Holograms

The following page contains spoilers. Read at your own risk. "Private Note. It's undeniable that operations at Cascade are being monitored by external forces. This much the Cascade Executive committee have been permitted to know. Exactly who has been infiltrating our communications, and to what ends, remains unknown." - Dr. Derek Manse

Dr. Derek Manse Reporting

Holograms can be found all over the facility. Each Hologram has its own unique audio-log and can be reset to listen again. Most holograms give the players insight on Entities, Immurement Subjects, and the Lore of the Abiotic Factor universe.

Most Holograms are recorded by Dr. Derek Manse, with few exceptions, such as one recording from Dr. Lenora Riggs.

Induction Wing

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Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director, GATE Cascade Research Facility. After yesterday's fiasco, I've made a formal request to extend general Ordo anomaly storage immediately. We Requisitioned Ordo IS-0113 only to discover that some effect from IS-0221 had turned it permanently blue. I've made it clear to Enderson - this is not acceptable. Ordo subjects may be deemed low risk, but the range of phenomena is too diverse to jam them together like sardines. Hologram located in a sideroom, to the right of the Email Terminal. Found immediately after exiting the room with the Dummy Pest demonstration. Note: Dr. Manse only says "general anomaly storage", but subtitles specify Ordo anomaly storage.

Office Sector

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Dr. Derek Manse Reporting, Research Director, GATE Cascade Research Facility. Originating in Anteverse 2, IS-0171 is a stationary, sessile entity, that traps its food with a retractable tentacle. The experience of being caught is rather like being attacked by an angry pizza. It presents no real threat, but leaves an enduring, not entirely unpleasant smell on anything it touches. Suggestions for possible applications include perfume, industrial scents, and olfactory-based crowd control weapons. Hologram located in the upper level of the main plaza, in a large meeting room. This is Dr. Derek Manse. Today I discovered that Dr. Stern's latest software experiment was simulating the entire facility - a microcosm of Cascade, and every staff member within it, even myself, I gather. When I asked about it, he claimed to be trying to find a way to accelerate our research. I inquired about the ethical considerations and he just looked at me blankly. The man is a genius, but more dangerous to this facility than most of its subjects, I'm sure of it.... An exceptional scientist, all the same. Hologram located inside Server Room 01, connected to the main plaza. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. we now believe IS-0171 or the Carbuncle as Peters was calling it, is the larval form of IS-0173, and, almost certainly, IS-0178. Dr. Pendleton speculates there may also be a fourth state we have not yet encountered. And I believe she may be correct. If this is correct, it is an extraordinary shift in our understanding. Hologram located inside Bio Lab D, on Level 2. This is Dr. Derek Manse. One of the most interesting aspects of the IS-0173's life cycle is how rapidly it evolves. The high energy conditions of our universe compared to the torpid energetics of Anteverse 2 appear to accelerate their growth immensely. It's humbling, if not a little frightening, to watch lifeforms alter so quickly. The explosion of Anteverse flora in Reactors was far from an isolated event. It goes to the very nature of life in that realm. Hologram located within Data Farm's Storage room. Dr. Derek Manse, Cascade. The first instances of IS-0064 appeared barely seconds after our first successful perforation event. It appears to exude a fog or mist that has overtaken Flathill entirely. The surviving residents have been evacuated, and a cordon established around the town, citing a chemical spill. The residents, not to mention our counterparts at the EPA, are less than impressed, but the knowledge we already gained, even in this short time, is beyond value. Hologram located in Level 3, in the Executive Offices. This is Dr. Derek Manse. As our understanding of perforation technology grows, we have discovered new facets of its physical laws. One of the most fascinating is temporal tethering. Each entry to an anteverse seems to start a timer, which resets after a given period as though a band stretches, before snapping back to its origin. I am confident we will understand this phenomenon in time but until we do, it violates a dozen scientific principles. Hologram located in Level 3, in the offices near to the electrified water puddles and Office Check-In Terminal. Dr. Manse reporting. IS-0178, the Peccary as it was so ineptly-dubbed by one of my puerile co-workers, is more intelligent than it first seemed. In fact, it grows smarter and more capable over the course of its life cycle, before morphing into the later lifecycle phase. Dr. Manbanko even managed to teach it a few simple tricks, with only minor burns, I believe. Hologram located in Level 2, in the office cubicles close to the Residence Tram, outside of the Level 3 elevator. Dr. Derek Manse reporting. Although it remains essentially hostile, these "Peccary" can be taught to respond to basic commands, as Dr. Manbanko has demonstrated so performatively. As its bio systems work much more swiftly here, it learns extremely rapidly. Many on the Executive Committee will want a weapon, I'm sure - their imagination reaches no further - but if we can just breed the aggression out, the Peccary would make an extraordinary work beast. Our world has enough toys of war. Hologram located in Level 2, in the upper offices overlooking the Level 3 elevator. Private Note. It's undeniable that operations at Cascade are being monitored by external forces. This much the Cascade Executive committee have been permitted to know. Exactly who has been infiltrating our communications, and to what ends, remains unknown. Or rather, those who know refuse to say. I've been directed to tell my team that we are conducting some security drills, but... the threat seems quite real. Hologram located in Level 3, in the Analysis Office, located above Physics Lab D.

Far Garden

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Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director, GATE Cascade Research Facility. Anteverse II is an enigma. A world made of worlds. Each of them different, yet seeded with similar life. We know a few certain facts. That energy moves more slowly there, making growth, evolution and change a more gradual process. We know, too, that materials transplanted from Anteverse B to our own are energy-dense. Biochemistry occurs much more rapidly. But how did these creature evolve? The presence of life, complex life, confounds everything we know about evolution. Was an external force involved? Only further study can tell us. Hologram located near to the pool and exit portal.

Flathill

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Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. IS-0064 seems to sing to itself, if you could call it that, emitting a series of resonant tones suggestive of communication. The cavities that create these sounds appear to be the same cavities the creature uses to ingest anyone who comes within reach.... Hologram located within Flathill Arcade, in a supply closet on the uppermost floor. Dr. Manse Reporting. On the advice of Keystone, GATE has established a facility here in Flathill. We judge it unwise to advertise our activities, so for the time being, our presence is, ah, necessarily clandestine... if not a bit syrupy. The location was selected for the convergence of certain geomagnetic forces, that amplify the power of our perforation equipment. We stand poised on the brink of an entirely new technology, I am convinced of it. Hologram located within Flathill Syrup Company, close to the bottom of the elevator. This is Dr. Derek Manse. I'm pleased to confirm: the first Flathill perforation was a success, although the geomagnetic convergence was stronger than we anticipated, allowing an entity to pass across - IS-0064 perhaps the largest we've yet logged in our Immurement Registry. Indeed, the events here in Flathill have advanced our understanding of perforation by orders of magnitude. I regret the contamination and consequent - ah - closure of the township, but I am more confident than ever in GATE's ability to develop a functional portal network. What we learn here will alter the history of our species. And maybe we can finally stop flying Economy. Hologram located within Flathill Syrup Company, in the top floor, in a room to the right of the elevator.

Manufacturing West

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IS-0173 - the aptly-named Pest - is intriguing in part for the similarities it bears to so much early life on Earth. Based on certain genetic parallels, and indeed, its genetic structure, Dr. Pendleton has identified some striking similarities to early life on Earth. But until we gather more information, her theory remains... theory, at best. Hologram located within a room connected directly to the Garage where a Forklift is stationed. Dr. Derek Manse, Cascade. If she is correct, Dr. Newman's proposed "Dark Lens" should greatly enhance the range and efficiency of our perforation events. She has discovered a way to harness the bosonic properties of certain Anteverse materials to create a targeting system for our perforation events. I must admit, she's excelled herself. Hologram located in a stairwell within the Lot Oversight section, besides a hatch door. Dr. Pendleton questioned the Exor's similarity to humanity's own morphology, and I referred her to crabs. Their form has evolved independently on Earth on at least five separate occasions. It would seem that evolution resolves certain environmental challenges in a remarkably consistent fashion... There is, of course, another explanation for the Exor's apparent similarity to ourselves, but without the necessary data, I refuse to indulge in Pendleton's penchant for unnecessary speculation. And besides, they look closer to birds, if you ask me. Hologram located in the unmapped Caves, within a red-striped building. Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. Immured Subject 184 - These X-ers, or "the Exor", as Lenora - ah, Dr Riggs - insists on calling it - is a highly aggressive, bipedal... uh, humanoid originating - we believe - in Anteverse II. We've now tracked 184 through the four known stages in its life cycle, and intriguingly, several divergent adult forms. How or why it attains these forms, we are yet to determine. Hologram located within the Control Tower, in the same console as the Radiation Leak Control button. 139 has been perhaps the most difficult IS to study so far. We first thought it was simply refracting light through its crystalline form, but now we're not so sure. It appears shrouded by some kind of aura that renders it almost entirely transparent to visible light. The creature moves at incredible speeds, so catching one for study will be... challenging. Obviously, I have left Dr. Stern in charge of the investigation. Hologram located outside of the Tram Station building close to the Synchotron. Locked within a small fenced area. Private note. It's undeniable that operations at Cascade are being monitored by external forces. This much the Cascade Executive committee have been permitted to know. Exactly who has been infiltrating our communications, and for what end, remains unknown. Or rather, those who know refuse to say. I have been directed to tell my team we are conducting some security drills, but... the threat seems quite real. Hologram located within the Mapping Center building, near to an email terminal. Private note. After several months of inquiry, I have finally acquired information about our "lookie-lous." It's far worse than I imagined. A certain amount of attention to our research is invetiable, but thankfully, the organisations that are in a position to know precisely what our research entails are few... and rare. This group's reputation, however, is of a different order... If their attention is a harbinger of greater ambitions, I believe we have a problem on our hands. Hologram located within the same cavern as the Digsite, in the office directly left of the main entrance gate. Watching Dr. Peters work with the 173 this morning. The little hoppy one, a thought occurred to me about its relation to the other two. And indeed all the entities we have encountered in Anteverse II. At best the implications are.. uh, concerning in the most extreme reading. No, it will have to wait. Hologram located within the same cavern as the Digsite, on a platform on the back of the mining machine, close to Frake's Site Office. A microscopic entity in its home Anteverse, IS-121 is a staggering titan in our own. How the Gatekeepers managed to secure not one, but two of these Behemoths is quite frankly beyond me. I suspect it is best not to ask. They are a necessary force ... confronting nightmares and returning with them in chains, ... 121. An incredible specimen. Our research continues. Hologram located within the Tram Station building close to the Synchotron, where the Train anteverse portal exists. One of two Holograms in this location. Dr. Tengku appears to have made a breakthrough, but we've had false starts before. But this time, her results seem reproduceable. I almost can't believe it. Tengku has discovered a new kind of bosonic matter, a sort of negative photon. And in doing so unlocked an entirely new mathematics. Exactly what this means for research here at Cascade is unclear. We are charting new territory, and making new discoveries almost daily. I feel we have passed through the looking glass. Hologram located within the Tram Station building close to the Synchotron, where the Train anteverse portal exists. One of two Holograms in this location. Preliminary note on IS-0091. At this point, details are inconclusive we've dispatched a research team to Indonesia to gather field data. With a view to bringing in a TransRecon unit, and possible Gatekeeper support for capture. Should it come to that. Hologram located within the Synchotron building, on the first floor above ground level.

The Train

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Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director, GATE Cascade Research Facility. Though I struggle to accept the implications, the data gives me no choice. The train's momentum is tied inextricably to the atomic attractions of the region it appears to be passing through... indefinitely. If it were to stop, the limit of the ensuing chaos is at best uncertain, at worst... immense. I'll be drafting up containment procedures in the morning. Hologram located in second to last traincar, at far back.

Cascade Laboratories

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Collider Access This is Dr. Manse. If you had asked me five years ago what our chances of using the perforation system as a stable travel network were, I would have assumed I was talking to an imbecile. Today, such a network seems within our grasp. The T3 Unit - or ... The Dark Lens, they're calling it, has proven exceptionally succesful. [sic] There are few places we cannot access under stable conditions, and finally, we can create those stable conditions. Uh, in theory. I would say our ambitions have extended far beyond their origins. Far beyond. Located in a room directly left of where Abe and Janet first introduce Electro-Pests. XR Containment IS-091 [sic] is the most intense AV candidate we've ever encountered. Despite its appearance, it's a transcorporeal entity of some kind, invulnerable to any of the physical deterrents we've tested so far. Walls, doors, shielding, they do nothing to impede it... Intriguingly, it only appears to a single viewer at one time. Dr. Stern has that dubious honor. He identified it in the field and it followed him back here - began materializing in the facility, looking for him like a lost puppy. Located within IS-0091's containment chamber, at one end of the decontamination tunnels. Particle Lab Note on IS-102. We have determined the bacterio-phage recovered by Lenora's team from Anteverse 16 is a form symbiote, used by local species to assist mating. You could almost call it a 'love potion'. Preliminary tests show the affects on mammalian biology are extremely traumatic. I have suggested Dr. Tengku NOT include images in her first report, if she wishes to continue her research. Located in the Particle Lab, on a hidden balcony found to the right of the massive plant growth. This is Dr. Lenora Riggs, TransRecon 2 Primary. We have arrived safely in 168. Preliminary stellar comparisons suggest Earth or a potential analogue, kin to 23 and the others. No contact planned with the inhabitants as yet. We will continue to monitor them as we search for the signal source. Dr. Kesey is confident that it is close by. This will be my last broadcast before the perforation closes, and we will initiate the return within 72 hours. Dr. Riggs out. Located in Particle Lab console, near to Level 3 Keypad console. Lobby Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. We've discovered that direct observation from the targeted subject arrests 091's movement. It then dematerializes. Where it goes, we're uncertain, then it returns 3 to 4 hours later, seeking out the original subject. We've dosed Dr. Stern with a CNS to keep him awake. but he has to sleep at some point, and then ... well ... we're not entirely sure. Located in the Lobby section, in an open area above the aquariums and tram station. Wildlife Pens The self-painted variants of IS-184 are truly intriguing specimens. These priests or... monks show clear indication of tool-making and ritualistic behaviour. It seems to have formed a rudimentary civilisation in one of the Anteverse II locations we've accessed. This raises intriguing research questions, as well as some ethical implications, I suppose. Though I'd note that these haven't stopped us previously. Located in office rooms behind the Kizz Cola machine, outside of the Wildlife Pens. Though we haven't yet captured a complete specimen of 0139, Dr. Thule took a sample of its... dust, but this raised more questions than answers. Foremost, 0139 appears primarily to be a host, rather than an individual. Pendleton theorizes 0139 may be suffering an infection, which will require tests to ensure no cross-contamination can occur. And if true, we're unsure whether its behaviours are innate to the original being, or a byproduct. It's... quite a tangled web, really. We'll need more time. Located within Wildlife Pens, in a console within the top floor viewing area. This is Dr. Derek Manse. When I visited Dr. Stern's laboratory today, he was acting oddly, even by his standards. He seemed to be agitated, speaking too fast to follow. Then I saw the can from IS Five-Three. I would have thought a man of Dr. Stern's apparent intelligence would know better than to imbibe beverages from a dispenser that appeared literally from nowhere, restocks itself, and cannot be turned off. I will be pushing Enderson to review the protocols that allow such a device to sit in an open hallway. Located in Wildlife Pens, within the kitchen to the left of the double-door entrance. As we dispatch our TR teams to further regions of Anteverse 2, they return with new specimens, most of them variations of a few basic forms. When introduced to the GATE Facility, these organisms continue to evolve, rapidly acquiring new behaviours. It is my theory that the entropy delta is responsible. How far this evolution will extend, remains to be seen. Located in Wildlife Pens, on the upper catwalks above the pens. Primary Containment To anyone handling fluids of IS-121, the Tarasque, be extremely careful. The ichor has properties we've yet to fully assess, and can interfere, interrupt, or even instigate perforation events. I'm sure you're all aware of what happened to Dr. Stern, last week. Luckily, we recovered him unharmed. Mostly. With thanks to the staff at Torii Facility, we have the Tarasque hooked up in that insufferably hot "Shroom Room". Please ensure you do not disturb the arrangement. Located in Portal Lab 04, among the mushrooms at the top floor of the Labs megalift. Adjustment Wing Dr. Derek Manse reporting. IS-0064 - or the Composer, a piece of reluctant poetry from yours truly - displays a high degree of synchronised behaviour. Dr Pendleton speculates they are interconnected in some fashion. A hivemind, perhaps? Interestingly, these synchronized behaviours vanish when the large protrusions are... separated from what you would call its shoulders. We also cannot rule out the mist as some kind of transference medium. Located in Adjustment Wing, in a room ahead and to the left of main entrance. After our first steps in Flathill, and early on-site experiments beneath the Hydroplant, Dr. Newman's "Dark Lens" is quite simply revolutionary. If anything, it's too powerful. The lens opens up an infinity of worlds to us. That said, the name appals me - why we gave critical equipment such a melodramatic name is beyond me. Are we scientists, or B-grade villains lurking in some covert lair? Located in Adjustment Wing, in a niche of the lobby, past the lockers of the main entrance. Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. 091 is contained at last. As long as we project a strong X-Ray beam, and it remains steady, it seems to be no risk to anyone. Dr. Stern can sleep easy, but we do fear it may "switch" to another individual before long. The team have started referring to it as 'the Leyak', its local name - even Enderson, it seems. I suppose Cascade is its home now. Located in Adjustment Wing, in the window offices at the upper floor of the lobby area. Dr. Janek has taken another incredible leap forward. I confess, some of the mathematics elude me, but the fact remains, he has appeared to have instantiated a temporarily stable perforation, not just in space, but in time. There is no ethics committee that could advise us here. We are off the map. Located in upper floors of Adjustment Wing, in a blue, high-ceiling room with multiple specimen tanks. Hologram is on a platform next to a Containment Robot's charging pod. This is Dr. Derek Manse. Now that IS One-Oh-Seven is on its way safely - for a time - towards interstellar space, I find myself taking a step back. In moments like this, one sees with shocking clarity how fantastical so much of our work and research here really is. If we weren't established and - by and large - esteemed scientists with decades of experience and education behind us, this place would sound ... nothing less than insane. Located in upper floors of Adjustment Wing, in a large room with a Charging Station and a trading terminal for Anteverse Gems. Dr. Derek Manse, Cascade. Report on the escape of IS-012. It seems 012 talked one of the new security staff into letting it out of high containment. Exactly how it did this is unclear , but we found it - the creature - eating in the breakroom an hour later. What point it was trying to make is equally uncertain, but this cannot be allowed to happen again. Located in uppermost floors of Adjustment Wing, in the room where the Research Pack is unlocked. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. We've had an interesting development. Some kind of spore has overgrown the entire entrance of the Vacuum Chamber. Given the range of material tested there, it's impossible to know how it happened and it spreads fast, to a point. But we've found a way to remove the growth. One of Lenora's crew brought material back from a fungal region in Anteverse 2, a gel of sorts that can be combined with basic reagants to create an exceedingly high temperature reaction. It dissolves this particular growth almost instantly. Harnessing the entropy delta is all well and good, but retrieving it from the anteverse isn't exactly easy. The place makes hell look like Club Med. Located in upper floors of Adjustment Wing, in a large executive office room that overlooks the cavern containing the Vacuum Chamber and the Lens Epicenter. Containment Block Dirac Dr. Pendleton and I had a frank exchange of views today. I described IS-Oh-Five-Five [sic] as a noxious weed, and suggested that recent events in the Reactors have borne this out. But she insisted that Anteverse flowers had a beauty in them. I was not in the mood for a lesson in aesthetics, and pointed out that so does a mushroom cloud. Located in Containment Block Dirac, in the viewing room behind IS-0155. My personal disinclination towards firearms in general leaves me largely underprepared to record anything of value surrounding 099. I am not what you might call "a gun nut." I can tell you it's antique, I can go on about its material makeup, and even tell you how it functions on a chemical level. The answer is: mundanely. This shotgun shows no anomalous properties when held or fired, but it certainly did, at one point in time. We've tried different personnel, brought it back to its place of origin, and tried several types of ammunition. At present, it bruises your shoulder when you fire it. Testing is... ongoing, for now. Located in Containment Block Dirac, in the viewing room behind IS-0099. Hello ... Hmm ... (Click) What about now? Ah! This is Dr. Abe - Abraham - Stern, ah, concerning immurement procedures for IS Two Three Five. While I haven't had a tremendous amount of time with Two Three Five, ... certain phenomena would seem to suggest that our containment procedures are, well, they may be insufficient. The general attitude appears to be that Two Three Five is a harmless curiosity but close examination of the video cassette tape in which it currently abides has revealed small... even exiguous amounts of a substance that concerns me considerably. I performed some preliminary investigations, basic classifications with Dr. Ross But we were unable to determine whether the residue was biological or chemical, or even solid, for that matter. Slightly embarrassing, but for the record, I recommend assigning someone to investigate this ... Ah ... properly ... Reasonably soon ... Oh. Located in Containment Block Dirac, in the Observation deck, upstairs from ground level. Placed above IS-0235. Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. When people ask where we found IS-0172, I tell them the truth. It was recovered from a kebab restaurant in rural Turkey, where it was being used as a doorstop. The fact that it is, by a factor of tens, the oldest known manufactured object on Earth, forged from alloys not to be invented for another 1.7 million years, was irrelevant to the owner, who accepted, in exchange, 50 lira and a small rock. We are no closer to identifying its creators. Located in Containment Block Dirac, in the Observation deck, upstairs from ground level. Placed above IS-0172. I have had to secure IS-52 personally, following the latest abuse of containment procedures by staff in C-Blocks. I understand fully well the attraction of jumping three times higher than normal, or floating gently down from the third story of the megalift, but the gravity cube is NOT a toy. While I admit to a light skip as I carried it to its containment cell, it is a profound and unique disturbance in the space time fabric of our universe. It's also quite glowy. Located in Containment Block Dirac, in the Observation deck, upstairs from ground level. Placed above IS-0052. Containment Block Helmholtz Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. The tub ... of blood ... Dramatic, I know, but this entity gives me -- in scientific terms -- the heeby jeebies, and it's uniquely dangerous. We've locked it in a cell and that seems to work well enough. It doesn't liquify or slip through drains, as Tang feared. It's solid enough, and prefers to stay near its point of origin. We send cleaners through every morning to spray down the walls. IS-0013 tends to touch everything in sight when it crawls out of its metallic cocoon. We found the tub - more of a metal trough - in [REDACTED] after reports of a blood-covered night time boogeyman. The Gatekeepers performed a snatch-and-grab mission while it hibernated, though they claim it woke twice on the flight here. I've reviewed the footage, it's messy. I'm not sure we can ascertain its goal, or where it goes when the tub refills. We've run tests on the blood to dismal results - zero genetic matches. But we'll keep giving it a stir... uh, figuratively speaking. Located in Containment Block Helmholtz, in the viewing room behind IS-0013. I've never been entirely sure what Lenora sees in IS-0111, or even why she brought it back from A21 in the first place. She says being near it gives her a 'warm, calm sense of peace.' I pointed out that as the strange little furry cone of flesh seems to hunt entirely by telepathy, it's likely she was simply falling prey to its psychic lure. She did not seem overly concerned. But after all, that is her way. Hologram located in IS-0111 containment cell in Containment Block Helmholtz. To anyone considering study, investigation or indeed any kind of interaction with the Red Chair, IS Oh-One-Eight, I can advise only caution. Consider this piece of furniture a tool of assassination, no less for being so thoroughly arcane in its function. If you find yourself affected, we can little do to assist you. Exercise utmost care in its vicinity. No resting, no leaning, no sitting, reclining or indeed any form of recumbance on or near this furnishing ... It's also extremely damp. Perpetually. Located in Containment Block Helmholtz, in the viewing room behind IS-0018 Update on IS-102. Human exposure to the phage has highly negative effects, transforming victims into hyper aggressive, mindless predators. While it encourages breeding in its original hosts, human hosts seem only to consume one another. If there are useful applications of this phenomenon, I am slow to see them. I have given Tengku two weeks to show productive results. Located in Containment Block Helmholtz, upstairs in the viewing room for the Furniture Store entrance. This is Dr. Manse. Studying the tensor dynamics of our perforation system, there's one particular thing I've noticed. It seems that the distension of the continuum has an attractive effect - locally. Which is to say, left unguided, portals will ground their exits near other portals. If they weren't so unstable, I'd be tempted to suggest this could be exploited as a way to travel rapidly around the facility. I can imagine what Dr. Thule would think of that, unless it means getting his coffee quicker. Located in the Assessment room, to the left of Containment Block Baird. This is Dr. Derek Manse. Despite the obvious risks, IS Oh-Eight-Three has become a regular lunchtime haunt for several staff members. They call it research, and in a facility such as this, there needs to be some lenience, I suppose. So long as no-one forgets to close the door. Located in room with IS-0083 in Containment Block Helmholtz. Containment Block Anning Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. Reporting on IS-138. A unique entity, 138 has the distinction of being both an immurement subject and an entire anteverse in one. I cannot emphasize how important it is that we invest any required resources in ensuring the train does not stop. We have compelling data to suggest that a cessation of the train's forward motion would have apocalyptic ramifications. I will explain more shortly. Located to the left of Containment Block Anning's entrance, in an office before reaching the Flow Transit station. The properties of 139's residue is fascinating, I'm not exactly sure where to begin, but... the being disintegrates during extreme stress, leaving behind a material that can store and distribute electrical charge with extraordinary efficiency. The applications of high density, rapid discharge power storage are obvious even to a curmudgeon like Thule - who for reasons entirely beyond me, continues to enjoy the trust of the Executive Committee. Even he should be able to understand, here is a big bang from a small package. Located in Containment Block Anning, in a room to the left of the half-open gate. Can be reached from the floor below by a ladder. Containment Blocks Lobby Dr. Derek Manse, reporting. I have spent more time with IS-012 recently, but I've yet to fully fathom this creature. It insists it is a known and former member of our staff. even though I attended that man's funeral more than two years ago! So far, this entity has done nothing to threaten or jeopardize the facility, I even find it a bit charming, and... perhaps it is harmless. But if I must choose, I'd rather be cruel, than wrong. Its containment remains indefinite. Located in the floors above the Laboratories Tram Station, in a room overlooking IS-0012's cell in Containment Block Baird. Control Center Private note. I believe that GATE has the wherewithall, both political and practical, to withstand the attempts of almost any organisation on the planet to interfere in our operations. There is only one group I'm aware of with the power to intrude on our operations here. Unfortunately, we seem to have fallen under their gaze, or perhaps were always were. As much as GATE attempts to uncover the truth and technology behind the anomalies of this world, the Order seeks to suppress them. We are two antithetical principles, set to converge on a single point. Annette avoids the obvious truth. If that point is our facility, I cannot guarantee the outcome. Located in upper floors of the Control Center, in a computer room lit with red lighting. Control Center, Observation Room. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. Dr. Sukov came to me today and announced she was terminating her investigations into Oh-One-Four. The principal obstacle appears to be the object itself. Our tools cease to function, or they operate at an impossibly glacial pace when brought near it. Precisely what it is composed of, whether hollow or solid. even these simple questions are almost impossible to answer. Oh-One-Four is, to all intents and purposes, impervious. Dr. Derek Manse reporting. There is a category of immurement subjects that pile mystery upon mystery, as if their purpose was only to confound us. When I look at IS One-Six-Six, I am tempted to suspect the work of a cosmic jester, whose sole aim is to sabotage any chance we have of forming a consistent picture of the universe. Why does this object weigh three times as much when turned upside down? How did it come to be built into the Berlin wall? Why does Dr. Tengku insist on sketching it over, and over, and over again? Of finding answers to these questions, I have vanishingly little hope. Dr. Derek Manse reporting. I can summarize IS One-Six-Nine in a single word: ... nothing. Recovered from a nameless hill in Exmoor, England, we have no further information. We cannot seem to sample, mark or damage it in any way. Incredibly, it appears to be without mass, moving as easily as a mote of dust, with no apparent space time presence of any kind. Of the larger object we presume it was once attached to, there is no trace. Of its existence. We have only the evidence of our eyes, nothing more, and no theory to attach to it. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director, GATE Cascade Research Facility. I've been asked to provide a report on the recent incident involving IS Oh-One-Seven. Our protocols around this subject have been extremely cautious since the... difficult experience of the trans-recon team that recovered it in 1986. We've been candid about its psychiatric affects, and the difficulty of predicting their duration. The incident in question concerned a staff member who had recently suffered a difficult break up. He wished to remove all memory of his paramour. While successful - and informative - Oh-One-Seven wiped considerably more memory than he expected. We're banning this kind of haphazard practice going forward. This is Dr. Derek Manse. Now that I.S. One-Oh-Seven is on its way safely - for a time - towards interstellar space. I find myself taking a step back. In moments like this, one sees with shocking clarity how fantastical so much of our work and research here really is. If we weren't established and - by and large - esteemed scientists with decades of experience and education behind us, this place would sound... nothing less than insane. Dr. Derek Manse reporting research director. Recent attempts to coax IS Oh-Four-Two into a new home have been unsuccessful. We believe the creature - if indeed that word - is appropriate, prefers mannerist art, so provided several potential new pieces for it to inhabit, but to no avail. Dr. Tang wishes to determine whether the entity is trapped in its current environment, inactive, or simply wishes to remain where it is, but his suggestions risk destroying the work in question. I have told him to adjust his methods. Antique artworks aside, I have always been a bit of a dog person. I have no desire to risk harming Oh-Four-Two. Though we haven't yet captured a complete specimen of 0139, Dr. Thule took a sample of its... dust, but this raised more questions than answers. Foremost, One-Three-Nine appears primarily to be a host, rather than an individual. Pendleton theorizes One-Three-Nine may be suffering an infection, which will require tests to ensure no cross-contamination can occur. And if true, we're unsure whether its behaviors are innate to the original being, or a byproduct. It's... quite a tangled web, really. We'll need more time. All of the above holograms are located in a higher floor of the Control Center, accessed from stairs to the right of the main entrance.

Rise

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This is Dr. Derek Manse. To this day, I have no idea why we persist in containing IS-093, when it does not exist. There is a shared delusion among certain staff, a conspiracy of foolishness. This is no place to go into details, but I want to state clearly for the record: There is no disease we classify as IS-093, there is no such thing as a subjective infection, it was not created by Russian researchers. I am not choosing to believe this in order to protect myself. There is nothing to disbelieve. This Hologram can be found in a locked double door room behind the return portal on the main level of Rise Following a malfunction of the "Dark Lens", one of our TR teams was transported unexpectedly from Anteverse 16, to 23. Unfortunately, that location has been contaminated by A16's native symbiote. How such a temporal disjunction occurred, I am determined to discover. Dr. Janek has questions to answer. As to the long term results of the cross-contamination, I shudder to think. This Hologram can be found in what appears to be a meeting room on the upper level of the main floor by going right from the Roof elevator.

Security Sector

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If our intelligence is to be trusted, the Order - I forget their pretentious Latin name - regard themselves as the only safe custodians of the anomalies we research here at Cascade. Indeed, reports delivered to the Exec Committee suggest these zealots see themselves as protectors of humanity, the usual alibi for retrograde behaviour through the ages. Imagine what humanity could learn - how we could profit as a species from access to something like the Sun Disk! We are sure they have it in their possession. A reply from the stars, and they bury it like some shameful secret. Superstitious idiots. Hologram located in a hallway early within the sector. A Defense Robot lies closeby, it's broken body lying upon some shelving. Dr. Derak Manse Reporting. IS-0059 is still far from being understood. It appears impervious to all equipment and weapons employed against it thus far, and Gatekeeper attempts to capture it have come to nothing. Possibly, it betrays a slight sensitivity to light, but how it moves, or even whether its garb is flesh or some sort of ... clothing, we have no idea. I am reluctant to speculate until we learn more, and I'm putting in a transfer request to Keystone for Gatekeeper staff to replace those we lost. Hologram located within a room close to the keypad used to unlock the first security gate. Our contamination of Anteverse 23 is worse than we ever feared. Recent data suggests it is not a separate universe at all, but Earth’s own future. Likely only one of countless possible futures – we’ve noticed some distinct differences – but it is sobering to think we may have inadvertently triggered an apocalypse in one small slice of infinity. Hologram located within Storage Unit C, within one of the storage rooms. There are a handful of things that I am now certain of IS-0059. Firstly, it is a hunter -- the bodies and pieces of the bodies are evidence enough. Secondly ... We are not its first encounter with humanity - an increasing weight of evidence points to repeated appearances in the historical record. Hundreds, if not thousands of times. Lastly, although we cannot yet decipher its communications, Dr Veltman's exploration of early human dialects may be starting to bear fruit. Despite this, we must face the fact that we remain almost entirely ... excuse my morbid humor ... in the dark. This Hologram is located in the room that connects the repair bay to the firearms range. It is locked with a Level 4 clearance keypad.

Hydroplant

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Increasingly, we believe I.S. Oh-Four-Six – the Composer – is not an individual being at all, but the extension of another entity entirely. We have not been able to reach this entity, nor open a perforation to its original domain. We achieved close contact of a sort, but not it seems almost … hiding from us. We are unsure how it managed this, but if I am right, and it interpreted our first intrusion as an attack, this may have consequences we cannot forsee. This Hologram can be found on the top floor of the electrical station next to the Order terminal. We've had IS Oh-Two-Three contained in the aquarium for almost a decade now. We recovered it from Anteverse 42, so we should have guessed where this would lead. OH-Two-Three shows no sign of stopping its growth. There were several specimens, but it seems to have consumed its remaining competitors. I have better things to do than repeat myself, but as directed by the Executive, I remind staff: swimming alongside the beast is prohibited. This Hologram can be found on the floor below the first hologram. It is in a room with a rat, overlooking the turbines. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director, Gate Cascade Research Facility. Our neutrino detector is finally online. It's about time. The calibration is complete and we're seeing the first, faint suggestions of activity. Placing the detector in the depths of the Hydroplant reservoir was a challenge, but the ideal location for such a device. It should keep the photon detectors safe, too. We've noticed something else - the neutrino detector attracts perforation targets itself, possibly due to its shielding. At any rate, it's frustrating. Every time a portal appears in the reservoir tower, we have to recalibrate the entire apparatus. Hologram located in Electrical Station, near double doors leading to balcony. There is an even more intriguing possibility pertaining to the Exor. There are indications they are not native to that realm, but introduced. Raising dubious question: introduced by who? And of course followed by the inevitable why. Hologram located in Waterfall Apartments, it can be found in the rightmost apartment room. Dr. Derek Manse reporting. I cannot say whether the reservoir is one of our great successes, or an abject failure. When we brought back 0142 from Anteverse 13, we knew it was some kind of living machine. A biological engine. It was Wakeman who dropped a fragment into the reservoir, accidentally, he claimed. The development of the organism since then has been nothing less than extraordinary. The logic by which this organism builds itself is almost impossible to discern. An interweaving of facets forming what Simmons called 'a citadel'. We have reason to believe it performs some kind of processing function, but I would be the first to admit, it's operation is currently beyond our understanding. Hologram located in Waterfall Apartments, second floor lobby next to a vent. The Voussoir team seemed to have accepted that this is in fact the Yeti of legend. Personally, I have questions, but certainly, we have more than enough to keep us busy here at Cascade. Corresponding with staff in our Alps facility, one could get the impression they have better things to do than resolve the mystery of the so-called abominable snow man. Perhaps they're off searching for the Loch Ness Monster or some other snowy unbelievables. Hologram located in Waterfall Apartments, in the room with the spillway computer. Access for Cascade staff to IS One-Three-Four has been severely limited. Management at Voussoir, such as it is, have elected to fortify a mountain and lock the creature deep inside, seemingly in order to forget about it. This is a shame, given the entity's unique place in human history. However, as sightings continue. I admit with some indulgence that it may not be the only one of its species. I would love to get one here for direct study. Hologram located in Neutrino Emitter, under the Voussoir portal. It would seem that IS Oh-Two-Three is quite adverse to the high energy EM spectrum. Coming from Anteverse 42. I'm aware it may become too large to contain. Dr. Feltman suggested releasing it to the Hydroplant reservoir. I often struggle to know when that man is serious. Anyone who would do that should not be allowed anywhere near this Facility or its erudite accomplishments. Hologram located near the Hydro Plant building in a guard post that has a rat inside. It can be reached by going down the ladder behind the Level 5 Clearance keypad. I have immense respect for Dr. Wakeman's achievements, but I am concerned at the limits - or lack thereof - on his robotics research. As far as I can discern, Wakeman has been given carte blanche to pursue a machine consciousness program. He is a poor communicator at the best of times, but if I understand his recent... mutterings, he has incorporated elements of IS-Oh-One-Four-Two into his new 'waterbot'. How he did this, and whether its conversational ability is a charming trick, or something more... enduring, well, I am not convinced even Dr. Wakeman knows. Hologram located in Robotics, in the same room as Kylie Muir My concerns about our experiments with temporal perforations are increasing. Causality is even more fragile than we imagined. Unless someone can assure me that they know what they are doing, I may have to put GATE efforts in this direction on hiatus. Hologram located in the main Hydro Plant building, in a room patrolled by a breacher.

Village Den da'ko Yeer

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Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. Lenora - Er - Dr. Riggs - claims to have found something astonishing in the 'Exor Village' A device capable of eliminating biological infestations from that region. She's calling it a 'kill switch', but the full capabilities of this device, let alone how it came to exist, remain unknown. Someone will need to go in there and figure it out. We'll try to do it without Gatekeepers. They're a variable I'd rather not introduce into this incredible environment. Hologram located in a small building near the starting point.

Reactors

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This is Dr. Derek Manse. I'm pleased to report that GATE's first on-site perforation event has been a complete success. It required the full energy resources of both the hydroplant and reactors, but we opened a stable portal to Anteverse 2. Unfortunately, we had to close the gateway sooner than expected, as spores from that realm infected the area almost immediately. Their rate of growth is extraordinary. Scouring the spore residue will take weeks, but if left unattended... it would soon be a jungle in here. We will have to investigate that once Dr. Newman's project comes online. Hologram located in Power Services, in the room with the check-in terminal. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. The Gatekeepers are indispensable, I do not deny it. They serve a necessary purpose, containing and occasionally culling some of the more unusual specimens our work requires. If ultimately their own agenda is not entirely clear, that is not what concerns me. It is their hocus pocus, their willingness to harness forces we have not analyzed or assessed, this is what I fear. Hologram located in Power Services, in room opposite the elevator to Reactors. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director. One of the Gatekeeper mystagogues made a request to my department today. At first I could not understand a word she... it... was saying. Until I realised they were incanting something. Slowly, the words 'Deliver us weapons' appeared on the wall behind me, written I later realised, in blood. Could SOMEONE not show these animals how to use the email system? Hologram located within the vehicle bay, near the beginning of Reactors. This is Dr. Derek Manse. Our assumptions around the Exor and its progeny have been revealed to be completely false. In the first instance, they have created a highly complex and ordered societal existence in Anteverse II. We are forced to regard them as sentient and possibly even intelligent. But this is not the only revelation. There is no escaping the fact. The Exor, the Pest, the Peccary, none of them are native to the worlds we're finding them on. Something brought them here. The crux is the monument at the center of their settlement. Not a structure, but a weapon. A warhead. Indeed, increasingly, I am sure the creature is not natural at all, but a bioweapon designed to be introduced to a region and clear it out. Hologram located in the Dusk Reactor, it is in a small office adjacent to the wall that has "Deliver us weapons" written on it in blood. After my last conversation with IS Oh-One-Two, I find myself increasingly sympathetic to its plight. It is highly intelligent and appears genuinely benign. Some elements of its story do not entirely satisfy my doubts, but I am coming to believe we may have unjustly contained this creature. If I can verify a few key facts, we may ultimately release it. Hologram located in Dusk Reactor, it can be found in once of the office rooms behind the cafeteria counter. Dr. Derek Manse, Cascade. As we explore the functionality of temporal portals, we've begun to feel out some of their behaviors. It can be frustrating, like using bulldozers to make origami, but I believe Dr. Janek is making progress. Some of the temporal perforational behaviour, however, remains an obdurate mystery. For instance, why do they persist in localizing in the Residence Sector Gardens? Hologram located in Dusk Reactor, in the control room where a Sapper is first encountered. This is Dr. Derek Manse. How such a creature as 0139 evolved is beyond me. What it was and what it's become... There are realms where existence is forged under such utterly different conditions that our assumptions have no bearing. We find ourselves adrift, unmoored from all references. Perhaps this is how the creature itself feels. It would, I suppose, explain its hostility. Or perhaps it's simply tired of being poked and prodded by Dr. Thule and Dr. Stern, who are getting along ... about as well. Hologram located near the Unlost campsite, at the bottom of the elevator. Dr. Manse reporting. Confirming my theory, we exposed A 'Carbuncle' to fissile material regularly for six weeks. As a result, the next stage of its life cycle produced an entirely new variant of the peccary, with astonishing new behaviors. The speed these creatures absorb ambient conditions and adapt is extraordinary. Almost as though they were designed for it. Mimeticism is a strange business, and many times creation has settled on the same solutions. But the more parallels I find, and the more I understand its life cycle, the more uneasy I become, speaking of evolution. In short, I hope I am wrong. Hologram located in Mist Reactor control room. Dr Pendleton's hypothesis is an extraordinary one, but I am forced to accept that she was not wrong, and perhaps did not go far enough. The denizens of Anteverse 2 are not native at all, but were created, crafted, designed to colonize and overrun areas that are introduced to. If this is the case, they are barely a footnote to a larger question. One we are scarcely on the cusp of formulating. Hologram located in a meeting room in the lower storage area of Mist Reactor. Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. Further to my previous note on IS Oh-One-Two, the shapeshifter has requested it be released in Anteverse 2. While this is unusual, I see no reason, at this stage, not to grant him a small... OVERRIDE: PERMANENT DIRECTIVE TO ALL STAFF, ALL LEVELS: No further communication with IS Oh-One-Two is permitted. All contact must be reported immediately. If it speaks, silence it. If it escapes containment, subdue it by any means available. In all cases, summon Gatekeeper assistance immediately. Hologram located in Gale Reactor control room. Dr. Derek Manse, Cascade. I'm concerned that the Gatekeeper's Shadowgate facility is operating with limited oversight or accountability. Their reports are paltry if they bother to write them, employing idioms and archaic language that is frankly impenetrable, not to mention laced with profanity. A recent report claims the number of immured subjects in that dilapidated excuse for a facility is... one. I find that hard to believe. But gaining access for inspection, well, it's all but impossible. And I'm yet to even receive an IS number for the entity. I'll be emailing Keystone on this matter in the morning. Hologram located in WG-INTRADOS, in a room near the portal

Praetorium

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Clericus Artem, Grex Cael. In accordance with directives, we pursue study of the Sun Disk from a distance. Yet I confess that we approach the limits of our research, unless we are able to interrogate the device directly. After the fate of Clericus Manq, we are aware it transforms those who touch it. This metamorphosis is without precedent in our archives, but if I am permitted to speculate, the Disk is a key of sorts. We infer its creators exist at extreme temperatures, therefore it was intended, perhaps, as a means to safely approach them. An invitation, if you will. I submit these thoughts only as a record of uncertainty. Hologram located in control room overlooking the library on the upper level. Clericus Artem, Grex Cael. The latest retrieval of the Archorae has introduced an intriguing new element. It would seem from datum revealed by the Hearth Spire that these devices constitute a network. Their engagement in the agenda of the Sangamor is known, but it fascinates one to see the workings of their corruptive tools revealed. I request further access to the spire. that I may delve into the transmissions, as I divine, there are layers of signal embedded within. Unearthing these may reveal the true purpose of the Anchorae. Hologram located in library, in a room on the bottom floor. Clericus Artem, Grex Cael. The gathering of understanding relating to Rift Locus 207 continues. The supremacy of its thermic loss is unexcelled, and for this alone inspires further examination. Although Consilium Iter indicates that danger is remote, the extraordinary differential of the Locus elevates the risk of accidental inferation. When this is adjoined to the known discovery of the Locus by GATE, we advise high concern. Hologram located in library, after climbing the ladder on the bottom floor. This is B'hali of the Fourth Blade, breviarium ad penitus. My sisters retrieved the Essenic scripts so the Clericum might attend their words clearly. The risk was extreme, but their first findings remove all doubt: the Magi's Star was the residue of riftwork. Sisters, it is one thing to suspect an enemy's presence; another to have his manipulation of our entire history confirmed. The Clericum need more time, yes, but we have little. We must return these documents within the moon to ensure our activities are not discovered. He watches us yet. Hologram located in command room, in room under the globe hologram.

Residence Sector

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Dr. Derek Manse reporting. Dr. Mayfield delivered a bombshell this morning. demonstrating that the device at the center of the Exor community in Anteverse 2 is transmitting and receiving a continual stream of data. What that data entails, and who is receiving it, she is yet to determine. but there is no question - it is monitoring the Exor community. We must now face several facts; there is a force behind the development and dispersal of life in Anteverse 2, this force is aggressive. and whatever it may be, it is almost certainly aware of us. The implications are... more than unsettling. We may be outmaneuvered in a game we didn't even realize we were playing. Hologram located in Dorms, Dr. Jessica Lambert's room. Manse reporting - emergency protocols in effect. Since these invaders disturbed the Dark Lens, the entire system has destabilized. A perforation has opened in the cavern above Residences, drawing every ounce of energy from the air around it. We are attempting to close it, Otherwise - in a few hours - transluminal shedding will turn this place Arctic - or worse... I will report again, once we are successful. Hologram located in Dorms, ground floor near the frozen tree. Dr. Manse, Cascade Facility. That hat. That damned hat. We took IS Oh-Three through the usual paces after recovering it from a collector in (redacted). Nothing out of the ordinary, so we moved on to situational testing. I'm aware, of course, that protocols dictate no testing with primary research staff. but the hat seemed innocuous enough, despite its morbid progenity. After all, if we can't run a few simple tests on a simple beaverskin hat. why send us all "down under" in every conceivable sense of the phrase? I digress. During today's testing, I allowed Dr. Peters to run a few exercises she'd had in mind, but we've learned very little. At first she would place the hat on her head, then casually remove it. as if that was always her plan, despite voicing her intent to keep it there only moments before. Duct tape? She couldn't get it off fast enough. At least we had the foresight to protect her hair. Then she instructed myself and Dr. Janek to hold the hat down on her head, "no matter what." She's already forgiven us, but I still can't help feeling that I owe her a lunch. The hat remains on a coat rack in Dr. Peter's office until renovations are complete on the extended containment blocks. As for her outburst, the imagination with which she invoked our doom for those few seconds was, well... perhaps the hat also enhances one's vocabulary. Hologram located in Dorms, 3rd floor, Dr, Abdulrazak Othman's room. It's Manse. (catching his breath) My prediction has come to pass. The Order have pierced our defenses. At several points, if the chaos erupting around me is any indication. They come seeking anomalies, immurement subjects.. and to end our perforation research. They're rifling through Ordo Storage as we speak. Treasure hunters with a savior complex. I fear they will only be content when this place is reduced to ash. We failed to close the perforation above us, and have no choice but to abandon the site. I leave it to the Gatekeepers, who have been given full authority to contain... and I hope, preserve. May the fates pity all who remain. Hologram located in Dorms, 3rd floor elevator door. Dr. Derek Manse reporting, Research Director, GATE Cascade Research Facility. At last I have had to face the truth of my convictions. IS Oh-One-Two, the shapeshifting creature calling itself Dr. Cahn is much more than it pretends. I believe we have, trapped here at Cascade, one of our species' great enemies. If I am correct, it has been identified many times in human history under, many names. From prehistory to Babylon and beyond, this creature has been trying to bring about something unspeakable. As a scientist, every fiber of my being resists this conclusion. But I am convinced. He is our enduring opponent. What this means for us, and what we are supposed to do with "Dr. Cahn", I do not yet know. The consequences of a misstep are beyond calculation*. *Note: the English captions use the final line "I can't even bring myself to order his sofa removed from the cell." instead Hologram located in E-suites, Dr. Derek Manse's room. Dr. Manse reporting. At last I have visited Shadowgate, but can scarcely fathom what I witnessed there. The Gatekeepers have contained a beast beyond reckoning. They claim it has been worshipped as a god, and reviled as a demon more than once in our history. And I credit this. Our research has proven beyond doubt that so many deities of the past were little more than attempts by hostile entities to intrude into, or even colonise, our universe. Yet seeing one in the flesh is another matter altogether. The Gatekeepers were typically evasive about their intentions, and I will need to monitor them closely. A captive god may prove all too tempting. Hologram located in Fragments, area opposite Botanical entrance. This is Dr. Manse. If the Exor and its ilk were created by a conscious entity, we must search it out. Finding traces of this intelligence is like detecting electrons in a cloud chamber - we are working entirely from inference. But everything we now know points to one fact: There is a power at work in Anteverse 2, and whether it is operating against or... towards us in some way, we must know... Hologram located in Fragments, 2nd floor of the ruined shop next to Shadowgate fragment. Research Director Manse, filing an official note of record, copying to Keystone. I requested live samples from A3. Live samples. Instead, one of the Gatekeeper mystics appears in my office with the remains of a buzztail. It had been ripped up, cut in two, and flayed by... whatever force they'd employed that day. I want to be clear. I understand how important their work is, but in the name of progress, can they just follow INSTRUCTIONS? Sometimes I'm not even sure I'm talking to a human being. Hologram located in Fragments, in the building with the first hardlight emitter. Dr. Manse reporting. I received a note from Keystone today. Annette herself contacted me about temporal perforations, urging me to continue - even - expand our work. It is one thing to open connections in space. But I am still concerned that perforations in time risk outcomes we may all live to regret. But if Annette wishes the research to continue, my misgivings are of little account. Hologram located in Botanical Wing, near elevator on the ground floor. This is Dr. Lenora Riggs, TransRecon Echo 3. It has been more than (DATA MISSING) since the (DATA MISSING) but, against all odds. we have returned to the facility. It is surpassingly strange to be back at Cascade - none of us would return by choice, were it not for (DATA MISSING) The state of the place is catastrophic. which is no surprise. and (DATA MISSING) encounter another human being. The temporal disturbance persists, anteverses curdle space-time like off milk and the (DATA MISSING) is unstable as predicted. But Dr. Manse's instructions were clear, and we must push deeper into the facility to have any hope of (DATA MISSING) Synaptic Labs and the (DATA MISSING). Whether our expedition will be successful, I am uncertain. Some areas have collapsed entirely, and access may be impossible, to say nothing of the wildlife, but we must try. Dr. Lenora Riggs, TransRecon Echo 3, out. Hologram located in Divarication, near first portal back to the present.