Earth wasn’t a small planet. Well, sure, compared to many other planets out there, it was extremely small, but to those that lived on it it seemed pretty big.
That was a problem for the Mirror Containment Bureau. They’d been founded only recently, and while, with the help of most governments worldwide, they’d managed to expand at a speed that would put to shame the greatest magnates in history, they were still too small. They had the money, but the world didn’t have enough experienced people ready to work for a secret society. Or rather, there were lots, but the amount of those that could actually be trusted to keep the secret was so low it made the Employment Department sweat profusely each and every day.
Another department that was sweating just as much, if not more, was IT. Those poor bastards had to work on a worldwide network using a newly built coding system, making sure it worked perfectly and, at the same time, that it was safe. There weren’t enough people, as stated, and while those that worked for the Bureau were, in fact, among the best, they still needed mundane things like food and sleep, and even then one could keep an eye on only so many tabs.
Which meant that enterprising hackers kept havng field days in their databases.
But, you may be wondering, how could someone know about the Bureau if it was supposed to be such a big secret.
Well, the answer to that question was to be found in the number of guts the Employment Department was sweating through. There had been a mistake, someone untrustworthy had been hired, and that someone had leaked information to the outside.
Now there were hackers constantly attacking the Bureau’s network in search for a challenge and some useful information. It was an outright war, and the Bureau was keeping ahead for now. But not every battle was won.
In fact, today, one such battle was lost.
“Fuck yeah, we’re in boys!” shouted the one that had finally managed to hack into the network.
“Don’t cheer you idiot, start downloading anything you can.”
“Who do you take me for, a rookie? Already at it!”
“There’s so much shit here boys!” said a third.
Around a dozen different files were downloaded. To the right buyer all of this information was probably worth actual gold.
Sadly, before they could get more, someone found them and kicked them out of the system.
“Found us! Time to skeedadle boys!”
And so they ran.
While in the car, one of the three friends opened one of the files they’d found on a safe computer. The other ones had been destroyed, chips fried and motherboards melted for good measure.
He began reading.
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Mirror Containment Bureau
Entity – 001
Title: “Floaty” the Eyeball
Entity Class: Fidens
Containment Procedures: Seeing as Entity – 001 has so far not shown any sign of hostility towards personnel on site or people outside the Bureau before recovery, it has been deemed by the Commission that it requires no special containement procedures. Employees are instead actively encouraged to interact with Entity – 001 to increase general morale.
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Description: Entity – 001 is a flying eyeball with a sagittal diameter of 40 mm, 13 mm more than the average adult human. Attached to the back is a 20 cm long filament of optic nerve shown to be capable of receiving and sending nervous signal. It has been hypothesized that said optic nerve in truth acts as the Entity’s brain. The cornea is brown in color and there are no visible blood vessels.
Entity – 001 is capable of floating and locomotion. The way the former is achieved is currently unknown, while the latter seems to be obtained by using the optic nerve as a sort of flagellum.
Entity – 001 does not require food to live nor has it ever shown the need to sleep, although it requires frequent bathing in physiologic solution to reduce its dryness.
Entity – 001 is usually cheerful around personnel, floating around and trying to play tricks in the air to reduce stress and cause general cheerfulness. It has shown special attachment to Doctor Ballista ■■■■■, seeing how, whenever entering a room that also contains the doctor, the Entity will immediately move by her side and spend as much time as possible with her. Removing the Entity from Dr. Ballista’s presence before it has managed to spend enough time, which varies from 30 minutes to up to 2 hours, usually depending on time spent together recently, will cause significant distress to both the Entity and Dr. Ballista.
Recovery: Entity – 001 was originally found in the city of [REDACTED], Italy, in an abandoned house in the periphery after reports of a strange light coming from the inside of the building. On site a broken mirror was discovered, the shards covered by fabric. Entity showed no hostility towards the Recovery Team and let itself be brought to Site-03, where it was temporarily contained in a Standard Extrahuman Cell.
After repeated tests that showed a total lack of hostility towards personnel, it was deemed safe for release. During this time, the Entity encountered Dr. Ballista, to whom it would form an attachment. After a personal request to the Council, Dr. Ballista was allowed to bring the Entity to her original Site, where it has since been living.
Incident Report E – 001 – 01: On the date of 12/02/2013, at 2200, a terrorist group attacked Site - ∎∎ , causing a total of 6 deaths and 14 injured. Upon finding Entity – 001, the group opened fire, only managing to touch the part of the optic nerve and injuring two scientists that were currently escaping to a nearby safety bunker.
Upon being injured, Entity – 001’s cornea expanded to encompass roughly 90% of the eye surface, then splitting in the middle and opening. Video footage of the inside of the Entity’s presumed mouth are inconclusive.
Entity – 001 then proceeds to attack and apparently devour the eyes and faces of the attacking terrorist group, managing to chew through mimetic equipment and reinforced goggles.
Upon terminating the menace, it becomes docile again, guarding the injured scientists until the arrival of a medical team.
To date, this has been the only incident case where Entity – 001 has shown any form of hostility.
Note: We have to update the entry’s description with the details from the Incident Report. I don’t care if you have more to do Carlo. [Dr. Stefano Monti]
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“Guys, the moment we stop you have to read this shit. It’s like reading a sci-fi!”
“Well, I’m not driving, give that here.”
“Put your hands down wanker, use your own goddamn computer.”
Their car took a left back towards more used roads and they finally relaxed completely.
“Well boys, we did it. Now we’re totally outta trouble.” shouted the driver to a general cheer from the other two.
And then a police car appeared in front of them, a policeman waving a signaling disk towards them, asking them to stop.
They did and, a moment later, the same policeman reached towards the passenger window and with a slight smile, asked: “Licence and vehicle registration please.”
The man gave him both.
The policeman walked back towards his car and, together with his colleague, began checking that everything was alright. The three boys didn’t worry, since they knew everything was right.
That is, until the policeman walked back towards them and, while handing them their documents, said: “It’s a shame, you know. You nearly managed to escape.”
And then a team of twelve armed soldiers appeared seemingly out of nowhere and surrounded the car, weapons raised and ready to shoot.
Among the twelve, one walked towards the driver’s window and took off the protective glasses, smiling brightly.
“Good morning gentlemen. We noticed you snooping around the Mirror Containment Bureau’s database not thirty minutes ago. You even managed to surpass the securety and get yourself some files. Impressive!”
He nodded with satisfaction, then extended a hand towards the three hackers.
“My name’s Adriano Vespucci, head of the Bureau’s Employment Department. And I’m happy to announce to you that, like it or not, you’ve just been hired. Welcome to the Bureau! Take them.”
That said, he turned around, and not three minutes later the road was again empty except for the police car, while Site – 03 had just gained three new recruits and a car.