Acquisition 1862-004: Veil #1 (Static Phenomena)
- J. P. Harrison
- Mar 2
- 7 min read
Object_1862-004
Level 4 Restriction - Further investigation forbidden until further notice
Investigator's overview
On the 4th April 1862, object 1862-004 was discovered. Four hours later it was within organisation confines. Observation of the object for any period longer than four minutes leads to acute madness and confusion surrounding time and place. The number four is bound to this object. I've referred 1862-004 to the Occultory Department for further investigation. It has been three days since object analysis began. I would suspect, given the apparent nature of this object, that more conclusive results will be made available come tomorrow morning.
Edit: It is the fourth day since referral to the Occultory Department. Results inconclusive. The watchmaker, however, has made a new appearance at the public offices, despite his body being cremated and spread into the River Thames, as per the recommended cleansing ritual. He insists he has no knowledge of the object, nor of his work on it, and furthermore, fails to recall his rapid decline in sanity. He is adamant that he arrived at the behest of the Organisation, to analyse the intricate systems inside an antique relic of curiosity. By all counts and measures he appears as if he were from the past - four days past, to be specific. He now remains in confinement for further examination and psychological evaluation. Termination order has been placed following the examinations and evaluations. This is the first instance in the Organisation's history that a termination order has been placed on one individual, twice.
Containment order - 1 V (Static Phenomena) classification
Object 1862-004 detained in facility Aelder.G4-73 section [REDACTED]. All navvies that bore witness to the object during its discovery terminated. Watchmaker, ordered to deconstruct the object (unsuccessful), terminated. Object currently resides in containment under veil. Current investigator pool: 4 personnel (3 with permission to observe at no more than 4 minutes at a time; 1 with permission to analyse and handle object, to instruct other investigators, and to grant permissions surrounding the object).
Circumstances of discovery
Site of discovery at the Farringdon section of cut-and-cover operation for Metropolitan underground railway. Reports of a navvy discovered buried within unearthed sections of the excavation site reached Agent [REDACTED], after witnessing a commotion amongst the navvies that had halted further work. A body had been found in the clay. His hand, still relatively fresh and free from decay, hung out of a mound of earth in the route of the digging for the underground railway. Object in question appears to be a pocket watch; stainless steel, still appears to be working, with roman numerals for the hours - except for the fourth hour, which reads alone in arabic numerals.
Our agent commissioned a photograph promptly after discovery of the hand holding 1862-004 before law enforcement officers arrived (see attached image). Agent [REDACTED] retrieved the object before its confiscation by law enforcement. Police attended the scene thereafter. Inquiry was made as to the location of the pocket watch; the navvies raved about it, referring to it as 'The Devil's Timepiece'.
Upon removing the body from the mounds of earth, the navvies were much afeared to find it was a colleague of their own; whom had gone missing early that morning roughly four hours before, and was presumed to be shirking his duties at a local public house. Several more agents arrived at the scene to extract 1862-004 from Agent [REDACTED]. He had seemingly vanished from the scene, and remained undiscovered until later that day.
Our missing agent - with 1862-004 in hand - arrived four hours later at facility Aelder.G4 at approximately four minutes past the fourth hour in the afternoon. He was in a heavy stupor - utterly confused as to where he was, and how he had arrived there. He insisted that four days had passed since he possessed the watch. In matters of time he appears quite coherent - insistent on the date being 4th April, which was correct, yet delirious to the fact that it was merely hours ago when he discovered and reported the object. When asked where he had been he passed into a fit of hyperventilation and hysteria. It took several security personal to restrain him, and even more to release his iron grip on the pocket watch.
Alas, the object was retrieved safely and placed into emergency containment. He insists that the object should be destroyed without delay, lest we yield to the devil's temptation (Fr. Crowhurst will lead the investigation as a result). A termination order has been issued for Agent [REDACTED], following a psychological evaluation to attempt to ascertain the chronology of events in his mind. So far, it appears that he fully believes to have been wandering a realm unseen to mortal eyes for four days, that he refers to in one moment as Purgatory, and in others as Hell.
Analysis summary
Object 1862-004 initial analysis completed. The pocket watch appears to have a curious effect on time itself, and a strong resonance with the number four.
Father Crowhurst led the investigations. Main observations were an oscillating humming sound that emitted from within oneself, rather than externally from the watch. Frequency measured at 4hz with a startling effect on clarity of mind and ability to rationalise cohesively. Within four minutes the individual becomes transfixed with the object and seeks to grasp it in every case observed. Forcible removal from proximity to the object yields positive results; four minutes thereafter the subject regains mental clarity, yet confesses in every instance to lack any memory of the events preceding.
Instructions updated accordingly: four members to observe the watch at all times, in shifts of no more than four minutes each. Person 1 enters the observation chamber, then person 2 a minute later, person 3 a minute after that, and as person 4 enters person 1 leaves. Person 1 then re-enters after 1 minute to replace person 2, and so on. The same applies to security personnel.
The face of the watch bears the date '1944'. This impossibility begs the question as to whether this is a relic of the future, or a cunning prank by a malevolent force intended to confuse an observer - perhaps to stoke their curiosity so they might look upon it for long enough to fall under its spell.
Father Crowhurst ousted the latter theory, when sanctifying the watch under standard protocols proved no results nor reaction. This leads the Organisation to believe that this is a genuine timepiece from the year 1944 - further investigation as to how it has occurred in our time period required.
A watchmaker was commissioned post-haste to analyse the watch. He initially accepted the terms - leaving the room every 3 minutes for 1 minute before re-entering - however soon insisted he had not observed any oscillations neither internally from within, nor externally from the watch. Out of intrigue, the investigators left the man to do his work alone with 1862-004, and observed from the chamber through the soundproofed glass. All appeared well. The watchmaker prepared the object for disassembly, when he froze in his seat and stared enthralled by the watch. He began foaming at the mouth - he was promptly removed and quarantined, where he remained until his termination; he too insisted that four days had passed, yet could not recall what had transpired - instead, he urged never to look upon the watch again. He rambled idly about a goading demon, yet he was largely incoherent and his words cannot be reliably verified. He was terminated four hours later when his mind had devolved into sheer unfettered madness; his remains were cremated and scattered in the Thames as per Fr. Crowhurst's direction.
Further analysis and next steps
The object was retrieved and placed within the contamination case. The watchmaker had pried open the reverse casing, and on the inside of the reverse was an inscription of shapes. Four sided squares, oblongs, and rhombi interlace to form a curious image. Fr. Crowhurst forbade unsanctified eyes to look upon it, and takes great care not to observe it himself for prolonged periods. Ultimate purpose of the symbol remains inconclusive.
Object to remain veiled with black cloth, saturated in Holy water, in sealed cage in the centre of a 10m² chamber. Cage to be locked using four latches with four padlocks, all of different makes with different keys. Each key to remain with personnel of varying clearance levels. Key 1 remains with personnel of Clearance Level 1, Key 2 with Clearance Level 2, etc. Four security personnel to remain on shift at all times (according to the pre-ordained schedule so no one guard remains for more than 3 minutes).
Personnel that attain the relevant permission to observe or handle the object, for whatever reason, must wear the designated gloves provided in the casing below the cage. The gloves must be completely saturated in Holy water from the silver bucket by the cage, before attempting to touch the object. The Holy water is to be replaced every 4 weeks. Personnel must carry a dated photograph of themselves (taken at the booth outside of the chamber before induction, allowing time to expose the image before entering) in case of time slippage. The photograph will carry a typed message on the reverse containing instructions should the user experience any form of time slippage despite the appropriate counter-measures. The message will read:
Trust no-one, not even yourself.
There is no escape, outside of waiting. Be patient, and strive not to lose your mind.
When all else fails - breathe, count to four, then start again.
Do not listen to the Devil inside you. Do not look at the Devil outside of you.
Under no circumstances should personnel that intend to touch the object handle any of the keys. Under no circumstances should they carry their own personal time-telling devices while under the influence of the oscillations of 1862-004, lest they question the chronology of their existence and fail to escape the watches influence before the four minute time period.
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