S-006

S-06: She can’t go home again

 S-06 currently resides in the Sanctuary under Association custody, where she will remain until a more suitable solution been found. ''' Arrangements have been made for private tutoring and she is allowed to go to social events and festivities under supervision for a maximum of one day each week. During such events, any claims S-06 makes relating to engineering, technology and the foundations of her worldview are to be left undisputed for the time being. Priority lies with S-06 well being until accommodations have been negotiated for her return.

S-06 receives monthly medical and mental evaluation. When visiting, do bring crafting supplies as a present.

 Addendum:

Due to changes in relation to her Plane of Origen, our priorities should be proper assimilation in view of S-06 future on Atlas. The Chair regrets this, but there are no suitable alternatives at this moment.

- Chairmen 8

  Encounter

In 1868 S-06 was recovered in the French province of Brittany, after reports of a strange girl dressed in outlandish robes, where received by the Association.

According to local authorities, S-06 was wandering the marketplace of ▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓ alone and distressed, addressing pedestrians in a language foreign to the region. The people ignored her due to the language barrier and her appearance until the market closed. Then a fishmonger finally grabbed her by the hand and brought her to the local gendarmery. Not equipped for this type of situation the officer on call decided to house her in one of the cells for the night. This distressed S-06, who then pushed the officer away with incredible force that lifted him of his feet and sends him flying through the hallway. The officer on call claimed, she didn't even touch him. Then she fled the scene and disappeared into the night.

The Association was called in to investigate the matter. They found her trail when a store owner in the nearby town of ▓▓▓▓▓ reported the door of his store was torn from its hinges, but only food was stolen. After a day S-06 was found in a shed of a shepherd who came to the gendarmery, claiming a witch was doing something to his sheep. S-06, too afraid and tired at this point too resist, was taken into custody and brought to the local lodge for interrogation.

What follows are the first impressions by Associate-143 after detaining S-06
“What can I say. She is a child who lost her way and wandered into a Rift, somehow. She explained this by drawing this into a notebook she had in her bag. She looks like a student of sorts who has no business being here. She claimed the Rift was in the forest near the Carnac monument. We looked but there was no sign of any Rift. Still, she insists it should be around… It was heartbreaking to see her run around looking for something that clearly wasn't there.

The poor girl wants to go home and she is been here for a couple of days. Fortunately, no sign of Travelers Decay. When we returned I managed to give her a good wash and gave her something of my daughter to wear. Her robes still reak of barnyard animals, but she is really protective of them. I try and give them a wash while she is sleeping. She should be down under for a while.“

Description:
S-06 is a girl about 12 years of age with ‘Tier V’ enhancement implants in her arm, granting her the ability to lift and hover objects many times her own weight, as well as slight cognitive enhancements. The nature of these enhancements is unknown, but apparently these surgeries a typical for children born into her social class on her Plane of Origin. Her height is typical for girls her age, has chestnut-coloured hair, and her eye has two different colours due to augmentation, her augmented eye being clear blue and the natural one greenish-brown.

An ‘Astral Manipulator’ is located in the palm of her left hand and resembles a tattoo in the shape of two triangles, each pointing in the opposite directions. This device is connected to her nervous system, or may have even replaced it, and is controlled by thought and finger gestures that are based on ‘Magical Runes’. It’s an ability she is fond of using, but also exhausts her. She claims this becomes less tasking with experience and age.

  S-06’s origins: ==== Our linguists determined she speaks a mixture of Galic and Saxon. S-06 claims she is from the Dominion of Gaul which is governed by a Council of Seers, who are the most powerful Wizards in her country. She explained that she is born a Wizard, just like her parents. Those who are not Wizards, work ‘Outside’. What type of work these outside people did, she did not know because she was too young to go 'Outside'. She may only leave the city when she is old enough, but her father told her, “the people out there are too dumb to understand anything,” and S-06 thinks her father argues with them a lot. ====

How S-06 travelled to this world is unclear. In the fragment below Associate 105 interviews S-06 on this matter. "[audio fragments starts]"   ‘Hello, S-06... "[There is no response.]""‘I heard you got you own room today… Do you like it.’""‘I don’t want it.’""‘Well, you can’t go home for the time being… You understand why we need you to stay inside, right? … Good. Now, let’s talk about how you got here. Do you remember what happened?’""‘No.’"" 'You don’t remember, or you won’t tell me? … S-06 If you want us-’""‘I not a number! My name is ▓▓▓▓▓.’""‘Listen, if you won’t tell us anything. We can’t help you. You want to return to your mother, don’t you?’""‘Yes.’""‘Than you..’""[S-06 begins to sob]"" 'Oh, for christ sake. I’m sor-’""[Associate 105 end recording and then starts recording again]"   ''‘Well, let’s try this again. What happened before you got here?’''   ‘I was spying on a Seer. He then entered this basement underneath one of the abandoned buildings near our tower.’ "‘Spying? Why?’"   ‘Somebody I knew disappeared about a week before. And he was acting weird. So, I followed him.’ ‘Did you tell anyone?’ "‘It was more a spur of the moment thing. I didn’t think I would find anything. But then he left the door open. That is how I snuck in.’""‘What did you find?’""‘Just a dusty basement. But he was building something. He had all these weird constructs I never saw before. Really, small. Probably Revisionist designs. And he had this noisy machine that smelled of gasoline. I think it powered whatever he was building.’""‘What did he build?’""‘I dunno. It looked like a man-sized portcullis or something. Didn’t look like anything special’""‘Did you go through it?’"   ‘... Yes. I mean, it looked like a garden ornament. So, I just. I- was just fooling around. Then everything went to black. And then I fell.... And how I got here.’ "[End of fragment]" 

Worldviews and knowledge:
Due to her age and particular view of the world, Associates are advised not to discuss topics on technology in particular. S-06 is convinced her abilities are magical and believes engineers, mechanics etc. are Arcane Smyths, capable of building magical machines. Apparently, this is what all the children on her Plane of Origin are taught, which is believed to contain Tier V civilisations.

To ascertain her knowledge and skill she was asked to aid Special Committee Artiquarites with electrical Tier IV devices recovered in the field. During these tasks, S-06 displayed an adequate knowledge of disassembly and circuitry to guess the function of these devices. ==== However, she seemed confused by the design as the circuitry did not display the ‘Arcane’ layout required for proper ‘Mana-flow’. When asked to make her own circuit, the layout of the wiring and conduits looked like symbolic patterns, taking in more space than was required.

She was also given a number of chemistry experiments, also showing adequate knowledge of chemical processes and solutions. But while she performed her task, she recited various incantations and preformed other symbolic gestures to ensure success.

Evaluation by Dr Benedictine for S-06 performance:  Watching S-06 work is just as fascinating as it is frustrating. This girl has a good understanding of Tier IV electronics and decent analytical ability to understand their function. Probably better than I do, as she grew up surrounded by technology like this. It must have been, magical. That being said, while an engineer would admire its efficiency S-06 complicates it. She evaluates circuits like an art-critic would judge a brushstroke on a canvas. She opens the device and looks at its guts just how an auger from Ancient Rome would look at the innards of a sacrificial animal. As she looks for meaning that isn’t there, she mutters about ‘Ley Lines’ and ‘Mana Flow’. The purity of the conductors and that the ‘Gems’ are not properly purified. The fact that it just works seems to be of little significance to her. Imagine being surrounded by people, philosophising about the significance of two cogs connecting, rather than exploring their potential. "Suffice to say, a task which could be performed in minutes can take her hours. Not to mention her chemistry tasks. Oh, dear. Again, her knowledge is impressive for a girl her age. But before every action, she starts chanting like one of those New Age charlatans. In fairness, some of her incantations seem to have a proper length for a reaction to take place before adding the next chemical. Regardless, it felt like watching a stage play gone array.""It made me forget to mention her cognitive ability is impressive. She can do complex math in her head. Her memory and attention for detail astound me and her telekinetic ability did make my laboratory look like a genuine wizards workshop; with all those flasks, tools and whatnot flying about. But all that potential is wasted on bizarre rituals obtained from a fairytale. Not to mention the resources squanderd on what she believes a circuit board ought to look like. I asked her to make a circuit for a lightbulb. The thing looks like it belongs in some pagan temple! ...At least it looks pretty." Health evaluation:

S-06’s handlers are concerned for her well being. Her overall demeanour is melancholy that is only elevated when practising ‘magic’. Her other activities mostly include drawing, writing, sky-gazing or sleeping. S-06 does seem to desire interaction with the other inhabitants of the Sanctuary but prefers to observe them from a distance, often engaging in other activities like drawing. She rarely communicates, but this could be due to the language barrier.

'''Interviewer Dr Jenever. interviewed. S-06, down below referred to as Angel'''

'‘Hello [Angel]. How was your day?’' "‘I spend most of the time with mister Brass today.’""‘Good. You like him, don’t you?’""‘He is ok, I guess. We don’t really speak.’""‘Are there people like him in your world.’""‘Yes, but I am not allowed to speak to them. They are bad people.’"" 'Why is that?’""‘Daddy told me they only make people that way when they do really terrible things. I mean, do look like Mister Brass, but they don’t think. They are Golems that just do the things they are made to do.’""‘Like slaves?’""‘No, slavery is illegal. A Seer told us it is their way of repaying their debt to society.’""‘You seem troubled.’""‘It’s just… They are Golems. They’re like tools. Sometimes when nobody was looking we would throw things at them. You know, see if we could get a reaction out of them.’"" 'You talk about them like they are not human.’""‘They’re not. I mean, I don’t know any other humans who behave like that.’""‘What about Mister Brass?’""‘He is not like them… Well, first I did thought he was a Scribe Golem. But he isn’t. He gave me some paper to draw on.’""‘I heard. What are you drawing?’""‘Home...’""‘Off course… Any place in particular?’""[...]""'I can’t go back, can I?’""[...]""‘Let’s continue this some other time’"

[End of recording]

''' Addendum S6-7: Conclusion on the matter of S-06’s return home
''' The matter on S-06’s return remains unresolved for the foreseeable future. This was determined in a meeting with a dignitary from Plane 07 in 1875.

This meeting happened after Associate 167 vanished near the Carnec monument, a few days after S-06 initial discovery. He was missing for 35 days until he reappeared in the town of ▓▓▓▓▒▒▓ wearing similar outlandish robes like those worn by S-06 on the day she arrived. Associate 167 has been debriefed on his stay on ‘Plane 07’ and has statements with other material are being logged and processed.

A day later, a Traveller arrived from Plane 07. An older man went to a nearby city, clothed the same way like S-06, rented a room at a tavern and walked about town like a tourist. The day after his arrival the same Associates who detained S-06 confronted the ‘Wizard’. The Wizard proclaimed he expected them earlier and agreed to come willingly under the condition to parley. The Chair agreed.

The Wizard was transported to site ▓▒▒▓▓▓ where Dr Jenever entered the conversation with the Wizard, assuming they were negotiating S-06 return home. "[Beginning of fragment]"

‘Let start with how did you get here?’ "‘As she did of course.’""‘We found no Rift’""‘And you won’t find it, ever. We have cloaked all Rifts leading into our world. How that fool stumbled into this one is beyond me. Good thing we increased security since the incident.’""‘That lab she found was yours?’""‘My lab? The area she disappeared from was an officially restricted area of the campus I have you know where she had no business being!’""‘She told us she was looking for a missing student.’""‘My goodness, no! Some servants dropping of new equipment left the door open, despite clear instructions not too! Blighted disdain for sacred equipment. She just wandered in. Like a child. I looked at her record. Multiple trespassing incidents, fights with other students. Acting in spite of instruction during class. A classic example of a misfit. She probably would have been, removed, at the end of the year.’""‘What does that mean?’""‘None of your concern… However, this is not the first time I have interacted with Outsiders. Let’s address the beast in the room.’""‘And what would that be?’""‘Our people don’t know the distinction between Magic and what you call, technology.’""‘Do you mean, you teach them there is no difference?’" ‘We teach them what you call, Tier V, technology is sacred and should be revered as such. Off course these devices are but mere tools, however. Mankind is capable of destroying itself in a breath’s notice. After the Great Calamity humanity was at the brink of extinction and society revert back to those of Hunter-Gatherers. Only a small number retained their knowledge and restored civilisation over the course of countless generations. Wizards were revered as Gods. Some even started to believe they actually were. Others started to arm savage tribes and conquered their own kingdoms. It was only the other Wizards who could stop them. This is why we decided it was better to secure our, technology, teach the populace and our own children of its sanctity until the day comes that humanity on our world is mature enough to wield it on a worldwide scale.’ "‘So, you created a caste system?’""‘Call it what you like. We have protected our world from all interference and tyranny. We observe Planes like these only to ascertain these are any threats.’""‘Are we?’""‘No...’""‘But?’""‘But nothing.’""‘I think you are afraid we’ll undermine you precious religion.’""‘You would do that, Associate? You would destroy the foundations on which an entire society is built. Why? A philosophical dispute?’""‘You are manipulating language to control the masses.’""'Are we? Or do we teach them to respect the power technology brings? Do you trust half you society with a gun, Associate? Do you believe your industry is used wisely? Have you smelled the air outside?’""‘Progress is messy, I agree. But we improve.’""‘You improve! How many must suffer so you elite can learn from their mistakes! How many Tyrants do you allow to rise.’""‘At least we learn, Wizard. Of you treat people like children they’ll never grow up. Never learn what makes you precious, magic, so sacred to begin with.’""‘Ha, ha, I see. I hope I little discussion makes it apparent why we cannot allow you to come back to our world. Please refrain from investigating the gate to our world any further. You don’t bother us, we don’t bother you.’""‘We can agree to those terms I suppose.’""[The Wizard gets up] ‘Good, I am glad that is settled. I’ll take my leave then. Please don’t give me a reason to return.’""‘That is fine... So, you take her back, I presume.’""‘Who?’""‘...The girl!’""‘No.’""‘No? Then why are you here?’""‘To tell you to stay away... As far as the girl is concerned, this is the lawful punishment of her transgression. There is nothing I can do about it.’""‘She can’t stay here!’""‘I am aware of that. You have access to Arkology don’t you? Send her there?’""‘She is a child! And your responsibility!’""‘As far as our administration is concerned, she is already dead. If you want to take care of her, you may... Good day.’""[End of fragment]"

Addendum S6-7-1: Post-Interview Audiolog by Dr Jenever,
‘I am recording this, because I don’t what to think longer on this subject then I have to. How do you explain to a child she has been abandoned. She barely understands reality. I don’t know what will be more painful. That all she was taught is a lie or that she has been orphaned because she made a mistake. Maybe she can outgrow her believe in magic, the same way normal children do. But the pain of being banished like that. People been scared by less. At this point, it might be best to keep her ignorant of her situation. Make her comfortable. Potentially when some friends can support her. I just don’t know how long I can keep up the lie. "As for the practical concerns, the Sanctuary is our only humane option. Arkology is just no place for her, but maybe when she is old enough she can choose to go there, but can’t imagine. Or maybe become an Associate. But no matter what, she’ll never belong any-’""[A door opens and somebody can be heard entering the room.]""‘What is going on?’""‘I am sorry to interrupt, mam. But S-06 just piled up a bunch of crates in one of the alley’s and climbed on top to peek through the window. She says she is looking for the funny Golems. But I think she may have seen, our guest.’""‘Oh, for f- ...I’ll be right over.’"