Don't Fear The Reaper Pt. 2

Nicole Taylor

Mission Report, Investigations in widespread barrier degradation [ACMR20150066-T]

Investigator Nicole Taylor, Void Engineers, NSC, Antwerp Construct

0. PREAMBLE

This mission report deals with events on 2015.04.26, early in the night, in and around Antwerp, investigating and attempting to resolve a degradation of the local Dimensional Barrier.

1. BACKGROUND

Earlier in the day, it was noticed that all over Antwerp the Dimensional Barrier was losing strength fairly rapidly. Our supervisor, Levi, was attempting to find the source of the disturbance while we executed unrelated actions.

After some time, the location of the source of the disturbance was found. It was centered around the offices of one Charles Anderson, a British tea merchant, situated in the "Boerentoren".

A detailed background check on Mr Anderson found no intelligence of note; he seemed in all regards to be an ordinary, if successful businessman.

A local contact did note a peculiarity with Mr Anderson's name. Striking the middle part of the name, "Les Anders", results in the name "Charon". This name is historically associated with EDE activity and myth.

Due to the circumstances, AST3 was placed in striking distance of the tower, and we requisitioned a number of Dimensional Phase Disruption Emitters to counter EDEs we might encounter.

2. SYNOPSIS

Strategic defeat. While the barrier was eventually restored, this only occurred after widespread damage to the masses and the consensus, resolved only because of the capitulation and sacrifice of an innocent party.

3. DETAILED MISSION TRANSCRIPT

3.1 Arrival at ground zero

Arriving at the area where the Boerentoren is located, I performed an extra-dimensional scan to determine the extend of activities from EDEs in the area. The result was rather shocking - a great many EDEs were active in the subdimensions of the area. So many, in fact, that it was likely that the loss in strength of the barrier may be caused by the increase in EDE activity, rather than the other way around.

The EDEs appeared of a various disposition, but none seemed actively interested, at this point, in dealing with conventional space. It's important to note that the EDEs encountered were specifically those that are occasionally linked to myths regarding a figure named "Charon".

3.2 Ingress

Entering the tower and talking to the receptionist met with no difficulty. Agent Jane convinced the receptionist to meet with Mr Anderson. The trip to his office was also met with no further difficulty.

Meeting with Mr Anderson

While meeting with Mr Anderson, we at first tried indirect means of extracting information, by asking if odd things happened of late. However, even after being pressed, he seemed to be completely unaware of any strange activity going on.

Subdimensional activity, however, was very disturbing. All around Mr Anderson, EDEs appeared to be clawing at the air, as if they were actively trying to drag Mr Anderson away.

3.3 Extraction of Mr Anderson

No information from Mr Anderson was forthcoming, and there was no indication why the EDEs in the subdimensions were acting as they were. As the dimensional barrier was dropping quickly, we decided to evacuate Mr Anderson.

Mr Anderson was unwilling to come along, but agent Jane was successful in pressing him to comply. For security, he was blindfolded, and then extracted per helicopter, back to our construct.

During the evacuation, the EDEs around Anderson continued to follow us and claw at Mr Anderson. Indeed, the worst of the weakening of the dimensional barrier appeared to follow Mr Anderson's location.

3.4 At Construct

At our construct itself, our Dimensional Stabilization Engine kept up the local barrier, and the activity around Mr Anderson ceased. However, the barrier around Antwerp kept decreasing in strength, and heading for a complete drop.

As the general EDE activity, including the drop in barrier strength, seemed to follow Mr Anderson, we decided to limit the damaged by taking Mr Anderson away to a more remote area near Mexico, following a sea route to limit exposure to the masses. We would bring our local DSE along to protect ourselves and Mr Anderson from EDE activity.

3.5 Heading to sea and initial communication

Our fears were confirmed as the dimensional barrier collapsed completely in the area not protected by the DSE. Luckily we were soon out at sea. However, the air around our helicopter was swarming with, now manifesting, EDEs.

To understand what was going on, I decided to attempt to communicate with one of the EDEs. He demanded that we handed over Mr Anderson, which he indeed referred to as "Charon", and believed to be their leader. He stated that they needed to take him to act as their leader.

As the demands of the EDE were clearly nonsensical and unacceptable, we proceeded with hostile action, eliminating the EDE and several others.

The immediate effect seemed positive, and the EDEs retreated.

3.6 Hostile counteractivity and capitulation

After a while, however, disturbing reports came in from around the world; EDE activity was on the rise, with encounters around the world, dealing both great amounts of damage and threatening the consensus.

This appeared to be specifically aimed at us, since, sporadically, an EDE would return to us to ask if we were now ready to hand him over. These entities were quickly dispatched.

While we were able to hold off the EDEs locally, their continuous attacks could not be countered from where we were, and things came to a head when we learned that the EDEs were attempting to destroy the American Statue of Liberty.

As the EDEs appeared to believe that the death of Mr Anderson would result in his "returning" to them, a ruse was employed, where Mr Anderson would be brought to a state of clinical death, to be revived later. However, this too proved unsuccessful. In the end, we decided that, to preserve the consensus, capitulation was called for, and we ended the life of Mr Anderson.

The EDEs seemed satisfied with the outcome, as they stopped their assaults, and we retreated back to our construct.

4. CONCLUSIONS

4.1 Primary mission outcome

We were unable to restore the barrier directly, and enemy action resulted in great damage to the masses and the consensus.

4.2 Enemy EDE objectives

It appears the enemy EDE believed their goals to be successful, as they retreated after Mr Anderson was killed. This class of EDEs is known to believe that they are the remnants of deceased individuals, a fact discounted by modern day Dimensional Science.

It is therefore possible that further hostile encounters will result once it becomes clear that their goals have not been met. However, considering the fact that they believed him to become his leader, it is perhaps more likely that an enterprising EDE will claim the position for himself, perhaps claiming to be Mr Anderson (or "Charon"). Unfortunately, as these EDEs are fundamentally alien, it is hard to ascertain their further actions with certainty.

4.3 Reason for barrier disruption.

Briefly touched upon in the report is the likely reason for the lowering of the dimensional barrier. In normal circumstances, the dimensional barrier is fairly static with regards to time. It can be altered by Dimensional Science procedures (and the deviant bastardizations thereof), and it may slowly drift over time. However, research has found that excessive activity in subdimensions may weaken the barrier over a relatively short amount of time, without the use of Dimensional Science procedures.

This effect has only been studied in limited amounts, due to the difficulty in replicating these circumstances in laboratory conditions (see J. Hobbs, B. U. Dewey et al, Study on reverse EDE activity on Barrier strength. (1998)), but can be extrapolated to explain the weakening of the dimensional barrier in the circumstances encountered here.

While it is possible that this was further exacerbated by direct enemy action, this is the most likely explanation for most of the phenomena.

4.4 Casualties and material losses

No Technocratic losses in either materiel or personnel. However, there was heavy damage to the masses and the consensus.

4.5 Final conclusion and thoughts

Capitulating to enemy forces, especially considering what that entailed in this situation, is a hard thing to do. In the end, however, I see no alternative path that lay before us. In the short term, the damage caused by the EDEs was simply too large to be allowed to continue. At least in this way, we denied the EDEs possession of Mr Anderson while making it appear to them that they succeeded.

Considering the considerable damage that the EDEs performed around the world, it is clear that even relatively dormant EDEs are a major threat to the masses and to our goals.

##### *Attached note:*

Levi,

I am hereby requesting a leave of absence for a week to travel to the Cop to visit the DIMH.

-Nicole Taylor

#### Report from Franklin Salisbury

Frankin Salisbury filed his own composite mission report, Avalanche near a Rock Concert, with a very brief mention of this mission.