Title: Protocol for the Dissemination of Sensitive Information From: Ji-Woong Park, Director of Public Information, Ministry of Culture and Information. This directive aims to coordinate the relevant authorities in drafting and disseminating a special government announcement scheduled for 8:00 PM today, with subsequent broadcasts at alternating times until further notice. This will be transmitted simultaneously on the KBS and MBC television channels. For radio, priority will be given to the main stations, which will broadcast the message during peak hours. The text will be shared with Chosun Ilbo, JoongAng Ilbo, and Dong-A Ilbo for front-page publication in tomorrow’s newspapers. Regardless of the medium, the announcement must be presented in a reassuring and authoritative manner. To ensure the public remains calm and informed, all communications classified under Tier A directives must adhere to the following principles of DARE:

1. Direct: Eliminate unnecessary technical jargon to maintain clarity and focus for the general audience.

2. Assuring: Emphasize governmental control, preparedness, and ongoing efforts to resolve the situation.

3. Rational: Simplify and minimize descriptions of societal impact to avoid overwhelming or alarming the public.

4. Euphemistic: Reframe causes or explanations that may tarnish the state's image, ensuring the narrative aligns with public expectations and perceptions. Avoid terms like "imminent threat"; use "precautionary measures" instead.

For this specific case, recipients of this circular are strictly instructed to NOT involve recently replaced colleagues or superiors in any capacity. With that said, the following guidelines are attached for structuring the preamble: “If you have noticed unusual occurrences at home, at work, or elsewhere, know that you are not alone. Your government is already taking action, and soon it will all be over. In the meantime, you are expected to play your part by following the rules as they are presented below...

One. Step away from the people you are currently with, ensuring that you can still access further communications.
Two. You are now temporarily safe. Here’s how you should behave with the Impostors from now on. Above all, treat them exactly as you would treat their living counterparts. It’s crucial that you do so because being discovered will provoke them into becoming violent and obsessive. It is strongly advised not to ask them questions like: ‘What did you do with my child?’ ‘Where have you hidden my husband?’ and so on. While they may appear as ordinary mannequins, unlike those they imitate, beneath the plastic there are real organs: touching them could lead to the loss of the original.”
 

Late at night, strange things appear on the highway. I know this; I make my living as a driver... And every time the asphalt is crowded with people like me, it’s doubly true. Forget about a cultural melting pot; just take a ride on the A2, and you never know who you'll find. The plates catch my eye and tell me what’s going on, and then I start fantasizing about where they’re from and where they’re headed. I even count them, just to pass the time. It’s rare to see an Indian one, and I take another pill to calm my nerves as if I’ve won the lottery. Maybe I should change games. One blister is too little to stop all the headaches I face on the road. Like this one, making a U-turn like we’re on a provincial road. Where are we, Formula 1? Strange things indeed. Italian plates, as usual. And they should stop with all these neon lights. You go from the thickest, darkest forest to industrial areas where the glare blinds you. It’s a constant. Forest, industry, forest, then more industry, and back to the forest again; strange things indeed. It would help to clear the land and turn the planet into a nice clean parking lot; at least I wouldn’t have to search for one while I’m working. Or even better: knock down the factories, so I wouldn’t have to work at all! Those who are busy buzzing inside the factories don’t even appreciate the good fortune they have. All they need to do is clock in, sit behind an all-purpose machine, and then go home fresh, just in time for dinner... It’s no wonder that us drivers are always on edge. We dream of a life like that. Actually, sometimes I forget I even have a house. A life... And when you come back, the kids are a little older. Maybe your wife has even been unfaithful. Strange things... And come on, stop with the lights! Ah... No? No, no... It’s something else. Up ahead, though I don’t understand what it is. A UFO? What... ? It can’t be; it’s just a helicopter. Yes, just a simple helicopter. See? It has the blades. Better look at the road, though. A couple of years ago, a colleague of mine died from getting distracted while driving the truck. I’m sure he saw some women, knowing him... But I don’t blame him. It’s nice to see that kind of thing before you die. Maybe it’ll happen to me... No, not dying; I still want to enjoy my retirement. What I meant was seeing nice things on the road, so I’d stop thinking negatively. Instead, look: that guy flipped his trailer... What a stench! It’s the sixth time I’ve seen a livestock transport overturn like that. Always in the same spot, too. I bet... Figures. Here they are again: those fat, naked ones with big mouths. See how they bathe in all those entrails, gnawing on them? Christ... Now I’m even getting hungry.
 

The transition from analog television to the new digital standard has sparked extreme reluctance from an increasingly larger portion of users. This phenomenon can be attributed to the inaccessibility of a local broadcaster, Project Elegy, which quickly gained some fame among the residents of Middlebury. It operates on a radio frequency at the edge of the FM band (87.6 MHz), and despite poor audiovisual quality, as well as interference from static or stronger signals spilling sounds and images onto Project Elegy’s content, its appeal has been such that many have boycotted technological progress. This occurred because channel 999 failed to reallocate its signal in time and is therefore inaccessible even with special analog-to-digital converters. Initially, this resistance indicated strong loyalty from the audience, but now there are murky reasons that have little or nothing to do with the entertainment value of the programming. This programming is, in fact, quite repetitive, following an irregular and entirely unpredictable schedule, interspersed with long commercial breaks or periods of no signal. When the show finally appears on screen and the image is somewhat clear, you can see a white wall, with a clock on the side showing the date and time of that day; thus, it is always a live broadcast. What’s disturbing, however, is the decapitated head of a deer, lying on a white table (except for a few thin traces of blood). Bit by bit, episode by episode, the camera is placed a few millimeters closer to the subject, which, logically, decays further in its state of rot. According to testimonies from some viewers, the curiosity to see “What happens next” led them to neglect various aspects of their lives, starting with personal hygiene, then cascading to rest, family relationships, and work activities. On the other hand, those who were less exposed to Project Elegy, having been disturbed from the very first moments, changed the channel without experiencing any detrimental effects. A preliminary investigation led the authorities to the site where the radio waves were being emitted: a butcher’s shop southeast of the town. Presumably, this was a publicity stunt by the staff, although the program had no references to the activity. How it caused such profound psychological repercussions is equally inexplicable, but what matters now is that the butcher shop is being demolished. This procedure has been completed, and the building is now mostly rubble; however, the scene of the deer continues to invade channel 999, sometimes spilling over into channel 998.
 

(Continued in the book "Larvately")
 

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