I answered a phone to a mysterious voice on the other end. I don’t know if it could hear me, or if it was just a recording. Before the line cut off, the voice kept repeating a phrase. “Oberon must die”.
[This note belonged to the injured scientist I met when I woke up. It is scrawled in messy and frantic handwriting.]
DO NOT FORGET The Interchange. The secrets are inside the Interchange. Do NOT forget the Interchange. You have the keycard to lift the quarantine lock. Modified keycard should open the Interchange. Find the truth. The truth is under the Windscale Plant, and the way there is through the Interchange. THE TRUTH MUST GET OUT Find someone to help you escape. People will help if you bring them the secrets.
I’ve found the local village, Wyndham. The place is under the control of a group of soldiers calling themselves “Protocol”. Being a stranger here means the soldiers will let me wander freely, it seems, though I was warned not to cause any trouble.
I told Captain Sims about Iris’ husband and his infection. He was pleased that I came to him before the corruption, as he calls it, could cause harm in the village.
Captain’s a man of action, a man who respects a soldier willing to take initiative. Any fool can see that. I’m no fool. And I’ve got initiative. Cap just ain’t seen it yet. So I’ll talk to Bootsy. I’ll get me a bit of dynamite. I’ll march it back to the substation, to that big “Interchange” door Cap’s been so desperate to see inside, and I’ll blow it clean off its hinges. He’ll see me, then. No more Private Arsewipe, then. It’ll be Sergeant, at least.
Summary
A soldier’s journal mentions a door to the Interchange behind the village substation.
I met a surviving scientist, Dr Holder, in his hideout under the church. He had been infected by the strange growth around the plant, but developed an experimental inoculation to keep the infection at bay. I injected myself with a dose of the inoculation. It should give me some protection against spore clouds.
James’ Diary. May 1962. Philip was talking about the government bunkers today. Couldn’t stop the man. He had that look in his eye. He said he found one the boffins called the Interchange, that it’s hidden behind that substation the captain doesn’t like us to sniff around. If I know Philip, sniffing around’s exactly what we’ll be doing.
Summary
A villager’s diary suggests that there’s an entrance to the Interchange behind the substation.
I met Dr Alan Holder, a former B.A.R.D scientist. He survived infection from the organism they were researching in the Medical lab, and has been hiding out in his secret lab under the Wyndham Village church since the disaster.
Iris, Of course I can look after the bakery for a spell. I’ll bring some broth over for your feller too; a hearty meal’s always the best medicine! Come by the garage in the morning and I can collect the keys from you. I won’t dare ask what you have to do in Casterfell. Just make sure the soldiers don’t spot you. Tina
Summary
A letter from Tina at the Wyndham garage mentions her being given spare keys for the bakery.
It’s a shame I have to keep this magnificent thing locked away, but I don’t expect the soldiers would be happy I had it. Atoms, the very stuff of God, stored in their purest and most terrible form. A marvel! It was a fruitful trade, and worth the trip out to Molly in the Dale. If I can scrounge enough, perhaps I can purchase her second.
Summary
A note with the vicar’s battery mentions him buying it off of Molly, a trader in Slatten Dale.
Hint
Trade with Molly in Slatten Dale for an atomic battery.
James, old friend, I need your help. I made a mistake. I found a way into a secret bunker, hidden behind the substation, but there was something in there. It glows blue, but vivid like no blue I’ve ever seen on God’s earth. And it hurt me. Now I’ve been hearing voices, and I don’t know what to do. Meet me outside the bakery tomorrow night. I’ll give Iris the slip, and we can go back to that bunker together. Maybe we’ll find a cure, before this gets any worse… Philip
Summary
A villager’s corpse carried a note from Philip in the Bakery, who fell ill and started hearing voices.
12th November 1957, 23 days since the quarantine: Second air vent is showing the growth now. Still unsure of its origin. There is a blue glow emanating from store alpha, but all doors remain sealed. … 179(?) days since the quarantine: Emergency supplies low. Continuing to await rescue. Heard voices from store alpha - impossible. Growth present in many corners. Not pleasant, but palatable. … I heard her. The voices chatter and murmur, but Helen’s was amongst them. Isn’t she dead? Isn’t everyone dead? But her voice was so loud. It spoke of the spot where we used to swim, our moonlit escapes. She wants to be free of the voices too.
[A location has been repeatedly circled on a map of Casterfell Woods, at coordinates 24.7E, 85.6N.]
Summary
A scientist who was hearing voices had circled a location in Casterfell Woods, 24.7E 85.6N.
Hint
Search the location 24.7E 85.6N in Casterfell Woods for a clue.
I’ve been told that, while I can wander around Wyndham village with relative freedom, the Protocol camps and facilities in Skethermoor are off-limits to anyone without permission. If I trespass into Protocol territory they are likely to shoot on sight.
Most Secret The following blueprint is the property of the British Atomic Research Division. The proposed device, named the “Signal Redirector”, will provide the ability to wirelessly… [The page is torn off at this point, with the following note scribbled on the reverse:] If any boffin comes back to find this, Nora got here first. Find me at my barn nearby. I’d love to have a chat.
Summary
Buried plans for a Signal Redirector device were found by someone called Nora, who can be found at her barn in Skethermoor.
I managed to get my hands on a signal redirector! I can use it to interact with electrical junction boxes and alter the direction of the current flowing through them.
“I, Molly Jowett, am starting a new business venture. I thought to myself, Molly, if you can reinvent yourself as a broker, then you can re-reinvent yourself as a property saleswoman. A fair place for a fair price!
I’ve come by the key for this lovely concrete shelter. If you want it, I’m selling! Come find me down the hill“
Charity, once you’re done with your usual chores, would you mind getting some flowers for the table? Despite whatever is happening in the outside world, we have a duty to be gracious hosts. The scientists will be back any day now, and we can’t have them seeing the house in this state.
Don’t stray far from the house. I’m taking a short walk down to the stream just to get some air. I’ll be home soon. Call for Jenks if you need something.“
“For the longest time it felt like an idyll from a children’s novel. Living in a fine house, fresh air and greenery, the lake views, and a log fire in the evening.
After the quarantine was imposed, I told the sisters they should come with us to the bunker, much safer here, but no. Too set in their ways, I think. Prudence in particular couldn’t bear the thought of change.
Bill still talks about the fresh cut flowers Charity used to put out every day in the season. As I write this, I realise that I do, too. That, the soft beds and the home cooking. Military-issue cots and ration packs are hardly the same.“
To whoever finds this note, please send aid to Datlow Hall.
Lady Charity is gravely ill. For the last two months, ever since that explosion, she’s been getting worse and worse. She needs medical attention, and poor Lady Prudence can hardly be expected to care for her alone. I can’t return to Datlow in good conscience, not without securing aid first.
We showed those bloody scientists nothing but hospitality and not one of them have come to check on us. If you’re reading this, remember our kindness and send help!
Jenks.
[At the bottom is a detailed map to a manor in Casterfell Woods called Datlow Hall.]“
Summary
A letter on Jenks’ dead body requests aid for Datlow Hall in Casterfell Woods.
You showed me kindness, and now I’m returning the favour, albeit in a small way.
My head cleared for a short time thanks to your generosity, but it won’t last long. I can’t stay. I hope for your sake that we don’t meet again.
Take this as thanks. May it help you to reach Windscale, where the truth waits to be uncovered. You MUST find the truth! Find it and escape for all of us who cannot.“
God knows how we made it out of medical, but somehow we managed to escape through the caves with all hell breaking loose. No one can understand how the containment protocols could have failed so completely; the consequences if there was an atmospheric release are unthinkable. For now, we have more immediately pressing concerns.Dr Fisher is manifesting the early symptoms of primary exposure and infection, just as we’ve seen before in the test animals.We all know theres nothing we can do but wait and observe, perhaps provide some measure of mercy at the end.The worst of it is that Fisher knows that too.
Fisher turned fully.It only took a few days in the end. Ive never seen anything like it.Id run through that moment what felt like a million times in my head, but as I raised that pistol to her head I felt no shred of that imagined uncertainty.I pulled the trigger without a moments hesitation and executed one of my oldest, dearest friends in cold blood.Whats worse is that Id do it again in a heartbeat. Maybe Alan was right after all, perhaps he has an answer to all this horror, but hes not here to help us.I cant risk sending anyone to find him either.We’re all turning now, some fast, some slow.Were all infected and I cant break quarantine
William Robert’s Diary, 24th September 1957. I might go mad here. I would rather they’d sacked me on the spot. Lord, what I’d give to be back where the action is, to see the inside of the Interchange again. Doing work I was actually good at, work that MEANT something. Make it a month sober, William. Just one pitiful month. Then they’ll let you back. They have to.
I tol you berks to stick togethr and the 1st thing you do is let Ted wander off on his own and now we are a hand short. As I thort I made v clear we cant just go to the labour exchange and get a new man. You LOK OUT FOR ONE AND OTHER LIKE FAMILY. Thats how we stay live. I know Ted were an idiot but that is not the point
I dont know where the boss is. He took some fellers off on one of his jaunts. He could be anywhere. I dont think hes daft enough to go on the lake. Anyway hed need a boat. Ill send you a runner when he comes back. Chris.
I dont care if its some buggr in a noddy suit or the whol bloody army, this is our turf and any one sets foot on it we teach them a leson. I’m off to sort this mess, take Ted and lok for more scrap at the wrek site and DONT come back empty handed
Sick of telling the younger lads to shut up with all this fretting about the slate pits. Theres been ghost stories about them mines as long as Ive lived here, but its just superstitious nonsense. Survival up here’s scary enough without worrying about what the boffins sealed up down there. August 19th I know we have to do what it takes to survive, but some of the raids recently have been rough. Getting too much innocent blood on me hands these days. October 3rd Seems them as were frightened by the mines might be right. I wouldnt have believed it if Id not seen it with me own eyes, scuttling into one of the old bunkers. Unnatural it was, skin grey as the rock those miners must have dug it from…
Dear Molly, I hope this little note finds you healthy and that business is going well. Speaking of which, Ive managed to source a few extra goods recently that you might not get over in your parts. If you were to ever have a customer whose special needs couldnt be met by your current inventory, just send them over to the woods. Always happy to greet a new customer! All the best, Billy
Molly mentioned that a recent military convoy into the zone was wrecked in Slatten Dale. She told me that she saw a single survivor, possibly a soldier, head towards the Railyard.
[A page torn from a book of the local area.This section detailing the history of the local slate mine has several passages underlined.]
While many local superstitions swirl around the mine, this can largely be attributed to the pits long and sad history of worker fatalities and the local legends that tend to surround such tragic events. While miners may talk in hushed tones of voices in the depths, it is not hard to imagine how such a dark, oppressive and often dangerous environment might fuel the over-active imagination.
[A note is scrawled underneath:] Imagination my arse!
One sleep before they send us in. The revised electrical systems we’ve put into the helicopters should guard them from this wretched interference field, but I’m glad not to be aboard one all the same. Well monitor how they do, providing the new radios work. they’ve given us some fresh-faced civvy to operate our set, but she seems to know her onions. We can only hope for the best.
Convoy Five’s air transports have been fitted with state-of-the-art power systems. We have high confidence in their ability to penetrate the interference field that surrounds the Zone without incurring any significant damage. Howe’ver, in the event of an uncontrolled landing, standing orders are as follows: Hold position and await instructions. Do NOT attempt to leave the Quarantine Zone. Do NOT communicate with local inhabitants in any way, should some be found alive. Do NOT approach abandoned scientific establishments. They remain under strict quarantine.
Powell, if you find this, I’m sorry to say that you were right about Helen. She was infected after all. It came on very quickly. She started talking like those poor fools in the woods do, suddenly obsessed with a voice in the soil, and come morning, she was gone. I presume shes gone to join them. Its no longer safe here, so I’m moving camp to the bunker up the hill. Helen didnt know about that one. Jackson
Julia, I’ve about had it with these government types. Isn’t it enough that they bought my quarry from me? Must they come barging in to my offices, “requisitioning” paperwork before we’re even out the door? This place they’re building - this “Science City” - better be worth it. Most of it is underground and they need all the maps of the caves we have. God knows what they plan to do down there, and frankly, it can stay that way. All I ask is they treat my quarry with respect. This is hallowed ground. We owe our livelihoods to this earth, and it won’t end well for them if they mistreat it. Let me know when the sale is cleared and the funds are in our account. Roger Hobbs
[The note is buried alongside a plain but elegant silver ring.]
I have to bury you, my love. I’m sorry. The price of knowing you was knowing too much. You told me things about this place that the Protocol would kill me for, so I can’t be that woman any more. I have to go back to being quiet old June of the Little Tea Room, the one who knows nowt and causes no trouble. Perhaps one day someone might find this. Perhaps all this will have blown over, and I’ll be able to remember it all - remember you - once more. Until then, farewell, Doctor. I love you.
Summary
A note buried by “June of the Little Tea Room” suggests she knows secrets about the zone.
[A series of longhand notes surrounded by indecipherable shorthand]
Mothballed site - Protocol prison? Something odd happening in woods, confirmed cpt. Night shift, possible deal. Unenthusiastic about duty Need to reach woods
Any new growth of the unidentified substance should be sterilised immediately. Sustained burns will be required as the growths are resilient. Breathing apparatus should be worn at all times while in close proximity to the sterilisation unit. Do not inhale fumes from the substance post-ignition. Fuel is precious. The robots should be reserved specifically for direction by the Special Detachment in substance suppression operations.
Bootsy. You need to pull your neck in mate. Me and the lads are very grateful for the supplies you acquired for us, but the black-market goods that the commander found during the last search of the village got right up his arse. Hes asking a lot of questions about where its all coming from, and we can only cover for you for so long. Might be a good idea to keep things a bit quiet for a week or two?
MOST SECRET 12.3 If a major incident occurs at the Windscale site, all staff must remain at their stations while a preliminary lockdown and investigation takes place. Should a full quarantine be enacted, a contingency operation is in place for all staff with red level clearance. Exactly 30 minutes after quarantine is enacted, an evacuation airlift will leave RAF Snoad Moss for any red level staff. Emergency road transport to the airfield will operate from Casterfell Dam via Datlow Hall. This contingency operation must be kept fully classified to avoid any potential strain on the evacuation team.
I know it takes forever to dismantle the scrapped robots by hand Ralph, but we’ve no more gas for the cutting torches, so theres no other way. No, I’m not going with Jocks suggestion of using explosives. I can just imagine look on commanders face if we tell him that were planning to blow the bloody things up. Were supposed to be salvaging them for armour, not blasting them to little pieces.
One of the greatest challenges that we’ve faced during our time policing the quarantine zone is maintaining civilian morale and discipline. In the early years of the crisis this was relatively straightforward as we represented the military and therefore the government. This granted us a measure of assumed authority that has unquestionably diminished since then. Police actions around the globe have taught us that the steel fist in a velvet glove is often the best approach in these circumstances, but we must bear in mind that we are dealing with British citizens here. As such, I would like to make the following proposals
Notice! Skethermoor is under the authority of the QUARANTINE PROTOCOL. Comply with all orders given by the Protocol. Report any suspicious activity to the Protocol. Follow Protocol supply requisition directives. Remember that Protocol forces are the thin grey line between you and the violent chaos of the unpatrolled sectors. Treat them with the respect they deserve!
Most Secret. For the purposes of civilian morale, we must continue the pantomime of signalling the wall via the Aldis Lamp. The lamp failed some weeks ago, but we have circulated the story that we are communicating using infra-red light and this is why there are no visible flashes from the lamp or from the wall. It feels hunnish to stoop to lies like this, but it is entirely necessary as is utter secrecy.
Dan. In case you dont get a chance for a dry run, a few notes on handling. The shielding the boffins installed is heavy; she steers like a cow. Consider your maneuvers well in advance. Compounding this is the new egg. Its powerful but isnt as responsive as you might like. Shes no Merlin, put it that way. Expect a second between shifting the throttle and the clutch finding out about it. Good luck. I hope you make it inside. Digby.
[A series of hastily scribbled notes, accompanied by indecipherable shorthand]
2 months since disaster, radios down Exodus to woods - follow? Strict martial law. “Protocol” Still no word from [illegible] Are scientists still alive?
I asked Alf in the village about finding heavier weaponry, and he pointed me to a trader in Skethermoor. He told me I can find them in an old Feed Mill.
Summary
Alf told me of a weapons trader in the old Feed Mill in Skethermoor.
Dear Jessica, Its not a matter of seeing sense. An Englishmans home is his castle, and these tuppenny-hapenny gauleiters the War Office has foisted upon us will respect that. If not, well, one way or another, I shall not leave here. I must go up above. One of those absurd machines of theirs is coming. I shall go out and meet it. John
Stay away from barn! Last lot who went up there were executed and dumped in pond. If you spot any Protocol patrols in the area, let Arthur know! (Someone has added a scribbled note) Werent protocol! Those lads were ripped apart!
Maggy. Theyre working us to death out here. Spend all day scratching in the dirt, just to scrape together enough food that we dont all starve. Never enough for us though. Three dead this week alone. I’m going to make break for it tonight and I want you to come with. I know theyll kill us if they catch us, but its that or stay here and starve to death. Ive put some supplies together that should help us and hidden them in 42.5 72.0. Lets make a break for it tomorrow, during shift change. Could be our best chance.
This prison is a death camp. Protocol would rather us die than cause them trouble. They call me Prisoner Sixty. I am not a number, I am a free man! And I’m a dead man soon. To whoever finds this, say hello to prisoners 433 and 763 for me. Unless of course youre a Protocol lackey, in which case I hope the soil opens up and swallows you whole, you and all the scientists that caused this mess.
March 1946 the existence of the detention facility must remain a secret even from our closest allies. The inmates are designated in the first instance as Political (P) or Scientific (S) and must be kept apart from other specific inmates as per Schedule 3. All guards must be capable of at least conversational German. Maintain the fiction that Germany has been entirely captured by the USSR and the inmates have no homes to return to.
It has come to our attention that the press may be taking an undesirable interest in the nature of your institution, after the plans to construct the Windscale Plant nearby became public. I’m sure it goes without saying that any information regarding the nature of the prisoners held within would be a source of considerable embarrassment for His Majestys Government. If our friends and allies were to somehow learn the identities of some of your inmates, that embarrassment might quickly escalate to an international incident. I’d like to reassure you howe’ver that B.A.R.D. still intends to utilise your facility in the short term. Given the delicate nature of the situation we have planned a series of precautionary measures…
Were currently full to overflowing in the main detention block, well past designed capacity. Its rough on the prisoners, but frankly I’m more concerned that its starting to lead to systemic security failures. Unhappy prisoners and overwhelmed guards are a dangerous combination. That being the case, Id like to suggest that we consider converting the rear storage areas of the facility into temporary solitary confinement blocks. It would ease overcrowding and allow us to isolate some of our repeat trouble-makers. We could use the shipping containers back there to rig something together in a few days, I just need the word.
We need one of the heavy armoured units repositioned to act as a roadblock on the main road into the village. The realities of the quarantine have been explained to the locals, but I think that a heavy unit would act as a clear and present reminder of the seriousness of the situation. I know that fuel for the armour is tight, but its vital we maintain discipline within the civilian population. They outnumber us ten to one.
WYNDHAM VILLAGE IS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE QUARANTINE PROTOCOL. THE SOLDIERS OF THE PROTOCOL ARE HERE TO PROTECT YOU! IF YOU SEE ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS OR STRANGE, REPORT IT TO THE VILLAGE HALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Badger Patrol was destroyed this morning, fired upon by guards on the wall while attempting to scale it with mountaineering kit. They will not let us leave, nor communicate with us. For purposes of morale and discipline, howe’ver, it is imperative that the civilians do not know of this. As far as they are concerned, we remain by choice because we have a mission to fulfil. The true situation is considered TOP SECRET and must not under any circumstance be communicated to the civilian populace.
…were not supposed to write anything personal, so if they start to search us, Ill have to hide these journals, but I just have to try and get my thoughts in order and perhaps writing it down will help. What we’ve found here, defies easy classification. Suddenly it doesnt matter what the Yanks might think they’ve found in Roswell. This easily trumps anything they found scattered in the desert. This could alter the global balance of power, perhaps even change the course of history. Its almost too much to hold in ones head. Tomorrow, we
[A log found in a ward in the Medical facility. It appears to be a recording of two medical scientists.]
Female Scientist: Agh … [heavy breathing] … What are you doing… Male Scientist: Trying to help you, Doctor Fisher. Now stay still- Female Scientist: No no no, get that away from me Alan! It’s not … aghh … it’s not tested… Male Scientist: It’ll save your bloody life! The infection’s tearing you apart. Trust me. Female Scientist: Get away! Keep your experiments to yourself… [crash, running footsteps] Male Scientist: Fisher!
I again argued that we need to know exactly to what Merry was exposed, and again was rebuffed by the boffins on the lower floor. The man may literally die through ignorance. The sharp security segregations between sections may make sense to the grand sages at military intelligence, but I do not know enough to even attempt to save the man. It is not radiation sickness, but beyond that I am at a loss.
[A recording of a scientist found in the Interchange.]
It’s been twelve hours. Just how long does it take to evacuate one facility? Word from Jack is that the military have locked down the site. And not a peep from Emma since… what are we calling it? Explosion? Heaven forbid they tell us anything. Perkins is muttering about “The Lord of the Flies”, now, the bloody fool. I shall strike him if he comes near me with that nonsense.
Dear Alan, It was good to hear from you. I know you cannot talk in detail of your work, but the grapevine is abuzz and I have heard enough to worry me. We suffered a horrible tragedy a few years ago in circumstances that may well echo your current research. I advise you to be careful, and to be sure of your colleagues. BQ
The Site Manager wants me to keep a log while he’s gone to check the construction site. It’s so quiet and we’re trapped just the same as we were yesterday. There was the day the power went out and the quarantine cut us off from the others and then, nothing. How long has it been? Months? I heard strange noises again from below. The site is blocked off from up here, so Boss had to go through Robotics lab. I know he’s not coming back. He took the Site Office Key and I’m so hungry. We built all this for the scientists and for what?
Summary
The Interchange site office key was taken to the construction site at the back of Robotics by the site manager.
Hint
Explore the construction site at the back of Robotics for the Site Office Key.
Powering up one of the data stores has given me access to a new section of the Interchange. An automated announcement told me that I can now get to the Medical facility.
Summary
Powering up part of the Interchange has given me access to Medical.
Powering up one of the data stores has given me access to a new section of the Interchange. An automated announcement told me that I can now get to a Robotics facility.
Summary
Powering up part of the Interchange has given me access to Robotics.
The hydro electric turbines at the dam are still providing suitable power levels across the wider research site, but it will soon prove impractical for the Interchange to rely on this source of energy. Windscale and its fissile product generation is a self-contained system, so we must make upgrades to the Interchange itself. Preliminary results from the atomic battery project are promising, and it is proposed that we support the Interchange with such power sources going forward. The power output exceeds expectations in quantity and stability, and should alleviate the strains that the processor and its data stores are currently exerting on the facility. Dr Garrow and her team have already compiled a full proposal of upgrades to the data stores, and I would suggest she take the reins going forward…
Davis, Ive got something to attend to at the dam and I need you to take over crane operations for me. The shipments have been backed up for the last few weeks. Windscale is churning out that boorite (or whatever the boffins call it) faster than the rail exports can cope. Youd have thought the B.A.R.D. brass might have run the numbers on that one, but instead theyre on my back about the containers blocking the route to the old detention quarter. Lets get them cleared up quickly, all right?
Dear Mr Sawyer, I’m not sure how you found these details to contact me, and you must already be aware that our work at Windscale is highly classified. It was never the intention for Windscale to generate power for public use. It is a scientific establishment focused on the research and development of atomic technologies, and the British Atomic Research Division is entirely responsible for the site. I suggest you have a word with your superiors at the Ministry to ensure this sort of misunderstanding is not repeated. D. Lancaster Head of Operations, B.A.R.D.
Interchange entry gate discovered, attempted standard unlock procedures ineffective. 18th March Attempted forced entry with heavy tools ineffective. 21st March Robot sentry units attempt brute force entry ineffective. 7th April Controlled demolition charges used to attempt breach ineffective. 12th May Entry area reassigned as sealed storage.
For anyone reading this, myself and several other surviving members of the science team have managed to escape via a breach in Medical and are attempting to make our way above ground through a cave network. We have several walking wounded and Dr Fisher is exhibiting the early stages of a nasty strain of the infection. Perhaps this breaks protocol, but we couldn’t stay locked in there. Langley and the rest are all dead or gone mad. Alan disappeared days ago, and we haven’t heard from him since. Well worry about what happens next when we find somewhere safe to rest.
DO NOT FORGET you got yourself into this mess. Dragged yourself half mad into a cave following voices. Do NOT listen to the voices. They can’t be real. That woman asked you to bring the Growth Stimulant… but it wasn’t real. You need to keep it together. You’re alone here. The rest all left or turned. DO NOT BRING THEM THE STIMULANT
I’m very sorry to have to say that security have just informed me that they found another dead, escaped rat from the biological vectors testing. I thought I had made myself abundantly clear in the last memo that was circulated to all department heads, but we MUST maintain better experimental security. I know that this is a sealed facility, but that does not mean we can simply assume that such incidents will be safely contained. I’m sure I do not need to explain to any of you what the consequences might be if one of these test subjects were to escape and breed with the native rodent population.
A SEA CHANGE AT SEASCALE? Local campaigners expressed both relief and astonishment at the news that the Windscale Atom Factory due to be built on the Cumberland coast not far from Seascale will now instead be built on the banks of Wyndhamere, a sea lake. After all this fuss, they win, and then just change their minds. It beggars belief how much time and money has been wasted by this farrago, said Alfred Cornell, chairman of the Windscale Opposition Society. Whitehouse & District Herald February, 1947
The increases in the subjects levels of cognition and awareness are astounding. We knew that exposure to the modified formula might produce interesting, unanticipated effects, but this is beyond even our wildest expectations. The potential applications for a more refined version of the stimulant are near-limitless, and I suggest we proceed with a wider trial right away. Imagine a world where a university degree could be completed in a day, a doctor trained in a week, or a soldier put through basic training in minutes. It could change everything. We will, of course, continue to monitor the patient for any further adverse side effects. No one here wants a repeat of the fiasco with subject fourteen.
[A letter in a battered envelope, its creases soft from frequent opening]
Dear Daddy, I wish you did not have to go away again so soon after coming back from Malaya. Mummy says I must be patient but it seems very unfair. Miriam says you are going to Cumberland which is in the North and very nearly in Scotland but that this is not as far as Malaya. Might you come home now and then by the train? I hope you can. All the love in the whole world, Poppy xxxxxxxxxxx
Further to our meeting of the 12th instance, I wish to inform you that the Ethics Committee will not be considering your case any further. You should not regard this as the equivalent of a verdict of Not Guilty, howe’ver. A cloud of opprobrium hangs over your career to date, and you would be foolish to forget how small a world that of scientific academia is. Please look to your character in future. Yours sincerely, Prof. Wingate (Chairman)
You were right, always so right. I hear it now, in the soil and on the wind, the voice. They said Harold was dead, but I hear his voice in with voices of so many others, telling me of the joy that awaits. I will fade away, but I shall not die, never truly die. Harriet
[ A letter sealed in a glassine envelope.] Genevieve, I dont suppose I shall ever see you again, and I dont suppose that this will ever reach you. I’m sorry that I hurt you. It was never my intention to do so, but we are both prideful people and it was inevitable that one of us would wound the other. I wish so many things had turned out differently, but beggars might ride. I dont have the words to say what I feel, only that you always deserved better than me. Alan
Cpl. Everett. Yes, you have permission to stage this radio drama of yours for four episodes and then we shall see where we stand. My conditions are as follows. 1. The drama will only ever show the Protocol force in a good light. It will be educational and morale boosting. 2. While our patrols are named for British animals, you have decided to call this fictional patrol Tiger Patrol. On consideration, this may be as well. Please disregard my earlier suggestion of Vole Patrol. 3. Flint Centurion is a terrible name for the protagonist. He should have a good British name like Enoch or Cedric. Sims
FLINT: Youll never hold us for long, you fiend! You have a tiger by the tail, and no mistake! ARCH-DRUID: (Mad laughter) You think your threats can frighten me, Sergeant Jack Flint? Soon my masterplan will go into action and all my enemies within the zone shall be turned into trees! FLINT: Thats what you think! ARCH-DRUID: What? What do you mean by that? FLINT: Ho ho! WOODnt you like to know!
OUTLAW LEADER (shouting): Give it up, soldier boys! Youre outnumbered and surrounded! FLINT: Thats what you think! OUTLAW LEADER: What? What do you mean by that? ROBOT ARCHIE: SORRY I AM LATE, MASTER JACK. ARE THESE THE OUTLAWS YOU WANTED DESTROYING? OUTLAW LEADER: Yikes! One of those rotten robots! Run for the hills, lads! FLINT: Ho ho!
Grams Sound Effect Ideas. Gunfire. The captain will do his nut if we use live ammo. Snapping dry twigs? Experiment. Footsteps. We walk around. Its how its done on real radio. I read about it. Robot Archie. Ask if we can borrow a robot. If the captain says no, Murray talking through a biscuit box will have to do. Music. There must be a wind-up gramophone we can use. Wyndham barely had electricity. Ask the yokels if anyone has one.
I should never have answered that bloody telephone. I should have known something was wrong when nobody else could hear it ringing. Now I cant help but answer them. If I dont then I might miss my chance. I MUST NOT miss my chance.
I thought you said nobody survived Convoy 4? I found a trail of boot prints right from the wrecks and followed them for a mile until they went onto dry ground and I lost the trail. I’m telling you, though, those prints were from new boots, nothing like the ones you usually see in the zone. How did anyone survive what happened to Convoy 4, that’s what I want to know? JG
Its an interesting conjecture. Unhappily, the only way we can discover if the growth will form specific and specialized organs if it were to grow large enough is to allow it free rein, and I would hope the arguments against that are self-evident. Even at this generalised level, the organic material is very interesting, showing chemical characteristics not dissimilar to those found in the human brain and nerve tissue. Holder
Could you run my detector through maintenance, please, and ask them to check it thoroughly? I’m not getting a dickie bird out of it within the emergency cordon, not even background or radon emissions. The model is a heavy release of iodine-131 and the detector should be singing, but the G-M tube might as well be in a lead-lined vacuum chamber for all the activity its showing. Its obviously broken.
My name is (REDACTED). I would like to express some concerns around the conduct of one of my colleagues, Dr Alan Holder. I believe that Dr Holder is performing experiments in secret on the (REDACTED). He is purposefully neglecting production of the (REDACTED) and our research into the advanced version of the serum. He claims he is the only one trying to keep us safe, but I see the glint of madness in his eye. Alan Holder has never been a team player, but this goes against direct orders. Once I have proof, I will send it to you. Yours faithfully, (REDACTED)
The ticket to getting out of the zone is finding out what happened at yon plant. I’m buggered if I have any idea and I bet you dont. Tell you what, bet the Proties dont know neither. Colonel Blimps just full of hot air, ignorant as the rest of us. I think theyre as happy as sand boys, playing cock of the walk, and dont want to find out. Its up to us.
I found an old recording in the control room of Robotics. It was left by a scientist who had sealed the rest of the lab when the quarantine was enacted. The recording said that a signal redirector device is needed to get access to the rest of Robotics.
I wish the x-ray crystallography examinations had borne fruit, but the scatter seems random, which is impossible. There are processes here that we do not currently understand yet must if we are to have any hope of synthesising Oberite when the supply is expended. Its physical properties are astonishing, miraculous even. Neither the so-called atomic batteries or the manufactured brains would have been possible without the stuff. We cannot admit to the possibility that this is all we shall ever have. There must be a way.
[A handwritten note under a hastily scrawled schematic of the water flow controls]
The flow controls must be kept at these levels if were going to keep the Interchange dry, quarantine or no quarantine! Ill send someone to relieve you once this has all blown over. Dont worry, shouldnt be long.
While its certainly not impossible for living matter to survive in very harsh conditions and to do so indefinitely, I am taken aback by the discovered material being quite so vivacious. Quite apart from anything else, how does something like this end up cocooned in a thick mineral shell in the first instance? The parallels to an egg are evident, but that provokes the inevitable corollary: what might lay such an egg? Or, the possibility that Oberon was manufactured, and if so by whom and to what purpose?
Memo for Medical staff. The transportation of the cores ample to the special facility on the lower floor has been successfully completed. It was not, howe’ver, completed satisfactorily, in my opinion. I laid down a list of safety measures that were all to be observed, not treated like some manner of la carte menu. Safety margins were inexcusably shaved. I would remind you all that on matters of institutional safety, that I am the final arbiter, and not Dr Garrow. Dr A. Holder
Extract from 28th August 1957 The training stimulant programme is going very well, and that also makes me cautious. We have every reason to believe that this growth is of an extra-terrestrial origin, and yet its compatibility with terrestrial flora and fauna is phenomenal, perhaps suspiciously so. To mix my metaphors, perhaps Oberon is not nearly so much a golden goose as a wooden horse. Certain researchers here are blithely unconcerned with such thoughts, and that worries me, too.
We have begun our initial investigations in the deepest galleries of the old mine. I will admit that I had my doubts when I saw the findings of the initial survey, but theres no denying the evidence of my own eyes. Something is buried down here, something with an electro-magnetic signature that defies explanation. I have made an initial recommendation that we use the engineer corps to begin exploratory excavations. It seems that there might have been something to the local legends of a fallen star after all.
It looks like I owe Rushton a pint. Whatever the thing that we uncovered this morning is, its no common meteorite. The only other time Ive seen men of science standing in such awestruck silence before today was at the Trinity test site. Those present then knew the whole world had just changed and so did the people gathered with me in that cave today. Astonishing.
I have approved the initial drawings for the facility that will be constructed around the object in order to facilitate its safe study. The object, which has been codenamed Oberon, has been deemed to be too dangerous to move after the mishap during our first attempt. As such, all scientific activities will be carried out on-site under the active cover of constructing a new nuclear power plant. Leconfield House have assured me that the lie will be easy to sell, but I suspect theyre underestimating the curiosity of the locals.
The primary intent of establishing a quarantine by the terms of this protocol (The Protocol) is to contain a threat to the populace at large, whether that threat is human, animal, plant, fungal, or a less apparent hazard such as radiation, plague, or chemical contamination. The Protocol is, by its nature, ruthless. There is no space for pity. A single failure to prosecute the Protocol by reason of misguided compassion may result in many thousands of deaths. Troops should ideally be assessed for their suitability to make such hard decisions before they become necessary.
The chain of command is, as any chain, only as strong as its weakest link. All troops and associated operatives must be scrutinized at all times while the Protocol is in operation for laxity. The importance of remaining vigilant and resolute should be emphasized constantly. If necessary, examples should be made of those who fail to maintain standards.
Maintenance of the Protocol As a general and practical principle, the Protocol should remain in place for as brief a period as possible. Every passing day provides opportunities for matters to run awry and therefore for the quarantine to be compromised. Rest assured, then, that no necessity for the Protocol to be in place for more than twelve months has been envisioned.
The construction of the Windscale facility is nearly complete and it would appear that we have been largely successful in keeping the true objectives of the project classified. The fact that a small nuclear reactor has been constructed on-site to meet the facilitys power demands has helped to sell the power plant lie, but we should not be complacent, especially given the uniquely sensitive nature of our endeavours. Perimeter security has also been increased since our friends in Cheltenham picked up encoded chatter about the facility and its purpose from the other side of the curtain.
Derek, I am well aware that the presence of protestors at the outer perimeter helps to convince people that Windscale is a legitimate nuclear facility, but that doesnt solve my problems with the daft buggers trying to get over the fence. Ive got a dozen new scientists arriving that need special vetting before next week and I dont have the time to be dealing with the constant nuisance that these troublemakers represent. I know that the police in Wyndham arent set up for this kind of thing, but my security team dont have the manpower either. Someone in Whitehall needs to come up with an answer PDQ.
Gave the local dignitaries a tour of the upper levels of the facility today. I have to give Derek and his men credit, even I was convinced that Windscale was a power plant by the end of the tour. What I would have given to see the looks on their faces if they could see what we really found buried down there. All those local ghost stories about the mine? The only thing wrong with them was that they werent scary enough.
Now, of all times, you decide that this is the perfect opportunity to indulge in your puerile tomfoolery, Haskins? Leave the telephone system alone! I am tired of your nonsensical calls. Your denials impress no one, least of all me.
Haskins is dead, yet the strange telephone calls persist. No one else has received them. No one else has even admitted to hearing the ringing. I cannot be imagining them. I MUST NOT BE IMAGINING THEM.
I know you and I havent seen eye to eye much since everything went wrong, but please, love, dont do this. they’ve nowt to offer you in woods that you cant find in Wyndham and its much safer here now the Army have arrived. I cant say I understand what you said about the soil, but please dont go until we can talk about it. Your dad and I love you. Mum xxx
FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY DO NOT LEAVE THE WYNDHAM DEFENCE POSITION! Terrible dangers surround the village, and the Army cannot protect you if you travel into uncontrolled areas. For your own sake and for the sake of your friends and families, stay within the defensive perimeter! Do not follow the corrupted into the woods!
Youre with the soil now, mum. It’ll welcome you, I know it will. If you listen to the voice, life and death don’t matter so very much any more. The soil welcomes those who go to it willing.
Keplers Star Keplers Star is the common name for Keplers supernova, the last supernova visible to the naked eye to date. It occurred in 1604 in the constellation of Ophiuchus and was visible even by day for over three weeks. While it is difficult to estimate its range, it cannot have occurred more than 20,000 light years from Earth. It was observed and recorded by disparate civilisations across the Northern hemisphere…
Strange not to be celebrating Guy Fawkes Night this year. Still, there was the event at the atom plant, and that was more than enough fireworks for anyone, I would say. We are all glad that the radiation scare was short-lived. Mr Pierman was saying he saw signs that the army were expanding their camp on the other side of the wire. I dont understand why. It feels as if were being treated as a threat to the country at large.
The scientist we recovered from the remains of Convoy 3 has proven less helpful than hoped. Under questioning, we have at least discovered that the external consensus is that the so-called interference field that surrounds the zone has proved impossible to neutralise so far. Furthermore, it is not a dome, but extends upwards as a hollow column as high as can be tested. Radio signals cannot penetrate it, and it disrupts electric systems, disastrously so for aircraft.
“Well, we went to the wall like what we were told to do and we called to the fellers on it, were squaddies, just like you, but they didnt say anything back. We said, open the gates for us, pals, and they didnt. So the corporal says, Well, were going to climb up, then. Dont be shooting at us. We got one spike in the concrete and they opened fire. I think they let me go to tell the tale. They never said a word the whole bloody time, the bastards.”
Captain Sims. Personal Diary. This is a disaster. They might have at least tried to communicate with us. Lives would have been saved if they had. Three men murdered by the powers that be just to make a point. I think Higgs is right when he says they let him escape so he could spread the news. Happily, hes too good a soldier just to run off and tell the civilians that were as trapped and helpless as they. They cannot know. Discipline is hanging on a thread as it is. We must maintain the illusion that we are staying by choice.
Morris. Dont bother trying to build that crystal set. As if the army boys strutting around the village wasnt enough, youll just end up hearing the rubbish they transmit inside the zone. They say its for morale, but its tantamount to torture. My God, but I miss the BBC Light Programme. I wish I was joking about this, but they transmit their own version of Dick Barton: Special Agent, except its called Jack Logan. It is the worst thing to trouble the airwaves since Lord Haw-Haw. Harry
I’m burying this so that that whoever digs it up might dig up the truth too. And because it’s too dangerous for me to know this any more. Here’s what I know of the protocol: We shouldn’t be alive. Whatever disaster happened here, the protocol should have buried us all along with it. There was more to that atom plant than they told us. They meddled with the Earth and understood nowt. There was a safe room, for only the most important B.A.R.D. employees to flee to if the protocol was enacted. I don’t know who those people were, and after all these years I don’t know if anyone is still there. But I know where it is. [Below is a scribbled map to a bunker in Skethermoor.]
Summary
June’s buried cache contained directions to a secret B.A.R.D. safe room in a bunker in Skethermoor.
When I met Francis, it was just after he’d got his promotion. He was assistant technician in the lab that was making the robots. We had no idea those buggers existed at the time, of course. The scientists weren’t really supposed to mix with us lot in the village. He told me an awful lot more than he should have, in the year we shared together. He’d started to learn things, working under that Garrow woman in her lab. They troubled him, and so I listened. I’m not sure where he was when it happened. In his lab, most likely. I just hope it was quick for him, for all of them. Us in the village weren’t so lucky. I should probably regret having owt to do with him and his government secrets. But do I hell.
Boss wants the Tea Room sterilised. Says there’s corruption inside. We’re to do a quick reccy and grab anything that looks important, take it to the village hall. EVERYTHING else inside gets torched. That’s the Protocol.
Summary
Orders for a Protocol squad to “sterilise” the Tea Room mention that they took anything important to the Village Hall.
Hint
Search the Tea Room ruins and the Village Hall for any secrets June was keeping.
We need to deal with June at the Tea Room. She’s smart. Keeps her secrets well buried. But there’s the stench of corruption about her. She’s got history that she’s not telling us, I’m sure of it. Best to nip this in the bud. If asked, it’s standard sterilisation protocol and we’ve taken June to the detention facility. DON’T let anyone inside the tea room once you’ve sterilised it. And bring anything you find of hers back here. Sims
[A series of hastily scribbled notes, accompanied by indecipherable shorthand]
Months of quarantine. Eerie glow over plant, brighter? Local boatman reluctant to get closer. Wont talk. Military guarding gate to woods. Nothing out of there anyway. False lead? Protocol expecting second convoy? Investigate
reiterate my disbelief that the Minister feels that this plan to shift the Windscale plant is practical or will prove effective. I am fully aware that Oberon is a very high priority, but couldnt we simply have slapped a military base on the site, as we did with the Mousehole and Barquist affairs? After all the attention the originally proposed Windscale site has garnered, simply turning on a sixpence to relocate the facility will draw attention, not avoid it.
Oberite Production Performance Overview: The extraction of Oberite from the Oberon artefact has continued apace and, if anything, slightly ahead of schedule. Research teams should be reminded that the supply is finite, and every milligram must be accounted for. That said, the most remarkable results have been achieved with mere grains of the material. Attempts to synthesise Oberite have sadly if predictably failed, but careful use of what we have will make Great Britain a world leader in [the rest of the document is damaged and unintelligible]
Doctor Irvines Personal Diary, 24th July, 1957: I am uneasy at the discovery. Quite apart from how the fact of Oberon being hollow and therefore not furnishing us with anywhere near the quantity of Oberite that we anticipated, how can any living thing possibly have survived encased in such a material for at least the centuries since the meteorite fell in the time of Shakespeare? The biologists are gleeful and can hardly wait to start poking and prodding the stuff, but it worries me. I mooted the possibility that Oberon may be artificial, but nobody listened. What if its an egg of sorts? What if its a weapon? What if it is both?
SAMPLE ONE TRANSPORT ORDERS: 1) All hazardous biological material practices are to be observed. Any breaches in hazardous materials protocols must be reported immediately. 2) Transport to occur at twelve hundred hours on 25th July. 3) Three lorries and out-riders assigned, thirty troops in total. 4) Destination is the Principal Medical Laboratory in the Interchange. 5) In case of interference in the transit, recovery to the extraction site or advancement to the Interchange is at the commanding officers discretion. Further operational details in Appendix B.
2nd October 1957. To: D. Lancaster. I believe it would be wise to pause Oberite extraction A.S.A.P. The analysis of the X-ray scatter sheets from 1000 hours today are markedly different from those taken at 0800. Its not a decay process as such, but rather an allotropic metamorphosis from a higher energy structure to a lower energy one. Miller came to me paler than usual, clutching his slide ruler and saying hed calculated that despite the core temperature remaining resolutely steady there is something northwards of 200 GJ unaccounted for. If that were to release catastrophically, it would make a mess. We should play safe until the missing energy is explained.
MOST URGENT. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. 20th October 1957. URGENT! DO NOT DRILL! CLOSE DOWN EXTRACTION. EXTRACTION TO BE POSTPONED INDEFINITELY. DATA ANALYSIS INDICATES LIKELIHOOD OF A CATASTROPHIC EVENT SUBSEQUENT TO STRUCTURAL METAMORPHOSIS OF THE OBERON ARTEFACT IS HIGH. THE OBERON ARTEFACT IS TO BE ISOLATED AND ALL DRILLING OPERATIONS HALTED IMMEDIATELY! REPEAT: DO NOT DRILL!
TRANSMISSION DATE: 22nd October 1957. TRANSMISSION QUALITY MODERATE TO POOR. SPEAKER UNIDENTIFIED. TRANSCRIPTION FOLLOWS: pains me to say it, old man, but were goners. Quarantine and secure the area. we’ve really bought the farm on this one, I cant tell you. we’ve and, honestly, I can see how were going to have to use the last of the ammunition. I know you’ve no time for morning matiness heroics, but the no choice. Blue filth is everywhere. The jigs truly up for us. Do what you can from the outside. Cheerio, old friend.
Larry. Boss wants a boat and wont take no for an answer. I think hes cracked to. Why bother no one comes back. I think theres something in the mere to but he wont listen to reason. Ill try and get some of the lads who know how to handle a boat to help but wont be easy. Mike
Jack. Hope you found this before you go any further inside. That gas leak has been getting worse, so make sure you’ve had the proper antidote before you head in. Don’t want to end up like Cecil, do you? Poor bugger took three days to die.
The current emphasis must be on keeping the dams hydro-electric generators in good working order. I shouldnt have to explain the fundamental importance of maintaining a consistent power supply to our remaining facilities, as we cannot count on the Windscale plant in that regard. Diversion of the power supply away from the experiments in that facility comes with its own risks and avoiding further containment breaches should be our highest priority. Please ensure that the maintenance teams assigned to the dam fully understand the critical nature of their endeavours.
Brian, Couldnt get this fixed before I left for my holiday, can you have a look? Main breaker levers in the control room. Watch out though, faults causing a short. Everything inside the substation fence is live, so make sure you isolate the lot, else youll end up smoked as a kipper.
Sergeant Cribbins, I cannot claim to be delighted by our situation and the necessity of our actions either, but I overheard one of the men say we were behaving like the Wehrmacht, and I will not let that stand. Impress upon them that the situation is unusual, urgent, and importantly temporary. While the walls stand, the safety of the civilians is our affair. If that means concentrating them in Wyndham against their wishes, then so it must be. Captain G. Sims
General order to be relayed to the men. Petrol is going to become scarce in short order, so it is to be collected and preserved. If I see anyone gallivanting around in a vehicle without express orders, that man is on a charge. Send out a squad with jerry cans and hosepipe and drain every petrol tank you find. GS (Cpt.)
Sisters and brothers. It is our sacred duty to gather the profane devices of man that originate from those places beyond the touch of the soil. This corruption, smoking and sparking inside metal shells, has led us astray in the past. A reckless faith in the fragile future it offers has led us away from the soil and into the arms of a soulless science, a false ally that would crush the truth from the soil!
The reign of man is violent. Again, they send their soldiers. They are unwilling to accept the purpose. The soil tells us of their arrival. They will meet with calamity, and we will meet them after. We must return their powers to the Earth, so that we might be closer to it. Let us make amends for the damage man has caused. Place the sacrifices on high. Let the soil feast on the flesh they cling to. Bring their scientific toys to the caves so that we might end what they started.
[This note was pinned beside a locked door in the Druid’s Camp.]
To the reader, I am gone. The priestess told me to stand sentinel, the keeper of the keys. The Voice calls me to a greater Purpose. The priestess told me that my body is not yet ready to hear the voice. The Voice calls me still. I feel its pull, though it does not use my name. That name is of little significance now. The priestess called me a novice but I am ready for my Purpose. Maybe you are too? Give some thought to it. The soil waits for us all. [The numbers 24.4 85.7 have been scrawled beneath.]
Summary
A note pinned beside a locked door in the Druid’s Camp details a novice’s decision to follow the Voice, beneath which are written the numbers 24.4 85.7.
Hint
Open the locked door using the key found at coordinates 24.4 85.7 in Casterfell Woods.
I heard the soil, I’m sure of it. The voice that so many of my brothers and sisters speak of, the clarity, the certainty amidst this chaos. Its all true. It filled me with such joy that I finally began to understand the purpose that they speak of, the need to serve together to bring about this change. This rebirth. Everything will change for the better when we do. Everything.
We see the purpose is strong in you, and we hear you ask of the caves. If the voice speaks to you then that is your path. The castle stands proud over a hallowed place, deep in the soil. This land is beautiful, and it is wise. Release your mind to the soil. Be not afeared of death, for death is a lie. This land is our god. We shall go to it together.
They tell me I should write down my feelings as I grow closer to the soil. To be honest, I think I can already feel some of the weight of my old life dropping away. No more pain for me or others, no more finding peace in the bottle, no more fear or doubt. I feel the burden lighten, but I do not yet feel the sense of purpose I need. I am told it will come, that the soil will speak to me in time. I hope thats true. Dear God, let it be true.
Im so envious of the others. They seem so certain in their purpose, so lacking in the doubt that I still feel. Thaddeus tells me that this doubt is silencing the soils voice and stops me from achieving perfect communion. He says I must drive it from my heart and allow my conviction to guide me to the truth below. I try. I must try harder.
This cave is blessed. To hear the voice with such clarity, to feel its soothing purpose, guiding us towards the truth below. There are many sacred places here, but none can match the resonance of this cave, the feeling that the voice is so near at hand, the songs of rock and earth filling my heart with such joy. Through her body the voice speaks, to those who earn its favour. This land is beautiful, and to hear its voice is bliss. All must come to feel this communion. Bring them to these holy places that they may feel the sacrament of the soil too.
Patient is exhibiting enhanced strength and hyper-mobility, which has made their increased tendency for violence all the more problematic. Patients in the earlier stages of infection can be more easily contained, but the restraint of large numbers of sufferers of late-stage symptoms may prove impractical. Levels of measurable cognition are low in these subjects and the neurological damage sustained irreversible. As such, my recommendation would be humane euthanasia, in such cases.
Much of our work on (REDACTED) at the Windscale facility would be impossible without the miracle that is the Atomic Battery. Another offshoot from the research into the (REDACTED) object, these compact power supplies are second to none in power supply, with a peak output of (REDACTED). Remember, in the event of a containment failure in an Atomic Battery you should immediately (REDACTED), (REDACTED) and (REDACTED). Failure to do so, may result in lifelong (REDACTED).
The Interchange Facility was constructed in (REDACTED) as a covert infrastructure system to support B.A.R.D. research staff in their study of (REDACTED). The facility can almost be considered (REDACTED), such is the computational power held by the (REDACTED) and supported by its four Data Stores. The Interchange has its own (REDACTED) power supply and is capable of functioning indefinitely in the event of nuclear attack or even (REDACTED) by (REDACTED).
The (REDACTED) substance has proven a scientific marvel since research began on Sample One in (REDACTED). Initially, it was discovered within (REDACTED) during mining operations. Experiments are ongoing into the effects it has on the cognitive function of (REDACTED), and early prototypes of a (REDACTED) have begun human trials. The substances origins are a matter of great conjecture, but one thing at least seems certain: it is definitely (REDACTED).
Discovered in (REDACTED) the object is (REDACTED) in length and (REDACTED) in width. Drilling operations have provided a source of (REDACTED), invaluable in the production of (REDACTED) and other atomic technology. Initial attempts to breach the outer layer of the object led to the discovery of an (REDACTED) organism, which was immediately transferred to (REDACTED) for further study.
In the event of a catastrophic (REDACTED), there are protocols in place for the immediate imposition of a full Quarantine Protocol.Should these protocols be invoked the facility will be placed under immediate lockdown, and all staff will be (REDACTED). Failure to comply with protocol may result in (REDACTED), (REDACTED) or even (REDACTED).
The Robotics Department is run by (REDACTED) one of the most brilliant minds of their generation. Using the latest advances in micro-electronics and their own research into the (REDACTED) generated by Windscale, they have been able to construct obedient metal servitors that can act as guards, porters or even (REDACTED)! Remember, if one of our mechanical allies malfunctions, they can be immediately deactivated by simply saying the trigger-word (REDACTED).
The Windscale facility began construction in (REDACTED) at the site of the newly discovered (REDACTED) artifact. The site’s primary function is to generate (REDACTED) and provide cover for the (REDACTED) Operations. Ostensibly constructed as a nuclear power plant, the facilitys true purpose is a closely guarded secret. Analysis of the (REDACTED) continues on-site and findings thus far can be found in dossier number (REDACTED).
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