For Official Purposes Only

  Document: "Re: Operation DESMOND"

  ISS: 2021-02-16 █████

  Internal Communication ID#██████

  To: Assistant Director ███████

  From: Cpl █████

  ████ ███████,

  In regards to civilian researcher █████████'s failure to appear at intake yesterday morning: yesterday, at 1500 hours, we received a report of a sudden disappearance on a civilian transport shuttle heading through the mountains approximately 30 miles east of ███████████████. According to eyewitnesses, the man seemed to be in significant distress prior to suddenly vanishing from the vehicle. I have dispatched officers to confirm identification, but from preliminary description, it seems likely the subject is this missing researcher.

  Additionally, ████████ ████ has not yet been informed of the facts surrounding the disappearance. I am deferring to you, since the situation could deteriorate if the lead turns out to be true.

  THE REST OF THE DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REDACTED

  

  Document: "Re: Re: Operation DESMOND"

  ISS: 2021-02-16 █████

  Internal Communication ID#██████

  To: Cpl █████

  From: Assistant Director ███████

  Thank you for the report. As I'm sure you understand, quite a few things have come across my desk as a result of Operation DESMOND. Director ████████ has been looped into the situation as well. The number of reported disappearances has increased as well. The Director has informed me that ████████ is considering designating this the second wave. Keep me informed as the investigation progresses.

  With regards to ████████, we have decided it would be best to bring them into the loop as well. Keeping this hidden from him will only serve to distract from his primary objective. We can only pray that ███████████ will find his way back.

  

  For Official Purposes Only

  Document: "Eyewitness reports from the disappearance of researcher ████"

  RECV: 2021-02-17 07:13

  As far, we managed to track down 4 of the seven people that were present on the vehicle when █████████ reportedly vanished, including the driver, who visually confirmed the identity of the vanished rider to be ████. Through this, we can ascertain that ████ vanished at approximately █████ Pacific Standard Time. This time is consistent with several other disappearances across the western United States, and preliminarily matches reports from across the eastern seaboard.

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  From reports, researcher ████ seemed to have been in some sort of distress prior to vanishing. It is unclear whether researcher ████ had any prior knowledge or intuition over his current fate, or if there was some other external factor in play.

  The current whereabouts of the other three riders are unknown.

  Eric had awoken feeling like a wandering construction worker had taken a jackhammer to his skull. The only thing that could convince him otherwise was the stunning lack of brain matter leaking out of his skull. He shuffled across his small, one-bedroom apartment as he dug through the oversized cardboard box containing his medical supplies. Pulling out a small bottle of painkillers, his weary eyes settled on a small, handwritten note laying on the otherwise bare kitchen counter.

  He set a collection of the pills onto his tongue before swallowing them dry. He picked up the small piece of paper and held it up to the dim morning light. His sunlight-starved eyes quickly read through the contents of the note, grimaced and crumpled the small paper before throwing it indignantly on the floor. Eric sighed, before turning back to his small bathroom to get ready for the day.

  The sun was still lazily making its way into the air when Eric arrived at the location for his pickup. He shivered in the cold mountain air, breath hanging still and unmoving. Eric warily scanned the road in front of him, hoping that the transport was only running slightly late. Disappointed by the distinct lack of transport on the horizon, he sat down on his bag and pulled out the documents he had been sent the day before.

  Reports on the wave of disappearances that had occurred the previous year, followed by the appearance of the tear over Wyoming. Then finally, the returning when the people that disappeared started to reappear across the country. Much of the information had long since leaked, but some of the information was new to him. Specifics about the trials undergone after the disappearing, interviews with returners, and classifications. Their current occupation fighting against the horrors of the breach.

  Eric had found the contents of the documents unbelievable before, but he had seen them in action himself. Eric eyes drifted naturally to the image of one particular individual, recreated in black and white on the document. A tinge of pain was creeping its way back into his head as he felt the painkillers from the morning begin to wear off.

  The sound of an approaching vehicle pulled his attention away from the documents, as he spied the approaching transport vehicle. Pushing himself to his feet, he hurriedly pushed the documents --- and the included picture of his brother --- back into his luggage before the transport puttered to a stop in front of him. The driver disembarked to help him load his belongings before pulling himself back into the driver's seat and turning around.

  But there was no one there.