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<Begin Video Log: Incident MERC-2139-B>
Researcher David Raynes ("RDR") can be seen placing the camera down on a flat surface and taking several steps away from it. The room is somewhat dark, with the only light coming from a door behind Raynes. He appears to be alone.
RDR: Uh, this is Researcher Raynes of the Experimental R&C Studies Division, working as the Assistant Head of The Termination Project. Progress report, uh, fuck, what day is it today?
Raynes looks away from the camera and towards the floor as a light illuminates him, presumably from his mobile device. The light quickly vanishes and he looks back up to the camera.
RDR: Sunday, May 30th, 2020. It's currently half eight at night and my team have just finished our interviews for the day. By which I mean, on Thursday, at about five in the evening, we were successful in recovering MERC-2139. By "we," of course, I mean the recovery team.
He sighs and scratches at the back of his neck, looking away from the camera momentarily.
RDR: It wasn't too happy about being dragged here. He? It? They? Oh, I don't know. 2139. It didn't like us. And not in the "system malfunctioning" way that we had expected. No, it actually didn't like us. A machine was showing complex emotions and decision-making skills that adapted with the environment it was in. When we ran some basic scans, the CCP was disabled. When we tried to run the programme again, we got a system error.
Raynes moves closer to the camera, lowering his voice.
RDR: I don't think some of you watching quite understand what that means. This thing could think for itself, could resist our orders, and could adapt to its environment. And the CCP was disabled! We've created life! An actual sentient being. True AI. And I don't know what the fuck to do with it.
The researcher backs away from the camera and sighs once again, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and closing his eyes.
RDR: As of right now, we're aware of four more MERC models outside of Testament facilities where the CCP appears to be disabled: 0044, 0122, 0127 and 1008. There's no connection between any of the five malfunctioning models. Their GPS appears to also be disabled, and we have reason to believe these models have also... woken up? There isn't an official term for accidentally creating life... fuck me... Natasha would know what to do if she were still around, but our Dr. Frankensteins have been dead for nearly a century.
Raynes tuts, and picks up the camera again, now recording himself moving towards a stack of documents on a desk.
RDR: These are the current experiment and interview logs we've gathered on 2139. My men and I are going to bed, and in the morning we're going to attempt to shut down the robot. It's serving little use to us now apart from being a hazard to all of us working on it. I want this to be taken as an official request to make locating the other "rogue" MERC models a Type A priority. 2139 would kill if we gave it the opportunity. The other four likely do have that opportunity, and they've got the Testament logo literally printed on their hands. We don't want–
Raynes is interrupted by the emergency lights powering on in the room, and an announcement (A) playing over the speaker system.
A: Attention, all persons in SubSection E–
A: [inaudible over the cries of RDR] –unavailable at this current time. Please remain calm unt– [inaudible]
RDR: Oh shit, oh shit, who the hell was on cage duty? I told those fuckers to triple-check the locks to the cage–
The door behind Researcher David Raynes opens fully, and an unidentifiable silhouette is visible in the door frame. Something small enough to be held in one hand is then thrown towards the researcher by the silhouette, and Raynes drops the camera.
