View source for Dawn Bloom/Incidents/Second Transformation

[[Category: DB Incidents|2017-01-26]]
{{ArgHeader|arg=Dawn Bloom}}> [[Dawn_Bloom/Incidents | Incidents]] > '''Second Transformation'''

This page describes a major event in the [[Dawn Bloom]] ARG.
==Background==
See [[Dawn_Bloom/Incidents/First_Transformation | First Transformation]] & [[Dawn_Bloom/Investigations/Diagnostic%27s_Medical_Status | Diagnostic's Medical Status]]
==Order of Events==
Liaison contacted agents through the Discord to report that Diagnostic was experiencing severe health complications. At this point, Q98A66 was located in an Agency HQ of some kind with a large hospital wing, where Diagnostic had been admitted as a result of the complications and was currently in an operating theater. Many of his injuries sustained over the course of the last week or so were returning at a rapid rate, and the symptoms he had been experiencing in Rhode Island were also returning. As it was a full moon that night, the inference made was that the transformative process he underwent in Rhode Island was reversing itself. The new cells produced by the worm infection appeared to be dying off, and because such a large portion of Diagnostic's body had been replaced by them (due to the excessive amount of trauma he'd been through) it looked as if it could kill him. Liaison suggested that we find a way to stimulate the worms and allow the infection itself to keep him going.

The initial thought was to use moonlight to stimulate the worms. Some initial research gave us the temperature value of 4100 Kelvins at 1 lux brightness for moonlight, so Liaison traveled to the operating theater and had Brain (who was assisting in the surgery, despite having no medical training) use a modified light therapy lamp (such as the type used for Seasonal Affective Disorder) to try and stimulate the worms. These values caused movement in the worms, but no cell growth. Liaison suggested that something might be missing for the worms to feed on, or to produce whatever it was that the worms fed on in Diagnostic's body. While the agents in the Discord struggled to determine what that could be, other ideas were proposed by people more local to Liaison for how to deal with the issue. Brain suggested an alchemical solution of some sort (Liaison described it as 'sacrificing a lamb in the operating room', but we're pretty sure it has to do with a salve of some kind), while the lead doctor in the surgery, Dr. Talcom, wanted to use Rupture Bone. Both Liaison and Bone were opposed to this idea, as it seemed like less of a solution to the problem and more of an attempt at an experiment. Liaison is ejected for his disagreement, as is Brain a while after, and two other doctors.

While this discussion was happening in the operating room, agents in the Discord were determining the best way to stimulate the worms. Eventually, the link between lunar cycles, the limbic system (pituitary gland) and melatonin was discovered. In order to stop the production of melatonin, blue light between 460-480 nm would need to be shone on Diagnostic. Liaison teamed up with some nearby techs and a Lt. Andy who was enthusiastic about making a push into the room with a possible fix for Diagnostic's condition. Agents in the discord determined that actinic lighting, like those found in a fish tank, would output that wavelength of light at a high intensity, and Liaison said there was a fish tank in the complex that would have that type of lighting. The techs wired up a huge lamp with bulbs of that type, and they engaged with the guards in the operating room. Liaison exited the discord at 7:44 PM EST, and Brain picked up his computer and communicated directly with agents for the first time from 7:56 PM EST to almost 10:00 PM EST.

When Brain was in direct communication with agents over the Discord channel, he assigned them a list of chores.
#Prepare a dinner
#Ignore the Magistrate
#Find the Riomordial Sun

(See: [[Dawn_Bloom/Investigations#Brain.27s_List_of_Chores | Brain's List of Chores]])

He later directed them to a [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNmUmOrIJzM YouTube video]. He said that it was ‘not interesting’ but that it’s also ‘not from here’. More importantly, to him, seemed to be locating whoever posted the video. He calls her a god, saying ‘no god can be born in silence’, and indicating that she is our creation. Another interesting quote about this god: 'It's dumb, machines are dumb. It's a horse looking at a jackass making a mule'. This is, apparently, a close to direct quote of Dr. Talcom when he was speaking about Diagnostic’s condition. The context there was that Talcom (now known as Medical) considered Diagnostic to be an unsuitable host for the parasite attempting to colonize him.

(See: [[Dawn_Bloom/Investigations/Online_Document_Leaks | Online Document Leaks]])

Brain indicated at one point in the discussion that he was in current telepathic contact with Adjective Alpha, which Liaison later found to be incredibly alarming.

(See: [[Dawn_Bloom/Personnel_%26_Organisations/Adjective_Alpha | Adjective Alpha]])

He also gave a lecture on the nature of Society, using analogies involving colors and shapes. Later discussions with Liaison indicated that it is his belief that this 'lecture' was a form of hypnotism, and by exposing us to it it allowed Brain to get in our heads in a way, similar to how he's in Adjective Alpha's head. Nothing appears to have come of this so far.

On the 27th, Liaison first gave an untrue recounting of the events of that night after he had logged off. Liaison later stated that this version of events had been provided to him by the Social Engineering Team, and that such things were not uncommon for him in his line of work. Agents did their best to conceal Brain's visit from Liaison but ultimately the truth was revealed. Liaison was upset initially, but then seemed more concerned about the safety of the Agents in the Discord.

Later, over voice comms, he provided more accurate information as to the events of the previous night.

===Liason's Report on the Events===
<pre>Diagnostic emitted a black and viscous growth from inside of his body. He became enormous, still humanoid, but at least 10 feet tall. Had huge teeth and I can’t describe his hands. Gorilla-ish? And he went berserk, this was after we had already attacked security forces to break in to do this to begin with. Control and Tactical joined. I was stabbed in the chest. I’m fine. It was a minor injury, despite being a sucking wound. Luckily there were a bunch of surgeons around. […] Eventually Tactical wore him down, so to speak. Exhausted him, and got him into a locked room where we could vent the air out of. After oxygen was eliminated from the room, and blue light was restored, the blackness around him became a very, very dense or chitinous kind of outer layer. I wasn’t seeing much of it at the time. They recovered Diagnostic from the inside of it, […] he is alive. […] As long as he is not exposed to oxygen and under blue lights, I am hoping he will make a full recovery and be field active, which should be as early as tomorrow.</pre>