18:.
During the decommissioning of SCP-PL-388 you also have to watch out for GOC troops, they usually focus only on SCP-PL-388, but you can never be too careful. In such situations, stay calm and try to avoid interactions with them. There is no need to irritate each other.
Description: SCP-PL-388-1 is a snow cloud with a presumed volume of about 5.5 km3. According to the formula for the weight of storm clouds, it weighs approximately 6,000 tons. It has a structure similar to cirrus-type clouds, however, it can slowly change its shape to any other shape. It has been observed that when the object reaches its destination, it stretches to cover as much space as possible over the xenon deposit. It moves at a constant speed of 12 m/s.
SCP-PL-388-1 enters the active state at temperatures below +3℃, after which it moves toward the nearest concentration of the element xenon (it is not known how the cloud detects it), or follows its trail in the atmosphere, collecting it as it moves. Air currents have no direct effect on its movement."
The xenon collected and stored in SCP-PL-388-1 cannot be detected in any known way, making accurate tracking of the cloud impossible outside of its precipitation. It is suspected that the cloud filters the air it attracts through its structure and thus accumulates a supply of the element.
Once the target is reached, SCP-PL-388-1 changes the air pressure underneath itself and in a 30-kilometer radius around it to absorb xenon, after which the cloud begins to attract/suck the xenon present in the atmosphere underneath itself. After extracting all the available element from the area, it begins to move toward the next xenon concentration. As it moves toward the next deposit, the anomaly also attracts the entire resource of the molecule around it.
Photo of the distant SCP-PL-388-1 half an hour after the SCP-PL-388 event, which was taken during the 57th MTF-Jota-18-A mission in Washington State in the Little Tahoma Mountains.
The cloud enters an inactive state (hibernation state), during the non-winter seasons (spring and autumn, respectively, for a given hemisphere, or when the ambient temperature reaches above +3℃), for half a year, during which the object ceases to exhibit anomalous properties, except for the steady movement toward the next winter zone, and the passive absorption of xenon encountered during its journey. An anomaly in this state succumbs to air currents, as long as it allows it to get to its destination. The inactive state lasts for about six months.
It cannot be detected in the inactive state or directly examined at that time, since it is then physically and chemically an ordinary Cirrus.
SCP-PL-388-1 does not merge with other clouds, nor does it disperse, however, in any state, the object can temporarily lose its coloration (impossible only during an SCP-PL-388 event), becoming virtually invisible and undetectable.
The SCP-PL-388 event only happens when the critical mass of xenon, or about 16 m3 inside SCP-PL-388-1, is exceeded. This will begin a dense fall of ordinary snow and the appearance of instances of SCP-PL-388-2 (in quantities of one to seven per fall) in the area over which SCP-PL-388-1 is located. This will continue for about two hours, after which the cloud will stop snowing and the SCP-PL-388 event will end. The average amount of time between precipitation events varies with the route and sources encountered. It has been assumed that the time required to collect a sufficient amount of element is between three and seventeen days.
The SCP-PL-388-2 instances take the form of supernaturally large snowflakes. They can vary in size from one to fourteen meters in diameter, with a thickness of up to four centimeters. The weight of the instances depends on the size, but it is assumed that 1 m3 weighs 600 kg. They are composed of water, nitrogen and xenon oxides (XeO3, XeO4,) in proportions of 7-2-5 sequentially. Despite the weight, the instances fall at a constant speed of 1.2 m/s regardless of their size or wind strength. The density of the instances is 17% less than that of water, which means that if an SCP-PL-388 event takes place over a body of water, the instances will begin to float on its surface.
Instances only appear in one area at a time, during the astronomical winter. They arise only in active SCP-PL-388-1, then descend to snowy areas, where they enter hibernation. With the arrival of warmer days (i.e., temperatures of +3℃ and above) in the year, the instances spontaneously self-destruct in the form of an explosion with an average force of 6500 J/g. However, spontaneous SCP-PL-388-2 explosions can also occur by prematurely awakening the object from its hibernation. It is not possible to create an exact list of the events that trigger SCP-PL-388-2 activation, nor is it possible to state precisely the time required, from the presumed moment of the instance's activation, to its explosion.
A visualization of the SCP-PL-388-2 instance created for use in computer simulations. The reconstructed entity is 6m in diameter.
Research on SCP-PL-388 and methods of decommissioning SCP-PL-388-2 instances is being carried out, since 2004, by a group of scientists led by Dr. Kasztaniecki. The team consists of four programmers and the scientific staff of three additional scientists (two physicists and a meteorologist) and works under the name “Snow Lance," at the PL-43 facility in K███████.
Dr. Ryszard Myszka worked on the “Safe Snow" project, where he commanded research on the disposal of SCP-PL-388-2 instances. He developed a formula for an FNE mixture that greatly intensifies the temperature of the flames and allows the substance to instantly change its state of aggregation into a gaseous state. Its main components are fluorine, napalm and estylospaznanityl, where the substance got its name.
Estylospaznanityl was invented by Dr. Myszka during his studies, and its properties, at a fundamental level, cause chemical reactions interacting with the substance to intensify around it, at the expense of its mass.
Addendums:
The video file was submitted for transcription by former MTF-Jota-17 member Ignacy Kasztaniecki. Upon his return from the mission, in the hospital at the ██ facility, he requested a Class B amnestics and release from his position - approval was granted. The agent is no longer working in the MTF-Jota-17 “Snowy Locksmiths" unit. After mission 17-5, the entire unit was disbanded, replaced by MFO-Jota-18 “Snowy Lumberjacks."
Video Log Transcription
Mission 5 of the MTF-Jota-17 team
Date: 13/12/2014
Location: energy-saving lamp factory in [CHANGED], Poland
Commanded by: Adam Lisewski alias “Sly"
Ignacy Kasztaniecki's, codename “Writer", shoulder camera gets turned on. The interior of the military helicopter is visible, as well as the rest of the unit dressing into winter overalls, namely agent Bernard Kysznowski “Bone" and the commander of the MTF-Jota-17 unit, Adam Lisewski “Sly". The flamethrowers can be seen hanging on the walls of the vehicle.
Writer: My webcam has been connected, and how are you old grandpas doing?
Sly: Hehe. Okay gentlemen, I'm dressed too, my camera is on and everything is recording. We'll be landing in 3 minutes. Get ready. Get ready! The pilot told me that we won't be able to land right next to the target due to the weather and the terrain, so we'll have another 300 meters to go. Don't forget to take the site map or equipment… like last time.
Writer: OH come on, what can I do that I forgot it? ONCE. And now I keep being reminded of it, damn it. I know. I know it's really funny to all of you.
Sly: So what are you not going to forget this time…?
Writer: (muttering under his breath) The factory maps…
Sly: (chuckling slightly) Exactly.
Bone: Ehhh… Our first mission - it's raining. Second mission - it's raining. Third mission - it's raining. Fourth mission - it's not raining. Fifth mission - storm. I guess the rainfall levels up there must have even themself out.
Writer: Come on, stop complaining. We were only assigned to this elite unit three weeks ago and you're already complaining about the working conditions. They did said that there will be snow, they did. You've been on the last four missions, so you've seen that it always rains… it's just recently that the cloud quickly fled and there was only one flake, so there was not much work. And when there's not much work, there's not much fun. But you're from Russia, aren't you? I guess it's cold and snow is in your blood?
Bone: Well, yes… But last time it didn't rain…
Pilot, from the speakers: We'll be landing in 20 seconds. Get ready.
Sly: Quiet, please, gentlemen. You heard it yourself, we land in 17 seconds. The time is twenty past eleven. Let's get ready and turn on your communicators. Synchronization - check. Connection - check. LET'S MOVE!
The door opens, and the night winter sky is visible outside. The agents see the outline of a factory blurred by heavy snowfall, illuminated only by the helicopter's headlights. A huge cloud hovers over the building, and black smoke is coming from the factory itself. The squad jumps out of the helicopter and starts to dig through the high snowdrifts towards the target.
Writer: This is probably the worst weather I have ever worked in.
Bone: It's raining terribly…
Writer: DON'T YOU SAY, BONE?!
Sly: Ladies, ladies, stop with the fussing, okay? We have to focus on the mission and push forward. We've only dug a few meters, there will be time for banter after the mission.
After a moment of silence.
Bone: Boss. How's your family? Healthy?
Sly: Healthy. Fortunately, they're healthy now, but Anielka recently had measles, so I'm still a little worried. But my wife wrote that she is a brave and strong girl.
Writer: How is Martina doing, even though you won't be there all winter?
Sly: I think she's doing well. Fortunately, we will be stationed near my house at Christmas, so maybe they will let me go for two days.
Writer: Yes. I would also like to go to my girlfriend's for Christmas, but we are still writing, so at least that. And did you know that she was promoted to level one scientist? I am extremely proud of her. Maybe I will also see my father more often because of that..?
Bone: And you mentioned it. Only fifty times.
Writer:(In a cheerful voice.) Piss off.
Sly: Everyone wants to go to their family for Christmas. It's a shame we can be called up for action at any time now.
Bone: Yes. I would like to see my babushka.
Sly: Okay, guys. We were dreaming, now let's focus on the mission. We'll be there soon.
No conversation for the next hundred meters, the factory is becoming more and more visible and smoke is coming out of the roof. An entrance to the building can be seen.
Bone: It must have hit something important inside.
Writer: True… I wonder what it is that's smoking so heavily?
Sly: Whatever it is, it's more important to know where our target is. Once inside, we split up and search the building for instances. If any of you find one, let the rest know and give it"s location it on the map. We'll come and burn the damn thing together.
Bone: Okay, sounds like a plan.
Sly reaches the door, opens it and goes inside. Then Writer goes inside, followed by a camera pan towards the entrance and a entering third agent.
Sly: Okay, I'll take the central corridor, you Bone take the right and Writer, the left. Let's communicate continuously.
Writer and Bone simultaneously: Understood.
The agent with the camera turns left and begins to walk quickly through the dark corridors, illuminating the space in front of him with a flashlight. The agent looks into all the rooms he passes.
Bone: I'm approaching area A, no signs of presence yet.
Writer: Same here. No sign of anyone.
Sly: Understood. Nothing here either. I'm at zone B.
Agent opens the door to the cafeteria.
Writer: I've reached area C, no target.
Sly: Got it, go to zone D… Oh shit, I found it. The target is in zone B. I repeat, the target is in warehouse B-1. There's also a small fire here, but it's too far away from the object to cause any danger.
Bone: Okay, I'm coming to you, Sly. I'll come through service corridor A-3. I'll be with you in a moment.
Writer: Damn, I have to go back to the entrance. I'll be with you in two minutes.
The Agent turns around and quickly goes back the way he came. A little over a minute later, Writer arrives at the original intersection of corridors and turns right.
Writer: I'm at the entrance, heading for the target.
Sly: Okay, we're ready to neutralize it. Wait a minute… Bone, what did you do?
Bone: Nothing! Why is it melting already?
Sly: Oh no… Run! It's going to explode!
{{Far at the end of the corridor, a door suddenly opens and two agents run out. The camera footage registered behind them a blue mass growing larger. The agent with the camera jumps to the right into an open break room. A second later, there is an explosion that damages the camera. The last image recorded is of cabinets falling on the agent.
End of video file transcript.
Agent Ignacy Kasztaniecki “Writer" suffered serious injuries, but managed to escape the damaged factory with a broken arm and leg and a concussion. The bodies of Bernard Kysznowski “Bone" and Adam Lisewski “Sly" were found in the ruins of the building. The autopsy showed significant deformations of the agents' bodies and third-degree burns all over their bodies. The immediate cause of death was internal hemorrhage caused by organ rupture due to the shock wave of the explosion.
The post-accident team, having examined the ruins of the building, determined that the smoke visible on the recording was caused by an oil fire from the machine on which the instance fell. The fire broke out 15 meters from the center of the explosion, so it was concluded that it could not have been the direct cause of the object's hibernation being broken. However, the team believes that the fire could have raised the air temperature to over +3°C, which caused SCP-PL-388-2 to wake up and, as a result, the explosion.
The explosion at the energy-saving light bulb factory in [REDACTED] was intensified by highly explosive gas stored on the premises. This caused damage to a nearby power plant, resulting in the loss of power to the entire grid in the [REDACTED] area. The cause of the factory's destruction was covered up as a gas explosion on the premises.
After a thorough examination of the video footage and agent interviews, human error was determined to be the official reason for the mission failure, specifying: insufficient agent caution, disregard of the threat, and the need for the mission to be carried out directly by the unit. In order to prevent further accidents of this kind, the liquidation procedure for instance SCP-PL-388-2 was changed and new members and equipment were added to the disposal of the unit.
—-
I spent the last twenty years of my life working for the Foundation. In total, I supervised eight projects and led research on three objects. But that's over now. You'll never get anything from me again. You knew all along, you fucking knew what happened to them. You know exactly who I'm talking about, after all you blamed it all on her. You damned bastards. Couldn't you have told me what happened to them? I blamed myself for so many years, that it was my fault, that it was because of me that they were dead, that if I hadn't gotten angry at the amount of money she spent on Christmas presents and stayed at home, nothing would have happened. I wouldn't have lost everything I loved. You hired me and hid it all to control me, ISN'T THAT RIGHT? I created substances for you that you use every day and I researched all kinds of anomalies, and you repay me by not telling me what happened to my family? That's it, I'm going to destroy this fucking cloud and I'm going to do it without you. Józef, I know you're reading this and I know you knew about it, I found your signature. When I'm done with what took my wife and daughter, I'll come for you and your family. You'll never find me. I'll burn everything down.
The note was found, after the fire at site PL-43 was extinguished (the fire destroyed the chemical laboratory and part of the site and caused the containment breach of SCP-PL-███), in a fireproof safe together with a paper version of the addendum “Interrogation of Agent Kortynant: Incident Report SCP-PL-388-1993-1" and a document confirming the accuracy of the information contained in the report, signed by Dr. Kasztaniecki in 2001. Two photos were also found, the first showing a family consisting of a young couple, a man and a woman, and a small child in their arms. In the background, there is a Christmas tree and decorations, and on the back, the inscription “In memory of this first holiday together, for my Elsa and Lisa. 12/24/1992". The second photo shows Dr. Kasztaniecki and Dr. Myszka standing next to him, with laboratory equipment in the background. The doctor stated that the photo was taken during his studies.
Interviewee: Agent Józef Kortynant
Interviewer: Agent S█████
Introduction: The agent was called to testify 15 hours after obtaining evidence of anomalous interference in the accident involving incident SCP-PL-388-1993-1.
<Start of log>
Agent S█████: Okay, young man. For the paperwork purposes, I need your name, surname, operational code and position.
Józef Kortynant: My name is Józef Kortynant, I am a junior field agent, my operational code is PL-2061 and I would really like to get the fuck out of here.
Agent S█████: I know and I fully understand you, I myself a long time ago… Never mind. You are here because we need to know exactly what happened there.
Sound of the creaking chair, as it moves closer to the table can be heard.
Agent S█████: Please, tell us what happened on the night of December 24, 1993? That is, yesterday.
Józef Kortynant: What happened? You don't want to know what I saw there. For the first time in my life, I saw something so horrible. There were so many bodies… Jesus… It couldn't have been normal… What are you looking at me like that with that stupid expression on your face for?!
A quiet sob can be heard.
Agent S█████: A sigh. You clearly can't talk about it calmly yet. Would you like some tea?
Józef Kortynant: …Yes.
The recording stops and resumes fifteen minutes later.
Agent S█████: How about that? Feeling a bit better?
Józef Kortynant: I do now, although I don't think I've left there yet… I'm sorry about that…
Agent S█████: You got a bit carried away back there, true, but I accept your apology. Now tell me in detail what you witnessed yesterday.
Józef Kortynant: Okay… We were on duty with Majewski and we were sitting in the [CHANGED] facility, playing cards. I had an ace of spades and a king of spades, I would probably have won then, because he had weaker cards… Yes, I'm good at counting. By the way, we were guarding some kind of chessboard, right?… They didn't even tell us what it was, but it doesn't matter. Suddenly, we heard a loud bang about two blocks away. I immediately jumped to my feet and told Majewski to stay here, and I ran outside alone. It was snowing heavily, and you could hardly see anything… I don't remember exactly where or how long I ran… I see a building, or rather what's left of it. In the upper part of what can be seen in the snow… It's as if… Something has bitten into the building… I don't wait, I brush past some onlookers and tell them not to go in. I run up the stairs because the elevator isn't working. I can hear the screams of people asking for help, bricks falling and flames crackling. I don't stop, something is pulling me in, pushing me into this stairwell… Finally, the stairs end and I feel the cold of snowflakes on my face. I look up and see the starry sky from the bottom of the crater in the building. The heat of the flames around me snatches me out of my state of disbelief and I return here, to the raging fire and rubble. I walk through what was once a wall and see a wooden doll, eaten away by the fire, next to a child's bed. Something black and burning is lying on it. It is not moving. I walk on, hearing only the ringing in my ears and the sound of crackling flames. I feel as if none of this is real. I see a burning man crawling towards me, and only now do I hear all the screams. I step back and suddenly fall. I look under my feet, wanting to see what made me fall. A woman's body torn in half, her legs stuck in the wall. She was holding a child burned to death in her arms. I got back on my feet and ran on, trying to help them, carry someone out, do something… I found a boy who was trying to carry his father out with broken legs. I helped him and we went downstairs together. By then, the fire brigade had arrived and started extinguishing the fire. I left the boy and ran upstairs again. I think I pulled someone else out, but I can hardly remember… I have one question for you now.
Agent S█████: Yes?
Józef Kortynant: Do those upstairs suspect that this explosion was caused by an anomaly?
Agent S█████: They don't suspect it. We know it.
Józef Kortynant: …I see.
Agent S█████: Okay. You have made a statement. Thank you for your cooperation. That's almost everything. We have another proposal for you: an amnestic agent. How would you like to forget what you saw there?
Józef Kortynant: Can I think about it?
Agent S█████: You have ten minutes.
Józef Kortynant: Thank you.
<End of log>
Summary: City surveillance footage on M██████████ ██ Street recorded the largest specimen of SCP-PL-388-2 to date, with a presumed diameter of around 13.5 meters. The object fell and imprinted itself on the roof of building ██, after which it was activated (presumably due to a temperature difference or a fire in the fireplace). A gathering crowd and Agent Cortynant running into the burning building were also recorded, confirming his story. The testimonies did not provide any new information. The recording was provided by Agent T█████, who worked at the monitoring center.
It was announced to the press that the explosion was caused by a gas leak in Elżbieta M.'s apartment. She had suffered a heart attack while using the mains gas cooker, and the explosion was caused by gas leaking into the neighboring apartment where a fireplace was burning.
2021.03.17
To: Dr. ██████
From: Józef Kortynant
Subject: Myszka - We have something
We've been looking for him with the guys for a month and finally we have a lead. We discovered leaks from stolen reports on a website for foliarists, he wrote about helping with the destruction of SCP-PL-388. He's completely lost it. I have already sent a request to the administration to have them removed, but they probably won't mark it as a high priority because it's on a website where it belongs. BUT we managed to get the IP of the computer from which they were sent. We will find it soon.
2021.03.18
To: Dr ██████
From: Józef Kortynant
Subject: Myszka - He's gone
We went to the place indicated by the IP, some wasteland in █████. We found his apartment - completely deserted. He must have fled recently because the fire was still burning in the stove. We secured a destroyed laptop, a shattered cell phone and some burnt papers (we determined that they were stolen copies of reports and documents). He must have been packing in a hurry because he realized he had made a mistake and had to flee quickly. Robert thinks he was intercepted by someone before us.
2021.03.20
To: Dr ██████
From: Józef Kortynant
Subject: Myszka - Bad news
The bastard contacted GOC. From the data saved on the laptop disk, we concluded that he had been corresponding with their representative for a year. He had gigabytes of files on the disk, and the technicians say that most of them are unrecoverable. We have a piece of a recorded conversation from a month ago from the phone, I will attach it, it is… Disturbing. We don't know how much information he stole for GOC, but it's probably a lot. What I don't understand is why he was writing about secret reports on an unsecured website. Robert has a theory that Myszka wanted to force them to make a quicker decision on the extraction, because he got pissed off that they hadn't decided yet, whether they wanted it or not in the end. It was a provocation, but personally I would like to think that he went completely crazy. The GOC needs to be contacted about this.
-
Unknown:(Distorted)
Myszka: Are you sure?
Unknown: If you look closely, you will see that it doesn't add up. And if you look (Distorted) deeper, you will find something else that is i-(Distorted)-ting for you.
Myszka: Just remember that I have something you -(Distorted), so you'd better not cheat me.
Unknown: Take it easy, doc, we've (Distorted) before, and you didn't come out badly. Right?
Myszka: …I'll check it out tomor-(Distorted)
- - - -
2021.03.25
To: Józef Kortynant
From: Dr ██████
Subject: Myszka - GOC
They are saying that they don't have Myszka. They're lying. They have him. He's too valuable to them. Keep looking, he'll eventually make another mistake. Find him.
Interviewee: Dr. Bogusław Kasztaniecki
Interviewer: Agent Józef Kortynant
Introduction: Dr. Kasztaniecki volunteered for questioning five days after Ryszard Myszka's escape. He claimed to have important information about Dr. Myszka's past.
<Start of log>
Agent Kortynant: It's a pleasure to meet you again, Doctor.
Dr. Kasztaniecki: Yes, yes, you haven't found him yet, have you?
Agent Kortynant: Myszka? Unfortunately not, he hid well.
Dr. Kasztaniecki: I hoped I would never have to talk to anyone about this…
Agent Kortynant: All information can be useful to us. However, we have a question for you. Why did you decide to talk to us now? As soon as the incident occurred, we approached you, but we did not learn anything from you. Why the change of heart?
Dr. Kasztaniecki: I really didn't want to believe that he did it. Then I found out about the letter… Jesus. At first I was shocked, we'd known each other for over thirty years. Then I wasn't sure if I shouldn't run away with my family, I'd already almost lost my son once. But this is the safest place i know. However, yesterday I came to the conclusion that things had gone too far. I had hoped that by hiring him, I would help him after he had lost his entire family. I had done so much for him, and this was how he repaid me…
Agent Kortynant: If you want to tell the whole story, I would appreciate it if you would tell me everything in order.
Dr. Kasztaniecki: I'll try… We met in 1989, when we were both studying chemistry. He was a very cheerful and energetic young man back then. He chose to analyze the production and application of fireproof materials in a chemical environment for his doctoral thesis, and I sometimes helped him with it. He then started sharing his research on his forum. Then we moved in together and sometimes went to parties and university chess clubs. He was the best, even Professor Stub was always outplayed by him. Of course, no one wanted to play with him for money, but everyone wanted to train with him. And he, like a Samaritan, would suggest moves and help everyone. He was a very nice person, and when he got married a few years later and had a daughter, he was probably the happiest man alive.
A moment of silence.
Dr. Kasztaniecki: It was probably in 1993, when he lost his family in… the accident. He started to change after that. He stopped talking to other people except me, he stopped playing chess. He spent all his time in the laboratory, never leaving it, sometimes even sleeping there. When he finished his studies in '97, it was even worse. He completely cut himself off, from everyone. I didn't have any contact with him for a few years, but I read about his discoveries on his forum. When the Foundation hired me and I felt more confident, I decided to do something to keep his talent from going to waste. I told ██████ to take a look at him. Two years later, I welcomed him to his new laboratory, with papers on his first research subject. I felt like when we met for first time, only he was completely different. He was neither the cheerful chess player I knew, nor the broken man who cut himself off from me. He was… unstable. One moment he was very cheerful, the next he was furious. He had also become ruthless, but in his eyes I could see great sadness and regret… but also a terrible coldness.
Sound of rifling through the sheets of paper can be heard.
Agent Kortynant: We have his file and we know that he was called upon for projects requiring very talented chemists, including one of yours. However, he often proposed the destruction of objects, which took him beyond the level of the second authorizations.
Dr. Kasztaniecki: PL-388, I know… I should never have let him work on it, but I needed help and he seemed perfect for the job. When I asked for his help, he agreed immediately. I don't know what I was thinking when I gave him an incomplete file. I have no idea why, after so many years, he took an interest in file PL-388 again. He probably didn't notice it while working on Safe Snow, but he must have recently been looking through his old copies and possibly noticed some irregularities. Out of the blue, he became very curious about the object and started asking me, Jons, Magda, Teddy… Everyone who worked on PL-388. Of course, I told them not to tell him anything, but he always knew how to get what he wanted out of people…
Agent Kortynant: And he found confirmation in the report that you had hidden the reason for his family's death from him.
Dr. Kasztaniecki: Yes. But the worst part is that his laptop disappeared with him.
Agent Kortynant: Why do you think so?
Dr. Kasztaniecki: …He kept copies of everything he had ever worked on on it. He was always like that. He liked to add his own notes to them, often ones that the administration wouldn't approve of…
Agent Kortynant: Shit…
<End of log>
Summary: Based on the information received from Dr. Kasztaniecki, a psychological profile of Ryszard Myszka was created and the search was intensified. An arrest warrant was issued for the doctor. He was also excluded from the Foundation's staff.
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