According to my findings of the human remains found in the building in Cannock, the explosion actually eminated from the body of the man. The trajectory of the explosion that Wedge determined from the charred mess of the lab confirms that the explosion originated from where the researcher was standing. My analysis of the tissues clearly indicate and outwards force - literally blowing the man apart from the inside out. The only positive I can deduce is that the man wouldn't have felt being torn apart, as it happened too quickly for the nerves to register in the brain.
There is evidence of an external (from the body's tissues) explosive device, but I can say with certainty that it didn't cause the damage. I assume it was placed there to create an illusion of the researcher being killed by a bomb attached to his person. Methias is the obvious perpetrator. He burnt his symbol into the wall. He isn't being secretive about what it is he is doing, but he wants to cover up his real actions by faking evidence to make us believe one thing instead of another.
Wedge maintains her position of presenting as if we have bought his fake evidence. I agree with her - if we make it out that we only know what he wants us to know, then we will have an advantage of seeing what he really is unravelling without alerting him to our understanding. That way he won't try harder to cover up. But the thing that is getting me is that what if this is what he is intending? That code that we found was encrypted well enough to keep us out - so how could he do something that well, to keep us out, if his murders are this sloppy? Well, I consider them sloppy. The true evidence for me isn't that hard to find. But it just makes me think that we're not secretly taking an advantage, but swallowing what he has planned out.
Tharis has located a research partner in Peterborough. They might be able to give us some clue as to what he was researching - as all research, including data, has gone. That was one thing Methias did well. I have contacted Peterson to arrange a meeting. He deals with the human public better than I. He and Hutchinson are going to get back to me soon with a place and time. I have packed ready to go.
I want to know why this person was targeted, what he taught Methias, but more importantly - how he died exactly. I doubt his partner could tell me much about the last one, but it really intrigues me. There wasn't enough remains to test for the same virus that Skarin, the Beast of Dartmoor, had.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Examination
I have completed a preliminary examination of the Dartmoor Beast, here after refered to as Skarin.
Initially I have conducted the examination under sedation. Upon first look, the creature seemed in good health. However after looking closer at the skin, it appears he has recently encountered someone or something that has caused great pain. There are numerous scars, most fresh, where the skin has been torn. I have taken a sample of this scar tissue and surrounding tissue for later analysis. I have noticed many swollen injection sites, which leads me to think that this was done by a sophisticated being - and humans I doubt would have the ability to capture him, and I know wouldn't release him. That leaves one option.
I have drawn blood to analyse thoroughly; I intend to do many more tests on it than I originally planned because of the evidence that Methias has injected him with something. I also have initialised quarantine procedures, and so I conducted the rest of the examination in full gear. I placed a neural mapping device on his head, and left the confinement room to allow him to awaken.
While the device recorded his neural patterns, I put his bloods through the scanner. I'll forgo the analysis, but there was one thing I have to bring up. A virus.
We were right. It's a virus, and it was created by Methias. How can I tell? It's not an organism. It has biological elements, but it was definitely contructed in a lab. There are machinery parts, microscopic technology, intwined in their workings. I called Wedge to come and have a look, and we sat down and nutted it all out. Arthur came too, since he was awoken by Wedge getting up. He didn't really follow- he was more asleep I think - but Wedge suddenly became very concerned. Arthur went and got Alastor, and we lay out all the evidence collected thus far.
The Nanotechnology expert - creating the pieces of the virus. The medical speicalist? Creating the virulent virus base. Arthur asked how the bombs fitted in with it - and that left me stumped for a bit. But I examined the virus 'cell' individually and discovered that at its core, was a small amount of the nuclear concoction we found earlier that Methias found. Each cell - containing an explosive poison. If the amount in each cell was released into the blood stream, the heavy elements would poison the victim. Since the virus was already in the blood stream - it would be fairly instant. But that's not what concerns me most. No, what concerns me is the program that I found within the machinery - the program that was written by the IT coders, that instructs the virus to collate inside the body into one massive lump and release the substance at once. Arthur didn't get it, but Wedge was shocked. He wasn't bombing servers - that was just our distraction. He was creating nuclear weapons...in humans. Imagine it - one human, with an impossible to detect (for other humans) virus that can, within a minute, turn them into a nuclear bomb and explode a large area. My guess is about a 100m radius, based on how saturated the human system can become before shutting down.
This had become a very bad day. Good that we know of it, but horrible because of what we know. And what we don't. Alastor is going to have a look at the technology part but really - this is beyond us. None of us are engineers, or technology experts. That code - I can tell what it does, but nothing else. I can't tell how it's activated, when, why...if it is on a timer, or needs a signal, or even if it does anything else. I can only understand the end result - with Tharis' help.
Dark days ahead, I fear.
Initially I have conducted the examination under sedation. Upon first look, the creature seemed in good health. However after looking closer at the skin, it appears he has recently encountered someone or something that has caused great pain. There are numerous scars, most fresh, where the skin has been torn. I have taken a sample of this scar tissue and surrounding tissue for later analysis. I have noticed many swollen injection sites, which leads me to think that this was done by a sophisticated being - and humans I doubt would have the ability to capture him, and I know wouldn't release him. That leaves one option.
I have drawn blood to analyse thoroughly; I intend to do many more tests on it than I originally planned because of the evidence that Methias has injected him with something. I also have initialised quarantine procedures, and so I conducted the rest of the examination in full gear. I placed a neural mapping device on his head, and left the confinement room to allow him to awaken.
While the device recorded his neural patterns, I put his bloods through the scanner. I'll forgo the analysis, but there was one thing I have to bring up. A virus.
We were right. It's a virus, and it was created by Methias. How can I tell? It's not an organism. It has biological elements, but it was definitely contructed in a lab. There are machinery parts, microscopic technology, intwined in their workings. I called Wedge to come and have a look, and we sat down and nutted it all out. Arthur came too, since he was awoken by Wedge getting up. He didn't really follow- he was more asleep I think - but Wedge suddenly became very concerned. Arthur went and got Alastor, and we lay out all the evidence collected thus far.
The Nanotechnology expert - creating the pieces of the virus. The medical speicalist? Creating the virulent virus base. Arthur asked how the bombs fitted in with it - and that left me stumped for a bit. But I examined the virus 'cell' individually and discovered that at its core, was a small amount of the nuclear concoction we found earlier that Methias found. Each cell - containing an explosive poison. If the amount in each cell was released into the blood stream, the heavy elements would poison the victim. Since the virus was already in the blood stream - it would be fairly instant. But that's not what concerns me most. No, what concerns me is the program that I found within the machinery - the program that was written by the IT coders, that instructs the virus to collate inside the body into one massive lump and release the substance at once. Arthur didn't get it, but Wedge was shocked. He wasn't bombing servers - that was just our distraction. He was creating nuclear weapons...in humans. Imagine it - one human, with an impossible to detect (for other humans) virus that can, within a minute, turn them into a nuclear bomb and explode a large area. My guess is about a 100m radius, based on how saturated the human system can become before shutting down.
This had become a very bad day. Good that we know of it, but horrible because of what we know. And what we don't. Alastor is going to have a look at the technology part but really - this is beyond us. None of us are engineers, or technology experts. That code - I can tell what it does, but nothing else. I can't tell how it's activated, when, why...if it is on a timer, or needs a signal, or even if it does anything else. I can only understand the end result - with Tharis' help.
Dark days ahead, I fear.
Monday, 13 August 2012
Viral
Alastor and I have been scouring through databases to find traces of the research that the medical researcher was doing before she was killed. Some of it is rather interesting, but other pieces are just downright funny. Coming from my perspective of course.
Basically, from what we can assertain, she was researching viruses. Not looking at creating antiviruses like many people are, but rather what makes them so virulent and how to replicate that. There was some promising experiments where she was able to invade a whole culture of cells with a virus within 5 minutes. This was an altered virus, of course - altered to produce the most infectious strain of virus ever encountered. Of course, to allow for this infective ability the rest of the virus was completely useless - it didn't do anything - not even break the host cells. It only had the sequences necessary to duplicate itself, and escape from the host cell without damaging it (I'm assuming accidental side effect there, because I've seen this type of sequencing before and I know how difficult it is). Also a good idea in case it broke free.
This concerns me that Methias was looking at viruses. Or particularly, engineering a deadly infectious virus. No doubt any incriminating evidence leading to Methias' plans would not have been relayed to the main data hub. But I can only imagine what changes and modifications he has made to her research - posing as a fellow scientist.
Witham is pretty quiet apart from this task. Alastor has thoroughly checked out the building for any explosive equipment and has turned up empty pawed. He's keeping in contact with Peterson, asking what strange happenings are going on. He made the comment to me, "I like having a lackey".
I am yet to hear from Wedge or Arthur. I think I will contact them soon.
Basically, from what we can assertain, she was researching viruses. Not looking at creating antiviruses like many people are, but rather what makes them so virulent and how to replicate that. There was some promising experiments where she was able to invade a whole culture of cells with a virus within 5 minutes. This was an altered virus, of course - altered to produce the most infectious strain of virus ever encountered. Of course, to allow for this infective ability the rest of the virus was completely useless - it didn't do anything - not even break the host cells. It only had the sequences necessary to duplicate itself, and escape from the host cell without damaging it (I'm assuming accidental side effect there, because I've seen this type of sequencing before and I know how difficult it is). Also a good idea in case it broke free.
This concerns me that Methias was looking at viruses. Or particularly, engineering a deadly infectious virus. No doubt any incriminating evidence leading to Methias' plans would not have been relayed to the main data hub. But I can only imagine what changes and modifications he has made to her research - posing as a fellow scientist.
Witham is pretty quiet apart from this task. Alastor has thoroughly checked out the building for any explosive equipment and has turned up empty pawed. He's keeping in contact with Peterson, asking what strange happenings are going on. He made the comment to me, "I like having a lackey".
I am yet to hear from Wedge or Arthur. I think I will contact them soon.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Autopsy
The body of the researcher was badly scorched, but I have handed the remains over to Peterson who is dealing with it from a 'local authories' point of view.
I have submitted my official report, but I don't know what use it will be. I know the moment I don't do it, will be the time we need it, but at times it feels like it's superfluous.
Anyway, the results indicated a 48 year old Female whose skin was actually clear (we say clear, not white, since the skin cells themselves are actually clear and free of the pigmentation that produces brown and black skin) and torched to appear black. And, unfortunately, the burning was the cause of death. I did however find some interesting traces of heavy elements in her bloodwork, but not in high enough concentrations to become toxic. It's just making me wonder how those elements got there.
Deductions? Well it's become a pattern that Methias is leaving black bodies behind - irrespective of the skin pigmentation. And it's not just males anymore. So what I've concluded about that is he wants the bodies to be black, perhaps a symbol of himself, and that he's choosing specific people now...not just someone that happened to come across his plans/equpiment (such as the Uranium).
Because the past couple of times have been specific targets, we're going to do a more thorough investigation on the person. Alastor and I are going to go to Witham and have a look through all the information stored in the database there (since that's the main database for the network of the research facilities/private labs) and see what we can find. Wedge and Arthur are going to Colchester to visit the partner laboratory, and hopefully find out more about the specific details of this person's actions over the past few weeks. Peterson has offered to go through the police database and bring back whatever records he can find on her and the research network. Wedge was reluctant, but agreed and thanked him as long it was him that did the research and not some of his staff - since our involvement has to be kept as quiet as possible.
I have submitted my official report, but I don't know what use it will be. I know the moment I don't do it, will be the time we need it, but at times it feels like it's superfluous.
Anyway, the results indicated a 48 year old Female whose skin was actually clear (we say clear, not white, since the skin cells themselves are actually clear and free of the pigmentation that produces brown and black skin) and torched to appear black. And, unfortunately, the burning was the cause of death. I did however find some interesting traces of heavy elements in her bloodwork, but not in high enough concentrations to become toxic. It's just making me wonder how those elements got there.
Deductions? Well it's become a pattern that Methias is leaving black bodies behind - irrespective of the skin pigmentation. And it's not just males anymore. So what I've concluded about that is he wants the bodies to be black, perhaps a symbol of himself, and that he's choosing specific people now...not just someone that happened to come across his plans/equpiment (such as the Uranium).
Because the past couple of times have been specific targets, we're going to do a more thorough investigation on the person. Alastor and I are going to go to Witham and have a look through all the information stored in the database there (since that's the main database for the network of the research facilities/private labs) and see what we can find. Wedge and Arthur are going to Colchester to visit the partner laboratory, and hopefully find out more about the specific details of this person's actions over the past few weeks. Peterson has offered to go through the police database and bring back whatever records he can find on her and the research network. Wedge was reluctant, but agreed and thanked him as long it was him that did the research and not some of his staff - since our involvement has to be kept as quiet as possible.
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
Another IT death
Yes, there has been another death recorded with Methias' symbol. Alastor thought that it was a server bomb that had killed him, but the blast wasn't large enough.
Local authorities believed that there was terrorist activity involved, since there was an explosion that destroyed his office. It was another man, of black skin. Methias must just like them since they look more like he does. I say like, but I guess it's not really - otherwise it wouldn't be them dying, now would it? Anyway, more to the point - we went to Peterborough to take a look. It was Arthur's first official mission as a member of Sector Nine. He's changed a fair bit, but he's still Arthur. Still has a young spirit and a kind heart. He's just more serious now about this kind of thing. I think he's more confident, now that he's had a couple of years hard training - he knows that he has the ability to help and get out of situations. He just has to learn to deal with the real world now. It would have been difficult to begin with I'd imagine, but he seems to have embraced his new bicorporal nature.
Getting back to the IT case... We arrived, and Arthur sniffed around for any more explosives (yes, Wedge has trained him to do that...and he attends our public meetings as our highly trained wolf hybrid agent. He looks slightly odd with his mane and massive size, but still wolf-like enough to pull off being a wolf hybrid to humans. It's very handy actually...). Once it was safe, we had a look. There indeed was damage done to the office, and the charred remains of a body on the floor. Burnt onto the wall was Methias' symbol.
After investigating, I concluded that the explosives were actually attached to him...but produced more heat energy than force causing the place to burn to a crisp but not be destroyed into rubble. That was interesting.
Wedge then found that his hard drives were gone. Even if they were lost in the fire, the remains would be somewhere. But there wasn't anything, and the computer itself was quite blackened to make it look like the drives had been lost in flames.
So that leaves us with another body, a hard drive missing and nuclear explosives being strapped to the country's vital servers.
What is he up to?
Local authorities believed that there was terrorist activity involved, since there was an explosion that destroyed his office. It was another man, of black skin. Methias must just like them since they look more like he does. I say like, but I guess it's not really - otherwise it wouldn't be them dying, now would it? Anyway, more to the point - we went to Peterborough to take a look. It was Arthur's first official mission as a member of Sector Nine. He's changed a fair bit, but he's still Arthur. Still has a young spirit and a kind heart. He's just more serious now about this kind of thing. I think he's more confident, now that he's had a couple of years hard training - he knows that he has the ability to help and get out of situations. He just has to learn to deal with the real world now. It would have been difficult to begin with I'd imagine, but he seems to have embraced his new bicorporal nature.
Getting back to the IT case... We arrived, and Arthur sniffed around for any more explosives (yes, Wedge has trained him to do that...and he attends our public meetings as our highly trained wolf hybrid agent. He looks slightly odd with his mane and massive size, but still wolf-like enough to pull off being a wolf hybrid to humans. It's very handy actually...). Once it was safe, we had a look. There indeed was damage done to the office, and the charred remains of a body on the floor. Burnt onto the wall was Methias' symbol.
After investigating, I concluded that the explosives were actually attached to him...but produced more heat energy than force causing the place to burn to a crisp but not be destroyed into rubble. That was interesting.
Wedge then found that his hard drives were gone. Even if they were lost in the fire, the remains would be somewhere. But there wasn't anything, and the computer itself was quite blackened to make it look like the drives had been lost in flames.
So that leaves us with another body, a hard drive missing and nuclear explosives being strapped to the country's vital servers.
What is he up to?
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Littleport
We've tightened security a little on the blogs, so at least now we can write specifics here - names, locations, data etc.
We're in Littleport, where there is a large nuclear bomb device attached to a large server hub. These servers are underground, and reletively isolated and the amount of fissionable material wouldn't cause a destruction of the entire town - but a little is still enough for it to get noticed. I have noticed traces of another materials as well as the Uranium - an unknown one, and a mixture of Lithium, Soduim, Potassium, Flourine and Chlorine. Given the nature of the other elements, I don't really need much hints as to what the unknown compound will do. Obviously, the Li Na and K are being kept separate to the F and Cl. I just don't want to be around when it does mix - since they are all in their unstable states. Very strong oxidants and reductants.
So we did put a field around the room, however it was hard to put anything there that wouldn't be noticed since it's essentially a secret underground government server base, and human governments don't like others messing about with their things.
Alastor's looking in to what these servers are actually being used for as we speak, but their jobs are often so varied that I doubt it would give us an insight as to what Methias would want out of destroying it.
As for the murder of the man in the building in Kibworth Harcourt, I assume he came across the device and to silence him he was poisoned. The poison was a standard one known to us, but undetectable to human science at this stage. So I injected some common poison that they would be able to detect so their coroner would have a cause of death.
Wedge should only be a day or two away from returning, leaving Arthur to finish another week without her their to guide him. One year learning, one year training. Hopefully not much will happen until then, because it feels a little odd working without her. Just like we're missing something... that inquisitive mind. Not that we have specific duties or anything...it's just nice to have her around.
I've also picked up on another lead that I have to divulge once I get more information.
We're in Littleport, where there is a large nuclear bomb device attached to a large server hub. These servers are underground, and reletively isolated and the amount of fissionable material wouldn't cause a destruction of the entire town - but a little is still enough for it to get noticed. I have noticed traces of another materials as well as the Uranium - an unknown one, and a mixture of Lithium, Soduim, Potassium, Flourine and Chlorine. Given the nature of the other elements, I don't really need much hints as to what the unknown compound will do. Obviously, the Li Na and K are being kept separate to the F and Cl. I just don't want to be around when it does mix - since they are all in their unstable states. Very strong oxidants and reductants.
So we did put a field around the room, however it was hard to put anything there that wouldn't be noticed since it's essentially a secret underground government server base, and human governments don't like others messing about with their things.
Alastor's looking in to what these servers are actually being used for as we speak, but their jobs are often so varied that I doubt it would give us an insight as to what Methias would want out of destroying it.
As for the murder of the man in the building in Kibworth Harcourt, I assume he came across the device and to silence him he was poisoned. The poison was a standard one known to us, but undetectable to human science at this stage. So I injected some common poison that they would be able to detect so their coroner would have a cause of death.
Wedge should only be a day or two away from returning, leaving Arthur to finish another week without her their to guide him. One year learning, one year training. Hopefully not much will happen until then, because it feels a little odd working without her. Just like we're missing something... that inquisitive mind. Not that we have specific duties or anything...it's just nice to have her around.
I've also picked up on another lead that I have to divulge once I get more information.
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Number 3
Murder number 3. An IT professional. It seems a little out of pattern, since we were all expecting a recieving depot on the truck route to be hit next. Invites more thinking though. When I place myself in the shoes of the everday people working about the county, I can't help but get nervous. They have no idea what is going on, or that they might accidentally come across something they see as inconspicuous and then suddenly wind up dead. The only consolation is that they don't know anything about the threat. So human, to happily exist in oblivion. That's what makes it so easy to remain secret...the one thing about humans that has aided our survival and secrecy - they don't want to know. They are all happy being completely oblivious to whatever around them that doesn't suit their thinking. They are doing it about their own world - all the horrors that are being done, all the damage, but they just choose not to think about it. So if something strange appears now and again, they just ignore it. I'm sure if the general public joined the dots we would be exposed fairly easily...but no, they prefer to just ignore the whole scatterplot. There are times when I envy them.
Alastor and I are at the building where the IT man was killed. As the saying goes, two is coincidence but three's a pattern. All three have been male, all three have had black skin (well I say black, but it's really just dark brown), and their ages are within a decade of each other. So at least we can predict that the next one will also be a man between 20 and 40, and have dark skin. Where and who? Well that's the part that hasn't shown up so clearly.
The man was found in the server room. A dank, dark basement room with towers of servers for the company's system. Same mark on his chest. But the thing is, he doesn't have the radiation signature. There is a higher signal coming from the servers, but we're looking in to that as I type (Alastor is anyway). I'm hoping that Wedge is reading this, because while we aren't allowed to communicate with people in the TDAR because of time reasons...this blog doesn't count since it's not instantaneous. If you are reading this Wedge, know: read1 dev1 3425 d 453 m.i.n at rad 234mic level 10093 tan.hausts red.
The body was killed from poison, again. So two poisonings, one electroshock. No message.
We're going to invesigate the room further.
Alastor and I are at the building where the IT man was killed. As the saying goes, two is coincidence but three's a pattern. All three have been male, all three have had black skin (well I say black, but it's really just dark brown), and their ages are within a decade of each other. So at least we can predict that the next one will also be a man between 20 and 40, and have dark skin. Where and who? Well that's the part that hasn't shown up so clearly.
The man was found in the server room. A dank, dark basement room with towers of servers for the company's system. Same mark on his chest. But the thing is, he doesn't have the radiation signature. There is a higher signal coming from the servers, but we're looking in to that as I type (Alastor is anyway). I'm hoping that Wedge is reading this, because while we aren't allowed to communicate with people in the TDAR because of time reasons...this blog doesn't count since it's not instantaneous. If you are reading this Wedge, know: read1 dev1 3425 d 453 m.i.n at rad 234mic level 10093 tan.hausts red.
The body was killed from poison, again. So two poisonings, one electroshock. No message.
We're going to invesigate the room further.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Induction
Arthur's induction went well. After he woke up of course - he did faint at the sight of me and Alastor. Wedge didn't show him her natural form until later on, once he had absorbed the fact that there were what he called 'anthropomorphised tigers' running the secret organisation underneath England. We had to correct him that it was actually the entire world, and not just tigers. Originally, well by that I mean before the war, there was a great variety of us. But predominantly tigers and wolves were used as the base of the genetic testing since it was their brain patterns that most resembled those creating them. And dolphins, but they were abandoned early on because of their marine habitat...but I'm getting sidetracked.
He seemed amazed at the storage warehouse, and at the underground transport network we have. The Port is both national and international - but as we said to Arthur, international underground connections only run between the Sectors.
I took him in for his neuroscan, and that completed fairly nicely. He seemed actually enthusiastic to become Bicorporal like us...and he kept asking us if we were joking or if he was in some comedy movie. I'm glad he was excited. The computer took a few hours to find the right match for him, and I had to explain that he will have to 'grow into' his new body - that the body would be only 10 weeks old. I can't accelerate the growth artificially beyond that point, because the body needs to be physically conditioned to grow properly. He watched the options that it ran through for a while - the computer uses the information it has to narrow down the search to a single body from a wide range of species available depending on the most appropriate DNA sequence to match Arthur and to produce a brain that would be most able to contain Arthur's mind. But as I said, he will need to grow into it and allow for the right neural pathways to form.
His new body was Canine. An image that was a prediction of the outcome for that particular gene sequence was generated, and Arthur loved it. I'm glad he did - but it did surprise us a little. We thought it looked too scary and 'evil' for someone who worked here on our side of the divide - but Wedge pointed out how handy it would be. And I guess she's right, black and white aren't inherantly good and bad - the values are arbitrarily assigned to the tones. Simply, light is the presence of photons and darkness is the absence. I forget sometimes, considering what we have to deal with all the time.
So yes, Arthur is now a canine. We felines won't hold it against him. Alastor doesn't really care - teeth, claws, tail - it's all the same. His genetically altered body is that of a large black wolf, with strategically placed muscles for exeptional phsyical abilities. He also will have a large mane that runs down his neck, starting on his forehead and finishing near his shoulders. Gives the appearance of a hyena in my opinion at certain angles. He was a cute puppy however.
Crazy thing was though - his eyes can change colour. I don't know how exactly - but they definitely changed colour. One moment they were a bright piercing yellow/orange, the next they were a light blue.
Wedge has taken him into the TDAR for two year's training. Wedge will be with him for one year, and he will be on his own for the other. For us, it will only be about 2 weeks, so he'll be gone for a fortnight. But he might come back an entirely different person. Two years was the minimum I could have him conditioning the new body - it had to grow at a fairly normal rate to develop properly. It's not like we've done it before.
Alastor and I are taking over for now, while Wedge is away. Not much has happened, just looking into the murder cases a little more. Alastor has gone back out along the truck route to try and find any radioactive signatures that might be where the packages were delivered, and I'm just here trying to find a link. The man was killed by a poison, but not one humans could detect, so we removed Methias' mark and returned the body to the local police.
More updates soon no doubt.
He seemed amazed at the storage warehouse, and at the underground transport network we have. The Port is both national and international - but as we said to Arthur, international underground connections only run between the Sectors.
I took him in for his neuroscan, and that completed fairly nicely. He seemed actually enthusiastic to become Bicorporal like us...and he kept asking us if we were joking or if he was in some comedy movie. I'm glad he was excited. The computer took a few hours to find the right match for him, and I had to explain that he will have to 'grow into' his new body - that the body would be only 10 weeks old. I can't accelerate the growth artificially beyond that point, because the body needs to be physically conditioned to grow properly. He watched the options that it ran through for a while - the computer uses the information it has to narrow down the search to a single body from a wide range of species available depending on the most appropriate DNA sequence to match Arthur and to produce a brain that would be most able to contain Arthur's mind. But as I said, he will need to grow into it and allow for the right neural pathways to form.
His new body was Canine. An image that was a prediction of the outcome for that particular gene sequence was generated, and Arthur loved it. I'm glad he did - but it did surprise us a little. We thought it looked too scary and 'evil' for someone who worked here on our side of the divide - but Wedge pointed out how handy it would be. And I guess she's right, black and white aren't inherantly good and bad - the values are arbitrarily assigned to the tones. Simply, light is the presence of photons and darkness is the absence. I forget sometimes, considering what we have to deal with all the time.
So yes, Arthur is now a canine. We felines won't hold it against him. Alastor doesn't really care - teeth, claws, tail - it's all the same. His genetically altered body is that of a large black wolf, with strategically placed muscles for exeptional phsyical abilities. He also will have a large mane that runs down his neck, starting on his forehead and finishing near his shoulders. Gives the appearance of a hyena in my opinion at certain angles. He was a cute puppy however.
Crazy thing was though - his eyes can change colour. I don't know how exactly - but they definitely changed colour. One moment they were a bright piercing yellow/orange, the next they were a light blue.
Wedge has taken him into the TDAR for two year's training. Wedge will be with him for one year, and he will be on his own for the other. For us, it will only be about 2 weeks, so he'll be gone for a fortnight. But he might come back an entirely different person. Two years was the minimum I could have him conditioning the new body - it had to grow at a fairly normal rate to develop properly. It's not like we've done it before.
Alastor and I are taking over for now, while Wedge is away. Not much has happened, just looking into the murder cases a little more. Alastor has gone back out along the truck route to try and find any radioactive signatures that might be where the packages were delivered, and I'm just here trying to find a link. The man was killed by a poison, but not one humans could detect, so we removed Methias' mark and returned the body to the local police.
More updates soon no doubt.
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Pre Induction
Ok so before Wedge gives Arthur the tour of the whole facility (well I say whole, but really just looking at all the rooms since there is so much stuff in the storage warehouse that they couldn't walk through it all), I'm going to map the neurological activity of Arthur's brain. Because finding a match could take a while, he can ask all his questions and be completely mind blown (not from me) while the computer searches.
I'm debating whether or not to show him our true identies before or after the scan. Before would have more normal patterns, but after would include a new neural pathway that would be actively used from then on which could influence the selection as well. I will think about it, but since we're going to get started tomorrow I'm going to have to do it quickly.
I've spent most the time so far just building this equipent - hooking the neural mapping machine into the transferer. Mainly also just adjusting the settings for an adult brain. I don't know if this can be done - since I don't know if we can transfer activity into a different housing that has a different chronological signature. We'll explain the risks - but they are minimal, since if a transfer can't be conducted then there is no harm done, no transfer. If it can, then it will completely. I have a nagging feeling though that the new body will have to undergo physical conditioning to match Arthur's age...it will begin as all do, as an infant. I've gotten Alastor to begin looking into an artificial reality in an altered time stream, and it looks promising.
I'll have to look into growth acceleration once I finish this mapping program. Probably going to be a long night.
I'm debating whether or not to show him our true identies before or after the scan. Before would have more normal patterns, but after would include a new neural pathway that would be actively used from then on which could influence the selection as well. I will think about it, but since we're going to get started tomorrow I'm going to have to do it quickly.
I've spent most the time so far just building this equipent - hooking the neural mapping machine into the transferer. Mainly also just adjusting the settings for an adult brain. I don't know if this can be done - since I don't know if we can transfer activity into a different housing that has a different chronological signature. We'll explain the risks - but they are minimal, since if a transfer can't be conducted then there is no harm done, no transfer. If it can, then it will completely. I have a nagging feeling though that the new body will have to undergo physical conditioning to match Arthur's age...it will begin as all do, as an infant. I've gotten Alastor to begin looking into an artificial reality in an altered time stream, and it looks promising.
I'll have to look into growth acceleration once I finish this mapping program. Probably going to be a long night.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Post Mortem
Ok so now I've completed a the post mortem on the body we brought back. Very little to say, actually. What intrigues me is that he died without much cause - the evidence demonstrates a sudden stop of the heart, perhaps by electricity. The injuries he sustained were in fact caused after death - good call Wedge. Well actually not all of them, it appears that the marks around his wrists happened just before death but because the timing is so close it is hard to tell without any penatrative wounds. The lack of bruising does seem strange since it is normally associated with the redness present. My assumption is that he was bound and brought there to that abandoned room where he died. Murdered, since the binds weren't found there, and any means of suicide (or murder) weren't present.
And of course there was the mark across the chest.
Quick summary, as I still have much to do. I am running a DNA test at the moment but I doubt anything will turn up - since DNA testing is rather useless to identify people without a registry or database of all DNA profiles.
And of course there was the mark across the chest.
Quick summary, as I still have much to do. I am running a DNA test at the moment but I doubt anything will turn up - since DNA testing is rather useless to identify people without a registry or database of all DNA profiles.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Slow
Today passed pretty slowly. Not the boring kind, but the kind where you realise that it's almost as if time was moving at half the speed. I know that's not scientifically correct, since time doesn't really have a speed - can't explain it, but just know that it doesn't.
Sultan and Ramah are about to leave, though. I've missed them, and it's been great seeing them again...even if it was under such circumstances. The debrief went well, but Wedge will go into more detail when she gets a chance -she's off investigating something with Arthur right now.
So that leaves me just here alone - which is probably why everything is moving so slowly! Alastor should be returning home soon, he messaged me a few hours ago saying he was having trouble locating the last device.
During the debrief we discussed Arthur's position among us. It was decided to induct him completely - as far as anyone was concerned, he'd proven his worth and loyalty. It's not exactly like we advertise positions here or require any qualifications. So once we're all back together, we'll begin. Should be quite the shock for him, but I would imagine the greatest thing to become part of.
Sultan and Ramah are about to leave, though. I've missed them, and it's been great seeing them again...even if it was under such circumstances. The debrief went well, but Wedge will go into more detail when she gets a chance -she's off investigating something with Arthur right now.
So that leaves me just here alone - which is probably why everything is moving so slowly! Alastor should be returning home soon, he messaged me a few hours ago saying he was having trouble locating the last device.
During the debrief we discussed Arthur's position among us. It was decided to induct him completely - as far as anyone was concerned, he'd proven his worth and loyalty. It's not exactly like we advertise positions here or require any qualifications. So once we're all back together, we'll begin. Should be quite the shock for him, but I would imagine the greatest thing to become part of.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Amputation
Hello everyone.
So today, I was in my office just reading over some things. Alastor was off at all the cities that had power failures, looking for a cause of it. Wedge and Arthur were moving things from Arthur's place to here, and having dinner together at that ...Thai? Indian? Eh, doesn't matter... place that they used to love (the food there is quite excellent, actually; Alastor and I enjoy it whenever we go as a group). Technically I was on call for all of Nine, but since things rarely happen I stayed in my office and focused on being the on call Doctor.
Then I get a call from Sultan, who is posted in Asia. He and Ramah had been working in a uranium mine, and a machine collapsed while they were preventing a critical mass explosion. He was bringing Ramah in who was seriously wounded - he had been exposed to high levels of beta and gamma radiation and the large machine had fallen on him, aputating his left leg. They were at least 20 minutes out, and Ramah was still bleeding a lot.
I sprang to action and got the gear ready in the medical recieving bay, taking it to the Port. I activated the surgery and got some medications ready. I called Wedge in - she was a skilled surgery nurse and helped me out a lot when I needed it - and I could tell I would be needing it. Then, as quickly as I had gotten the message, the incoming traveller alert rang through the complex.
He was in a bad way, the majority of the leg had been severed. Sultan dragged him out of the shuttle and carried the leg behind him in a bag with stasis gel. I took him to the surgery and anesthetized him. Wedge arrived at this moment, and looked after him while I scrubbed up. Can't say too much about what we actually did, but it was quite intricate. I had to align all of the blood vessels, nerves and such in the severed limb to the stump while Wedge covered the join with Revital. I had to stitch together certain parts to keep them aligned properly for the Revital to work correctly. Surprizingly, he only needed two blood transfusions after all that bleeding.
After hours of work, and Wedge stepping out to put Sultan in a bed to treat for shock, we were finished. Wedge took Ramah to post-op while I cleaned up. He should be fine in a few days, but I'm admitting him into recovery for six just to be sure. I'm really tired now - that really took it out of me. I think I'll leave the Lab and bid the others goodnight. Try to sleep a little, perhaps.
So today, I was in my office just reading over some things. Alastor was off at all the cities that had power failures, looking for a cause of it. Wedge and Arthur were moving things from Arthur's place to here, and having dinner together at that ...Thai? Indian? Eh, doesn't matter... place that they used to love (the food there is quite excellent, actually; Alastor and I enjoy it whenever we go as a group). Technically I was on call for all of Nine, but since things rarely happen I stayed in my office and focused on being the on call Doctor.
Then I get a call from Sultan, who is posted in Asia. He and Ramah had been working in a uranium mine, and a machine collapsed while they were preventing a critical mass explosion. He was bringing Ramah in who was seriously wounded - he had been exposed to high levels of beta and gamma radiation and the large machine had fallen on him, aputating his left leg. They were at least 20 minutes out, and Ramah was still bleeding a lot.
I sprang to action and got the gear ready in the medical recieving bay, taking it to the Port. I activated the surgery and got some medications ready. I called Wedge in - she was a skilled surgery nurse and helped me out a lot when I needed it - and I could tell I would be needing it. Then, as quickly as I had gotten the message, the incoming traveller alert rang through the complex.
He was in a bad way, the majority of the leg had been severed. Sultan dragged him out of the shuttle and carried the leg behind him in a bag with stasis gel. I took him to the surgery and anesthetized him. Wedge arrived at this moment, and looked after him while I scrubbed up. Can't say too much about what we actually did, but it was quite intricate. I had to align all of the blood vessels, nerves and such in the severed limb to the stump while Wedge covered the join with Revital. I had to stitch together certain parts to keep them aligned properly for the Revital to work correctly. Surprizingly, he only needed two blood transfusions after all that bleeding.
After hours of work, and Wedge stepping out to put Sultan in a bed to treat for shock, we were finished. Wedge took Ramah to post-op while I cleaned up. He should be fine in a few days, but I'm admitting him into recovery for six just to be sure. I'm really tired now - that really took it out of me. I think I'll leave the Lab and bid the others goodnight. Try to sleep a little, perhaps.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Empty Corridors
So Arthur's going to be moving in with us, I don't know why we didn't consider it before. As I told him, there are many dorms available since we used to have many people living here. But no longer. And that got me thinking.
This place really is quiet. I never noticed how much until right now. The silence roams the corridors, haunted by the abscence of its residents. Nine is filled with rooms that once were busy, but now lay silent and dark. Have we really lost so many? I went for a walk throughout the halls and looked into the rooms. So much that lay unfinshed, waiting. Waiting for those who will never return. How could I not have noticed it before? Is our demise really that inevitable? I spend my whole life trying to extend life itself, for all that I see, but as I heard the echoes of my footsteps rebounding off the longing walls I began to wonder.
I placed my hand on an image upon the wall, of children smiling out into the darkness, and asked myself - was it worth it? Of course it was, I told myself, that can't be in question. I exhaled and walked back through the complex that now lay abandoned, back to my lab.
Perhaps I am getting too old.
This place really is quiet. I never noticed how much until right now. The silence roams the corridors, haunted by the abscence of its residents. Nine is filled with rooms that once were busy, but now lay silent and dark. Have we really lost so many? I went for a walk throughout the halls and looked into the rooms. So much that lay unfinshed, waiting. Waiting for those who will never return. How could I not have noticed it before? Is our demise really that inevitable? I spend my whole life trying to extend life itself, for all that I see, but as I heard the echoes of my footsteps rebounding off the longing walls I began to wonder.
I placed my hand on an image upon the wall, of children smiling out into the darkness, and asked myself - was it worth it? Of course it was, I told myself, that can't be in question. I exhaled and walked back through the complex that now lay abandoned, back to my lab.
Perhaps I am getting too old.
Saturday, 5 May 2012
Dorleigh Case
So I've concluded the Dorleigh case. Turns out that the marrow transplant that they got was actually rejected by the bone itself as well as their own marrow, but of course they got the strengthened lymphocytes so that caused an immune war. So it was then just a matter of recalling the strengthened cells (this is one reason why I like to leave a radioactive signature in the introduced material) and replacing them with cells that had the correct protein marker for her body. Interesting case to look at really.
I will try to limit the medical journals, since I do already have the reports to fill out about it (and my brother has been complaining). Just quick notes I think.
The time difference between here where I work and the outer world does get to me at times. Particularly when we're all separated. You see, time passes differently here than outside of the base. Nine's outside of the normal stream of time, so that we could spend a week there and only a day will have passed outside (where this is found, thus many days may have passed for us but the next entry may be mere hours). Or we could spend a day here and a month pass outside - depends on the settings. Usually time passes more slowly outside.
I saw Arthur again a day or so ago. I think he's really looking forward to seeing Wedge again. Sure, he hasn't known her for that long - only like a year or two maybe (keeping track of time really is an issue here) but great friendship doesn't take long to bloom. He was Wedge's first friend in England when we came here and stayed for a while. He of course had no idea about us, or the real Wedge, but they got on all the same. Wedge used to leave and go spend time with him in her normal person alias. He took it really well, finding out about the secret service. He's been in Sector Nine a fair bit. He by no means knows all of it, or the crazy part. We were just about ready to induct him, show him, when Wedge left. It's a little funny to think how he used to join us so often to help with cases without knowing much at all about us. He still thinks we're just average people doing secret things. We'll have to tell him soon.
Ending thoughts: How did the wrong protein markers get left on the cells programmed for Dorleigh?
I will try to limit the medical journals, since I do already have the reports to fill out about it (and my brother has been complaining). Just quick notes I think.
The time difference between here where I work and the outer world does get to me at times. Particularly when we're all separated. You see, time passes differently here than outside of the base. Nine's outside of the normal stream of time, so that we could spend a week there and only a day will have passed outside (where this is found, thus many days may have passed for us but the next entry may be mere hours). Or we could spend a day here and a month pass outside - depends on the settings. Usually time passes more slowly outside.
I saw Arthur again a day or so ago. I think he's really looking forward to seeing Wedge again. Sure, he hasn't known her for that long - only like a year or two maybe (keeping track of time really is an issue here) but great friendship doesn't take long to bloom. He was Wedge's first friend in England when we came here and stayed for a while. He of course had no idea about us, or the real Wedge, but they got on all the same. Wedge used to leave and go spend time with him in her normal person alias. He took it really well, finding out about the secret service. He's been in Sector Nine a fair bit. He by no means knows all of it, or the crazy part. We were just about ready to induct him, show him, when Wedge left. It's a little funny to think how he used to join us so often to help with cases without knowing much at all about us. He still thinks we're just average people doing secret things. We'll have to tell him soon.
Ending thoughts: How did the wrong protein markers get left on the cells programmed for Dorleigh?
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Opening Title
I am Dr. Julian. Medical Doctor.
I've been considering joining here after making the suggestion that Wedge do it, but I've been a little busy up until now to do it. That, and my brother Alastor has been nagging me to sign up already.
Personally I think he's excited by it. You should have seen the amount of time he spent choosing the design for his page.
I do wish that there was a messaging system available so that I could send messages through here as well...but I guess that's what our intenal email is for. I just ... I don't know. I want everything in one spot. It's strange - I'm talking to an arbitraty 'you' when I know the people who are going to be reading this. And referencing those people in the third person. I guess that's what a blog's all about though, isn't it?
Another upside - if I update this enough, then some of the people chasing me will know where I am and what I'm doing at a certain point in time so that they can understand why I can't see them straight away. Sometimes people and patients get very impatient. As I understand this blog is reasonably restricted, but it doesn't really matter if it's not. We just can't divulge many details.
As you may have noticed, I'm back in the UK. Had to come back from visiting Wedge early, can't say why really. But Alastor's still there and those two will be arriving within the next couple of weeks.
I did catch up with Arthur too when I got back - he's excited that Wedge is coming back. I guess 18 months is a long time for him, being that much younger than us. He wanted to know if there was a way to find out what she had been up to, and I mentioned our shift towards this blog world to keep track of things. He's probably gone off to get one too. Considering the reports we have to write, and the secrecy of our emails, it's nice to have a more casual writing forum.
I don't know if Al's going to update his very much, but expect to see a little from me.
I've been considering joining here after making the suggestion that Wedge do it, but I've been a little busy up until now to do it. That, and my brother Alastor has been nagging me to sign up already.
Personally I think he's excited by it. You should have seen the amount of time he spent choosing the design for his page.
I do wish that there was a messaging system available so that I could send messages through here as well...but I guess that's what our intenal email is for. I just ... I don't know. I want everything in one spot. It's strange - I'm talking to an arbitraty 'you' when I know the people who are going to be reading this. And referencing those people in the third person. I guess that's what a blog's all about though, isn't it?
Another upside - if I update this enough, then some of the people chasing me will know where I am and what I'm doing at a certain point in time so that they can understand why I can't see them straight away. Sometimes people and patients get very impatient. As I understand this blog is reasonably restricted, but it doesn't really matter if it's not. We just can't divulge many details.
As you may have noticed, I'm back in the UK. Had to come back from visiting Wedge early, can't say why really. But Alastor's still there and those two will be arriving within the next couple of weeks.
I did catch up with Arthur too when I got back - he's excited that Wedge is coming back. I guess 18 months is a long time for him, being that much younger than us. He wanted to know if there was a way to find out what she had been up to, and I mentioned our shift towards this blog world to keep track of things. He's probably gone off to get one too. Considering the reports we have to write, and the secrecy of our emails, it's nice to have a more casual writing forum.
I don't know if Al's going to update his very much, but expect to see a little from me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)