Agents,
NIA analysts have detected a surge of unstable, unidentified energy patterns emerging from the XM Dimension. These energy signatures have condensed into Shards and are being transported into our reality via NL-1331 mobile research lab Portals.
Initial simulations indicate that these Shards are highly volatile. If left unchecked, they may pollute the Portals they occupy and contaminate the XM paths they traverse, triggering cascading instability across the local Portal Network.
To prevent a wider disaster, the NIA is attempting to seize control of the NL-1331 mobile research labs and force both the Portals and their associated Shards back into quarantine within the XM Dimension.
Agents of both Factions are hereby called upon to initiate emergency containment protocols.
Operation Window
On 8 February 2026, NL-1331 Portals will manifest at nine global locations.
For 96 minutes, from 14:00 to 15:36 local time, these NL-1331 Portals will experience instability and Shards will actively attempt to escape containment. At the conclusion of this window, the NIA will initiate an emergency procedure to forcibly return all NL-1331 research labs and Shards to a sealed quarantine zone.
Your mission is simple—but not easy: Limit the spread of the Shards for the full 96 minutes.
Expected Behavior
- A set number of NL-1331 Portals will appear at each selected location.
- A Very Rare Battle Beacon will be deployed by the NIA on each NL-1331 Portal every 16 minutes.
- A number of Shards will appear on non-NL-1331 Portals every 16 minutes
- Each Shard will attempt to escape its host Portal once, approximately 11 minutes after it manifests.
- After this attempt, the Shard will demanifest due to exhaustion of energy.
The list of locations is as follows:
| Investigation Unit | Location | Expected Number of Shards per Interval |
|---|---|---|
| F | 老四季 | 6 |
| G | Galle Lighthouse | 10 |
| J | VIVO | 5 |
| K | Becherovka Karlovy Vary | 7 |
| M | Monumento a la Revolución | 8 |
| P | Monumen Cinta Sejati BJ Habibie Dan Ainun | 9 |
| R | Agora | 7 |
| S | Condorito, Parque Del Cómic | 6 |
| T | “Post-Industrial Kid” (1990) | 4 |
Measuring Containment: Containment Integrity (CI)
To evaluate how effectively Agents limit the spread, the NIA will track a new operational metric: Containment Integrity (CI).
CI is earned by capturing Checkpoints generated by the Very Rare Battle Beacons deployed by the NIA on NL-1331 Portals.
CI is also earned when a Shard escapes via a Faction-created Link. For each such escape, the link-owning Faction earns:
- 5 CI for Links of 499.5 meters or less
- An additional 5 CI for Links of 199.5 meters or less
- An additional 3 CI if the Shard lands on any NL-1331 Portal
Strategic Note: Precision matters. Careless linking can accelerate network collapse—while disciplined, short-range coordination may preserve stability.
+Gamma Season
Shard Investigation is an independent, emergency operation.
- No Medals will be awarded for participation or outcomes in this event.
- No +Gamma Tokens can be earned.
- Results, Containment Integrity, and any outcomes from this operation will not count toward +Gamma Season scores.
This briefing is issued solely as a response to a developing XM threat and is not affiliated with seasonal progression or rewards.
Whether this investigation concludes as a controlled extraction—or an escalating contamination—depends entirely on Agent action in the field.
The world is at stake, Agents. Do not let the energy spread.
— The NIA