Audio Record
Record Content: Communications log of the Special Task Force during the incident of Subject 871’s escape.
Personnel: Special Task Force, Bravo-█ with five members.
Additional Explanation: Member-1 is a veteran agent with experience in operations involving Subject 871. In a later interview, he mentioned feeling as if he were trapped throughout the entire operation.
[Record Start]
Member-1: Confirming recording procedures, and I will begin roll call to check for abnormalities before the operation. One.
Member-2: Two.
Member-3: Three.
Member-4: Four.
Member-5: Five. Roll call completed.
Member-1: Good. We are now deployed to suppress the escaped abnormal phenomenon. As of now, Base 17 has all entry points sealed, and additional personnel are installing lights around the emergency exits as they prepare to lift the barriers. Our mission is to enter, restrain the subject with the special containment device, then contact headquarters to watch the people outside come in and take the subject back to the Isolation Room. Any questions?
Member-4: Member-4, I have a question.
Member-1: Speak.
Member-4: About the weapons we’ve been issued, aside from the special containment device, they seem to lack significant stopping power. Are they really sufficient for this?
Member-1: Physical containment methods don’t work on Subject 871. If you find yourself having to shoot that backup weapon, consider yourself already dead.
Member-4: So, is there a need for backup weapons?
Member-1: Yes. There are times when we must calm down a member who has gotten confused and is threatening the whole unit. Let’s hope we don’t need to use them this time.
Member-4: …Understood.
Time passes, followed by the sound of clattering and several footsteps.
The footsteps made crunching sounds on the dirt, then quickly shifted to thudding on a hard floor, resonating from all directions.
Member-2: No one’s here.
Member-1: That would be expected. All the humans who failed to evacuate have likely been devoured. The survivors should be behind the barrier wall, and we won’t encounter them until this operation is complete.
Member-2: That’s a relief. At least the living researchers won’t have to identify whether they’re in a trap or not.
Member-5: Have you participated in a similar operation before?
Member-2: Of course. It was an abnormal phenomenon that mimicked human appearance, when it escaped from Base 21――
Member-1: Wait, stop.
Following Member-1’s Stop Order, silence falls momentarily.
Afterward, Member-3’s voice is heard.
Member-3: Um, if my eyes aren’t deceiving me, there’s a person lying over there. Is that correct?
Member-1: I see it too.
Member-3: But surely, there shouldn’t be any living humans left――
Member-1: Don’t panic, Member-3. First, let’s figure out if this is a trap. Everyone, illuminate the area, except for Member-4. I will now approach the unidentified life form. Member-4, take out your backup weapon and prepare to shoot immediately if that unidentified life form shows any signs of attack or abnormal behavior. Understood?
Member-4: Confirmed.
Member-1: Good. Then let’s move.
Accompanied by bustling footsteps, clanking sounds of machinery begin.
After a brief moment, cautious footsteps are heard a few times, followed by several seconds of silence.
Member-1: Is it just unconscious? No sign of vital activity, it seems.
Member-4: But why are they in a naked state?
Member-1: Subject 871 doesn’t like trivial organic matter like clothing. If it swallowed a human, whatever the human was wearing stays behind.
Member-4: Are you saying this person was one of those it spat out?
Member-1: No… I’ve never seen it spit out anything it swallowed.
Member-4: Then how could this person still be alive?
Member-1: …I don’t know. I’ve never experienced anything like this in any operation before――
Member-2: Hey, there’s something up ahead!
While discussing with Member-4, Member-2’s urgent voice interrupts.
From Member-1’s direction, the sound of hurriedly grabbing equipment can be heard.
Member-1: What do you see?
Member-2: A foot, a human foot.
Member-1: Is it just a leg cut off?
Member-2: I can’t tell. It’s around a corner, so I can only see one body part.
Member-1: Wait. I’ll go. I will take point, so you two keep a watchful eye while following behind.
With a tense voice, the squad regroups.
After several thuds echoing slowly inside the building, the members’ voices grow confused.
With a crackle, something appears on the screen.
Suddenly, naked humans fill the corridor floor, scattered carelessly across the scene.
Member-5: What the…
Member-4: Have you ever seen a scene like this in a previous operation?
Member-1: …Most of the time there wasn’t a shadow of a person to be seen.
Member-4: This is a completely opposite scenario.
Member-5: Should we check if they’re alive?
Member-1: No, that’s too time-consuming. For now, let’s follow this trail.
Member-1 points in a direction.
That way shows signs of something intentionally dropping the people as it passed.
The screen starts moving, and footsteps echo throughout the hallway.
As the number of fallen people gradually diminishes, the team reaches a dead end.
Member-1: This place is…
As Member-1 speaks, a beeping alarm alerting something on the equipment rings out.
After looking back and forth between the equipment’s screen and in front of him, Member-1 falls into silence, deep in thought.
The other members cautiously watch from behind.
Member-1: Headquarters. I’ve located Subject 871. Requesting immediate deployment of personnel waiting outside the base.
Command: Acknowledged. Report the current location of the containment of the abnormal phenomenon.
Member-1: The current location is….
Finally, after a long silence, Member-1 begins relaying the information to headquarters.
Hesitatingly moving his lips, he finally names the place his team has reached.
Member-1: …Subject 871’s Isolation Room. It’s like it’s choosing to isolate itself.
[Record End]
Click
Accompanied by the sound of something being pressed, the monitor stops displaying the previously played video record.
The screen still shows the recorded footage from just moments ago.
“Whooo…”
A deep sigh escapes from Responsible Researcher Oliver Smith.
The reason for this sigh was, of course, due to the video he had just watched.
Following the dangerously chaotic escape incident of Subject 871, astonishingly, the escaped anomaly had walked back to the Isolation Room on its own, and he had thought all personnel left behind the barrier wall had surely not survived, only to find them all unharmed.
Thanks to this, the person in a high position like him,
Had no choice but to devote several days to sifting through the recorded footage from that day and investigating the traces left within this base.
Even though the truly important records within the base had been completely lost or destroyed due to the chaos caused by the escape of the anomaly.
Nevertheless, there were still some details to uncover, and his responsibilities did not allow him to give up easily just because finding those records was difficult.
Of course, even despite having a Level IV danger anomaly escape without any further issues, he was deeply pleased that the incident had concluded without any fatalities.
This was due to the fact that far too many people tended to die like flies, not sparing any consideration for human life.
Thinking of the fate that the personnel left behind the barrier would have faced, even if he disguised himself as normal, he felt a pang of pain in his chest.
But because of this, he knew very well.
That simple resolutions do not come easily in this world.
Stories where the prince and princess end up happily ever after, where the dead come back to life, and they all live happily forever after, are all just fairy tales.
In reality, they are built upon the towering remains of dead bodies stacked like skeletons.
Thus, he couldn’t help but thoroughly investigate this incident.
To investigate the personnel left behind the barrier, scrutinize their Mental Contamination Levels, and assign unnecessary physical examinations.
To check if there were any signs of change in this base, or alterations in any of the other anomalous entities that were left, to inspect everything.
‘However, I couldn’t find anything.’
Yet, everything was normal.
Except for the lack of memories concerning the escape incident, the personnel left behind the barrier showed no signs of contamination during their examinations, and no suspicious traces remained in the base no matter how thoroughly searched.
The anomalies that were contained at the time also showed no significant changes.
Everything was just the same.
Without any abnormalities, the escape incident resolved far too easily.
Yes, just like a story that comes straight out of a fairy tale.
Oliver Smith was confused.
What had been so longed-for became strangely unnatural and unsettling when actually experienced.
The fate that had always toyed with him felt like a sweet fruit given merely to tease him.
But whether it was poisoned fruit or a moment of sincerity from fate remains unknown to anyone.
Then, what indeed is that gift?
A being that does not communicate, filled only with malice towards humans,
Surely didn’t just regurgitate all the humans it swallowed and returned to its original spot due to a mere whim.
There must be some significant changes from before.
Before his eyes lay countless records and research logs.
The one and only difference he found among the piles of documents――――――
Knock, knock
Upon hearing a light knock on the door, he snapped back to reality from his deep thoughts.
He had surely been thinking about something important until just moments ago,
But still, he was not the kind of person who would send someone away just because he got a little lost in contemplation.
Rubbing his face roughly with his palm, as if to chase away sleep, he called the researcher he had summoned into the room.
