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Thirty-five years after the disaster Dr. Jon Fukumoto wrote a brief essay detailing the events that led up to it.

Over the years there has been a great deal of confusion regarding the Seattle incident. It is only natural � considering the repercussions of the event � that the public be keenly interested in its origins, and deserving an explanation. However, biased media reports, speculative rumors, and government shortsightedness have fogged the truth surrounding the so-called Day of Birth. In this paper I will attempt to dispel all doubt and ambiguity and present the reader with a concise report of what the scientific community knows about E.P.P.S. Though I would like to acknowledge those who contributed to this paper, every researcher, informant, and witness I have interviewed expressed an emphatic desire to remain anonymous, so I cannot under good conscious release their identity. This alone may give the reader an idea of the extreme delicacy involved in this line of research.

Manifestations

The first question usually asked is what, exactly, triggers the effect? Several Universities have - despite the dangers inherent - pursued research in this area, and the results for once are fairly consistent. Extreme stress seems to be the catalyst. The effect is none too divorced from the "flight-or-fight� response inherent in all humans. However, tests show spikes in the manifestation reaction time toward specific stimuli. The specificity of the stimuli varies strongly from subject to subject. Attempts to find a common "trigger mechanism" - both psychological and physical - have all met with failure.

In laymen�s terms, the manifestations generally occur when the subjects are exposed to their respective fears, though I am hesitant to summarize what is a deeply complex and still poorly understood phenomenon in such a simplistic fashion. Subjecting a Seattle victim to his or her �greatest fear� is not the only way to provoke a reaction; situations we might call �universally stressful circumstances,� such as impending death, pain, and so forth, can usually fuel the effect as well, keeping in mind that there is still no known single stimulus that can incite a reaction from every individual 100% of the time.

Severe, long-term emotional trauma, curiously, can increase the overall regularity of the manifestations (as well as making them more violent). Simply put, a psychotic individual is far more likely to manifest at any given moment than a rational individual. Take, for instance, the case of Kevin Rogers, one of the infamous �Redhaven Teenagers.� The following citation comes from a lab report filed by a government researcher who worked at the military base Kevin was briefly incarcerated in.

�Research in to the subject�s history has uncovered multiple instances of paternal and maternal abuse, sub-standard living conditions, and at least seven encounters with law enforcement. The subject has been diagnosed with Acute Stress Disorder, Bipolar Disorder (i.e. Maniac/Depressant), anti-social personality disorder...compared to the other subjects [name deleted], [name deleted], and [name deleted], who lived in far more stable environments (see forms [text deleted]), Kevin�s episodes occur more frequently and seemingly unprovoked. This suggests a strong correlation between the manifestations and psychic states.�

Finally, large gatherings of the individuals may in themselves cause manifestations. It is a well-known fact Seattle victims are able to �sense� one another through an unconscious form of P.P.M. (see below). Some researchers now believe excess exposure to this sense can force mild reactions. Although no tenable evidence exists to validate this suspicion, it would explain several unprovoked mass-manifestations. However, the subject�s specific, or learned phobias always, and without exception, cause a reaction, often one of greater magnitude.

The second question usually asked is what exactly are these �manifestations� and what are the capable of? The term manifestation � which was coined by an unknown individual and has since come into common use � refers to all paranormal events apparently caused by individuals with E.P.P.S. (External Psyche Projection Syndrome) i.e. Seattle victims. No doubt the reader has already heard all matter of stories, rumors, and speculation regarding manifestations. One might be tempted to dismiss the more outlandish of these claims as products of public hysteria. However, the reality of the situation is that none of these allegations can be safely discounted. These manifestations exist outside the realm of conventional physics. They defy natural law in everyway imaginable, from apparently creating energy from nothing to exceeding the speed of light. There is no obvious structure - no existing paradigm or theory can predict them. Because of this we cannot confidently say what is possible and what is not. Furthermore, the unpredictable, subjective, and utterly mysterious nature of the phenomenon is such that it cannot be studied empirically. We cannot presently understand the precise dynamics behind E.P.P.S. any more than an individual blind from birth could conceptualize color.

While we are unable to explain how or why manifestations occur, we are not entirely in the dark. We have a good idea, for instance, of what triggers them (see above). We understand that there is a strong correlation between the emotional state of the subject and his or her manifestations. We also believe all manifestations can be divided into three general categories: Environmental Manifestations (E.M.), Projected Psychological Manifestations (P.P.M. or Double-P M.), and Physiological Manifestations (P.M.). There is some debate as to whether or not we can (or should) divide manifestations into said three categories, but for the sake of this paper I will assume that we can (and should).

Environmental Manifestations refer to all manifestations that affect the individual�s surroundings. Essentially, they can alter reality to an unlimited extent. They can seemingly create, destroy, and change matter � any matter. As chilling as this sounds, such E.M. are thankfully quite rare. More often than not, E.M. is confused with P.P.M. (see below).

Projected Psychological Manifestations are tricky to describe. Instead of affecting reality they seem to affect others� perception. Some researchers argue that Double-P M. is simply a form of E.M. that affects the brain (getting back to the age-old mind-body problem, which has endured despite the emergence of E.P.P.S.). Others claim all E.M. are actually Double-P M., as it is easier to imagine the mind being fed false information than the very laws of physics being broken. Double-P M. exists as a category because there are manifestations where those affected give varying accounts of what they experienced, and manifestations where all experiences are the same. This suggests that some manifestations are subjective � hence mental � and other manifestations are objective � actually take place in the physical universe. Double-P M. are usually the first manifestations exhibited by an individual with E.P.P.S.

Last but certainly not least are Physiological Manifestations, which affect the bodies of the subjects. They would seem to fall under the category of E.M., but in fact they differ enough to warrant categorical separation. First, they are often the last manifestation exhibited by those with E.P.P.S. Secondly, the manifestations, or transformations - in comparison to external manifestations � do not vary i.e. regardless of the situation or trigger mechanism the subject always changes into approximately the same shape. Thirdly, the average rate of manifestations exhibited by the subject increases after the initial P.M. Finally, there are major psychological consequences inherent in P.M. After P.M. the subject often succumbs to some psychological disorder, commonly schizophrenia, social anxiety, personality disorders, etc. The psychological damage comes slowly, but it is inevitable.

The Shadow

The manifestations are, to a certain extent, reflections of the subject�s unconscious mind � suppressed feelings, base desires, repressed memories, and so forth. In psychoanalytical terms, the subject�s id gains a level of independence from the ego, and projects its drives directly into reality. The ego still retains some control over the subject, but the superego is suppressed, and cannot petition the ego as effectively as the id. As a result, many of the subject�s inhibitions are shut off, especially in the case of P.M. This explains why manifestations are often just as harmful to the subject as those around him or her. Though the id is solely concerned with survival and self-satisfaction, it still lacks the inhibition of the superego and the foresight the ego, and this can easily put the subject at risk.

The experience of physiologically manifesting is supposed to be similar to dreaming, though the subject is slightly more aware of what�s occurring. Scientific evidence supports this. fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imagining) scans have shown decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex prior to manifestations, and EEG (electroencephalogram) tests have shown brain waves similar to those seen in REM sleep.

As previously stated, the period following a Seattle victim�s first physiological manifestation is characterized by steady destabilization of the psyche. Frequently � in addition to other neuroses, personality disorders, and psychoses � the subject develops a form of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), also known as multiple personality disorder. Again - using a psychoanalytic interpretation - the resulting personality could be viewed as the �voice� of the id � the conscious mind�s way of coping with the violent impulses inherent in all Seattle victims. Some researchers now believe the secondary personality precedes the first physiological manifestation; that the manifestations are in fact symptoms of the DID, not the other way around.

Whatever their causal relation, the development of the secondary personality (often referred to as �the shadow�) and physiological manifestations are closely linked. As you may have guessed, the shadow personality is usually dominant while the subject assumes his or her so-called �nightmare form.� Unlike in classic DID, however, the personalities have a rudimentary awareness of each other, and even seem to be able to communicate. They are, naturally, opposed, as the shadow represents the repressed desires and emotions of the Seattle victim. Attempts on the part of the subject to displace the shadow personality are largely futile, as the act of repressing the other personality actually strengthens it; repressed emotions and desires will be present whether the Settle victim denies them or not, and by fighting the shadow the subject acknowledges it as separate being, making it more independent and hostile.

The best way to counter the dark designs of the shadow personality seems to be assimilating some its behavior. This may sound self-defeating, but by incorporating parts of the shadow's personality into their personality Seattle victims are often able to stave off the worst of the post-PM psychological damage. Let me make this clear: it cannot halt the mental deterioration altogether, but it can slow it considerably.

The process of accepting the shadow personality produces some unusual effects. The subjects may, for instance, begin developing certain physiological abnormalities - ones that make them superficially resemble their nightmare forms. They may also develop increased reflexes, strength, agility, intelligence, or even the ability to cause limited physical or psychological manifestations at will. In other words, as the two personalities begin to meld, so do the bodies. Interestingly, individuals who totally embrace their darker side tend to be extremely unstable, while those who do so gradually are much more controlled and deliberate.