Date: August 15th, 2148
"I'm not paid to ask questions about shipments, I just deliver them" states the shady freighter Captain in the bustling hangar bay.
Scaffolding rims the hangar walls, the sharp winged cargo freighter was parked nearby. Corporal Revok stared silently at the Captain, then returned to examining the manifest on his data sheet.
"I can't imagine who would need a crate of chainsaws on this station, Revok says, I need to look into this. Wait here, please" he says, folding up the data sheet.
He then turned and walked toward a nearby control station.
He brought up the communications system and called Administration. The monitor soon filled with the image of a secretary framed in an office setting.
"Hello Chief, how can I help you?" asks the bubbly secretary.
"There's some suspicious cargo that arrived with the shipment, I'd like to have someone confirm this" he explains.
"That's unusual, the Administrator should probably handle this but they're monitoring an experiment at the moment, I'll have him contact you" she replies.
"Okay, I'll be in my office catching up on reports" he says.
The Corporal and the secretary exchange some flirtatious comments before they ended the call.
Revok walked back to the freighter Captain.
"Looks like it might be a while before I can get an answer. You can relax in the lounge" Revok states.
The Captain shrugs.
"No problem there, Boy Scout" he says with a smirk.
The doors connecting to the containment area part, a marine enters and approaches the Corporal.
"Chief Revok" calls the marine, saluting.
"Yes, Sergeant?" he replies.
"Major Mills asked me to deliver this to you, he says, extending a command packet, he just said to keep it quiet, must be pretty important" he says.
"I see. Thank you, Major" he says.
They salute, then returns the way they came.
The packet's surface was black with a golden symbol. An eagle gripping the top of a large shield adorned with a shining star, the emblem of the UAAF. He opened the flap and looks inside, a stack of data sheets were within. He pulls them out and starts reading, footnotes among the documents indicate that the UAC is using a Marine as a test subject in one of their experiments. He drops the other documents back into the packet and reads through a research log.
~
Experimentation Report
Location: Phobos colony, Alpha Research Complex, Biological Lab
Station Time: 1523
Earth Date: July 20th, 2148
Attending: Senior researcher Dr. Stuart Johnson and Dr. Nathan Young overseeing experiment with Chief Administrator Alex Burvochov and Assistant Pauline Wolfe monitoring.
Purpose: Human testing of foreign genetic sequence for reasons of strategic inquiry.
Outline: Genetic agent catalogued as BSK-01
Test Subject Details
Name: Classified
Sex: Male
Age: 29
Weight: 216 lbs
Height: 6'4 ft
Procedure Log
-Physical examination of subject is positive; subject authorized for treatment at 006.
-Test subject is released from stasis and placed into protected observation at 017.
-Test subject receives injection of study agent at 022.
-Monitoring of test subject; vitals deemed normal at 035
-Subject heart rate elevates; vitals remain stable with minor fluctuating discrepancies; exhibits signs of moderate physical discomfiture, hyperventilation at 051.
-Subject breathing returns to normal levels; discomfiture has dissipated at 104.
-Cellular examination of subject reveals a successful fusion of genetic materials from study agent at 116.
-Subject condition stable; quarantined in observation area at 122.
-End of log at 127.
Rage builds in the Corporal's mind, the data sheet crumples in his grip.
Dr. Nexson was in his office, from the window could be seen the planet Mars, rocky craters of Deimos and the adjoining buildings of the UAC colony. He was focused on typing reports when a sharp clatter broke his concentration. Nexson looks up and sees a pile of data sheets messily piled on his desk. Chief Revok silently stood over him glaring from behind the transparent screen of the holo-monitor.
"What is this?" he asks.
Nexson calmly turns off the monitor, disappearing with a buzzing tone. He then reaches for a document while giving Revok a disinterested stare.
"They appear to be laboratory reports with a level ten clearance classification" he observes.
"I don't care if they're classified! Look, Revok picks up a data sheet, section D, paragraph two. Read it" he growls.
Rupert looks over the report.
"I see, he says laying down the document, I suspect you're distraught about our choice of test subject" Rupert suggests.
"Why wasn't I informed?" Revok snaps.
"Need to know basis" he shrugs.
"That's not going to fly with me, he angrily replies, what is UAC testing?" he asks loudly.
The discussion began drawing the attention of office workers passing by.
"Okay, Revok" he says, releasing a long breath.
He reaches under his desk and presses a switch and the office door closes.
"First off, your concerns about the teleporter systems were proven correct. It is dangerous" Rupert begins.
"I already knew that" Revok says confidently.
"We are testing a genetic serum derived from mutations our test subject underwent after traversing the portal. We would have settled for examining the test subject, but they're dead" he explains.
"I'm reporting this to aerospace authority" Revok states.
"You're not going to like that outcome" Nexson threats.
"This is illegal" Revok replies.
"Pursuing that course will result in a purge of UAAF. You and anyone else we need gone will be discharged and replaced. Industry forces won't allow this project to be derailed, it's too important" Nexson says.
"I can get protection and bring this to the courts" he replies.
"We wouldn't be conducting this study if it wasn't absolutely necessary. If you fight us, I can't be held responsible for what happens. The consequences will be felt by more than just you" Nexson implies.
Revok's eyes shift as he's reminded of his young daughter back in Mars City. He suddenly wonders if he's willing to take these risks.
"Is that a threat?" Revok asks.
"No, I'm saying that I know with certainty there are forces that conduct covert activities on behalf of UAC and someone might take action" Rupert explains, reaching into a desk drawer.
He pulls out a data sheet and places it on the desk.
"You're an excellent Station Chief so I'd rather not have this, but I'm going to be blunt. You can either sign this contract or you can go back to Earth" Rupert states.
Revok picks up the agreement from the desk and reads it silently.
"This is the best option you're going to find, and I'm only offering this because I like you. Unless you want to find out how serious I am, sign it and do what it says" Rupert instructs.
Hours later, the silent halls and laboratories of Echo Labs were abandoned due to an evacuation order, Marines stood outside the security doors leading inside. The teleportation lab was bathed in flickering candle light, an intricate circle was drawn on the floor. Dr. Carmichael carefully paints hieroglyphs from the Martian language, a pillared alter was placed in the circle. A hanging gong and mallet was placed to the side.
Crouching low, she lights candles surrounding the circle with a long match. The door to the control room opens and three hooded figures, Dr. Mason, Dr. Kronos and Director Wright approached the space and stood in a triangular formation around the circle.
Dr. Nexson and Dr. Phillips was in the adjoining control room. Susan gently blew out the match and placed it aside, she took her place in the centre and stood silently. Mason strikes the gong three times and they began stepping around the circle while intoning an ancient Martian chant.
They pace quickens as their voices grew louder. Susan eventually lifted her arms, they came to a halt and face the teleporter. Dr. Nexson activates the portal, flames of portal energy burns within the gate. The Director approaches the altar and briefly kneels, he then draws a dagger and drags it through the air shaping Martian symbols as Susan chants in long tones.
"Dee-foos-mal-nam" she eerily chants, her words were repeated by the practitioners assembled around her.
Susan repeated the chant until she could feel an ancient energy from deep within the gate touching her mind. She sees images forming, hundreds of worlds and civilizations are revealed in a flash of insight. Their cultures, art, architecture, dialects and so many other details were revealed to her. The portal's tendrils of energy reached out to Susan and resonate with her psychic waves.
"Entire worlds, emotions, life, I can feel them, I can see them all" declares Susan, cosmic energy filling her mind.
She stood gratefully drinking in the intoxicating, ancient energy. She allowed her mind to explore deeper, she transcends advanced worlds in mental ecstasy before suddenly encountering an intensely desolate realm. The portal's energy turns red as dark shadows slither from the gate, a demonic spirit moves through the laboratory. Susan struggles to focus, she had reached the limits of her mental strength. She opens her eyes, they shine like a pair of mirrors from the flood of psychic energy. Susan tries to tell Nexson to close the portal, but the breath was swept from her lungs. Scott could see that Susan was unable to continue.
"Susan, close the circle" he says.
She begins gesturing her ceremonial dagger, the other practitioners chant the incantation to end the ritual.
"Attempting shut down" the intercom echoes through the chamber.
Nexson scrolls through emergency procedures. The portal energy expands, a demonic growth snakes from the portal and crawls along the shielding.
"You need to evacuate, the controls are locked out" Leonard relays over the intercom.
Susan hastily closes the ritual and they dash through the door to the control room. They stood behind as Rupert and Leonard attempt to manually deactivate with auxiliary commands. The hardware maintenance monitor shows the networked modules and systems falling into a malfunctioned state one after the other.
"The data core is corrupted" Nexson reports.
The gate burns brighter, rings of energy began radiating away from the gate. The shielding was covered in moving flesh that began to consume the floor and walls of the lab. The Director reaches for his PDA and activates the station alarm.
"Oh, no! The system is running the communication program, the portal is connecting with Phobos" observes Leonard.
"This is a nightmare" shrieks Susan over the sound of the station alarm.
Inside the test chamber, the portal was many times the size of it's normal operation, it was flanked by red spinning warning lights. A pair of massive horned alien step from the glowing gate.