There Is No Antimemetics Division - Chapter Summaries

A detailed containment protocol for U-0055, an entity described as a 'self-keeping secret' or 'antimeme,' is outlined. Housed in a highly secure vault at the UO Primary Archive Facility at Black River, the containment unit is a 5.00 × 5.00 × 2.50m room, shielded with cement and electromagnetic interference. Security personnel are instructed not to be posted outside, and the nature of U-0055 is peculiar: while individuals can observe and record its appearance, the information fades from their memory shortly after. This leads to a paradoxical situation where extensive logs exist, but no one can recall the content or the entity itself, causing a cycle of rediscovery and subsequent forgetting.

The document elaborates on the memetic and potential physical dangers of U-0055. Despite detailed observations and records, the information about its appearance and behavior is quickly forgotten, and security personnel who monitor it via CCTV emerge exhausted and amnesiac. The containment unit's construction and purpose remain a mystery, and the personnel at Black River uniformly deny its existence when questioned. This cyclical forgetting and rediscovery create a constant state of alarm and confusion within the organization, highlighting the entity's profound impact on human memory and consciousness.

An addendum from 2008-11-10 suggests that U-0055 might be an autonomous or remotely controlled agent, possibly inserted by a third party to observe or interfere with the Organization or other Unknowns. The document concludes with the unsettling realization that no action can be taken to counter this threat, emphasizing the entity's insidious and uncontrollable nature. This sets the stage for the novel's exploration of the dangers of antimemes and the challenges faced by the Organization in dealing with such anomalous entities.

Quinn arrives at the C-level office, her nerves frayed as she waits to meet Mahlo, the UKI director. An exasperated assistant, Rowland, greets her, hinting at Quinn's memory issues. Dressed formally and clutching a security pass, Quinn observes the Georgian building and the bustling city below, her anxiety palpable as she fidgets with her lighter.

Tension escalates as Mahlo and a young man, Levene, enter the room. Levene, suspicious of Quinn's anomalous credentials and access levels, points a gun at her. Quinn, maintaining her composure, explains the existence of the Antimemetics Division, which deals with entities that consume information and defy conventional memory. Using U-0055 as an example, she reveals that Mahlo and Levene have been affected by an antimemetic entity, causing them to forget crucial information, including the division's existence.

Mahlo retrieves a file confirming U-0055's existence, leading to a realization that Quinn's claims might be true. Quinn provides Mahlo with a Class W mnestic pill, explaining its role in retaining information. To demonstrate the presence of an antimemetic entity, Quinn shoots Levene, revealing him to be an Unknown. She explains that Levene was not a real employee and had been preventing Mahlo from taking his medication. The chapter ends with Quinn reassuring Mahlo about the team's ability to handle such threats, despite the risks and side effects of the mnestic drugs.

Overwhelmed by the bizarre and dangerous nature of the Unknowns he has just learned about, Junior Researcher Lee retreats to a secluded corner of the cafeteria to digest the information. His solitude is abruptly shattered by the appearance of Adrian Gage, a man who seems out of place without a security pass. Gage's presence is unsettling, and Lee soon realizes that Gage is an antimemetic entity that consumes memories and information, rendering Lee invisible to others and causing him to forget crucial details about his own life.

Desperate to alert others, Lee finds them oblivious to his plight. As Gage's presence becomes increasingly threatening, Lee flees to the basement. In a moment of quick thinking, he uses a hard drive as a weapon, overwhelming Gage with data and neutralizing it. This act of resourcefulness catches the attention of Quinn, the Antimemetics Division chief, who congratulates him on his competence.

In the aftermath, Lee meets with Quinn, who reveals that he has actually been working at the UO for over a decade, but Gage erased his memories. Quinn explains that Lee is an experienced instructor and researcher in the Antimemetics Division, responsible for training new recruits and conducting research. She assigns him the task of completing the U-7175 entry, investigating the fate of Gage's victims, and developing countermeasures, highlighting the ongoing nature of the threat and the cyclical challenges faced by the division.

Andrew Hilton, a former Antimemetics Division founder, is revived from his deathbed by Quinn to extract crucial memories. Rejuvenated by a Class X mnestic drug, Hilton recounts the origins of the Antimemetics Division, revealing it was initially a British Army project during World War II. The project, known as the Unthinkables, aimed to create an antimemetic bomb to obliterate the idea of Nazism, but it backfired, erasing all knowledge of its creation and leading to a loop of rediscovery and forgetting.

Hilton shares that the Antimemetics Division was acquired by the Organization in 1951 to combat a rapidly spreading cult. They deployed the second antimemetic bomb, successfully erasing the cult's existence. However, Hilton reveals a catastrophic event in 1976 where an unknown entity attacked the division, forcing them to self-destruct to contain it. As Quinn realizes the entity is present, Hilton is possessed by it. She manages to escape by jumping into the lake, but the entity claims Hilton and the boat.

After being rescued and treated, Quinn returns to work and adds her report to the division's map of missing time. The map, a collection of gaps in memory from various operatives, hints at a larger pattern. She discusses the incident with Geoff Ives, the division's combat instructor, who confirms the lack of evidence of anyone else being present. Quinn suspects a bodyguard or another operative was with her, but there is no record of their existence, raising concerns about the division's ongoing losses of personnel and information.

Still reeling from the confrontation with the possessed Andrew Hilton, Quinn finds a momentary respite in the routine of her work. During an engineering interlock meeting, she is approached by Dr. Oli Morgan, a trainee field researcher, who mentions a monumental stone in the forest behind the site, unseen until now. This leads Quinn to reflect on the Organization's extensive catalog of anomalous entities, including U-2256, a now-extinct species of gigafauna endemic to the South Pacific Ocean. Known scientifically as Cryptomorpha gigantes, U-2256 was one of the largest species to ever live on Earth, growing to over 1,000 meters in height and weighing no more than 4 tons. These creatures had a unique antimemetic camouflage that rendered them nearly impossible to perceive or remember, a trait theorized to have evolved to evade predators.

The chapter delves into the history of U-2256, primarily observed by the Polynesian natives of Takaluʻi, who used a substance called kāketou to suppress antimemetic effects and see the creatures. The natives considered U-2256 to be wandering spirits responsible for maintaining the horizon, calling them lopoʻongakau, or 'the ones who walk very slowly.' When the British colonized Takaluʻi in the early 19th century, the tradition of using kāketou was disrupted, leading to a decline in the visibility and understanding of U-2256.

The Organization began studying U-2256 in the 1990s, but encountered significant challenges due to the species' antimemetic properties. Photographic and digital records of U-2256 decayed rapidly, and direct observation proved fatal to the creatures. The Organization's passive observation was hypothesized to contribute to the species' decline, which culminated in its extinction by 2006. The chapter concludes with the revelation that the antimemetic decay is now affecting the paper records of U-2256, with estimates suggesting full contamination within three to eight years.

Having just concluded an engineering interlock meeting, Quinn is approached by Dr. Oli Morgan, a trainee field researcher. Morgan, visibly nervous, tells Quinn about a monumental stone in the forest behind the site, which she has never seen before despite its size and prominence. Recognizing the effects of the mnestic drugs, Quinn decides to show Morgan the stone, known as U-9429, which is surrounded by a strong antimemetic clouding effect that renders it invisible to most people and erases memories of those who visit it.

As they climb the steps of the stone, Quinn explains that U-9429 is a memorial to a lost culture that was destroyed by a lethal idea complex, a Category Epsilon. This culture, possibly more technologically advanced than modern humans, was eradicated by an idea that they had no defenses against. Quinn emphasizes the importance of remembering such catastrophic events and the responsibility of the Antimemetics Division to prevent similar disasters. Morgan, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the responsibility, struggles to process the information.

Suddenly, Morgan sees a monstrous entity, a pillar of spiders with a rider, approaching them. The rider, a wounded Caucasian male, claims to be nearly finished and intends to kill Morgan. Despite Quinn's efforts to help Morgan resist the entity, Morgan is paralyzed by fear and eventually dies. Quinn, realizing the gravity of the situation, attempts to summon help but fails. She is confronted by the rider, who reveals a personal vendetta against her. Quinn, unable to fight the entity, retreats, deeply shaken by the encounter and the loss of Morgan.

In the dead of night, Quinn is jolted awake in her isolated forest home by an intruder who has disabled all her security systems. The intruder, a man named Adam Quinn, reveals intimate knowledge about her and her life, including the existence of U-4987, an antimemetic entity she uses to manage her memories. Adam claims to be her husband, a fact confirmed by the Organization's extensive background check and physical evidence, though Quinn has no recollection of him.

Tension builds as Quinn and Adam engage in a tense conversation, where Adam recounts their shared history, including their marriage and the challenges Quinn faces in her work. Adam’s presence and the sudden activation of U-4987 hint at a deeper, unknown threat. Realizing the danger, Quinn decides to erase her memory of Adam and have him relocated to ensure his safety and the security of the Organization.

The chapter delves into the emotional and psychological impact of Quinn’s decision, highlighting the strain on her as she contemplates the broader implications of the war she is fighting and the sacrifices it demands. Despite his fear and confusion, Adam expresses unwavering faith in Quinn’s abilities and their bond. The chapter concludes with Quinn locking Adam in a containment unit and ordering the erasure of all evidence of their relationship, setting the stage for further exploration of the hidden threats and the costs of her mission.

Quinn approaches Lee, requesting a brief meeting, but Lee is wary of the time commitment implied by her request. Quinn hands him a U-document about U-3125, a highly secretive and dangerous Unknown. The document is sparse, detailing strict containment protocols but offering no substantive information about the entity itself. Despite Lee's skepticism, Quinn insists on the importance of the matter and leads him to the containment unit. Inside, the room is filled with handwritten notes and diagrams charting the progress of panicked and fearful conversations about various Unknowns. The room is designed as an inverted containment, the only place where U-3125 is not present. A recorded message from a past version of Quinn reveals the true nature of U-3125: a pervasive entity that manifests in various forms, killing anyone who recognizes the pattern it casts. The entity has decimated antimemetics research groups worldwide, leaving the Antimemetics Division as the last line of defense. The recorded Quinn is despondent, questioning the possibility of survival and suggesting a desperate plan to build a machine that could combat U-3125, but the logistics are impossible without someone realizing the true nature of the threat. Disturbed by the fatalistic tone of the recording, Quinn questions her past self's despair and considers the possibility of another room where they might have built a weapon. She reflects on the loss of her team and the looming threat of U-3125, realizing that the cycle of rediscovery and forgetting is inescapable. Determined to find a solution, Quinn exits the containment unit, only to find Lee transformed into a manifestation of U-3125, ready to attack. She manages to fend off Lee and escapes, feeling U-3125's presence following her as she runs, with the first signs of destruction beginning to manifest in the building.

Marie Quinn, clutching a confiscated ray gun known as U-7381, descends in the freight elevator of UO Wyeleigh, the facility in chaos from a violent and destructive force. Operatives are suffering from severe mental breakdowns, and the environment reflects the catastrophic impact of an unknown entity. Despite her fear and anger, Quinn remains focused on her mission, even though she insists it is her first day. She reflects on her thoughts and actions, realizing that her instincts and skills are those of an experienced operative, not a newbie. Quinn recalls the extreme measures she took to combat the entity, including injecting herself with a Class Y mnestic drug, which grants perfect eidetic memory and complete resistance to antimemetic interference. As the drug takes effect, she experiences intense sensory overload and a flood of memories. Despite the overwhelming data, she manages to focus and remembers her plan: to reach Ed Hix, who is supposedly building a machine to combat U-3125. The elevator stops at the thirtieth floor, and Quinn, now fully aware of the hallucinations and the entity's influence, steps out into an empty, vast hangar-like space. She calls out to Hix, but finds the machine he was supposed to build is missing. Instead, she discovers a smaller, unshielded device that, when activated, will erase the Antimemetics Division and UO Wyeleigh from existence, leaving a forgotten zone. Realizing this is not the solution, Quinn collapses under the pressure of the mnestic drugs, her mind breaking from the overload. As she lies unconscious, a being resembling Simon Lee arrives, breaches the airlock, and joins other infected operatives. They prepare to 'correct' Quinn, but she whispers a final, hopeful message to Simon, just as the bomb activates, rendering the scene black.

Still reeling from the chaos and mental strain of her recent mission, Quinn seeks solace at U-2200, a telepathic monolith in the Passive Containment Archive at UO Wyeleigh. U-2200, a non-corporeal entity claiming to be the prehistoric Johorean god of forgetting how to ride a bicycle, engages Quinn in a conversation, suggesting she take a month off in Barbados, drink alcohol, or resign from the Organization. Quinn, despite her exhaustion and the entity's playful yet persistent advice, resists, citing her responsibilities and the critical nature of her work.

U-2200's suggestions range from the absurd, like jumping naked over a waterfall, to the more practical, such as drinking champagne to relax. Quinn, feeling the weight of her duties and the constant threat of catastrophic Unknowns, struggles to find a moment of respite. The entity's persistence in offering advice and its claim to have contacts within her staff irritate Quinn, who is already on edge. She is particularly wary of U-2200's suggestion to involve her husband, Adam, in her work, a risk she deems too dangerous given the nature of the threats they face.

The conversation highlights Quinn's internal conflict between her duty to the Organization and her personal well-being. U-2200's casual demeanor and its ability to consume memories of bicycle riding provide a stark contrast to the severe and life-threatening issues Quinn deals with daily. Despite U-2200's attempts to lighten the mood, Quinn's resolve to continue her work remains firm, though she considers the idea of taking a break, even if only for a moment, to clear her head. The chapter underscores the psychological toll of her role and the isolation she faces, even from those closest to her.

James Bess, a field operative from the Organization's Memetics Division, arrives at an isolated location in Ojai to confront a cult leader known as 'Red.' The house is in disarray, and Bess, cautious, enters the premises to find Red, a young man in a severely deteriorated state, streaming a dangerous meme complex. Bess, using his expertise in memetic defense, subdues Red and deploys a device to project a cognitopoison into his eye, effectively neutralizing the meme complex controlling him. Bess explains that the spiral symbol acts as a form of memetic chemotherapy, designed to kill the meme while allowing the human host to recover. He monitors Red’s recovery, reflecting on the broader impact of the cult's influence on hundreds of thousands of people.

As Red begins to recover, Bess notices a shadow passing through the room and realizes that something is amiss. He recalls that the front door was open upon his arrival, suggesting someone else might have entered before him. His concern grows when Red suddenly stands, his eyes wide and filled with a malevolent presence. Bess is exposed to the full force of the meme complex, which he describes as an infinite, vicious idea that infects every aspect of reality. The meme complex overwhelms Bess, causing his shield to fail and his mind to disintegrate, rendering him helpless. Red, now fully controlled by the meme, mocks Bess and reveals his intention to spread the infection further, perceiving the Organization's structure and key figures, including Czerny, the chief of the Memetics Division.

Bess, realizing the extent of the threat, tries to reason with Red, but it is too late. Red’s influence begins to spread, affecting the Organization’s members and erasing the memory of the operation. The chapter ends with Bess’s collapse, the meme complex taking over, and the implication that the infection is spreading exponentially, threatening to overwhelm the Organization and humanity.

Adam Quinn, a professional violinist, feels a growing unease during his morning routine, exacerbated by the discovery of a tiny black slug in his eye. Despite his successful career, a persistent gray worry gnaws at him. During the final night of a grueling month-long tour with the New English Symphony Orchestra, Adam notices something off about the orchestra and the audience, leading to a surreal and terrifying transformation of the people around him into alien, flesh-like beings. The conductor, Lourenço, and the orchestra members are replaced by these creatures, and Adam, in a panic, flees the stage, his violin broken by the conductor. Retreating to a remote bathroom in the concert hall, he realizes that the mirrors and walls are painted with black rectangles, which he connects to a viral meme he has seen before. The realization hits him that the meme has been around for much longer than he thought, and it has been affecting his perception. As he tries to escape, he encounters more of these entities, and the situation becomes increasingly dire. The entities are closing in, and Adam, feeling a sense of helplessness, cries out for help, knowing that something is terribly wrong but unable to understand the full extent of the threat. The chapter delves into Adam's internal struggle and the breakdown of his reality, highlighting the pervasive and insidious nature of the meme complex. Adam's desperate attempt to escape and the looming threat of the entities set the stage for a deeper exploration of the meme's impact and the potential connection to the Antimemetics Division's ongoing battle against such threats.

Disoriented and in pain, Adam Quinn regains consciousness in a deserted school, his memory fragmented and his hand mutilated. He struggles to understand what has happened, feeling a persistent glint of light that leads him to the school library. The light, a manifestation of an antimemetic entity, has been feeding on his thoughts and memories, leaving him with a blank slate. In the library, Adam tries to regain his bearings by reading an encyclopedia, but he cannot retain any of the information. Realizing that the entity has been consuming his thoughts, he leaves the school, finding the world outside in a state of decay and desolation. The sky is a dark red, and a strange, persistent noise draws him towards the city center, where he discovers a monumental, windowless edifice, an ominous symbol of the world's transformation. Recognizing the threat, Adam flees in terror, unable to escape the entity's influence and the ominous presence of a towering, shadowy figure. He eventually finds refuge in a hypermarket, where he gathers supplies and briefly rests, only to be haunted by nightmares. Adam's journey through the desolate town reveals a world that has been remade, with no signs of life and a pervasive sense of dread. The entity's influence is inescapable, and he is left to navigate this new reality with limited resources and a shattered sense of self.

Quinn, navigating a world transformed by an antimemetic entity, sets up a Foucault pendulum in a library to confirm the world is still spinning, despite the bizarre and unsettling environment. The sky is dominated by a red-black eye socket that casts threatening shadows, and the landscape is desolate, with occasional sarcophagi that emit an intolerable noise. Guided by a sunbeam he calls 'Sunshine,' Quinn follows it towards UO Wyeleigh, a facility he hopes will provide answers or a way forward. The journey is marked by hallucinations, migraines, and a sense of detachment, as he feels the world is plummeting into an abyss.

Upon reaching UO Wyeleigh, Quinn finds the site partially intact and guarded by a psychological repulsion field. The facility, an office building with a still, safe atmosphere, is filled with dead bodies and strange, unexplained scenes. The containment breach that destroyed the site was not physical, and the building remains largely intact. Quinn uses security passes from the deceased to gain access to most areas, including the Passive Containment Archive, where he finds the heavily secured vault 601, which contains U-3125. The facility's anonymity and the presence of a dead woman with a high-security pass, Marie Quinn, raise more questions than answers.

In the underground vault, Quinn discovers a military truck with a complex machine and a group of dead bodies, one of whom is Marie Quinn, the Site Director. Sunshine, the entity guiding him, reveals her memories, showing Quinn scenes from her life, including a final moment in a Humanoid Containment Unit. Despite the overwhelming flood of memories, Quinn does not recognize them. He is left with a sense of loss and a determination to understand the events that led to this outcome. The chapter ends with Quinn holding Marie's security pass, contemplating the impossible choices and the need for an explanation.

Quinn reviews recordings made by Marie Quinn, which detail the dire state of the Antimemetics Division and the looming threat of U-3125. Marie reveals the existence of a disused heavy engineering lab beneath the Wyeleigh complex, Vault B30-000, where a machine called an 'irreality amplifier' was being built. Despite the loss of most of the division, Marie plans to activate the machine, believing it could provide a solution to the crisis. Contemplating the recordings and his rare neurological condition that protects him from U-3125, Quinn deduces that the original headquarters, UO Stanmoor, might also have a similar vault and decides to travel there, despite the dangers. Before leaving, he records a message, expressing gratitude to Marie and acknowledging the fear and uncertainty of his mission. As Quinn leaves Wyeleigh, he encounters a severely injured man, Red, who taunts him about the new reality created by U-3125. Realizing the imminent threat, Quinn uses the confiscated ray gun, U-7381, to kill Red. During the confrontation, Sunshine, the entity guiding Quinn, disappears, leaving him alone and questioning its fate.

In a tense flashback twelve years earlier, Ed Hix arrives at the containment unit STM-00-1006, a massive skull of a stillborn Cryptomorpha gigantes, for a clandestine meeting with high-ranking Organization members, including Jason Lo and Mahlo. The skull’s unique antimemetic properties ensure that all memories of the meeting are erased upon exit, making it a perfect venue for discussing highly sensitive matters. Hix is greeted by Fletcher, who prepares him for the meeting by attaching a germ to his head, a creature that will store his memories and be destroyed after the meeting, ensuring total secrecy. The air is thick with tension; a C-suite member is present, and the tight schedule underscores the gravity of the situation.

Inside the meeting room, Hix reads a document detailing the discovery of U-3125, a memeplex so powerful and dangerous that it threatens to end human civilization. Despite the initial shock, Hix and the others discuss potential containment and neutralization strategies, including extreme measures like exterminating all intelligent life or creating a countermeme. Mahlo, the C-suite member, insists on neutralizing U-3125, revealing that a secret lab has been built for this purpose, with Hix's team already inside, awaiting his arrival. Feeling coerced and betrayed, Hix refuses, leading to a sudden and violent confrontation when Jason Lo pulls a gun and shoots Hix, Devlin, and himself. Quinn, reacting quickly, neutralizes Lo and secures the room, but the situation rapidly deteriorates as U-3125 begins to infiltrate the base.

Quinn and Mahlo, realizing the base is compromised, decide to activate a contingency warhead called DRY ERASE to sterilize the area. As they prepare to leave, Fletcher, the clerk, is also compromised and attempts to enter the room. Quinn is forced to kill her, and they flee to the perimeter. Meanwhile, Hix, now in germ form, takes control of a clone of his body in a cryogenic room, evading a U-3125-infected technician and escaping the facility. The chapter ends with Hix, now in his cloned body, descending into the depths of Stanmoor, aware that he has only minutes before the warhead is triggered, and the facility is destroyed.

Driven by a persistent compulsion from U-3125, Quinn almost turns himself in at a sarcophagus but resists. He travels to UO Stanmoor, a hostile industrial complex, using Marie Quinn's security pass to access the underground vault. Despite the heavy bulkheads and warning signs, he navigates to the containment unit, where he finds a complex machine designed by Ed Hix, the irreality amplifier. Hix, who has been living in the vault for years, explains that he needed a specific idea to complete the machine, which he never found. Quinn, realizing he is not the one to provide this idea, is deeply discouraged.

Hix guides Quinn into a simulated memory of a barbecue, where he encounters a version of Marie Quinn. Hix reveals that Marie had the necessary idea but is now unreachable. Desperate to see Marie, Quinn takes a Class Z mnestic drug, which allows him to access a buried memory of their last meeting. In this memory, Marie explains that she had to erase his memories to protect him and that the idea she had is the key to defeating U-3125. She reassures him that the idea is about freedom from fear and the protection of humanity. As the drug takes effect, Quinn regresses, and Marie uses the opportunity to inject him with an antiserum to prevent further memory loss.

Marie then ascends into ideatic space, where she confronts U-3125, a massive, malevolent memeplex that corrupts human ideas and emotions. Her presence and the countermeme she carries begin to dismantle U-3125, restoring order to the corrupted ideatic space. The chapter ends with Marie leaving the physical world, unable to return, and the world gradually returning to normal as the sun turns yellow and the dawn breaks.

Mahlo enters vault 3011A, expecting a space suitable for a humanoid entity but instead finds a dense archive room filled with paperwork and folders, reminiscent of his espionage work in the 1970s. The room is sparsely furnished with a desk and a single chair, occupied by U-0055, who remains unresponsive. Mahlo, feeling uneasy, begins to recount the recent discoveries of the Noöspherics Division: a significant amount of recent history and people are missing, and large, imperceptible spaces exist in population centers. These gaps in reality are so profound that even the Division's experts cannot explain them, and the general public is entirely unaware of these anomalies.

Mahlo reflects on the Organization's role in these events, questioning whether they resisted, negotiated, or participated in the anomaly. He wonders if they are deserving of their current existence, given their failure to protect the missing people. He expresses deep concern about the unknown Unknown that entered and left, taking time, space, and lives with it, and the lack of accountability within the Organization. Mahlo's voice rises as he grapples with the moral and ethical implications, questioning what they need to do differently to prevent such failures in the future. He acknowledges that the Organization will likely never hold itself accountable for these failures, and he wonders if they are truly back to normal or if they are just in denial.

As Mahlo leaves the vault, he realizes that he will not remember the questions he has asked. Just beyond Black River's perimeter, Cela, a massive, fully grown Cryptomorpha gigantes, stands with thicker antimemetic armor, having adapted to the Organization's study. She is seen consuming a 200-meter-long metaspider, a species that was once rampant but is now under control. Her triumphant call reaches her mate and children on the horizon, emphasizing the ongoing cycle of adaptation and survival in a world where humans and these entities coexist but remain largely unaware of each other.