[ALL] IRRK: The Mystery of the Pumpkins
The Mystery of the Pumpkins
October 06, 29482 - Brad Talamer [Global]
IRRK - Halloween. An ancient holiday, steeped in the dark days of human life, rife with its own myriad sets of imagery and tradition - One that somehow has found its place in modern day society.
Stretching back to the farthest reaches of humanity's history, mankind has always had an intrinsic, deep-set fear of the things that lurk in the dark. A terror of the unknown, sending shivers into our spine at the thought of becoming some lurking predator's next meal... or even worse.
This fear has long been a fascination for most, often trying their best to set their hairs on end by watching scary holos, by attempting death-defying thrills. But on a planet such as Rubi-Ka, where death is little more than a momentary nuisance, what is there left to fear? If we were to be a midnight snack for some roving terror, we would wake up mere seconds later with nothing more than a bit of fuzziness.
But every year, without fail, at least one event spontaneously occurs across the known planet - An event designed to strike terror in the hearts of the colonists of Rubi-Ka. An event that... almost every year, fails to do little more than simply create a laughing-stock and a target for mockery. Every year brings the individuals known simply as Uncle Pumpkinhead.
But who are these characters? Where does they come from? What are their motivations? And why, year after year, do they seem to fail in their appointed mission of terror?
In this investigative report, I sat out to find the answers to these questions and many others... and ultimately came to little more than dead ends.
History of the Pumpkin:
To understand the mystery of the Pumpkinhead, it is first vital to understand the history - Namely the symbology that the pumpkin represents. As Halloween falls in the traditional time of harvest, the pumpkin (a favourite harvest vegetable for the autumn months) was often used a lantern, representing the "head" of the body; As the head was commonly believed to be the source of knowledge and spirit for the human form, the head of the vegetables were carved and lit to frighten off "ghosts" and other such superstition. The idealization of lighting a fire to chase away the "evil spirits" of the dark has been one long-carried in human-kind's culture - As noted above, the dark of night often lead to very real and tangible threats, such as predators seeking out their dinner.
The figure known as Uncle Pumpkinhead seems to have taken this symbology to heart, as indicated by his first appearance on the planet in October of 29475. The first "Pumpkinhead Incident" was initially focused on the Omni-1 area of Rubi-Ka, and was quickly decried by Omni-Tek as an attack by the Clans. Initial reports of the strange beings stated that they were mutated humanoids, created by extreme genetic modification - However, after this initial attack, many began to believe that the attacks were an isolated incident.
That is, until precisely one year later, when the strange creatures attacked once more. Now flooding across the planet, it began to seem as though the monsters had some form of intelligence - Perhaps even rational thought. Speculation flew about the attack, and how it occurred one year later to the day. No officials had comment, nor were any findings published.
Since then, it has become nearly commonplace to see the odd form of the Pumpkinheads roaming about Rubi-Ka during the month of October, waiting to attack any who may come near. However, despite their numbers, there has always been one individual mutation which seems to have much higher intelligence and rationale - One who may very well be behind the menace (or lack there-of). However, as all mutations seem to carry the moniker of "Uncle Pumpkinhead", it has always been a question of if it is the same individual creature or if the many who roam the planet in this month carry such intelligence.
Biology of the Pumpkin:
I'm lead through a sterile environment, beakers and polished metal shining brightly under the bright white lights above. Omni-Med research assistant Johan Ballast, a friendly, calm-spoken young Nanomage, happily talks about the research being currently done on enhancing nano-breeds to live off-planet. But when asked about the Pumpkinhead mutations, he simply pauses, head shaking.
"The honest truth is that we just don't know. No one does. As soon as one of them is killed their body starts decomposing to the point that we can't quite get any information out of it. To be honest, we don't even know if they're purely organic at this point - They may even be nanobot constructs, similar to the manifestations that individuals are able to craft here on Rubi-Ka. Every time we think we can get ahold of one they just end up... fading away." His head shakes slightly - I notice a slightly wistful smile on his face. "I would love to be able to tell you more, but honestly we just can't get any answers."
And he's correct. In all of the informational databanks available to search - Omni-Tek, Clan based, ICC - none of them have any concrete information on the Pumpkinhead mutations. All are filled with speculative "facts" and opinions, but none seem to directly collaborate with the other, making information gathering a near impossibility. I spoke to noted Clan xenobiologist Cameron Par about his own thoughts regarding the creatures.
"Much to our dismay, none of our attempts at gathering information on the habits and history of these creatures has been to any avail," said Dr. Par, a deep-set frown on his face. "The fact that there is no evidence of the creatures during the remaining eleven months of the year has lead some to believe that they may be artificial creations - That someone out there is building these creatures with the intent of spreading them across the planet for a few weeks every year. But who would do such a thing? And why? No forensic evidence has been found yet to lead us to believe that there is someone controlling them, and they seem to act autonomously..." He sighs, removing his glasses and polishing them against the hem of his lab coat.
"The truth of it is that no one has any idea. And, to be honest, since they don't really pose that large of a threat anymore, I think many have stopped caring."
Realizing there were very few facts to run off of from the leaderships of Rubi-Ka, I decided instead to speak to people a bit... closer to the issue.
Fear of the Pumpkin:
Brianna Kasmin sits on the roof of her house with a rifle stretched across her lap. As we speak, she occasionally takes a quick potshot at a roving mantis, never pausing in conversation even as she pulls the trigger. I wince every time a shot echoes through the desert - She, instead, laughs.
"Well, y'see, part of the problem here is that none of us can figure out what the 'lil buggers are," she says, loading a fresh shot into the rifle. "I've been living here for about six years now and every October they're back, right as clockwork. Can't tell you how many of 'em I've taken down myself - More than a few, that's for sure." I ask her if she's ever felt fear from the menacing creatures. She laughs again, pointing her rifle off into the distance.
"Buddy, if you meet anyone scared of those things, you need to tell 'em to get off this planet. I've seen more terrifying sights walkin' through Old Athens, and that's usually just another 'trox in a thong. Only thing scary about those pumpkin freaks is if you accidentally stub your toe on their corpse."
Bang.
Routine of the Pumpkin:
What Ms. Kasmin said was, ultimately, rather true - In all of my interviews for this article, I had trouble finding a single individual who was in any way, shape, or form afraid of the mutant creatures. In fact, quite the opposite - Most seemed to welcome the annual sightings of the Pumpkinheads, who are rather well-known for carrying rare, unique, and sometimes quite expensive items on their personage.
But why? Over the years the Pumpkinheads have returned each October as though simply awaiting slaughter - Almost as if some sort of altruistic force, there solely to be killed for what many have deemed "phat (sic) loot". Their threat is negligible now that their presence is known and expected, and many truly enjoy the hunt for the creatures. So why do they keep returning?
Of particular interest is the manifestation of the Pumpkinhead mutation which seems to maintain an active presence on the grid, actively taunting and teasing citizens of Rubi-Ka in a digital form. This particular individual - if it is indeed just one person - has a much higher intelligence than the regular mutations located through-out Rubi-Ka, and yet is again only seemingly active for the sole month of October.
In a brief chat with Peacekeeper Heather Coursey, formerly a communications expert within the ICC and now stationed on Rubi-Ka for active duty, I learned that the presence of the Pumpkinhead on the grid is one that has routinely been a source of confusion among security experts.
"The thing is, none of us know how the hell he's posting," says Ms. Coursey. "There's never any traceback information that we can follow - No logon information, no static address; not even so much as a carrier. We try tracing back the information and all we get are dead ends - One time the post can be coming from some random public terminal on Mars, and then five minutes later it comes from a mining station somewhere on Melp. There's, like, ten people total in the Belucci system, and it sure ain't Fabulous Johnson."
She sighs slightly, frowning. "He's either the universe's greatest hacker or a damn poltergeist in the machine. Take your pick."
Chasing the Pumpkin:
After nearly two weeks of scouring databases, conducting interviews, and almost ripping out my hair, I have yet to come up with any concrete information or evidence regarding the Pumpkinheads. No solid facts, no biological reports - Barely even a few photographs. And though I set out to hopefully solve a mystery, I've only been left with a deeper one.
That said, though, the time is near for the harvest to begin again - October is already underway, and I'm more than sure that the enigmatic pumpkin-headed creatures will be making their rounds once more. And I, for one, am damned curious as to what they really might be. So consider this part one of two, faithful readers, as I will be attempting to discover everything I can about these mutations on their yearly visit to the lands of Rubi-Ka. As always, feel free to reply with any information or facts you may have on the existence of the Pumpkinheads. Perhaps this year we can finally clear up some of the old mysteries.
