GFS-00621/E-0017 Containment Breach incident

Re: Report on the actions of AGT0047 during the containment breach by GFS00621

Team members:
Agent Amadou Niassé (AGT 47 Actual), Terran Human, team leader
Auxiliary native Khaiden Seine (Khaiden), Gaian Human
Auxiliary native Dexter Antonius (Dexter), Elf
Auxiliary native Melnakos vis Stritan (Melnakos), Elf
Auxiliary native Reserti Refertiti (Reserti), Elf
Auxiliary native Ratodx Tamoren (Ratodx), Goblin

On the first of October the containment breach alarm started ringing at 14:19. The AGT0047 members expeditiously gathered their equipment and headed to their floor's security station to respond to the emergency.
Having been informed that Gaian Fauna Sample 00621 (GFS621) had escaped containment and that no further information on the specimen was available other than the capture report summary (see annex 1), AGT47 Actual asked what the native team members knew of this species.

Responses were as follow:
- Dexter denied having any knowledge of it, as he wasn't allowed to go hunting. 47 Actual will opportunely question the auxiliary native on the reasons to that and recommend additional training if necessary.
- Ratodx said that there are Goblin bardic tales of great battles against  what they call the "Weird horned goattroll thing", and that the species is carnivore. He discounts such tales and indicates that Goblin bards are notoriously grandiloquent, hyperbolic and unreliable - or, as he puts it, "very good at bullshitting" (note added to the xenoanthropology database). According to the him, more trustworthy reports say that the species is uncanny but passive.
- Melnakos called it a "Fhaorn'Quessir" and informed that Elven priests say them to be the husks of Elves who dabble in too much dark magic, but opinionated that it might not be the truth; he also said that a small number of Elves suggest that they are sylvan guardians. Either way, he expressed that the species has a spiritual significance to Elves (note added to the xenoanthropology database).

Melnakos requested to be allowed to try to lead the specimen back to containment peacefully. Considering it as being more valuable to Akras alive than dead, 47 Actual acceded to the request. Dexter suggested to use an illusion to make contact, but that magic would be unable to communicate with GFS621; the suggestion was therefore rejected.
47 Actual led the team to the floor above the containment level in order to make a sweep from the stairway. Contact was made as soon as the doors opened; the specimen was about ten metres away from the elevator.

Melnakos prepared a floating magic spear and advanced slowly to the creature as the rest of the team kept the line of fire clear; Reserti nocked an arrow and enchanted it with what appeared to be a fragmentation spell (Video record of the magics being cast at A-9:12 to A-9:18), while Khaiden and Dexter prepared to cast offensive spells (no visible effects were noted).
47 Actual reported the contact to Security Dispatch, asked them to cordon the team, mark the way from the stairs to the containment cell and turn off the alarm; he then proceeded to bypass GFS621 with Ratodx in order to guide Melnakos and the specimen, ordering the other three to secure the formation's rear.

At this point the specimen became hostile and attacked Melnakos, ramming him with such force that he flew back, smashing into the rear guard and leaving them crumpled and piled up inside the elevator (Video record of the attack at A-10:11 to A-10:13, subsequent combat until A-10:28). Broken bones aside, whether due to the force or from the magic's penetrating properties, Dexter was impaled on Reserti's arrow. Possibly due to the arrow not having been fired, the spell didn't go off.

47 Actual ordered security to call the elevator to evacuate the casualties, opening fire and retreating with Ratodx around a corner to negate the further ramming attacks; once behind cover he threw a fragmentation grenade. Both weapons proved damaging against GFS621; however the specimen was actually a shell for a terror entity made of shadows with an apparently physical face (A-10:34). Henceforth this entity will be referred as Entity 0017 or E17.

As E17 shed the meat coil, it exploded the lights around and broadcast a meme, tentatively classed as a level 1 hazard, which for safety reasons has been expunged from the file nonetheless and restricted to personnel with clearance to review memetic effects.

Addendum: due to a cumulative combination of inexperience, being in combat for the first time, stress from having most of the team put out of action in an instant, the presence of E17 and the effects of its memetic attack 47 Actual was shaken and fell back to what he learnt during training. This worked well regarding on dealing with explosions, but the training was insufficient for him to immediately recognize the meme for what it was; when he subsequently had time to calm down and recall the events to make a report, he had to call a quarantine on many more people than it'd have been necessary otherwise. Therefore, it's my recommendation that agent training on memetic entities is reinforced, and that this case is used in said training as an example.

Ratodx cast a magical flash of light of intensity comparable to a flashbang; this effort left him drained and he retreated further back to recover (though not enough, as subsequent events proved). This burst of light seemed to hurt E17 terribly as can be seen on A-10:45 to A-10:46.
47 Actual recognized light to be E17's weakness and retreated towards the stairs and the security cordon, ordering them to toss flashbangs at his path. Three were used and, while Ratodx was affected, the entity disappeared in the bright lights. 47 Actual turned his torch on to use it as a makeshift anti-darkness weapon and prompted the security agents to do the same, but E17 wasn't found.

47 Actual declared the threat neutralized but told Security Dispatch to send agents equipped with handheld spotlights and flashbangs to sweep the floor in case E17 had managed to retreat unobserved. He then used magic to restore the dazed Ratodx's ruptured eardrums and took him to the infirmary to regroup with the rest of the team, where he also treated Dexter's life-threatening wound.

While cooling off, 47 Actual started organizing his thoughts to make the mission's report and realized that E17 had made a memetic attack. He immediately ordered the infirmary to be placed under quarantine, the disabling of all comms excepting his own (of which he disabled the mic to prevent accidental contamination out of the quarantine), and the security members who were present and all with whom they spoke to be also brought into quarantine. He also requested the matter to be assessed by a specialists team.

Special mentions:
Auxiliary Melnakos, for his proactive attitude and volunteering to deal peacefully with GFS621.
Auxiliary Ratodx, for immediately realizing E17's weakness and attacking it promptly.

Note: The Auxiliaries still hadn't received any training or equipment at this point. If they had proper equipment, it is possible that the arrow wound could have been avoided and Auxiliary Ratodx wouldn't have been put out of action from the flashbangs. I recommend that the Auxiliaries should receive at least personal protection gear during processing.

THIS REPORT IS TO BE AMENDED AND SENT AFTER THE QUARANTINE IS LIFTED, UNTIL THEN IT'LL REMAIN IN THE BUFFER TO GUARANTEE THAT KNOWLEDGE OF THE OPERATION ISN'T LOST IN CASE OF 47 ACTUAL'S DEMISE.

Epilogue: Magi from Team Foxhound led by Dr. Tal Nalvi came into the quarantene area, and after debriefing they closed down on E-0017, who had possessed native Auxiliary Ratodx. An exorcism was performed, and E-0017 was taken for contention and study, and the Auxiliary recovered in full after some rest.

                                                                                                 AGT 47Actual
                                                                                                 Amadou Niassé