Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Preparation
Section Missing
Chapter Six: Response Levels

Preface
We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.
- H.P. Lovecraft
- "The Call of Cthulhu"
"Fuck that shit. Let's find out what's on that horizon."
- Agent "Madrigal"
- Strike Team "Noble Phantom"

For most of human history, our species has been at the mercy of powers foreign to, and supposedly greater than, ourselves. Magical or religious, extraterrestrial or extradimensional, these parathreats have been the Damocles Sword hanging over the head of our species since the first apes came down from the trees - or out of the water, based on which evolutionary theory you ascribe to.
No longer. Our species is now taking back control of our destiny. We are now at war with That Which Should Not Be: the Real fighting against the Unreal. And you, as a Coalition recruit, are one of the heroes who will serve a vital role in that war.
This manual is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to parathreats. Reading it will not teach you how to defeat a physical god. That knowledge will come with time, and experience. Instead, it is meant to serve as a distillation of the fundamental principles learned by PHYSICS operatives since our founding in the late 1940s, broadly applicable in all parathreat scenarios. Think of it as the foundation upon which you will build your skills: broad, plain, largely invisible, but vital nonetheless.

Five Precepts
1) You are expendable.
There are over six billion human beings living in the world today. You are one of them. Cold-hearted as it may be, given the choice between the two, humanity wins every time. Before anything else, you must come to terms with this fact: not only for yourself, but for your friends, family, and loved ones. If the time should come that you are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice, you must do so swiftly, resolutely, and without hesitation. A moment's delay could be disastrous.
2) You are not disposable.
The Coalition doesn't have limitless reserves. Our numbers are small enough, and the threats we face terrible enough, that we cannot afford to lose a single operative to accident or stupidity. Your life is a vital resource to be nurtured and husbanded, and if it must be spent, it must be used to maximum effectiveness before it is lost.
3) Knowledge is power.
The threats we face are numerous, and each one is unique. In order to combat them effectively, we must know what we are facing. Information, more than any bullet or blade, is our weapon, and we need as much of it as possible. Keep no secrets from your comrades or superiors. If you learn something, pass it on as soon as possible. If you are killed, your last act before dying should be to try to make sure someone knows how you died.
4) Don't question it, just accept it.
There are things you will never know. There are things that the human mind can't comprehend, and other things that you will simply never find out. If you obsess over the things you do not know, you will become distracted and lose focus. As much as you can, focus on the Here and the Now.
5) You are only human.
You will make mistakes. You will grow tired and weak. There will be moments when you act stupidly and other moments when you express unexpected brilliance. You cannot let failure allow you to fall into despair, or success to lead to arrogance. Down either path leads disaster.
The Golden Rule
Never work alone.

Preparation
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
- Matthew 25:1-4

You can't cut with a dull knife, you can't drive a car without gas, and you can't face world-ending parathreats without being prepared, body and mind, for what's coming. Your handlers and trainers will take care of the specific things you need to learn to prepare for your job. This section of the manual is meant more to outline things you can do above and beyond required training to maximize your chances of survival… and more importantly, your ability to complete your mission.

Body

Keep Healthy: This goes without saying. Eat healthy, make sure your innoculations are up to date, don't slack off on PT. If you have any pre-existing conditions, make sure your teammates know how to take care of you in case you are incapacitated. If you have any new health issues come up, make sure someone else knows, even if it's as minor as a cold or a sprained ankle from playing basketball. In the field, in a crisis situation, is the last time to find out a team member has a severe fever.

Know How to Fight: PHYSICS Division has many assets if you want to brush up on your personal combat training. Make use of them.

Practice Flight: Practice your escape and evasion techniques: learn how to climb a fence (chain link and barbed wire), break a window safely, kick down a door, and most importantly, how to fall safely without injury. When the shit hits the fan and you have to get out of there, know how.

Be Ready for the Worst: Make sure your first aid and CPR certifications are up to date. Keep your issued medical kit on you at all times, and know how to use it on yourself and others.

Mind

Stay Healthy: Your mind is your most important weapon. Make sure it is healthy. Get regular psych evaluations, and follow the recommendations of the shrinks. Addictions and phobias can cripple performance at the worst possible time: have them treated right away. Watch your comrades too: if one of your team members starts to behave in an unstable manner, contact an evaluator for an assessment. Don't try to cover for your friends: it's better to get them help now than to let minor issues become major ones… or worse, let a cognitohazard fester in the mind of your teammate.

Train Yourself: Observation and situational awareness are vital in this job. Practice both. Logic puzzles are another good way to hone your mind. Broaden your knowledge base as much as possible: you never know when a minor factoid will turn out to be vital.

Learn to communicate: If you don't know the local language, then at the very least, learn how to say the following words and phrases in the country you'll be operating in:

Yes.
No.
Help.
Emergency.
Danger.
Do you speak [language]?
Stay away.
Drop the weapon and lay down.
I need a telephone.
Where can I find a doctor?

Know Your Enemy: Read after-action reports. Read Threat Entity dossiers. Talk to more experienced field operatives about their experiences. Find out everything you can about the parathreats you may face. The greatest fear is the fear of the unknown: make sure you have as little to fear as possible.

Gear

Choose the Gear that's Right For You: Everyone is different. Your armorer and quartermaster can help you to find the perfect gear to fit your unique needs.

Know Your Gear: Learn the quirks and foibles of every piece of equipment you carry, from your weapon to the buckles on your pack to the way your wallet sits in your pocket. Experiment with different ways to carry and pack your gear until you find one that works well. Keep them maintained and always be aware of their condition. A frayed backpack strap might not seem like a big deal back at base, but it will be a big deal if it breaks on you in the field.

Don't Get Too Attached: We all have our favorite gear. Sometimes it's not available. Things break, get lost, or get taken away. There will also be times when you have to abandon gear to make a hasty retreat and re-equip while in the field from what you can find. Familiarize yourself with as many different types of equipment as possible. A crisis situation is not the time to learn how to drive stick.

PHYSICS Division uses six broad "Response Levels" indicating the priority of concern and general level of force authorized by the individual operative.
Response Level 0: No Threat
Keep under occasional observation. Do not engage without permission from Central Command, unless immediate First, Second, or Third Mission concerns arise.

The majority of paranormal phenomena discovered by the GOC fall under this category, being mere curiosities rather than threats. As liquidation of said phenomena would not be worth expenditure of assets, these paranormal entities are left in place.

Response Level 1: Minimal Threat
Keep under continual observation. Do not engage unless immediate First, Second, or Third Mission concerns arise.

In many cases, GOC operatives will be assigned to Response Level 1 phenomena on a permanent basis, either as observers or as liaisons in the case of sentient beings. These require constant supervision, but if properly isolated, have a minimal risk of Mission concerns.

Response Level 2: Sub-Moderate Threat
Keep under continual observation. Engage when convenient with minimal use of force.

Response Level 2 is the first level of "parathreat," or paranormal phenomena determined to be a threat to the GOC's First through Third (Survival, Concealment, Protection) Missions, requiring a Fourth Mission (Destruction) response. In the case of Response Level 2, the primary threat is to the Second Mission (Concealment), requiring a subtle liquidation approach to avoid breaching secrecy. Response Level 2 missions are most often carried out by Assessment Teams or Special Observers, as employing Strike assets would be too high-profile.

Response Level 3: Moderate Threat
Keep under continual observation. Engage as soon as possible.

Response Level 3 is reserved for those parathreats determined to fall under a Third Mission (Protection) threat, requiring immediate destruction to avoid danger to life and limb of civilians and bystanders. In this case, Second Mission (Concealment) concerns do exist, but should be considered secondary to Third Mission priorities. Response Level 3 missions are most often carried out by Assessment Teams with Strike backup in case of escalation.

Response Level 4: Severe Threat
Keep under continual observation. Engage as soon as possible. Excessive force authorized.

At Response Level 4, severe Third Mission (Protection) concerns are present, including possible First Mission (Survival) priorities. Second Mission (Concealment) concerns are partially waived when any breaches can be dealt with in a localized manner. Fifth Mission (Education) requirements are also waived in cases where other Mission concerns supercede. Assessment Teams are not authorized to carry out Response Level 4 missions except in case of extreme emergency, except as backup and Overwatch for Strike assets.

Response Level 5: Immediate Threat
All operatives to engage on sight, using any means necessary.

Second Mission (Concealment) concerns are fully waived. Strike Teams are authorized full use of Tangential Technology when dealing with Response Level 5 threats. In special cases, Third Mission (Protection) concerns may be waived in the case of a severe First Mission (Survival) concern. Response Level 5 Missions generally require multiple Strike and Assessment teams, as well as outside assets, whether from Coalition member bodies or non-Coalition organizations.

Response Level 6: Pizzicato
Procedure Pizzicato is the final Emergency Response Procedure, to be executed in case of Threat Entity Emergence at a massive level. Procedure Pizzicato is to be executed in the following instances.

Commencement of any Eschatological Event Sequence past the Point of No Return.
Failure by rival agency to maintain containment of their own Threat Entities.
Emergence on a worldwide scale of a large number of Threat Entities, causing a worldwide Second Mission failure.

Note that execution of Procedure Pizzicato will, by necessity, result in an irreversible Second Mission (Concealment) failure in order to allow for a First Mission (Survival) success. Third Mission (Protection) goals are secondary: normal avoidance of civilian casualties is to be second priority to maintaining Minimum Repopulation Margin among the survivors.

Procedure

Activate all sleeper units in rival agencies.
Alert all allied government agencies and allied government officials.
Mobilize all PHYSICS Teams.
Publically acknowledge existence of Global Occult Coalition, existence of rival agencies, and existence of Threat Entities.
Request for global martial law.
Request worldwide protective curfew on all civilians.
Establish and/or refresh KTE Termination Triage Sequences for all Threat Level 2 and 3 entities.
Execute Termination Triage Sequences.

Force Authorization

Units are authorized to request and/or use any necessary force in execution of Termination Triage Sequences.
All restrictions re: NBC weaponry, Memetic Cognitohazard Cascade Sequences, and Nanotech Grey Goo items withdrawn.
All restrictions re: use of Tangential and Plus Generation Technologies withdrawn.
Acceptable Collateral Damage: 90% of worldwide human population.

PHYSICS Division Field Manuals
« START | Return to GOC Hub | Equipment and Gear »