Borrowed Courage

Prologue

USA TODAY

September 15th, 2011

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL

Leaked footage of 'tiny person' sparks media frenzy: do they really live among us?

Fairy tales and mythology have entertained the existence of miniature, humanoid creatures for centuries, however recent footage has revealed that there may be a level of truth to the myth.

Less than forty-eight hours ago, a video was posted on YouTube by an anonymous user, entitled SUBJECT #215 'GREY' LEAKED FOOTAGE. The clip was recorded at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee over three months, and depicts a young man who is perceived to stand less than six inches tall undertaking a series of physiological and cognitive tests within laboratory conditions.

Following its upload, the video surged across various media platforms and climbed to #3 on YouTube's 'Trending' browser before being removed by ORNL officials due to confidentiality infringements. However, the footage has left a global mark, with one viewer describing the clip as 'Extraordinary but haunting. If this wasn't filmed from a federal government-watermarked facility, I wouldn't have believed it at first.'

Six hours after it was taken down, the individual responsible for posting the video requested an interview with USA Today, and revealed that they were formerly part of the research team assigned to Subject #215. Employee X, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the case study in unsettling detail, explaining that the subject had underwent constant and often inhumane experimentation since being discovered in inner city Boston, Massachusetts late last year.

"The subject prefers to be called Grey." They said. "He appears to have a human-like level of intellect, and aside from a clear difference in proportion, his body structure and physiological features are also identical." When asked if Grey understood speech, X was quick to reply.

"Quite well. Since being in captivity, he has revealed little about himself, but it is evident in his dialogue that he may not be the only one of his kind in existence. Based on his choice of attire and mannerisms, we have reason to believe that Grey's 'species' so to speak are well adapted to living within human settlements, albeit undetected. Further, the subject has been shown to have the same dietary needs as us, which suggests that he is accustomed to consuming human food."

According to X, they partook in the initial course of experiments which studied Grey's physiology, however abandoned the project due to ethical qualms. "When we were briefed on the study, I imagined we would be working with an exotic species of animal, but after interacting with Grey, and gaining insight into his perception of the situation, I, along with several other members of the team were convinced that he possessed the same advanced intelligence as a human. This was soon confirmed with anatomical evidence, after an EEG conducted on the subject revealed that his brain activity for cognitive tasks was identical to ours."

"It wasn't a question of science any longer." X continued. "It was a question of ethics, and I, like many other ORNL staff, stand firmly against their method of research regarding subject Grey. The reason I posted this video was to both inform and enlighten the general public of the matter, and encourage my fellow scientists to consider their methods of research from an ethical standpoint should more members of Grey's species be discovered."

Following the interview, a thorough investigation into the famed laboratory in Tennessee is confirmed to be underway, however the current status and whereabouts of subject Grey remain undisclosed and consequently, we are left with more questions than answers. Is there really a race of 'tiny people' living among us and if so, for how long will they continue to exist unbeknownst to humanity?