Resonance Reports (Season 3)

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== Bamboozling [x] ==
Operation : Watch Hound04/06/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* Lancelot du Lac
* Rhiannon fab Lyr - The Morrigan
* Gabriel Smithton - Hesperus
Operation Status: Complete - Successful
The mission's primary concern was protection and safeguarding the admission ceremony of Samantha Steel, codename Sledge, into the League of Heroes organisation. During the proceedings, an additional objective of starting positive relations with Sir Percival and the Fisher King has been ammended to the mission dossier.
The proceedings continued without interruption for 00:30 hours, while the dispatched operative continued pursuing the interest of the aforementioned VIPs. Around three (3) minutes after gaining the VIP's cooperation, the ceremony grounds came under attack from an unknown assailant. In addition, the VIP negotiations were rendered null as the Fisher King was replaced by a double.
The scope of the attack included the proceeding ceremony predominantly. The main method of attack were ephemeral beings, doubles, in shape of Samantha Steel as well as timed-detonated explosive containing various sub-module cartridges of extraterrestrial origin. At least two (2) device succeeded in their detonation, flooding a portion of the ceremony grounds with an EMP blast wave and the sewers of the adjacent street with a minimised discharge of fire.
The assailant(s) withdrew after about 00:20 hours of attack, leaving no traces aside from the aforementioned detonation devices. The identity of the aggressors remains unknown for now. While not following proceedings, the ceremony finished with Samantha Steel's admission. Due to the overwhelming amount of superpowered activity in the area, no civilians came to harm. The mission was a success.
Addendum: The assailant's secondary objective was discovered after the ceremony had concluded. [[REDACTED]], commonly known as the Big Team Base fell under direct assault with destructive intent. The locale has been entirely destroyed. The sole person present, Christopher Crossover, has been secured and recovered and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
That concludes the A.E.G.I.S. section of the report. Since I can write this one plain, don't mind if I do. So...
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
OHMIGOSH
HOLY
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
My first ever field mission with the Big Team and not only are we safeguarding a big name hero but we're also admitted into the ceremony with so many big names and big personalities and big... bigs I can't even! And I was included in the roster of not only Team members, but veteran team members, how cool is that?! And then Dr. Eaton, the brilliant guy behind fixing the T-Day fallout not only introduced himself as part of the proceedings but also part of our group too! I mean when I think about it it feels reasonable and everything but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. We're getting traction! Really big and impressive names joining up! It's going to be so much fun!
Of course you can't have nice things so as soon as we managed to get in touch with the Fisher King it turned out we were kinda talking to a clone/android/evil space ghost/body double and then the real aliens began attacking. Well, clones/androids/evil space ghosts for all I know. They all looked like Sledge and we had to disarm bombs that they somehow managed to sneak in around the compound. Now that I think about it, with how convincing these doubles were, I wouldn't be surprised if some heroes on the list weren't on the list at all, and carried with themselves a little extra, and I'm not talking about the booze jokes here. Thankfully we managed to pinpoint most of the bombs with the help of Silencer and OH GOD HAVE I MENTIONED I WORKED WITH THE SILENCER TODAY!?
Unfortunately I was out for most of the action. Since Lancelle (haha, cute nickname! Came up with it myself! <3) isn't too tech savy, and we had to deal with 3 bombs, she and I took to the street one (most damage, gotta make sure nobody gets hurt!). While she went off to fight more clones trying to thwart us, I sat down to getting the big boom disarmed. It uh... didn't quite work. I never worked alien tech! I wasn't quite aware aliens are so well-involved with Earth up until today! But I managed to get the fireball from incinerating me and most of the street. Still got ointment on my hand, but hey! We're alive, and nobody really got hurt in the explosion!
As soon as the evil guys appeared, they went poof. While I tried getting myself together, the Team apparently got in some sort of illusionary trick-or-treats where Hesperus turned into some sort of vogue-looking space woman and the girls nearly exploded and/or lopped his head off! Thankfully that got poofed as soon as I arrived (I was actually afraid I might contribute to the bodily harm there for a moment!) and we managed to secure all the VIPs under assumed immediate danger.
Of course, it wasn't all sugar and rainbows because while we were all celebrating and recuperating, the Big Base got under attack! And oof, ouch, owie. I don't even know how to put this. I mean, for many members it's like a second home! I felt so bad seeing it all burn. But I felt worse over everyone inside! Well, just Cyclone (did I seriously put 'just' and 'Cyclone' in the same sentence?!), but no! Everyone's important! Cyclone, all the pets, and the hierloom guitar! Working together, we managed to recover as much as we could, make sure nobody got hurt and extinguished the fires! All in a day's work!
Of course, the Base is still in shambles, but what matters is that we're all safe! Places can burn down or get smushed by earthquakes or levelled by tornadoes, or even get nuked from orbit by evil alien space rays. As long as everyone's fine and out, this just means we can put our brows together and sit down to rebuilding again! Isn't that right? Never give up, as you've all always said!
== Excuse me but what the-... [x] ==
Operation : Threshold04/13/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* Minerva Smalls - The Medium At Large
* Identity Unknown - Challenge
* [[REDACTED]]
Operation Status: Complete - Semi-Successful
The mission's primary objective was the investigation of rumours of strange activity concerning the Overpass Resort & Hot Springs complex. The nature of the rumours was highly anecdotal, yet the number of overlapping reports indicated a higher potential for unconfirmed paranormal activity rather than an elaborate hoax. Thanks to Big Team scheduling, the mission was possible at minimal cost and within a respectable time frame.
The investigation yielded mixed results. The Resort's Owner displayed little overt behaviour that would mark her as directly related to the strange happenings - it has to be noted that the displayed behaviour was at odds with presumed decorum of normal interaction. The owner can be best described as 'eccentric'. The Resort itself appears as following a standard, if opulent, layout. Proper entry shows a bizarre effect in which the interior does not follow the external architecture, though exact measurements provide proper results. It is unknown if the "long trail" effect is accurate or merely a multi-sensory illusion.
Central to the rumours are the Hot Springs themselves, and likewise they proved to be the hotbed of irregular activity during the mission. During the usual stay, a strange being encased thoroughly in a layer of viscous mud and refuse apparently requested services at the Resort and pushed itself into the Hot Springs for cleaning. Upon removal of the obstructions, the being turned out to be a bear-sized raccoon, complete with all anatomical features expected of the animal, showing no signs of Transformed anatomy.
Upon vacating the Hot Springs, while the architecture of the Resort suffered no additional changes, the patrons were seemingly replaced with an assortment of creatures of fantastical and paranormal origins. Though none displayed outright hostile nature or behaviour, virtually all of them were noted to be highly suspicious of the operatives resting in the cafeteria.
Prompt return to the rooms ended the mission and the observations. No further unusual activity aside from the aforementioned "long trail" effect has been observed. In summary, it is proposed that the Resort's quality and location is forwarded to a group specialising in paranormal phenomena (aka. "magical arts").
Magic. I know I wrote about this before but MAGIC. I read a dozen articles about that kind of stuff, and saw actual stuff being performed on TV and during recorded reports but whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, I don't think I'll ever get used to the actual real stuff happening right in front of me. It's kinda fun, kinda scary and all sorts of weird seeing stuff that should make sense but actually not and I lost my train of thought about halfway through the sentence.
Point being, I don't even know what else I can write here. It's been such a bizarre trip I can hardly recall what happened with any clarity. I do want to say it felt good to help that raccoon... person... being... whatever it was. That and I met Poppy - I mentioned her name in the report, but I don't think it'll stick considering where we're sending it, right? Again, her log's all blank and I can't find any useful data on her, but she did tell me something that got me both interested and somewhat worried.
She was made and 'tested upon' by AEGIS.
I shouldn't really write more on this topic. This is a confidential log but if they pull something like they did before and get all handsy with us who knows who might read my rants and rambles (woe to them trying to understand my brainfarts, hah). Hopefully I won't put in things that might be... compromising. I'll just finish the personal report on this note - I want to get to know Poppy more. During the resort adventure I realised something I shouldn't known a long time ago, but somehow conveniently forgot when everything actually started happening. Renown and history of good deeds is one thing, but everyone deserves a chance to earn that renown and history on their own merit - especially if they're a blank slate to work on.
Yeah, a little short, but that's all from me for this mission. Wren out!
== Fair Faire [x] ==
Unscheduled Operation : Show-Off04/20/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* Minerva Smalls - The Medium At Large
* Lancelot du Lac
* Gwendolyn du Lac
Operation Status: Complete
Due to personal reasons, representing Knights Lancelot and Gwendolyn du Lac have entered into open combat during the Halcyon Knights-of-the-Round Faire. While the intent of the spar was fundamentally that of a familiar bout, along with potential therapeutic application, the nature of the Knights' powers had high potential of inflicting serious collateral damage to the area, including the Faire grounds and the attending civilians.
The duel area has been sanctioned off and additionally separated from the crowd by the Big Team and the League of Heroes. The duel commenced and concluded without any damage outside of the duelling grounds. Citizens have noted that the duel was "exciting" and "amazing".
This time, I'll splurge out a bit more in the after-report log. I hope whoever gets to read this at the end of the day won't mind. Too much, at least. Things are about to get personal so let's get this ball rolling, right? Okay. It's always hardest to get a good beginning, because you end up coming with all these different ideas for a good intro and promptly erasing them the moment you finish reading the first sentence because it's just so cringe. Or you end up doing a me and ranting for a paragraph. I swear I'm not wasting data for this, honest.
Anyway. To start off proper. Family can be really hard sometimes.
I'm writing this from my perspective here. If you take a moment to look up my file, you'll see that I'm pretty much a nobody when it comes to where I come from, Mr. Mystery Reader. Middle class, non-American roots pointing vaguely towards mid-Europe or someplace similar. Normal jobs. No powers. An older sister that's rubbing her degree in my face almost every other chance she gets. We get along as well as any other family would.
Of course, sometimes you end up having a spout with someone - like Thali, for example - and refuse to speak to each other much less be in the same room for days on end. It happens. And I mean that in the continuous - sure, Thali and I bicker less now but it does happen once a while. Because when that other person knows pretty much all there is about you, so to speak, and you spend years together by necessity or otherwise, it's hard not to step over each others' toes.
And then both of you are forced into a highly awkward situation that deals with your once-lost homeland, a very complicated daughter-father-but-actually-mother-from-a-different-timeline shenanigans, you insult your knightly honour somewhere along the way, someone brings in someone's grandmother (I think) into the equation and before you know it you throw the glove and swear eternal bloodlust to your kin and kine that has to be resolved by brutally savaging each other with ye olde swordes. Or not, I may have gone off a tangent here. And kind of stopped writing about myself. Oops.
What I want to say, I get it, sort of. Even if you know each other a lot, like a brother-sister, or father-daughter, it doesn't mean you're gonna get the same idea about everything. You never quite know what the other person will agree to, or what's their reaction to something you say. You can only really guess and work the estimates here. Or you can spout something in anger and ruins that estimate faster than I crashed into the wall during the first Zephyrus test. But it happens. And getting into scratchies with your sister (or swordfights with your father, if I understand Avalonian traditions correctly) is just one step of the process of working these things out.
I just sort of feel sorry that this had to happen in the first place. Maybe attending this Faire wasn't such a good idea. I kind of helped drag them both there in the first place, with the flyer and all. It's a troublesome situation, really. I mean, like the crowd, I wasn't even aware Avalon was, well, real. Or rather, real as in "an actual place that exists right now, fully, that you can go take a hike to if you use more magic" or something. I kind of thought it was a codename, or an alias of some place in Ireland, I don't know. Something taken quite literally from history books and all. I read those!
Well, I guess it goes to show that if you have nobody to fact-check stuff after a few centuries, you start getting the details wrong. Very wrong. I just hope the intention didn't come off as such, even if I bet most people might've thought that way. By that I mean trying to relieve these times rather than making a mockery out of them. World's huge and vast and old and we all want to see and experience more of it after all, don't we? We're people, and people are from this world (I should really be writing 'planet' considering what happened a few weeks ago) and I think it's just natural we want to know all there is to know about... 'us', in a sense.
I'm starting to spout gibberish again, I better put a dot here and wrap it up. The Lakks (hah!) made up, I think, in the end. The performance was wicked and kinda made me realise that I have a lot to catch up on if I want to break even with the Team. Even the actual Knights were impressed too - like, the actual Round-Table-Knights like Percival. In the end, it was a happy end!
I just wonder why is Mini always so... blase-but-stingy about everything...
== The Not So Final Frontier [x] ==
Operation : Mitosis05/04/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* Minerva Smalls - The Medium At Large
* [[REDACTED]]
* Gwendolyn du Lac
* G.A.I.A
Operation Status: Mixed (See Report)
The mission was a joint operation between the Research Group and the League of Heroes. The primary objectives for each related force, in order, are as follows:
* RESONANCE: Obtain a sample of Tarinian bio-fluid for further analysis. UNSUCCESSFUL
* LEAGUE: Offer aid and support for the planetary evacuation relief efforts. SUCCESSFUL
The proceedings of the mission were highly disturbed due to an unforeseen change in plans on the host planet. The native inhabitants made a yet-unannounced decision to forsake the rescue efforts in favour of standing ground and engaging the Risganjan threat in open warfare. This change of decision was caused by the natives being provided weapons by a member of The Host, a third and unaligned faction in the ongoing conflict.
As a result, the rescue operation was heavily delayed in favour of ensuing proper decision-making and survival of the Tarinian people. Considering the scope of the relief effort and the highly limited time, a decision was made to make the matter of planetary defence over evacuation public to the populace, so that each individual would be able to make a decision of their own judgement.
To perform this feat, a Risganjan Proclamation Platform (henceforth referred to as "RP2") was seized and reprogrammed using G.A.I.A interface algorithms to instead broadcast the invasion proceeding announcement. Upon broadcast, the momentary planetary unrest gave way quick to renewed rescue efforts.
The Tarinians were safely evacuated to Earth as a by-station for further relocation. Casualties and dissident numbers are currently unknown. While no bio-fluid sample has been recovered, the close proximity to the refugee natives opens up further diplomatic opportunities.
You know, when writing the above, I kinda feel I shouldn't. I mean, it's important to have a proper report from every mission and outing, but also you should be part of that mission to even write about it. And in my case, this time, I feel like I barely contributed or were present. I mean, the mission was issued by the Group, so I'm on board by default... but aside from acting as an errand boy and a messenger, well, I haven't done much. While I was zooming past portals back and forth, relaying messages, it was the rest of the team, down there, that spoke, fought and made a difference.
And it kinda stings, not gonna lie. I'm cheering myself up knowing that the League sanctioned everything we've come up with. It was a job well done, all in all. We got the people off the planet, we made sure not to step over their toes too hard, they're safe now - countless lives were saved. We saved a friggin' PLANET. That's big, no? Not every teenager can finish school and put "saved a civilisation" on their resume.
But (and I know how it sounds after what I wrote above), I wasn't the one who did. Mini did it. She spoke the words that needed to be spoken, she managed to make it so convincing that everyone knew the right choice in their hearts. Honestly, this mission goes out to her. I still don't know why we... have so many disagreements as we do, but I know that deep down she's a good person that really cares for others - knows what's right.
Oh, and I also met a new member of the team. Jaime, and they're a vampire! Not the one that burns in sunlight, or sparkles. An energy vampire! Life energy! It's so cool. Though I have a feeling that maaaybe using the word 'vampire' might be a bit off-putting to some. I don't quite get why - look at how popular vampire stories are nowadays. It's like you're a star! (heh, irony) But really - take a lick of their energy, and shapeshift into them? How cool is that!? A vampire doppelganger even - wow. Thanks to Jaime I even have an idea why the Tarinian bio-fluid is so potent as a healing solution. Apparently just a lick of Tarinian energy made Jaime swell to like, ten feet in size. If even a fraction of that is part of the fluid secretions, no wonder it hastens cell growth and regeneration to lightning-speed!
Oh yeah, the fluid. I really can't excuse myself too big on this one. I think, between the people and their goop, choosing the people is the superior option. Because we're about helping people - humans, because we're Earthlings - but 'people' means... more than just humans, right? And now that Earth and Tarinn (did I spell that right?) are friends, this means we're going to work together! Scratch one's back, the scratch the other's, right?
I'm still sorry for disappointing, though. This won't happen again in the future!
We'll stop this war!
== Listlessness [x] ==
Hey, whoever happens to read this.
Though, there's low chance of that happening. I'm going to upload this file without an index when I'm done. Funny, huh? Technically, this files under official reports, in a way, since I'm a RESONANCE agent and I've been instructed to keep personal notes to every official report submitted for purposes of mental evaluation. But, thing is, I haven't had an official report to write for quite some time now. It just feels kind of wrong to not have anything to upload after such a long time, you know? So, maybe I haven't been deployed for any missions for a bit, but I still want to share something, right?
God, the more I think about this the more embarrassing this sounds. But, hey, I've already written down so much, might as well keep on going. You only live once, throw caution to the window, so on and so forth. I'm not too good with sayings and idioms.
So what have I been up to, aside from scheduled practice sessions and, well, I guess work hours? School, for most part. I'm studying hard, see? I've got like, a whole backlog of subjects I still need to cover, exams to take and all that stuff. I think, if I were to one day bring a stopwatch with me to school, and not turn it off until I'm done cramming stuff in, I think I'd have it run over capacity. It's a lot, right? Surprising how being a member of such a fun, cool and... well, good organisation can completely and utterly dig into your normal time, huh? You never quite know when the dispatch will give you a call, and you'll have to drop everything you're doing because there's lives to save out there. Not that I'm complaining, hah. Of course not. We're saving lives! We're making the world a better place! I honestly wish for nothing more than to just... fight the good fight, continue to serve and... ah...
Sorry, I lost my train of thoughts there a little bit.
So school's been busy, but I don't mind. With more time I have no, considering the lack of agent assignments, I can catch up to all these things I've been unable to before! Like, a few more weeks and I'll have all the exams cleared, some even from like three months back. That's an achievement, right? My grades? They're good, I'm trying hide. Sometimes I kind of skid against the line of failing, but I never went under, oh no! And the few subjects that actually have overlap with what I do at the Research Group? I ace them, haha. Still, there's not that many of them so I have to cram hard. But as I said, it's okay. It's not like I have people interrupting me. The school library is a big and quiet place, for most part. I tend to just grab a table somewhere, bring out my text books, and read. Sometimes I feel like dozing off, but I persevere! And when I can't sit at the library, I sit around the corridors, or at the classrooms when they're not in use. Again, nobody tends to bother me. Actually, kind of few people really talk to me at school, in general. Not a big deal, right? I still get to participate in class events (when I'm not called), but I mostly work alone on things that I can drop at a moment's notice. Wouldn't want to drag a team under just because I have to help resolve a car crash or something.
And guess what! This month, I actually got assigned to the Prom Committee. It was awesome, and such an honour. My heart was pounding a little bit when I thought I might get recalled... but I'm not sure for what reason. I would be helping someone either way, right? Anyway, no missions happened, as I've said already, so I could devote my time fully to the prom. And boy, was that necessary. Turns out the Committee couldn't make ends me, so it was just me and a few others (most conspicuously from the Big Team, would you look at that!). It was a lot of work, and a lot of stumbling about. Honestly, sometimes I'm reminded that kids my age... and a bit up... tend to be so irresponsible. An after-party, without teachers? Come on, that's just silly. But that tangent aside, we had to deal with like, everything. Aside from the locale, we dealt with the decor, the music, the features, catering, planning... oh boy. It was just so much work!
Ultimately though, I was happy to work on it all alone - when we did finish discussing matters, and were left to work on our respective fields and help around. Again, no hard feelings. Just making sure I can be flexible. A few people came around here and there, but I wasn't really bothered - which is good! I could focus on making sure everyone has the best experience on prom, ever! Or at least, for this year, so the next one can be even better trying to outdo this one! Yeah! And that's going to be a hard task to do, since the prom was kick-ass. We had Cyclone (of course I recognised him!) as the DJ, it was art-decor, futuristic and maritime too! The food was great, the dancing was absolutely stunning. Everyone moved to smooth, paired up or sometimes in groups of three or four. It was like watching some sort of colourful, lively kaleidoscope that just kept on turning to the beat of the proverbial drum.
I helped around during the prom too. Some jokers wanted to use chilli or some other powder in the crackers to make everyone feel teary, and then throw balloons with paint during the Prom Court elections. Meanies, all of them. But thankfully, there's people out there, like the Team, who know what's right and what's wrong. So I helped around, and then the party was over. I hope everyone made unforgettable memories during the whole thing. I stayed behind too, help clean the decorations and confetti and whatnot. It was a lot of work, but the yacht was just as we rented it (at least from what I know!). I guess, when I think about it, I didn't quite... participate in the prom itself. I danced to make sure that one girl felt good, and I had something to eat, but I didn't really have a 'date' or anything of the sort. I was helping, so that's what matters. It was like a mission! I was useful, and everyone had a great time. 
I just hope that the 'missions' keep on coming. Even if they're not related to the Research Group at all. They're always fun, and amazing, and there's things to do, and I'm helping people in so many various ways. I... I don't know what I would do otherwise. If I didn't have RESONANCE to fall back on, or a committee to... I don't know. I guess I'm not quite like other kids, right? I mean, working at a big organisation at the age of 16. I don't really spend nearly as many hours at school as others too. I... don't really hang out with people my age, either, outside of the Team and that's a big maybe. The Research Group is mostly adults, and a few teenagers who're in high school age (or college, sometimes?). Outside of my family, and RESONANCE, well... I don't think family and the Group counts as 'friends', right? So I guess I don't really have any friends. But that's okay, I don't need to have them, as long as I'm helpful and useful. It's about giving, not taking, right? Doing your best, no matter the odds. Even if the odds are... leaving you without purpose, or... lost and... ugh...
Sometimes... sometimes I lie here, on my bad. I'm lying right now. The earpiece is on, and I'm just recording down what I say in text. Most of these get deleted, because... I don't think they're too nice to listen to. I lie and think about what I would do if it all came to an end, you know? If I was told I can no longer contribute, because of my age. I wonder what I would do then, if I had to be normal. I don't really... have anyone to ask about that kind of stuff. Or where to start. Honestly, I don't even know the names of my classmates. And I don't think it's the right time for a meet and greet either. We've been classmates already, and I should know. And I shouldn't have them look at me when I say hi and they look that I'm uniform and... I don't know. I feel lost. I'm worried this... I... wish I could make things different, but I don't think hard effort... is going to help anymore. I... I don't know what to think, and it's hard... and confusing... and I think about it all and... it's sometimes not to get the pillow all wet because... ah... it's like as if I missed with eye drops and the tears just sort of...
I should finish this record. I... hope nobody reads this.
This was Boreas AG-01.
== Intervention [x] ==
Unscheduled Peacekeeping Intervention06/14/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* Aman Isar - Herald
* Gwendolyn du Lac
* Entantress - Entantress
Operation Status: Complete - Successful
An unexpected criminal occurred during the Halcyon City Multi-Genre Fan Convention, interrupting the showcase of media during one of the convention's WIP-only panels. Around 120 people were evacuated from the premises of the showing as soon as the attack had begun. The attack began by targeting three volunteers from the crowd during a technological showcase - the exhibit involved a device capable of reading and transmitting the users' thoughts. The three targets consisted of two civilians and agent AG-01. As soon as the device was engaged, the presenter of the showcase began exhibiting erratic behaviour.
Prompt intervention by the Big Team helped disengage the telepathy devices as well as drive the presenter off - who by this point had fully assumed the form of a corvid being composed entirely of shadowy matter. Henceforth known as the Corvid, the attack displayed the ability to control a heretofore unknown energy, utilising it in form of blasts of kinetic energy. True to the Corvid's form, its wings were capable of granting flight - the full capacity of flight was not recorded due to lack of data. Finally, the creature was immune to bindings or physical restraints, being capable of changing the form of its matter to that consisting of smoke or shadow itself.
A few members of the crowd sustained minimal injury due to hasty retreat from the premises. All of the convention goes were soon given professional aid and health care from the convention staff and its contractors. The showcase was cancelled for the rest of the convention's duration.
I have to come clean about something I did not write within the report. Putting in plain, I stuffed up. I apologise for it immensely - in the heat of the moment, I misjudged my opposition and failed to safeguard the innocents to the full extent of my abilities. I will do my best as to not repeat this mistake again. I... likely also failed my teammates, which is a thing that stings just as bad as failing my primary duty. And to be entirely honest, both of these related to Aman.
As I've mentioned in the report, the people who volunteered for the show was one of Aman's friends - they introduced themselves, both of them, but I can't say I remember it now. It's hard to remember names when there's so many of them going through your head, along with all the apologies. While Gwen was quick to pull me out of the helmet, we weren't quite fast with the other two. They seemed to react to the Corvid, especially jerking about each time Aman struck the creature with his magic. They... also were much stronger than I would expect. Stronger than a human has normally right to be. It was like they were in a constant adrenaline rush, or whatever controlled them just used them as puppets without any concern how a human body is meant to move, how the muscles contract or just how much weight should a kid our age be able to hold. So... I pushed strong, all while forgetting that strength does not always equal resilience. Before I realised, I had dislocated the shoulder of one of Aman's friends.
It only went worse from here, to be honest. I blacked out - mentally, not in a sense I lost my consciousness. I was frozen and surprised and I didn't know what to do. When I saw Gwen about to get pummelled by one of the kinetic blasts, I reacted purely on instinct. Honestly, I'm not sure the Anemoi Gear can even take such rapid deployment. I engaged the leg thrusts before the rest of the armour assembled. Gwen didn't get hit. But we sort of flew straight into a row of chairs, and I had to untangle myself carefully so my gear wouldn't cut off her fingers during deployment. And then Aman shouted at me...
Just to be extra clear here, I don't mind him shouting at me. In fact, it pulled me from another blank-out. So I'm thankful for that. But it hurt - I can't seem to forget his words. They hurt because they were exactly what I had to remember, what I was forgetting, why I was so... cumbersome the entire encounter. I'm not sure if it would hurt more if I were there, shouting at myself. I kind of was, because his words were actually echoing in my head before he even spoke them, and still are now. I need to act, with a cool head. Lack of action, or action on sheer impulse... I will never get anywhere there with such attitude.
Sidenote: Lily is really fearsome and it's highly effective. I need to spend some time with her, because as much as awesome her powers might be, it was really clear she was not comfortable speaking about them. You would think Transformed people would find themselves oddly at home during a FanCon, but I guess the truth is always a little different from what you might expect. I just don't want her to feel bad.
I can stomach a bit of a heartache. I don't want others to feel bad.
== Sideshow Slideshow [x] ==
Operation : Crackdown04/06/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* Lancelot du Lac
* Aman Isar - Herald
* Matilda Kepler - Challenge
Operation Status: Complete - Successful
The mission's primary objective was guaranteeing the full security and retrieval of civilian personnel and pedestrians held as hostages at the SuperUltraMegaMan Mall. The mission was conducted in accordance with aid of the Big Team heroes, composing a full task force group of four (4) along with the main RESONANCE / A.E.G.I.S. operative Boreas. While the aggressor force consisted of non-powered terrorists, the presence of a high number of hostages necessitated the highest degree of care and caution.
The mission process by far consisted of extensive appraisal of the situation and formulation of a blitz-shock battle plan. With two avenues of approach, and the direct predisposition of the task force, direct and immediate tactic based on overwhelming force was deemed most suitable. The execution commenced without any complications and the terrorists found themselves quickly disarmed and subdued. The civilian personnel was extracted and the operation was deemed a success.
It's all a lot easier written in the funny official font than said off the record. Not that this is particularly off the record but we're not sending this part to A.E.G.I.S. so I can be more honest here. I feel that if it wasn't for Elle and Aman, I wouldn't be able to contribute to the operation nearly as much as I had. I was off my game, hard, and I nearly put all these people in danger. Which would be a horrible step-up, since I already put three of them in danger in the first place.
So, I haven't written about the prom experience here. I mean, it's my personal life, I'd bore you to death with some of the shenanigans we were up to. But thing is, now it's a little important. Context - I'm not too popular at school, and when someone does want to talk to me, it's when they want to inquire about the research group or tell me to stop being... well, you get the idea. Except during the prom, I was approached by someone who instead was inspired by our hero work! It was... so odd but fun being called a hero, even if it made me blush like a beetroot or something. The conversation went places, and uh... I may have encouraged them to not back down from heroics. Try their best and all that - what we should all strive for.
But I didn't know they would put on masks and try to stop armed criminals!
I feel conflicted now. At the end of the day, nobody was hurt and we got them out safely. They even helped a bit, too! But, I did put them in danger. I want to see good in people, I do. I want everyone to try their best, encourage it all the time. But, if I say something that makes someone try and take a live bullet? I don't know, it's... hard to think about. Very sad and honestly makes my hands shake when I write this out. Aman told me that it's not my fault, that they chose this course of action themselves. He's right, but also not? Like, both sides of the coin are right, even if they contradict each other. I know I'll need to sit down and think this through myself. Maybe I'll have the coin land on the edge? Then both sides are up, and everyone will be happy! At least, I hope so.
== Arthuresque [x] ==
This one's personal, but I'm writing a report regardless because I know some of you will love to hear a (factual) tale of magicks and mystics. Well, as much as I can tell anyway. I'm sure there's more qualified people than me to write on the subject but I'll do my best. This mission was entirely Big Team, and I came as part of the team rather than an agent - hope nobody minds! Supposedly, our job was to help Ser Lamarack find an alleged portal to Avalon, the place where Elle and Gwen come from. And, I mean, complimentary trip to the United Kingdom! This is the first time I've been abroad and it was so fun! The shops, the buildings, the people speaking with a funny accent! I wish I had more opportunities to see the world, because ah! Sometimes we think Halcyon City is the be-all, end-all but then there are moments like these the world reminds you that it's HUGE and IN YOUR FACE and OH SO VARIED.
But I digress.
Most of the mission was a trek, to be honest. A trek with Mini being in less than stellar condition for such a trip, but we made do. That said, she is a magical medium so between her fragile state and my complete and utter inability to do anything magical, I think her presence was solidly more warranted than mine. The lengthy trip had us cross forests and rivers and lakes and meet leafy greens that were less leafy and less green than I imagined and more kinda glowed rainbow as well? Lamarack explained that this is the influence of Avalon saying hello to our Earthen ecosystem, and we shouldn't worry. Aside from that big black veiny root that was all around but the importance of that sort of flew over my head.
And then we got to the enchanted cave. Or rather, un-un-enchanted cave. Reverse enchanted? Magic dampening zone, that's it! Virtually everyone relying on magic (including Manaline, seems his gadgets also work on magic!) was basically left out of juice, and our attempt traversing the chasm with physics-defining properties (infinite distance? It's like I was using my distance readout while staring into space) ended up relying sorely on me and the suit's flight systems. But hey, everyone was impressed! Score 1 for our engineering team, once more and again!
And then everything went shaky and we ended up falling into the chasm. That was... uh... not fun. Not because the chasm was dangerous, but because it was dangerous for the head. Like, we didn't break our kneecaps, we ended up in... places, and likely under a magic spell. I don't know about the other Big Team members, but I don't really like when someone jumps in my brain and tries reading it out like a wiki article. And then digs out all the nasty and bad things and makes me feel all bad and self-conscious and alone and...
Okay, that's not related to the report, I should stop here. We cleared the challenge and we arrived at the gate to Avalon. I've marked the geo-location so we can have a look later, but I'm not sure how the Knights of the Round Table want to handle the situation. One thing for sure, I just want to stress and underline that everyone here is like a family to me, and I don't want to lose anyone, here or there. That's final! My mind is made up!
Thank you for reading!
== 01101100 01101111 01101100 [x] ==
This is an odd one, since I'm not even sure how am I supposed to tackle this entry. So, I'm sure some of you remember when I was asking around the data processing labs about a signal that comes from a far-away location but traces back to our planet. Well, the good news is - I figured out what's going on, and that the rumours we've been hearing are more than just rumours. The bad news - I have no idea what I'm doing.
Today... well, yesterday G.A.I.A kindly informed us of a distress call that loops back in the most odd manner. We couldn't make heads or tails of it so we relied on the information intelligence to make the decision for us in this case. And what do you know, jack-in technology right at the team base. I should spend a bit more time there. We arrived to a location that was, essentially, countryside. For a moment I thought we somehow ended up in Avalon, but for better or worse, that was just (haha) the digital world. The world inside the computer? Is this what the internet looks like? Verve and I were completely flabbergasted, but Redstreak seemed to have everything under control. Since we were... I guess... data, none of our powers worked but we were given interfaces that allowed us to alter our digital surroundings and oh god I sound like a data research lab person. No offence to you people, if you're reading this report.
Anyway.
The problem is simple, and it's still apparently a work in progress. Something deletes entire sectors of data from that digital world. What does it mean for our side of the mirror? I have no idea! I'll let you experts handle the situation. What does it mean for the digital side? Well... I guess I needn't get into the detail on that. We did handle the investigation of one of such faulty sectors, complete with our new cool digital-data-forms that allowed us to keep headway in that world without getting turned into confetti. I tried it first - since the area looked literally bleached into static. I figured, I might put my finger in the smallest possible manner, just to see what happens. I mean, we were data - but we're not data, we're people. So I guessed that we wouldn't suffer the same effects.
I woke up in the training room. G.A.I.A. pulled me out. Supposedly I was near termination before I was recovered and reassembled - or rather, just recovered, taken out of the simulation before permanent damage could've been done. Fun fact - there's a time dilation effect. The data, somehow, moves at an incredibly slow pace compared to realtime, meaning that by the time the girls decided to follow my example and G.A.I.A. was forced to pull them out, I could get a table, something to drink and eat and wait for them with all the preparations done.
I'm actually writing this report still in the training room, everyone else has left. I still need to call my parents and say that I skipped sleep due to business, but I'm fine. I hate worrying them like this but... this is our work, no?
Regardless, I shouldn't wait on this. I'll forward the report as soon as I'm done talking!
== Full Fathom Up [x] ==
Operation : Search & Rescue09/21/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01League of Heroes Operatives:
* [INFORMATION MISSING] - Grim
* Katayoun Avesta - Carmilla
* Ernest Welles - The Weatherman
Operation Status: Complete - Successful
The mission's prime directive was securing and the safe extraction of victims of fire (addendum: arson) in the local school auditorium. Due to lack of personnel of peacekeeping organisations around Halcyon City, the notice of fire arrived late into the fire's actual progression. The Big Team task force was hastily assembled and dispatched without a proper briefing. Nevertheless, each member of the squad was well-equipped for urban rescue operations. Strong positive mention must be made of Ernest Welles (codename Weatherman) and his natural predisposition to control of atmospheric phenomena, making fire control a trivial task.
The first, immediate, part of the mission ended in success. Thanks to quick response from the information department and A.E.G.I.S. cooperation, the squad was provided with accurate and up-to-date information regarding the whereabouts of civilians still within the avenue. Coordinating into two sub-teams, the squad was able to secure every person within the building. During the rescue operations, two unknown forces were encountered. One of them matched the standard descriptions of a vampire, while the other force consisted of two highly-agile, trained operatives responsible for the school's arson. Both adversaries were subdued and forwarded to respective peacekeeping forces.
The encounter lead to new intelligence suggesting another immediate threat to civilian life - a series of apartments purchased by "Mr. Overcross" in downtown Halcyon (proper address available in the file attachment to the report). By the time the squad re-positioned to the new area of operations, the apartment building was already under attack. Thanks to swift and immediate action, the squad was able to take down all automated deconstruction units while providing safe and orderly evacuation of the inhabitants of the building. During the operation, the structural integrity of the building suffered serious damage, necessitating the swift relocation of all of its inhabitants. The apartment is currently undergoing renovation and repair work.
Today was good. And I don't mean that because two separate groups of people came close to death. Today was good because despite the dangers, nobody was harm and everyone can see the dawn of another day. It was even more good in that we proved that, despite our age and inexperience - lack of intel and with no time to prepare - we can still pull through when what really matters is on the line. To be honest, I did most of my reading while we were en-route - flying while skimming personal files is NOT easy. In the end, I only really knew everyone's codenames. I want to say I didn't help much because I trusted my teammates that when they signed up for a task, they also vouched for their capacity to perform it successfully. In truth, I didn't help because I was both way too busy myself (still recovering from that crater) and because I wasn't sure just how can I help with what they could do at the time. I was flying by the seat of my pants, so to speak.
But in the end, we pulled through! Can you believe that in the span of one mission we got a confirmation that vampiric living-dead are actually a thing? And they're cool, too! Well, I don't know if Carmilla drinks blood, but considering what she did today, I would not say no if she asked for a nibble. It's almost like donating blood for hospitals, right? And I do that often already. Ernest was also incredible - the power to control the weather? It was awesome. People like him have that thing, that natural spark, that makes them heroes. And I'm not even talking about powers here. He was focused, capable and just... honestly I was stopping myself from squeeing when he worked his magic (not a literal statement!). And then he asked me to sing for him, since he apparently loves music! Ah, it was so fun just relaxing and playing along to his tunes!
On the other hand, I still am not sure just what kind of power I'm looking at with Grim. She appears human, though I know that's a flimsy excuse with how many human-like aliens I've seen so far. She seems distant, she can wield telepathy (and that's a fuzzy odd feeling having someone's voice in your head, I said that before). I don't know what she is, but I know - her heart is in the right place. Distant, quiet, a little unnerving (but a scythe like that? Cooooooool), but that matters little when she's out there, with us, fighting for everyone's lives with every drop of her blood.
We aced it! This is what we live for!
== Full-Contact Hacking [x] ==
Long Term Operation : Data-Reality Incursion09/2019 - 12/2019
Active Operative: Wren Halil - Boreas AG-01
Involved Forces:
* The "Big Team" - Multiple Operatives (Allied)
* The League of Heroes - Multiple Operatives (Allied)
* Dr. Kishibe - Allied
* Dataverse Civilians & Military - Multiple Operatives (Allied / Hostile)
* Criminal Organization GAMBIT - Multiple Operatives (Hostile)
* Criminal Organization G.R.E.Y. - Z.A.R.M. (Hostile, Indirect, AI)
Operation Status: Complete - Contained
The Long-Term Operation began as a series of secluded, isolated incidents involving excursions, research and attempts to provide relief to the denizens of shared "network reality" colloquially referred to as the "Dataverse". Conflicts and interactions with the data denizens soon proved the existence of a link between the data incursion and deletion incidents to the criminal organization GAMBIT. Before long, mounting hostilities between a radical group of data lifeforms known as "Crusaders/Knights" evolved into full-scale assault on Halcyon City and its citizens as well as the manifestation of a reality-overlap phenomenon. Thanks to interventions on multiple fronts in an effort to stop hostilities, the situation has been contained and controlled. Hostile agents and operators have been rendered either defeated, deleted, restrained or placed under custody. For full status report, please consult appropriate files within the A.E.G.I.S. logs, as well as the League of Heroes information archive with appropriate clearances.
From this point on, the report will focus on presenting, explaining and detailing the various terms and discoveries attained by the RESONANCE Research Group.
* Dataverse, The (Data-Reality, Information-Reality) - a 'world/reality' of data, overlapping with and existing within the collective data collection of mankind, likely enabled by a singularity point of processing power, congestion and connectivity brought about the age of the Internet. On a strictly physical level, it exists as simple binary data collected in every connected storage medium on Earth and beyond. Due to the sheer complexity of connectivity and networking, algorithms and files performing exchanges long after the passage of the original user, the 'Dataverse' has attained its own level of separation complete with its own denizens.
* Data Denizen (Data Lifeform, Dataperson) - a loose set of algorithms, functions, instructions and data that collectively mimics and/or equates with functions of a sentient, sapient being. Strictly speaking, data lifeforms encompasses Artificial Intelligence units, though their means of creation and propagation differ significantly. While an AI is nurtured and cultivated in a closed system or with limited exposure to the world wide web, data lifeforms arise as chance-based confluence of components networking together to form a facsimile of consciousness. Data lifeforms are capable of evolution, independent thought, self-reconfiguration and even propagation by way of amassing, discarding, rewriting or assimilating additional data - temporarily or permanently.
* Data Entity Restructurization (Data Evolution, Datavolution, DER) - the ability to temporarily or permanently alter a data lifeform's parameters into similar yet unique forms for various purposes. Restructurization appears both as a developed ability similar to a biological 'adrenaline rush' in response to threats and trauma, as well as a natural function of a data lifeform's 'life cycle'. A data lifeform can restructurize based on either external stimuli (additional data, reaction to either hostile action or data arousal action) or internal redefinitions (a paradigm shift in a data lifeform's lifestyle and/or personal philosophy).
* Data Translation (Datafication, Digitizatin) - the process and complex forms of physical-manipulation and digital construction that allows a physical object to be translated into an equivalent dataform. The process is usually reversible provided the object (or person) begins as a physical construct. Translating a data lifeform into the physical reality is virtually impossible outside of extraordinary circumstances. This is due to the bulk of data required to construct a physical form, compared to data required to maintain consciousness. Attempts to perform Data Translation on a data lifeform either fail or provide a corrupted being due to missing data and aggressive approximation methods in 'printing' its form.
I think this is going to be the single biggest entry I've ever done. Well, two biggest entries I've ever done. Thanks for the help with the AEGIS report, Dr. Acharya, I would have no idea how to word half of the terms we sprung up from the entire Dataverse adventure. Though, I shouldn't be calling it an adventure. Adventures happen in games and LARPs. This is real life (and I realize how ironic that statement is considering what I'm writing about). Real lives, real people, real stakes we're betting on and I shouldn't and can't make light of it.
This wouldn't be the first time lives were at stake while I work with the Big Team, no. But this is the first time the stakes escalate so fast, and so wide-spread. This isn't quite like venturing into outer space either. This is our world, our home city, our friends and families we're talking about. It was dreadful, just seeing how the implications and scopes increase each subsequent visit into the Dataverse. First, we thought it was just another world we were obliged to help. Because, well, turns out we (humans) were responsible for its state. Then, we met Dr. Kishibe, and then the Dataverse came out to knock at our doorbell instead.
Jeeze my hands are shaking a little bit still.
If there's anything I have to say, is that these last few months have taught me a lot about what it means to be a... I don't know even quite know. I wanted to write 'hero', but what's the difference between say, a Big Team member, an AEGIS agent, a RESONANCE member or even a common officer trying to keep the crime down at their local street? Everyone cares for their friends and family. Everyone has to face dangers when it comes to the push and the shove. Everyone tries to keep those around themselves safe. Some people just have the scope their street, others have the scope to help the entire city. But I'm thinking now, maybe there's not that much of a difference.
I've seen Halcyon tremble during an outbreak. I've been there with my parents and my sister trembling when T-Day happened. I've trembled myself while worrying sick for them when I was at RESONANCE, while G.R.E.Y. was essentially taking over the city starting at the very foundations. But, even if this crisis wasn't... I don't know, bigger? More significant? More dire? Even if it wasn't any of these things in particular, this was the first crisis where I wasn't behind the safety zone or huddled in my home. Instead, I was out there in the fray, making a difference and trying to live up to my idea how a hero should be. And honestly, I'm terrified even more now.
I'm terrified because suddenly, the scope is just that much bigger. I'm not fighting for my family and my friends, but for everyone. People I can't account for, I don't know as good and well as those close to me. The situation is always considered in just two options. The current case scenario, and the worst case scenario. It's just improbable to think otherwise. If I let a blast of some sort slip past my shield, and crash into a building, I can't just tense up thinking, "they'll probably make it" or "I trust my sis to be fine". I always have to think, "everyone's in danger", and "I have to save them". And I think now, when I felt the city come apart at the seams while I stood at the vanguard with the rest, I know just how heavy the burden can be.
It's funny, isn't it? I never thought about such things in depth when I was thinking of joining the Big Team. I always wanted to help, to make sure others are safe. To use my powers for good. I still do. But back then, my thoughts just seemed so... simple. We help each other every day at the HQ, right? We help each other every day when making dinner. I thought that maybe these feelings would be remotely close to how one feels when helping everyone in the city. Now I know it's not the case.
I still want to be a hero. Now, more than ever, I know exactly what the stakes are. I know that I want to help and shoulder them. But I now know that "hero" is more than just that famous name fighting crime on TV. A hero is someone who chooses this life despite the dangerous, overwhelming odds. Someone who sacrifices themselves despite the trembling fear and the cold sweat running down their cheek not for themselves, or for their friends, but everyone. That's the cost - now I know.
I want to be that hero.
Category:B-Verse
Category:Journals
Category:Boreas