A Parasite attack on two Aesir Shards has left their populations reeling, Acme officials told the press in an emergency broadcast Thursday evening.
Shard 05743, codename "Valnjar," and Shard 05744, codename "Silfvar," were attacked two days ago, in the midst of their spring festivals. Widespread panic erupted, soon followed by intense violence, and up to 80% of the festival-goers were lost in the attacks. Lancers were able to ensure that all Parasites in the two Shards were cleared, and a contingent of Acme's defenses have been stationed to monitor the situation moving forward.
Valnjar and Silfvar share two things in common: one, that they both appear to be from a larger network of Aesir Shards, and two, that the Smash-Up connected both of them via portal. The similarities, however, end there. Acme has been trying to broker peace between Valnjar and Silfvar since their discovery to no avail. Lancer Chad Boswell, aka "Corona," was on site visiting Silfvar when the Parasites appeared. He claims they blamed each other for the attacks, and that a majority of their casualties resulted from infighting and a lack of cooperation.
"It was horrifying," he told journalist Ralto Yulket. "I kept trying to tell them what we needed to do, but they were more interested in fighting each other. They just kept screaming, even while their people were turning. Lot of good that fancy translator implant did, in the end."
Mr. Boswell called in reinforcements to help, but by the time they arrived, only 20% of the festival-goers remained.
"Don't know why they hate each other so much," Mr. Boswell continued, shaking his head, "But I was watching regular people team up with Parasites to fight. Till, y'know, they got got themselves. Absolute nightmare." He refused further comment, apparently unable to recount further details of the tragedy.
In mourning, Valnjar and Silfvar are now more hostile than ever, and authorities worry about their ability to handle another attack. Despite being a part of the larger Aesir network, they do not share a common language. Kepler Shardologists posit that this may be from diverging timelines; they could have diverged at vastly different points on the Aesir line and thus progressed in two different directions. Whatever the case, the language barrier and a severe distrust between the two peoples have stymied diplomatic relations.
We recently reported an attack on Joint Avenue following a musical performance at Sanctuary Stadium, but similar attacks are now erupting in nearly every Shard connected to Acme's portals. Sources in Kemet, Balamtok, and Yong have all reached out to Acme with reports of rising disaster, including outbreaks at hospitals, temples, and even residential neighborhoods. In each case, heavy casualties were sustained before local enforcement agencies could contain the outbreaks. Acme's Lancer Association has been working overtime to ensure the Parasites are cleared at every source, prompting concerns from citizens that the outbreak is more than they can handle.
Shard authorities are still trying to determine the source and nature of the Parasites, leaving many to speculate whether these are attacks by an entirely new Shard, a rampant bioweapon, or a Shard-wide terrorist group. While investigations are ongoing, Acme residents are urged to limit their exposure to large groups, and to report any signs of violence to local enforcement agencies.
