C-PIP02 (Feb 3, 1996)
Puzzle
“54 years ago, and 21 days later.”
#44 Trivia | 4 Words
Clue
Hover over the clues if you require!
Clue 1: What's the date 54 years in the past (for the characters) and 21 days ahead?
Clue 2: Any special event happened that day (or was warned would happen?)
Answer and Explanation
Answer: Battle of Los Angeles
Explanation: 54 years back and 21 days forward is February 24, 1942. On this day is the Battle of Los Angeles, a false-alarm attack from Imperial Japan on mainland USA.
Summary of Receipt
44 and 62 find what's going on in the Long Beach Pyramid. As expected, it's a portal (too large to close with the CaDCom, unfortunately). As less-expected, there's a bunch of undergraduates studying (and attempting to stabilize) the portal. They probably don't know what they're doing, especially since there are only ten known man-made, stabilized portals. One of which lies in Astorian territory, making 44 suspect the researchers are being led (unknowingly, likely) by an Astorian agent to obtain a second portal. Though if so, the questions now are who the leader is, what Division they're from, and what they plan to do with the research students after it's complete.
Transcript
RECEIPT #002
FILED UNDER: CAFE-PIP
DATE: 2/3/96
EMPLOYEE #44
That… wasn’t what we were expecting to find. Well, I guess, in some ways, it was exactly what #62 and I expected to find. There is a massive portal to the Otherside currently open in the Long Beach Pyramid. It was far too big to close with just our CaDCom signals, but we did manage to weaken it slightly. However… What we weren’t expecting to see were the dozens of research students studying and attempting to stabilize the portal. That’s… not great. I guess #53 will have his work cut out for him on this one, huh?
It does explain why this tear in the boundary lines hasn’t closed itself yet. It’s being forced open by a bunch of undergrads who, I am guessing, have no idea what they are doing. To be fair, I wouldn’t even know what I’m doing when it comes to portal stabilization. In the entire world, there are only like, what, 10 man-made and stabilized portals to the Otherside. One on Severny Island, one on the Isle of Man, one on Jeju Island, one in Egypt, one in Nigeria, one in Greece, one in the Outback, one in Cuba, one in Panama, and the one in Illwaco.
…Illwaco. The Astoria 23rd Agency. While I still doubt the undergrads we saw know what’s going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re being led by someone from the Agency. Getting a second portal would be huge for the Agency. Though, admittedly, it’s a little close to their current portal, I guess beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to instabilities in the boundary lines between the Flipside and Otherside. If the Agency is behind this, then the question becomes which Division in particular? Juliett? Papa? Romeo? Sierra? …Zulu? And… what are they planning to do with the research students once the portal is complete? A23 is more about killing cryptids and demons, not humans, but it’s not like they’re averse to some bloodshed.