You are a Sephirah.Which one you are doesn't matter.This, however, is what does matter.An agent - who worked in your department for several months - was finally reported dead after the end of today's work.It was surprisingly unexpected. They had long since been promoted to working with the many ALEPH Abnormalities within your department, and had done nothing but stellar work. Their death was a shock to all.Even to you. It goes without saying that deaths within the Corporation are a daily occurrence. It also goes without saying that you don't know why it piqued your curiosity, that this specific agent should fall after being the most immortal agent of their department for so long.You're curious enough, that you've found the room they took up residence in during their employment. You may as well search it.It's rather plain, with few personal belongings other than maybe a few photographs of family, a handful of books that appear largely unread. Unsurprising due to the general lack of free time that comes with this line of work.There are, however, a few personal journals that are very well worn. They probably wrote in them every night in an attempt to come to terms with what they had to witness every day.There's one thing that catches your eye about one of them, though.You think that maybe your wiring may be faulty when you take note of a strange - is it flickering? - stain, coating the cover of the one on the bottom of the small stack.You are unable to truly focus your eye upon the stain, so you resolve to open the tome instead, hoping to find an answer inside.The many entries seem unremarkable. You can tell which abnormalities are addressed in each passage you decide to skim through. Again, not unusual for people to write about. The last entry is in the center of the journal, and is stained similarly to the cover. The stain causes some difficulty as you attempt to make out words.
Written by Spiradoptera
May 17, 3021They brought in a new ALEPH today. They say it's only for "the strongest of minds" to work with, though. Sounds like bullshit to me. They've said similar things about the other ones, to the newbies that walk through the place. Don't know how they get such a kick out of scaring the poor bastards before they actually see what there is to be scared of.Anyway, they said some crap like, "not even the manager can look. He'd have to be replaced, maybe even killed if he did." As if the horrors behind some of these doors, that we all have to get close to every damn day, aren't already enough to drive anyone that crazy. If there's anything out there that could be considered worse than something like Nothing There, I almost want to see.
Written by Spiradoptera
You almost think poor bastard yourself as you read. The rest of the page after the entry is blank, and you almost close the book when you realize the corner of the next page is bent, revealing a glimpse of frantic writing.Did they actually go against protocol?You brace yourself as you turn the page.Your eyes are assaulted by alternating stains of purple, and a heavily flickering black-and-green.
May 18, 3021Dear God, if there is one
I don't even know what to ask for
I'm in the chamber with it right now, they weren't fucking kidding this time. Oh God
how I wish I were the managerThe guy they sent in before me went mad in seconds, and he was just one rank below myself
I'm lucky to not be facing the same fate as I write.
And no wonder they don't let us write about it
I dont care. I could be dead in five minutes so I dont see any consequence to putting words on a page that no one else will seeI expected the usual bodily horrors, like missing eyes, spilled organs, different parts spliced together, hornets exiting orifices
How I wish that it was merely that combinationInstead what I see is a creature that doesnt even belong to our world. I cant explain or understand how I know, but I do. It shouldnt be here and yet it is. Maybe that's why it's in this state
The only sounds in this room are unending howls from a beast that is literally decaying into...something that gives me migraines just looking at.
You know that one movie effect where computers go haywire and show nothing but scrolling numbers
That. But streaming like blood from whatever is in front of me. Glittering and blinding and incomprehensible as my brain was not made to understand what I can only guess is the material that makes up the universe it came from
How can just any man look into that blinding void and stay sane?The thing keeps screaming. I cant make out where the eyes are if there are any, but I feel it staring me down, begging.It's begging me for help. It's begging us all for help. It's in its own hell and we can only observe. It wants the suffering to end but we all know that Abnormalities cannot be killed.I could fire at its head or its heart to at least try, but I cant tell where either one is, if it even has them anymore, or ever did. Nor do I want to risk merely angering it insteadAll I want is to run but i have no choice but to somehow work with the thing. what is there to do with it? I can only watch as it writhes in agony because I cannot look awayHow can any man look away from anything like that?
How can any man ignore such massive suffering?
How can any man ignore the fabric of the void staring into his soul
It keeps staring. Stop it. Stop looking at me. The void and the screaming monster keep looking at me and their glares and their hopelessness bore into my very being and I cannot keep myself from feeling exactly what it feels and everything feels like burning and acid and I cannot shield my eyes from the brightness and the darkness and the pain that blinds them and fills my head and the colors swim before me as it struggles to hold any form and I feel its struggle and I feel like I may lose my own form if I do not leave this room yet I cannot leave it to scream alone and I want to scream with it so that it knows that at least someone recognizes its pain and shares it and that it is not alone and so for even but a few minutes it will not be alone. I don't want it to be alone and nothing short of my colleagues blinding and deafening me and dragging me out against my will will make me leave it alone in the dark and the suffering and the acid and the melting and the light and the void and the data and the flickering and the screaming and the shifting and thePlease stop censoring it.It doesn't want to suffer alone anymore.
Written by Spiradoptera
Written by Spiradoptera
The entry ends. You assume that this was the point where the agent was forcibly removed from the room, found to be attempting to fight off catatonia and failing. The journal was already in their pocket by then, hidden away from cameras and colleagues so as to not be confiscated.As far as you know, this is the only written record of this Abnormality.But as you of all people know, keeping or spreading such records is forbidden.You shake your head, clearing the frantic scrawling from your mind.You close the journal, tucking it under your arm.You're not keeping it. That would be against protocol.You are, of course, going to burn it.There are censors in place for a reason.
Written by Spiradoptera
Written by Spiradoptera
Written by Spiradoptera
Written by Spiradoptera
As you later begin disposal of the journal, a folded document falls out.It turns out, something of use was written before the journal was placed in the dorms.
WARNING
THIS IS AN UNCENSORED ITERATION OF THE DOCUMENT FOR O-02-89.
THIS DOCUMENT IS RESTRICTED TO LEVEL V PERSONNEL ONLY.
IF YOU ARE IN POSSESSION OF THIS DOCUMENT WITHOUT APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE, TERMINATE YOUR BROWSING SESSION AND REPORT FOR A WELFARE CHECK IMMEDIATELY.
O-02-89: Beastruction
ALEPH Class
Black damage, 5-10
Level V agents lose 60% SP upon viewing the Abnormality directly
Agents level IV and below have a 100% chance of instant panic.Favors Instinct work
Only eats raw meat
has a penchant for trying to bite off whole limbsit shines and can be seen through slightly like deeply colored glass
whole sections of it look like they're melting, and yet cannot truly fall apart. incomprehensible patterns scroll across these sections. there's so much blood but it can't bleed outthe scrolling is like staring at the very fabric of some other universe. it glitters and sparkles. but is so infinitely deep, like it's pulling me in
it's in so much pain
Written by Spiradoptera
Written by Spiradoptera
Will someone else find this? I don't know. I may as well make my own addition from what I could gather. Even if the journal's tossed in the end, at least there's a chance this may reach someone.My colleague, the one who wrote above me, has passed today due to incurable catatonia, as we all know. He gave me this journal as they dragged him out of the containment cell, with the request of returning it to his room with the rest of his writing. But since I actually managed to survive peeking at the Abnormality myself afterwards, I gained information that should be more than helpful when it comes to dealing with this thing.The colors and build of the creature stood out to me quite a bit, and I was actually able to identify it.This monstrous being is a fictional creature called Beastruction. Yes, I know I just said fictional, despite it being real. I'm surprised too.But as a kid, I had this weird little old-world game called Cubivore. It must've been scavenged by my parents from some ancient nerd's even more ancient collection of games and consoles. Apparently this game's exceedingly rare and worth thousands, if you're into that sort of thing.It's about these creatures called Cubivore, and this beast is one of the strongest. I can't imagine how it could have come into this world from that one. My only theory is that it is, or at least was, sentient enough to realize it could escape. Maybe it even traveled through other game worlds, too. Maybe its trip into this world was too much to adapt to, and everything it was switching around inside of it in order to fit in just finally broke.Obviously, this thing is in a lot of pain. Just having a glimpse and hearing its agony was enough to tear at anyone's heartstrings, despite its horrific appearance. The best we can really do for it is feed it, maybe offer company for a while so it doesn't feel so helpless.As for preserving employee safety, eye and ear protection is our best option until we figure out something more effective. Ideally, we wanna be able to see what it's doing, so just something to really blur your vision should be enough.Being the first agent to be able to complete work on this Abnormality, I would like to be the designated agent to continue to do so. Perhaps becoming familiar with a specific person could bring it some comfort.
Written by Spiradoptera
Also, I am indeed aware that my theory suggests that our own universe may very well just be a game itself. It doesn't really matter what the truth is, though. We're just trying to do our best with each day we get here. A game world is just as real to its inhabitants as the real would would be.
INCIDENT LOG
The following is a list of breaches, as well as notable interactions that CENSORED has had with agents and other Abnormalities.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: First work is completed. Level IV Agent (CENSORED) panics and falls into catatonia while attempting Insight work. His colleague, Level V Agent (CENSORED), completes work in his place. Document is compiled from his observations.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: Level IV Agent (CENSORED) perishes in emergency care. Autopsy report states "his brain simply gave out."
Notes: All agents to work with CENSORED are to be given eyewear to blur their vision to prevent similar deaths from occurring again.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: Level V Agent (CENSORED) begins to form decent rapport with CENSORED. Abnormality appears to act calmer around him.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: Unauthorized work is performed by Level III Agent (CENSORED). Agent immediately panics, and abnormality breaches. CENSORED displays unprecedented speed, causing (CENSORED) casualties. CENSORED is suppressed by Level V Agent (CENSORED), who manages to calm its rampage with copious offerings of meat.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: Level V Agent (CENSORED) completes their 23rd Instinct work with CENSORED. Abnormality spits an object at his face. Object is found to be a visor, styled after the abnormality. Agent swaps current eye protection with visor, reports that he can now view CENSORED clearly without visual or mental strain.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: T-01-68 breaches after closing, which is typical. However, abnormality happens to choose CENSORED's room during its breach. Camera feed shows that T-01-68 suffers negligible effects from viewing CENSORED, but seems unable to withstand the levels of noise it emits. T-01-68 promptly flees after threats of violence from CENSORED, and collapses a short time later. T-01-68 is later found by T-01-31 during its own breach, and is returned to containment. No evidence of the event, aside from security footage, is present when the facility opens the next day.Date: (CENSORED)
Incident: Level V Agent (CENSORED) performs Instinct work on CENSORED as usual. CENSORED approaches the agent, similarly to when it gave him the visor. Agent raises arm to make physical contact with CENSORED, as usual. Abnormality appears to turn violent, biting and removing the agent's right arm just above the elbow. Before the agent can bleed out, it bites again, replacing the limb with one resembling itself. The new limb functions similarly to an arm, though is better suited for combat than anything else. After leaving containment in brief panic, the agent begins to acquaint himself with the limb. Agent reports that, being right handed, he will have to learn to write with his left hand now. "And it keeps trying to eat the pens, it's annoying."
Notes: Attached is a rendition of the limb, excluding the remaining natural arm, drawn by agent's colleague, (CENSORED). Colleague reports that the limb was "okay to look at, but felt blurry in your brain."
