Polybius - The Watcher

[Zardoz]

February 18th, 2021

Not long after the battle at the APC depot we arrived back in town exhausted from suffering a loss despite our great victory. Soldiers laid dead and their fleet of armoured fighting vehicles were left in a smouldering ruin with the pump station's subsequent engulfment. A fighter by the name of Karol had perished at the hands of the soldiers, having lead and organized the attack himself. This great loss seemed to plague the survivors with a sense of dread and despair in the air, even more so than the strange alien fungus that coated the streets. This town in particular, 'The Hive' as some locals have taken to calling it is a rather grim place, even more so than Worksite 14, the camp many of us including Karol originated. From what I seen during my explorations back in America and now in the East, the extensive presence of this strange growth pervades much of the abandoned streets and buildings. It serves as an impending shadow that looms over the town, although it would not be the only one it seems.

Karol's attack had in mind to stall the Combine which is understandably the most pertinent threat that could strike at us from any moment. By disabling and denying them a staging ground to repair and refuel their vehicles, we had bought ourselves some time no doubt. Although the same cannot be said for the large aforementioned growths of foreign flora residing within our newfound 'home'. It poses a different kind of obstacle, one that's no doubt obstructive but equally if not even more so unsettling. Most have easily grown accustomed to its presence or at the very least, learned to live with it but the abandonment of the town prior to our arrival suggests something far sinister. It was only when after a brief exchange with a lady I had met by Karol's planning table that we happened upon a strange peculiar note. It read the following:

"Now you've done it. You've fucked the balance, the balance of everything here. You stinking vermin. Ruined, ruined, ruined it all.

Hate. Now, hate, is very patient."

Normally I would have thought nothing of it although I had not noticed this note before we left. Was this left for Karol or directed at someone else, perhaps for everyone? It struck me as the writings of a mad man as I read it aloud for her and the others. One of the fighters claimed to have an idea of the origin of this abrasive letter written in contempt, claiming it came from 'The Watcher'. It was the first time I heard that name but it definitely struck me. I had recorded the actions of others for years, written out detailed accounts, trying to recount history before my eyes. And here we soon learned of this figure, purportedly who had been around the town for some time watching our every move. Obviously this would not be his first letter, an angry diatribe reprimanding Karol or the town at large for previous wrongs, a new low achieved by the author's standards. One could write it off as a hoax or deranged yet harmless drivel although deep down I did not subscribe to that theory.

This man proceeded to tell me that rumours had persisted involving this Watcher belonging to Infestation Control at one point or another. Indeed it would explain how they have been surviving this long alone in an environment heavily infested by hostile alien wildlife. It cannot be said for certain though and seems to be nothing more than pure conjecture based on the leftover equipment that the Combine hazard crews used. The physical descriptions of the Watcher did not help very much, draped in some long ragged garment and concealed, possibly elderly? What the man knew is that he was certain they came from someone of such a description. I had little reason to argue, and soon enough would have none.

As I stepped out from the meeting place I for no reason at all decided to cast my gaze up towards the buildings... and there as the man described, a figure matching that description stared right back at me. This individual was observing me as if it knew I would be there to encounter them. Maybe it was a coincidence although I had to be certain, they were watching me after all. So it was then that I steeled myself with my newly acquired gun and journeyed towards the concrete tower to find this man. It was connected by a bridge at the top floor, and as I scaled each floor I found... no one. The area had been inhabited before despite construction not being completed, although I instead found the very lady I had spoken to at Karol's place. No sign of the man, except for two other individuals who did not match the description. One was a bald headed fellow with a beard, the other a small masked woman, but by no means matching the frame of the Watcher. I was at a loss at this point and decided to head back down again, even after braving the questionable bridge across. I wish I could say for certain once I left the building that I finally put to who this Watcher was, and his game to rest, yet alas I will continue my research after finishing my account on the depot raid.

Even with that all said, I cannot quite shake the feeling that I am being watched.