The whole room jumped to attention. The Facility had lain silent for almost an hour and while the crew had exchanged nothing but brief looks, the anxiety in the air was almost palpable. The telegraph machine dotted and dashed along at the centre of the room and demanded the attention of everyone present. Everyone gathered attentively, surveying the expressions of those around them before adjusting their gaze to the incoming message in front of them.
2100./START./STRANGE./LIGHT./SPOTTED./NORTH./EAST./OF./US./WILL./BRING./IT./BACK./STOP./
The machine trembled with each and every word that it crafted. The facility workers continued, completely fixated on the messages coming in.
2103./START./INVESTIGATING./IT./IS./CLOSE./MORE./TO./FOLLOW./STOP./
The minds of those left behind began to wander as the machine became hushed. Without the tapping, the only sounds that filled the room were muffled whispers and the pumping of blood. They were completely in the dark, powerless to help rectify the turmoil that they had manufactured. One of the facility workers broke the deadlock.
“Whatever happens out there, we had no choice. We did as we were instructed. We’re going to see this through to the end.”
A few murmurs were heard around the room, followed by a few nods performed in unison. Their attention was diverted once again.
2200./START./MAN./DOWN./IT./TOOK./HIM./SCREAMS./HEARD./US./NEXT./NO./CHOICE./KILL./IT./STOP./
The sense of dread began to clutch at the hearts of those in the room, swelling and inflating like a tumour. They needed help; they couldn’t jeopardise their research with such drastic action, but options were limited. They were already pushing the boundaries with their experiments. If anyone caught wind of this, it would be all over. They had to hope that it would be handled.
2245./START./CAUGHT./US./NOT./ENOUGH./FIREPOWER./USE./PROTOCOLS./STOP./
The pause was brief and the relief from the machine’s taps were short lived as another message made its way to them.
2250./START./IT./WANTS./REVENGE./THE./SCREAMS./WHAT./HAVE./WE./DONE./TO./IT./STOP./
The lead scientist stepped forward in front of the machine, breaking the thousand-yard stares of everyone there. His voice was shaky, but he steeled his resolve and spoke with determination.
“Protocol One.” He uttered, scanning the eyes of everyone opposite him, seeing the haze of realisation descend upon them. Before anything else could be said, the telegraph squeaked out one final message.
2300./START./JUST./ME./LEFT./GOD./HAVE./MERCY./DESTROY./RESEARCH./NO./ONE./CAN./KNOW./WHAT./WE./
The transmission cut out suddenly. The facility workers had their orders, they knew that they had to do, they had prepared for this outcome, and they knew the risks that their work carried. This was all a part of their training. The facility workers scrambled down the corridors until they reached the emergency bunker. They huddled together before one of the scientists spoke up:
“This research, we risked everything for this. Is this really necessary?”
“It’s our only chance. That creature is close enough that the explosion might stop it. Besides, if it reaches us and they find out what we did here-
“Don’t even think about it. We did our duty, nothing more and nothing less. May God bless us all.”
In the Spring of 1917, rumours of strange lights, followed by screams and an explosion deep in the nearby forests of Nevada, United States, were reported by hikers. An investigation into these claims was conducted by the F.B.I and remained ongoing for several months, with the area around the rumoured explosion being sectioned off and guarded by military personnel. The investigation was kept quiet but was declassified in 1946. Information in the report is limited but states that the remains of an underground facility were found, but no bodies were ever discovered.
