unVeiled » Politics
Concerns Among Americans Over Magically-Gifted Individuals Rising
By Wilbur Henderson (⁂uV_Henderson)
Published 01/15/2048, 23:45
The Centennial Hall in Wrocław, one of the most significant locations for the Silesian Uprising.
The topic of the Silesian Insurrection of 2039 has resonated not just in Poland, but around the globe. When the citizens of Silesia took to the streets to gain their independence, suddenly gifted with thaumic muscle on a scale unparalleled by modern history, only to meet armed Polish forces and Chaos Insurgency terrorists on other sides of the barricade, the world collectively held its breath. Even now, years later, the American public's consciousness remains concerned with the thaumic uprising. "What would the government do if this happened in our home? Should we be afraid?" the people asked, almost ten years ago. "Could we even prevent bloodshed, if our home suffered the same fate?"
Recent studies show that the acceptance rate of thaumic individuals in major American cities has gone down from 67% in 2038 to just 23% in 2047. With political tensions on the rise due to the impending 2048 presidential election, the topic of thaumic security has been a burning question in many voters' minds. Though both sides of the political aisle recognised and engaged with the topic, during recent hearings, President Crenshaw's administration addressed the subject directly: "The American people have no reason to be afraid. With my administration's new directives when I am, or rather, should say 'if' I am re-elected this year, we will crack down on those who abuse their thaumic abilities for evil. Have no fear. We will overcome."
| From: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
|---|---|
| To: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 01/17/2048 |
Prof. Yoshida,
It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is General Thomas Bowe, and I will be the new head of SCARLET DAWN, filling in for General Johnson. I look forward to a successful partnership between our organizations — America's long overdue for some proper security.
I understand you had a rapport with General Johnson, but fear not — though the name on the other side of the communication may have changed, most things will remain the same. I may take a different route than my predecessor in a few aspects of our endeavor, but our goal continues being the same. In particular, there are two major points I would like to emphasize remain identical as during your time under Gen. Johnson:
- 1. The DEADLINE: Administration expects the project to be concluded before the election comes into full swing. Though it would be ideal if we could finish before the final presidential debate airs live, the absolute latest you are to present satisfactory results is the day of the election. We can miss our political leverage, but we absolutely cannot risk the Democrats taking credit for SCARLET DAWN, in the unlikely case that Buttigieg claims the win;
- 2. The CONFIDENTIALITY: It is absolutely imperative that our work here remains classified until President Crenshaw can present our results to the public. I am certain you were already notified of this, but this extends to internal JOICL databases and communications as well — until we are done, this is between your team and mine, no exceptions.
With official bussiness out of the way, I would just like to say I am truly honored to be working with a man like you. It's not often that one gets to talk with an apprentice of the famous Hisashi Kunō himself. I am sure that together, we will make America and the international scientific community proud.
God bless America,
General Thomas Bowe, United States Paranatural Warfare Command
🔗 One (1) file attached: Project SCARLET DAWN Casefiles: Thomas Bowe
| From: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
|---|---|
| To: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 01/18/2048 |
General Bowe,
You musn't fear: my team guarantees nothing but efficiency and confidentiality. Though I'd tell you to trust my word, I'm more than positive our satisfactory contract history can speak for itself. We have already begun our work, and are expecting preliminary results shortly; I'll update you as soon as we finalize our genetic designs. I'm attaching their blueprints so that in case you have any further comments, we may edit them in before we start the production.
All this being said, however, I do have some concerns.
Namely, wouldn't the Coalition and the World Parahealth Organization be opposed to this? If this project were to spread to unauthorized third parties, we could be looking at a potential second Impasse. Make no mistake, I am eager to work on this project, but I do not wish for what happened 27 years ago to repeat.
Regards,
Professor Haru Yoshida
🔗 One (1) file attached: 選-U-1854 Genetic Design (final)
| From: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
|---|---|
| To: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 01/18/2048 |
Prof. Yoshida,
I am not paying you to catastrophize at me. I am paying you to do what is right for my country. If you question me or my directives again, I am afraid I will have to end this partnership, and I am sure your company would not appreciate losing one of its biggest customers.
God bless America,
General Thomas Bowe, United States Paranatural Warfare Command
AVIATICA
With the Wings of Freedom Rings the Bell of Progress
08/22/2048 | ISSUE 120, VOLUME 02
MEET 'EM
BOTH
It's official: we know the two nominees of the 2048 American presidential election. But who are Dan Crenshaw and Pete Buttigieg? What are their programs? What ideologies do they represent? And what is their stance on the nation-wide thaumic security discussion? Join Aviatica as we answer those questions and more, before both our candidates answer them themselves during the upcoming presidential debates!
| From: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
|---|---|
| To: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 08/25/2048 |
General Bowe,
I am glad to inform you that 選-U-1854's design and engineering phases have now officially been completed. With a few more changes to its genetic code, we were able to successfully stabilize and print ten samples of the product.
What's even better is that the results of preliminary testing are in. I'll attach their exact documentation below, but let's just say that I am certain you will be satisfied with what we were able to accomplish so far.
Regards,
Professor Haru Yoshida
🔗 One (1) file attached: 選-U-1854 Experimentation Log, 20-24/2048
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One house mouse (Mus musculus), bereft of any thaumic traits. | Introduced 選-U-1854 directly into the subject's bloodstream via injection. | None observed — subject's organism remained indifferent towards 選-U-1854. |
| One labrador retriever (Canis lupus familiaris), bereft of any thaumic traits. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | None observed — subject's organism remained indifferent towards 選-U-1854. |
| One daevon salamander (Tylototriton verrucosus daevoni), fully matured in its thaumic capability of localized pyromancy to maintain its body temperature. | Introduced 選-U-1854 directly into the subject's bloodstream via injection. | Following 10 hours of exposure, subject perished due to thermal shock. |
Voice of Portlands
The American Capital of Magic
| THREE PORTLANDS, USA | 30, AUGUST 30th, 2048 | $2.40 — NO REFUNDS |
ON THE MIC
PRES. CRENSHAW ON THAUMIC SECURITY: "WILL PRESENT A FINAL SOLUTION TO THIS ISSUE BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE."
By Jennifer Garcia
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One Jacob Rights, a baseline adult male human (Homo sapiens sapiens), aged 32. With no history of thaumic practise and/or other occult activities. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | None observed — subject's organism remained indifferent towards 選-U-1854. |
| One Cy'ara Fahlh, a baseline adult female Fae (Homo sapiens sidhe), aged 124. Retired thaumist — hasn't practiced her art since she was 72. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | 選-U-1854 successfully recognized several thaumic phenomena inherent to the sidhe body, ignoring them and refusing to activate its properties when coming into contact with them and residual, >40 year old EVE energy generated by the past practise of thaumaturgy. Subject's body remained indifferent towards 選-U-1854. |
| One Deh'rhyll Darhyk, a baseline adult male Yeren (Homo sapiens noctis), aged 61. Possesses multiple bodily modifications performed on him by licensed Yeren thaumists; otherwise fully bereft of any thaumic talents. | Introduced 選-U-1854 directly into the subject's bloodstream via injection, utilizing a specifically-designed needle to penetrate the subject's hardened skin. | 選-U-1854 successfully recognized several thaumic phenomena inherent to the Yeren body, ignoring them and refusing to activate its properties when coming into contact with them and the aforementioned bodily modifications. Through following 2 days of exposure, the subject's body temperature temporarily grew by 0.5°C, the change quickly subsided. Subject's body remained otherwise indifferent towards 選-U-1854. |
| From: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
|---|---|
| To: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 07/01/2048 |
Prof. Yoshida,
I would like to remind you that the first deadline for our project passes in less than 4 months. Though undoubtedly impressive, your results are too preliminary and vague to present to my higher-ups for appropriate approval. We simply have too little to go off to be sure they are satisfactory to our schedule: as such, following a consultation with internal administration, we have decided to update SCARLET DAWN's timetable. You will find exact details below, but from now on we are going to demand weekly updates from your team. I recommend you actually use the subjects we provided you with, this time around — testing on dogs will get you only so far.
Remember: the work must go on.
God bless America,
General Thomas Bowe, United States Paranatural Warfare Command
🔗 One (1) file attached: Revised Project SCARLET DAWN Time Schedule
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One Maria Dominguez, an adult female human (Homo sapiens sapiens), aged 39. Pyromancer, thaumically active since she was 15 years old. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | 選-U-1854 remained within the subject's body for two days, after which it simply expired. Though 選-U-1854 attempted to block the subject's EVE flow for as long as it remained inside her, raising her body temperature by 3.2°C, the subject's organism quickly neutralized 選-U-1854 before it could effectively spread into the rest of the body. Subject fully recovered. |
| One Jia Zhang, an adult female human (Homo sapiens sapiens), aged 52. Convicted life-long necromancer. | Introduced 選-U-1854 directly into the subject's bloodstream via injection. | 選-U-1854 remained within the subject's body for four days, fully blocking the flow of internal EVE energies for the entire duration of its life. Though the subject remained incapable of performing thaumic acts for as long as 選-U-1854 remained inside her, the subject's organism neutralized 選-U-1854 before it could effectively spread into the rest of the body. Subject is pending recovery, currently suffering a case of EVE-clog fever. |
[Automatic JP-EN translation is ON]
mori_virology_internal has joined.
mori_virology_internal: @everyone
mori_virology_internal: hi so sorry for the 3 am ping but ive been thinking about u-1854
mori_virology_internal: and i think i know what weve been doing wrongHaruYoshidaInternal: I'm listening.
mori_virology_internal: so our thing obviously *works* when presented with eve, right
mori_virology_internal: it actually does its job and kills it like we intendedokada_joicl: If we test in a vacuum, you mean. It definitely isn't perfect on actually complex beings
mori_virology_internal: right yes i'll get to that but my point is it also spreads wonderfully, no issues on that front
mori_virology_internal: but the problems start when the organism actually realizes it is being attacked by our guyaoki_viro: …you really did wake us up just to repeat what we already know, huh
mori_virology_internal: what i'm trying to say is: what if the organism *didnt* immediately identify our guy as a threat
mori_virology_internal: our current model works by infection -> immediate attack on all fronts, both neutralizing the eve and spreading u-1854 further simultaneously
mori_virology_internal: but all organisms only begin to attack our guy *after* it starts its own offensive. only then does the body start to think its a threat
mori_virology_internal: not before, when its just spreading
mori_virology_internal: now obviously this is just a theory and i wouldnt be able to test it without getting some major eve hitters (think paramax guys or whoever the it is the coalitions got locked up in that cell in the antarctic) but hear me out here.okada_joicl: dude this is literally just basic virology.
okada_joicl: u are not beating the "waking us up to exposit at us" allegations
okada_joicl: 凸(⊙▂⊙✖ )mori_virology_internal: what if we made it so that u-1854 spreads *faster* and begins its attack before the body can recognize whats going on and create antibodies to kill it
mori_virology_internal: think dynamite fishing
mori_virology_internal: im admittedly pulling at straws here but when even small-time mages can defeat our guy in no time and with pentagram breathing on our necks i thought why not a theorys better than nothing
mori_virology_internal: is this anythingHaruYoshidaInternal: I'll have to make some calls.
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One Nora C'har, an adult Fae (Homo sapiens sidhe), aged 51. Life-long thaumic anartist. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | 選-U-1854 entered the subject's body and immediately began to attack. As programmed, 選-U-1854 only started to act once it has fully spread throughout the subject's organism, fully blocking the flow of internal EVE energies after two hours of struggling against the subject's antibodies. Following the neutralization of 選-U-1854, the subject did not recover. As of writing, ve has effectively lost the ability to perform thaumaturgy. |
| From: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
|---|---|
| To: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 07/26/2048 |
Prof. Yoshida,
Just as promised: after heavy negotiations with Ms. van Kann, we were able to secure a select few subjects we believe will be to your liking. The only requirement is that you keep them alive. They are to be returned to serve the rest of their sentence after your experimentation is concluded. The Unit has made it clear that they will not lose public face over our personal projects.
As a side note — of course, this courtesy does not extend to the rest of the subjects you were provided with. Please operate with them to your liking. The only thing we expect from you are results. Remember: the clock is ticking.
God bless America,
General Thomas Bowe, United States Paranatural Warfare Command
🔗 One (1) file attached: PARAMAX_DOSSIER_abridged.pdf
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One Aart Visser, an adult male human (Homo sapiens sapiens), aged 43. Life-long occult practitioner of great talent and skill; convicted warlock and domestic terrorist. Currently serving his life sentence in Paramax. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | 選-U-1854 entered the subject's body and immediately attacked upon coming into contact with residual EVE energy scattered all throughout the subject's body. 選-U-1854 continued to spread throughout the subject's organism at rates never before recorded, overtaking the body in just an hour. As programmed, 選-U-1854 then activated, fully neutralizing the subject's capability of performing thaumaturgy within minutes. Traces of 選-U-1854 were still found within the subject's body even following the completion of its task, with only 10% of the cells spreading past the organism and the remainder remaining dormant inside it. Subject has not since recovered, and is currently undergoing observations before he can be sent back to serve the remainder of his sentence. |
unVeiled
⁂unVeiledNews
LIVE: Join unVeiled political expert Shaun O'Connor as she discusses the ongoing American presidential debate, theorizes what President Crenshaw's promised Thaumic Security Act could entail, and what the growing Republican electorate should expect if… Read More
- ECHOES 3,391
- HUMS 13,163
7:00 PM · 08/16/2048
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One Maria Jefferson, an adult human female (Homo sapiens sapiens), aged 25. Minor thaumaturgic talent, with no history of professional thaumaturgy practice save for hobbyist use. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | 選-U-1854 entered the subject's body and remained dormant for one hour, refusing to activate even upon coming into contact with minor residual EVE energy scattered throughout the subject's body. 選-U-1854 continued to spread throughout the subject's organism until it completed its duplication. As programmed, 選-U-1854 then activated, fully neutralizing the subject's capability of performing thaumaturgy within minutes. Following the completion of its task, 選-U-1854 remained fully dormant within the subject's organism, refusing to spread past the subject. |
| From: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
|---|---|
| To: | haruyoshida@joicl_virology.int |
| Subject: | Re: Project SCARLET DAWN |
| Date: | 10/02/2048 |
Prof. Yoshida,
Fantastic work. Our administration would like to extend a formal thank you to you and your team for completing the project on such short notice. You have once again proven that you are a capable ally to the entire Western World. As promised, your final payment will be delivered shortly via previously established means.
Before she arrives, however, please do make sure that your presentations and subjects are as well prepared as possible. In just a few days (see — attached schedule), President Crenshaw's tour will take him to the agreed-upon location, wherein he is expected to present our final work to the public. Your work might be completed, but he still has an election to win — so do make sure everything is up and running when he does arrive. I am more than certain President Crenshaw will not forget those who helped him keep his position.
God bless America,
General Thomas Bowe, United States Paranatural Warfare Command
🔗 One (1) file attached: President Crenshaw 2048 All-State Tour
Deer College Odyssey
The Buck Stops Here
| THREE PORTLANDS | 22, OCTOBER, 2048 | THREE (3) ORPHANS |
FIFTY-FIFTY
A GUIDE FOR WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU
By Riley Q'inn (⁂BaaderMeinhofRiley)
So the polls are in — surprise to nobody, they are fucked. With circa 50% for War Crimes and 50% for Even More War Crimes (match descriptors to party of choice as you see fit), it is pretty safe to say that Crenshaw winning his second term is a real possibility. A real possibility which does not bode well for those who make up 78% of this journal's readerbase (And no, I am not talking about the gays, though obviously a Republican clearing again is also. You know. Not ideal for us. But I digress).
With our local Metal Gear (Shoutout to Deer's vintage video game club!) villain dipshit extraordinaire declaring during his campaign that if he wins again, he shall "guarantee the American people safety from the threat of magic" (I also love euphemisms!!), I've decided it's high time to give you all lesbian witches and trans alchemists a quick overview of how to guarantee your safety among this clusterfuck, if push comes to shove:
| Subject | Procedure | Results |
|---|---|---|
| One Lukas Peters, an adult human male (Homo sapiens sapiens), aged 19. A beginning thaumic practitioner, previously sentenced to two years in prison for numerous cases of petty theft. | Introduced subject to 選-U-1854 via inhalation, as pumped directly into the air through the ventilation system of the subject's cell. | 選-U-1854 entered the subject's body and remained dormant for one hour, properly executing all of its functions in the expected matter. However, following a two-day observation period, it was noticed that after a time of supposed inactivity, 選-U-1854 suddenly reactivated without any prompt, rapidly spreading past the subject's body and into the surrounding area. It currently remains unknown why this has happened or why — similarly without any prompt — a similar case has occurred in several other past subjects. All past 選-U-1854 subjects have been currently put in quarantine pending further observation, barring the singular subject chosen by the USPWC for President Crenshaw's public display, in spite of JOICL recommendations for a different course of action. |
Campaign transcript redacted for brevity.
PRES. CRENSHAW stands before a microphone set in front of a rallying public. The people gathered before him continue chanting words of support for the candidate. Behind him stand HARU YOSHIDA and an UNIDENTIFIED MAN who wears a prison uniform and is handcuffed. PRES. CRENSHAW is pointing at the man, shouting into his microphone.
CRENSHAW: Just yesterday, this man was a dangerous criminal. He was a ticking time bomb, ready to blow up his whole neighborhood the second he got out back on the streets!
The public cheers.
CRENSHAW: He was an active danger to the life of normal Americans — of people who just want to live without the constant threat of their neighbor burning them alive and raising their corpses with magic!
CRENSHAW pauses.
CRENSHAW: But look at him now, America. Now, he is nobody. He is nothing. Working with our top men, we were able to create a permanent solution to his kind — to dangerous individuals who dare to raise their hand against the greatest country in the world!
The public's cheering grows louder; behind CRENSHAW, YOSHIDA tries to say something to the candidate. There is concern in his eyes. CRENSHAW ignores him, instead pointing to the public before him.
CRENSHAW: This is what I offer you, America! Under my administration, nobody will ever dare to threaten our country — and if they do, if they bring their unnatural talents into the public and try to attack the values we hold dear, we will take it away from them. We will show them who they truly are, under all of the spells and rites — nothing but dogs!
The public begins its applause.
Though all cameras are focused on CRENSHAW, just behind him YOSHIDA very slowly begins to retreat behind the curtain. A mere moment before he disappears from view, he looks back at the public, silently counting how many stand before him. His eyes, though unmoving, quickly fill with terror.
unVeiled » Politics
Back in the House: Meet the 52nd President of the United States, Again
By Wilbur Henderson (⁂uV_Henderson)
Published 11/05/2048, 23:58
The White House as seen in anticipation of the presidential inauguration.
It's official: with a support rate of over 62% of voters, President Dan Crenshaw has been elected by the American people as their head of state. Officially returning to the White House for his second term, President Crenshaw is expected to be soon inaugurated for his second term before the nation, swearing his presidential oaths and preserving his position, first taken in 2044.
…Or is he?
Under normal circumstances, the President would have already been expected to speak to the people by now, addressing their victory and plans for the years to come. Indeed, during his first victory, Crenshaw did just that mere hours after the confirmation of his victory. So where is he now?
White House administration seems to be of no help — so far, all journalist attempts at extracting information from government officials (or even entering the White House at all!) have been met with resistance. Resistance that is yet to be justified in any way beyond shoving and pushing out anyone who attempts to enter the building. Similarly, not a single person has been observed leaving the House within the last 48 hours. So what's going on with the President? Is there any reason to be concerned?
| From: | thomasbowe@pentagram_internal.gov |
|---|---|
| To: | @Everyone-Administration |
| Subject: | IMPORTANT: EMERGENT EXIGENCY, WASHINGTON, D.C. |
| Date: | 11/07/2048 |
To all this may concern,
Due to circumstances outside the control of personnel assigned to Project SCARLET DAWN, several officially unapproved instances of its product were inadvertently released to the public population of Washington, D.C., in the morning hours of 11/06/2048. As of writing, personnel stationed in the area were able to quarantine Ward 2 and the White House, from which the threat is theorized to have originated, from the rest of the city. Unofficially, we are under COGCON2. Further updates are pending.
To properly deal with the situation before it spreads beyond the city's borders, I hereby call all available USPWC personnel above the rank of Colonel to an emergency digital summit, as now scheduled on 21:00 (GMT-5). Attendence is mandatory and absences, save for personnel assigned to Priority 0 projects, will be met with disciplinary action. I'm attaching all of the documentation we currently have regarding the potential threat — I expect all of you to familiarize yourself with it before the aforementioned time.
God bless America,
General Thomas Bowe, United States Paranatural Warfare Command
🔗 One (1) file attached: 選-U-1854 "Evekaryotic Germicide" Catalog
