Federal Bureau of Control

The Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), or simply the Bureau, is a clandestine United States government agency tasked with the containment, study, and control of paranatural phenomena. Operating on a national scale and completely hidden from the public, the FBC investigates bizarre events and objects which violate the scientific laws of nature, with the goal of understanding and controlling these otherworldly forces. The Bureau's headquarters is a mysterious Brutalist skyscraper in New York City known as the Oldest House, which exists outside of ordinary reality.
The FBC is responsible for both the scientific study of paranatural elements and the protection of the nation (and humanity as a whole) from these forces. Among the phenomena studied by the FBC are Altered World Events (AWEs), Altered Items, Objects of Power, Places of Power, Paranatural entities, and other realms and dimensions. The Oldest House, itself a paranatural location, serves as a containment and study facility for these types of phenomena.
The leadership of the FBC is determined by the Board (a mysterious and otherworld group of entities that inhabit the Black Triangle in the Executive Sector) through the Service Weapon Object of Power. The current Director of the FBC is Jesse Faden, having succeeded the late Zachariah Trench after his death during the Hiss invasion in October 2019.
==Purpose and goals==
The FBC is the U.S. government agency responsible for investigating "paranatural" phenomena - objects, places, or elements which violate the known laws of reality and exist outside of conventional scientific understanding. The existence of said phenomena is not publicly known, as the FBC engages in elaborate cover-ups to prevent knowledge of said phenomena from spreading. The FBC's ostensible objective is to protect the United States and the world from paranatural forces via containment, study, and ultimately control. To these ends, the FBC also enforces various regulations such as the Ash Act and prosecutes individuals and groups who take illegal advantage of the paranatural world.
The FBC's jurisdiction appears to extend beyond U.S. borders; various files show that the FBC has acted beyond U.S. borders, including Altered Item investigations in Korea,Fan Procedures Canada,Swan Boat Procedures and Cuba,Havana Summary as well as criminal investigations in the Czech Republic.Black Market The FBC also maintains field offices around the world, including one in Islamabad.Shifted Bathroom Complaint As per their primary goal, the FBC seeks out paranatural phenomena across the country and the world, studying them and attempting to contain them to the best of their abilities. Among the phenomena investigated by the FBC are Altered World Events (AWEs), wherein the laws of reality are violated by forces seemingly originating from alternate dimensions. Ordinary objects can be affected by paranatural forces, and are referred to as Altered Items and contained by the FBC. Certain Altered Items called Objects of Power are capable of causing AWEs and are connected to the Astral Plane.
In addition to being a federal investigative agency, The FBC is also a scientific organization that seeks an understanding of paranatural phenomena through objective, empirical research and experimentation. However, these methodologies may not always apply, as paranatural phenomena seem to gravitate to the human mind and thus tend to be highly subjective and ambiguous. Additionally, the nature of the paranatural to defy physics and even logic suggests these forces may not be comprehensible or controllable. Nonetheless, the FBC focuses its efforts on control of these forces, developing rituals and studying the paranatural world with the intent of learning to control it. The Director of the Federal Bureau of Control is selected specifically due to their ability to control Objects of Power.
While the Bureau's goals are noble, not all of its methods are moral. Past errors, such as the exploitation of paranatural resources and personnel, have led to the creation of ethics legislation such as the Ash Act, to be enforced by the Bureau's Investigations Sector. This has not stopped classified projects such as the Prime Candidate Program, which has involved the abduction and attempted indoctrination of potential parautilitarians.Ethics Investigation Paranatural entities contained by the Bureau are often kept and studied under inhumane conditions, though there is little official consensus on whether they as non-human entities would warrant "humane" treatment.Darling Investigation
== History ==
=== Origins ===
The exact beginnings of the agency that became the FBC are unknown. The agency is stated to have been "young" in the year 1954,Fan Supplement during which it held only three Altered Items. By 1958, four years later, it had responded to three Altered World Events. Originally headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Bureau was founded as a federal agency and as such fell under the jurisdiction of the federal government. In 1964, it officially became the Federal Bureau of Control, with the cover story that it was intended to be part of an initiative to strengthen government relations.Visitor Evaluations
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Control directly prior to 1964 was Theodore Ash, Sr. Ash's son, Dr. Theodore Ash, Jr., acted as the Bureau's Head of Research, while Broderick Northmoor was one of Director Ash's leading agents. Director Ash, as a firm believer in an "esoteric world", dedicated the Bureau to searching for paranatural locations, though while the Bureau recovered many such objects (later coined Altered Items), no significant discoveries of Places of Power were made until after Director Ash's death. Under Ash's directorship, the Bureau's outlook was much more arcane, treating the paranatural world as ritualistic rather than scientific.Log 1: DiscoveryTennyson Report
=== Northmoor ===
Ash Sr. died in September 1964, and Broderick Northmoor was named acting director by the federal government. Just a week later, the Federal Bureau of Control investigated a suspected Altered World Event in the subway tunnels of New York City. On August 4, 1964, the FBC discovered an entrance to what would later be called "the Oldest House," an enormous skyscraper and Place of Power, imperceptible to public eyes, with seemingly infinite, shifting interior space. Ash Jr. and Broderick Northmoor both considered this to be the most significant discovery in the Bureau's history. Exploring the Oldest House, they eventually discovered an area known as the Foundation,Log 2: Foundation which Ash discovered was the conflux of the Oldest House's "leylines," essentially the building's "heart." At the core of the Foundation was an object which was named "the Nail" which was later found to link the Oldest House to an alternate dimension known as the Astral Plane.Log 3: Work
During the investigation of the Foundation, an incident occurred in which a black pistol suddenly appeared in front of the Nail, which was picked up by Northmoor. At that moment, Northmoor came in contact with an extradimensional being (or group of beings) known as the Board, and was somehow given thermal powers. From this point onward, Northmoor became increasingly deluded and obsessed with power; he insisted that The Board had chosen him as the new Director of the Bureau through the pistol, and that the FBC were their "guests" in the Oldest House, which belonged to the Board.Northmoor: Final Warning The Board then became the informal leaders of the Bureau, directing its actions from the shadows, while the Bureau began intensive investigation of the Astral Plane and related phenomena. The Bureau moved its headquarters from Washington D.C. into the Oldest House, and by virtue of the House's innate nature, the Bureau also became invisible to the public eye. From then on, the Bureau was a federal agency in name only, operating with only nominal oversight from the federal government.Trench: Bureau Funding Ash, meanwhile, rejected the Board, concluding from his studies in the Foundation that they were invaders who had unjustly taken over the Oldest House. Refusing to let the Board use humanity for its own purposes, Ash directed his efforts into keeping the Bureau free of its influence, leaving his research for future administrations to discover the truth.Log 8: Purpose
Beginning with Northmoor's pistol - known as the Service Weapon - the Bureau began to discover other powerful Altered Items capable of granting paranatural abilities, all of which possessed an apparent connection to the Board. These "Objects of Power" (OoPs) became central to the Bureau's research, particularly of the Astral Plane, as the OoPs could transport certain individuals to the Astral Plane in voyages known as "astral dives."Astralnauts Information Meanwhile, Northmoor's parautilitarian powers continued to spiral out of control, until he ultimately could no longer handle his own abilities. Deputy Chief Zachariah Trench eventually convinced a reluctant Northmoor to imprison himself within a huge machine, the Northmoor Sarcophagus Container, and serve as a power source for the entire Oldest House.Northmoor 
=== Trench ===
Shortly following Northmoor's "retirement," Deputy Chief Trench, "almost on a dare," picked up the Service Weapon and was named the new Director by the Board. The Bureau underwent significant changes under Trench's tenure, including the addition of the Panopticon and the Dead Letters Archive and a revision of Bureau policies. One major addition, the Prime Candidate Program, was started by Trench in order to ensure a line of succession for his role.Prime Candidates Trench, understanding the need for assistance despite his tendency to work alone, also formed an official administrative team out of the Bureau's department heads to support him.Management Team (Collectible)
As implied by the Tennyson Report, Trench, as well as Dr. Ash's successor, Dr. Casper Darling, refocused the Bureau towards a more scientific understanding of paranatural phenomena, which included the renaming of known paranatural events and objects to suit an objective bureaucracy. This resulted in some schism in the Bureau, with some individuals challenging this new leadership, but Trench silenced most of these voices. Nevertheless, rituals and superstitions retained some degree of importance in Bureau operations, especially in Frederick Langston's supervision of the Panopticon.
In 2002, Trench and Darling investigated an AWE in Ordinary, Maine involving a Slide Projector Object of Power capable of opening doorways to other dimensions. The Bureau apprehended the Slide Projector along with parautilitarian Dylan Faden at this time, who was made a part of the Prime Candidate Program.Ordinary Summary In the following years, Trench and Darling repeatedly explored Slidescape-36, the only surviving slide dimension, after Jesse Faden (Dylan's sister) destroyed the other slides. During this time, they discovered an entity known as Hedron, which Darling brought back to the Oldest House. Meanwhile, Trench claimed to be exposed to a different entity, which went undetected by all others alongside him, including Darling. This would prove to be the beginning of Trench's decline and the buildup to the worst disaster in the Bureau's history.Slidescape-36 (Multimedia)
Unknown to anyone else, Trench had been infected by an entity later known as the Hiss, a natural enemy to Hedron and the Board. Meanwhile, Darling became convinced of Hedron's importance and increasingly prioritized the study of the entity. He founded the Dimensional Research division, protected by the Ashtray Maze formed by the Ashtray and Cigarette OoP, one of the last times Trench and Darling would cooperate.Ashtray Maze (Collectible) Trench, growing increasingly paranoid and erratic under Hiss influence, came to see Darling's support of Hedron as a threat. He lashed out at everyone around him, seeing everyone as enemies. Darling, too, retreated into his secret projects, more and more convinced of a present threat.
The worsening situation was not unnoticed. William Kirklund, Head of Investigations, ordered his department to conduct internal investigations into both Trench and Darling for their changes in behavior.Director Investigation However, the escape of a dangerous paranatural entity related to the Bright Falls AWE had left his department severely understaffed, and distrust on all sides left Kirklund's team unable to affect the events to come.
In late 2019, things reached a critical point. Darling, convinced that danger was inevitable, began handing out devices called Hedron Resonance Amplifiers to protect Bureau personnel using Hedron's resonance. Trench, believing that Hedron had compromised the Bureau, chose to fight fire with fire. On October 29, 2019, he took the Slide Projector, entered the Nostalgia Department, and opened a portal to let the Hiss into the Oldest House.
=== Faden ===
See Hiss invasion.
==Sectors & Departments==
* Executive Sector
** Office of the Director
** Communications Department (formerly the Department of Public Knowledge and Diversions)
**Accounting Department
** Human Resources Department
** Dead Letters Archive
** Nostalgia Department
* Maintenance Sector
** NSC Power Plant management
** Janitorial Department
** Cartography Department
** Black Rock Mining
*** Black Rock Processing
*** Black Rock Lab
* Research Sector
** Dimensional Research
** Parapsychology
*** Hypnosis Lab
*** Extrasensory Lab
** Parakinesiology
** Ritual Division
*** Protective Studies
*** HRA Lab
*** Synchronicity Lab
*** Luck & Probability
** Astral Plane Research
* Containment Sector
**Panopticon
*** Archives
** Logistics
** Security
** Medical Wing
** Processes & Protocols (shifted to the Foundation, no surviving staff)
*** Data Entry And Filing
***Evaluation Hall
***Morgue
** Unknown office department (relocated after being overrun by "The Clocks" Threshold)
* Investigations Sector
** External Surveillance
*** AWE Response
*** AWE Forensics & Analysis
** Foreign Investigations
* The Foundation
** Research & excavation expedition (operated from August 4 to October 29, 1964)
* Other
** Armory (mentioned by Arish to have shifted shortly after the Hiss invaded to an unknown location)
** Department of Unhuman Affairs
** Entrance Lobby
** Examination HallPlastic Tree Supplement
** Possessed Object Gallery
** Operations Department
==Policies==
As a federal government agency, the Bureau maintains a number of internal and external regulations. These include:
* Ash Act - An ethics regulation detailing treatment of paranatural entities, persons, and items.
* Bureau Codes - The Bureau's offense codes, detailing actions which it constitutes as criminal. The Bureau has at least 91 of these codes.Data BreachDr. Hartman Interrogation
* NASA/FBC Coordination Agreement of 1972 - A document detailing inter-agency operations between the Bureau and NASA.NASA Cooperation Review
* Paracriminal Rights Act - An ethics regulation detailing treatment of paracriminals.
* Building access restrictions - Certain sectors and rooms of the Oldest House are restricted to Bureau personnel with the proper authorization.
* No smoking policy - The Bureau prohibits smoking within the Oldest House.
* Prohibited items policy - Certain items are prohibited from being brought into the Oldest House due to security concerns or the items' potential for adverse paranatural reactions within the building's environment.
==Members==
===Directors===
Name 	Tenure 	Status
Theodore Ash, Sr. 	? – July 1964 	Deceased
Broderick Northmoor	August 1964 – ? 	Alive; contained
Zachariah Trench 	? – 10/29/2019 	Deceased
Jesse Faden 	10/29/2019 – present	Alive
===Department heads===
Department heads 	Department heads 	Department heads
Name 	Tenure 	Status
Head of Research 	Head of Research 	Head of Research
Theodore Ash, Jr. 	? – 1995 	Retired
Casper Darling 	1995 – 2019 	Missing
Emily Pope 	2019 – present 	Alive
Head of Communications	Head of Communications	Head of Communications
William S. Powers* 	? 	Unknown
Alberto Tommasi 	? – 2019 	Deceased
Head of Security 	Head of Security 	Head of Security
Lin Salvador 	? – 2019 	Deceased
Head of Operations 	Head of Operations 	Head of Operations
Helen Marshall 	? – 2019 	Deceased
Head of Investigations	Head of Investigations	Head of Investigations
William Kirklund 	? – 2019 	Resigned
Remy Denis** 	2019 – present 	Unknown
* Head of the Department of Public Knowledge and Diversions, a precursor to the Communications Dept.
** Interim Head appointed in 2019; status unknown circa the Hiss invasion.
===Other members===
Note: Roles using location names are unofficial, based on source context.
Bureau personnel 	Bureau personnel 	Bureau personnel
Name 	Role 	Status
Abraham Lewis 	Parakinesiology Department Chief 	Deceased
Ahti 	Janitor 	On vacation
Andy 	Ranger 	Alive
"B" 	Black Rock Quarry worker 	
Barbara Martin 	Director's Secretary 	
Barry 	Foundation expedition member 	
Bethany Harrington	Parapsychology Department Chief 	
Bill Everett 	Custodian 	
Booker 	Employee 	Deceased
Carla Vaughn 	Research Specialist 	
Carol Bishop 	Custodian 	
Caroline Dempsey 	Agent 	Deceased
Charles Murray 	Agent 	Deceased
Cho 	Ranger 	Deceased
Coleman 	Ranger First Class 	Deceased
Coleman 	Ranger 	Deceased
Collins 	Ranger 	Alive
Coppack 	Trooper Second Class 	Deceased
D. Rodriguez 	Employee 	
David 	Black Rock Quarry worker 	
David Gleeson 	Special Investigator 	
David Lindquist 	Operations Assistant 	
Delgado 	Employee 	Deceased
Derek Shah 	Agent 	Deceased
Donna 	Employee 	
Doug 	Employee 	Deceased
Edna Pierse 	Lead Researcher of Parakinesiology Department	
Estevez 	Field Agent 	Alive
Ezra Cruz 	Researcher 	Deceased
Farrow 	Ranger 	
Fischer 	Agent 	
Francis Bertram 	Employee 	
Frank 	Maintenance Worker 	Alive
Frank 	Ranger 	Alive
Frank Breaker 	Agent 	Retired
Frank Rosen 	Physician 	
Graham Potts 	Agent 	Deceased
Grayson 	Agent 	
Gruman 	Agent 	Missing
Gustav Wagner 	Lead Physicist 	
Guthrie 	Agent 	
Guy 	Ranger 	Deceased
Hank Wilder 	Security Chief 	
Hardy 	Agent 	
Hazzard 	Ranger 	Deceased
Heptonstall 	Ranger 	Deceased
Hewitt 	Agent 	
Hooton 	Ranger Sergeant 	Deceased
Hubert Tan 	Research Specialist 	
Jeanne Gibbs 	Containment Process Designer 	Deceased
Jerrod Gronson 	Synchronicity Department Chief 	
Jim Bozer 	Vice Chief of Staff 	Alive
John 	Employee 	Deceased
Jonathan Conner 	Agent 	Deceased
Karen Harris 	Agent and Radio Producer (America Overnight) 	Deceased
Kevin Horowitz 	Ranger 	Deceased
L. Heinz 	Agent 	Alive
L. Samson 	Agent 	Deceased
Lewis McNairy 	Chief Excavation Engineer 	
Linda 	Black Rock Quarry worker 	
Lindsey Malcolm 	Agent 	
Lisa Keenum 	External Investigator 	
Lopez 	Ranger Captain 	Deceased
Lorenzo Dunne 	Researcher 	
Malcolm Milosz 	Threshold Safety Inspector 	
Marcus Talbot 	Senior Cartographer 	
Mark Gibson 	Astralnaut 	Deceased
Mike Hill 	Employee 	Deceased
Morales 	Agent 	Missing
Mulder 	Agent 	
Nadine 	Employee 	
Nicolay 	Employee 	Deceased
Ollie 	Ranger 	Deceased
O'Neil 	Ranger 	Deceased
Patricia Lewis 	Special Agent 	
Paul Warren 	Astralnaut First Class 	
Paula Bronte 	Researcher 	
Penny Bartwell 	Head Archivist (Dead Letters) 	
Phillip Philson 	Junior Agent 	Missing
Pinelli 	Ranger 	
Pryce 	Ranger 	
Ramsay 	Ranger Captain 	Deceased
Randall Polaski 	Ranger Second Class 	Deceased
Raya Underhill 	Contract Threshold Specialist 	Alive
Remus 	Ranger 	Deceased
Robert Ricardo 	Special consultant 	
Roberts 	Agent 	Deceased
Rowley 	Agent 	Alive
Rupert Wells 	Ranger 	Alive
Saba 	Researcher 	Alive
Samuel Turnbull 	Supervisory Agent 	
Sarah 	Employee 	Deceased
Simon Arish 	Maintenance Security Chief 	Alive
Smith 	Employee 	Deceased
Steve 	Ranger 	Alive
Strobridge 	Trooper First Class 	Deceased
Stu 	Employee 	
Susan 	Employee 	Deceased
Suvi Patton 	Coroner 	
Ted 	 	
Tim Spalder 	Special Agent 	
Thomson 	Ranger 	Deceased
Tom 	Foundation expedition member 	
Tom 	Employee 	
Werner 	Researcher 	
Willett 	Trooper Captain 	Deceased
==Gallery==
FBC Logo.png|Black and white logo
==Trivia==
* The Federal Bureau of Control as well as the general premise of the game is heavily inspired by the SCP Foundation, a fictional organization from an eponymous online collaborative fiction project. Like the FBC, the SCP Foundation is a morally ambiguous and secretive global organization responsible for containing and studying various paranormal/supernatural entities, objects, and phenomena, which often tries to hide from the public. The format of the FBC's containment files for Altered Items is directly based on the SCP Foundation's SCP containment files, beginning with an item's classification number followed by "containment procedures" and then a description of the object and its supernatural effect.
* An Easter egg in the video game Quantum Break (a previous title by Control developer Remedy Entertainment) mentions a "Bureau of Altered World Events." This organization is said to have had ties with Monarch Solutions, the antagonist organization of Quantum Break.
==References==
 
ru:Федеральное бюро контроля
zh:联邦控制局