Ch.112Ch.7 – Outro(2)(Video Not Opening)

# 1929. 6. 12. PM 6:39

Katherine Scully’s Apartment

Washington DC

How long has it been since she returned home?

Katherine Scully reclined on the sofa. Having secured a safe haven for Professor Henry Armitage, she planned to take a vacation for the time being. She had submitted her report on the grand expedition covering Kingsport and Innsmouth, and completed coordination with the military. There were minor matters like reports and team schedule changes, but those could wait.

Even on vacation, she wouldn’t be doing anything extraordinary. She would review recent trends in psychological research and read papers she had collected but hadn’t had time to read. She would reply to letters for academic exchange with domestic and foreign scholars and submit articles to criminology journals and psychology publications. She had more than enough unusual research cases. All that remained was to put them into writing and logic. That was all.

Katherine strictly adhered to the maxim that the best way to rest was to do different work. And in truth, she hated sitting idle. Why waste time when one could be doing something?

‘Why do people smoke?’

As thoughts of cigarettes crossed her mind, an unconscious smile spread across Scully’s face. Even she couldn’t explain why she hadn’t requisitioned Crayfield and his assistant. Of course, they were private detectives, and a Federal Security Bureau agent couldn’t command them at will. But she never doubted that they wouldn’t oppose her or act against her wishes.

Though trained to know such trust was never a given, Scully couldn’t help but feel that way about them. Especially after encountering her twin sister within the assistant’s mind.

‘Why was Emma there? What kind of being is this assistant?’

Scully had seen countless humans and walked into their minds. Most were patients. She knew how to distinguish between ordinary minds and extraordinary ones. But the assistant’s mind was neither.

It was empty.

Like a bookshelf with many spaces but no books. As if they had been moved somewhere else… When she went looking for books, she encountered a strange landscape that seemed not of this world.

Katherine made a decision. This vacation would be better spent with the assistant. Academic papers could be written adequately enough. If she examined the assistant’s inner mind carefully, she might see something truly fascinating…

Ding-dong.

The sudden doorbell interrupted Katherine’s thoughts.

Ding-dong.

“Who is it?”

Katherine stood up. As a precaution, she held an automatic pistol in one hand. Surely no fool would try to ambush a Federal Security Bureau agent at home. But madmen might.

There was no answer from outside. Katherine opened the door slightly. Then she froze.

“Hello.”

Standing at the door was her twin sister.

“Emma?”

“Are you going to keep me standing here?”

“No. Come in. Come in.”

Katherine opened the door. She tucked the pistol into her back pocket. Emma entered, her long hair swaying, carrying a violin case and a small travel bag.

Too shocked to respond properly, Katherine stood speechless. How hard had she searched for Emma? How many records had she combed through to find even a trace of her sister? And now, Emma had simply knocked on her apartment door and walked in.

“Won’t you offer me some tea?”

At this mischievous remark, Katherine’s face hardened.

“What are you playing at?”

Resentment spilled out before joy.

“You disappear on your own, then reappear on your own, and ask for tea? Shouldn’t you apologize first? To Father, to our brother, to me?”

Emma just examined her fingernails. Katherine leaned against the wall.

“I searched all over America looking for you. Whether you were alive. What you were doing. Or if you had died somewhere! You can’t imagine how many unidentified person reports I’ve gone through. And now, now you just show up like this?”

“So what? Should I leave again?”

“Shouldn’t you at least apologize?”

Katherine shouted.

“Just because you do whatever you want doesn’t mean you can hurt your family’s feelings!”

“Our proud family treated me like a madwoman my whole life.”

Emma didn’t bat an eye.

“Why shouldn’t I treat our family the same way? You, of all people, shouldn’t talk like that. You weren’t honest about the medallion.”

“It wasn’t a rational story.”

Katherine replied in a subdued voice.

“A medallion attaching itself to someone on its own? And those visions? We were just too young, distorting reality…”

“No. My mind was sound. Then and now. The fact remains that you lied.”

“So. Did you come to hear something like ‘I’m sorry, I lied’?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not apologizing.”

Psychology? Hypnosis? What did it matter? Psychologists and hypnotists were still human. And she couldn’t see her own flesh and blood as a patient. Just as Katherine was a sister before she was a doctor, Emma had been her sister before she lost her mind.

Emma sighed. Then she pulled out a medallion from her neck. It was exactly as Katherine had seen it in childhood.

“Katherine. The medallion spoke to me again.”

“What did your precious medallion say this time?”

“I want you to look at it.”

Katherine’s hand stopped. Emma’s tone was calm.

“You know how to see it too. No, I misspoke. The medallion ‘also’ shows you memories. Memories of past events and future ones. Recently, the medallion has been showing the same memory. That’s why I ended my seclusion and came here.”

“…Why should I look at it?”

Emma bowed her head.

“Because there’s no one else who can.”

“Did you develop dependency issues with age?”

“And you’ve only gotten better at sarcasm with age.”

“Thinking about my twisted sister made me that way.”

“Then you twisted yourself. Not my fault. Whether I’m twisted or not, what’s that to you?”

“You’re my sister. Family. Don’t you understand?”

“If you were my sister, you shouldn’t have done that to me.”

“Let’s stop this.”

Unable to contain her anger, Katherine clenched her fist.

“God. I thought my sister would have become a better person than this. I thought if you hated home so much, you’d at least do something you wanted. But what is this?”

“I don’t know if I’ve become a better person. But I was truly glad to see you, Katherine.”

Suspicion entered Katherine’s eyes.

“Where did you see me?”

“In that being’s mind. You must know. The garden of red sand and plants growing while withered.”

A shock ran down Katherine’s spine.

“Yes. Now you seem ready for the real conversation.”

Emma smiled a twisted smile.

* * * * *

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Kingsport – Innsmouth Incident Report File – White House Secretariat.

#1. Regarding the Treatment of James Moriarty – Federal Security Bureau Director Hood.

James Moriarty (…) recently met with Soviet officer Svidrigailov in London and expressed his intention to defect. He faces various charges including treason, national security law violations, disclosure of state secrets, murder, arson, assault, criminal organization prevention law violations, and bribery. Since the enactment of the Violent Organization Punishment Act in the British Empire, not only members of criminal organizations but also mere collaborators face various punishments including colonial labor, drawing and quartering, public burning, and cerebellum removal.

‘The Circus’ deliberately released Moriarty instead of arresting him. They tracked his movements to round up all his collaborators. Finding it impossible to live in England, he contacted Soviet military attaché Svidrigailov and expressed his intention to defect to the Soviet Union. What he offered in exchange is believed to be related to mechanical clockwork engineering, but the Soviets, seeing his potential as a criminal consultant, infiltrated him into the United States. They apparently hoped Moriarty would carry out in Kingsport and Innsmouth the same destructive operations he conducted in Exeter, England.

According to Top Secret Directive 33-2, the Federal Security Bureau secretly sponsored Moriarty and arranged a meeting with Senator Annette Cole. As expected, Senator Cole joined hands with Moriarty and reportedly dispatched her aide to Innsmouth. The aide is currently missing. The Federal Security Bureau has irrefutable evidence of the dealings between Senator Cole and James Moriarty, and is prepared to disclose it at Your Excellency’s command.

The Circus agent Clarice Holmes surprised us in many ways. Had it not been for the unexpected incident in Innsmouth – the underwater volcanic eruption – she would have almost arrested Moriarty. Holmes is presumed to be alive, but due to her human skin melting, free movement appears difficult. According to uncertain reports, Circus operatives safely took her back to England, but this requires further confirmation.

James Moriarty is currently imprisoned at Boston Naval Base. He is under surveillance by the Special Military Police, and escape appears impossible. Using Moriarty, we are preparing Operation “Witchcraft” to feed disinformation to Svidrigailov, who has caused great harm to America, in order to arrest him. Moriarty will pass carefully fabricated information to the Soviets, who will suffer great damage through this false intelligence and purge their own secret intelligence agency.

As seen in the Moriarty case, America is currently in a national security crisis. Citizens roam the streets indiscriminately and express opinions freely without facing any punishment or consequences. While democratic values are paramount, as we learned from the Great War, democracy is guaranteed only when the state exists.

As Director, to fulfill my duties, I wish to submit to Your Excellency a draft report on the reorganization of the Federal Security Bureau. America’s current problem lies in the administration’s inability to fully control civil society. The fist still prevails over the law, criminal organizations wield more power than police, and corrupt administrators and congressmen in collusion with back-alley capital are eating away at America.(…)

With respect and gratitude,

Federal Security Bureau Director Hood.

#2. Innsmouth Operation Report – U.S. Central Command Major General Patton.

The city of Y’ha-nthlei in the “Deep One” of Innsmouth waters has been conclusively determined to be completely collapsed.

The Innsmouth earthquake was not naturally occurring. The beings called “Shoggoths” enslaved by the Deep Ones broke through Innsmouth’s weak underground, and the weakened ground of Innsmouth sank. In this process, gas and magma from Y’ha-nthlei rose to the surface.

Currently, all priests of the Dagon cult are refusing food and treatment. They repeat that “Dagon has left this land,” engaging in self-harm and frenzy, and are currently being administered narcotic painkillers.

Intelligence on Innsmouth citizens – We plan to scatter Innsmouth citizens throughout the United States. Innsmouth people have a strong unique culture and tend to maintain their traditions when grouped together. Therefore, it is necessary to place them physically far apart so they cannot meet, diluting these characteristics. It is necessary to implement this as quickly as possible while the current nationwide attention provides a favorable environment.

Some troop reports –

Insomnia, fear, auditory hallucinations, and sleep disorders have been confirmed among pilots of the 403 2nd Air Squadron and sailors of the Central Naval Command. They testify that “there was a giant resembling a human in the waters off Innsmouth, half fish-like with human limbs.” When shown the form of a Deep One, these personnel confirmed it. Central Command plans to return these personnel to duty as soon as possible through “psychological treatment” and “memory erasure.”

Major General Patton, Central Command.

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– Ch. 7 Elegy to Reason End –