Not Worth It

Confic Art

by PixelatedHarmony

Containment Protocols: All researchers interacting with Entity 111 are to do so from behind opaque glass, and communicate using a voice modulation unit. Personnel are to minimize time spent speaking to or otherwise interacting with Entity 111.

Description: Entity 111 is an adult male humanoid, estimated to be between 87 and 90 years old. It possesses the physical attributes of graying hair, low weight, and skin lesions. It claims to have been born in the United States somewhere before 1920, but any additional information about its origin has been contradictory and vague. When outside of containment, 111 will attempt to befriend other human subjects. Due to 111's friendly demeanor, many subjects will reciprocate this friendship.

As the subject spends more time with Entity 111, the probability of events in their life will begin to be altered in such a way as to bring about the general outcome which is most desired by the subject. This will affect anything the subject attempts after contacting 111, and will be limited to events within plausibility. Interviews have shown that 111 is aware of this effect, but not how or when it began.

Subjects will report that their lives have begun to reflect their ideal vision of how the events would occur, and that they have achieved a "happy ending." Subjects will develop extremely positive personalities, and express optimism at any event occurring in their lives, no matter what their personality was prior to being affected by 111. This effect diminishes as long as 111 is not in direct proximity to the affected subject(s).

Note that highly unlikely events desired by the subject such as such as winning a lottery or other sudden influxes of fortune are not guaranteed to occur, although they do become more likely.

This change in personality will persist regardless of events in the subject's life which they desire and which have negative effect on them. The subject will not change any part of their lifestyle of behavior due to negative events in their life. Subjects emotionally invested in Entity 111 will become increasingly careless and self-centered as they can no longer comprehend any negative consequences of their actions. Many subjects at this stage have reported an inability to remember being sad or experiencing hardship, despite any negative events in their lives.

111 was recovered on 09/12/1985, after hospitals in Veracruz, Mexico reported an unusually high percentage of subjects suffering from identical mental delusions. Interviews with the subjects revealed the common factor of 111, who had recently departed the area.

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Addendum: Interview 111-V

Interviewed: Entity 111 | Interviewer: P. Hornqvist

Foreword: On 8/11/1988, Entity 111 began complaining of chest pains and numbness. Treatment revealed that it had suffered a major, progressing stroke, and was left in extremely poor health. It was decided that one more interview should be conducted with 111 prior to its death.

<Begin Log>

Hornqvist: Hello, 111. How do you feel today?

111: The usual, friend. It's been a long time since someone took the time to talk to me, hasn't it?

Hornqvist: Are you prepared to conduct the interview? I know we had to wait after the last time when you had that discomfort.

111: I’m not finding any more comfort than then, but if it means seeing and talking to someone one more time I’ll bear the burden for a little longer on our time.

Hornqvist: 111, we're providing you with the best medical care you can get. You'll be fine. I promise the doctors working on the case are some of the best physicians the Institution has to offer. So nothing to fear, 111. You’re going to be comfortable soon and everything will be fine.

111: (Six-second pause) Would you mind not calling me that? I know you're working here, it's your job, but I'm quittin'. I'd like to have a name, at least, before I go.

Hornqvist: (Pauses) What would you, uh, prefer to be called?

111: Call me Frank, friend.

Hornqvist: Okay, Frank, are you willing to tell us in any way where you obtained your anomalous property, what caused you to be how you are?

111: I don't know. I might've had it when I was a kid, but nobody would've known. I was sheltered. There weren't any other kids, and nothing to do outside, so I stayed in. My parents were… gone, so I stayed with my gran. It was an troubled awful time.

Hornqvist: You never told us about your family. Can you elaborate… it was Frank right?

111: I came from a little town, don't remember the name, just that it was so small you could spit over it. Wasn't a happy town, either. Most folks were old farts, and they thought I was a little hoodlum. They did everything in their power to whip me into line, make me more like them. I didn't want any part of that, see?

Hornqvist: They made you unhappy, conforming to something you weren't?

111: Yeah. I thought about it for the longest time, too. Maybe back when I was angry at 'em, I'd say that they just hated me. But, see, the more I think about it, the more it was about them preparing me for the world. Maybe they knew what I could do, and didn't want me to hurt anyone else with it. They're dead now.

Hornqvist: I think we'll all feel that at one time or another, or eventually, hmm. When did you leave?

111: Oh, probably when I was around twenty or so. Got sick of all the hate, and I wanted to see what else was out there. So, I drove out of town with thirty bucks and my neighbor's old beat-up Dart. Heh, probably only got twenty miles on that thing before it croaked.

Hornqvist: Yet you ended up here. Was this when you became aware of it?

111: The happiness? Yeah. I went into the next town over, and met a lot of new people. It was one of those moments in life, where everything changes. So many new friends, and they cared about me. It was an honor to know them, to just know people. Then, about two months… no, three months after I got there, I had to leave for business. When I came back, the change was unbelievable. Everyone's lives had fallen apart. I called everyone I knew who owned a telephone, it was unbelievable. But then nobody seemed to care much at all. That was when we should've known. Or at least, I did. I suspect some of them knew it too, maybe not consciously, but it never came up in conversation.

Hornqvist: You made it happen, even when you didn't do anything. Intangible. They appreciated this change to their life?

111: Well… they liked it. A lot of people did, for a lot longer than they ought to. Everything was just so peachy. The memories still feel like they should be so heartwarming even though they’re just ashes now. We got along, We checked up on each other and kept things safe. But, not everyone had cause to be happy. Marie lost everything she had, to some crooks in the Art Deco district. Her husband took good care of her, but she never really got to be the way she was before. None of 'em did. Soon enough, nobody remembered her.

Hornqvist: They forgot her completely?

111: Maybe they'd mention her, but there wasn't no pity, or offers to help. Why should, or would they, though? We all had our happy endings, no reason to spoil it with a broke former friend. Almost everyone got their happy ending.

(Two minutes of silence)

111: It wasn't worth it.

<End Log>