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Surface-Kin kill squad report


SURFACE-KIN OPERATIONS COMMAND

TERMINATION BRIEF — ROOTBOUND TARGET

Clearance Level: Black-Green
Distribution: Kill Team Lead + Command Oversight
Action Status: Authorized — Immediate


TARGET DESIGNATION

Name: Elias Moreno
Former Rank: Surface-Kin Civilian Botanist, Tier III
Current Classification: Rootbound Defector / Cultural Contaminant
Threat Level: Moderate (Ideological) / Low (Physical)


BACKGROUND SUMMARY

Moreno was deployed eighteen months ago as part of a Whisperwood ecological survey unit. Initial performance reports indicate above-average compliance, accurate data submission, and no early disciplinary markers.

Deviation occurred gradually.

  • Field logs show increasing delays in extraction recommendations

  • Subject began annotating reports with qualitative language (“responsive,” “temperamental,” “cooperative”)

  • Unauthorized interaction with non-Surface populations recorded

  • Final breach: refusal to authorize deep-cut harvesting despite direct command override

Subject deserted post-incident. Equipment was left intact. Data cores were wiped.

This indicates ideological defection, not panic.


CURRENT STATUS

Moreno has fully assimilated into Rootworld territory.

Confirmed changes include:

  • Altered speech cadence and accent drift

  • Removal of Surface respirator dependency

  • Symbiotic fungal integration (confirmed via drone scan)

  • Use of Rootworld tools and dress

Subject no longer attempts concealment.

This is considered a propaganda risk.


LAST KNOWN LOCATION

Lower Verdant Strata — near Whisperwood fringe zone.

Drone footage confirms:

  • Subject tending bioluminescent flora

  • Cooperative behavior with Faun inhabitants

  • No visible weaponry

Note: Local ecosystems exhibit increased responsiveness in subject’s vicinity. This is recorded as environmental anomaly, not intelligence.


MISSION OBJECTIVE

Primary Objective:
Terminate Elias Moreno on sight.

Secondary Objectives:

  • Prevent recovery or capture

  • Destroy biological samples in subject’s possession

  • Eliminate witnesses only if necessary

Explicit Directive:
Do not attempt extraction or negotiation.


ENGAGEMENT PROTOCOL

  • Kill Team to engage at range

  • Avoid extended presence in Verdant zones

  • Minimize environmental interaction

  • If ecosystem reacts unpredictably, disengage immediately

If subject attempts communication, do not respond.

Speech increases hesitation metrics.


PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVISORY

Command notes elevated hesitation rates in previous Rootbound engagements.

Reminder to operatives:

  • Subject is compromised

  • Familiarity is irrelevant

  • Assimilation is not adaptation—it is contamination

Moreno’s behavior may appear calm, cooperative, or sincere.

These traits are non-indicators of moral status.


JUSTIFICATION STATEMENT

Rootbound individuals represent a destabilizing precedent.

They demonstrate that Surface-Kin participation in Rootworld is optional.

This cannot be allowed to persist.

Termination is not punitive.
It is preventative.


POST-ACTION REQUIREMENTS

  • Confirm death visually

  • Do not retrieve remains

  • Record any unusual environmental response

  • Submit report within 12 hours

If subject is not located within 48 hours, command will reassess threat escalation.


FINAL NOTE FROM COMMAND

“Assimilation is not a philosophical error.
It is a breach of containment.”

Proceed accordingly.