4 VOICES ON RECORD
THE ACCIDENT THAT KEPT HAPPENING.
KNOWN AS · Wild Mayhem
“BRIGHT. DANGEROUS.”
They called him Wild Mayhem, and the Palace Quarter still lowers its voice when it does.
THE ACCOUNTS
Every account of Wild Mayhem in the Lab's drawer contradicts the one filed before it.
WITNESS DETAIL
The statements give different names.
Every one of them describes the same stained dapper coat.
“He shouted 'watch this'.”
“We did. We still don't know what we saw.”
ACCOUNT #02 · the night clerk at the Lantern Bureau
“Ask anyone: a sixth sense for exactly the wrong moment. That's Wild Mayhem. The rest is gossip.”
WITNESS DETAIL
The statements disagree about everything except the eyes. Brown, every time.
That is the only thing anyone agreed on.
ACCOUNT #03 · a croupier on the Gilded Mile
“I was there. It went like this.” He once set off a crate of fireworks in the middle of the Palace Quarter at noon, for no reason anyone could name. Ten minutes later the old warehouse at the end of the street came down — empty, because everyone had run outside to watch.
THE LAB'S VERSION
He has been thrown out of every faction in Sealevel at least once, including two that don't exist. People say he could light a street on a bad night. He has, more than once. He slept through the night the lights went out in the Smoke, and has been quietly furious about it ever since. He says he has calmed down. A small fire somewhere in the Palace Quarter disagrees.
“HE HAS CAUSED EVERY ACCIDENT IN THE PALACE QUARTER. HE HAS NEVER ONCE HURT ANYONE.”
ONE WITNESS CHANGED THEIR STORY.
THE LAB KNOWS WHY THINGS EXPLODE.
PULL THE SEAL ALONG THE TAPE — OR BREAK IT.
PERSONAL ACCESS · CHANGES NOTHING IN THE ARCHIVE
“He came back for it.”
“He never went near the place again.”
END OF FILE