Outbreak currently has 25 pieces of intel. They are split into four categories, each of them regarding a different force within the narrative of the mode. These categories are Requiem, Omega Group, Maxis, and Dark Aether.
Requiem
Documents
- "CIA Director Casey greenlights Requiem's operations in the Ural Mountains."
- — Description
June 20, 1984
FOR: Director of Requiem
FROM: DCI Casey
SUBJECT: Operation Threshold
Having consulted with POTUS and all appropriate NATSEC stakeholders, I have officially authorized implementation of Operation Threshold. You are hereby instructed to immediately mobilize all personnel and resources necessary to support extended covert ops in the Ural Mountains Outbreak Zone.
Mission parameters remain as detailed in the proposal you submitted to me. As expected, the White House's main concern is the obvious one: staging ongoing military operations in the heart of the Soviet Union risks triggering a full-scale war. However, both NATO and the USSR are driven by a mutual need to keep lose as we do from a global panic. We are therefore confident the Soviets will keep our presence in the Urals under wraps so long as we operate within the perimeter they have established for their own covert ops. But there are limits to what each side will tolerate, so keep engagements with Omega Group to a minimum.
All four of your Division Leads are familiar with the planned array of objectives and the materiel assembled to carry them out. Nevertheless, as you further your Aetherium research and collect vitally needed data on the Dark Aether dimension, there are specific priorities I wish to reiterate.
Major Carver should brief all Requiem operators on best practices when hunting Elite-class hostiles designated as High Value Targets. Likewise, make sure he prepares them for the teleportation effect associated with Aetherium crystal "power nodes."
Dr. Strauss must ensure all Aetherium Harvester units are in working order, with updated splashdown coordinates input to their rocket guidance systems. Likewise, have him re-test the Essence Conversion Modules.
Dr. Grey should resubmit documentation that her Dark Aether Specimen Analyzers function as intended. If your operators are going to risk their lives defending them, they damn well better yield some useful data. Likewise, make sure she has enough live specimens for repeated test of the Dark Aether Recon Rover. There are still funds remaining in the "monkey budget" should more primates be required.
Finally, Special Operations Officer Weaver should undertake a thorough assessment of strike team operators to make sure they're prepared to support all research ops and, if necessary, render assistance to any science personnel in the field.
It goes without saying that Threshold will be Requiem's largest and most important operation to date - perhaps ever. The Ural Outbreak Zone represents our greatest single opportunity to surpass the Soviets in Aetherium weaponry and energy production. In short, this is where the Aetherium arms race will be won or lost. Operation Threshold could be the key to victory over the USSR, not to mention the extradimensional forces arrayed against us.
Apologies for the granular nature of my instructions, but too much is riding on this. I am counting on you, Director. We all are.
W Casey
William J. Casey
- "Secret report listing dimensional breaches around the globe following the outbreak at Projekt Endstation."
- — Description
July 7, 1984
FOR: D.C.I. William J. Casey
FROM: Office of SIGINT Operations
SUBJECT: Outbreak Zones
RE: global threat originating from suspected Soviet operation near Morasko, Poland 18 hours ago.
In brief: it appears a Spetsnaz covert ops team has somehow punched a hole in the fabric of spacetime. This phenomenon is, to our knowledge, unprecedented. Our physics experts describe it as a breach in the quantum membrane separating our dimension from a parallel reality. The Morasko event remains localized, but it appears to have triggered a global ripple effect as we have detected several similar breaches around the world.
The Morasko event was first detected by the satellite component of our Distant Early Warning network created to detect ICBM launches and/or nuclear detonations. MASINT recorded a unique electromagnetic signature at the Morasko site, followed by similar readings in Venezuela, Namibia, Vietnam, Azerbaijan and Russia. SIGNINT intercepts from local authorities describe a fast-acting "plague" that transforms victims into violent "monsters." Infection does not follow traditional disease vectors. Instead, it appears dependent on proximity to the dimensional breach. We are currently designating these sites as "Outbreak Zones." Details as follows:
Russia - detected 9 minutes after Morasko event. The breach in the Ural Mountains is by far the largest recorded Outbreak Zone. Soviet response currently focuses on containment and suppression of information to prevent a national panic.
Azerbaijan - detected 12 minutes after Morasko event. Much smaller than the Urals event. Though located near the capital city Baku, containment and suppression efforts were swift and successful.
Namibia - detected 33 minutes after Morasko event in a remote section of the Namib Desert. We have a team en route to assess the breach first-hand and anticipate useful data will be collected.
Vietnam - detected 39 minutes after Morasko event in Thua Thien-Hue province. The smallest breach so far is in some ways the most troubling. Dimensional membrane instability in this region suggests further breaches may occur. Local authorities are teaming with Soviet assets to contain the situation.
Venezuela - detected 1 hour after Morasko event deep in the rainforest south of the Orinoco. CIA science team is en route.
Further updates and recommended actions will follow as this is a developing situation. For now, we strongly urge the formation of a dedicated task force to suppress and contain hostile forces and potential spread of all Outbreak Zones, regardless of location.
D Halprin
David Halprin
- "Blueprint for the remote vehicle designed to explore the Dark Aether dimension."
- — Description
CIA RCV-M7: DARK AETHER RECON ROVER
DESIGNATION: RCM-DAR2
OFFICE OF REQUIEM - DS&T
Approval: Elizabeth Grey
Date: 04/13/84
- "Design schematic for an orbital weapons platform capable of firing an energy beam into the Dark Aether and drawing forth its apex-level threats."
- — Description
CIA SAT-9: DIMENSIONAL DISRUPTOR DESIGNATION: CIAR-9-DADD OFFICE OF REQUIEM - DS&T Approval: Mackenzie Carver Date: 03/08/84
Artifacts
- "One of the severed zombie heads scanned in the Dark Aether Specimen Analyzer."
- — Description
- "When full, this removable container from the Aetherium Harvesting Module must be placed on a rocket for transport out of the USSR."
- — Description
- "This shard was broken off of an Aetherium Power Node - one of many large crystalline structures slowly terraforming the Outbreak Zone to support the hideous life forms from the Dark Aether."
- — Description
- "One of several interchangeable canisters for use in the W.A.N.D. weapon. Manipulates Aetherium to deliver a sub-zero blast that stops enemies cold."
- — Description
Omega Group
Documents
- "Gorev reports to Kravchenko regarding Omega Group operations in the Ural Mountains Outbreak Zone. "
- — Description
18 June of the year 1984
Progress Report:
Ural Mountains Dimensional Breach
Colonel, I have completed my latest review of Omega Group operations in the Ural Mountains Breach AO. Overall conclusion is that our efforts are proceeding on schedule and yielding tangible results. If anything, progress has accelerated since the arrival of Dr. Peck. It appears your personal reprimand had the desired result. I have never seen him more motivated to meet the goals we set for his team. We still face a highly dangerous and unpredictable work environment, but if we are to deliver a decisive strategic advantage over the Americans and NATO, the answers will be found here.
Aetherium collection continues around the clock. This is by far the richest source of Aetherium crystals in the world, with new deposits forming every day. In fact, the infestation is so great we do not even have to send collection teams to the other side. I have taken steps to obscure the true levels of our growing stockpile. If there is a leak in Omega, the last thing we want is Requiem discovering the true magnitude of what we have here.
If there is any upside to the danger we face from Dark Aether hostiles, it is the opportunity for weapons testing. We have even recovered weaponry from some of the hostiles unique to this location. In conclusion, the Ural Mountains Breach remains our most important area of operations. Should Requiem continue their efforts to match our Aetherium research, then let this be our battleground for the fate of the Motherland.
Gorev
- "Shortly after assuming command of Omega Group, Kravchenko informs his superiors of his choices for Omega leadership roles."
- — Description
03 April of the year 1983
RE: Omega Leadership Appointments
AUTHOR: Col. Lev Kravchenko
9 days ago, the Chairman of the Committee for State Security tasked me with revitalizing Spetsgruppa Omega. Today, after consultation with comrades Andropov and Chebrikov, I am prepared to name key personnel to lead Omega Group's military and scientific operations.
My right-hand man Gorev will serve as Tactical Operations lead during active measures, ensuring our unit's performance is not just up to Spetsnaz standards, but up to my standards. Omega's original focus on superstitions and old wives' tales made these operators soft. Gorev will burn all softness out of them. Assisting him will be Kapitan Sergei Ravenov, whose sterling service record should calm the fears of any apparatchik with misgivings about comrade Gorev.
As for Omega's stated mission: to identify, study, and weaponize so-called "exoscientific phenomena," I have chosen trusted experts to assess the validity and practicality of such a focus. If they say we can realistically deliver a counterpunch to Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, so be it. if not, I will request this unit be liquidated and the men reassigned.
Dr. Aleksandra Valentina has already assumed leadership of our Psychotronic Phenomena Research - the study of extrasensory perception, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and so on. For the last 8 years, Omega Group failed to verify the existence of such abilities, much less harness them. In addition to having a background in hard science, comrade Valentina is a straight talker and a Soviet's Soviet. If Omega is a waste of resources, she will give me the unvarnished truth.
Finally, Dr. William Peck from America's weapons research organization DARPA will serve as Exoscientific Phenomena Research Lead. Peck will develop military applications for Aetherium. Comrade Chebrikov tells me there was some pushback to this choice. After all, if Peck betrayed his own country, why wouldn't he sell us out as well? Rest assured I have contingencies in place if Peck ever thinks of betraying me.
I have issued a general order to scout all records since the creation of Omega Group in 1975. Surely something usable, something of worth must have been found in all that time.
Colonel Lev Kravchenko
- "Valentina writes a report to Kravchenko detailing key operations from the early days of Omega Group."
- — Description
19 April of the year 1983
RE: Omega Group Records Review
AUTHOR: Dr. Aleksandra Valentina
SUMMARY:
Omega's central database archives confirm the main operational focus was to gain a scientific understanding of psychotronic abilities like biocommunications and bioenergetics, then instill those abilities in our covert operators. Obviously, being able to read minds or dominate the wills of others would have great utility in espionage and covert operations. Though they never determined a scientific cause for extrasensory abilities, they did conscript a handful of Russian nationals with genuine talents and trained them as intelligence assets. Alas, their gifts were impossible to reproduce and all such assets were either killed in action or suffered psychological breakdowns that rendered them useless for continued service. Still, the work showed promise:
10 April, 1976 - A suicide bomber attempting to enter the Soviet embassy in Ho Chi Minh City was sensed by an Omega Group asset on site. The terrorist was stopped and detonated at the gate, saving countless lives in the compound.
29 June, 1976 - East Germany hosted a multilateral conference for European communist parties. A mind-reading Omega asset learned several representatives from Soviet satellite states were uniting to extract concessions from the Kremlin. Omega units quietly rounded up the diplomats' families in their home countries, ending the insurrection before it started.
7 April, 1978 - Following a remotely placed suggestion by an Omega biocommunications asset at our embassy in Washington, US president Carter suspended production of their neutron bomb.
28 April, 1978 - A clairvoyant Omega asset helped the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan assassinate the Afghan president. The asset experienced a mental breakdown and had to be liquidated as she attempted to defect at the British consulate in Kabul.
There were also indications in the records of Omega involvement in several high-profile assassination ops in March, May and October of 1981. All assets involved were liquidated after comrade Brezhnev's untimely death in 1982.
My review has so far been limited to the central database on the KGB mainframe. Other records deemed too sensitive for the party leadership were sent for storage elsewhere. I am currently piecing together the chain of custody on some of those items.
Dr. Aleksandra Valentina
Artifacts
- "The Colonel's preferred method of getting someone's attention."
- — Description
- "Worn proudly on the shoulder of every Omega Group operator."
- — Description
Maxis
Documents
- "Weaver updates the senior staff regarding the condition of Maxis following the events at Outpost 25."
- — Description
June 17, 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: Carver, M. Grey, E. Strauss, O.
FROM: Weaver, G.
SUBJECT: Agent Maxis
I know you all have your hands full right now sifting through the intel recovered from Operation Lost Property in Vietnam, but you have each inquired separately about the welfare and whereabouts of former BND agent Samantha Maxis so I want to share our initial assessment of her condition.
Immediately following her extraction form the Dark Aether, agent Maxis was evacuated by our strike team, placed under medical supervision and transported directly to Requiem headquarters. Preliminary physical and psychiatric evaluations were performed en route.
She was found to be in surprisingly good physical condition considering her ordeal in the other dimension. While we estimate she spent roughly 48 hours there, Agent Maxis claims she was missing for many months. Physiological and metabolic data support her claim, but further details are slow in coming due to post-traumatic stress issues and apparent gaps in her memory. We will continue to monitor for indications of brain damage.
I ordered her confined to the quarantine suite where she will remain until further notice. Though she was operating in an unsanctioned capacity, she is not to be considered a prisoner. However, we need to know what Maxis learned about the other side and I will secure her cooperation personally.
For the time being, only myself, the Director, and Requiem medical staff will have access to Maxis as we continue running tests on her. All data and findings will be shared with you as I deem appropriate. I will permit you to interview her when conditions allow. Until then, focus your efforts on the intel from Omega Outpost 25 and its implications for future ops.
- "Maxis describes a dream she had while recovering in quarantine."
- — Description
Sometimes I find it hard to sleep
Even though I look forward to it
When I dream
I see faces
Faces of people I care about
And faces of people that don't care for me
Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the two
But one face stands out from all others
The face of a child
A boy
He is lost
Damaged
I want to help him
But somehow I feel that he is
Dangerous
Dreams are unreliable witnesses
As too am I
Artifacts
- "The video cassette tape Maxis smuggled to Weaver that triggered Requiem's investigation of Projekt Endstation."
- — Description
Dark Aether
Documents
- "After a period of silence, the Stranger resumes contact."
- — Description
Hello again, my friend. I am pleased that you are still alive and still in this fight.
I know it has been too long since I last contacted you, but my years trapped in darkness taught me the value of caution. So, I have been observing you and your compatriots. Please understand, I had to be sure I could trust you.
What I have seen is your courage in the face of unspeakable horrors and your devotion to each other. And it has restored my faith in humanity and my resolve to defend our world.
- "The Stranger discusses the Cold War."
- — Description
One reason I was so wary is that I have observed how the world has changed since I was trapped here. You have come so far in so many ways. But still...
I look back on the great war against the Axis powers. I remember East and West uniting against a great evil. I always thought that with evil defeated we would all move forward together.
But as the years roll by, I have watched an icy hatred split the world in two. You could utterly destroy each other now. All it takes is one careless moment.
- "The Stranger expresses his willingness to share more secrets of the Dark Aether once trust is established."
- — Description
My friend, I see that your people have harnessed the dark powers of this place and turned them against the darkness itself. Your superiors may even believe they all they need to end this conflict between worlds and then force your human enemies to their knees.
But you have only scratched the surface. I have learned things in my time here that you could scarcely believe. There is much more I can share with you.
But just as I would not place a rifle in a child's hands, I must be sure I am not handing a much more destructive force to those without the wisdom to use it.
- "The Stranger is working to establish voice communication."
- — Description
Communicating with you like this has meant more to me than I can say. It saved me from despair. It gave me something I thought long lost: hope for the future.
But words on a screen are not enough. I hunger for the sound of your voice. I long to speak to someone who is free of this soul-crushing place.
So, I am working to make this system capable of producing sound. I may not be able to establish a 2-way connection, but at the very least I would have you hear my voice.
Artifacts
- "Empty can of Jugger-Nog - carelessly discarded by a previous Requiem Operator. Remember, kids: don't litter, always recycle!"
- — Description
- "The head of the test dummy mounted in the Arsenal device. "Ivan" is there to upgrade weapons and armor - an indispensable ally against ever-increasing odds."
- — Description
- "A stuffed rabbit toy of unknown origin."
- — Description
