Extra Chapter 004 - Hidden files

DFS Missing Person Case 001

Missing person is labeled MP001.

The following is an audio transcript of video surveillance file sc-00023659-p-52 recorded at [REDACTED] on 03.09.----; the video channel is corrupted beyond saving. This is the only file which could be recovered.

____

Door opens

Light footsteps

Door closes

Silence

Doctor. M. Luuranko : 

“Hey [       ]¹, still on the ELF Deep field scanner? How’s it going?”

¹-(The voice of Dr. Luuranko stops for a brief moment)

MP001 : 

“Oh, hi Mark.²” 

²-(The voice is distorted, impossible to determine gender)

Sounds of clothes ruffling, something heavy is being dropped carefully on a hard surface, office chair noises

“Didn’t hear you enter. It’s going, huh, as well as it could with the recent lack of funding, I think I might get an actual render today, though, if my calculations are all correct and nothing breaks on me last second, this time.”

Doctor. M. Luuranko : 

“Are you confident? Man that’d be insane. It’s all you need to get more funding, too. I’m sure a single good picture will get you support from the SFDA, and if not, you can probably… You know… find another hand to feed you.“

MP001 laughs. Extremely distorted.

MP001 : 

“Maybe, maybe not. Even with a good render, there might just be nothing new to see there, you know?”

Doctor. M. Luuranko : 

“OR! You could hold the definite proof, once and for all, that we’re not alone in this universe. Just imagine!”

MP001 :

“Well, that’s the hope, anyway. It could certainly be used to find us, assuming it works. I’ve good h-”

[MP001’s sentence is cut by a short silence]

Doctor. M. Luuranko : 

“Look! It’s coming in! We’re receiving it!”

Sounds of steps and office chair

MP001 :

“Actual usable data! Help me launch the AI, I don’t have the render conversion built-in yet!“

Doctor. M. Luuranko : 

‘You don’t?!”

MP001 :

“No! I didn’t really think it’d actually work today!”

Doctor. M. Luuranko : 

“Fucking… Alright I’ll handle Quant, you do your thing! Don’t mess up now!”

Sounds of rapid keyboard typing, two office chairs moving

Doctor. M. Luuranko :

"It’s here! I’ve never been so thrilled to see a line of red pixels!”

MP001 :

“There is some noise in the values already, too early to say if this is anything worthwhile though.”

Doctor. M. Luuranko :

“The telescope’s still pointed at the [REDACTED], right?

MP001 :

“You know me, where else would I look first?!”

[A short period goes where no one speaks, but chairs creaking and heavy breathing can still be heard at times.]

Doctor. M. Luuranko :

“Shit! Why did it turn off?!”

MP001 :

“Quant must be overloading! Handle him while I monitor the transfer.”

Doctor. M. Luuranko :

“I get it, wanna see the render first? Sure but you owe me a burger at Jimmy’s!”

MP001 :

“If this goes through I’ll buy you the entire menu!”

Doctor. M. Luuranko :

“Hold you to that, bro. I’m going in.”

The sounds and context point to Dr. Luuranko sitting on the lab’s dive chair and plugging into FDR to communicate directly with QUANT-AI

MP001 :

“More noise…”

“Wait… There’s something right in the center… Come on, render the next line already…”

“What is that?”

“Is this… A top-hat? How could this possibly…”

“Is someone pulling a weird prank? Mark?”

“Should I pull him out?”

“Oh my god, it’s really a top-hat on someone’s head. Quant must be disf-”

[The next three minutes go by in absolute silence]

Noises from Doctor Luuranko disconnecting from FDR.

Doctor. M. Luuranko :

“Why… What am I even doing here?”

“Wasn’t there someone else with me? Everything is turned off, so I guess not… Weird. I thought…”

“This project is really starting to get to me… I need more sleep.”

Footsteps, door opening and closing.

END OF RECORDING

____

This recording is the only one remaining of MP001.

To this day, no other text, pictures, audio, or video relating directly to MP001 could be found.

Addendum (12.03.----)

Since the publication of this case, three separate individuals have supposedly investigated this case and the DFS. They will be labeled MP002, MP003 and MP004 in the following documents. 

The exact identity of MP001 through MP004 is still a mystery. 

MP002 is the label given to the publisher of the original entry in this case. 

The four missing persons have been identified to be [REDACTED] employees through an AI filtering of the employment database coming up with four mismatches.

Although no name was found, personal home addresses were recovered for all four mismatches. One of them led to an empty lot, one to a vacant house, and two to single-mother families.

In both cases, no information could be found about the missing fathers. They are presumed to be MP003 and MP004. Close relatives seem to suffer partial amnesia regarding MP003 and MP004, being able to relate that said individuals exist, but failing to elaborate. Public records, neighbors, supposed colleagues and distant relatives all seem to suffer a complete targeted amnesia, and have no recollection of anyone going missing.

By analyzing the energy expenditure of the lab, we have been able to pinpoint four unaccounted-for power surges, one of them dating to 03.09.----, and another dating to the initial publishing of this case.

The Deep Field Scanner and the images it produces are now considered to be a worldwide existential threat capable of provoking mass hyper-targeted amnesia.

The fate of MP001 through MP004 is still unknown.

The scanner is now out of commission and cannot be used under any circumstances. 

For the safety of our public agents, the DFS will be disassembled and disposed of by death-row inmates.

A special unit will be created to prevent any future research into ELF Deep Fields. Use of lethal force is authorized. 

Addendum 3 (08.26.----)

Despite the previous measures, more database mismatches have kept appearing steadily.

The entirety of [REDACTED] Labs will be demolished, and the remaining employees will be going through an obligatory professional conversion.

All further research into this case is strictly forbidden and punishable by death without trial.

Case Closed.