C³ — Capture, Contain, Control — is a government bureau in the Combined States responsible for managing supernatural threats to public safety. Its agents investigate, capture, and contain entities and artifacts that pose dangers to the population.
Operations
C³ operates as a law enforcement and containment agency, with agents ranked from 1 to 20. Rank determines access level and seniority but not chain-of-command authority — agents follow their assigned supervisor’s orders unless those orders violate standing bureau policy or endanger secrecy and personnel.
The bureau deals with a wide range of threats: rogue constructs, supernatural artifacts, entities that have breached containment, and conspiracies involving dangerous magical or technological forces. Investigations are documented in numbered case files.
Standard Equipment
Agents are issued standardized gear: operational uniforms, capture sacks (high-resistance reinforced netting), encrypted BII phones for bureau communications, and control collars for binding hostile entities.
Field Protocol
C³ protocol emphasizes caution and procedure. Agents are reminded that the reality-distorting effects of the entities they handle may alter perceptions — logic chains should be double-confirmed. When supervisors appear compromised, agents defer to the highest available chain-of-command member or, failing that, follow bureau policy above individual orders.
The bureau’s relationship with the broader power structures of the Combined States is complex. Some investigations lead to entities and organizations with substantial institutional protection, making cases difficult to build and prosecute even when the evidence is clear.