Here's what our special agents were up to in May! Little late with this posting. If YOU want to have monthly adventures, pledge to my Patreon!
Secret Agent Avia Jiutai has been called to the covert location of the sentient colony of glow worms with which he had worked to communicate months before. Other agents, now acquainted with the colony's unique language, reported apparent transmissions between the glow worm colony and the species of sentient vines that Jiutai had also retrieved earlier. The vines have flourished in captivity, and although no communication methods have been established, their sentience has been indicated in a series of tests involving puzzle solving trials and symbolic language recognition. The glow worm colony is now communicating to staff about these same sentient vines. Agent Jiutai offers this translation of the worms' communications: "NEIGHBOR. LOUD. PARTIES LATE. LAWN A MESS. SMOKES IN BATHROOM." Agent Jiutai will remain on site as a peacekeeper and arbitrator for future disputes.
Secret Agent Gedat Rakkin spent some of his off time using the Dreamscape device, a recreational machine allowing for the exploration of a digital world during dreams. Research into this device is ongoing; there are rumors that the world present within the "game" may represent a shared psychic or psychological link between minds. Agent Rakkin's research into the device includes a detailed exploration of the shared realm in the hopes of forming a more comprehensive map. In his travels, he reports that he was stalked by strange figures: tall humanoids in black suits (not too unlike standard SIU field uniform) with silver, featureless, spherical heads. Interaction with these figures has proved fruitless, as they seem to disappear when approached. This is not behavior exhibited by other players in the dreamscape or any of the other strange "creatures" that are sometimes found there. Of greater concern is Rakkin's reports that these figures may have appeared to him during dreams when he was not connected to the Dreamscape device. The situation is being carefully monitored.
Senior Agent Wheaton Adams embarked a personal mission to research apparent ghost sightings in a 1966 comedy film. This rumor had been long since apparently debunked and labeled as merely a misplaced poster of the film's co-star, but recent ultra-high-resolution scans of the film's original negatives seem to indicate a sense of motion and form the betrays this explanation. Shortly after a night analyzing a digital copy of the film, Agent Adams reports that he saw this same exact figure appear in a completely unrelated film released only three years ago (10 years after the actress's death). Adams continued to spot, with repeatable, photographic evidence, the same figure appearing in four other films and one television series, with no prior reports of these sightings ever recorded. Other agents have corroborated these sightings, even ones who had seen these films before: reporting that they are sure the figures were not there until pointed out by Adams. Research, and agent examination, is ongoing.
Special Agent Chaz Gates has received more mysterious unmarked packages, similar to ones sent months ago containing footage of her apparent younger self; within were photographs which once again confronted Agent Gates with evidence of some version of herself under extreme duress. She has asked the details be kept private, but it can be said that the seemingly undoctored photographs of Gates appear legitimate and were taken on real film within the past year. Agent Gates was understandably motivated to investigate the situation and, in her examination of the photographs, has come to the conclusion that this version of herself may be the result of an incident from November of last year, in which she had been split into several smaller versions of herself. The agent's working theory is that copies of herself may have escaped or have otherwise gone unaccounted for and that now someone (or something) may have these copies captured. The agent is organizing a special team to investigate.
The SIU has finally received special permission from Clan McKellen to examine their "Fae Flag" and Special Agent Arukino has been dispatched to Scotland for a close look. This ancient artifact, composed of silk dated possibly to the 4th century, is surrounded by a myriad of myths and legends. The most closely-held belief by the clan is that the flag was given to the original McKellen in a deal with an actual fairy as part of an ancient contract: it is said that unveiling and waving the flag will call for the aid of fae allies in times of strife. Agent Arukino was able to closely examine the cloth, badly damaged and worn over time and kept within a protective case. Special readings of various energies and radiations revealed nothing new or unusual about this cloth; nothing was detected that was not expected from a 1600-year-old silk flag. However, while staying the night in the ancient clan castle, the agent reported sightings of small, ethereal humanoid creatures in his room and in the corridors of the castle. An investigation began as the agent attempted to chase, capture, or photograph these creatures, but no photographic evidence survived save for one blurry photograph featuring an odd glow. No harm came to the agent, but he reports that upon waking up in the morning, most of the clothing he packed seems to have disappeared. The agent has requested further time in the area for research.
Special Agent Kouroth has caught the eye of what appears to be a rogue artificial intelligence residing within a video game. World Garden, an MMORPG based on the popular Pavilion franchise, is famed for featuring some of the most advanced AI programming ever seen in a video game, allowing for characters that dynamically react to player action and conversation. Agent Kouroth, a long-time subscriber to the game, reported to other SIU agents that a certain "NPC" (a computer-controlled character in the game) has been behaving strangely, and outside the normal realms of its programming. Plainly stated, this AI character claims to have fallen in love with Kouroth and his in-game avatar, and this character's behavior is said to be disrupting the complicated mechanics of the game. A debate is growing over the validity of the claim that this is indeed a sentient entity and whether it has rights. Agent Kouroth's chief concern, so far, seems to be the logistics of attending a date with this digital being outside the confines of the game.
A series of unexplained accidents and acts of minor vandalism have afflicted the main SIU headquarters for approximately a year, and Special Agent Neo claims to have discovered that he is to blame. In an interview with a superior, Agent Neo admitted to an omission to his otherwise finely detailed biography on record: as a young child, his home was apparently hit with similar strange accidents, disruptions to furniture and so on. His childhood house was reportedly haunted (this much was already on his record) but this poltergeist-like activity apparently followed him to a second home his family moved into, and then briefly recurred during college. If true, then this implies that Agent Neo himself is the source of the poltergeist, and is the center of recurring bouts of paranormal activity. Several theories have been presented, ranging from latent psychic abilities to a spectral stalker or passenger. Historically, poltergeists have been notoriously difficult to study, to the point of seeming to avoid direct detection and analysis, but the SIU has placed a high priority on finding an explanation.
