Activity Log, December 8, 2000 - December 11, 2000 Several uneventful days have passed. I have been forced to monitor many of these routine activities myself -- whether the subjects are learning to shoot a gun or practicing their basic command of their limited abilities, these are hardly topics worthy of my valuable time. I cannot bear being so short-staffed. I have asked Thomas to send another girl or two, but he claims they are engaged in research. Hogwash! Females are incapable of the abstract thought required to perform independent magical research, though I do think Elizabeth does well at performing routine tasks under my guidance. No, I think he needs them for his own research, but is unwilling to turn me down outright. He has always been excessively worried about the demands of etiquette and not worried enough about the demands of my work. In any case, on the eighth, the subjects moved out into tents and seem to be sleeping together in their groups. Gili also seems to have joined the group. She and the rabbi have participated in some quite interesting religious rituals -- clearly hearkening back to the practices of the Karaim, though I am certain they would not acknowledge it if asked. Sanchez, the younger Brujah, has also reminded Ethan of his promise to behave if Gili were allowed to join them. The following evening, as they were engaging in some quite routine training, alarms began to sound within the camp. It seems that there were quite a number of Sabbat in the area, or so the subjects were told by Grant. The group was assigned to scout the south-western perimeter of the camp and deal with any Sabbat found there. It perhaps should not have surprised me that the entire camp was mobilized to handle this problem. Grouped as they are, they are prime meat for a Sabbat attack; I am also certain that they have tried to keep their forces as much of a secret as possible, and so a Sabbat scouting party could have serious repercussions for their ability to pursue the assault at all. The group showed little ability to maneuver in the woods, with the notable exceptions of Gili and Teri. Nathaniel's heightened senses proved quite useful in finding their way through the dark woods, though he managed to frighten the entire group into nearly catching Grant in their crossfire. I do wonder whether this was intentional or not -- dealing with the mad ones is always so difficult. However, moments after their display of foolishness, the subjects caught sight of two pairs of glowing red eyes in the bushes. Mobea stepped through a screen of branches and managed to engage and neutralize most of the group, though I must say it is fortunate for my research that they did not actually attempt to assault her, as they certainly would have died. Mobea ordered them to take her to the camp; after a failed attempt by Teri to drive a stake through Mobea's heart, Grant agreed to lead her to the camp. She refused to enter the camp, but left her childe, Parker, with them. How fortunate that another one of my subjects has found their way to the group! Under her strict orders to join the group, he will be a great asset to them, and I have revised my estimate of their longevity considerably upward. What good fortune! After their return to the camp, Ethan engaged in another bit of adolescent foolishness, wandering off with Alexis to feed from some of the ghouls in the camp. He was strictly disciplined by Alice, the same woman who handled his prior infraction. This incident did lead to quite an interesting discussion among the subjects on the topic of Camarilla law. Sanchez explained the Traditions to the group -- something they had already heard of, but he reminded them how significant the laws were and what the penalty is for breaking them. Sanchez also explained the concept of Justicars and Archons. Most interesting, he noted that Faida, Celeste and Dimitrios are all Archons. Fascinating, truly! If only my foolish subjects were to interact with them, my researches would truly be unique. Additionally, Mobea seems to be an independent Gangrel, neither of the Camarilla or the Sabbat. As Sanchez so eloquently put it, "Are you going to be the one to tell her otherwise?" I know there has been a recent spate of Gangrel leaving the Camarilla, but whether this reflects who walks the halls of power I do not know. Perhaps Mobea has some insight on this matter which she will impart to her childe? While Sanchez was discussing this with the subjects, Grant departed for a meeting. He returned with the news that the Sabbat were indeed in the area and that they had not succeeded in destroying them all. Some of the Sabbat survived to return to New York City, and so they would have to move out to a secondary staging area immediately. The group was assigned a black van and were taken to a Salvation Army in the southern part of Harlem. The building seems to have been converted into a secondary base camp, with plenty of cots in a large windowless gymnasium and a weapons locker -- the subjects saw little more of the place. Three other groups were present in the same location; this seemed to represent about a quarter of the strength of the camp, at least numerically. The group leaders present were Julia, Shrike, and Melanie: Julia certainly has the authority among the leaders, but Shrike seems to go mostly her own way, while Melanie and Grant defer to them both. Ari did manage to have a private conversation with Shrike, which I have recorded in my private notes on his case file. The next night, Shrike's and Julia's groups both left the Salvation Army. If only I could see what was happening among those of true significance! Instead I was forced to watch the subjects potter about, refusing even to speak to the group leaders who remained. They clearly do not understand their significance, or I am certain they would make the effort to contribute more to the cause of knowledge. I do wish I had been able to monitor Shrike and Julia instead. Shrike returned alone, without the nine members of her group, and with her robes soaked to the knees in blood; Julia's group returned with all its members, but Julia herself and two of the younger vampires were severely wounded. I do wish I had been able to see what they were up against -- though the sociology of violence is hardly my field of study. It would also have given me a better idea of the capabilities of these two, and of their subordinates who returned with them, and as a student of the vampiric magics, it would have been invaluable. Ethan did encourage Grant to talk to Shrike about what happened to her group. She and Grant had a short conversation in which Grant seemed very angry, but the Toreador did not even try to listen in! It is most frustrating being so limited! The following evening -- the eleventh, I believe -- upon awakening, the subjects' group was issued weaponry. It seems that finally they are to engage in some meaningful activity! I am not entirely familiar with the technology of war, but I did recognize some fairly large guns. They were also given grenades and stakes. Grant told the group they were going to drive a Sabbat out of its lair in the biology department of Columbia, and that this would be their "trial by fire", so to speak. Upon arriving at Columbia, Grant, the neonates, and Gili descended into the Sabbat lair in the basement, leaving the group to guard the door from mortal intruders and from any reinforcements that might arrive. If it were not important to maintain one's objectivity in this sort of research, I would have screamed! Again the subjects were being left to the routine tasks while their elders participated in the meaningful activities. I suppose I should be grateful that they are not explicitly being used as cannon fodder, but I do hope they begin to produce some more useful results soon. Parker and Alexis were left in charge of the group; Parker and Ethan went to secure the rest of the first floor (succeeding in killing a mild-mannered professor of molecular biology, but finding no Sabbat of any sort), while Nathaniel, Alexis, Ari and Rudy were left to secure the front door. They easily dealt with a graduate student who wandered in on them by restructuring his memory and convincing him that he would be safe if he curled up in the corner and didn't move. Their handling of the mortals was quite crude, but I am certain they will all improve with time; if they do not, I doubt they will survive more than a few months. Just as Ethan and Parker came back into the room, three Sabbat charged into the room from the outside -- clearly whoever resides in the basement must have summoned help. The battle itself was mostly uninteresting, though watching one of the Sabbat try to drain Rudy was extremely useful. Its aura flickered and wavered in the process… it reminded me of some reference I know that I have seen, but I cannot think of where. Perhaps it will come to me. Ethan succeeded in driving a stake through the heart of one of the Sabbat -- unfortunately, that process has been extensively studied and I was able to learn nothing new. Parker faced off hand-to-hand with another, who was shot by Nathaniel and had been ordered to the floor by Ari; between the three of them, they dealt with it rather handily. Parker and Ethan were able to subdue the third Sabbat, and though Nathaniel tried to stop them from killing it, all three Sabbat were destroyed by the group. I do wish they had kept at least one for interrogation -- there is so much I could have learned, and I am certain they could have gained important intelligence from it. The rest of the team returned from below, looking quite battered, but all still intact. A convenient fire took care of the Masquerade breaches involved, and Ari handled making it look like a prank gone wrong. The exigencies of war force us to many things, I suppose, and these stories of 'pranks' and 'terrorism' coming in from all over the city are already wearing thin, but they handled it as best could be expected. The group returned to the Salvation Army with Rudy's unconscious body, but otherwise cheered and victorious. I only hope that their next assignment will be a bit more interesting for me to watch. Transcribed and maintained Elizabeth Kent