Protagonists#

• Short, Lance - Foreign Service Officer (Γιάννης)
• Miller, Liam (Agent Dave / Jocko) - Naval Special Warfare Group One (SEALs) (Παναγιώτης)
• Bennet, Wendy - Criminal Intelligence Analyst / Assistant Professor of Criminology (Κωνσταντίνα)

Personal Pursuits & Home Scenes#

Activities between October 14th, 2017, and November 13th, 2018.

• Liam Miller
  • Studies the unnatural:
    • Discovers a series of events taken place in Cornwall in 1952, regarding the death of one Willis Emerson. The fisherman was driven off a cliff as he was assaulted by an unprecedented flock of cormorants, all of which dropped dead from the sky moments after the attack.
    • In the following week, a local news article recounts the discovery of a twelve-year-old girl named Iris Belford in Emerson’s cellar. Identified by a filthy embroidered blanket that appeared to be the girl’s only possession, Belford had been reported missing by her aunt during the blitz of ’41. Long thought dead in the blast that killed her parents, the mute child appeared to have been living the entire time in the home of Emerson, a life-long bachelor who came from Brichester in ’44.
    • The paper reports the unnamed constable who discovered Iris Belford traveling to London to reunite her with surviving family members. There is no record of their arrival, nor any other mention of them in the historical record.
  • Home Scene:
    • Jocko spends his evening talking to Zen, sharing peanut butter with him.
• Wendy Bennett
  • Goes to therapy:
    • She is not open and honest to her psychiatrist about her experiences with the unnatural, which results in the deterioration of her mental condition.
  • Home Scene:
    • A series of events that steadily separated her from her best friend Donna.
• Lance Short
  • Improves Skills or Stats:
    • Spends his time in an attempt to regain his physical and mental fortitude but manages to accomplish only the latter one.
  • Home Scene:
    • Lance receives a phone call from his wife while working out at the gym. She reminds him that today it was his Richard’s, graduation from school, which he didn’t attend. The ties between father and son reach a breaking point.

The Message - November 14th, 2018#

Liam Miller receives a message from an unrecognized number: “OMG! Weren’t you working down there?” followed by a link. Opening the link, he manages to watch and download a footage before is taken offline.

Calling that number gets answered by someone name “Ethan”, which Jocko threatens with doom. The man hangs up and doesn’t pick up any further call attempts from Liam.

The Briefing – November 17th, 2018#

Working Group Masticate members Agents Jocko, Lance and Locke meet the in a windowless conference room beneath Wilshire Boulevard, in Los Angeles. The room is empty but for a conference table and single desktop PC, recently installed.

Anthony Pitzerelli briefs them on the following:

• Intel Source: Assets in Silicon Valley flagged multiple videos uploaded within the last 48 hours.
• Content Relevance: The footage is highly relevant to the agency’s interests, clearly violating terms of service.
• Containment Status: Efforts to keep the videos offline have been largely successful.
• Authenticity: Tech analysts confirm the footage is likely real too consistent to be fabricated.
• Metadata Analysis:
  • All video angles trace back to the same neighborhood in Los Angeles.
  • Timestamps across videos are synchronized.
• Speculation: Possibilities include a new drug or something potentially more dangerous.
• Directive: Investigate the situation. If it’s a threat, neutralize it.
• Resources Provided:
  • A phone number is left for escalation.
  • All necessary data is stored on a single computer in the room.
  • The computer is offline, and the room is shielded from Wi-Fi and cellular signals.
  • Additional office space across the hall is available for internet access or phone calls.
• Communication Protocol:
  • For anything beyond the provided resources, use the phone number to escalate.

Pitzerelli offers no further details beyond the fact that he was instructed not to watch the footage and complied. He then leaves the room without answering additional questions.

Agent Jocko questioned his about the absence of Agent Nikita. In return he received an impression of sadness and relief.