DEPARTMENT OF ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA

OPERATIONS / FIELD MAP — GRITHAM SECTOR

Classification: LEVEL 4 — CONTROLLED
Division: Operations / Field Coordination
Ref: GR-OP/1979–SECTOR-A (working)
Scope: Secure sites, active sectors, anomaly hotspots, tactical notes, containment priorities, and suggested deployment plan for Gritham and immediate environs. Map is schematic — coordinates are internal grid references (use only with verified map overlay).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Gritham is a mid-sized post-industrial town with dense working-class neighborhoods, an active music/arts scene (late-70s punk roots), several abandoned industrial sites, and clustered civic infrastructure (rail junction, municipal hall, cathedral). The area has produced repeated memetic/morphogenic incidents tied to the “Arthur/Excalibastards” cycle; it also registers secondary anomalies (analog tape bleed, broadcast interference). Primary operational aim: reduce escalation risk, protect civilians and physical evidence, preserve analog media chain-of-custody, and monitor memetic vectors. Do not attempt large public suppression operations without Directorate approval.

SECURE SITES (Permanent / Semi-Permanent)

  1. GR-SAFEHOUSE 01 — ARCHIVE LOCK (Former Textile Mill, Westbank)

    • Grid: G-12

    • Function: Cold storage for analog media (cassettes, bootlegs, posters), evidence catalog, temporary witness intake.

    • Clearance: Level 3+ for entry; Level 4 logged access for evidence handling.

    • Notes: Thick concrete walls—good for spectral isolation. Install Faraday layer for broadcast dampening. Maintain 24h CCTV with audio spectrum capture.

  2. GR-OBSERVATORY — SENSOR HUB (Ridge Tower, North of Town)

    • Grid: F-03

    • Function: Acoustic/EM monitoring, field lab for spectral analysis, ops coordination.

    • Clearance: Level 3 for operators, Level 4 for lead analysts.

    • Notes: Place multi-band microphones, directional infrasound arrays, and simple optical sensors to log crowd resonance.

  3. GR-QUARANTINE 02 — TEMPORARY HOLD (Municipal Annexe, South Dock)

    • Grid: H-18

    • Function: Short-term witness observation, medical screening for derealization/memetic exposure.

    • Clearance: Level 2 base; medical staff Level 3.

    • Notes: Staff with trauma-informed interviewers; magnetic shielding recommended for cassette playback.

  4. GR-FIELD DEPOT — LOGISTICS (Rail Yard Storage, East)

    • Grid: J-09

    • Function: Equipment staging, vehicles, crowd-control non-lethal kits, mobile Faraday units.

    • Clearance: Level 2+.

    • Notes: Keep a marked backup of Excalibastards records segregated from public inventory.

  5. GR-SAFEHOUSE 03 — CONTINGENCY (Suburban Property, Redacted)

    • Grid: Classified (Eyes Only)

    • Function: Emergency safe haven for high-value witnesses (e.g., Gwen), temporary artifact observation under passive conditions.

    • Clearance: Level 4–5 only.

    • Notes: Minimal contact; rotate personnel to avoid memetic familiarity.

ACTIVE SECTORS (High Patrol / Monitoring Priority)

  • Sector A — Westbank Venues (G-10 → G-14)
    Primary: venues, pubs, record shops. High memetic traffic via cassette exchanges and flyers. Recommended: plainclothes HUMINT teams; cassette chain-of-custody monitoring.

  • Sector B — Camelot Club District (H-08 → H-12)
    Primary: historical locus of last known large performance. Risk: spontaneous gatherings, relic looting. Recommended: sensor beacons + community outreach to local organizers.

  • Sector C — Rail Junction & Market (J-07 → I-09)
    Primary: transit volatility; rumor spread via commuters. Recommended: transit advisories; install discreet audio monitors in high-footfall areas.

  • Sector D — Cathedral & Civic Square (F-11 → F-13)
    Primary: congregation/ritual co-option; reports of chant migration into funerary contexts. Recommended: liaison with clerical authorities under cover protocol; limited memorial-site surveillance.

  • Sector E — Abandoned Factories (K-14 → L-16)
    Primary: ephemeral encampments, zine printing, graffiti vectors. Recommended: map graffiti sigils; document and remove hazardous materials only under memetic dampening broadcast.

POSSIBLE ANOMALY HOTSPOTS (Historical & Current)

  1. Camelot Club (H-10) — high-value hotspot; stage location for artifact manifestation. Frequent after-hours rituals reported.

  2. The Westgate Alley (G-11) — earliest documented spontaneous chant emergence; analog tape residuals found in gutters.

  3. Station Underpass (J-08) — reports of acoustic resonance and visual “figure in corner” sightings; prime for infrasound and low-frequency survey.

  4. Old Foundry (L-15) — splinter group graffiti; inventory of burned posters suggests deliberate erasure events.

  5. Municipal Records Office (E-04) — alleged clerical erasures; flagged for forensic document audit under archival protocol.

  6. St. Alaric’s Steps (F-12) — funerary chanting events; memetic spread into religious ritual suspected.

THREAT ASSESSMENT & HAZARD LEVELS

  • Memetic Contagion (chanting / hummed resonance): HIGH — spreads via direct performance and cassette duplication; children and crowds vulnerable.

  • Artifact Relocalization (Excalibur): HIGH — inability to contain; artifact drives localized escalation.

  • Civil Unrest / Riot Potential: MODERATE-HIGH — historically increases when visible suppression occurs.

  • Broadcast Interference / Tape Anomalies: MODERATE — analog media show predictive/static features; spectral analysis advised.

  • Civic Data Anomalies (records erasure): MODERATE — impacts long-term verification and prosecution; requires archive team.

TACTICAL PROTOCOLS (Immediate / Short Term)

  1. Containment Stance: Avoid overt displays of force in public music/cultural gatherings. Use covert observation and community liaisons to gather intelligence.

  2. Evidence Handling: All analog media (cassettes, posters) must be logged, digitized with spectral capture, double-sealed, and transported to GR-SAFEHOUSE 01. Maintain chain-of-custody form GR-C1 for each item.

  3. Artifact Protocol: Under no circumstances attempt physical removal of “Excalibur” in a public venue. If artifact is accessible, document from distance, record multi-spectrum, and deploy passive observation.

  4. Witness Care: Use trauma-informed teams; rotate staff to reduce memetic bleed. Offer anonymous archive cooperation deals to community members (oral history protection).

  5. Sensor Deployment: Install directional infrasound arrays, multi-band microphones, and short-wave receivers at sectors A–D. Set threshold alerts for harmonic spikes matching known chant spectrograms.

  6. Civil Liaison: Appoint a single POC for town officials and clergy (cover identities available) to manage public narratives and defuse panicked official suppression.

  7. Media Management: Strict press blackout only under Directorate order. Instead, deploy soft-framing: emphasize “local noise complaints” and cultural nostalgia to prevent martyr framing.

LONGER-TERM STRATEGY (6–18 months)

  • Memetic Mapping Project: Build a contagion map (temporal + spatial) to model chant propagation. Prioritize cassette trade networks and zine runs for interruption points.

  • Community Archive Partnership: Offer anonymized digitization of local media (zines, tapes) in exchange for evidence access—reduces incentive for underground circulation.

  • Psychosocial Intervention Program: Fund low-profile arts initiatives to diffuse the myth’s grip on youth identity. Cultural alternatives reduce recruitment vector.

  • Forensics Audit: Covertly audit municipal records (with judicial cover) around Municipal Records Office to verify claims of erasure; document any anomalous deletions.

  • Containment Simulation Exercises: Run tabletop scenarios for artifact reappearance, chant mutation, and splinter-group radicalization. Prepare rapid response non-lethal deployments (foam barriers, sound countermeasures).

PERSONNEL & CONTACTS (Field Leads)

  • Ops Lead (GRITHAM): Agent S— (Level 5 liaison) — primary tactical coordinator.

  • Research Liaison: Dr. C— (Memetics Analyst, Level 4) — spectral lab and media forensics.

  • Community Liaison: Kay (local contact) — cultural access; treat as confidential source.

  • Medical Officer: Dr. M— (Trauma/Neuropsychiatry, Level 3) — memetic exposure triage.
    (Full roster in secure directory — access requires Level 4 clearance.)

QUICK REFERENCE — CHECKLIST FOR FIELD TEAMS

  • Deploy 2 mobile sensor kits to Sector A and Sector B.

  • Secure and digitize at least 10 unique cassette sources at GR-SAFEHOUSE 01.

  • Establish HUMINT footprint at three record shops and two pubs.

  • Initiate municipal records audit request under FOIA cover (Ops Code: PAPERTRAIL).

  • Prepare passive narrative talking points for town officials (approved script on secure channel).

FIELD NOTE (OPERATIVE REMINDER)

Do not conflate charisma with causation. The goal is to document, limit harm, and preserve evidence—while avoiding becoming the story’s next author. In Gritham, every attempt at suppression risked turning a kid with a bass into a legend. Keep that lesson in your pocket.