Parasite

Mention of body horror, death, parasite (similarities to a virus), hospitals, hallucinations, water, possible starvation, and losing a family member. Stay safe!

New Message:

To: Silvia Tartel

Subject: Compiled Reports

As requested, here is the most significant documentation recovered from Site A.

The following is the last communication of Dr. Sierra Alvarez, concerning the parasite apatelos necotum, as found in an unsent document in Mortimer California, USA

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[Notes of Dr. Sierra Alvarez, (to be revised upon completion)

Katrina Ashton first came into the hospital on October 27, 2022. (Here on referred to as Date 0) The 22 year old woman from Avalon, California was complaining of fatigue and possible gustatory hallucinations among other symptoms. Below is a transcript of her statement, taken from audio recording equipment present in the room.

I just- I’m just super tired, all the time. I’ve fallen asleep at work once or twice, and I’m worried I’m going to get fired... I also have a weird taste in my mouth, like hot water... 

Analysis on the patient’s blood was done, and when the results came back normal, she was advised to speak with a neurologist about her fatigue. 

--

What is believed to be the remains of Dr. Rashad Fernandes was found dead in his home one month after Date 0, a 52 year old man that had gotten his doctorate in neuroscience. 

(note: add links to news stories)

Although records of Katrina Ashton were not found anywhere among his practice’s records, investigators believe that this was the neurologist she eventually went to. 

--

The apatelos necotum, here on referred to as the “Apate” parasite, was able to be discovered and contained within a period of three months after Date 0. A quarantine area with a circumference of roughly 150 miles was established around the town of Mortimer, CA. Seeing as the Apate parasite is largely undetectable by any common screening equipment, it was determined to be the best action to prevent the spread by preventing any contact to the outside. Although this was, of course, a death sentence for anyone inside the quarantine area, it has proven to be effective in containing the parasite so far. 

--

As one of the last surviving people within the quarantine area, and the only one with a medical doctorate, I have been contacted by my superiors and asked to create a first-hand report on the Apate parasite.]

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At this point, it appears that Dr. Alvarez took a break to eat lunch. The document was unfinished, and her handwritten notes that she was using to compile the digital report were illegible, due to a large amount of water damage. Her body has not yet been officially identified, as a large amount of biomaterial was found in her office, presumably from several people.

The following is an excerpt taken from an online news site, the Online Health Gazette, concerning the apatelos necotum parasite.

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[Citizens in the quarantine area have rushed to social media, begging to be let out before they contract the parasite. The head of Apate Control and Containment, Dr. Claude Garth, has answered each post personally, explaining the situation and offering apologies. 

We feel for you at this time. We have guaranteed that any immediate family members outside of the quarantine will receive financial compensation. While you are in a position that none of us would like to be stuck in, just remember that you are doing the world a service.

The trolley problem, a hypothetical scenario in which you choose between the life of a single loved one and five strangers, has been compared to the current world view. When faced with the hypothetical, over 90% of those surveyed chose to kill the loved one and save the five strangers. This closely aligns with the family and friends of those inside the quarantined area, with the minority, at just 20%, saying that they would rather their loved one die inside the quarantine than expose everyone else. 

Good to know that we stick to our morals, however hard a choice it may be. As the numbers in the quarantine dwindle, so rises the hope of putting this behind us.]

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The following is taken from a drafted personal blog of Kennedy Pechmann, 13, located within the quarantine zone, titled Get Out/I Can’t Sleep

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[Everytime I lay down, the image of my brother comes to mind. He was one of the Protest 50, you see. We didn’t really know what was happening. We didn’t know we were doomed. There were military people surrounding us, wearing hazmat suits. Everyone was trying to get by, to get out, but we couldn’t. 

I was sitting to the side. Loud noises have always bothered me, and while I wanted to get out just as much as anyone, I was better at following the flow than having a panic attack within it. My older brother, Tristan, was at the front. He was brave. He was kind. He is dead. 

The first one burst further down the line. Everyone’s voices hissed to a stop, like turning the TV volume down. We didn’t know what happened. It was our neighbor, Annabelle. One minute she had been standing there, and the next she was gone. Just a puddle of water and chunks of what she used to be made of. Then, the panic started. Instead of turning and running away, back towards town, everyone pushed forward, desperately trying to get out. 

Tristan tried to turn back. I saw his eyes, staring at me. I scooted back, heart racing, wanting to go but not wanting to leave him behind. 

He told me to get back, and I did, just as Coach Peterson started to cry. Water was gushing uncontrollably from his eyes, and then his mouth, and then his pores. He didn’t burst like Annabelle had- he just kind of deflated, spreading all across the ground. The soldiers separated the people that the water had touched- they triple checked the foot of dry ground that was in between me and the puddle that used to be Coach Peterson. 

Tristan’s shoes were soaked.

They took him away. I learned later that they did testing on the Protest 50. 50 perfect test subjects to learn about Apate. Not that it helped.

The streets are flooded. I’ve stuffed as many rags as I can into the cracks and crevices of my home, but I’ve got a choice to make. I ate the last can of soup yesterday.]

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We have successfully blocked any and all non-typical communication from Site A, including the above blog. Our social media monitors believe that continuing to use incognito accounts to disprove anyone challenging our target view (see Document A414-56) will keep investigation to a minimum.

Sincerely,

Dr. Claude Garth