PROLOGUE
“We’re trying a new tactic,” were the opening words given by Kimberly Adams, the new director of the mysterious Office of Interstate Transport Safety (OITS). A governmental organization within the USA with a presumed mundane purpose relating to transportation, but that has, in reality, a much more interesting set of objectives involving the suppression and containment of supernatural phenomena.
The previous director, George Bell, emphasized the criticality that the OITS remain under the highest level of scrutiny and confidentiality. George inherited that approach and his mannerisms from the director before him and it has remained a core aspect of the organization since its founding some time before the USA was officially declared a nation in 1776. The official date of its founding is either lost to time or classified to such a degree that determining a specific date is impossible today.
Kimberly Adams, albeit still a believer in confidentiality, is bringing a new type of energy to the organization. Where, historically, details about a particular phenomenon were classified and marketed to the public as mere trickery or myth; she, instead, believes tactical education and truth can play a more vital role in preventing future incidents from becoming more dangerous.
This bold new direction isn’t without criticism and in her recent internal speech she acknowledged such. Her intention is to be tactical rather than reckless. Before, the OITS would have members of their marketing division craft myths and downplay the reality of incidents the organization has been a part of. Now, however, she has an idea for an experiment where the organization works with Hollywood to produce a new television show depicting the reality of the supernatural, as well as, sharing advice with viewers on what to do should they find themselves in an unnatural situation.
For months, the marketing department of the OITS met with and pitched several fake pilot ideas to studios and directors to find the right people for this experiment of Kimberly’s. Those selected ended up being a small team calling themselves Sandcastle Productions. Ayame Bowen, a half-Japanese, Australian immigrant with a deep knowledge of both Japanese and western media, is their founder, and her aspirations include telling authentic stories in meaningful, dramatic ways. The organization informed her that the show is actually to be as educational as it is entertaining and that one of the biggest hurdles will be convincing the audience the subject matter is not fantasy.
Ayame obviously accepted because the stars of the show are in her modest Glendale, California home, meeting to go over the plans and to get to know each other. She is puffing on a cigarette and wearing a full denim ensemble with a backwards baseball cap. As she lowers the cigarette to flick off some ashes into a nearby ashtray, she says, “Welcome to each of you. This here is where the magic’ll happen for the show, but I won’t bore you with specifics. Please, make yourself comfortable and let me get to know who the hell you all are.”