- ATHAN
- Previously on REDACTED.
- MAXWELL
- I don't want to spend any more time on this than we have to.
- SLOAN
- Okay.
- SLOAN
- Postmortem incident report regarding the case of ATPQ-0112 and derivate entity heretofore referred to as Hound. TRU members in attendance, Jordan Kane. Meeting recording by public relations Agent, Sloan Summers.
- SLOAN
- All right, Agent Kane, you're up.
- SLOAN
- The Mezzanine will be taking detailed notes regarding TRU’s recent encounter. I want to emphasize that The Curtain is especially interested in this case.
- JACOB
- Sure. I received a call at HQ from Control informing that Dr. Bennett's field team had gone radio silent while working a case related to the Aberration in question.
- JACOB
- When we arrived at the last known location, we found the research site had been destroyed.
- JACOB
- The structure had been torn apart, presumably by the Hound, given the claw marks in the sheet metal.
- JACOB
- Unfortunately, we found that Dr. Bennett and her team died in the attack. It was... really bad.
- JACOB
- You could hardly tell they used to be people.
- SLOAN
- Mm, I'm sure.
- SLOAN
- You were able to recover the research, correct?
- JACOB
- Uh, yes. And the Aberration itself. All safely delivered.
- JACOB
- We went into the scene with little to no information about the Aberration. Just that it was an unknown manifestation category.
- SLOAN
- Mm-hmm.
- SLOAN
- Your report suggests it's activated by physical contact?
- JACOB
- I believe so. When I made contact with the Aberration, it began to glow.
- SLOAN
- So we've seen.
- JACOB
- Not long after that, we were attacked.
- SLOAN
- Yep, the Hound.
- SLOAN
- Not especially creative, if you ask me.
- SLOAN
- I could have come up with a better name.
- JACOB
- I believe you.
- SLOAN
- As you should.
- SLOAN
- Your report specifies that the pendant falls into the category of quantum manifestation.
- SLOAN
- How did you come to this determination? Was it something that your team discovered in Dr. Bennett's notes?
- JACOB
- Yes, exactly.
- JACOB
- Her team had gathered enough information for us to get the idea. The notes helped Agent Reyes figure out that we needed the QRS to anchor the Hound to the right frequency and render it susceptible to small arms fire. Agents Clark and Valentine managed to take it down.
- SLOAN
- Well, at least temporarily. We're unable to confirm if its death is finite at this time. Either way, that would help explain some of the, uh, anomalies Dr. Danse and his team have come across in their research.
- SLOAN
- It seems that whatever damage Agents Clark and Valentine were able to inflict have forced it into a kind of stasis. Attempts to forcefully manifest the Hound have been ineffective, even with the research notes from Dr. Bennett's team.
- SLOAN
- I'll inform Dr. Dance of these developments. Perhaps his team will be able to reanimate the Hound.
- SLOAN
- Well done, Agent Kane.
- JACOB
- Thanks. What exactly is so important about this Aberration?
- SLOAN
- Well, if it's a quantum grade Aberration that provides...
- SFX
- sudden loud buzz
- SLOAN
- Do you have a status update on when the equipment will be returned?
- JACOB
- What?
- JACOB
- But you didn't sa--
- SLOAN
- Do you have an update?
- JACOB
- Yeah. It was in pretty bad shape when we found it. I would guess that the camper getting shredded had something to do with it.
- SLOAN
- That would make sense, yes. Why has it taken this long to return the equipment?
- JACOB
- Oh, uh… Apologies for the delay. When we debriefed Agents Kipp and Hauksdottir about the case, they were both interested in how some of the devices operated. We don't typically have access to tools of that… caliber, so they thought it'd be a good opportunity. Help us prepare more for future cases.
- SLOAN
- Neither Agent Kipp or Agent Hauksdottir have the clearance to dissect Curtain-issued field devices without oversight.
- SLOAN
- The Curtain doesn't take lightly to violations of clearance, Agent Kane. I'll be marking the file accordingly. Please inform your team that next time there's a violation of this degree, there could be severe consequences.
- JACOB
- Understood. I'll relay that message. Thanks. Fortunately, Agents Kipp and Hauksdottir were able to restore the device to near-mint condition.
- SLOAN
- We are well aware.
- SLOAN
- Please refrain from encouraging this kind of behavior going forward.
- JACOB
- Right. Got it. Will do.
- SLOAN
- We've belabored this point enough. Let's wrap up.
- SLOAN
- Fortunately for everyone, Dr. Bennett's team was stationed in an area remote enough to evade any inauspicious attention from mundane parties. Since your team was able to incapacitate the Aberration, we don't have to worry about that mess at the moment.
- JACOB
- What about their families?
- SLOAN
- Whose families?
- JACOB
- Dr. Bennett's?
- SLOAN
- Oh.
- JACOB
- Her team?
- SLOAN
- Standard protocol. So far, that's proved sufficient. We want to make absolutely certain that the public won't cause any trouble for us.
- JACOB
- Okay, yeah.
- JACOB
- Wouldn't want… that.
- SLOAN
- Precisely. Anything else to report, Agent Kane? Or have we covered it all?
- JACOB
- I guess that's all.
- SLOAN
- Understood. Then we'll consider this debrief concluded.
- JACOB
- Got it.
- SFX
- footsteps
- JACOB
- See you next time--
- SLOAN
- Agent Kane!
- SFX
- footsteps
- SLOAN
- If you wouldn't mind hanging out for a second… I need a word.
- JACOB
- Yeah, that's fine.
- SFX
- loud buzz
- SFX
- door shuts
- SLOAN
- I appreciate you humoring me. At this point, I'm sure it's clear to you that there is and will continue to be special attention on this case.
- JACOB
- Yeah. Loud and clear. You cut me off pretty hard earlier.
- SLOAN
- Because you asked a question I couldn't answer, and that's not why I kept you here.
- JACOB
- Then why?
- SLOAN
- Just… (sighs) are you sure we covered everything?
- JACOB
- Yeah?
- SLOAN
- Right. And there's nothing additional you want to tell me specifically.
- JACOB
- (Laughs) No, not especially.
- SLOAN
- Listen.
- SLOAN
- I know you and Eli would do anything to protect your team. I would do anything to protect mine. There will be additional oversight on this case. There already is. We have a mutual interest in ensuring everything runs smoothly.
- SLOAN
- Understand, Agent Kane. My team is very good at making sure that happens.
- JACOB
- Right. Understood.
- SLOAN
- Perfect.
- SLOAN
- That was all.
- SLOAN
- I have another meeting to attend.
- SLOAN
- Call this number if you remember anything that you should have said in the debriefing.
- OUTRO
- Outro theme
- ATHAN
- Thank you for listening to another episode of REDACTED Postmortem, starring Jamie Petronis as Jacob Kane and Lyssa Jay as Sloan Summers.
- ATHAN
- If you're enjoying REDACTED, consider visiting the website, theredactedunit.com, the Discord, theredactedunit.com/discord, or the Patreon, patreon.com/theRedactedUnit.
- ATHAN
- We're about to hit our mid-season break.
- ATHAN
- Thanks for listening.
Transcript from the production script, matched to the final audio.
