Interviewed: ASF Officer Sgt. █████ Flint

Interviewer: Research Assistant Dr. Mallard

Foreward: Sgt. Flint was the sole surviving instance of RPC-052-1 to survive a recent Class-2 containment breach with RPC-052. The purpose of this interview is to measure any unique effects that may have occurred due to Sgt. Flint being the fifth such instance created by RPC-052 in an estimated period of 23 minutes.

<Begin Log, [29/11/2008, 10:08]>

Dr. Mallard: "Good morning, Sgt. Flint. How are you today?"

The subject sighs.

Sgt. Flint: "It could be better. Didn't get much sleep last night."

Dr. Mallard: "I understand. Your psychological profile suggests you've been suffering from nightmares recently; given recent events, that's to be expected."

Sgt. Flint: "So the shrinks keep telling me. Doesn't make them any easier to get through, though."

Dr. Mallard: "I'm sorry to hear that. Has there been anything else bothering you since the event?"

Sgt. Flint: "Yeah. My request for Amnestics got declined. Any idea why?"

Dr. Mallard: "We can't risk losing valuable data like that, Sergeant. I'll be more than happy to deliver your request myself at the end of this interview, however; all we need are a few answers, and that'll be it."

Sgt. Flint: "I'm not a fan of having my medication held hostage for answers, Doctor. But if it's what I have to do, then you better make your questions quick, at least."

Dr. Mallard: "Absolutely, let's get started then. First question: were there any details about the event you found to be particularly unusual?"

Sgt. Flint: "What do you mean by that? You'll have to be a lot more specific than that, Doc."

Dr. Mallard: "I mean in comparison to-"

Sgt. Flint: "Actually, here's one you might like: Four ASF officers, almost fifty years of experience between us, walk in to clean up a mess that a [REDACTED EXPLETIVE] MST squad couldn't fix. Five minutes in and two of them're dead, all cause I could still hear some woman from underneath my gear. That sound 'unusual' enough for you, Doc?"

Dr. Mallard: "A woman? But typically-"

The subject is visibly frustrated.

Sgt. Flint: "Good Christ. 'Any details I found unusual.' The hell's normal about some [REDACTED EXPLETIVE] forcing you to blow your CO's brains out against the-"

Dr. Mallard: "Sargent, if you please!"

The subject pauses. Dr. Mallard maintains eye contact with him without speaking. After several seconds, the subject lowers his head and the interview continues.

Dr. Mallard: "Sgt. Flint, I understand why you're agitated right now. But we need to find out if there was anything especially bizarre about your case. Any details you can recount might prove critical in preventing another tragedy like this."

The subject takes a deep breath.

Sgt. Flint: "I know. I'm sorry, I'll try to be more cooperative about this. You gotta be more specific though, son; after what I went through, even putting on my uniform won't be normal anymore."

Dr. Mallard: "I understand. Let's start with that 'lady' you mentioned; no one else has ever talked about her before."

Sgt. Flint: "You're kidding me, right? It's all I could hear; the moment my helmet was gone, it was god-damn deafening."

Dr. Mallard: "All past instances of RPC-052-1 have-"

Sgt. Flint: "And don't say it like that, either. The Docs cleared me, I'm no 'instance' anymore."

Dr. Mallard: "Right, I'm sorry. All past survivors of RPC-052 have only described melodies, often on wildly different instruments. One account used the phrases 'broken glass,' 'wind-chimes,' and 'an ungodly amount of static,' I believe."

Sgt. Flint: "That ain't right at all. It was a woman alright, clear as a bell too. Not any woman I'd ever heard, though; I don't think there's a soul alive who could hit notes like that. Not on this Earth, anyways."

Dr. Mallard: "I see. That's a very interesting way to describe it. Was there anything else that stuck out to you about the event?"

Sgt. Flint: "Just that. It wasn't long after that they got the knock-out gas working again, and that was it for me."

Dr. Mallard: "Alright. Just one last question, then - I know what it says on your profile, but in your own words, can you describe your nightmares to me?"

Sgt. Flint: "It's probably nothing important. But I've still been hearing that song, every night."

Dr. Mallard: "That sounds like a fairly regular manifestation of PTSD."

Sgt. Flint: "Yeah, except that I don't dream of anything else. Not my buddies, not that statue - not even about the fucking paralysis. That was the most I'd ever been scared in my life, by the way, and I'm not afraid to admit it. And no matter what I do, no matter what pills I take, it's always the same [REDACTED EXPLETIVE] dream. I can't even rely on the bottle, and believe me, I tried."

Dr. Mallard: "I see. I think we've been able to gather a lot from this conversation, Sergeant. Thank you."

Sgt. Flint: "Just don't forget the Amnestics, alright?"

<End Log>

Closing Statement: Based on Sgt. Flint's insight, Dr. Henry has developed a hypothesis that RPC-052 forms stronger and longer-lasting bonds with instances of RPC-052-1 with each one created. This hypothesis is further supported by Sgt. Flint's failure to suppress the described nightmares, despite access to the proper Amnestics.

[MST Echo-21 prepares for insertion into █████, where RPC-052 is believed to be. The team is comprised of Siren Actual, S2-01, S2-02, S2-03, and S2-04. Echo-21 operatives are protected by hermetically-sealed suits and are communicating through noise-cancelling headphones. Currently en route to the village.]

S2-04: “I don’t know about this, you guys saw what happened to ██████, right?”

S2-02: “All the more reason to bring it in. Damn thing’s gonna pay for-”

Siren Actual: “Pack it in, we’ll be there any second. Research thinks we’ll be safe enough out there, but I don’t want this squad ending up painting the town cause you two couldn’t keep a lid on it.”

Silence until the vehicle stops.

Siren Actual: “Everyone pile out, and be careful. They’re not tissue paper, but these suits aren’t standard combat gear; whatever’s here, don’t let it get too close to you.”

S2-01 primes his firearm.

S2-01: “Don’t plan on it, sir.”

Echo-21 exits the vehicle.

Siren Actual: “Sound off.”

S2-04: “O-Four, present.”

S2-01: “O-One, present.”

S2-02: “O-Two, present.”

A moment of silence passes as the team waits for S2-03 to respond.

Siren Actual: “O-Three, sound off.”

S2-03 taps the side of his helmet, then mimics speech with his hand.

S2-04: “[REDACTED EXPLETIVE].”

Siren Actual: “Nothing we can do about that now. O-Three, you’re with me – the rest of you, spread out. If you see anything, call it out.”

Echo-21 fans out and begins their approach to the objective, a crumbling church at the center of the village.

S2-04: “Sonovabitch, we can’t even read his expression like that.”

S2-02: “Speak for yourself. Eyes are the windows of the soul, that’s all I need.”

S2-01: “Shut it, and keep yours peeled. All this thing needs is your ears.”

S2-04: “What do you think it is, anyways? Is it even human?”

S2-01: “Aerial Surveillance suggested activity in the area, a garden specifically. So yeah, probably. Now shut the [REDACTED EXPLETIVE] about it.”

S2-04: "A garden? Who the [REDACTED EXPLETIVE] is this guy?"

Siren Actual: "An Italian. Now check your zones, and focus on the damn mission!"

██-02 proceeds to the objective with little incident. Each operator approaches the structure from different angles: S2-01 from the north-west, S2-02 from the south, S2-04 from the south-east, and Siren Actual and S2-03 from the west.

Siren Actual: “Everyone in position? Good. Advance on the objective. Do not engage unless provoked.”

S2-02: “Seriously? ██-01 is gone because of it, let’s just say it resisted and-”

Siren Actual: “Not how we roll, O-Two. Trust me, I want this thing dead more than anyone, but… orders are orders. Only shoot to kill if the thing can’t be secured.”

S2-04 groans loudly, interrupting the others.

S2-04: “Let’s just get this over with, if someone’s gonna clean me off the wall I don’t want to leave a stain.”

S2-01 positions himself beneath a broken window on the structure’s north face. S2-04 locates a rear entrance and prepares to break through. S2-02, S2-03, and Reflect Actual prepare to breach the main entrance from the east, Reflect Actual taking point.

Siren Actual: “██-02, sound off.”

S2-01: “O-One, in position.”

S2-04: “O-Four, ready to breach.”

S2-02: “O-Two, right behind you.”

Siren Actual: “On my mark. 3… 2… 1… Breach!”

Glass shatters and wood snaps as ██-02 breaches the structure. S2-04 enters a small room filled with refuse, and begins to find his way to the door. S2-01, S2-02, S2-03, and Reflect Actual enter the church’s nave, filled with mounds of rotten flesh and splintered wood and a door near the pew. The only decoration is the statue of an angel, occupying the space before the cross. The only occupant is a priest, kneeled before the statue.

Siren Actual [in Italian]: “This is the police! You are under arrest for suspicion regarding several disappearances and murders in the area! Do not resist!”

Siren Actual, S2-01, and S2-02 approach priest slowly. As S2-02 gets within 2 meters of the priest to apprehend him, he stands up and faces S2-02.

S2-02: “On the ground! Now!”

Siren Actual: “O-Two, disengage the target! You are way too-”

S2-04: “The [REDACTED EXPLETIVE] going on out there?”

The priest lunges at S2-02, revealing a letter opener in his hand. S2-02 tries to fire, but the priest pulls the barrel of the firearm to the side. The priest attempts to slash at S2-02's helmet.

Siren Actual: “[REDACTED EXPLETIVE]! Engage!”

S2-01 and Siren Actual prepare to fire on the priest. Before they can, gunfire erupts behind them. Siren Actual falls to the ground, suffering gunshot wounds to the abdomen.

S2-01: "SARGE!!"

Siren Actual does not respond. S2-01 turns to see S2-03 leveling his firearm at him.

S2-01: “██████! What the hell are you doing?!?”

S2-04 breaches the door near the pew, and fires on the priest from behind. S2-02 is dragged to the ground with the corpse. S2-03 immediately turns and fires on S2-04, striking him in the arm and shoulder, but is cut off as S2-01 begins to grapple with the gun. As he does, S2-03 appears to return to his senses.

S2-03: “O-One! Let me go!”

S2-01: “Drop the gun, ██████!”

/S2-03's breathing begins to become labored.//

S2-03: “I can’t! You gotta run!”

S2-01: “What the hell’s wrong with you? How could you do that to them?”

S2-03 clutches his chest. The air around him begins to distort from heat.

S2-03: “It’s the statue. The fucking statue!”

S2-01 freezes for a moment, before shoving S2-03 away and attempting to cover his head. S2-03 doubles over, clutching his chest with both hands. Steam begins to rise from his body before it suddenly explodes. The force of the blast throws S2-01 to the ground, unconscious.

[Log summary: S2-02 radioed confirmation that the anomaly was secure. He requested medical attention for operators S2-01, S2-04, and Siren Actual after confirming they were all still alive, if unconscious. The anomaly was transferred to Site-███ without further incident. It was later discovered that S2-03 had forgotten an important component for his soundproofing, suggesting he was under the effects of RPC-052 from the start of the mission.]