The Anomaly Containment Foundation: OverviewThe Anomaly Containment Foundation (abbreviated A.C.F., or simply called “The Foundation”) is an underground volunteer organization dedicated to the study, containment, and protection of objects with properties not yet understood by modern science or, alternatively, the form of highly-advanced "science" popularly known as magic.
The Foundation exists almost entirely in secret, comprised of a vast network of interconnected agents, researchers, and locations kept out of reach of humanity as a whole. This network is controlled by a five-person Security Council, which serves a legislative role and is unofficially led by an individual known as "Leviathan". The Foundation is funded by a single person known simply as "The Benefactor," who, when desired, may override the say of the Security Council unless the Council's vote was unanimous. The Foundation consists of two main branches: the Agency Branch, assigned with the obtainment and containment of anomalous objects, and the Research Branch, assigned with the study and exploration of the abilities of contained anomalous objects.
The Foundation's locations often exist in the form of front companies, such as Containment Security and Big City Burgers, and individual, well-hidden locations designated L-0 through L-500. Contained within each location are anywhere between one (1) and three hundred (300) anomalies, of various hazard levels measured in both a rigid and gradient scale.
FOUNDATION HISTORY
The Anomaly Containment Foundation was founded in [REDACTED] by three individuals, known as The Founders, for the purpose of locating, securing, and containing anomalous objects, creatures, and persons. The reason for the Founders’ interest in such objects is unrecorded and therefore unknown, but the Foundation's objective ultimately grew to the prevention of harm to humanity by anomalies most could not comprehend; the means of doing so would be by studying those objects as well as a contained environment would allow. Mr. [REDACTED] acted as the first S-1 "Leviathan" of the Foundation Security Council, alongside Mr. [REDACTED] [S-2 "Grayhound"], and Mr. [REDACTED] [S-3 "India"], with their base at what today is known as L-0. Upon the death of Leviathan, [REDACTED] was elected to take his place by the surviving Council members, as well as the heads of the Agency and Research departments. No members of the original council are, to the knowledge of any member of the Foundation, still alive, although one did disappear by anomalous causes, presumably due to the anomalous influence of ACF-[REDACTED]. The considerable fortune of the original founding members is believed to be currently in the possession of the Benefactor.
Originally, the Foundation handled only what are today classified as Risky-class [second-level] anomalies, divided into “low gradient” and “high gradient” risk assessments. After the events of Incident I-[REDACTED] in 1923, the Security Council, which now consisted of five members that included the heads of the agency and research departments and was now abbreviated as the "SV-Council", deemed it necessary to begin locating and retaining Household-class anomalies. When Mr. [REDACTED] became the chief benefactor to the Foundation, he donated locations L-1 through L-5 to be used for the location and containment of Leviathan-class anomalies.
The current Security Council and heads of department have been in power since [REDACTED], 2018, with the election of the most recent SV-4 "HACK" following the end of the Breach.
RECENT HISTORY
A “breach” is an event when one or more anomalies have escaped Foundation containment. There are standard protocols for such events, and breached entities rarely escape the confinement of their location of containment. Only once in the Foundation’s history has there been an event that can be labeled a Breach, with a capital B.
The exact beginning of the mass event known as “The Breach” is unclear, but it is generally agreed that the series of events leading to the date of the breach itself began on April 14, 2018. The inciting incident was one involving a Leviathan-class entity calling itself “Plaguefather” [designation U-222], the containment of which was deemed of [REDACTED]-level priority. ACF-408 “Castor” was approved for use by the council for the containment operation. SV-1 “Leviathan” also requested permission for the use of asset ACF-404 “Pollux” in the operation, a request that was denied by the SV-Council on the grounds that the anomaly was too volatile for use in such a situation. SV-1 released Pollux anyway.
The Council's security concerns were validated when ACF-404 breached containment and turned against his fellow asset following the successful containment of U-222, and stole the artifact the Foundation now believes was related to the anomaly. ACF-404 was successfully recovered during a Leviathan-class collection event involving a Deity-class entity of interest U-176 “Volksgeist”, but the location of the artifact is currently unknown.
Following this failure to control and contain their assets, SV-1 “Leviathan” was voted into retirement by the remaining members of the Security Council. To the surprise of many, he nominated a junior research staff member, [CLASSIFIED: CURRENT “LEVIATHAN”], to take their place as Leviathan. The Council accepted the new SV-1 “Leviathan” and bestowed on them all power of the previous Leviathans.
The forced retirement of SV-1 Leviathan caused his senior staff to be dispersed between the other members, as the new Leviathan would choose their own staff from other branches. [CLASSIFIED: CURRENT “HACK”], his right-hand man, was given to SV-4 “Other” of the security branch; Dr. [CLASSIFIED: CURRENT “BUTTERFLY”], primary researcher of major reality-bending entity ACF-707 “The Butterfly Effect,” was transferred to location L-8 at the request of SV-2 “Llama”; [CLASSIFIED: CURRENT “STRINGS”] was transferred to the command of SV-5 “Numbuh Five” as the primary medical and psychiatric professional for location L-5; and [CLASSIFIED: CURRENT “JUPITER”] and [CLASSIFIED BY ORDER OF SV COUNCIL], both junior agents despite their A-Class-D authority, were placed under the command of SV-3 "Apex" as the chief collector for her locations.
In May, a thorough investigation of SV-2 “Llama” was conducted at the request of senior staff member Dr. [REDACTED], a former Leviathan staff researcher transferred to location L-8. The research agent was then elected into his council seat in a 2-2 vote, with the tiebreaker vote cast by the Benefactor.
The beginning of June saw the voluntary retirement of SV-3 “Apex”, and her replacement as SV-3 by “Jupiter”.
The Breach itself began on June 15, 2018. On this date, a massive, uncontrollable breach of containment in Level-1 locations L-0, L-1, L-2, L-3, and L-4 nullified the containment properties of the sites and killed the majority of on-site staff, including A-Class-E agents D. C. Terr and E. Waxx, R-Class-E researcher M. Near, and SV-4 "Other." On the same day, SV-5 "Numbuh Five" disappeared, presumably by anomalous causes; approximately 350 anomalies were permanently destroyed, and 45 Leviathan-class anomalies escaped containment. In the following weeks, the Foundation lost nearly 300 more sites, mostly Level-2 Locations with a few Level-3 locations forced into "closing" to provide space for on-site containment of retrieved Risky- and Household-class anomalies. It was not until the middle of July that the Foundation was certain enough to elect the two remaining members of the Council, SV-5 “Strings” and SV-4 “Hack,” in that order. The Foundation has been active at a large scale again since December 01, 2018, and after a brief period of survival and recovery, has in the intervening five years resumed almost its full scale of research and containment operations.
Anomalies
Anomalies held by the Foundation include persons, objects, and creatures of anomalous origin or ability, classified according to the strength of their abilities as well as their threat to humanity. To be classified as anomalous, the entity’s ability or origin must be inexplicable by either science (in its most recent iteration) or the scales of power known colloquially as “magic”.
Each anomaly is assigned a 3 or 4-digit number upon containment. This number is the numerically smallest available at the time of containment, as anomalous entities are occasionally cycled out of circulation either by destruction, some breakthrough in understanding their properties that renders them no longer anomalous, or other similar occurrences. Anomaly containment numbers are affixed with an “ACF” prefix, shorthand for “Access Containment File”, a combination of which is most often used in paperwork and cross-experimentation. Suspected or confirmed anomalies that cannot be placed into containment are given the prefix “U” for “Uncontained” or “Unknown”.
Containment Procedures vary based upon the classification and abilities of the anomaly in question. Typically, for objects, containment procedures take the form of placement in an appropriately sized containment unit and stored in designated areas of a site. Household-Class objects are often kept alongside files and related documents; Risky-Classes are most commonly stored together, but separate from other anomalies and files; and Leviathan-class objects are often kept by themselves, usually in separate containment units. For persons and other biological entities, living accommodations meet necessary standards of living, and are intended to be comfortable unless certain have been designated as hazardous to either staff or the anomaly in question. Detailed psychological profiles of human or otherwise sapient anomalies are available upon request.
Household Class: objectively safe, despite anomalous properties. Cause no immediate threat to humanity yet are contained for research purposes, to prevent individuals from enhancing their properties, or to test their anomalous effects on more dangerous anomalies. Contained within Level 3 locations unless being used in higher-risk experiments.
Risky Class: dangerous to individuals rather than large groups/human structures, or possess no ill-will against humanity or human society. Once an object is classed as Risky it cannot be demoted back to Household without express SV authorization. Risky objects or organisms are classed on gradient scales that vary from location to location and staff to staff, ranging from "low-gradient" to "high-gradient". Low-gradient risky-class entities and objects are contained and experimented on alongside Household-class objects, and on occasion are employed as emergency assets in the case of a location breach. All other Risky entities are contained in Level 2 locations unless requested for experimentation in Level 1 locations.
Leviathan Class: pose a high, immediate, and/or deliberate threat to humanity, earth, or the universe. Again measured on a gradient scale. Low-gradient Leviathan class objects are stored in select Level 2 locations. High-risk Leviathan objects cannot be removed from Level 1 locations without express, documented, unanimous SV permission.
Leadership
The Security Council
The Security CouncilThe Security Council consists of five members who make the ultimate decisions for the Foundation. Each member of the Council has a staff of Class-E agents and researchers, and is responsible for two Level-1 locations and the entities contained inside them. Typically, Councilmembers serve for life unless they retire or are forcibly removed by a majority vote of the Security Council and Benefactor.
When a staff member is selected for the Security Council, all remaining information on the staff member is expunged from all Foundation databases and, usually, Class-C amnestics are administered to other staff members to entirely erase the former existence of the newly-elected council member. This ensures that only those with appropriate clearance are capable of identifying Council members for security purposes.
Current Council:
SV-2, codename: Butterfly. [CLASS-E OR HIGHER CLEARANCE REQUIRED.]
SV-3, codename: Jupiter. [CLASS-E OR HIGHER CLEARANCE REQUIRED.]
SV-4, codename: Hack. [CLASS-E OR HIGHER CLEARANCE REQUIRED.]
SV-5, codename: Strings. [CLASS-E OR HIGHER CLEARANCE REQUIRED.]
SV-1: Leviathan
If the Foundation is viewed as a web of information and security, Leviathan is the spider at its center. If the Foundation is a house of cards to be toppled, Leviathan is the card at the base. SV-1, “Leviathan”, is the one person in the Foundation privy to all information no matter the security class and level. They are, on the surface, subject to the remainder of the Council, but the First Councilman is looked to as the singular head of the Foundation to which the other four look, the central gear that turns all the rest.
No matter his true identity, Leviathan is always referred to as “they,” “he,” or to their face, “Sir.” His identity is one of the most securely kept secrets in the Foundation, even more so than the other four Councilmen. The Foundation will not crumble with the lack of a Leviathan, but the revelation of his identity could prove disastrous for Foundational security.
A few things are known about the current Leviathan, despite all this. They seem to be a generous soul, in the current process of rewriting the ethics code to be followed by all personnel. They push for more stable relationships between anomalous entities and staff, citing the relationship between A. Charleton and ACF-833 “Anchor” for reference and Dr. Charleton’s own research on the subject. Whether this was the intent of his predecessor in nominating him for the position, or a movement personally initiated immediately after, is unclear.
The Benefactor
To operate on the scale it does, the Foundation requires funding on an equal scale. That funding comes through the Benefactor, whose identity is known only to the Security Council. The Benefactor has access to the combined funds left behind by the original three Councilmen, as well as various investments, businesses, and other means run in their name or through proxies. The Benefactor’s identity is the second best kept secret in the Foundation, although higher staff like to tell younger members that it’s obvious once you know.
We actively discourage higher staff from doing so.
PERSONNEL
Agency
Agency
The Agency branch is responsible for the investigation, collection, and containment of anomalous objects, creatures, and persons. Agents are classified under five ranks, as follows:
A-Class-A: persons being detained by the Foundation for various reasons, including but not limited to misconduct on the field, maltreatment of ACFs, release of classified or redacted information especially to sources outside the Foundation, and civilian casualties. Often employed in experiments involving Household-Class entities, or as janitorial staff for laboratories at Level 2 and 3 locations.
A-Class-B: low-ranking personnel, generally new personnel and personnel who have committed infringements not severe enough to be demoted to Class-A. These often perform reconnaissance of areas where a potential anomaly is residing, and collection of potential ACFs deemed Household-level; are responsible for security at Level 3 locations; or are employed in internships at Level 1, 2, and 3 locations.
A-Class-C: most personnel within the agency branch of ACF. Assigned with the collection of Risky and some Leviathan level objects as well as the security detail of level 3 and 2 locations; management in Level 2 and 3 locations.
A-Class-D: High-ranking and experienced personnel. Assigned with command of Class-C and below details, the collection of most potential Leviathan level anomalies, and security of Level 1 locations; management in Level 2 Locations.
A-Class-E: Highest ranking personnel, including SV-3, SV-4, and surrounding staff. Non-SV A-Class-Es still have clearance to nearly all locations and information; management in select Level 2 Locations.
Research
The Research branch is responsible for study, evaluation, and experimentation of anomalous objects, creatures, and persons. Researchers are classified under five ranks, as follows:
R-Class-A: persons being detained by the Foundation for various reasons, including but not limited to misconduct on the field, maltreatment of ACFs, the release of classified or redacted information especially to sources outside the Foundation, and civilian casualties. Often employed in experiments involving Household-Class entities, or as janitorial staff for laboratories at Level 2 and 3 locations.
R-Class-B: low-ranking personnel, generally new personnel and personnel who have committed infringements not severe enough to be demoted to Class-A. These perform regular physical evaluations of agents and organic anomalies deemed Household-class and work as assistants to higher-level staff members. These often perform field research surrounding the retrieval of Household-class entities; are primary research staff in Level 3 locations; or undergo internships at Level 1, 2, and 3 locations.
R-Class-C: most personnel within the research branch of ACF. Assigned with assessment and experimentation on, between, and with anomalies labeled Household and Risky. Sometimes called to assist R-Class-D and above personnel. Laboratories in Level 3, 2, and 1 locations; management in Level 2 and 3 locations.
R-Class-D: High-ranking and experienced personnel. Assigned with command of Class-C and below laboratories and staffs, and research and experimentation on, with, and between Leviathan level anomalies. Laboratories in Level 2 and 1 locations; management in Level 2 Locations.
R-Class-E: Highest ranking personnel, including SV-2, SV-5, and surrounding staff. Non-SV R-Class-Es still have clearance to nearly all locations and information; and act as site management in select Level 2 Locations.
Locations
Locations are all on the property of the Foundation's Benefactor. Their chief purpose is for the security and containment of anomalies obtained by the Foundation, but they also have living quarters for on-site staff and laboratories for research teams. Each location is run by 1 A-Class-C and 1 R-Class-C or higher Location Manager, who bear responsibility for ethical care of anomalies and personnel, as well as regulation of the location's paperwork.L-500 through L-200: Designated Level 3 locations, located within boundaries of civilization. Located underneath “Big City Burgers” chain fast-food restaurants around the world, or within the offices of “Containment Security,” these contain mostly Household- and low-gradient Risky-class entities deemed nonthreatening to humanity or the Foundation if exposed. Most on-site staff is Class-C and below. Access granted to all levels of staff except Class-A.
L-199 through L-11: Designated Level 2 locations, located on isolated plots of land owned by Mr. [REDACTED], these house most Risky-class ACFs and select Leviathan-class ACFs. These locations are far enough from society to remain almost entirely secret, and their isolation allows for the easy recontainment of escaped ACFs. They are occupied by Class-A, Class-B, Class-C, and some Class-D staff.
L-10: official Foundation Security Staff location. There are a few temporary containment cells for the associated artifacts of SV council members and their surrounding staff, but no anomalies are permanently contained at this location.
L-1 through L-9: Designated Level 1 locations, located far from society where their contents may pose minimal threat to humanity if a breach in containment occurs. Contains only Leviathan-class ACFs. They are mostly under the guise of oil rigs or mines owned by Mr. [REDACTED], and at the locations of [CLASS-E CLEARANCE REQUIRED].
L-0: Primary location of SV-1 “Leviathan” and typical meeting place of the Security COuncil. This location is the most secure in the Foundation, and exists on a need-to-know basis. All visiting staff except Council members and select Council staff members are administered Class-D amnestics upon their departure from L-0.
Amnestic Protocols
Amnestic administration is reserved for use on persons with inappropriate information to their classification level, persons released from Foundational work or containment, and persons exposed to anomalous events without knowledge of the Foundation, especially memetically hazardous events or items. Limited amnestic administration is also used within the Foundation for security purposes. While a number of Foundational researchers have found alternative filters to memetic hazards, amnestic protocols continue to be used in the case that a filter fails. In most cases, the amnestic used is a highly specialized chemical compound, designated A through E, and is combined with external therapy of some kind to assist the mind in filling gaps in the memory before returning the patient to their idea of normalcy.Class-E Amnestics: Precise and controlled, this is the lightest memetic used by the Foundation for removal of a specific entity from a specific moment in the patient's memory. It is designed for the erasure of recent short-term memories before their transfer to long-term. Overdose of a Class-E amnestic typically nullifies its properties entirely, occasionally requiring two or three doses to complete the amnestic protocol.
Class-D Amnestics: Designed for the removal of specific but recent events, rather than specific but recent moments. The Class-D amnestic is designed for removal of anomalous entities or Foundational personnel from recent events. Like Class-E Amnestics, it is designed for the erasure of short-term memories before they can be transferred to long-term. Overdose of Class-D amnestics results in confusion and occasionally unintentional removal of other non-vital information.
Class-C Amnestics: Typically utilized for erasing specific and somewhat dated events from the human memory. In appropriate doses, a Class-C Amnestic can erase events of several days from up to a year before the date of amnestic administration. Caution is strongly advised in the administration of Class-C Amnestics, as overdose may result in complete amnesia in the subject.
Class-B Amnestics: Like Class-E amnestics, Class-B Amnestics are precisely directed toward a certain person or event that is laced throughout the patient's memory dating back several years. Caution is strongly advised in the administration of Class-B Amnestics, despite their precision over Class-C amnestics. Overdose of a Class-B Amnestic may result in removal of all memories from the first date of encountering the person or entity the administrator is attempting to remove, resulting in extensive or even complete amnesia.
Class-A Amnestics: Designed specifically for complete amnesia, Class-A Amnestics are reserved for cases when influence or memory are so extensive that recovery following lower-class amnestics would be ineffective. Overdose of Class-A Amnestics may result in permanent mental damage, both psychological and physical. Extreme caution is advised when Class-A Amnestics are required, and access to these amnestics is limited to Council staff.
[End of file.]