| Jhamil Haddir's Ashtray | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
Agent Jhamil Haddir |
|
Type |
Porcelain ashtray |
|
Effects |
Creates a secure environment |
|
Downsides |
Only designated individuals can freely navigate |
|
Activation |
Placing lit cigarette |
|
Collected by |
Agents Lattimer and Bering |
|
Section |
|
|
Date of Collection |
October 14th, 2014 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
In 1961, at the peak of the Cold War, Warehouse operatives became aware of an artifact in the possession of the Soviets. A floppy disk containing nuclear launch codes had begun displaying unusual properties and it was quickly decided that any artifact could not be allowed in the hands of a nation at war. Agent Jhamil, at great personal risk, infiltrated the KGB facility it was contained in and transported himself back to America.
His actions were not unnoticed, however, and based on his subsequent reports he seemed certain that he had been pursued by Soviet operatives. Determined not to allow them to find him, recover the artifact, or follow him back to the Warehouse, Haddir decided to go into hiding. The exact circumstances of the incident remain unclear, as he made only one further report before he disappeared. In it he mentioned only that he had, through unknown means to himself, created a place where he could not be found, and he would await contact and retrieval by the Warehouse.
Unfortunately Haddir was never seen alive again. Seemingly vanishing into this air, his disappearance would mark the first of seven missing persons cases for the Warehouse. Subsequent incidents would occur, twice in 1968, one more in 1970, again in '72, '75, and finally in 1979. All were transporting an artifact alone over land and all last checked in before stopping at a motel for the night. Following this, a two-agent minimum policy was introduced and air travel, despite being slightly costlier, became the norm.
No further incidents were reported until 2014, when agents Lattimer, Bering and, Rependata were transporting an artifact via Route 66 due to a temporary budgetary cut. Requiring a place to spend the night, they came across an unassuming motel that contained not only the ashtray, but also the artifacts and remains of the seven missing agents. Despite significant resistance they were able to neutralize the ashtray and dissipate its labyrinthine construct, allowing the artifacts to finally be relocated to the Warehouse and the deceased agents properly laid to rest.
Effects[]
The full extent of the effects is based entirely on the reports of agents Lattimer and Bering as the ashtray was only activated once, though sustained for at least 53 years. It is unknown if the effects would differ if used by someone with a more rational mind, nor is it known what effect, if any, time had on the intensity of the construct.
When activated, by placing a lit cigarette into the ashtray, the artifact will either create or affect the surrounding area so as to make it entirely secure. Nothing inside will be able to escape, nor anything outside be able to enter, without the specific approval of the controller.[1] The "safe space" appears to exist in it's own bubble, and only manifests physically to allow entry or exit. [2]
Should anyone find a way into the space who was not explicitly welcomed, the artifact will attempt to prevent them from interacting with their target. This is done by twisting the construct into an expanse not bound by physical laws, effectively entrapping them in a perpetual maze, presumably until they expire.
While active, the ashtray may manifest an avatar of sorts, to interact with its "guests".[3] The physical details of the avatar are visually indistinguishable, though it takes some vocal mannerisms and personality traits from the one who activated it.[4] This avatar displays a degree of sentience, and is capable of reason and wit. During the retrieval incident, agent Bering was able to convince the avatar that she and Lattimer were Warehouse agents, upon which it ceased its attempts to ensnare them.
It is believed that the artifact is capable of dispelling its own effects if the conditions stated during its activation are met, however without oversight it appeared to begin to act on a sort of auto-pilot, continuing the task to which it was assigned.[5] Snuffing out the cigarette in the tray, which appears to act as both an emotional tether to the activator and as an energy source, dispels the construct and deactivates the ashtray, depositing all captives at the last place the construct manifested.
Appearances[]
Notes[]
- ↑ While active, these parameters were set by agent Haddir per-mortem, perhaps unknowingly. In his final report he stated "no-one will get me or the artifact until you send someone to collect us". It is believed this is why only other Warehouse operatives were permitted entry.
- ↑ Notably, every missing agent vanished from a different part of the country. This indicates some degree of free movement, appearing where it feels required.
- ↑ The avatar manifested as a concierge while active, as the construct took the appearance of a motel. It is unknown if either of these facts is a constant.
- ↑ The avatar reported was imitating the then deceased agent Haddir at the time, it remains unclear if having a living model to work from would change either of these details.
- ↑ This resulted in it continuing to amass artifacts and agents who needed a place to stay, likely under the misguided assumption it was ensuring their safety. As they, too, fell victim to the artifact's binary sense of security, no Warehouse agents were granted access to "collect" them, as the conditions for entry excluded any who did not have an artifact on their person.