Paperpushing - SCP Foundation

South Coast Paper. If you're from the American southeast, chances are you've printed on their stock, and if you're Wilmingtonian, chances are you've smelled their production plant on Hwy 74/76. This industry giant boasted over 10 million in revenue this year alone; you may have asked yourself what a paper company is doing with those profits, especially with no publicly known CEO reaping the benefits. South Coast Paper had a clean record as a company, and had seemingly been treating the east coast well; however, the truth of a corporation's motives rarely comes to light, and when it does, it tends to get a little ugly.

That's certainly what happened to our friends over at SCP; clever acronyms not considered, it came as a shock to everyone when a certain reporter (whose identity will not be disclosed in this segment for the purposes of security) employed by a certain publisher exposed South Coast Paper as a front company directing profits toward everyone's favorite anomalous regulatory agency, the SCP Foundation.

These findings were and are a significant problem; following the infamous events of Korea that fully exposed the Foundation and their operations, world governments quickly signed into existence new legislation that requires the Foundation to disclose — even if only in fine print — which organizations and businesses existing in the public eye are Foundation-affiliated. Evidence now shows that the Foundation operated upwards of 200 front companies in various industries — from paper manufacturing to aerospace engineering — and generated an estimated 23 billion dollars during their time in the shadows, and that's just since 1990. 23 billion dollars of consumer trust were funneled directly through the companies' individual facades and toward the funding of more containment sites, more international presence, more space exploration, and more of everything else the Foundation sees as integral to furthering its reach.

To the public, and to readers of that reporter's pieces, it was a preposterous discovery. A gross series of actions worth quite a bit more trouble than just bad publicity.

Thus, then came the Plaintiff.

˙ɟɟᴉʇuᴉɐlԀ ǝɥʇ ǝɯɐɔ uǝɥʇ 'snɥ┴

IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE

SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION

FILE NO: TBD

██████ █████████

P.O. BOX ████

WILMINGTON, NC 284██

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

COUNTY OF NEW HANOVER

██████ █████████,

Plaintiff

vs.

SOUTH COAST PAPER, INC. SUBSIDIARY OF

SCP FOUNDATION

Defendant

COMPLAINT

NOW COMES the Plaintiff, ██████ █████████ (“Plaintiff”) pro se, complaining of the Defendant and says:

INTRODUCTION

The Plaintiff and their employer, Information Breach Publications, LLC, regularly conducted business with South Coast Paper, Inc., a paper supplier in southeastern North Carolina. The Plaintiff and their employer express public non-support of the SCP Foundation, owner of South Coast Paper, Inc. The SCP Foundation did not at any point until it was forcibly revealed by the Plaintiff allow public knowledge of their ownership of South Coast Paper, Inc.

When it was revealed by the Plaintiff that the SCP Foundation is the true owner and operator of South Coast Paper, Inc., a smear campaign against the Plaintiff's public image was launched by the SCP Foundation. This campaign, taking place both internally among Foundation personnel and externally in news and local media, was slanderous and libelous in nature and needlessly targeted the Plaintiff.

The SCP Foundation conducts illicit business practices operating under a fabricated front company, and maliciously continued illegitimate business operations with Information Breach Publications, LLC despite being fully aware that Information Breach Publications, LLC is directly against the Foundation's motives, goals, and continued operation.

IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES

Plaintiff is a citizen and resident of New Hanover County, North Carolina. Plaintiff is an employee of Information Breach Publications, LLC, a publications company specializing in exposing illegal and unethical practices conducted by the Defendant in multiple settings and locations.

Upon information and belief, the Defendant is an extralegal organization having no affiliation or obligation to any legal entities other than itself, and is regularly exempted from both United States federal regulations and international/United Nations regulations.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

At the material times alleged herein, the Defendant was, upon information and belief, acting as a corporate entity based out of southeastern North Carolina, with a sales office located in New Hanover County, North Carolina.

Plaintiff was, at the material times alleged herein, a resident of New Hanover County, North Carolina.

This court does, in fact, have jurisdiction over all parties and matters in controversy herein and New Hanover County is the proper venue for this action.

FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

1. The Plaintiff and their employer, Information Breach Publications, LLC regularly conducted business with South Coast Paper, Inc., believing it to be an independent paper supply company.

2. The Defendant illegally operated and owned South Coast Paper, Inc. despite full awareness of their questionable public status and the fact that Information Breach Publications, LLC serves the sole purpose of informing the public about fraudulent, unethical, illegal, and otherwise questionable activities conducted by the Defendant in their many facilities worldwide.

3. When the Defendant's malpractice was revealed by the Plaintiff, the Defendant responded by slandering the Plaintiff, and targeted them not as a representative of their employer but as an individual, thereby causing irreversible personal damages to the Plaintiff's reputation and well-being.

4. Despite the unlawful and uncivil conduct of the Defendant, as well the questionable legal status of South Coast Paper, Inc. as a legitimate independent company, South Coast Paper, Inc. is still in operation.

FIRST CLAIM FOR RELIEF

(Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices)

5. The Plaintiff hereby incorporates by reference the allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 4.

6. The Plaintiff did willingly do business with South Coast Paper, Inc., fully believing it to be a functioning business with no ulterior motives or hidden corporate ownership.

7. The Defendant does regularly mislead the public about the destination of South Coast Paper, Inc.'s profits, not disclosing despite the SCP Foundation's now-public operation status that profits are benefiting that organization. The Defendant is fully aware of the legal status of this method of business practice and the fraudulence therein.

8. As a direct and proximate cause of the conduct of the Defendant, the Plaintiff has been damaged and is entitled to have and recover from the Defendant a sum in excess of FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($50,000.00).

SECOND CLAIM FOR RELIEF

(Libel)

9. The Plaintiff hereby incorporates by reference the allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 8.

10. When the Plaintiff exposed the actions of the Defendant and the true destination of South Coast Paper, Inc.'s income, the Plaintiff's status as a well-known reporter in the area was used against them in the form of a publicity-targeting smear campaign published by the Foundation, evidenced by information and belief as well as publications sourced from SCP Foundation-critical information examiners including but not limited to Information Breach Publications, LLC and informants.

11. During the Plaintiff's process of revealing the illegal processes through which South Coast Paper, Inc. transfers profits in full to the SCP Foundation, the Plaintiff was regularly harassed and questioned in public when recognized by Foundation personnel. Information and belief sourced from Foundation personnel indicates the Plaintiff is the subject of an internal "example case" used by high-ranking Foundation officials to illustrate an anti-Foundation public figure who will falsify evidence and incite distrust.

12. Following the Plaintiff's efforts to expose the actions of the Defendant, the Plaintiff's reputation and personal security were noticeably and irreparably damaged by Foundation efforts in a directly intentional and slanderous manner.

13. As a direct and proximate cause of the conduct of the Defendant, the Plaintiff has been damaged and is entitled to have and recover from the Defendant a sum in excess of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($200,000.00).

THIRD CLAIM FOR RELIEF

(Punitive Damages)

14. The Plaintiff incorporates herein by reference the allegations contained in paragraphs 1 through 13 as is fully set forth herein.

15. The conduct of the Defendant was fraudulent, ethically unacceptable, and malicious, and has damaged both the Plaintiff and the public in manners characteristic of the Defendant's current and past behavior as an organization.

16. As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of the Defendant, the Plaintiff is entitled to an award of punitive damages against the Defendant in an amount to be determined by a jury at the trial of this matter. It is the Plaintiff’s desire for the Jury to consider an award of FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($400,000.00) to mitigate the impact of the Defendant's actions.

Plaintiff pleads with the court and jury to

WHEREFORE, the Defendant prays the Court as follows:

1. That the Plaintiff have and recover judgment against the Defendant for compensatory damages in excess of TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND and 00/100 Dollars ($250,000.00);

2. That the Plaintiff have and recover judgement against the Defendant for punitive damages in an amount of FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND and 00/100 Dollars ($400.000.00) or an amount less than or greater than that amount, to be determined by a jury at the trial of this matter;

3. That the costs of this action be taxed by the Court against the Defendant;

4. For trial by jury on all issues so triable; and

5. For such other and further relief as to the Court seems just and proper.

Respectfully submitted this the ██ day of June, 20██.

██████ █████████

Pro Se Plaintiff

By: [IDENTIFYING SIGNATURE REMOVED]

██████ █████████

Pro Se Plaintiff

Mailing Address:

██████ █████████

P.O. BOX ████

WILMINGTON, NC 284██

Street Address:

██████ █████████

██ █████ Court

P.O. BOX ████

WILMINGTON, NC 284██

South Coast Paper was slammed with a lawsuit — albeit a reasonably sized one against a corporate entity their size — from a pro se plaintiff claiming that the company's true operator, the SCP Foundation, had launched a slanderous campaign against them after they publicized the fact that South Coast Paper is a front company raking in profits solely to benefit the Foundation.

With the Foundation's publicity more shameless and prevalent than ever before, some personnel are defending their employer on social media.

A social media user expresses their opinions about the Foundation's potential response to the lawsuit.

As we know, the Foundation using fronts to fund their research and operations is not unheard of. The only difference is that nowadays, they're no longer immune to the repercussions of illegitimate business conduct. With the unlawful operation and ownership of South Coast Paper being brought to light, we are left to wait and wonder as to what the results will be. Will New Hanover County decide to take the side of the Plaintiff — and of the law — and recognize not only the Foundation's fraudulent corporate activity, but also the harassment of the Plaintiff that took place? With nowhere left to turn and no way to quell the resulting public outcry, the only option remaining is to face the music; a lifetime of secrecy and lying to the populace can only get an organization so far, and this may indeed be the end of the road for the southeastern branches.

They've been through worse and erased it, which brings a slew of new issues to the table.

˙ǝlqɐʇ ǝɥʇ oʇ sǝnssᴉ ʍǝu ɟo ʍǝls ɐ sƃuᴉɹq ɥɔᴉɥʍ 'ʇᴉ pǝsɐɹǝ puɐ ǝsɹoʍ ɥƃnoɹɥʇ uǝǝq ǝʌ,ʎǝɥ┴

Site-42, Seabreeze, North Carolina

June ██, 20██

Agent Trauss is tired for his age. It's something he feels in his bones, no matter how much young muscle is surrounding them. He grunts under his breath as he seats himself at his handler's desk, hair disheveled and glossy under the single white light fixed above the stainless steel and concrete surfaces of the room.

"Good evening. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, get your face out of the shadows, then."

Kenton Lookingbill scoots his chair forward, allowing himself to smirk. "You know how it is. Hey, at least you hear my voice on the radio."

"What do you have me down here for? You've got a look on your face like it's bad news, I gotta say."

"No sir. Just a task we need you to carry out. It's important."

"I'm all ears."

Lookingbill opens his clipboard and removes a folded tabloid-size diagram of a small electronic device, sliding it across the desk. He watches Trauss study it in silence.

"Is this our newest tech, or something?"

"It's about to be. This is one iteration improved from the original."

"And who made the original?"

"Bruce Schulman, an MC&D entrepreneur from New York."

"And this is a… this is the opposite of amnestics, and you type in the memory you're recovering? Is this anomalous?"

"Yes-"

"You know I don't like using anomalous tech."

"Hold your fire, though, son. Like I said, that's V2.0, right there. It's not nearly as unstable as Schulman's, and his is out there on the market. Has been for years."

"Alright, so are you assigning one of these to my inventory, or what?" Trauss folds the paper back in half and sets it on the table.

"Not permanently, no." Lookingbill retrieves another document from inside his clipboard.

"Alright, then what's this about?"

"It's about two things. First, it's about a lawsuit, and second, it's about a skip. As an example, remind me, are you familiar with line fishing?"

"…Oh, Christ. Don't tell me 3848 is involved in this. ARTMET wasn't fun to learn and it's not fun to use. I've finally stopped having the headaches."

"You're going to have to double down on your cannabis consumption, then, because you've got a few headaches en route."

"Hell. Alright, tell me what Wilmington's forgotten about this time, then."

"Nothing, yet. But as you've probably seen in the monthly Level 4 information emails, things are not shaping up well in most parts of the world right now. 3848 is knocking out a hell of a lot of concepts in a hell of a lot of places, and fast. We're up to several a day at this point. A point where logging them all is becoming superfluous."

"What's the plan?"

"Your plan? Your plan is to deal with this lawsuit before it goes to trial. The Director's calling it Operation Styx, and he's rushing it. And the manner in which we need you to deal with it happens to be a very important test run of the technology on that blueprint, there. Track down the reporter that filed the suit, detain her, administer targeted Class-Cs with the assistance of two L3 security officers of your choice, use the modified Schulman device to construct a false but similar memory of doing business with South Coast Paper, and get her to drop the suit."

"So you want me to instigate 42's biggest scandal since the Jacobson case, is what I'm hearing."

"…Beg your pardon?"

"I'm not going to bullshit you, Kenton, we know each other too well. Pretend we're off the record for a second, here. Pretend we're sitting at my kitchen bar."

Lookingbill puts his head in his hands. "No, Trauss, I've told you a million times that you can't just say it's off the record to make it off the record."

"I'll say it on the record, then: There's no way in hell I'm doing that."

"Why? You're perfect for this. This is a very high-level opportunity, here."

"I don't touch these aspects of Foundation operations, Kenton. You know that about me. There's plenty of terrible shit that I'm willing to do, but it's field work."

"This is field work."

"No, this is dirty bureaucrat work. I'm not assassinating someone's memories because the paper company got caught. The Foundation broke the law. We were in the wrong. And I don't know the legitimacy of the libel aspect, but at this point, I wouldn't put it past us, and I really don't like saying that but for all I know it could be true."

"The publications about that reporter were- they were multifaceted, alright, they took a lot of angles and made for a lot of murky lines to cross or not cross. Having read all of them, I think we're on solid ground, if not entirely."

"That's the longest line of bullshit I've heard you spin in a while."

"Oh for fuck's sake, Trauss, just tell me if you understand the mission or not."

"How does using this device on the reporter aid 3848 containment efforts?"

"The lead researcher at R&D already wrote the memory script for it."

"So this is a trial run. What if it hurts her in some way we didn't predict? There are D-classes for this."

"We can't use D-classes for this because the memory pathway needs to already be present, conceptually and in terms of the person's awareness of the subject matter. If this works, Director Radford will be able to greenlight the next phase of the project, and get this technology into a format that can be administered on a larger scale and more quickly. It's our last defense against these increasing waves of Lethe Events, frankly."

He shakes his head side-to-side, slowly. "I don't know, I feel like there should be another way to go about this. Give the mission to someone else. This kind of shit, this kind of sneaky backstabbing shit — this isn't the Foundation I know, and I'm not going to represent that Foundation."

Lookingbill widens his eyes, a doubtful glare centered on the younger man. "…Wow. Well, you're certainly a high enough rank that I can't force you."

"Correct."

They sit in silence for several seconds, making unblinking eye contact.

"Well, that's that, then. I'll tell the Site Director to pick the next option." Lookingbill closes his clipboard with the two files back in it and stands from his chair. "You know the process."

Trauss stands with an exasperated expression on his face and removes a canister of Class-A aerosol amnestics from a pouch on his belt.

"Three seconds for 15 minutes."

"Yeah, yeah." He shakes the can, muscle memory reminding him of how many times he's had to do this in the past year or two particularly. Lookingbill is watching him from across the table, looking disappointed as his employee takes a deep breath of cold, metallic-tasting air and liquid particles from the inhaler.

3431 W. Telfair Circle, Seabreeze, North Carolina

June ██, 20██

Trauss jams his key into the front door lock and immediately heads upstairs to his bathroom to brush his teeth. The emptiness of the small townhouse adds an additional pang of depression to the swirling mix of feelings in his chest, but he tries to stay distracted with getting the taste of amnestics out of his mouth.

"Agent Trauss. Come in if you're available," a voice in his head says. He grimaces and twists the lower ring of the device attached to his tragus piercing after spitting his toothpaste into the sink. "I want the normal microphone back. I don't like having you in my head."

"This is Site Director Radford."

"Oh, hi." He coughs and sputters. "Thought you were Lookingbill. Sorry, uh, I'm brushing my teeth. Is something urgent?"

"Not immediately. Why are you brushing your teeth?"

Why are you barking in my comm-link at 7 PM on a Saturday? "I taste Class-As, is all. Nothing abnormal these days."

"Ah, right, about that. I'm afraid those did you no good, because Lookingbill has gotten back to me about that thing you just wiped out and I'm not going to take no for an answer. We've got something urgent, a mission that requires someone with good publicity and a friendly face. And clearance level four or higher, and amnestics administration training and ARTMET certification. And there's only one person in 42 that fits that profile."

"What do I need to do?"

"We'll give you information as-needed every step of the way. You're going to be handling an anomalous device from R&D and administering Class-Cs to someone. Some undercover work posing as a reporter may be needed, but it's unlikely. We're probably going to take the direct route."

Trauss looks himself in the mirror, his monochrome clothing bright and sterile despite its wrinkles and flecks of dirt accumulated throughout the day. He adjusts his collar and wipes a wet washcloth around the edges of his face. "Where should I go and when?"

"Come down to Room A4 of R&D at 42. Nine in the morning, sharp."

"Am I going to be leaving straight from 42? Should I bring the car?"

"Yes, and no. Drive the bike."

"Shit, really? Full PPO uniform and everything?"

"Full gear. Bring one or two L3 field ops with you. I don't care who you pick, you're just gonna need some physical backup."

"Oh yikes. Alright, will do," Trauss says, eager to disconnect. Radford's crisp speaking tone and enunciation borders on irritating most of the time, and this conversation is no exception.

"There's the agent I know. See you in the AM."

"Copy that."

His earpiece beeps once to indicate the connection was ended. He breathes a sigh of relief and starts to undress for the night, making plans to knock on Agent Rogers' door first thing in the morning.

Firstly, we saw with the Jacobson case that Site-42 — not just the Foundation as a whole, as that's old news, but the Wilmington branch specifically — is not immune to internal corruption taking place locally. That opened the door for a world of new opportunities for malpractice on the Foundation's part, be they social, legal, or (heaven forbid) ethical; when a group has, across the span of history, never been held directly accountable for its actions, that group ends up seeing itself as exempt from society's rules and exempt from any accountability that may apply. They end up thinking that they've always known best and they always will know best, because they've never given humanity a chance to tell them otherwise.

One of the Foundation's anomalies is deleting memories of various concepts from human memory, and most people are aware at this point that the manifestations are worsening and becoming more frequent.

This poses a challenge to anyone looking to expound or capitalize upon the parts of the Foundation that are beneficial to humanity — the STEM advancements they and their partners have achieved, namely — because involvement with the Foundation is by nature getting the full package, even in marketing. You cannot invest time, money, or resources in just one branch of the Foundation, because the core of the Foundation itself is an oligarchy of supervisors with a limitless reach and no behavioral restrictions which operates through each and every channel of the organization's activities, right down to the actions of their individual employees.

These days, I often ask myself as a reporter why Foundation personnel behave the way they do.

˙op ʎǝɥʇ ʎɐʍ ǝɥʇ ǝʌɐɥǝq lǝuuosɹǝd uoᴉʇɐpunoℲ ʎɥʍ ɹǝʇɹodǝɹ ɐ sɐ ɟlǝsʎɯ ʞsɐ uǝʇɟo I 'sʎɐp ǝsǝɥ┴

Site-42, Seabreeze, North Carolina

June ██, 20██

Date: May 24, 2022 13:20

From: ETH_COM (of.pcs.ce|YLPERTONOD#of.pcs.ce|YLPERTONOD)

To: Eric Radford (of.pcs.nimda|drofdare#of.pcs.nimda|drofdare)

Message Subject: URGENT ORDERS

Attachments: none

Message Body:

ETHICS COMMITTEE CEASE OPERATIONS ORDER

This is an automated message.

Site Director Eric Radford, your project OPERATION STYX (www.scp-wiki.scp.fo/l4access/verification/intscpfn-portal/personnel/eradford42/operation-styx) has been flagged for content and approval violation by one or more Ethics Committee boardmembers and is pending review.

Do not proceed with this project until you are contacted within 12 hours of receiving this message.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Text attachment from supervising officer(s):

Cease operations until further contact. Do not allow C-51174 to leave Site-42 until further contact. Order C-39438 to self-amnesticize and resume his schedule. -Blanchard

END MESSAGE

Site Director Radford looks up from his phone. "Hang on, stop walking for a sec."

Trauss stops and turns around, attracting the attention of a passing researcher as he flips his helmet's face shield up. "What is it?"

Radford leans against a corner in the hallway, pressing his back against the painted cinderblock wall. "Fuck," he says under his breath. "Okay, what am I doing, I can't show you this," he says with a nervous chuckle, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "Let's step into the proper research room, here." He scans his access card on the door lock to Room A4 and gestures the two agents in ahead of him. "Hello, Mallory," he says to the lead researcher, closing the door behind them.

"Oh, goodness. I haven't seen that uniform since I worked on 3069," she says to Trauss and Rogers. "I can only assume you two are gearing up for-"

Radford rushes over to the doctor and whispers in her ear, interrupting her. She nods and scoots around to the other side of the table, flipping an opaque black cloth over a metallic device displayed in the middle. "Sorry, gentlemen, but we've just found out some sensitive internal information. Agent Rogers, I'm afraid you'll need to administer Class-As- uhh, let's see, what time did Agent Trauss come to get you? I think you'll need to go back at least forty-five minutes. Sorry, but it's Ethics Committee orders. Now please forget I said that."

Rogers glares at Trauss, but there's a hint of sympathy present. "Another day at the office." He starts shaking his spray can. "Sounds like you're in some deep shit here. Good luck." He exhales fully and counts to himself before inhaling for nine seconds.

Trauss pats him on the back and reattaches the can to his belt for him. "Alright. Go walk down the hallway and go home for the day." He pushes him toward the door. Rogers wheezes into his fist and stumbles out.

"Now, back to business," Dr. Wickerford says, taking the cloth off of the device on the counter.

"What do you mean? They just sent us a cease-and-desist!"

She raises an eyebrow over her glasses. "Well, maybe for Operation Styx they did, but not for my proposal."

Radford looks bewildered. "I told you I wouldn't approve that."

"And I told you it didn't need to go through site management, only the Ethics Committee."

The two of them glare at each other in silence. Trauss takes his helmet off. "Mind if I ask what's going on here?"

"Mallory has a proposition for you," he says with a side-glance at her, "but just know that I am not going to make it mandatory, so don't-"

"Oh, don't make it sound more stressful than it is, Eric." She pulls Trauss over to the table by the arm and gestures to the device. "Have you seen this before, Agent?"

"Not that I can recall."

She nods. "Right. Well, this here is AC34D NC77Q 95DCS."

Trauss chuckles. "An MC&D object. Didn't know they were active around these parts."

"Indeed they are. Don't be disappointed, but our possession of this is actually fairly old news. This version here on the table is our first re-engineered prototype, though. It's not like the original at all."

"Is it anomalous?"

"Well, yes, I'll confess that the core element is anomalous. But we've compartmentalized that element and sufficiently improved our understanding of it over the course of our research. It's not the first anomalous technology we safely utilize, as you're well-aware from your experience in the field."

"I'll see. I don't really like using anomalous tech."

"Well, that's what I'm getting to." She shoots a glance at Radford, silencing him as he opens his mouth to say something. "Agent Trauss, I'm going to make you an offer, and I suggest you take me up on it. This device is capable of extremely accurate and detailed artificial memory inception. Not only memory in the objective sense, but in concept and intention as well. At your clearance level, I am certain you are aware of the disturbing increases in the frequency of Lethe Events, yes?"

"Yes, I am."

"Imagine a device that can reverse the effects of SCP-3848. A device that is 94 percent effective in both restoring information and creating memories of new information. Even fabricated memories."

Trauss leans over the table and squints at the small screen of the device. "What coding language is that?"

"It's a language entirely unique to and invented for this device, and others like it that will be developed in coming years. We've named it ED-K+ for now, sharing a designation with terminology from 3848. It's the second iteration of the language. ED-K, the first rendition, was written for Schulman's original device. But we're long done with that now. This version, this is ours, through and through. You see, Schulman was only on the cusp of actualizing this thing's full effects. He and his customers were just typing in words and sentences. We developed an accurate, procedural approach that uses much more of the tech's potential."

"But what's your end goal right now, if you don't mind me interrupting?"

"I know you're the type to cut to the chase. Don't mind my tech babbling. We're about to need to test this. For the first application on a willing human subject, I've written a script for an incredibly simple and useful concept to implant. Targeting the hippocampus and specific regions of the cortex, this device will alter the memory recall of the subject to include specific thought processes and ingrained memetic vectors which effectively induce the desired behaviors."

Trauss blinks. "I'm not as fluent in scientist as I used to be, but I'm not entirely comfortable arming myself with a thought control device, if that's what you're getting at."

"Sadly, to call it a thought control device would be an overstatement of its capacities. Writing a concept or memory in ED-K+ is time-consuming and nuanced."

"What happens to someone's brain if you make a typo on that thing's keypad?" He gestures with a gloved hand to the size of the device.

"We never use that keypad except for minor edits. ED-K+ is written in any text editor and then copied over via a wired connection."

"Alright. Well, look, I think it's interesting and everything, don't get me wrong, but I really don't want to be near it."

Radford steps forward. "Right, you heard the man. Shall we?"

"Not so fast, Eric," Wickerford snaps. "Trauss, let me be frank with you. Your superiors are and always have been fully aware of your personal struggles." She lowers her voice and perches on a lab stool in a failed attempt to ease the tension in the room. "You show some interesting behavioral traits, from a psychological standpoint. Notably, you are one of the only employees to allow a permanent communications implant to be installed. If you don't mind my asking, what makes you so comfortable with the Foundation's presence in your life?"

He glances at the floor, feeling the two of them watching him. "I'm not entirely certain."

"Does it make you feel safe?"

"You could say that."

"You feel willing to trade privacy for protection?"

"…Again, I guess you could say that."

"The easiest way to see efficient results from running an ED-K+ script is to have a neural pathway for the memory or concept somewhat distinguished already in the mind of the subject."

"Where are you going with this?" He sweats under his uniform, wondering why he's wearing this for a white-collar lab meeting.

"I have written a script consisting of a psychological package designed to plant a series of closely related conceptual seeds; namely, the association of the presence of the Foundation with safety and security, the notion that compliance with Foundation operations and procedures is not only preferable but rewarding, and the desire to serve the Foundation and work toward its common goals."

Trauss shudders. "Jesus Christ."

"Why so taken aback?"

He laughs. "I thought you said this wasn't thought control, somehow."

"Well, fair enough, if you'd like to call it that. But it's certainly not versatile enough yet to control thought at the press of a button or the pull of a trigger. This is by no means field-ready. There are fewer than a dozen ED-K+ scripts in existence, and this is by far the safest one, conceptually."

"What did you say about this working better if the path is already established in the person's brain?" he asks, already knowing the answer.

"If you are so willing, I would like to use you as the first recipient of this script."

He stares at her. "W-what makes you think I would want that?"

"To be honest, Agent Trauss, you seem a little uncertain even as you say that. You are a fairly self-aware individual, as I've read in your personnel history, and not just in the technical way of your ARTMET training leaving more room for correct interpretation of memetic signals. You certainly know that you fit the parameters of already having these thought patterns established. You admitted yourself earlier in this conversation that you know you are comforted by the Foundation's presence in your daily life. Do you not think you would be happier, on a personal level, if those elements were amplified?"

Trauss' pulse thumps once in his chest. He sits down on a stool across from Wickerford.

"I want to stress that I am not requiring this nor directly endorsing it," Radford says. "But we do need to test this device somehow, and to be frank, the other option was definitely your least favorite."

"I was wondering if all of this was related to what got wiped out yesterday."

Dr. Wickerford leans forward, fingers intertwined on her lap. "The Foundation gave me a chance with 3069, and I delivered. Here we are right on the coast, still alive years later, thanks to something I did that seemed wrong and dangerous at first but ended up paying off. All I've asked of my superiors, and all I'm asking of you, is the trust to make the right decisions for the greater good yet another time, and deliver results yet another time."

"I don't know. I don't want you to think I don't have faith in your skill, but if there's anomalous tech in there, I'm scared of letting it fuck with my head."

"That aspect of its functionality is stable. I've conducted plenty of testing on human subjects, but a D-class complying with a test because they have to is not as valuable as a long-time employee completely consenting to a test because they're aware of the expected results and even desire the results."

Trauss scoffs. "So you're looking for your first willing human subject."

Wickerford shrugs a little. "You've been with the Foundation for what, ten years at this point? More, less? I don't have any shame about the work I do, and you know why."

He makes direct eye contact with her for the first time since their meeting. "How do you use that thing?"

An expression halfway between excitement and focus crosses her rosy cheeks as she reaches for the device. "Well, I won't lie, it's not comfortable. You'll need to be lying face-down for between 17 and 19 minutes — that's how long I estimate the script will take to run — and you'll have to tolerate some unpleasant sensations in your spinal cord, because it requires a lumbar puncture."

"Yeugh… Do I have to be conscious?"

Radford turns to Trauss, arms crossed. "Are you actually considering this?"

"Why would you of all people be against it?"

"Well- I don't know, I guess I'm… not. But why aren't you against it?"

"I don't know. Maybe because I don't feel like I have anything to lose, and I haven't in years. Maybe because I wake up aching and depressed most days now, and I didn't used to. Don't you know that a Foundation agent's lifespan is half of a normal human's, Director? I might as well be 65 years old."

Radford permits a small laugh and nods in understanding, though Trauss senses a little disdain.

"What I want to make clear, Trauss, is that we are not engineering this device to control what anyone thinks. We're just engineering it to… guide them in the right direction. It doesn't remove personality. It doesn't remove anything. It's the opposite of amnestics, it plants a seed in your mind and from there the seed grows. It's only dangerous if you start growing the wrong seed."

Trauss nods, removing his gloves as the sweat builds on his skin. "Alright."

"We may not know each other very well, Agent, but I have read about you extensively and talked with many of your superiors. This is who you are, I can tell. Your dedication to this organization is clear and present in everything you do. If you're willing to lend us your thoughts on the matter, so to speak, it would further our research considerably."

"And the other option?"

"Take Class-As again and find out what you knew yesterday, and get this thing tested the other way."

Trauss sits back in his stool with a sigh, biting his lip in thought as he stares at the device on the table.

The issue has never been that the Foundation's employees are emotionless embodiments of robots. On the contrary: Most of them that I've met are exceptionally normal (I suppose they're making an effort to be as opposite to 'anomalous' as they can be?) and have a decent personality on top of it. Very few of them exude the Men in Black aura that one would expect from their job description, and are quite open to conversation and communication.

Agent C. Trauss (whose username has been censored) is well-known in the Wilmington area due to his position as an Offsite Response Driver and Public Protection Officer.

Many civilians are vocal and adamant about their takes on the Foundation's operations and how personnel represent the organization.

What I've found from cross-referencing my experiences with the Foundation as a whole versus my experiences with individual personnel leads me to one conclusion: The Foundation does not punish its operatives for existing as unique individuals with personal ethics and convictions, but rather renders those personal beliefs and behaviors obsolete. Personnel are trained to prioritize the goals of the Foundation first, safety second, and themselves — under the specific parameters of the fact that they are a valued asset to their organization, and nothing more — last.

The most frightening aspect that's been made clear to me is that they're all aware of it. Not even just aware of it, but okay with it; they think it's a logical way of living, at least within the confines of what they call life, and they don't have any personal issues with presenting themselves as nothing more than representatives of the Foundation. All of that can only mean one thing: Individual Foundation personnel are, by allowing themselves to be used as tools by their higher-ups, knowingly accountable for the Foundation's actions. And that's a lot of accountability. It's the weight of the world, really. I'm not unsympathetic to a human being who genuinely believes that containing the anomalous is a necessary evil, or even an honorable career choice akin to government or law enforcement service, but I am unsympathetic toward an organization that consistently walks all over humanity and gets away with it scot-free.

Throughout history, that's been the norm. But can it change?

¿ǝƃuɐɥɔ ʇᴉ uɐɔ ʇnq ˙ɯɹou ǝɥʇ uǝǝq s,ʇɐɥʇ 'ʎɹoʇsᴉɥ ʇnoɥƃnoɹɥ┴

Date: June ██ 20██ 10:03

From: Mallory Wickerford (of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm#of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm)

To: Eric Radford (of.pcs.nimda|drofdare#of.pcs.nimda|drofdare)

Message Subject: Mnestic devices

Attachments: none

Message Body:

Eric,

I know it's only been a few weeks since the last test, but I'm under pressure to develop a version of this that doesn't require the lumbar puncture as soon as possible. The Ethics Committee didn't like the notion that this can't be applied to a large group of people at once, and Dr. Blanchard, upon visiting the lab, encouraged me to focus on the memetic vector aspect moreso than the involvement of biochemical aspects. As you will likely understand, I'm hesitant to do any of that, because my research had been aiming to decrease the use of anomalous means to plant a concept in someone's mind. This will be the opposite of that, but I'll do as I'm instructed and hope for the best.

We will not have a means of delivery that is usable on the public for at least another year or two, at the rate R&D is going. In the meantime, please keep in mind any potential subjects for the next stages of development. Just like with V2.0, these are not the types of tests that go smoothly when conducted on unwilling D-class subjects. I would much prefer informed, higher-ranking personnel, especially those who have either worked for the Cognitohazards & Memetics Department or have field experience with similar subject matter. The risks are minimal, especially if I successfully remove the biological limitations.

Once the compliance script is proven effective in our own personnel, we can use the results to engineer a version of the script that's strong enough to be effective even on subjects who don't already have the thought pathway established. Once we've done that, cleaning up Lethe Events should be straightforward each and every time; we'll have the technology to repair and alter collective memory, and the populace won't resist us when we do it.

In light of the above goals, I am respectfully requesting on behalf of this department a grant of $250,000.00 to proceed with development. I think you'll find the payoff will be higher, and more noticeable in its effects on the populace, than other large-scale projects of a similar or higher funding cost.

Please advise,

Mallory

Date: June ██ 20██ 10:14

From: Eric Radford (of.pcs.nimda|drofdare#of.pcs.nimda|drofdare)

To: Mallory Wickerford (of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm#of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm)

Message Subject: Re: Mnestic devices

Attachments: none

Message Body:

Good morning,

As you know from our personal conversations, Site-42's finances are going to be tight until the South Coast Paper suit is dealt with. Had the Ethics Committee allowed me to proceed with Operation Styx, this would not be an issue, but for the time being, I do not know of a way to accomplish this. I understand how frustrating this must be, and I understand how necessary it is for you to get to work, so give me 24 hours to get back to you with the best options I can find.

Thank you,

Eric

Date: June ██ 20██ 10:20

From: Mallory Wickerford (of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm#of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm)

To: Eric Radford (of.pcs.nimda|drofdare#of.pcs.nimda|drofdare)

Message Subject: Re: Re: Mnestic devices

Attachments: none

Message Body:

Ask them again. Keep in mind that the factor which had previously been holding back their approval has been nullified.

Date: June ██ 20██ 10:25

From: Eric Radford (of.pcs.nimda|drofdare#of.pcs.nimda|drofdare)

To: Mallory Wickerford (of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm#of.pcs.ces|drofrekciwm)

Message Subject: Re: Re: Re: Mnestic devices

Attachments: none

Message Body:

That's a reasonable point to make. I'll reach out to Blanchard and then Lookingbill if Blanchard permits another try. I appreciate your persistence.

3431 W. Telfair Circle, Seabreeze, North Carolina

June ██, 20██

Agent Trauss is sitting in his car in his driveway, feeling sticky in his long-sleeved uniform and not wanting to get out of the air conditioning to walk inside.

"Trauss, it's Director Radford. What are you doing right now?"

He twists the bracket on his earpiece and responds. "I just pulled up at home. What's going on?"

"Switch to your PPO gear and ride over to 42 to meet with your handler and I. We've got something that needs to be taken care of before Wickerford can get the ball rolling on her research."

"…You're not gonna have me kill someone, are you?"

"Goodness, no. We've just got a person of interest who's stirring things up. We'll brief you more at 42."

"Alright. I'll change clothes and be there ASAP."

"Thank you. You won't be in any danger, rest assured."

Trauss shrugs and opens his car door. "Anything for the Foundation." He steps out and hurries inside, head held high.

Personally, I think it can. As my readers know, I have been reporting on the Foundation's activities for over ten years at this point, and I've seen a wide range of behaviors from them. They seem to become the most honest and direct version of themselves when humanity's overall safety is being actively threatened — a type of situation that appears to be ongoing, as we've learned from the many developing stories on these collective memory loss events — and resume their shadowy bureaucracy in full once things are safe again. Without knowing their plan for addressing current issues, I can only hope that it's an intelligent one, because whether we like it or not, they are oftentimes the only group of people equipped to protect us.

Until further developments on the South Coast Paper suit surface, I encourage our readers to do their own research on the matter and not hesitate to question Foundation employees when desired. With publicity comes responsibility — be it in the realm of business and law or otherwise — and as we move into the next decade of a post-breach world, new threats appearing every day, responsibility is more vital than ever before.