{
    "title": "King Investigation",
    "date": "2019-10-26 18:00",
    "reportcode": "GT/GL-191026-076260329",
    "url": "https://teeth.zarquan.fyi/reports/gt-gl-191026-076260329/index.json",
    "description": "△▼△TOP SECRET//SI//DGO△▼△",
    "content": "\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReport No:\u003c/strong\u003e GT/GL-191026-076260329\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation:\u003c/strong\u003e\nBangor, Maine\nState College, Pennsylvania\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAgents:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/cells/d/#mccarter\"\u003eMcCarter-2\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/cells/d/#booth\"\u003eBooth\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/cells/d/#smith\"\u003eJustin Smith\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/cells/d/#farrington-cowles\"\u003ePhilomena Farrington-Cowles\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSummary:\u003c/strong\u003e\nFollowing recovery of Agent McCarter’s body at a roadside incident, agents were contacted by an entity identifying itself as McCarter from an alternate reality. The entity demonstrated knowledge consistent with Agent McCarter but exhibited behavioral and experiential deviations. Agents engaged the entity, received intelligence regarding the anomalous “Picky Eater” phenomenon, and elected to proceed with it as a provisional asset.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInvestigation led to the identification of Vicky King as a probable early vector in the spread of Picky Eater. Field activity at King’s residence resulted in a bifurcation event: agents were split across two distinct but overlapping realities. One team made contact with juvenile occupants and an active operational environment inside the residence; the other entered an alternate version of the same location exhibiting signs of ideological transformation and systemic collapse.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOperation Report:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents secured control of a roadside incident involving two deceased individuals:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne confirmed as Agent Matthew McCarter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne unidentified male with documentation from a non-existent nation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll identifying materials were removed from McCarter’s body. Both bodies were classified as John Does and diverted from standard federal processing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShortly after, Agent Booth received a call on a personal device from a voice identical to McCarter.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCaller claimed to be McCarter from another reality and requested removal of identifying materials from his “body.”\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents confirmed prior completion of this action.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeeting arranged at a Denny’s in Bangor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEntity (“McCarter-2”) arrived:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhysically similar to McCarter with notable differences (scarring, increased physicality, altered demeanor).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDisplayed professional bearing consistent with intelligence training.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcCarter-2 disclosed:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“Picky Eater” is a hypergeometric construct embedded in hardware.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt builds psychological profiles and reinforces user beliefs, eventually drawing individuals into alternate realities aligned with those beliefs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt spreads virally across devices and environments.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContinued operation weakens barriers between realities, enabling cross-dimensional transit.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnly reliable containment method: total destruction of affected hardware.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcCarter-2 claimed origin from a reality where:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDelta Green equivalent operates publicly (Department of Terrestrial Security).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicky Eater has been studied and partially reverse-engineered.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe was deliberately inserted into this reality to identify and neutralize the origin point.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents corroborated partial truthfulness via behavioral assessment.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcCarter-2 possessed:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eModified Picky Eater device (non-propagating, used for transit/communication).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnknown advanced weaponry (including experimental “lightning rifle”).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEntity refused surrender or disassembly of device.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIntelligence pointed to Vicky King:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormer Penn State IT employee.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmployment terminated in early 2018 after abrupt cessation of work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eResidence foreclosed but never successfully processed for eviction.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLast confirmed activity aligns temporally with early Picky Eater spread.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents traveled overnight to King’s residence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEvent Divergence at Target Location:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrimary Reality Track (Parker / McCarter-2):\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEntry attempt initiated at front door.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcCarter-2 attacked by anomalous raccoon (unusual aggression, targeted behavior).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoor opened by juvenile female (~10 years old).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInterior:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTwo juvenile females (likely twins).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne armed with kitchen knife.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoth exhibited fear of “Reapers” and avoidance of computers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStatements indicated:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMother (presumed Vicky King) present upstairs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMother engaged in unspecified “work.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChildren instructed to avoid electronics entirely.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents gained partial compliance; did not yet secure upper floor.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecondary Reality Track (Booth / Philomena):\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents displaced during approach; vehicle no longer present.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResidence altered:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConverted into boarded structure with official notice.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeclared “excommunicated for failure to facilitate right of harvest.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuthority listed as “National Child and Family Services Office.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEnvironmental indicators:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSociety exhibits authoritarian/theocratic elements.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicky Eater present on personal devices in this reality.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDigital searches restricted and monitored.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRear entry gained:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eActive generator detected in basement (likely powering isolated systems).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInterior shows signs of forced search (cushions cut, contents scattered).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents began clearing structure, moving toward generator source.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnalysis and Recommendations:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePicky Eater Threat Level:\u003c/strong\u003e\nExtreme. Capable of:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCross-reality contamination.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePsychological manipulation at scale.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInfrastructure-level propagation without centralized control.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersistent presence even after user disengagement.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReality Instability:\u003c/strong\u003e\nConfirmed:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhysical co-location of divergent realities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpontaneous agent displacement.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNon-linear causality between instances.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEvidence suggests proximity to active Picky Eater nodes increases transition probability.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVicky King Assessment:\u003c/strong\u003e\nLikely early or primary vector.\nIndicators:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTechnical capability (IT background, MIT training).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBehavioral shift coinciding with Picky Eater emergence.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIsolation and cessation of normal activity.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePresence of children introduces emotional/psychological anchor variables.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChildren:\u003c/strong\u003e\nCritical unknowns.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAppear aware of threat constructs (“Reapers”).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoidance of electronics suggests indoctrination or survival adaptation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePotential carriers, constructs, or anchors for localized reality distortion.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMcCarter-2:\u003c/strong\u003e\nStatus: Provisional asset, high risk.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePossesses actionable intelligence.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMotivations appear aligned with containment objective.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRetains independent agenda and unknown command structure.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDevice possession represents unacceptable contamination risk.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnomalous Wildlife:\u003c/strong\u003e\nRaccoon behavior suggests:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnvironmental bleed-through.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePossible low-level contamination effects on fauna.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncreased unpredictability of engagement zones.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecommendations:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImmediate priority: secure and isolate Vicky King.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSecondary priority: identify and neutralize all active Picky Eater hardware at site.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContainment protocol escalation:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConsider total electronic purge of target zone.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEvaluate feasibility of localized EMP or equivalent.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMcCarter-2:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaintain under observation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo not allow unsupervised access to networks or DG command channels.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgents:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImplement strict device discipline.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMinimize exposure to Picky Eater interfaces.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA-Cell:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInitiate parallel investigation into dark web propagation vectors.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCross-reference PhenomenX network activity.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReview prior operations for unnoticed early-stage infections.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAddendum (Restricted):\u003c/strong\u003e\nParallel reality exhibited structured ideological inversion consistent with fear-based cognitive reinforcement models. Suggests Picky Eater does not merely connect realities, but selects or amplifies those aligned with user psychological profiles. If true, containment may require not only hardware destruction but interruption of belief reinforcement cycles.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cdetails \u003e\n  \u003csummary markdown=\"span\"\u003eSession Notes\u003c/summary\u003e\n  \u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrevious-session recap given at the table\u003c/strong\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMASTICATE had driven out to Frosty Oaks, a trailer park outside Bangor, Maine, after tracing the hardware trail to Robert Wallace, a local man with apparent ties to the Picky Eater network.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank Booth kept Robert Wallace’s father, Cordell Wallace, occupied on the porch while Justin and Philomena searched the trailer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe obvious lead in Robert Wallace’s bedroom, a burned-out PC, turned out to be a dead end.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt the same time, Matthew McCarter had been pulled by Picky Eater into a mirror version of America.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn that other reality, the trailer park was physically recognizable, but details were wrong. License plates read \u003cstrong\u003eGlobal Caliphate\u003c/strong\u003e, and the man inside Wallace’s trailer had a barcode on his neck.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Robert Wallace from that reality was a hardened partisan who casually shot unarmed men and called it mercy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcCarter played along long enough to get into Wallace’s truck and handed over his phone to buy time.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt a checkpoint, McCarter shot Wallace’s phone, which attracted the attention of power-armored Antifa shock troopers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWallace panicked, yelled about black helicopters and a safe house, and tried to flee at high speed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcCarter shot Wallace in the head while the truck was moving about 80 miles per hour.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe truck vanished out from around them as they crossed back between realities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcCarter and Wallace then smashed onto the pavement back in their home reality, and neither survived the impact.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhile meditating in the Wallace trailer, Philomena sensed the local wrongness resolving toward a single point and discovered a hidden computer behind the television, with an Ethernet cable running through the floor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePlugged into that hidden computer was a USB thumb drive labeled \u003cstrong\u003e“Wake Up Cuz.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe team pulled the plug, bagged the hidden computer, and took it with them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCordell Wallace gave them one useful lead before they released him: the USB drive had come from his cousin \u003cstrong\u003eVicky King\u003c/strong\u003e in \u003cstrong\u003eKick Springs, Pennsylvania\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn the way back toward Bangor, the agents came across the roadside emergency scene where the truck had reappeared.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere, they found two bodies on the pavement: Matthew McCarter and a man carrying identification from a country that did not exist.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe recap ended with MASTICATE down an agent and preparing to head south toward Pennsylvania.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAt the roadside scene in Maine\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe session picked up at the crash site on the side of the road, with Bangor police cars and an ambulance present and traffic being directed around the scene.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere was a nearby farm with a farmhouse, barn, and standard rural outbuildings.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe surviving version of McCarter, hiding nearby behind a shed on the property, decided to call Frank Booth.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe phone that rang was Frank’s \u003cstrong\u003epersonal phone\u003c/strong\u003e, not his burner or operation phone.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank hesitated before answering because the number was not familiar.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen he heard the voice on the other end say it was McCarter, Frank had to roll SAN and lost \u003cstrong\u003e1 SAN from a natural response\u003c/strong\u003e, because it was unmistakably Matthew McCarter’s voice.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe caller identified himself as McCarter and immediately said that, before anything else, Frank needed to remove all identification and sensitive material from the body out on the road.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank, thinking pragmatically and professionally, told him they had already done that.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank then asked where he was.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMcCarter said he was nearby but could not walk openly into the scene himself.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank made a HUMINT roll on the voice and recognized that it had many of Matthew’s vocal habits and mannerisms, but it was different in important ways.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis McCarter sounded \u003cstrong\u003emore confident, more focused, more controlled, and colder\u003c/strong\u003e than the Matthew they knew.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank’s read was that, if this was an impersonation, it was being done by someone who had studied Matthew very closely.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe caller proposed that they meet at a public place so everybody would be calmer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe specifically suggested \u003cstrong\u003eIHOP\u003c/strong\u003e, and the group instead settled on \u003cstrong\u003eDenny’s on 120 Haskell Road\u003c/strong\u003e in two hours.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCleaning up the crash site and containing the bodies\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank and the others kept control of the crash scene by flashing their task-force credentials and presenting themselves as federal agents handling a terrorism-related matter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe local police accepted this explanation and were willing to let them direct what happened next.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank handled the bureaucratic side, arranging for the bodies to be treated as \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Does\u003c/strong\u003e for the moment.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe wanted the bodies held without autopsy until the matter could be properly taken over, and he specifically did not want them going through ordinary channels.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank called \u003cstrong\u003eAntonia Pitzerelli\u003c/strong\u003e and told her they now had \u003cstrong\u003etwo bodies\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe explained that one was apparently their Wallace contact, although the local authorities were not fully convinced it was the local Robert Wallace.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe also told her that the second body was Matthew McCarter’s.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank then added that, despite the body on the road, he had just received a phone call from someone who sounded exactly like McCarter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePitzerelli immediately recognized that, given the nature of the case, this had to be taken seriously.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank said he wanted McCarter’s death kept quiet for the moment and confirmed that he had already removed the identifying material from the body.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePitzerelli approved of the bodies being treated as John Does and agreed that removing them quietly would not be difficult.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank told her they were going to meet the caller in public and would report back.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeeting the alternate McCarter at Denny’s\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter dealing with the bodies, the team drove to Denny’s.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter eventually arrived in a battered \u003cstrong\u003eFord Fiesta\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen he stepped out, he was visibly McCarter, but not the McCarter they knew.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe was somewhat less lean and more muscular than their Matthew.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe had a few more gray hairs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe had a \u003cstrong\u003escar across one cheek\u003c/strong\u003e that their McCarter did not have.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe was dressed in a good suit and tie and looked very much like someone trying to play the part of a federal agent or intelligence officer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe walked into the Denny’s, gave Frank a genuinely warm smile, gave Justin and Philomena a more puzzled look, and sat down.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe opened the conversation by asking whether they were aware of a piece of software called \u003cstrong\u003ePicky Eater\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat the alternate McCarter explained about Picky Eater\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said that, as he understood it, Picky Eater was effectively a ritual embedded in hardware.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe described it as something that built a \u003cstrong\u003epsychic or psychological profile\u003c/strong\u003e of the user.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt then fed that person information that reinforced what they already wanted to believe was true.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOnce the user accepted that worldview deeply enough, Picky Eater could draw them into the world that information came from.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe emphasized that Picky Eater was \u003cstrong\u003ehighly infectious\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAccording to him, any computing device used by an infected person became marked.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt could then spread to devices the infected person later used.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt could also spread to nearby devices in use around that person, even if those devices were being used by someone else.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said the only effective countermeasure his people had found was to \u003cstrong\u003edestroy every affected general-purpose computing device\u003c/strong\u003e that had been touched by the infected person.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe also said that long-running Picky Eater instances weakened the barriers between realities in general, not just between one person and one alternate world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe stated plainly that this broad weakening of the walls between worlds was how he had been able to come here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe warned them there was no reason to assume he was the only traveler who had crossed over.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe alternate McCarter’s identity and organization\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe told them outright that he was \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e the Matthew McCarter they knew.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said he had been sent across during a moment of psychic intensity associated with their world’s McCarter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe asked what they called their own employers and referred to them as “the program” or “the conspiracy,” then said those names were outdated in his world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe explained that his side had reverse-engineered part of Picky Eater’s cross-world information function and had been able to gather at least some intelligence on this reality.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said that in his world the organization equivalent to Delta Green had become \u003cstrong\u003epublic in the mid-1990s\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen asked about \u003cstrong\u003eAudra Powell\u003c/strong\u003e, he said the name sounded familiar, perhaps as another agent, but definitely not as the director of his organization.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen asked what year it was in his reality, he answered \u003cstrong\u003e2021\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe acknowledged that there was a time-dilation effect in how Picky Eater linked worlds.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrank’s read on the alternate McCarter\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank remained cautious and kept checking him against his memory of the original McCarter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter knew things he should not have known if he were merely an impostor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe knew Frank personally and claimed that in his world he and Frank had worked together extensively.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank’s read was still that this man was different from their McCarter in a fundamental way: more agentic, more confident, more controlled, and more dangerous.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEven so, nothing in his demeanor suggested obvious deception.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilomena also read him as earnest, though she remained uneasy.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe group concluded that he at least \u003cstrong\u003ebelieved\u003c/strong\u003e what he was saying.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHis theory about worlds and the origin of Picky Eater\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Frank challenged the underlying logic and asked whose universe they were standing in if Picky Eater created realities based on people’s psyches, the alternate McCarter said he was not convinced Picky Eater actually created worlds.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said he remembered life before Picky Eater and believed it might instead be \u003cstrong\u003efinding or connecting to existing worlds\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe stressed that he was not part of the research team and did not have complete answers.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe then explained that his people had interrogated a freelance reporter named \u003cstrong\u003eGeorge Allen\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeorge Allen had previously been detained in that other world for similar activity years earlier.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen they picked him up again during the current crisis, Allen seemed delighted that everything he had believed about the supernatural was true.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAllen repeatedly said, \u003cstrong\u003e“I knew it.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAllen worked for a site or brand called \u003cstrong\u003ePhenomenX\u003c/strong\u003e, which the alternate McCarter said existed in both worlds.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrom Allen and from other evidence, his people had become fairly certain that Picky Eater had \u003cstrong\u003eoriginated in this world\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said some of the scientists in his organization were very worried about space-time interference and believed the source reality needed to be shut down immediately.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe described his mission as aligned with MASTICATE’s mission: find the source, shut it down, and stop further incursions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhenomenX and additional context\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilomena looked up PhenomenX while they were talking.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe found that in this reality it had begun as a late-night cable show in the early 1990s, heavily focused on UFO conspiracies.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt later continued in other forms, including online and crowdsourced formats.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt had become a broader supernatural and conspiracy-media brand, associated with streamers, citizen journalists, ghost-hunting material, and related paranormal content.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis supported the alternate McCarter’s claim that the name existed in both realities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuestions about what happens after the mission\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen asked whether shutting down the source would send him back to his own reality, the alternate McCarter said \u003cstrong\u003epossibly\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe suggested that if all instances in this reality were shut down, or if a central “prime” instance were destroyed, he might be pushed back.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe speculated that something similar had probably happened to the original Matthew McCarter and Robert Wallace when they crossed back.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe also said that the original McCarter’s public history in this world matched some of his own, including military service, but diverged at least by the time McCarter became a professor.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhilomena’s smell test\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilomena brought up the old McCarter’s bizarre olfactory fixation.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe deliberately checked whether this version of McCarter carried the familiar \u003cstrong\u003ebrown gravy smell\u003c/strong\u003e associated with the original.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe did \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRather than making her feel safer, the absence of that smell made him feel even more wrong to her.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eQuestions about how Picky Eater hardware works\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe group pressed him on whether infected devices had to be running in order to matter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said that \u003cstrong\u003epowering a device down stopped its active reality-linking effects\u003c/strong\u003e, but did not solve the problem permanently.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIf the device was powered back on, the threat resumed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe reiterated that \u003cstrong\u003ehardware destruction\u003c/strong\u003e was the only permanent answer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe did not know who originally developed the hardware or who had authored the first build.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said George Allen had built a chip from dark-web instructions, and that chip should not have worked, but it had.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe urged them to tell their superiors to scrub the relevant instructions off the dark web if possible.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe modified chip he brought with him\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen asked how he crossed over, he admitted he was carrying a \u003cstrong\u003emodified Picky Eater chip\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said it did not function exactly like the others and had been adapted to send him specifically to the source reality.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe claimed his people had the contagious aspect under control and that his chip was not spreading Picky Eater to devices around him.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe refused to surrender it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said that if it were destroyed prematurely, he might be sent back before completing his mission.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe also indicated that he had been told the chip needed to remain \u003cstrong\u003epowered\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHis credentials and the failed attempt to reach Pitzerelli\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTo establish credibility, he produced a badge with his face and name on it from the \u003cstrong\u003eDepartment of Terrestrial Security\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe badge looked professionally made, but because the agency did not exist in this world, it did not convince the others on its own.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe insisted he could prove himself to Pitzerelli and asked for a phone call with her.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe tried the number he had for his world’s Pitzerelli.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn this reality, that number connected to a \u003cstrong\u003eDomino’s Pizza in Maryland\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis failed attempt reinforced that cross-world correspondences were imperfect and that even shared contacts could diverge badly.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat he could offer operationally\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said plainly that he was a highly skilled agent and that MASTICATE was now down one agent.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said he could use his modified device to send limited text messages back to his team across realities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe explained that the communication channel was slow and unreliable for real-time use, but that messages could sometimes get responses after minutes or hours.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe did not have a direct lead to patient zero.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe explained that, according to his scientists, once Picky Eater had spread widely, it became very difficult to trace because the hardware itself could be imported across realities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe believed the best chance was to work backward from an early node close to the beginning.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrank’s private call with Pitzerelli after the Denny’s meeting\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank stepped outside and called Pitzerelli again.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe told her the situation was getting even stranger and said he thought they were dealing with another Matthew.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe reported that this version of McCarter believed he knew \u003cstrong\u003eher\u003c/strong\u003e alternate-world counterpart and was convinced he could prove himself.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePitzerelli did not focus on being personally convinced. Instead, she asked the practical question of whether Frank thought this man was \u003cstrong\u003euseful\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank answered honestly that, if he had to compare them as operatives, this version looked like a \u003cstrong\u003ebetter agent than their normal Matthew\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePitzerelli reacted with a sharp, brief laugh and admitted that when Frank first told her Matthew was gone, part of her had wondered whether that might put an end to “the smelling thing.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank told her this version did not recognize any of that behavior and was extremely open, dangerously so.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePitzerelli said that if he was aligned with the operation, he might be “a pretty effective bullet in your gun.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank also relayed the new warning about dark-web instructions for building the chip.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePitzerelli said the Program was already doing some work in that direction and that she believed NSA assets could likely be used to locate and compartmentalize that kind of material.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe left the field call to Frank’s judgment.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank returned to the table and told the others that Pitzerelli was not taking a direct call right then, but that they were moving forward and the alternate McCarter was coming with them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe drive toward Pennsylvania and the first round of research\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe team left Maine for \u003cstrong\u003eKick Springs, Pennsylvania\u003c/strong\u003e, intending to follow the Vicky King lead.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey planned to research as they traveled.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank tried to work the bureaucracy and official channels while Justin tried to do open-source and technical research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth efforts initially failed badly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJustin’s computer was dead at the wrong moment, preventing a more immediate online search.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than drive all the way through the night exhausted, they stopped around \u003cstrong\u003e2:00 a.m.\u003c/strong\u003e at a \u003cstrong\u003eLa Quinta\u003c/strong\u003e, slept for several hours, and resumed in the morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy morning, they at least had basic identifying information on Vicky King:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe was \u003cstrong\u003e34 years old\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe had worked for \u003cstrong\u003ePenn State\u003c/strong\u003e for several years.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe appeared to be currently unemployed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe was from the local area.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey had a residential address for her.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrank’s call into Penn State\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank decided not to go in blind and called Penn State administrative offices for more detail.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe learned that Vicky had worked in the \u003cstrong\u003eIT department\u003c/strong\u003e, handling support tickets.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHer employment ended in \u003cstrong\u003eJanuary 2018\u003c/strong\u003e because she stopped completing her work.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe was transferred to her former manager, \u003cstrong\u003eDananjay Joshi\u003c/strong\u003e (“Jay”).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJay remembered her clearly.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said she had worked remotely much of the time, which was acceptable for her role.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNear the end of her employment, her ticket-completion rate essentially dropped to \u003cstrong\u003ezero\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe stopped responding to calls and texts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJay was worried enough that, after a couple of weeks, he drove to her home.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen he went by the house, he saw a \u003cstrong\u003eforeclosure sign\u003c/strong\u003e posted out front.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe assumed she was in financial trouble and may have left the state.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe never spoke to her again.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJay described her as \u003cstrong\u003eextremely smart\u003c/strong\u003e, overqualified for campus support work, and said she had been at \u003cstrong\u003eMIT\u003c/strong\u003e as a graduate student in a math/computers-related field before pregnancy interrupted that path.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said she was a \u003cstrong\u003esingle mother\u003c/strong\u003e of twin girls and very protective of them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe had insisted on remote work because she did not want to leave the girls all day.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said she was deeply invested in parenting blogs, child-care advice, and data-driven opinions about what was safe or unsafe for children.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJay said he knew little about her social life outside of work, though he understood she had some family in the area.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe confirmed that toward the end she had started missing even the every-other-week in-office days she was supposed to keep.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Frank and the team worked out from the dates\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe girls had been newborns in \u003cstrong\u003e2017\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePenn State records were consistent: Vicky was hired around \u003cstrong\u003espring 2017\u003c/strong\u003e and worked until \u003cstrong\u003eJanuary 2018\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis meant her disappearance predated \u003cstrong\u003eBradley McKay’s\u003c/strong\u003e acquisition of a Picky Eater copy in \u003cstrong\u003eAugust 2018\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCordell Wallace’s memory placed Vicky giving him the USB around \u003cstrong\u003eChristmas 2016\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThat meant Cordell had received the material long before Wallace or McKay became active with it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank specifically looked for signs that Penn State staff were unnaturally forgetting Vicky the way other people had forgotten other elements of the case, but the dates and recollections were consistent enough that he did \u003cstrong\u003enot\u003c/strong\u003e think that was happening here.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForeclosure and eviction research\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank kept digging by calling the sheriff’s department, the bank, and the entities responsible for the foreclosure and eviction.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pattern emerged:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVicky defaulted on her mortgage in \u003cstrong\u003elate 2017\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe bank sent someone out and posted foreclosure notice after getting no answer.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe sheriff’s department only handled the notification side and outsourced actual evictions to private contractors.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe contractor in question had \u003cstrong\u003eno clear record\u003c/strong\u003e of having executed the eviction.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe sheriff’s office likewise had no clean confirmation that the house had ever actually been cleared.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn practical terms, the paperwork had stalled in bureaucracy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bank had seemingly been waiting an abnormally long time for confirmation of a completed eviction that never appeared to have happened.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo one Frank spoke to could firmly say that Vicky had actually left the house.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDecision to approach the house in daylight\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter this research, the team decided there was no strong reason to wait for dark.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey debated briefly whether talking to neighbors would help, but concluded that direct contact with the house was more important.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTheir mindset was cautious because their last similar approach to a neglected property had led to a torture-dungeon-style discovery and an explosion.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEven so, they chose to go.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDrive-by at Vicky King’s house in the primary reality\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe house was a \u003cstrong\u003esmall, older, single-story rural residence\u003c/strong\u003e on a side road.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe lawn was overgrown.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA faded foreclosure sign stood in the yard with weeds and tall grass around it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mail slot was packed and overflowing, and additional mail had accumulated on the front step.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA privacy fence enclosed the backyard.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe neighboring houses were somewhat spread apart, but close enough that people might notice movement in the yard if they were watching.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was a \u003cstrong\u003ecar in the driveway\u003c/strong\u003e covered in old leaves and pollen, suggesting it had not moved in a long time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere were no obvious toys in the front yard.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe team decided to check utilities before forcing entry:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater was still on.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe electric meter was in the backyard.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey moved toward that next.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe first split: Justin and the alternate McCarter at the real house\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAt this point, the session began cutting between realities and groups.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin and the alternate McCarter were at the front of the actual house without Frank and Philomena present.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin felt distinctly uneasy that it was just the two of them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe backyard gate was locked, but low enough that one could see or climb over it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBefore going around the house, they decided to try the front door.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter did not knock first. He simply tried the knob.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe door was locked and bolted.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRaccoon attack at the front door\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs the alternate McCarter focused on the locked door, a raccoon launched itself from the roof onto his head.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt bit the top of his head hard enough to draw blood.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe tore it off and threw it into the yard.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe raccoon vanished through tall grass, then sat upright at the edge of the next yard and stared back at them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEven after being bitten and rattled, the alternate McCarter immediately shifted back toward entry.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSomeone is inside\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin considered the options and had his lockpicks available.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoth men checked their surroundings.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin successfully realized that \u003cstrong\u003esomeone was moving on the other side of the door\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter, still amped and distracted, did not pick up on that.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin shouted that federal agents were outside and told the occupant to open up.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe second split: Frank and Philomena outside a different version of the house\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAs the car was pulling into the driveway, Frank and Philomena suddenly found themselves in a \u003cstrong\u003edifferent reality\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey were standing outside a \u003cstrong\u003etwo-story Victorian\u003c/strong\u003e version of the property instead of the single-story rural house.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere was no vehicle where there should have been one.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe windows and doors of the house were boarded over with plywood.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA laminated notice had been stapled onto the boards.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe notice declared that the property had been \u003cstrong\u003eexcommunicated for failure to facilitate right of harvest\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAdditional text said there was \u003cstrong\u003eenforced social death\u003c/strong\u003e for Vicky King and any cohabitants until “the fruit” was returned for rightful custodial conscription to lawful authorities.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe notice was attributed to the \u003cstrong\u003eNational Child and Family Services Office\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe surrounding neighborhood otherwise looked disturbingly normal and lived-in.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOther houses had cars in their drives.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilomena checked her phone and discovered that \u003cstrong\u003ePicky Eater was present on it\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank checked his phone and found the same thing.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhilomena proposed shutting their phones off to stop any active connection.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe powered hers down.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank powered his down as well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDoing so changed \u003cstrong\u003enothing\u003c/strong\u003e about where they were.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank then tried to interact with Picky Eater more directly, but got only a useless response likening it to a VPN.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA further search on Philomena’s side produced a message that read \u003cstrong\u003e“restricted topic search noted.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrank’s phone in this reality showed the date \u003cstrong\u003eMarch 4, 2023\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrank and Philomena begin investigating the alternate-reality house\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey climbed over the backyard fence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe yard contained neglected children’s toys, including balls, jump ropes, and a broken trampoline, all half-swallowed by leaves and overgrowth.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey came around to the back of the house and found cinder-block steps leading to a rear door.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe white-painted back door showed \u003cstrong\u003eboot prints\u003c/strong\u003e and the frame was visibly cracked, suggesting previous forced entry.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA pipe ran out of a basement window and vented what smelled like \u003cstrong\u003egasoline exhaust\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen they listened closely, they could hear what sounded like a \u003cstrong\u003egenerator\u003c/strong\u003e running below.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhilomena suggested that blocking the exhaust might quietly disable whoever was down there by filling the space with fumes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank did not want to escalate that way yet and was not convinced they were dealing with an immediate hostile target rather than a victim.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey checked the basement window, but it was frosted and gave them no visual.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank tried the back door.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt opened because the bolt had never been properly repaired.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInside was a \u003cstrong\u003eclean kitchen\u003c/strong\u003e, not an abandoned shell.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePower was on; the microwave clock was lit.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough the kitchen, the living room was visibly \u003cstrong\u003eransacked\u003c/strong\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecouch cushions slashed open,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003estuffing pulled out,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eitems overturned,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe unmistakable look of a methodical search for hidden material.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe generator was loud enough under the floor that anyone near it probably would not hear much happening elsewhere in the house.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe house clearly had both an upper floor and a basement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank and Philomena began moving deeper inside, looking for access to the generator and the people likely living there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBack to the real house: the front door opens\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter Justin’s callout, the locks on the actual-world front door began to open.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThey heard a bolt undo and a chain slide.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe door opened partway and a girl who looked to be \u003cstrong\u003eabout ten years old\u003c/strong\u003e cautiously peered out.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThis apparent age did not match the earlier timeline from Penn State, which had put Vicky’s twins as newborns in 2017.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter immediately tried to de-escalate.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe apologized for the noise, mentioned that a raccoon had bitten him, and asked if her parents were home.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe girl said, \u003cstrong\u003e“Mommy is upstairs and she’s working.”\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe then contradicted herself and said her mother was asleep and could not come down.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShe began trying to close the door.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eForced entry into the actual house\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter put his foot in the doorway and prevented the girl from shutting it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe told her they were with the police and wanted to make sure her mother was okay.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJustin asked whether Vicky was upstairs.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBoth men badly failed their HUMINT checks on the child.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe girl’s eyes went wide and she \u003cstrong\u003eran away from the door\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter immediately escalated.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe pulled out his pistol, attached a silencer to it, and began clearing the house.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn the far side of the living room, he and Justin found \u003cstrong\u003etwo nearly identical girls\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne girl was backed into the corner, cowering.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe other stood in front of her, gripping a \u003cstrong\u003ekitchen knife\u003c/strong\u003e in both hands and shaking.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConversation with the girls in the actual house\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter tried to calm them, told them they were not there to hurt them, and showed his FBI credentials.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe asked them to put the knife down and said they needed to see their mother to make sure she was all right.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne of the girls asked what \u003cstrong\u003eFBI\u003c/strong\u003e meant and whether they were \u003cstrong\u003eReapers\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe told them no, that they were just special police and had been sent because they were worried about their mother.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne of the girls asked whether they were there to \u003cstrong\u003etake them\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe said no.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe succeeded on a Persuade roll.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe girl with the knife lowered it somewhat, although she did not let it go.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe other girl said that if they had really been Reapers, they would have killed them already.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe alternate McCarter holstered his gun at that point.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHe asked what the Reapers were and whether their mother was hiding them from those people.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe girls said their mother was hiding them so they could be safe.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen Justin asked about computers in the house, the girls said \u003cstrong\u003ethey did not touch the computers\u003c/strong\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhen pressed on where the computers were, they became uncomfortable.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe transcript cut away from this thread at that point, leaving the actual-world house exploration unresolved.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBack to Frank and Philomena in the alternate-reality house\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank and Philomena continued from the rear entry in the alternate reality.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey now knew:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe house was occupied,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003epower was on,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea generator was running in the basement,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe living room had been torn apart in a search,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand the boarded-up exterior and state warning suggested official persecution centered on children or “fruit.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhilomena had her pistol holstered but available.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrank led the way cautiously.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey advanced into the house, following the sound of the generator and looking for the route to the basement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe session ended there, with Frank and Philomena exploring the occupied alternate-world house while Justin and the alternate McCarter had already made contact with the two girls inside the actual-world house.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eState of the investigation at session end\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMASTICATE had accepted the cooperation of an alternate-reality version of Matthew McCarter, though they had not fully trusted him.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe team had confirmed several critical facts from him:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePicky Eater actively links realities while powered,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eit spreads through computing devices,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edestroying hardware is the permanent countermeasure,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand prolonged activity weakens barriers between worlds generally.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheir Vicky King lead had deepened substantially:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVicky was a highly intelligent former MIT graduate student,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea Penn State IT employee,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ea single mother of twin girls,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003edeeply focused on child safety,\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand she disappeared from normal life in early 2018 without a clean eviction ever being completed.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the end of the session, the investigation had split across \u003cstrong\u003etwo versions of Vicky King’s property\u003c/strong\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ethe actual-world house, where two older-than-expected girls were inside and afraid of “Reapers,”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eand the alternate-world house, where Frank and Philomena had just entered a boarded, ransacked, generator-powered home under official child-harvest sanctions.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\u003c/details\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n"
  }