ABN-025

"He Who Lies in Wait"

A topographical diagram of the Tonga Trench. ABN-025 is not marked on this map, and it has been modified for civilian use.

## Capture Information

### Location of Capture

██.██████, ██.██████ (Tonga Trench, Southwest Pacific)

## Containment Procedures

The area containing ABN-025, currently a region of the Tonga Trench roughly 11,000 meters below sea level, is to be monitored at all times by long-ranged sonar systems built into Site 3. Any minuscule alteration in ABN-025’s location, position, or physical state is to be reported immediately to Nero high command. Individuals living the nearby islands of Vava'u, Ha'ano, and Tongatapu are to be discouraged from coming within 75 km of ABN-025’s location, under the guise of a military weapons testing site. Any signs that ABN-025’s area of effect is increasing should be noted and reported to Nero high command.

Any individuals that express unprecedented knowledge of ABN-025 are to be captured discreetly and terminated, and Site Commander Juarez (or whoever happens to be in the highest position of power at Site 3) is to perform ABN-025-1 twenty times within the site’s aquatic observation deck, before resuming his duties.

~~As of 19██, plans to terminate ABN-025 have been disregarded, as ABN-025 has not expressed any reason to be neutralized.~~

~~As of 1998, Nero high command has made it our top priority to destroy ABN-025 at any cost. The use of nuclear ordinance has been approved.~~

Nuclear weapons are no longer considered a viable method of neutralization. ABN-025 is not to be harmed until an effective method can be proven.

Nero research and development teams are currently looking for a way to effectively neutralize ABN-025, though as of the last update to this dossier, none have been discovered.

## Description

ABN-025 is an aquatic amphibious lifeform of extraterrestrial origin located in the deepest reaches of the Tonga Trench. ABN-025’s length is estimated to be around ██ km, though it’s standing height remains unknown. ABN-025 appears, at first, to be buried within an underwater ravine, possibly trapped there by shifting tectonic plates. However, this theory was found to be untrue in 1998.

ABN-025’s biological makeup is unknown, but sonar scans show that it is a massive vertebrate with at least 3 sets of mandibles, two large eyes, two arms (ending in two claws), and two legs. Since it’s discovery, ABN-025 has been in a state of unconsciousness that is believed to be chemically-induced, as trace amounts of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have been reported within the water surrounding ABN-025. Currently, nothing has been known to awaken ABN-025, and as ordered by Doctor Naldi, no further measures are to be taken in order to do so.

ABN-025 has not been seen by any known individuals through any means besides sonar tracking, both due to the difficulty of reaching it, and due to Doctor Naldi’s orders.

Any sapient creatures that come within 75 km of ABN-025’s exact coordinates begin to experience severe lethargy, and will find themselves in a deep sense of dread, though for no particular reason. After 36 hours within ABN-025’s effect zone, the individual will begin to suffer from sleep paralysis, often experiencing audible hallucinations that are often described as thunderous growls and the rushing of water. After 168 hours, the creature will cease experiencing these hallucinations, though their sense of dread and lethargy will turn into full-blown clinical depression. Individuals who exit the area of effect are instantly relieved of all effects. Grade-C amnestics have been effective in preventing these effects.

Another effect that ABN-025 causes among individuals is the anomalous and random spread of it’s knowledge. While thankfully rare, individuals within 125 km of ABN-025 sometimes appear to spontaneously “know” about it. They do not appear to be aware of any specific information about ABN-025, except that it is in an unconscious state below the sea. No amount of amnestic treatments have been found to erase this knowledge from individuals.

ABN-025 is apparently kept in it’s unconscious state due to a ritual performed whenever it is “disturbed” (apparently caused by the termination of individuals who seek it out). Whenever ABN-025 enters a “disturbed state”, it’s risk of awakening rises by an estimated 2.6%, it’s default state being 0.0042%. The ritual used in becalming ABN-025 is designated ABN-025-1.

For more information on ABN-025-1, refer to Addendum 2.

## Discovery

ABN-025 was discovered in 19██ by Nero officials investigating reports of the occult in Vava'u and Ha'ano, such as travelers going missing upon reaching their coasts and strange rituals during the night. A research team lead by the now deceased Doctor Bernard, made up of 3 other researchers and 10 armed guards searched the island and inquired the locals as to recent events.

For a more detailed description on ABN-025’s discovery, read *Doctor Bernard’s Discovery*.

## Addendum 1: Site 3

Located about 1.2 km from ABN-025’s location is Site 3, a Nero research and containment site built atop an old oil platform. A facade to be maintained to deceive civilians into believing it to be a military weapons testing facility, hiding it’s true purpose. Staff assigned to Site 3 must be treated with grade-C amnestics before beginning their research, as to negate the effects of ABN-025.

Site 3 has a built-in sonar system that can reach all the way to ABN-025’s location, and is wired to send an alert to the current site commander if there is any change in it’s physical state, location, or position. Only a limited amount of armed personnel are to be allowed on-site, though Doctor Naldi has proposed a request to increase this armed presence.

Site-3 is no longer allowed access to any nuclear ordinance, as per orders of Nero high command (see Addendum 3 for more information.)

## Addendum 2: ABN-025-1

ABN-025-1 is a ritual that must be performed by whoever is the highest ranking individual at Site 3 whenever ABN-025 is disturbed. ABN-025 must be performed underwater, so an aquatic observation deck has been installed into Site 3 for this purpose.

To begin ABN-025-1, the individual must remove most of their clothing (at least down to their undergarments) and use some sort of drawing utensil to mark three five-pointed stars over their heart and on their palms, remaining silent while they do it. The quality of these stars is irrelevant, such as long as they have five points.

Next, the individual must stand (or sit) idly while making five hand symbols in sequence with both hands. The hand symbols are as follows, and must be performed respectively:

* A curled fist, with only the index finger extended, point toward the sky.
* A flat palm, with the thumb curled over it, with the back of one's hand facing the ground.
* A curled fist, with the little finger and thumb extended, and the index finger half-extended, pointed forward.
* A curled fist, with the middle finger and thumb touching to form a loop, pointed toward the person performing the symbol.
* A tightly clenched fist, arms stretched toward the sky.

Following this ritual, the performer is to vocalize a loud yell of some sort. Most performers simply produce a loud scream, though some have come up with their own words. After this, the ritual is considered completed. It should be noted that ABN-025’s chances of awakening only decrease if the ritual is performed twenty times in sequence.

## Addendum 3: Termination Attempts

Following the radio transmissions discovered on ██.██.1998 by Nero agents embedded within NASA (see Addendum 4), ABN-025’s neutralization became a tier one priority. On ██.██.1998, only 20 days after the message was received and transcribed, Doctor Naldi’s proposal to terminate ABN-025 using a nuclear device stored within a type-██ torpedo was approved by Nero high command, and a specialized aquatic submarine was sent just below the surface of the water to fire the weapon.

According to the active sonar at Site 3, the device hit the target directly (on what could be considered it’s upper back), though having caused no apparent damage. Instead, all landmass surrounding ABN-025 appeared to shift greatly, causing a landslide to engulf over 40% of the creature. ABN-025’s position did not change at all.

Shortly after the tests, the islands of Vava'u and Ha'ano experienced several earthquakes between level 4 and 5.5 on the Richter scale, though few casualties were reported.

ABN-025-1 was performed exactly ███ times following this event, as ABN-025’s chances of awakening had risen to an estimated 74.3%; the highest it’s ever knowingly been.

## Addendum 4: Radio Transmissions

**[THE FOLLOWING DATA IS TO BE ACCESSED ONLY BY AGENTS WITH SILVER-LEVEL SECURITY CLEARANCE] [STANDBY FOR AUTHORIZATION]**

**. . .**

### **ACCESS GRANTED**

On 12.6.1998, NASA satellites began relaying radio messages, believed to have originated in the Andromeda Galaxy. Nero agents within NASA took hold of the situation and spread false information that the signal was simply a jumbled report from a NASA satellite.
Upon inspection, it appeared to be a short audio transcript in some unknown language that included a variety of clicks, moans, and purrs. Translators were assigned to this message immediately, and discovered that the message appeared to be an “apology” from another race, directed to the humans. When this message was originally sent cannot be accurately determined.

The message reads as follows.

## It destroyed our home, our people, and showed no signs of stopping, until we found a way to sedate it, temporarily.
As our race, dying now from injury, lack of medicine, and lack of food on our planet that was now but dust and bones, sat searching for some way to be rid of the creature before it awoke again, one of us found a suitable planet.

I don’t know what lead us to believe that your planet was not already occupied. Perhaps it wasn’t at that time, or maybe your light had simply not reached us yet. But we sent it to your doorstep. You may have believed it to be a meteor of some sort.

But as I speak now, with only a handful of us left, we would like to formally apologize to you. We have brought upon you an unstoppable force; and immovable object. An immortal being that has caused genocide once already, and possibly many times before.