AI art "New Assignment [Stardust Crossing Episode 1]" with user description "// MISSION BRIEFING

Location: Site 117-A
Timeframe: Indefinite
Operation Start: 6/27/XXXX

Objectives:
1. Establish visual identification of Subjects 001 - 010.
2. Log daily routines of Subjects noting any anomalous behaviors or incidents.
3. Maintain cover story (Story #6 - "Travel Vlogger")
4. Do NOT make contact with Subjects outside of necessary interactions to maintain cover story.
5. Report any anomalous incidents immediately.

// END BRIEFING

SC-009 carefully read the screen before her. It was the same method they always used to contact her, a sudden ping on her secured connection. The only proof that she was still needed.

But this one was different. No assassination target, no secure vault to breach, no strange object to recover or creature to capture. Just a place to investigate. A recon mission, with very little strings attached. She frowned, what little displeasure she was capable of feeling exaggerated as much as possible on her face for the sake of feeling her cheek muscles move.

No defined end goal. No exfill date. Just indefinite parameters. It wasnt her style. The one thing she could pride herself on was getting the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. The listed timeframe was less an expectation and more a high score to beat. She wanted to know more but she wasnt allowed to ask questions. From the moment her terminal beeped, the mission had already begun. Her approval was nothing more than a formality.

---

The briefing was as short as the e-mail. This wasnt her first assignment, and it certainly wasnt her handler's. She was handed a cover story pamphlet to study on the plane, a satchel full of low-tech gear to fit the cover story, a bodysuit, a single change of clothes (more would be acquired on site), a credit card with fake credentials attached, a key card to access the on-site facility, and a dossier of her observation targets. Then she was loaded onto a plane like any other piece of military hardware and transported to Site-117-A.

12 hours of settling in later, as she was already staking out rooftops, camera in hand, looking for any sign of her targets. No time for anything but the mission. No time, even, to consider the effects of the anamolous zone she found herself in.

She carried on like this for three days. Working out of a tiny apartment, she spent every waking moment scanning the crowds for her targets. And in so doing, began to wonder why her targets were so special.

There were all sorts in this city, and that was putting it mildly. On her first day, she spied a girl with a centipede tail exiting a local convenience store. Last night, she had seen a literal fairy flitting about near the edge of the woods. Just this morning, a lavender furred cat had wandered through her apartment wall like it wasnt even there and kept on going through the opposite wall.

Compared to things like this, what made the college student, the race car driver, or the mechanic girl interesting enough to pick them as targets? Perhaps part of her job was to answer that very question.

---

It was the night of her seventh day in the city of Stardust Crossing when everything changed.

The night was particularly clear and the summer heat had waned just enough to make her bodysuit bearable. She was pearched in a tall tree near the edge of the local park, keeping an eye on the main road into the nearby suburban neighborhood. She had already clocked Subject 002 and Subject 005 as both living nearby and was looking to refine her notes on their schedules.

Then, suddenly, the air shifted and the world fell quiet. The wind ceased all movement. The pedestrians seemed to find somewhere else to be. Even the animals scurried away or held still as the grave. It was like the whole world was holding its breath.

She felt it then, like warm honey dripping across her mind. Four simple words whispered directly into her soul.

"Can you hear me?"

She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes. She opened them to see the night sky aglow with light and color. The Shimmer. She had recorded it once, on the first night she arrived, but hadn't seen it again until now.

It felt so much closer now. Like it wasnt far up in the sky, but merely just above her head. Then, it was gone.

An unfamiliar feeling welled up inside of her. It took her several minutes to realize it was anxiety. She wasnt supposed to be able to feel that anymore. Not after Geas Conditioning.

But the whispered words had knocked something loose in the back of her mind. A rattling piece that wouldn't let her forget about it.

Yes, she thought, to herself or to the voice she couldn't say. I can hear you.

Sleep didnt come easy that night. She went over everything in her dossier five times over, looking for any explanation but finding none. By the time morning came, she had barely slept a wink.

She was supposed to report incidents like this.

But that new feeling told her that would be a bad idea."

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New Assignment [Stardust Crossing Episode 1]

// MISSION BRIEFING Location: Site 117-A Timeframe: Indefinite Operation Start: 6/27/XXXX Objectives: 1. Establish visual identification of Subjects 001 - 010. 2. Log daily routines of Subjects noting any anomalous behaviors or incidents. 3. Maintain cover story (Story #6 - "Travel Vlogger") 4. Do NOT make contact with Subjects outside of necessary interactions to maintain cover story. 5. Report any anomalous incidents immediately. // END BRIEFING SC-009 carefully read the screen before her. It was the same method they always used to contact her, a sudden ping on her secured connection. The only proof that she was still needed. But this one was different. No assassination target, no secure vault to breach, no strange object to recover or creature to capture. Just a place to investigate. A recon mission, with very little strings attached. She frowned, what little displeasure she was capable of feeling exaggerated as much as possible on her face for the sake of feeling her cheek muscles move. No defined end goal. No exfill date. Just indefinite parameters. It wasnt her style. The one thing she could pride herself on was getting the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. The listed timeframe was less an expectation and more a high score to beat. She wanted to know more but she wasnt allowed to ask questions. From the moment her terminal beeped, the mission had already begun. Her approval was nothing more than a formality. --- The briefing was as short as the e-mail. This wasnt her first assignment, and it certainly wasnt her handler's. She was handed a cover story pamphlet to study on the plane, a satchel full of low-tech gear to fit the cover story, a bodysuit, a single change of clothes (more would be acquired on site), a credit card with fake credentials attached, a key card to access the on-site facility, and a dossier of her observation targets. Then she was loaded onto a plane like any other piece of military hardware and transported to Site-117-A. 12 hours of settling in later, as she was already staking out rooftops, camera in hand, looking for any sign of her targets. No time for anything but the mission. No time, even, to consider the effects of the anamolous zone she found herself in. She carried on like this for three days. Working out of a tiny apartment, she spent every waking moment scanning the crowds for her targets. And in so doing, began to wonder why her targets were so special. There were all sorts in this city, and that was putting it mildly. On her first day, she spied a girl with a centipede tail exiting a local convenience store. Last night, she had seen a literal fairy flitting about near the edge of the woods. Just this morning, a lavender furred cat had wandered through her apartment wall like it wasnt even there and kept on going through the opposite wall. Compared to things like this, what made the college student, the race car driver, or the mechanic girl interesting enough to pick them as targets? Perhaps part of her job was to answer that very question. --- It was the night of her seventh day in the city of Stardust Crossing when everything changed. The night was particularly clear and the summer heat had waned just enough to make her bodysuit bearable. She was pearched in a tall tree near the edge of the local park, keeping an eye on the main road into the nearby suburban neighborhood. She had already clocked Subject 002 and Subject 005 as both living nearby and was looking to refine her notes on their schedules. Then, suddenly, the air shifted and the world fell quiet. The wind ceased all movement. The pedestrians seemed to find somewhere else to be. Even the animals scurried away or held still as the grave. It was like the whole world was holding its breath. She felt it then, like warm honey dripping across her mind. Four simple words whispered directly into her soul. "Can you hear me?" She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes. She opened them to see the night sky aglow with light and color. The Shimmer. She had recorded it once, on the first night she arrived, but hadn't seen it again until now. It felt so much closer now. Like it wasnt far up in the sky, but merely just above her head. Then, it was gone. An unfamiliar feeling welled up inside of her. It took her several minutes to realize it was anxiety. She wasnt supposed to be able to feel that anymore. Not after Geas Conditioning. But the whispered words had knocked something loose in the back of her mind. A rattling piece that wouldn't let her forget about it. Yes, she thought, to herself or to the voice she couldn't say. I can hear you. Sleep didnt come easy that night. She went over everything in her dossier five times over, looking for any explanation but finding none. By the time morning came, she had barely slept a wink. She was supposed to report incidents like this. But that new feeling told her that would be a bad idea.