Expert In A Dying Field

The age of magic had ended 15 years ago, and yet the Foundation and a handful of other organizations remained.

Some, like the Global Occult Coalition, had chosen to remain vigilant in the event the anomalous came back. Some, like the UIU, still believed in bigfoot, ghosts, and UFOs. Most, however, simply folded and disappeared. The Foundation maintained diplomatic relations with the few organizations that remained, and it was Jay Everwood's duty to keep in touch with them.

The job was significantly easier now that the world had shrunk so much, but Jay missed the challenge. They missed learning about all the niche ways people used anomalies and the cultures that formed around them. They missed having a lab full of assistants to talk to daily. They missed the negotiations that would occur between them representing the Foundation and other GoIs over anomalies.

The ORIA representative, Mohammad Jamshidi, had asked them about possibly releasing a pair of dhikr beads to his organization now that its anomalous properties were gone. Of course, this would upset Imam Rouhani from the Horizon Initiative, who had made a similar requests a few weeks ago. Though Jay had been raised Catholic Atheist, they still held some sympathy for Jamshidi and Rouhani; they clung to artifacts of a time that was gone, much like the Foundation.

The UIU representative, Agent Mack, on the other hand, wanted to verify some ghost sightings in an abandoned house in Plymouth. She was insistent on this specter being factual, but Jay knew better. They assured Agent Mack that it was likely just some teenagers making up stories and sent her on her way. Mack reminded Jay of a time when they were young and just coming into this supernatural world. They felt crushed that Mack and her ilk would never know the full truth.

The WWS representative, Faeowynn Wilson, only kept up with Jay for old time's sake. The Center had opened to the public and become a popular zoo for the small town of Boring, attracting guests from Portland (singular) and other big cities. Though many of the animals which relied on their anomalous properties for everyday life had been euthanized, a good number of them were thriving. She was doing well for herself; married and had a few adopted children. Jay envied her.

The MCF quietly became an unremarkable charity a la MSF. They continued to operate in secluded areas of the world, bringing relief to those affected by the loss of the anomalous. Many of the people they now helped came to them for grief counseling, as none knew the loss of beneficial magic better than Manna. Jay themself attended one such grief counseling event after the loss of their partner, Ilse.

MC&D tried to sell but ultimately willingly turned over tons of formerly anomalous objects they could no longer profit off of to the Foundation. Within a year, they became a stuffy gentleman's club. Robert Carter and Skitter Marshall became investment bankers, using their ill-gotten assets to make money in the mundane world. They would sometimes ring Jay up to chat about what they were up to, as well as to try and wring some money from the Foundation. No one knows what became of Iris Dark, not even Robert and Skitter.

Nathan Fillmore, a renowned Mekhanist priest, continued to lead his sermons to an ever-shrinking flock. He eventually opened communications with the Foundation, specifically Jay, to teach them all about Mekhanist scripture, citing concerns over his culture dying. After imparting the Gospel of Bumaro, the Gospel of Hedvig, and the Gospel of Trunnion unto Jay, Fillmore retired. He became a resident of Site-55, where he often spoke to Jay about his former religion. The two became fast friends, and they bonded over their experiences with the supernatural until Fillmore's eventual passing.

SAPPHIRE, for their part, began a years long gloating campaign until they eventually fell apart over what particular brand of French intellectualism they were going to follow now that they had been proven correct. Jay was all too content to ignore them.

Time passed. Days turned to weeks, turned into months, turned into years. Eventually, the only one left standing was the Foundation. More time would pass and Jay's position became redundant. With that, they had nothing left to do but retire. It wouldn't be long until the Foundation, at least, what it used to be, came to an end.

One day, there would be no one left to tell the stories of what once was.