Crossfire Westley/Articles

This is a compilation of all known articles of Raven Westley since her employment with the Club Penguin Times.

Haute couture's new fad in Club Penguin (dated June 13, 2016)
Haute couture's new fad in Club Penguin  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated June 13, 2016 - 8:43 pm

To the observer's eye, the fashion world is one of glamor with a touch of drama, beautiful with its capacities to invoke visions in multiple fabrics of endless colors. It's a constantly fast-paced, restless, hungry art form that burns brightly and refuses to settle until it is satisfied. It's produced some of the best and finest fashion designers of the decade, with trends that even the common public could strive for.

It can be said that the industry's hungriest customers would be the rich and powerful, those who ogle the newest and the sleekest fashion designs that come with the changing of seasons. They could most often be seen prowling during the fashion week in shows that feature a particular designer's collection, eyeing and calculating what dress would be part of their expanding collection.

Enter haute couture, the newest fashion fad of the elite. The emergence of this distinct form of high fashion came from Frankterre's own designers who turned towards past art movements for dream-like, often physically impossible, dresses and suits. These custom-made, one of a kind dress wear are often made of the best material money can offer, often requiring a whole team for assembly. Their designs ranged from elegant and intricately designed tuxedos all the way to striking, billowing gowns.

The fashion is honored for its ability to make an individual stand out in the crowd for what they wear. Some popular celebrities such as Cadence and The Penguin Band have become the apple of the media's eye while they wear these custom-designed outfits from different designers. With this, the common people have also been trying to catch up with the fad, too. Eccentrically designed formal wear are beginning to emerge in the island's fashion catalogs, with accessories and makeup tutorials appearing on social media with tips on how to match the outfit with cosmetics and accessorization.

Eccentricity and artistry are perhaps the most celebrated attributes of the trend, surely securing it as one of the most popular fashion statements of the decade.

Widespread hackings puts the island at a standstill (dated August 31, 2017)
Widespread hackings puts the island at a standstill  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated August 31, 2017 - 11:59 pm

Club Penguin Island (First published: Aug. 31, 2017; 7:13 am) – The island finds itself at a standstill as hackings interfere with the Servers as well as traffic lights.

As the Island awakened and readied itself for the new day, citizens found themselves scratching their heads at traffic lights that shifted color or remained at one color for a prolonged time. While many penguins were left to wonder and wait for the light to shift back to the correct color, there were a reported few who tried to take matters in their own flippers. There have been reports of near stampedes occurring across the island due to this. It took an hour before the police department can shut down the traffic lights and station crossing guards to compensate for the occurrences.

Additionally, Servers have been malfunctioning and bringing penguins to other locations across the island. The glitch is the first of its kind since at least 2011, and has caught many by surprise with the suddenness. There have been reports of penguins being transported to other servers or other locations far from where they were supposed to be, causing needless frustrations that took a while to sort out. Due to the obvious glitches and technical difficulties, many offices granted amnesty for tardy employees and the Club Penguin Island Airport has adjusted its scheduled flights to make do for latecomers. As of the last update, Baron-Volt Industries has yet to issue an official statement.

Sources from the Club Penguin Police Department (CPPD) tell us that the hackings began at about 3 am, during the two minute rotation of duties that occur during the hour. This would be considered the singular weak spot of the CPPD when it comes to taking night shifts, according to CPPD Chief Petras in a phone call. The hacking was made noticeable at around 4 am, when on duty officers were unable to access the precinct's database. From there, they received reports of other databases being inaccessible to other officers who were on duty. The CPPD has been trying to get back into the database as of the last update.

The EPF was among the first to release a statement regarding the hackings. "We remain unsure as to what the motive is behind these hackings," An EPF representative said in a conference that was conducted on the afternoon of the incident. "But we can only reassure the public that we are putting our best agents on the case."

The CPT has been tapping the Moderators for a statement, but they seem to be unable to respond to our calls.

Status update: The hacked databases (dated September 12, 2017)
Status update: The hacked databases  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated September 12, 2017; 11:11 pm

Much has happened since the hackings that occurred on August 31.

Not long after the hacking of the Club Penguin Police Department's databases, the power grid, as well as communication towers, were hacked into. The hacker allegedly locked out personnel from the databases and obtained an unknown amount of information while doing so.

"We strongly condemn these acts done on Antarctican soil." USA Spokespenguin Oscar Fleming said in a press conference not long after the attacks started. "We can only ask for the general public to remain calm and to report any information that they think is useful to the relevant authorities."

The EPF and the CPPD, two of the agencies with the island who were hacked, shared the same sentiments. "This is clearly an act of terrorism," EPF Spokespenguin Clark Penning said in a press conference the afternoon after the attack. "We can guarantee that we are placing our best agents on this case, and will be collaborating with the CPPD to solve this case."

To compensate for the loss of energy and communications, Rory and G collaborated to help get the island back to a semblance of functionality. G unveiled a snowball powered generator that he would be giving to major blocks of the community to use, as well as solar panels that could be used to harvest energy. He also assisted in setting up emergency frequencies that penguins can communicate with.

On September 12, specialists managed to get back into the CPPD and EPF databases after two weeks of being locked out of it. While results of the database sweep still haven't been revealed, officials are telling us that the situation is looking not good. "We are seeing lots of missing files," CPPD Chief Petras said in an interview with the CPT. "We'll have to bring this up with the EPF."

Hacker breaks into more databases, leaves other countries alarmed (dated October 10, 2017)
Hacker breaks into more databases, leaves other countries alarmed  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated October 10, 2017

"We strongly condemn these terrorist attacks."

This is the common utterance of politicians and representatives alike as the hackings continue to spread towards the Ninja Archipelago as well as the Asiapelago. Ever since the hackings that occurred at Club Penguin, three more countries fell under the clutches of cyber attacks. The Finipines, Shops Island, and Zhou were later hacked in the said order. While access back to their databases was achieved weeks later, the countries were still alarmed of the occurrences. Red alert warnings popped out all over the continents as governments buffed up cybersecurity while making contingency plans for the situation at which hacking will occur.

"We are receiving reports that this is done by a group of cyber-terrorists." A SIA representative said in a conference two days after the attacks. "While we have yet to verify, we can only hope that more information could be attained while the investigations occur."

Meanwhile, sources tell us that the investigations conducted by the CPPD and EPF remain slow and sluggish. "Leads are growing cold as fast as they are made." Delta Commander-in-Chief Jason Laurenson said to the press in an interview last Tuesday. "It's as frustrating as it sounds. We're working with all of our connections around here."

As of the last update, the UAN is calling for a joint international investigation team to investigate these findings.

Gas leak injures three (dated October 17, 2017)
Gas leak injures three  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Published October 17, 2017, 10:45 pm

A gas leak explosion rocked an apartment complex at Blizzard Street earlier at approximately 2:04 pm today.

The explosion was believed to have happened in the fourth floor of the complex. Engine 02 responded to the gas leak explosion, easily ushering out the few who were in the building at the time of the incident. Given that many of the occupants were not present during the explosion, the fire department easily managed to evacuate and extinguish the fire. Three penguins were injured during the explosion and were brought to the nearby hospital for treatment. As of the last update, two are stable enough to go home while one will be kept overnight for further observation. "They mostly sustained injuries from the debris," Dr. Henry Emmet said in an interview with the CPT. "They should all be fine by morning."

"That was one heck of an explosion!" Rory said in an interview later in the evening. "Thank goodness that the building's insured. My men and I will be getting down to fixing the damage as soon as possible!"

As of the last update, residents of the apartment complex have been offered to stay in the nearby hotels free of charge while the constructions are ongoing.

Hacker has been identified and captured, currently behind bars (dated December 2, 2017)
Hacker has been identified and captured, currently behind bars  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated December 2, 2017 - 9:41 pm

The hunt is finally over.

The EPF, along with several other intelligence agencies, have released a statement that the hacker has been identified to be Munian national Icarus Petturi, who was supposedly killed during the September 30 WhiteBlood genocide. The circumstances around Petturi's survival after the terrorist attack remains to be a mystery, but the EPF has been trying to coordinate with the Munian government to obtain their answers.

It has not been clarified when and where Petturi was captured, but inside sources have told the CPT that he was captured within Munijoch. Petturi is supposedly the mastermind behind the August 30 hack in Club Penguin, as well as several other hacking incidents around the world. He is also said to be the one who leaked said information to the public as well as the criminal underworld. These leaks have resulted to scandals, riots, protests, and an increase in killings.

Details around the capture suggest that it was a collaborative effort of the EPF, SIA, and the SAD. The CPT has been trying to get a statement from EPF Commander Rogue Tvarkov, who is the main officer in charge of the case. Unfortunately, she seems to not respond to our calls.

Petturi is set to appear before the UAN Security Council next week Tuesday, where he will be charged for cyberterrorism as well as disrupting the peace. He is expected to be sentenced to lifelong imprisonment, or exile, depending on the conclusions of the Security Council after the trials. From there, the Council shall determine the maximum prison facility where Petturi will carry his sentence.

A sit-down with the general (dated December 10, 2017)
A sit-down with the general  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times - Feature) | December 10, 2017

Rogue Tvarkov is known to be the symbol of protection for those who look up to the USA to defend them from crimes of terrorism. With her golden feathers and peaked cap, she has seen a different kind of war than that of soldiers, in a different battlefield than that of tacticians. Her steadfast and perseverant leadership has seen successes that are not quite publicly uttered, instead accepted as fact and enjoyed by many. She has worked in the shadows to pull the strings necessary to keep the continent as safe as she can manage. When things slip from her grip and attacks occur, she sees to it that investigations are fair and just, that action is quick and justice is given in immediate. Due to her style of supervision and mannerisms, she has been dubbed as "General" by many.

I had been fortunate enough to sit down with her for an interview about the investigations of what they dub as "The Theta Contingency". It had been a rather gloomy day in South Pole City during the time of the interview, and she was just freshly dismissed by the Security Council. The Grindstone found at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Zenith was bustling with customers when we began.

CPT: 'It's been what, five months since the start of all of this? With the conclusion on the horizon, how do you feel about it all coming to an end?

Tvarkov: Well, I am a bit relieved that this is all coming to a conclusion. The Security Council has heard our reports and have asked their questions. All that's left is to hear their verdict and to file our mission reports.

CPT: I'm guessing that would be stressful. [chuckles] I won't trouble you with questions about the whole case, I'm sure everyone else would know sooner or later. What have you learned from this whole thing?

Tvarkov: [pause] Law and order, justice and truth, is a washed out sea of gray.

She was thoughtful when she spoke. By then, the waitress had come over to give us our orders. We drink our coffee in silence. CPT: What do you mean by that?

Tvarkov: I mean, the whole of the contingency? You'd expect me to say — to what many would think — that law and order and all of that jazz is black and white. If it were so, this case would have never been so controversial.

CPT: True, true, I see your point. But could you explain that a bit further?

Tvarkov: Like, well, we've seen what Theta has done. In exchange for the truth that has been revealed to us, we've seen chaos and disorder. We have to admit that he's done the right deed of telling us what needs to be exposed but at that heavy a cause? It almost makes you think that those secrets were better-kept secret. CPT: I see. After filing your report, what do you think you'll be doing?

Tvarkov: Taking a nice, long vacation away from my office. [laughs]

CPT: [laughs] Oh, I think everyone would agree when I say that you deserve it. Do you have a place in mind?

Tvarkov: My home, most likely. I could also go back to Rusca to be with my family. I should really catch up with them.

CPT: I'm sure they'd be happy to see you.

Tvarkov: I hope so.

From there, our conversation had spanned from work to our own personal relationships. Tvarkov, despite what many would think, is good company to be with. She is much like an old friend you're reconnecting with after years of being apart, and she is welcoming with swapping stories whenever she deems it good for telling. Our cups have long been emptied and cleaned up when we finish our interview, parting ways with simple farewells and greetings for the holidays. Above us, the sky is a washed out sea of gray, and I couldn't help myself but smile at it.

A sharp increase in kidnappings seen in mulitple countries, security alarms raised (dated April 16, 2018)
A sharp increase in kidnappings seen in mulitple countries, security alarms raised  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated April 16, 2018

There's been an increase in kidnapping cases in all parts of the continent since the start of 2018, with April seeing a dramatic statistical spike in some countries. This has caused alarm in various countries, with many governments advising their citizens to keep an eye on their surroundings while reporting to the authorities of any suspicious penguins or vehicles loitering about the streets. In the island, Club Penguin Police Department (CPPD) Chief Petras strongly suggested that citizens make use of a "buddy system" and to avoid walking alone as much as possible. Petras has also commented that he is unsure whether these cases are connected to each other or not.

EPF Special Intelligence Commander Tux has also released a statement regarding the increase of cases. "We are working around the clock with the CPPD to see if there are any connections to these cases, and whether or not they were done by an organized group of criminals." Tux said in an exclusive interview. "We have sent teams to interview the next of kin regarding their recent activities to see if we can get any plausible leads on the cases."

Whether there is a possible terrorism angle in this, it remains unsure. EPF Anti-Terrorism Commander Rogue Tvarkov said in an interview that while some cases appear to be a classic kidnapping case, some of them are worth taking notice of. Tvarkov cites one of these to be the staged robbery at the Money Plaza last April 12.

It is unknown if the recent increase in kidnapping cases would trigger the UAN Security Council to activate the UAN Taskforce.

Bombing in Gemini night market kills 5 and injures 22 (dated May 6, 2018)
Bombing in Gemini night market kills 5 and injures 22  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated May 6, 2018 - 5:39 am

Gemini, Eastshield (First published: May 5, 2018; 10:16 pm) - A bombing in a night market kills 5 at Moonlight Avenue at 10:06 in the evening.

Witnesses report that the first explosion occurred in the northern part of the night market, specifically the produce section of the market. At least 3 were killed immediately after the explosion, but authorities have yet to confirm the identities of these fatalities. Two more explosions were felt in the south and west part of the market, approximately 46 seconds apart from each other. A stampede followed as many rushed to get out of the market, spilling out to the nearby streets for refuge. A fire has erupted following the explosion.

Gemini Police Department, Gemini Fire Department, and EPF Delta Division squads were among the first responders on the scene. As of the last update, the fire has mostly been extinguished.

Reports from eyewitnesses say that there were penguins in black who were taking away penguins as the stampede occurred. Whether or not these are the penguins responsible for the bombing, it is unknown. The authorities have yet to release a statement on this.

President Megg has already been informed of the situation as of 2:13 am.

UAN Taskforce makes a breakthrough in Fyodor, at least 80 children rescued (dated May 17, 2018)
UAN Taskforce makes a breakthrough in Fyodor, at least 80 children rescued  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated May 17, 2018 - 2:45 pm

Fyodor, Rusca (First published: May 16, 2018; 8:13 pm) - The UAN Taskforce has successfully infiltrated and rescued 86 children from a Public stronghold located in Fyodor, Russia, several miles south of Varoneshki.

Mia Carter of the UAN Internal Integrity and Transparency Office appeared along with Orion Initiative Director James Cueva to announce the rescue operation's success later in the night in a press conference. The Taskforce was tipped off the week before about the possible location, and drone surveillance and investigations were able to validify this information. They were given the go signal by the Ruscan government to conduct an extraction raid with NRR Special Operations agents. The Taskforce broke into the town and exchanged gunfire with Public insurgents while evacuating civilians from the basements of the houses there. The children were brought to a camp that was set up by UAN officers 5 miles away from Fyodor.

When asked about what made the raid successful, Cueva cites the cooperation and similar backgrounds of the Taskforce members to be key. "We wouldn't be getting anywhere if we were too much of this and that," he said in the conference. "We're an even mix of brains and brawn in this team. We all have varied methods of approaching this mission and we all know how to make it work."

A total of 86 children ranging from ages 5-12 were rescued from the Fyodor basements. A majority of them were from the various countries within the Ninja Archipelago, with more than half of them coming from Rusca. There were also children from Castilla, Club Penguin, Geek Empire, Snowzerland, and United Provinces. They are all currently in hospitals within Varoneshki, where they will be medically treated for malnutrition before being sent back to their respective countries.

Fyodor was a little town found at the edge of the Ruscan Forest and used to be the home of about 300 souls. It was invaded by the Ruscan Syndicate in 2002 during a gang war between another mafia organization, where many were abducted and killed. It currently lives to be a ghost town, a haunted warning that goes to show the power of the Syndicate in the country.

The CPT has been trying to reach any of the Taskforce members for a statement, but no one appears to be responding to our calls.

EDITORIAL: The binary question between right and wrong (dated June 25, 2018)
EDITORIAL: The binary question of right and wrong  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Published June 25, 2018 - 10:12 am

It's worth asking after watching the UAN Taskforce scramble to take care of the major kidnapping incident that's gripped the whole continent this one, distinctive question: who's the right one here?

Here's an overview of the situation: since the start of 2018 there's been a small upwards climb of kidnapping incidents all across the continent, with numbers peaking at around mid-April of the year. Since then, there's been enough kidnapped at such a time to catch the attention of authorities around the regions before an organization stepped into the limelight to claim responsibility: The Public. From their very public (no pun intended) website, they claim themselves to be advocates of change who constantly demand the following: accountability, the release of political prisoners, and monetary compensation for the families of the victims of forced disappearances worth 10 Million Club Penguin Coins (CPC).

The UAN Taskforce was activated per the orders set on paper by the UAN with the UAN Security Council Mandate 54, also known as the "UAN Taskforce Act of 2017". The current Taskforce consists of intelligence agents from the following agencies: EPF, MSB, NRR, Orion Initiative, SAD, SI:9, SIA, and SSS. They've been tasked to obtain information as to why The Public struck, where they are keeping the hostages, and how to stop further attacks. Since then, the Taskforce has been doing nothing but quietly make their moves and collect their information before conducting two major raids: one in Fyodor, Rusca and another recently in Sudoku Valley, United Provinces.

We cannot exactly blame a Taskforce made up of intelligence agents to be somewhat idle: intelligence agencies are not the military, not designed to strike immediately once given the information. We can tell that the Taskforce has been rather calculating and sure with their information based on the clear successes of the two raids they've publicly done: 88 children and 154 civilians all successfully rescued without any serious injury tells that they don't strike until they're certain. The methods they use to extract the hostages involve taking care of the terrorists first before evacuating the civilians. The Taskforce minimizes physical exertion from the victims as much as possible by teleporting them out of the combat zone and into safe points where social workers and doctors readily wait for them to be evaluated and taken care of.

Despite this, we cannot ignore the criticisms made against the Taskforce. Based on the website that is managed by members of The Public, they have been nothing but lackeys to the very authorities who are being attacked by their objectives and statements. They contribute to the system that stamps down dissent from the populations and buries the wrongdoings of politicians in red tape and blacked out documents. To ask for accountability, the release of political prisoners, and monetary compensation for the families of the victims of forced disappearances is not a bad thing: there truly is some dark things that need to be righted in this world. The Taskforce has also been accused of violating multiple penguin rights with their plight of obtaining information, though it may sound hypocritical from the very group that kidnaps penguins from their ordinary lives.

The point that's being made is that both the Public and the Taskforce hold pretty valid arguments against each other, which goes back to our first question: who is the right one in this conversation? Neither two parties are playing fair in this game, with both having done a violation against the opponent. The two have strong convictions to their causes and neither refuse to bend to the other's will, stubborn as they are. It's still the Taskforce's objective to understand why the Public is like so and it's the Public's to obstruct them at every step and turn. The dance they've picked is dirty and slow that it's blurry to the audience on who's leading who.

But let's focus first on the Taskforce and their current tightrope act: as the days go by, while they collect their information and the Public spills out their propaganda, they will eventually have to decide who's correct in this whole debacle. While we, the public, watch from the sidelines and make our opinions on the issue, so will those who work to solve it. It will be up to the Taskforce to report to the UAN Security Council with their final conclusions: about who the Public is, what they fight for, and why. They will read the same information we read, and they may ask the same questions we ask. They still have to officially answer the question we ask ourselves: who is right and who is wrong?

''This article is part of a series entitled "The Tightrope Act: A Series of Pieces". This is the fourth article of the series. To see more, click on the title of the series for a list of articles.''

Taskforce sinks their claws in Margate as they approach their final raid (dated August 27, 2018)
Taskforce sinks their claws in Margate as they approach their final raid  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Updated August 27, 2018

Finally, the long wait for justice is over.

Office of Internal Integrity and Transparency officer Mia Carter alongside Orion Director James Cueva announced yesterday evening that the Taskforce strongly believes that their final operation will occur in Margate, citing recent developments pointing to the said country. Carter and Cueva remained vague as to what exactly triggered suspicion on the country, only informing the public to remain calm and report to authorities should anything happen to their loved ones or they witness any sort of Public activities.

"I am pleased to announce that soon, this will all be over," Cueva said to the press on Sunday night. "And the Public would soon be nothing but the monster under our beds that we've overcome."

When prodded as to what has happened with the Taskforce during their month-long inactivity, the two remained vague and did not give straight answers about their activities. Citing that a few of them were on "mandatory leave" for a short period of time, Carter said that the Taskforce was sent off to their individual countries to do some legwork while finding strong indicators of where the final stronghold would be.

"Things are finally moving faster around here, which is a relief," Carter said when asked about how the Taskforce plans on going about with this final mission. "There are plans being discussed and simulations are being run as to what could possibly occur."

It's been about four months since the start of a kidnapping crisis that occurred across Antarctica. The main culprit, known as The Public, is an international organization that allegedly kidnapped most of these penguins to hold them ransom. They have demanded monetary compensation as well as justice for the occurrences that happened in last year's Theta case. Due to this, the Taskforce had to be activated to combat the organization.

Over 200 civilians freed in Margate, Taskforce closes the case on the Public (dated September 2, 2018)
Over 200 civilians freed in Margate, Taskforce closes the case on the Public  By Raven Westley (Club Penguin Times) | Published September 2, 2018 (14:27)

August 30, 2018: The day The sky over the Margate archipelago was sunny, cheerful with its cerulean hues on the 30th of August. The heart of the Kenestral island was bustling with the morning commute and rush hour, with many hurrying about to get to their work and classes.

The circumstances around how everything begins and ends usually dictates the way a story is told, especially controversial topics that the press would turn their lens on. This one, however, begins under an uncommon sight: there was nothing remarkable about the day, unless if one would count the sudden rise of smoke coming from the distanced north of the island. Some would turn to look and point, talking among themselves over what could have happened, before turning away to their hurried commute.

Unbeknownst of anyone, the Taskforce had begun their mission early, beginning their journey towards the north long before the sun or city was awake. Through the island's complex system or railways, they moved quietly to their destination, carrying with them two units from the Shops Island and Margate forces. From there, it was a trek through the forests all the way to the Sunken Forest, a land depression that spanned 10 kilometers of the Kenestral National Park's northern quadrant.

Known as remote and extremely difficult to get to, it was the perfect hiding place for over 300 insurgents and 200 civilians.

August 30, 2018: The night The evening brought with it the flurry of news and paparazzi as everyone rushed to find out just what happened on the third and final raid of the UAN Taskforce. In a bright, stuffy press conference room, two officers sat before the white plastic desk they've been giving, multiple microphones propped up at the edge of it. Margate Special Branch Deputy Head Commander Jian Liang Heng and Deputy Head Commander Nikolas Tang quietly sat through the initial flashing of cameras and bright lights before raising a flipper for silence and making the announcement.

"The UAN Taskforce has successfully executed a field operation in the Sunken Forest this morning on August 30, 2018. The team managed to rescue a sum total of 233 civilians that are all currently under medical supervision. Most of the Taskforce has sustained injuries following the mission, and may not necessarily be available for statements. We will be answering questions now."

The commanders painted a picture of exhaustion but pride in the way they dressed, acted, and spoke, weary eyes staring straight at the crowd of media men with razor focus possibly made out of sheer force of will. The dark blue camouflage uniforms that they wore were caked in grime, boots marred with dried mud, and dark patches on the fabric eerily looking like blotches of blood. There was a patch of white gauze pressed onto Heng's forehead, and gauze wrapped around Tang's arm. This was not an act of physical negligence, unlikely so, but a subtle message of success despite the struggle put forth.

Immediately, the room came alive with questions and the flashing of cameras once more, everyone seemingly wanting to get answers out of the two officers. One of them, considerably, was the lacking presence of UAN Officer Mia Carter and Orion Director James Cueva, who were usually the ones who carried out the press conference such as these. The duo merely replied that it was a case of them being unavailable due to incapacitation.

The 233 rescued The breakdown of nationalities pinpointed that a majority of those who were taken were from the countries surrounding the country as well as the Antarctic mainland, with no country bearing a majority count due to near equal distribution. As reported by Heng and Tang, they were held in an abandoned Margatian bunker facility that was designed to house civilians in the case of national emergencies as part of the country's national security initiatives.

The civilians were found in the bunker proper, approximately a kilometer below the surface. To get there, it would require to go down 20 levels before eventually finding a door with a long, winding staircase. With the civilians locked in the large auditorium-like space, they were intimidated by Public insurgents who would mill the space and try to harass anyone who tried to incite trouble. Meals were typically stretched out and heavily rationed, with approximately 1-2 meals a day depending on how the supplies lasted.

Based on medical notes from the team in charge of overseeing the patients, an epidemic of coughs and colds quickly spread due to the closed nature of the facility. The fact that starvation and dehydration was rampant did not help the case of the civilians, making most susceptible to the affliction. Some of the elderly cases have developed acute pneumonia due to this, and are currently being treated for such.

Besides this, deployed victim specialists could report the persisting incidents of trauma brought about by the experience, especially from the child victims. Bouts of silence, night terrors, and reclusiveness were a familiar sight in the children's wards that housed the rescued children, with social workers, nurses, and victim specialists working around the clock to ensure that they are comfortable and debriefed as to what had happened. Most of them have been identified with their parents notified.

Culminative The raid in Margate is the third of a series of major raids conducted by the UAN Taskforce in a campaign against the Public, an international organization that kidnapped penguins in their advocacy against the international government and their efforts to oppress those who freely speak while accusing the governments of their lacking transparency. One of their highlights in their campaign is the lacking justice from the previous Theta case, which exposed the many sensitive documents and secrets of various governments and personalities.

Prior to the raid in Margate, two raids were conducted in Rusca and United Provinces. Both raids were done in the dense forests of the countries that housed the Public's strongholds, mostly resulting in successes brought about by catastrophic decisions. Over 400 were rescued by the Taskforce during the 3 raids, with all victims accounted for and alive due to quick medical response and attention.

With the announcement of the raid's success, the Taskforce released 12 arrest warrants for 12 individuals believed to be part of the Roundtable, an inner circle of penguins who managed and lead the Public. Coming from different countries, this made management of the organization as well as targetting of victims easier and faster. As of writing, 2 of the 12 surrendered to their local police stations in Rusca and Margate.

''This article is part of a series entitled "The Tightrope Act: A Series of Pieces". This is the fifth article of the series. To see more, click on the title of the series for a list of articles.''