Interlude II- Eagle Union
TOP SECRET
Department of the Navy
Washington, D.C.
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF WISDOM CUBE DEVICES
On [REDACTED DATE], the Bureau of Ordnance received delivery of ten (10) blue cubes collected by the Chinese Navy off the coast of French Indochina, which the Chinese called "wisdom cubes" or "mental cubes". These devices were subsequently analyzed by scientific personnel. This is a summary of their findings.
The devices are of unknown origin but are presumed to be related to Siren activity in some way based on the time and circumstances of their appearance.
The devices are of unknown devices are made of an unknown material. It emits a strong electromagnetic force that seems to be monopolar (i.e. it does not have a "north" and "south" pole as typical magnets do). There is, as yet, no known theory of physics that can account for a macroscopic object with this property.
The devices absorb electromagnetic energy including light, radio waves, radiation, and infra-red. They emit energy as light in a blue wavelength. No traces of ionizing radiation or other dangerous rays have been detected while in a quiescent state.
The following sequence of events led to the first major breakthrough on Wisdom Cube technology.
While experimenting with increasing exposure to radiation created by causing a criticality event (see related document B-Series 5019), at approximately 1445, [REDACTED DATE] a cube (designated Cube 1701) demonstrated a sudden outburst of radiation which resulted in the deaths of two scientists from radiation sickness. After evacuation and subsequent investigation, a young woman was found unconscious on the floor of the lab.
The girl was interviewed extensively by staff scientists and intelligence officers. She maintained that she was the incarnation of the USS Enterprise, which was lost at sea after a battle with the Sirens. Her claims were considered highly dubious.
At 0336, [REDACTED DATE], Subject 1701, who had been showing increasing signs of frustration, demanded to see Captain Lucas Marne, whom she claimed was her former commanding officer.
When refused, Subject 1701 demonstrated increased agitation and manifested increasing levels of anomalous activity, culminating in the evacuation and destruction of the building in which she was being housed. No casualties were incurred as Subject 1701 appeared to restrain her capabilities in order to allow personnel to escape.
General Groves ordered Captain Marne to be located and brought to the facility. Subject 1701 was redesignated USS Enterprise.
Further experimentation along the above lines resulted in the appearance of USS San Diego, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown.
A general alert to all military personnel to locate and retrieve any additional anomalous materials, particularly cubes, was issued. This resulted in the collection of forty-five (45) cubes over the next six months.
There is a great deal of speculation regarding the nature of the cubes and what process they use to manifest these "ship-girls". Rear Admiral Daniel Gallery, USN, made the following suggestion in a memo that, while perhaps overly poetic, seems to be in agreement with what the ship-girls themselves suggest. The following is a full quotation:
"A ship is just so much cold metal until her crew comes aboard. Then each man in the crew loans her a little piece of his soul to keep as long as he serves in her- and often longer if she's a good ship. These little pieces all added together make up the soul of the ship, bring her to life, giver her personality, and make her a member of the seagoing community of ships.
"So long as a ship has a crew in her, whether she be the 'Queen Mary' or a seagoing tug, the 'Forrestal' or a submarine, she is a living, breathing thing, equal in a sense to any other ship, at least to the same extent that all men are supposed to be equal..."
This statement, as unscientific as it is, has been widely accepted by various members of the Navy who have heard it, from enlisted sailors to admirals such as Admiral Gallery, as well as by the ship-girls themselves. Though the scientific process by which this "soul" is manifested is so far advanced as to be indistinguishable from magic at present, personnel are currently using it as a tentative basis for the manifestation of the phenomenon, even if it may not be useful as an explanation.
The following is recommended:
The ship-girls should be commissioned into the United States Navy and given authorization to use their capabilities to defend against Siren attacks.
A Navy officer should be designated as their commander.
Captain Lucas Marne is recommended for this role due to his affinity with USS Enterprise, who seems to be the leader of the group.
All ship-girls should be treated with the respect and care due to a commissioned vessel in the US Navy.
Further tests of their capabilities should be carried out in detail.
Admiral Marc Mitscher
United States Navy
Special Naval Project "Eagle Union"
A/N: The quotation from Adm. Gallery is an exact quote taken from the book I mentioned in the previous chapter's author's note, Twenty Million Tons Under the Sea. I've been wanting to expand the background a bit, put a bit of my spin on the nature of the Wisdom Cubes, and the quotation struck me as so apt to describe the concept behind the ship-girls that I decided to include it.
The redaction of the dates is solely due to my own laziness. I haven't yet worked out a complete timeline for the story so I didn't want to nail down any exact dates. I might, perhaps, maybe, possibly, do so in the future. If so, I will go back and address inconsistencies.