Point of Fracture

Interior of Mather Ranger Station consists of a narrow central corridor with adjoining office, kitchen, bathroom, and storage rooms. Ranger Andrew Johnson confronts Pinewood with his firearm drawn, ordering them to sit.

Pinewood discloses operational context at a high level. Johnson demands identification to confirm credability, and manoeuvres towards his desk.

With Johnson searching through desk, Pinewood attacks.

• Chair strike fails to incapacitate.
• Improvised stabbing attempt with broken chair leg misses.
• Firearm discharges into rafters during struggle.
• Pinewood gains control of the weapon.
• Johnson is executed with a single shot between the eyes.

A brief stillness follows. Blood and tissue drip from a framed photograph of Johnson and his partner.

Before Pinewood leaves, they rig the building to explode using a gas cooker.

Passenger Protocols

Prada and Presley traverse muddy trails via quadbike. Presley reports a fast-moving shape crossing their path; emergency braking causes both agents to be thrown and coated in mud.

Prada sustains no serious injury but reacts strongly to the damage to their clothing. Presley remains focused on time constraints and mission priority.

Both remount and continue.

Possession Escalation

Inside the vehicle, Pallbearer abruptly ceases chanting and regains partial awareness. Brandon reacts with immediate terror, hyperventilating and withdrawing.

Paxton attempts grounding techniques. Brandon’s panic overrides any verbal reassurance.

Environmental anomalies escalate:

• Rain flows up the side windows.
• External impacts strike the vehicle.
• Objects inside Paxton’s carry-all begin to float when unzipped.
• Vehicle lifts vertically from the ground.

Paxton manually forces levitating equipment back into the bag.

Phenomena Localisation Event

Agents Prada and Presley observe the vehicle suspended approximately 10 metres above ground. Water beneath the vehicle is displaced outward in concentric ripples from a central point.

Paxton attempts to escape the localised anomaly:

• Accelerator ineffective.
• Fires carbine into vehicle ceiling.
• Pallbearer shields Brandon’s ears.
• Paxton turns back toward Brandon.
• Brandon F. McGill disappears.

Vehicle shortly after loses lift and crashes back into waterlogged path beneath.

Moving closer, Prada observes Brandon standing at the roadside, unharmed.

As the vehicle crashes into standing water, displaced water is observed to curve around Brandon, avoiding contact entirely.

Post-Event Stabilisation

Stood on the muddy road, Brandon presents in a frozen state:

• Rigid musculature.
• Rapid eye movement.
• Unresponsive to verbal, visual, and tactile stimuli.

Prada transports Brandon to the vehicle manually. Sunglasses applied to obscure eye movement.

Distant explosion heard from the direction of Mather Ranger Station.

Inside the vehicle, agents rearm and regroup. Paxton briefs others on the Blue Room, Tall Men, and additional children.

Providing Aid & Support

Pinewood returns to the group, and witnessing Brandon’s state they identify benzodiazepines as the most effective intervention.

Paxton administers injection under Pinewood’s instruction.

As Brandon is adjusted, and sleeves rolled up to apply the injection. Agents observe:

• Brandon’s arms covered in healed criss-cross scarring.
• Intricate dark-green tattoo at base of skull - Paxton assesses the symbol as linguistic in nature.

As the injection takes affect, Brandon calls for Paxton under his cover name "Andrew"

Brandon embraces Paxton upon recovery.

Partition of Movement

15:30 hours. Agents reach fallen Sequoia.

• Prada and Presley proceed via quadbike to Devil’s Chair.
• Pinewood, Paxton, Pallbearer, and Brandon advance on foot toward Trailhead Station.

Around 16:00 hours, Prada and Presley reach Devil’s Chair:

• Geometric rock formations.
• Huckleberry growth at ridge line.
• No visible anomalies.
• Berry samples collected.

Paradox Confirmation

Pinewood enters Trailhead Station alone due to risk of a civilian recognising Paxton, or Pallbearer.

Interior crowded with evacuees from nearby campsites. Noise level high. Atmosphere strained but unaware. Pinewood able to look around without too much attention.

Upstairs, Ranger Douglas Keener greets Pinewood and directs them downstairs for fresh clothing.

Pinewood observes a covered body in storage. Significant probability to be Ranger Lemay's body. Not confirmed.

Entering the common area, Pinewood observes a Brandon F. McGill seated at a table with another park ranger.

Psychological Readings

• Pallbearer - Confirmed psychological breach. Possession-adjacent state identified and monitored. No further increase on agent monitoring.
• Paxton - Deepening paternal attachment to subject. Concern raised around increased chance to resist termination or abandonment orders.
• Pinewood - Increasing compassion for subject. Lack of response to crossing moral threshold noted. No current concerns.
• Prada - Still grounding herself in human details. Continued monitoring for delayed trauma response. Note to provide increased post-operation support.
• Presley - Maintains function through emotional disengagement. Risk of delayed collapse increasing. Increasing agent monitoring.