Ian walked down the hallway, a dozen new hires for the research division listed on the edge of his augmented reality screen. Stationed in research facilities around the globe, they watched remotely as he walked them through the central facility.

"For those who haven't quite absorbed the last section of the tour: Yes, the creatures we so euphemistically call 'paranatural entities', or 'PNEs,' or 'pennies,' or a host of other cute names, are the bogeymen of legend: werewolves, vampires, fairies, ghouls, unicorns, nature spirits, whatever. Hesperides spends the bulk of our R&D budget on tracking down and capturing subjects for study, then refining down their essential elements to enhance medical treatment. This should help clarify for you the extensive non-disclosure agreements we had you sign,...

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