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Registered Phenomena Code: 449
Object Class: Beta-Red
Hazard Types: Contact Hazard, Aggression Hazard, Extra-Terrestrial Hazard1, Organic Hazard, Regenerative Hazard, Sapient Hazard, Transmutation Hazard
Containment Protocols: The current RPC-449-1 instance is permitted to be confined with RPC-449 when not undergoing testing. RPC-449-1 is to be secured in a standard humanoid containment cell. Rations for one adult human are to be provided regularly to RPC-449-1. Separation between RPC-449-1 and RPC-449 must not exceed 24 hours.
During feeding/experimentation, the involved testing subject is to undergo a direct, genuine confrontation with RPC-449-1. This is to maximize RPC-449-1's nutritional intake and ensure its continued vitality. Tracking implementations are to be attached to RPC-449 and RPC-449-1 to deter a potential containment breach.
Due to RPC-449's parasitoidal2 effects on RPC-449-1, one CSD subject is to be selected from a predetermined list of CSD personnel following the previous instance's expiration. A remote drone is to acquire and provide RPC-449 to said personnel.
When possible, RPC-449-1 is to periodically relay information involving RPC-449's historical origins to Authority personnel for subsequent analysis. Current knowledge of RPC-449 suggests the potential to reproduce; preventative measures have been implemented to restrict any attempts by RPC-449 or RPC-449-1 from engaging in this practice.
Description: RPC-449 is a living, semi-parasitoid organism that superficially resembles a short sword. Specifically, it resembles swords of the late bronze age in its style. The "blade" portion of RPC-449 is made up of a highly dense type of muscular tissue. Initial tests place the hardness of this portion at roughly 95 on the Rockwell B-Scale. RPC-449 also has a "handle" portion of its body. this is made up of a less dense epidermal layer covering what is thought to be a bone-like structure. Along the handle portion, there appears to be sub-dermal spikes with stingers protruding from them. These stingers are known to extrude a type of fluid into a host. On the approximate "guard" portion of RPC-449, there is an optical organ most alike that of a human eye. It is believed that RPC-449 only has a singular eye, which rolls back and forth to either side of the anomaly.
RPC-449 is parasitoidal in nature, with its primary hosts being humans.3 To become a host of RPC-449, a human subject first grips onto the "handle" portion of RPC-449, at which point stingers will inject a fluid into the subject's blood stream. Composition of this fluid has so far been inconclusive. Being pale yellow in color, it was first thought to be a venom-like substance. Subsequent testing, however, has revealed that it is most similar in composition to blood, with cells present within it of similar shape to most common red and white blood cells. Following entry into the bloodstream, this fluid produces a lytic effect on the subject's red and white blood cells, progressively eliminating said cells for reproduction. Eventually, this substitutes the subject's RBC/WBC count; the subject is then designated an RPC-449-1 instance.
RPC-449-1 instances exhibit no major physical alterations, with the exception of a slight purple pigmentation of the skin and black pigmentation of the sclera. RPC-449-1 instances also have a completely changed mental mindset, disregarding previous interests to instead have the sole desire to engage in combat using RPC-449 as a weapon. RPC-449-1 instances also claim to be able to communicate with RPC-449. This is done through seemingly telepathic means. Instances of RPC-449-1 typically last for upwards of several years, after which point, exotic chemical changes within the fluid produced by RPC-449 will commence, causing the fluid to become Cytotoxic. Because of this process' gradual nature, it may take several days for the current RPC-449-1 instance to die from this event.
Once RPC-449 has bonded with an instance of RPC-449-1, it will typically have a desire to "feed". To do this, the RPC-449-1 instance will use RPC-449 as a weapon; RPC-449-1 will typically only attack beings which have a desire to harm them. Once a subject is identified, RPC-449-1 will penetrate its attacker via RPC-449; RPC-449 will subsequently absorb various metabolic nutrients from the aggressor. Postmortem examinations of subjects stabbed with RPC-449 indicate severe deficiencies of carbon solutions, calcium, potassium, and iron. Adrenaline also appears to be a key nutrient for RPC-449, as when subjects are stabbed with the anomaly, they begin to produce an inordinate amount of the compound, to which RPC-449 also absorbs. Bio-telemetry readings during testing confirm that RPC-449 uses these nutrients, as well as the adrenaline, to sustain both itself as well as the current RPC-449-1 instance.
Several anthropological discoveries by Authority elements have led many in the Authority to believe that RPC-449 is a member of a species that did not naturally evolve from any organism on earth. It is currently thought that the species of RPC-449 came to earth through some extraterrestrial means. RPC-449 itself is also an incredibly long lived organism; estimates of RPC-449's age place it at over █,███ years old. RPC-449 has directly corroborated all of these findings. See Addendum 449-1 for more details.
Discovery: RPC-449 came into the Authority's possession after being discovered during an archaeological dig in what is now modern-day southern Syria, in 1879, within an abandoned military outpost last thought to be occupied in the tenth century AD. RPC-449 was found within a scabbard attached to the corpse of what is believed to have been a high ranking military officer from the Abbasid Caliphate. Several records mentioning RPC-449 were also collected from this site; they can be found in the following addenda.
Addendum 449-1: Alleged abridged history of RPC-449 on earth.
Through various interviews and expeditions, evidence of the existence of the species to which RPC-449 belongs has been found throughout the world. A sample of this evidence is collected in this addenda for clerical purposes. To access the full records, Please see File-449-61B.
Interview 449-1: Attempted communication with an RPC-449-1 instance, dated █/██/1879
Interviewed: RPC-449-1-267, who has a direct line of communication with RPC-449.
Interviewer: Dr. Thaddeus ███
Foreword: After a researcher on the expedition which discovered RPC-449 made contact with the anomaly, the subject began to call upon other members of the expedition to attack the subject so that it may obtain "nutrients". The lead scientist on this expedition then intervened and attempted to speak with the subject.
<Begin Log>
RPC-449-1-267: Come you heathens, fight so that I may have a good meal, and so you may have a glorious death!
Dr. Thaddeus: Mister ██████ ████████! What is the meaning of this!? Have you gone completely mad?
RPC-449-1-267: Oh, Thaddeus, good to see you. Listen, I hereby resign myself from this expedition. I found a new calling; I wish to kill for the sake of this blade.
Dr. Thaddeus: This is outrageous! Put that weapon do- (Dr. Thaddeus notices the eye of RPC-449, which had previously been closed.) Wh-what in the name of God is that?
RPC-449-1-267: Oh, this? (Pauses, looks at the eye of RPC-449.) It is the blade; it calls to me Thad; from the deepest reaches of my mind, it commands me to kill.
Dr. Thaddeus: Mister ████████, I am not sure what is happening, but I know that if you let go of that…"sword" we can help you.
RPC-449-1-267: What? No, I don't know of any troops.
Dr. Thaddeus: What was that? Troops?
RPC-449-1-267: No I'm not a military man, but I will still kill for you.
Dr. Thaddeus: Are you speaking to me?
RPC-449-1-267: Oh, sorry Thad, I guess you can't hear him. You see, he's been speaking to me, trying to find out what has happened. He's been trapped in that scabbard for centuries, I think.
Dr. Thaddeus: Who? The blade you mean?
RPC-449-1-267: Yes, and he is very hungry; he needs to feed, to fight! Come on Thad, blast me with a repeating rifle, I can take it!
Dr. Thaddeus: Mister ████████, please, I'm not going to shoot you; I am however going to help you recover from whatever ailment you may have. If you'll drop your sword, we can-
RPC-449-1-267: Bah! To hell with you! I don't care at this point. He may not get the best meal out of this (Subject Raises RPC-449 to swing.) But he shall feed nonethele-
At this point, a member of the expedition had snuck behind the subject, and proceeded to hit him over the head with a rifle, knocking the subject unconscious, while also causing the subject to drop the blade.
Dr. Thaddeus: Nobody place a finger on that sword. Cover it in rags.
<End Log>
Closing Statement: RPC-449 was wrapped in cloth and locked in a chest, after which it was transported back to an Authority facility for study. RPC-449-1-267 entered into a state of psychosis as well as malnutrition after prolonged separation from RPC-449, and died shortly after separation.
Recovered documents from RPC-449 Discovery Expedition.
Below are several translated journal entries of a potential RPC-449-1 instance before its death in approximately 947 AD.
12 March 946.
God as my witness, I have encountered something most unholy. As I engaged in combat with several infidels from the lands of Byzantium, I was face to face with one who I am most certain was possessed by a demon. Its eyes blackened as night, its skin the shade of a corpse, yet it fought with the tenacity of 10 lions. Several of my brothers joined me in slaying it, yet still many were felled upon its blade. That is what I am most curious about; I believe for a few moments that I witnessed an eye upon the blade the demon was wielding. I wanted to look closer, but we were commanded to leave the battlefield shortly afterwards. We made camp several miles away from the battle, and the thought of that blade still haunts me. Had the demon also possessed the blade? Or did it take the form of a blade, and made that infidel use it as a weapon? I must go back to search for that blade. We shall pass back through there to advance on our campaign. I will scout ahead to attempt to retrieve it.
18 March 946.
My second assumption was true! The blade itself was a demon! And curse myself, I too have become its host. As I walked among the corpses of the battle, I had found the infidel which wielded the sword, and upon the sword itself, there was in fact an eye of a man. I am but a fool for reaching for the handle of it with my bare hand. As I did, It felt as though scorpions were piercing my palm. I watched as my skin became the same shade as the infidel who fought with me with this blade. Soon I began to hear its voice, the blade's voice. It speaks to me in my language; I do not know how but it simply does. It speaks of such strange things. It speaks of ancient days, from beyond thousands of years ago. It speaks of Man, as he once was, and of how it possessed Man. It also speaks of death, of killing, how to kill. I want to kill. I want to kill for this blade. Why did I write that? This blade is a demon, I cannot kill on the orders of a demon. There is but one course of action I can take. I will approach my superior officers, and ask them to slay me where I stand. May the almighty prophet accept me into heaven despite my sins.
27 March 946.
I feel immense strife within myself, as well as towards my now contemporary officers, for they have given me revelations which have caused me to doubt my place in this world. As I approached my then superior officers, I recounted my sins to them, apologized, and stood before them, waiting for them to draw their blades to cut me down. I also instructed them to attempt to destroy the demon blade, so that no other may commit sin in its name. To my surprise, they told me to rise, and to follow them into their tent, where they then revealed to me of the blade's true nature. They say the blade is not a demon, but a being like any other. They say that it came from beyond the firmament of heaven, untold ages ago, along with its kin. They say this 'tribe of heavenly weapons' first appeared to humanity as a rock, and from the first time that Man used that rock as a weapon, they have been with us. They also say that they believe the tribe is dying, that this may be one of the last of its kind, and that with my help, I can reestablish this tribe to its former glory. The blade itself spoke the same things to me, explaining that many before me wielded it in countless battles. They have spoken to me of this and more, promoting my rank, swearing me to secrecy, yet I still do not feel it is right. This blade may have originated from beyond the veil of the heavens, yet I know in my heart it is not one of God's creations. Even so, this desire I feel to kill for this blade is simply too strong for me to resist. I curse this blade, and those officers. Why is it they could not wield this blade? I swear, I will find a method for penance for me and these wicked men.
19 April 947.
On this day, I have killed 47 men, and so I shall lash myself 47 times for their deaths at the hand of this blade. If only I could also lash my contemporaries as well. They continue to converse with me, as well as with the blade, using me as a medium to learn more about it. they speak to us about my killings and the blade's health, always doting over whether the blade is 'feeding' enough. I shall eternally curse these men, who have used me only as a host for this bastard star-spawn creature, I also eternally curse it. What is most terrifying is, I have learned of how I will 'save' this 'tribe of weapons' from extinction. I am to be sacrificed in a dark ritual. My flesh will be transformed, and from it others of this blade's kin shall be made. I could never bear the weight of this action, and my soul would never rest if multitudes of this blade's kin were in the hands of tormented souls like mine. There must be a way to stop this blade. I cannot simply sneak away with it; I am too closely monitored by my contemporaries to attempt escape. Destruction of the blade is also infeasible. Many times I struck it against a solid stone wall. It cried out in pain but it never broke. God Almighty I pray to you, please reveal to me how to kill this blade, and please erase this blade from the record books, may it and all of its kin be forgotten.
16 May 947.
God has smiled upon me. As I write this, I, as well as all of the men who are a part of this conspiracy of the blade, am trapped in an immense sandstorm, in the middle of the Levant. We are losing men by the hour, and we have no bearings for how to escape. I do feel sorrow for the men who are uninformed of this conspiracy. I thank their sacrifice immensely. As for the men who are informed, I personally used the blade they so worshiped to slay them, much to the dismay of the blade itself. It curses me, calls me a 'tribe slayer' and wishes for my race to also die at the hands of another. I do not listen. I have placed the blade within my scabbard, so that it may know of the fate of all those felled before it. I will now let the sands take me as well. To whoever finds this, I hope you will never fall under the influence of this blade, and if possible, I also hope you will develop a method for its destruction.
When questioned about these writings, RPC-449 became hostile, and refused to speak any further. The events described in these writings as the possible origin of RPC-449's species, and the supposed ritual by which the species reproduces is currently under investigation. RPC-449 has also refused to comment on these events.