Latest / INSPIRE STORY / Sci-Fi Creepypasta _ I_ve Traveled To Parallel Universes

Transcript

Sci-Fi Creepypasta _ I_ve Traveled To Parallel Universes · INSPIRE STORY

0:19
Speaker 1: I'm probably signing my own death warrant by writing this account.
0:22
I know for a fact that I'm breaking at least
0:25
a dozen federal laws with penalties that could send me
0:27
to prison for the rest of my life. But jail
0:30
time is the least of my worries. I fully expect
0:33
to get grabbed one of these days by a squad
0:35
of government goons, a hood being placed over my head
0:38
before I'm put on a secret flight and transported to
0:41
some god forsaken black sight on the far side of
0:43
the world. They'll make me disappear, toss me into a
0:46
dark pit, and leave me there to rot. You don't
0:49
fuck with these people, not if you want to live.
0:51
But none of this matters now. I've accepted my fate
0:54
because the stories I need to tell are too important.
0:57
The public must know the truth about the threats. This
1:00
isn't easy to explain, but I'll do my best. For
1:03
the past two years, I've worked within a top secret
1:06
government project jointly financed by the Department of Defense and
1:10
some of the wealthiest individuals and largest multinational corporations on
1:14
the planet. What is our purpose? Well, perhaps you've heard
1:18
of the multiverse theory that is the idea of alternate
1:20
universes which exist in parallel to our own. Will our
1:24
scientists have not only proved the existence of multiple universes,
1:28
but have developed the technology to allow human beings to
1:31
cross over and visit these alternate versions of Earth. I'm
1:34
not going to give away many details of the technology
1:36
we used to crossover or the science behind it. I'm
1:39
avoiding this area for two reasons. Firstly, I wish to
1:43
protect my identity for as long as possible, and therefore
1:46
have no intention of revealing my precise role in the project.
1:49
Don't get me wrong, I know the government will catch
1:52
up with me eventually, but I want to keep them
1:54
guessing for as long as possible, and I need to
1:57
stay alive long enough to finish my story. Secondly, I
2:00
don't want to drop any hints to America's enemies that
2:02
would help them develop their own transdimensional portals.
2:05
Speaker 2: I know for a fact that.
2:07
Speaker 1: China and Russia are working on their own TDPs, and
2:10
they'll probably get there within the next couple of years.
2:13
That the situation is fucked up enough already in a multiverse,
2:16
race will only exacerbate the problem. However, it goes without
2:20
saying that our portal technology took years to develop and
2:23
cost many billions of dollars, not to mention the human
2:26
costs and casualties. To be fair, the taxpayer hasn't fitted
2:30
the entire bill, as a vast amount of money has
2:32
been pumped in by the private sector. On paper, this
2:35
is a scientific mission, but the reality is more complex.
2:39
The political and business elites look at our world and
2:41
fear for the future of humanity. With overpopulation, climate change,
2:46
the threat of war in global pandemics all in the mix,
2:48
many experts believe our world is doomed and so are
2:51
looking for an exit strategy. Terraforming Mars isn't considered feasible,
2:55
nor is sending a generation ship to another star system.
2:59
So their plan is to find an alternate version of
3:01
Earth that's less damaged and fucked up than our own
3:04
and establish a seed colony upon it. Needless to say,
3:07
this colony will be populated by the wealthy elite in
3:10
their offspring as they leave the rest of us to
3:12
burn on this slowly dying planet. Pretty fucked up, right,
3:16
But believe it or not, this isn't why I've decided
3:18
to sacrifice myself by whistleblowing on this top secret project.
3:22
What really gives me nightmares is what I've seen on
3:25
the other side, the terrifying alternate worlds and the monsters
3:28
which inhabit them. These evil and ruthless civilizations are technologically
3:32
advanced and so surely capable of building their own TDPs.
3:36
Now that we've unwittingly revealed that it's possible to travel
3:39
across the multiverse, my worst fear is that these monsters
3:42
will cross over to our world, unleashing hell and fury
3:45
upon us. This brings me to the story of my
3:48
first mission, our visit to Earth two hundred seventeen, a
3:51
hellish dystopian world which I was lucky to survive. Before
3:55
I get to this, however, it's worth explaining a bit
3:57
more about the process of transdimensional time travel. Again, I'm
4:01
not going to reveal any technical details, but I can
4:04
explain a few things. You might imagine a trans dimensional
4:07
portal is something like.
4:08
Speaker 2: A whirlpool or a black hole.
4:11
Speaker 1: This is the way such portals are often portrayed on
4:13
TV and in films. The reality is somewhat different, however,
4:18
The best way I can describe the portal is a
4:20
fluid membrane, a window to another reality. It's a controlled
4:24
passageway which allows one to see what's on the other side,
4:27
an image as clear as looking through a pane of
4:29
thin glass. When you pass through the membrane, it's like
4:32
immersing yourself in water. For a few seconds, you can't
4:35
breathe and everything goes dark, and for a terrifying moment,
4:38
your brain panics as you think you won't make it,
4:40
But then you pass through to the other side, taking
4:43
a deep breath of clean air, and never having felt
4:46
so relieved to be alive.
4:47
Speaker 2: Needless to say, it.
4:49
Speaker 1: Takes an astronomical amount of energy to open a portal
4:52
and to keep the field stable long enough for a
4:54
team to cross over safely. The money and power that
4:57
goes into this means it's only possible to keep a
4:59
portal open and for two minutes, and the passageway is
5:02
only wide enough for two men to cross over walking
5:05
shoulder to shoulder. Therefore, we can only deploy small teams
5:08
with the bare minimum of equipment. We can't bring whole
5:11
vehicles through, so we need to rely on quad bikes
5:14
and motorcycles, and we use small, short to medium range
5:17
drones for reconnaissance. The initial crossing is a tight and
5:21
well organized procedure, but the return trip is often frantic
5:24
and chaotic. The survey teams aren't able to open a
5:27
TDP from their end, This must be done from the
5:30
research facility back on our Earth. The timeline is tightly coordinated,
5:34
with the portal being reopened exactly twenty four hours after
5:37
the initial crossing. Any members of the team who don't
5:40
make it back to the rendezvous point in time are
5:42
going to be stuck on the other side indefinitely, and
5:45
we'll need to deal with whatever threats they encounter without assistance. Now,
5:49
the return shouldn't be a problem if the team has
5:52
a clear run on the other side, but if they've
5:54
run into trouble dot dot dot, well that's a different story.
5:57
It's worth pointing out that the majority of the world
6:00
worlds we've discovered and visited aren't so different from our own.
6:03
There might be a few historical divergences, but basically you
6:06
have societies not dissimilar to Earth one. These worlds are
6:10
written off as unviable, however, they have the same problems
6:13
as US overpopulation, pollution, the threats of an extinction level event,
6:18
and so on. Basically, they're not what our wealthy benefactors
6:21
are looking for as they aren't suitable for colonization. Nevertheless,
6:25
the trips over to these worlds are generally straightforward and
6:28
risk free. It's the minority of missions that prove problematic.
6:32
Now it goes without saying that we don't send men
6:35
and women across until we check out the conditions on
6:37
the other side. As a first step, we send across
6:40
a robot similar to the Mars rover, designed to test
6:43
soil samples and oxygen levels, checking the atmosphere for toxins
6:47
and background radiation. The latter could indicate that a nuclear
6:51
war has occurred at some point in the planet's recent history.
6:54
On two occasions, the probes haven't returned. One time, the
6:58
robot emerged in the stratosphere, floating aimlessly through space before
7:01
the communication feed cut out. Our theory is that in
7:05
this universe, the Earth itself had been destroyed and broken
7:08
up into debris. On another mission, the robot discovered a
7:11
dead planet without any signs of life, in no evidence
7:14
that it had ever existed. The temperature was so high
7:17
that the robot burned up within a minute, and the
7:19
mission was abandoned. Most times, however, the probe will send
7:23
back its data for analysis, and our people will assess
7:26
that it's safe to send in a survey team. Things
7:29
become interesting when we discover a world very different to
7:32
our own. The most viable world we've visited is one
7:35
where Homo sapiens when extinct before the last Ice Age,
7:38
and instead Neanderthals have evolved to become the dominant species. However,
7:42
this Neanderthal civilization hasn't developed at the same rate as ours.
7:46
They never reached the Industrial Revolution and are instead living
7:50
in a medieval world, primitive agrarian society with a relatively
7:54
small global population. This version of Earth is actually considered
7:58
the most viable for colonization by the folk running our operation. However,
8:03
there is a moral debate within the project's leadership, as
8:06
it's widely accepted that any human colony will likely result
8:09
in the genocide of the native Neanderthal population. I suspect
8:12
this argument won't hold sway in the long run. Millions
8:15
of natives were wiped out during the colonization of the
8:18
Americas after all. But of course, this all depends on
8:21
us surviving long enough to make this happen, which brings
8:24
me back to my first story the Mission to Earth
8:27
two hundred seventeen. It's difficult to describe my emotions on
8:31
that morning as I stood in line with my pack
8:33
and equipment strapped to my back, dressed in combat fatigues
8:36
and full body armour. Had been through extensive training and
8:40
preparation prior to this, my first mission and first time
8:43
entering a TDP, but nothing fully prepares you. I stood
8:47
on the metal gangway along with eight other men and women,
8:50
each ready to push forward either a box full of
8:52
equipment or a bike, all fixed up to a rail
8:55
to allow quick access to the TDP. The portal wasn't
8:58
open yet, but we knew we'd need to move quickly
9:00
whenever it did, and the entire team had worked together
9:03
through training to ensure we could complete our crossing within
9:06
the tight two minute window. Our team leader stood at
9:09
the bottom of the gangway, close to the vast array
9:11
of powerful equipment which would be used to open the
9:14
TDP in just a few short minutes. And not going
9:16
to name the man, nor will I identify anyone involved
9:19
in the project. Instead, I will use aliases. Many of
9:23
these people are still alive and working on the project.
9:26
Others have died, often under horrific circumstances during missions. Their
9:31
families have been told fake accounts of how their loved
9:33
ones died and given the terrible truth. I believe it's
9:36
better they continue to believe these lies. Sometimes the truth
9:40
is too hard. Our team leader on that mission was
9:43
an ex military officer, and for the purposes of this account,
9:46
I'll refer to him as Custer. I'll never forget the
9:49
way Custer looked that morning and the words he spoke
9:52
in the last moments before our crossing. The well built,
9:55
battle heartened veterans seemed to exert total confidence as he
9:58
shout it to be heard over the increasing volume of
10:00
equipment and machinery coming to life.
10:03
Speaker 2: Listen up, ladies and gents, he bellowed. Some of you
10:07
are making this crossing for the first time. Others have
10:10
walked through the portal before. Frankly, it makes no difference.
10:13
I'm a veteran of a dozen missions, and let me
10:15
tell you, no two journeys are the same. The probes
10:18
only tell us so much, and there's no way of
10:21
knowing what we'll encounter on the other side. It's an
10:23
unknown environment and we must be prepared for anything. Some
10:27
of you are ex military. Others are experts in your
10:30
individual fields, geologists, climatologists, anthropologists, tech and communications. You're all
10:38
vital members of the team. But never forget that this
10:41
is a team, and I am your leader, military or not.
10:44
When we're in the field, my word is final. Remember
10:47
your training, listen to my orders, and you'll get home safely. Now,
10:51
Am I making myself clear?
10:53
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, we answered in unison, the ex military personnel
10:57
doing so rather more enthusiastically than US civilians. Other than Custer,
11:01
there were three other members of the security team, Mitch, Jerry,
11:04
and Kaz. All were heavily armed and appeared focused and
11:08
deadly serious. If they were as scared as me, they
11:10
were doing a good job hiding it. The rest of
11:13
the team was made up by our medic who while
11:15
called Doc, our tech guys Fill and Wan, and our
11:18
team geologist Helen. It was a damn good team, and
11:21
we'd spent weeks in intense training and preparation for this mission,
11:24
forming a close bond with each other in the process.
11:27
I can't help but feel a terrible sadness when I
11:30
think back to that time, given what happened, But at
11:33
that moment, we were still a team pumped up with
11:36
adrenaline and ready to undertake our mission. My legs were
11:39
shaking as the spectrometer burst a life, the power surging
11:42
through the conductors as the initializing process commenced. My brain
11:46
was racing as I imagined all the things that could
11:48
go wrong. Would today be the day that the stabilizing
11:51
field failed and the whole facility was blown to Kingdom come,
11:55
or perhaps the entire team would fall into limbo, lost
11:58
in the nothingness between the two universes. That I had
12:01
to put these fears to the back of my mind,
12:03
as there was simply no time for hesitation or doubt.
12:07
Suddenly there was a burst of blinding light, followed by
12:10
a wave of intense heat, which almost knocked me off
12:13
my feet. When I opened my eyes, I saw it
12:15
the trans dimensional portal, a window to another world, suddenly
12:19
opened against the back wall of the bunker. I stood there,
12:21
awestruck for a moment, staring at the incredible scene before me.
12:25
Perhaps part of me still hadn't believed a TDP was possible,
12:29
and my brain couldn't come to terms with it. But
12:31
I was soon awoken from my trance by Custer's barked orders.
12:35
Speaker 2: Move, God damn it, get the equipment through. The clock
12:38
is ticking.
12:39
Speaker 1: I remembered my training as I shoved the metal container
12:42
boxes down the rail, physically exerting myself as I worked
12:46
with my team members. Two minutes. That's all we had.
12:49
I didn't think we'd make it, but Custer knew what
12:51
he was doing. Container boxes and vehicles went down the
12:55
rail and through the portal, followed by people, human beings
12:58
disappearing into a fluid, temporarily ceasing to exist in any
13:02
universe until they suddenly emerged in an alternate reality. I
13:06
hesitated for a brief second before it was my turn
13:09
to cross, only to feel a firm hand on my back,
13:12
physically pushing me forward. I literally fell through the membrane,
13:16
my brain racing in panic as all the air left
13:18
my lungs. For a terrifying moment, I knew nothing but darkness,
13:22
a non existence that is almost impossible to explain to
13:25
anyone who hasn't experienced it. But thank god, it only
13:29
lasted for a moment. My limp body spilled out on
13:32
the other side of the portal, hitting the ground hard
13:35
as the bile rose up my throat, and I vomited
13:37
all over the grass. My head throbbed and my whole
13:39
body shook as I struggled to breathe, and I adjusted
13:42
my eyes to my new environment. A moment later, someone
13:46
pulled me up to my feet, and I was amazed
13:48
that I could stand without support. I glanced back just
13:51
in time to see the portal vanish into thin air.
13:53
It was too late to turn back. We were over here,
13:56
in this alternate universe and entirely reliant on our colors
14:00
leagues back on Earth one to bring us home. If
14:02
anything went wrong over there, we'd be trapped here forever.
14:05
Terrifying prospect, but I couldn't think about it at that moment.
14:09
I needed to focus on the mission.
14:11
Speaker 2: Welcome to Earth two hundred and seventeen, Ladies and gents
14:14
hester boomed.
14:15
Speaker 1: People around me were already jumping into action, our security
14:19
people setting up a defensive perimeter, while our tech guys
14:22
were covered and set up their equipment, checking that nothing
14:25
had been damaged during our crossing. I examined my surroundings,
14:29
finding myself standing on top of a small grassy hill.
14:32
The sky above was blue, with only a few specks
14:35
of white cloud to be seen. All this was a
14:37
good sign, as was the fact that I was breathing clean.
14:40
Speaker 3: Air, not bad.
14:41
Speaker 4: Huh.
14:42
Speaker 1: I turned around to see Helen, our team's geologist. An
14:46
attractive and intelligent woman in her late twenties. Helen was
14:50
one of my closest friends during our training. I agreed,
14:53
without committing too.
14:54
Speaker 4: Much, could be our Goldilocks world. Helen added, but we
14:59
still have tests to run.
15:00
Speaker 1: Their quality is all good, said Juan, one of our
15:03
tech guys, as he typed into his laptop. Let's get
15:06
the transmitter set up, then we'll send the drone for
15:09
a spin. There are a couple of things I should
15:13
clarify about our insertion point before I continue this account.
15:17
Our research facility was purpose built for this project and
15:21
intentionally located in an isolated and sparsely populated corner of
15:24
the continental US for obvious reasons. I'm not going to
15:28
reveal the location, but suffice to say it's pretty much
15:31
in the middle of nowhere. When we cross over, the
15:33
team will arrive at the exact same location on the
15:36
alternate version of Earth, and the theory is that there
15:39
will be nothing much located on the other side of
15:41
the portal, allowing us to get in and out without
15:43
drawing attention. Usually it works out that way, but not always.
15:47
We use small, remotely controlled drones to survey the surrounding area,
15:51
most of which is empty countryside. However, on our Earth,
15:54
there is a small town located about ten kilometers from
15:57
the insertion site, and often the town will also exist
16:00
in the alternate worlds we visit, although not always in
16:03
the manner we'd expect. However, another and safer way of
16:06
finding out about the civilization is simply to set up
16:09
a transmitter and receive any indigenous radio signals or television
16:13
broadcasts in the vicinity. We've learned almost everything we need
16:18
to know about numerous alternate worlds by using this simple method.
16:21
For the next few hours, we got to work patrolling
16:24
the perimeter, taking soil samples, and collating and analyzing data.
16:28
The initial survey didn't bring up much concern. If anything,
16:32
the air was cleaner and less polluted than back home.
16:35
My job, for what it's worth, was to analyze the
16:37
drone footage in broadcasts to make an assessment on what
16:40
type of civilization we were dealing with, and what I
16:43
found did.
16:44
Speaker 2: Raise a few red flags.
16:46
Speaker 1: We sat down after lunch to provide our intelligence briefing
16:49
to Custer, sitting cross legged in a circle as our
16:51
leader stood over us. I'll confess that I found his
16:55
stern gaze and authoritative voice rather intimidating, especially in this
16:59
alien and unknown world. What have you got for me,
17:02
he asked, or rather demanded. I gulped before replying, well, sir,
17:07
the drone has brought back footage of the surrounding area,
17:10
and we found no signs of life. The town exists
17:14
in this world, but it appears to be uninhabited, and
17:18
the evidence suggests it's been so for quite some time.
17:22
The buildings are crumbling, and whatever vehicles we can see
17:24
are rusted wrecks. Most of the roads in the area
17:28
are nothing more than dirt tracks. The road to the
17:31
north looks like it's been paved in the recent past,
17:34
but clearly it's not a busy thruway. We've not seen
17:37
any human beings, although that's not to say there's nobody around.
17:41
What about the airwaves, Huster interjected impatiently. Well, that's been
17:47
more difficult to interpret, I replied, sheepishly, realizing from Custer's
17:51
hard glare that he'd surely want more what we've heard
17:55
and seen can largely be regarded as propaganda, military parades,
17:59
political rallies, government sanctioned information broadcasts. Not much in the
18:05
way of cultural diversity.
18:07
Speaker 2: So what does this mean?
18:08
Speaker 1: Huster interrupted, clearly he was losing his patience. I nervously
18:12
shrugged my shoulders before answering, I mean, I can't fully
18:16
commit myself without additional data, but my guess would be
18:20
some kind of dictatorship or totalitarian regime.
18:24
Speaker 2: Great goddamn COMMI.
18:26
Speaker 1: World, quicked Phil, one of our technicians. A joke earned
18:30
him a few sniggers from the assembled team members, but
18:33
a hard glare in harsh words from our leader.
18:36
Speaker 2: Shut your damn mouth, Huster shot back.
18:38
Speaker 1: The former military officer stood still for a moment, staring
18:42
off into the distance as he engaged in quiet contemplation.
18:45
After a tense delay, he opened his mouth to speak,
18:48
delivering his orders concisely and with confidence.
18:52
Speaker 2: We're going in, he commanded.
18:54
Speaker 1: I temporarily forgot myself, calling him out in shock. Are
18:58
you sure about that, sir? What about the protocol?
19:02
Speaker 2: I'm the leader over here, and what I say goes?
19:04
Custer shot back, angrily. We must gather more data. Isn't
19:08
that what you said.
19:09
Speaker 1: I nodded my head in reluctant agreement. Well, so it's settled.
19:14
Speaker 2: We'll take a four man team down to the old
19:16
town see if it's really as abandoned as it looks.
19:18
I'll lead the team, he pointed directly at me. You'll
19:21
ride with me, Kas and the Dock will be our
19:24
back up. We move out intent. Get your shit together, people.
19:27
Speaker 1: I experienced a moment of intense dread in that moment.
19:30
I didn't want to go on this mission, but knew
19:33
I had no choice. But of course I had no
19:35
idea of what lay ahead. It was almost dusk by
19:39
the time we reached the seemingly abandoned town. We drove
19:42
to the location on two quad bikes, doubled up. I
19:45
rode with Custer, while Kaz and the Dock had the
19:48
second bike. Kaz was a tough ex marine in her
19:51
mid thirties, a strong woman who'd spent her life needing
19:54
to prove herself in a male dominated environment. The Dock
19:58
was our team's medical attendant. He was an odd man
20:01
with peculiar obsessions. As I recall, he'd never really bonded
20:04
with the rest of the team during our training, and
20:07
we all regarded him with a degree of suspicion. I
20:09
got the distinct feeling that Kaz wasn't happy about riding
20:13
alongside the dock, but she didn't question her orders. To
20:17
this day, I still don't know why Custer ordered the
20:19
reconnaissance mission, especially given the risks and unknowns involved. I
20:23
can only assume he was acting on orders from higher up.
20:28
The town itself could be described as anywhere usay, small,
20:32
out of the way, and unremarkable. When we descended from
20:35
the hills and drove through the main street, we confirmed
20:37
what the drone footage had already told us. This was
20:40
a ghost town of crumbling buildings, smashed storefronts with faded signs,
20:44
and rusty old automobiles which looked like throwbacks from the
20:47
nineteen fifties. Obviously, the settlement had been abandoned decades ago.
20:52
That why there were no toxins in the air, no
20:55
background radiation. It was as if the entire population had
20:59
just upped and left one day for no apparent reason.
21:01
At first glance, there were no signs of life. Nevertheless,
21:05
I felt incredibly uneasy as we drove down that debris
21:08
stroom main street. The hare stood up on the back
21:10
of my neck as I got the distinct feeling we
21:12
were being watched. Suddenly, I saw a flurry of movement
21:16
out of the corner of my eye, turning to see
21:18
a dark figure disappearing behind the smashed up wreck of
21:21
a truck. Did you see that, I whispered in a panic.
21:25
Keep calm, Hester answered in an authoritative tone. He put
21:29
his foot down on the accelerator, but a few yards
21:32
down the road we hid an invisible wall as all
21:34
of our tires were pierced simultaneously, bringing our quad bike
21:37
to a sudden halt. Fuck, Huster swore.
21:41
Speaker 2: They've spiked the road.
21:43
Speaker 1: In an instant, he jumped off the bike and pulled
21:46
his assault rifle from his shoulder, and a moment later
21:49
he dragged me from my pillion seat, pulling me down
21:51
to the ground. As we took cover behind the now
21:53
a mobile quad bike, Huster shouted back to the second bike,
21:57
which was yet to hit the spike.
21:58
Speaker 2: Trap Stop, ambush, get down.
22:02
Speaker 1: Taz responded in an instant, bringing her vehicle to a
22:05
halt before descending with her rifle at the ready. The
22:08
dock kept his head up, scanning the horizon with curiosity
22:11
until Kaz pulled him back. I peeked over the top
22:14
of our vehicle and saw the street suddenly come to
22:17
life as armed figures emerged on rooftops and shattered windows,
22:21
aiming their guns straight at us. I don't know how
22:23
our drone had missed this armed group during its run,
22:25
but obviously they'd remained hidden in order to mount an ambush.
22:29
In a panic, I scanned the street and counted at
22:31
least a dozen armed men and women surrounding us on
22:34
all sides. There were only four of us, and only
22:37
Custer and Kas were armed. I know little about combat,
22:41
but it seemed obvious to me that we wouldn't stand
22:43
a chance if it came to a shootout. At tension
22:47
filled stand off ensued before a voice from the other
22:50
side broke the silence.
22:52
Speaker 5: We've got you out gunned and surrounded. You don't have
22:54
a chance. Put your guns down and come out with
22:56
your hands up.
22:58
Speaker 1: I couldn't see the man speaking, but it sounded like
23:01
he meant business. Judging by his response, Custer clearly agreed. Fuck,
23:07
he swore under his breath before calling out his response.
23:11
Speaker 2: Okay, we're putting our guns down. Don't shoot us. We
23:14
mean you no harm. We'll see about that, answered.
23:17
Speaker 1: The suspicious voice from the other side. Huster carefully lay
23:21
his assault rifle down on the ground before he slowly
23:24
stood up, his hands raised above his head. I copied
23:27
his actions, as did Kaz in the dock. My whole
23:30
body shook as I struggled to stand. I couldn't believe
23:33
we'd stumbled into this deadly situation and feared what these
23:37
people would do to us.
23:39
Speaker 2: Just let me do the talking, Huster whispered in my ear.
23:42
Speaker 1: I felt angry, knowing our team leader had gotten.
23:45
Speaker 2: Us into this mess.
23:46
Speaker 1: I had no idea what Custer was going to say
23:48
to our captors. How could he possibly explain our presence here.
23:52
Gradually the ambush party emerged from their hiding places, approaching
23:56
us with caution and with their guns still raised. I
23:59
watched our under the fading light and was surprised by
24:03
their appearance. The twelve included men, women, and even children.
24:06
They were of various ages and different races, but all
24:09
appeared disheveled and malnourished, their eyes tired and hungry, in
24:13
their faces filled with desperation. All were thin to the
24:16
point of being emaciated, and wore. Ripped and soiled clothing
24:19
and no expert on firearms. But their guns looked ancient
24:22
and obsolete, a combination of World War Two era rifles
24:26
and civilian shotguns. All in all, they looked like the
24:29
kind of ragged arm survivors you'd expect to find in
24:32
a dystopian wasteland. One of our captors stepped forward, slinging
24:37
a grease gun over his shoulder as he came. He
24:39
was a black man with a noticeable scar across his
24:42
face and a hardened look in his eye. He seemed
24:45
like a man who'd been to hell, and by the
24:46
way he carried himself, I guessed he was the leader
24:49
of this ragged band.
24:51
Speaker 5: Wise decision, he said, with.
24:53
Speaker 1: A slight grin on his dry lips. I recognized his voice,
24:57
realizing he was the one who called for our surrender.
24:59
Moment before, Hester opened his mouth to reply, but he
25:03
never got the chance. At that moment, everybody's attention was
25:06
drawn to the rooftops overlooking the street. I heard a low,
25:09
animalistic growl which chilled me to my bones, looking up
25:13
to see what I can only describe as a living nightmare.
25:15
The creature was half man, half wolf, its snout packed
25:19
with razor sharp teeth, and its eyes filled with intense hatred.
25:22
I looked on in awestruck terror as the beast stood
25:25
up on two feet, revealing claws as sharp as stake knives,
25:28
and then it opened its horrible maw, unleashing a god
25:31
awful howl that drowned out every other sound. The armed
25:34
men seemed frozen in fear for a second until their
25:36
leader prompted them to take action, screaming kill it. Suddenly
25:42
the air was filled with bullets, the din of gunfire
25:44
almost deafening. The beast should have been hit, but it
25:47
moved so fast, leaping from the rooftop and pouncing on
25:50
the nearest rebel, ripping his throat out in a mere
25:53
second and spilling his blood all across the street. Somebody
25:56
screamed before the gunfire commenced once again, but the beast
25:59
seemed to me the bullets as it tore down the street,
26:02
hitting one rebel after another, tearing them to shreds with
26:04
its teeth and claws before they could react. I heard
26:07
the blood curdling screams and saw the blur of bloody
26:10
violence as bodies were ripped apart and viscera was splattered
26:14
all over the tarmac. Huster shook me out of my
26:16
shock and deuced trans grabbing me and screaming.
26:19
Speaker 2: Get behind me.
26:21
Speaker 1: He picked up his M four carbine and made it
26:24
ready to fire. No one from the other side tried
26:27
to stop him. They were too busy dying. By now.
26:30
The beast was ripping the head off its sixth victim.
26:33
Huster advanced upon it, firing on full automatic as he moved.
26:37
At least one of his bullets hit the mark, causing
26:39
the monster to howl in pain, but the round didn't
26:42
even slow it down. Suddenly, the beast turned its attention
26:45
to Custer, who was desperately trying to load a new
26:48
magazine into his M four. The beast jumped him before
26:51
he had the chance, slashing Custer's chest with its claws.
26:54
Huster screamed as he fell backwards, and the beast bit
26:57
deep into its victim's shoulder. I was sure he would
27:00
done for but just then the gunfire started back up again,
27:04
as a burst of rounds struck the monster and forced
27:06
it back, releasing its deadly grip upon Custer. I looked
27:10
up to see Kaz advancing, firing short bursts from her
27:13
M four. The beast was hit again and again, but
27:16
the bastard wouldn't Diekaz didn't miss a beat, however. She
27:19
kept pumping bullets into her target's body until her magazine
27:23
was empty, and then she dropped her rifle and drew
27:26
her side arm, a nine millimeters glock. She kept on
27:29
shooting without mercy, ignoring the creature's whimpered cries in her
27:32
determination to end its life. Finally, she stood over its
27:35
limp body and emptied the last five bullets straight into
27:38
its head. This couda grass seemed to do the trick,
27:41
as finally the beast stopped moving, its life force extinguished. Slowly,
27:45
the survivors emerged from their hiding places to survey the
27:48
carnage left behind after the savage attack, a lightning assault
27:52
in battle that had lasted less than two minutes.
27:54
Speaker 2: Taz and I ran.
27:55
Speaker 1: To Custer's side, quickly establishing that he was still alive
27:58
despite his horrific injuries. I looked on in horror at
28:01
the deep wounds to his chest and shoulder. He'd lost
28:04
a lot of blood and clearly was in considerable pain,
28:07
groaning in agony as he struggled with every breath has
28:10
placed pressure on his shoulder wound to stem the bleeding
28:13
as she called.
28:13
Speaker 3: Out, Doc, where the hell are you? We need your help.
28:18
Speaker 1: I scan the blood strewn street for our medical man,
28:21
finding him leaning over the body of the wolfman, poking
28:24
at its ribs as if he were conducting a post mortem.
28:27
Speaker 2: Fascinating.
28:29
Speaker 1: The exoskeleton on this animal is unlike anything that occurs
28:33
in nature. It's almost as if someone is set out
28:36
to design the perfect killing machine. I needed to place
28:40
a firm hand on Doc's shoulder to bring him back
28:43
to reality. God damn it, Doc Custer is hurt bad.
28:49
You need to see him, I exclaimed angrily. Yes, uh course,
28:56
let's see what we can do for him. The doctor
28:58
appeared rather annoyed and taken aback, but he complied. He
29:03
leaned down beside the wounded officer, shaking his head and
29:06
tutting as he opened his medical bag. He's in a
29:10
bad way, the doc said, as if stating the obvious.
29:14
I can bandage up his wounds and give him something
29:17
for the pain, but most of my supplies are back
29:19
at the camp. I'll need to get him back there
29:22
and stabilize him, otherwise he'll never survive the journey. Home,
29:27
Kaz nodded grimly. With Custer incapacitated, she'd taken on the
29:31
role of team leader and no one was questioning her.
29:34
Speaker 3: Okay, she said, the tires are out on the lead
29:38
quad bike. The doc needs to take Custer back on
29:40
the second bike, which means we'll need to stay here.
29:43
Speaker 1: I couldn't believe what I was hearing. So we're stuck
29:47
in this hell hole, I exclaimed in dismay.
29:51
Speaker 2: Calm down, Kaz.
29:53
Speaker 3: Replied, I'll radio back to base, get Mitch and Jerry
29:57
to ride down here on the motorbikes and pick us up.
30:00
If we ride pillion, we'll get back by sundown in
30:02
time for the rendezvous. It's cutting it fine, but we'll
30:05
make it.
30:06
Speaker 1: I was far from convinced. None of this was part
30:09
of the original plan, and there were about a million
30:11
things which could go wrong. I knew how tight our
30:14
window was, and if we were even five minutes late
30:16
arriving back, we'd be trapped here forever. But this wasn't
30:20
even my biggest concern at that moment. I was far
30:23
more worried about how we'd survive the night, and just
30:26
what the hell do we do if another one of
30:28
those monsters show up, I asked, pointing to the bullet
30:32
ridden body of the wolfman. Then we deal with it,
30:35
Caz shot back angrily. Now help me with Custer. We
30:41
gently lifted our leader's broken body and got him onto
30:44
the back of the quad bike. I watched as the
30:46
doctor drove the bike out of the ghost town and
30:49
back into the hills. At the time, I honestly believed
30:52
we'd signed our death warrants, but I couldn't deny that
30:55
Kaz had made the right call. While Kaz radioed back
30:58
to base, I turned my attention to this rebels, watching
31:01
as they tended to their fallen comrades. Some said tearful
31:04
prayers over the shredded remains, while others recovered their weapons, ammunition,
31:09
and anything else they had on their person, including food, tobacco,
31:12
and various other trinkets and personal effects, as meager as
31:16
they were. In all, six of the dozen rebels had
31:18
been slaughtered in the Beast's lightning assault, half of their
31:21
number killed in just under two minutes.
31:24
Speaker 5: I guess we should be thanking you people.
31:26
Speaker 1: I turned around to see the rebels leader approaching his
31:29
weapons shouldered as he extended his hand in friendship Only
31:33
moments before he'd been holding us at gunpoint, but things
31:36
had changed very quickly. I took his hand and shook.
31:40
Speaker 5: Why it's my name, and these are my people, well,
31:44
what's left of them?
31:46
Speaker 1: I introduced myself and expressed my sorrow for his losses.
31:50
Then I nodded to the dead beast laid out on
31:52
the roadside.
31:53
Speaker 2: So what the hell is that thing?
31:56
Speaker 1: I asked, incredulously. Why it seemed puzzled by the very question.
32:01
It looks like a goddamn werewolf, I quipped, only half joking.
32:05
Whyat confirmed with a shrug.
32:08
Speaker 5: Sure, but this one's a rogue, a hunting dog which
32:12
got away from the Aryans. Now they roam the countryside,
32:15
killing everything that moves.
32:17
Speaker 1: Alarm bells started ringing inside of my head. Hold up, Aryans,
32:22
you mean like Nazis, Wyat appeared, even more puzzled.
32:26
Speaker 5: Nazis. Yeah, they started off that way back during the
32:31
final War. There's something far worse now. But how can
32:35
you not know this?
32:36
Speaker 1: I felt a twinge of panic, realizing I'd given away
32:39
too much. We're not from around here, I answered meekly.
32:44
Speaker 5: Well that much is obvious, said Wyat. You aren't Aaryans
32:48
that's obvious too, But the guns, equipment, and vehicles you
32:52
have are far better than anything we've got. You might
32:55
be from another district, but the Aryans rule the whole world. Hell,
32:59
they even have bases on the Moon and colonies on Mars.
33:03
Speaker 1: I saw Kaz had finished her call and was now
33:06
listening in on our conversation, shooting me a reproachful look
33:09
as a warning not to say too much. But I
33:11
didn't see any way of explaining this to Wyatt, nor
33:14
did I see any advantage in keeping secrets from him.
33:18
I took a deep breath before answering, Look, we came
33:22
from another world, or, more accurately, another version of this one.
33:26
Our scientists have worked out a way of crossing from
33:29
our dimension to the next end, so here we are.
33:33
I expected Wyatt to laugh in my face, but he didn't. Certainly,
33:38
the rebel boss appeared shocked by my admission, but he
33:40
didn't dismiss my explanation out of hand. I guess when
33:44
you live in a world run by Nazis and overrun
33:46
by werewolves, it's going to take a lot to phase you.
33:50
Speaker 2: We're Americans.
33:53
Speaker 1: Those words seemed to bring Wyat some comfort to know
33:56
that his country still existed in some alternate version of Earth.
34:00
Has interjected at this point.
34:02
Speaker 3: Who were you people anyway? The American resistance?
34:07
Speaker 1: Wyatt shook his head, and I saw the sorrow in
34:09
his eyes before he began his sorrowful explanation.
34:13
Speaker 5: We used to be many decades ago. America stayed out
34:17
of the war in Europe during the forties, and when
34:19
the Nazis eventually conquered us, they allied with people who
34:23
looked like them and brutalized the rest. The same thing
34:27
happened all across the world, nations conquered and populations trampled
34:32
under their damned jack boots. They enslaved some and slaughtered
34:36
the rest, first by firing squads, then by gas chambers
34:39
and mass starvation, and finally by releasing viruses designed to
34:43
kill non aryans. Millions wiped out, whole continents emptied. Now
34:48
the Nazis descendants live in fortified plantations and citadels. They've
34:52
used their evil science to create their damned master race.
34:56
Speaker 2: And worse, he pointed to the dead.
34:58
Speaker 5: Werewolf monsters like this. They're the result of their twisted experiments,
35:04
intelligent and super strong predators trained to be obedient to
35:07
their masters.
35:09
Speaker 1: He raised his voice, and the anger and pain were
35:12
evident in his words.
35:14
Speaker 5: And us, we're not the resistance anymore. We're goddamn prey.
35:19
They hunt us down for sport, slaughter us like cattle.
35:22
All us folk can do now is try to survive.
35:24
We hide, move from place to place, and fight back
35:27
when we can. But we're dying out year after year,
35:30
our numbers grow smaller.
35:33
Speaker 1: He sighed and lowered his head, tears welling up in
35:35
his eyes as his surviving comrades gathered around him. His
35:38
story was horrifying, but I had no doubt he was
35:41
telling the truth. This world was a place of living nightmares,
35:45
one of Nazi super soldiers, genetically modified werewolves, and human hunting.
35:49
I'd never imagined I would visit such a terrible place,
35:52
but here we were, right in the middle of this shit.
35:56
I was still trying to come to terms with what
35:58
Wyat had told us when Kasm brought the conversation back
36:01
to business.
36:02
Speaker 5: What will your people do now, she asked, it's too
36:06
dangerous to travel on foot after dark. Wyatt replied, we'll
36:10
need to hold up here until dawn.
36:13
Speaker 1: He pointed down the street.
36:15
Speaker 5: There's an old church down there. Not much, but it
36:17
still has four walls and a roof. We'll take shelter
36:20
there tonight. I'd suggest you come with us. It's the
36:23
safest place to wait for your rescue team.
36:26
Speaker 1: I felt a cold chill as we walked down the tarmac.
36:29
Somehow I knew we were in for a hellish night.
36:32
The old church was predictably a wreck, but as Wyatt
36:35
had promised, it still had four walls and a roof,
36:38
which made the place more habitable than most in the
36:40
ghost town. Wyatt and his team went to work as
36:43
soon as we took up residents, using discarded pews and
36:46
various debris to barricade the doors and windows. Clearly they
36:49
expected a further attack during the night, whether by Nazis, werewolves,
36:54
or whatever the hell else was out there. We'd barely
36:56
survived the last attack, and so I dreaded imagining what
36:59
would happen next. Kas helped to organize the rebels defenses,
37:03
taking charge and adapting to the situation with typical military efficiency.
37:07
I could do nothing but admire her courage and resilience.
37:11
Caaz knew all too well that I was no fighter,
37:13
so she gave me her glock pistol and ordered me
37:15
to stay at the back. She gifted custers M four
37:18
to Wyatt and gave him a quick tutorial on its use.
37:21
The rebel leader looked as pleased as punch with the upgrade.
37:24
After the defensive preparations were made, there was little to
37:27
do but wait. I engaged Wyat and his people in conversation,
37:31
in an attempt to find out more about their world
37:34
society in tragic history, but they were understandably distracted and
37:38
perhaps unable to answer my questions. It was a terrifying
37:41
time as we sat in the ruined church, staring out
37:44
into the darkness, waiting on whatever nightmares might emerge to
37:47
devour us. I did wonder why I had ever gotten
37:50
involved in this operation, what madness had driven me to
37:53
come to this healscape. Perhaps Cash shared my regrets, but
37:56
if so, she showed no signs, remaining coal and focused throughout.
38:01
I can't describe the relief I experienced whenever I heard
38:04
the whine of the motorcycle engines, followed by the burst
38:07
of communication from Kazu's radio. I eagerly glanced out the
38:10
window and saw the two security men riding in on
38:13
their bikes. Our rescuers had finally arrived. My elation faded
38:17
when I looked to the tired and desperate faces of
38:20
Wyatt and his people, realizing we would be leaving them behind.
38:24
But as it happened, fate intervened. As Mitch and Jerry
38:27
pulled up in front of the church, a third vehicle
38:30
drove in from the opposite direction, its heavy diesel engine
38:33
drowning out the sound of the motorcycles.
38:35
Speaker 2: I looked on in.
38:36
Speaker 1: Horror as a grotesquejeep like vehicle tore down the street,
38:39
its powerful headlights illuminating the tarmac. The large automobile was
38:43
heavily armored and bristling with weapons and something much worse.
38:47
Three human skulls mounted to the hood in a horrific display.
38:50
Fuck Wyatt swore as he came up behind me.
38:55
Speaker 5: It's Steiner and his hunting party. They found us.
38:58
Speaker 1: I looked into the man's hard eyes and saw his
39:00
fear for the first time. Terrified, I turned back to
39:03
the window and saw three figures emerging from the jeep
39:06
and moving with speed. Muscular and athletic men in dark
39:09
body armour and carrying alien but deadly looking assault rifles,
39:13
and from the rear of the vehicle leapt not one,
39:15
but two of those hell hounds. Vicious werewolves as ferocious
39:18
as the Farrell we previously encountered, except these two were
39:21
clearly trained and under the control of the Aryan hunters,
39:24
obeying their every command. Nich and Jerry were out in
39:27
the open, apparently unaware of the immense danger they were in,
39:30
at least until Cash shotted.
39:32
Speaker 2: Them a one word warning run.
39:34
Speaker 1: The gunfire started a second later as the Nazi hunters
39:38
opened up with their rifles. Nich and Jerry ran for
39:41
it while laying down covering fire. They couldn't make it
39:43
to the church in time, so they took cover in
39:46
a disused gas station across the street. The soldiers made
39:49
it by the skin of their teeth as bullets flew
39:51
and hunting dogs snarled. By then, all hell was breaking
39:55
loose as the rebels opened up and the Aryan death
39:57
Squad began their assault. Just then, Cas grabbed me by
40:01
the shoulders and forced me away from the window.
40:03
Speaker 3: Stay down and keep out of the way, shit.
40:06
Speaker 1: She screamed at me, before taking up her firing position
40:09
and joining the battle. I did as I was told,
40:12
taking cover behind the pews and laying low as the
40:14
gun battle raged in all its fury. As I cowered
40:17
in the corner, I missed much of the anarchy which followed,
40:22
but I did witness the bloody results. Three of the
40:25
rebels fell in quick succession. A man's head was blown
40:28
off not ten yards from me, a woman was cut
40:30
down by a burst of automatic fire, and a kid
40:32
who could only have been fourteen or fifteen got hit
40:35
by shrapnel from a grenade. The carnage was horrific, and
40:38
I feared we were about to be overrun, but Wyat
40:41
and Cass continued to fight back, fiercely, moving from window
40:44
to window whilst laying down suppressing fire. Suddenly there was
40:47
a pause in the firing, and for a brief second
40:50
I dared to think the battle was over. But then
40:52
a single shot rang out, striking Wyatt in his shoulder,
40:55
the impact throwing his body backwards.
40:58
Speaker 2: Cass swore as.
40:59
Speaker 1: She abandoned her ps position and sprinted towards the barricaded door.
41:02
A moment later, there was a mighty explosion which rocked
41:05
the entire structure. The room filled with dust and my
41:08
ears were ringing.
41:09
Speaker 2: I looked up and.
41:10
Speaker 1: Was horrified to see the barricade. Breached figure emerged from
41:14
the chaos, moving with immense speed as he shot a
41:16
rebel through the head and tore across the floor. Kaz
41:19
tried to stop him, but he floored her with a
41:22
blow to the face. Second later, a ferocious werewolf tore
41:25
into the church after its master, slashing a rebel to
41:28
shreds with its mighty claws before he could get off
41:30
a shot. Suddenly, I realized there was nothing and no
41:34
one standing between me and the beast, and I would
41:36
need to defend myself. Raising my pistol with a shaking hand,
41:40
I managed to fire a single shot, missing my target.
41:43
The beast was so fast and I never got a
41:46
chance for a second attempt. In an instant, it was
41:49
on top of me, knocking me to the hard ground
41:51
and pinning me down, its sharp claws cutting.
41:54
Speaker 2: Into my chest.
41:55
Speaker 1: Its maw was only inches from my face, its foul
41:57
breath making me wretch as its teeth snapped. I was
42:00
certain I would die there, and then my head ripped
42:03
off by the beast's mighty jaws. That clearly its master
42:06
wasn't done with me yet. I heard aloud, I pitched whistle,
42:10
and suddenly the beast released me, retreating to his master's feet.
42:13
I struggled to breathe, hardly believing I was still alive.
42:17
I looked from my pistol, but found it had been
42:19
thrown clear out of my reach. I couldn't stand in
42:22
any case, helpless and defeated. I glanced at the jack
42:25
boots of my assailant, scanning upwards to see the muscular
42:28
body in black combat fatigues and the large weapon aimed
42:31
at my head. I noted the death's head emblem on
42:34
his uniform, surely a throwback to his Nazi ancestors, blue eyed,
42:39
blonde haired, and with chiseled Nordic features. But he glared
42:42
down upon me like a predator would look upon its prey,
42:45
casting a cruel and sadistic gaze which showed no hint
42:48
of compassion or capacity for mercy. When he spoke, it
42:51
was in English, but his accent was vaguely European. You
42:56
people killed two of my men, said, in an accusatory tone.
43:01
I struggled to reply through my quaking lips, stuttering my words,
43:06
but the Nazi surprised me by merely shrugging his shoulders
43:09
and laughing. No matter, so it's boys were weak. The
43:16
truth is our race has become soft. It's good to
43:22
have some worthy adversaries after all these years, although evidently
43:29
you are no warrior, he paused, looking me over with
43:33
contempt as I lay helpless before him. I spluttered, unable
43:37
to find the words to respond. The Nazi grunted in disgust.
43:42
Cat's got your tongue. Well, let me introduce myself. I
43:49
am Commander Steiner, lead Hunter General of District twenty three,
43:54
North America, and you are an intruder in my district.
44:00
Evidently you're not one of these ritzed bandits. Your equipment
44:04
and weapons are too sophisticated. So who in Hitler's name
44:10
are you? I kept my mouth shut, knowing all too
44:14
well the consequences of revealing the truth to this monster.
44:17
Steiner looked amused by my pitiful show of resistance. Fine,
44:22
it will be enjoyable fussing the truth from you. I
44:25
consider myself something of an expert on torture techniques, and
44:30
I'm always keen to find new subjects for my work.
44:35
Steiner grinned sadistically as he shouldered his rifle and drew
44:38
a sharp and long dagger. I shuddered in terror at
44:41
the sight of the blade, wanting to run, but knowing
44:43
I wouldn't.
44:44
Speaker 2: Make it far.
44:45
Speaker 1: Steiner's werewolf never took its eyes off me, its fangs
44:48
dripping with blood and its eyes filled with hatred. Steiner
44:51
advanced upon me, his eyes focused and his knife at
44:54
the ready. In my panicked state, I saw movement out
44:57
of the corner of my eye, a scream of fury
44:59
from a voice I recognized. To my astonishment, I saw
45:03
a wounded Wyat charging across the floor, screaming like a berserker.
45:06
As he came, I looked to his hand and saw
45:09
the deadly device he carried, a grenade with its pin pulled.
45:12
The werewolf reacted fast to defend its master, but not
45:15
quickly enough. The beast hit Wyat, knocking him down, but
45:19
the grenade detonated a second later, blowing them both to
45:22
Kingdom come. The explosion was so close I was deafened
45:25
by it, as the blood and guts of the man
45:27
and beasts sprayed all over me in a sickening display.
45:30
Somehow I forced myself to my feet, surveying the carnage
45:33
and gore before me. Wyat had sacrificed his life to
45:37
save me. And I could never thank him. I searched
45:39
for Steiner and saw his motionless and bleeding body laid
45:43
out on the floor. I struggled through body parts, still
45:46
in a daze, when I spotted a figure approaching at speed.
45:49
To my relief, I saw it was Kaz, badly bruised,
45:52
but on her feet in still fighting. She grabbed me firmly,
45:55
shaking me out of my stunned daze. A moment later,
45:59
we were running out of church and back onto the street.
46:02
I looked to the old gas station and saw what
46:05
remained of Mitch and Jerry, the security men who were
46:07
meant to rescue us. Jerry lay sprawled across the street,
46:11
his head almost severed from his neck. Meanwhile, Mitch sat
46:14
leaning against a wall, his head slumped and his guts
46:17
torn out the m four laying by his side. A
46:19
dead werewolf riddled with bullets, lay about six yards from men.
46:23
Evidently the two men had died fighting the beast. I
46:26
spared a thought for my fallen comrades before being interrupted.
46:31
Just then, the Hunter's grotesque gee pulled up alongside me,
46:34
with Kas in the driver's seat. You can't be serious,
46:38
you want to ride in that thing? I exclaimed in disbelief.
46:43
Speaker 3: You got a better Ideakas shot back angrily. We need
46:47
to get back to camp before sunrise, unless you want
46:49
to become a permanent resident.
46:51
Speaker 1: She was right again, of course, and so I jumped
46:54
into the passenger's seat of the Nazi death mobile and
46:57
we sped out of the ghost town, leaving the death
46:59
in car behind us. We raced up the hillside and
47:02
I don't know what speed, tensely watching the clock all
47:05
the way, and we arrived back at the camp with
47:07
literally minutes to spare, just as the morning sun was
47:10
rising over the hills. Helen and the others looked.
47:12
Speaker 2: On in shock.
47:13
Speaker 1: And we're no doubt concerned when we approached in our
47:16
commandeered vehicle. A death jeep decorated with human skulls isn't
47:19
exactly the type of car anyone's happy to see.
47:22
Speaker 3: Where the fuck did you get that thing?
47:25
Speaker 1: Helen exclaimed, as Kaz and I jumped out of the jeep.
47:29
Speaker 4: And what the hell happened to you?
47:31
Speaker 1: She added in concern, no doubt, noting the blood and
47:34
gore covering me from head to toe. No time to explain,
47:37
We've got to go, I answered, frantically.
47:40
Speaker 4: Where are the others, Helen.
47:44
Speaker 1: Added in Confusionkaz answered firmly dead.
47:49
Speaker 3: What about Custer?
47:50
Speaker 1: Ah ah, he's dead too. I'm afraid his injuries were
47:54
too severe, answered the doc as he suddenly emerged to
47:58
greet us. Fuck, Cas swore, But there was no time
48:03
to grieve, as just then there was a burst of
48:06
light and energy on the hillside, only yards from where
48:08
we stood. They were reopening the portal from the other side,
48:12
creating a passageway for our return. I scanned the base
48:15
camp and saw how the team had already packed up
48:17
our gear ready to ship. It was protocol not to
48:20
leave any equipment behind when we left, but this mission
48:23
had already gone.
48:24
Speaker 2: To shit still.
48:25
Speaker 1: I watched with joy as the portal opened, and I
48:27
thought we were finally safe. That once again I was wrong.
48:31
I heard it first, the ominous drone of rotor blades,
48:34
and then Wan, one of our technicians, cried out and pointed,
48:38
what the fuck is that? I looked in that direction,
48:42
horrified to see an attack helicopter approaching at great speed.
48:45
It was something akin to an Apache, but of a
48:48
different design, heavily armored and bristling with weapons. A swastika
48:52
clearly visible on its nose. There was no time for
48:55
anyone to react before the killer aircraft opened up, pumping
48:59
machine gun bullets into our camp. Phil our second technician,
49:03
was caught out in the open, torn to shreds by
49:05
high velocity rounds, his body performing a Macawber death dance
49:09
before dropping to the dirt. Juan cried out his friend's
49:12
name and had to be physically restrained by Kaz and
49:15
the dock.
49:16
Speaker 3: We've got to go, Just get through the fucking portal.
49:19
Speaker 1: We all started running, beating a hasty retreat as the
49:22
bullets kept flying. One by one. I saw my comrades
49:25
descend through the portal.
49:26
Speaker 2: The dock.
49:27
Speaker 1: Juan and then Helenkaz waited for me, waving and shouting
49:31
frantically as I sprinted towards the opening. I don't know why,
49:34
but I paused at the last moment, turning and looking
49:37
up at the chopper. I saw the man in the
49:39
cockpit and was shocked because I recognized him Steiner. His
49:43
head was bandaged, but it was definitely him. I would
49:46
recognize his cold, predatory stare anywhere. To my surprise, he
49:50
was no longer shooting. Instead, he simply watched observing our
49:54
hasty retreat. I froze for a second, but Kas saved
49:58
my ass once again, tackling in fis, shoving me through
50:01
the portal entry. We left that vile world in an instant,
50:04
descending into darkness and limbo before we emerged on the
50:07
other side, our bodies collapsing onto the metal gang way.
50:10
Back at the facility, close it, Cass screamed that there
50:14
was no need as a moment later, the power shut
50:17
down and the link to the other world was broken.
50:20
I struggled to breathe as I adjusted to my surroundings,
50:23
my brain not registering that we were really safe. In
50:26
an instant, we were surrounded by security men, medical staff,
50:29
and technicians, all appearing shocked and frightened, And who could
50:33
blame them. They'd never seen a mission go south this badly.
50:36
A team of nine had made the crossing over to
50:38
Earth two hundred seventeen just twenty four hours later, only
50:42
five had returned without any of the weaponry and equipment
50:45
they'd set out with. The mission had been a total
50:48
cluster fuck, and I dreaded the inevitable hours in days
50:51
of debriefing which would surely follow. But that's not what
50:55
really scared me. I couldn't forget about Steiner, the commander
50:58
who'd seen our trans Do Mentional Portal firsthand and was
51:01
now in possession of all our teens equipment, the Nazi
51:04
fuck which surely report his findings back to his superiors,
51:08
and who's to say that capable to building their own
51:10
TDP given time. The thought of those monsters crossing over
51:14
to our world keeps me up at night.
51:17
Speaker 2: Still.
51:18
Speaker 1: I thought Earth two hundred and seventeen was the worst
51:20
we would ever encounter, but once again I was wrong.
51:24
There are parallel worlds out there just as bad and
51:27
perhaps even worse. I know because I've been to them,
51:31
And if the FEDS don't track me down before then,
51:34
I'll tell you all about these healthcaps, because this is
51:37
shit people need to know. Until next time, my friends, Hello, friends,
52:00
and fellow seekers of truth, I'm pleased to report that
52:04
I am still alive and at large for the time being.
52:08
Speaker 2: At least.
52:10
Speaker 1: For those of you who haven't read my initial account,
52:13
I suggest you catch up here before reading any further.
52:17
To recap I am a whistleblower working within a top
52:20
secret government project jointly funded by the DoD and billionaire
52:25
one percenters our goal to open trans dimensional portals and
52:33
visit parallel universes. Needless to say, the US government doesn't
52:38
want the public knowing about this highly classified project, and
52:42
so I'm taking a huge risk by revealing the details
52:46
of these secret missions. But I believe people need to
52:51
know the truth of what these people are doing and
52:54
what huge dangers they're exposing us to. My first mission
53:00
in the visit to Earth two seventeen is a case
53:03
in point Nazis and werewolves. I mean, that's some crazy shit, right.
53:09
I wouldn't have believed it was possible had I not
53:12
seen the monsters with my own two eyes. And I'll
53:15
never forget the predatory gaze of that bastard Steiner, the
53:19
Aryan hunter who wiped out half of our team, and
53:25
he saw the portal. He knows that we crossed over
53:28
from an alternate version of Earth. Given their level of technology,
53:33
I see no reason why those Nazi fucks can't build
53:36
their own TDP, And this fear keeps me up at night.
53:42
I survived Earth to seventeen by the skin of my teeth,
53:45
but that wasn't the end of my career of transdimensional exploration.
53:50
Far from it. But before I continue my tale of woe,
53:54
I think it's worth letting you know my current status.
53:58
At the time I wrote my account of the Botched
54:01
Earth to seventeen Visit, I was officially on suspension from
54:04
my post, pending a psychological examination. To be fair, I
54:10
hadn't been in the best state of mind and I
54:12
wasn't really thinking straight when I published my account.
54:16
Speaker 2: Don't get me.
54:17
Speaker 1: Wrong, I don't regret telling my story to the world,
54:20
but I wanted to preserve my anonymity and failed to
54:23
do so. True, I didn't reveal my name or exact
54:26
role in the project, but I let slip too many
54:29
details of the operation, and so it wouldn't have been
54:33
too difficult for my employers to identify me. I knew
54:38
I'd fucked up as soon as I posted to my account.
54:41
Now I'm officially on the run. Of course, I can't
54:45
reveal my location. All I can say is that I'm
54:47
no longer in the US, and I don't stay in
54:50
the same place for long. The CIA and NSA are
54:54
surely looking for me, and these people have eyes everywhere.
54:58
And if the Americans don't get me, then Russians or
55:01
Chinese probably will several foreign governments are racing to build
55:06
their own TDPs, and no doubt they want access to
55:10
the information I have in my head. So, simply put,
55:14
my time is almost up, but I want to stay
55:17
free long enough to finish my story. When I look back,
55:21
I realized I should have run for the hills after
55:24
the disastrous and bloody mission to Earth two seventeen. There
55:29
are a few reasons why I wouldn't and didn't do so,
55:32
which I'll try my best to explain. As you'd expect,
55:37
our employers and benefactors, of course, weren't happy about the
55:43
clusterfuck over in Nazi world, as it became known within
55:48
the project. What followed was a temporary suspension of all
55:52
missions while a thorough debriefing and investigation was undertaken. I
55:58
lost count of how many hours I see spent in
56:00
windowless briefing rooms, grilled by hard nosed military officers and
56:05
anonymous government officials, while impatient tech billionaires watched on through
56:10
unsubtle two way mirrors. All the surviving members of the
56:15
team were subjected to the same interrogation, made to recount
56:19
the horrific events of Earth two seventeen over and over again.
56:25
Eventually it became clear that they wanted a scapegoat for
56:28
the bloody failure of our mission, and they found one.
56:32
Our deceased Commander Custer, not his real name, of course,
56:36
took the blame for the deaths on two seventeen. After all,
56:41
he had ordered the disastrous recommission into the seemingly abandoned
56:45
ghost Town, leading our team straight into a deadly ambush.
56:49
Speaker 2: Perhaps he was.
56:50
Speaker 1: Acting on orders from higher up, but Custer wasn't around
56:53
to defend himself, and so he made a convenient scapegoat.
56:58
Our benefactors wanted and the TDP missions to continue. They'd
57:03
invested too much time and money to shut it down,
57:05
and therefore a few token changes were made to the
57:08
command structure and our operational protocols, and after a couple
57:13
of weeks, we were given the go ahead to start
57:15
up again business as usual. There were some personnel changes
57:21
after the two seventeen disaster. One of the survivors, a
57:25
tech called Huan, had quit soon after our return. He'd
57:29
seen his best friend cut to pieces by machine gun
57:32
bullets and that was enough for him. Several others also
57:36
quit the project, even though they'd never set foot on
57:39
two seventeen. The stories of what happened on Nazi world
57:43
scared them shitless.
57:46
Speaker 2: Did I consider leaving.
57:49
Speaker 1: Certainly, the horrors I'd witnessed over there almost broke me.
57:53
As you've probably guessed, I'm not a military man, and
57:56
I'd never witnessed combat or bloodshed before i'd received training.
58:02
But nothing could prepare you for seeing a genetically modified
58:05
werewolf tearing human beings to fucking shreds. So why did
58:12
I stay.
58:14
Speaker 2: Well?
58:15
Speaker 1: Part of it was down to stubbornness and a determination
58:18
not to be beaten, but for the most part, it
58:21
was due to loyalty. Loyalty to the two strongest women
58:25
in my life. First was Kaz. If you've read my
58:30
account of the two seventeen blood bath, you'll know Kaz
58:33
saved my life on multiple occasions, literally pulling me from
58:37
near death and dragging me home. Kaz was just about
58:41
the only person to come out well from the two
58:43
seventeen debacle, and the powers that be gave her a
58:46
well deserved promotion, making Kaz a team leader for future missions.
58:52
I reckon Kaz is one of the strongest people I've
58:54
ever known, and I respected her a lot as she
58:58
was leading missions I wanted to be by herself. Maybe
59:01
I'd get the opportunity to repay the debt. The other
59:05
woman in my life was Helen, the geologist from the
59:09
two seventeen mission who'd played only a small role in
59:12
the botched operation. There was always a chemistry between Helen
59:17
and I. We'd been close during training and had nearly
59:20
hooked up a few times. We'd resisted because there was
59:24
a strict ban on romantic relationships between team members, and
59:28
the penalty for breaking this rule was instant expulsion from
59:31
the project. But things changed after two seventeen. Helen found
59:39
me late one night in our barracks canteen. I'd been
59:43
drinking and was in a state of distress, struggling to
59:46
cope with the trauma of what I'd witnessed. Helen took
59:49
a glass and comforted me. Emotions were running high, and
59:53
we ended up in bed together. I suppose it was
59:57
a mistake, but it certainly didn't feel like one. We
1:00:01
agreed to keep seeing each other in secret, keeping our
1:00:04
relationship hidden from our bosses. We talked about leaving the
1:00:09
project and starting a new life together, but in truth,
1:00:13
I knew this wasn't what Helen wanted. She hadn't seen
1:00:16
the full horrors of Earth two seventeen and still held
1:00:20
an idealistic yearning for adventure. She wanted to discover new
1:00:25
worlds and considered her work on the project as the
1:00:28
opportunity of a lifetime, and there seemed no way she
1:00:32
would walk away from this. The other survivor of two
1:00:38
seventeen was the doc, our medical attendant who'd failed to
1:00:44
save Custer's life after the werewolf attack. The doc had
1:00:48
been oddly unaffected by the horrors on two seventeen. He
1:00:52
continued to act in a bizarre manner and didn't engage
1:00:55
much with the other team members. Nevertheless, the medical man
1:00:59
clearly had no intention of leaving the project. Believe it
1:01:04
or not, the first few missions conducted after two seventeen
1:01:08
all went.
1:01:09
Speaker 2: Without a hitch.
1:01:10
Speaker 1: We visited alternate worlds not too dissimilar to our own,
1:01:14
took our samples, and carried out our research. We kept
1:01:18
our heads low and returned home without any losses or
1:01:21
putting the findings to our superiors. So far, so good.
1:01:26
But all these cake walks started making people complacent, and
1:01:31
our benefactors were relentless. They kept on ordering new missions
1:01:36
in their search for a Goldilocks world, an untapped alternate
1:01:39
Earth suitable for colonization and excavation. They'd invested too much
1:01:46
money on this project to not see it through to
1:01:48
its conclusion, and we went along with their insane plan.
1:01:54
I suppose it's like any dangerous activity one might undertake,
1:01:57
whether it's swimming with the sharks or free diving off
1:01:59
the side of a cliff. You might be fine nine
1:02:03
times out of ten, but on the tenth occasion you'll
1:02:06
end up losing a limb or cracking your skull open.
1:02:09
And we got lucky for a time, but then we
1:02:12
visited Earth three twelve and it all went to hell.
1:02:17
I'd like to say I felt the same dread in
1:02:20
the moments before we crossed over to three twelve, but
1:02:23
I didn't. I'd been on six missions by this point,
1:02:27
and the previous five had gone without a hitch. Kaz
1:02:30
was leading the team, and she exerted a quiet confidence. Kaz, Helen,
1:02:35
the doc, and I had achieved something of legendary status
1:02:38
within the project. The newer team members all looked up
1:02:42
to us, knowing we'd survived the disaster. On two seventeen.
1:02:47
Our team had been strengthened to ten men and women,
1:02:51
half of which were security personnel. We also had access
1:02:55
to heavier weapons, such as a portable stinger missile. I
1:02:59
was certain we wouldn't fall into the same trap as before.
1:03:05
The crossing over was routine. I recall standing in line,
1:03:09
equipment at the ready as the spectrometer came to life
1:03:11
and power.
1:03:12
Speaker 2: Surged through the conductors.
1:03:15
Speaker 1: It was always terrifying for me when the bunker lit
1:03:17
up and the portal was opened, creating an impossible entryway
1:03:21
to another dimension. But when I looked into Helen's eyes,
1:03:25
I saw her excitement, the thrill she experienced as the
1:03:29
prospect of discovering a new world hit her.
1:03:34
Speaker 2: This is what she lived for.
1:03:38
Speaker 1: Kaz wasn't one for big speeches. Her goal was to
1:03:41
ensure all our personnel and equipment got through within the
1:03:44
tight two minute window. This task was achieved with typical
1:03:48
military efficiency, as men and women pushed bikes and steel
1:03:52
containers down the purposefully built rails and towards the gateway
1:03:56
while Kaz screamed and encouragement. I took a deep breath
1:04:02
before it was my turn to cross, pausing briefly as
1:04:05
I experienced a moment of hesitation before I mustered the
1:04:09
courage to walk through the fluid membrane. There followed the
1:04:14
usual period of intense panic. I couldn't breathe as my
1:04:18
brain reacted to the fact that I technically didn't exist
1:04:21
in any universe at that moment. But as always, this
1:04:27
hellish state of limbo only lasted the briefest of flashes.
1:04:32
Seconds later, my body spilled out on the other side
1:04:36
and I landed heavily in the dirt. I gasped for
1:04:40
breath as I struggled to recompose myself. Thankfully I didn't vomit.
1:04:44
Speaker 2: On this occasion.
1:04:46
Speaker 1: It wouldn't have looked good if I puked in front
1:04:47
of the new recruits. Helen was there for me, as always,
1:04:52
helping me to my feet and greeting me with a
1:04:54
coy smile. Helen wasn't affected by the experience as severely
1:04:59
as I was, and it was always a relief to
1:05:02
see her face on the other side. You okay, she
1:05:08
asked softly. Yeah, I'm fine, I answered, trying to sound manly.
1:05:14
As I got up on my two feet, I observed
1:05:18
the security team setting up a defensive perimeter and the
1:05:21
technicians activating our equipment, preparing to begin their analysis. I
1:05:26
looked across the landscape and across at the rising sun,
1:05:30
seeing rolling hills, trees, and bushes. Nothing I would consider abnormal,
1:05:36
but of course appearances can be deceptive. Helen gently touched
1:05:42
me on my shoulder, whispering in my.
1:05:44
Speaker 4: Ear, well, honey, I guess we better get back to work.
1:05:50
Speaker 1: I nodded my head, glancing longingly at Helen and staring
1:05:54
into her deep green eyes for a brief moment before
1:05:57
I caught myself more than anything to embrace and kiss
1:06:02
her right then and there, but knew I couldn't. She
1:06:06
smiled at me before breaking eye contact and marching off
1:06:09
towards her work, and I did the same, preparing for
1:06:14
the coming hours where it would be my task to
1:06:17
watch and analyze the intercepted broadcasts and drone footage. And
1:06:22
what I saw sickened me to my very soul. We
1:06:32
reconvened that afternoon to share the results of our analysis,
1:06:36
sitting cross legged in the middle of our base camp
1:06:39
as Kaz carefully listened to what we had to say.
1:06:43
The briefings from Helen and the others proved unremarkable. There
1:06:47
was nothing in the atmosphere of the soil, which could
1:06:50
cause concern on the surface. Earth three twelve looked not
1:06:55
too much different from our own world. I sat and
1:06:58
listened in silence, my stomach churning. Is the horrifying images
1:07:02
I'd seen permeated my subconscious. When it was finally my
1:07:06
turn to speak, I could hardly open my quaking lips.
1:07:11
Eventually Kaz had to prompt me.
1:07:14
Speaker 3: Well, what have you got for us? Judging by the
1:07:17
look on your face, it's not good news.
1:07:19
Speaker 2: Man.
1:07:20
Speaker 1: Was she right? I thought, but didn't say so. The
1:07:27
television broadcasts we intercepted are disturbing. Every channel seems to
1:07:33
focus on extreme pornography and violence.
1:07:38
Speaker 2: Not much different from back home, then.
1:07:40
Speaker 1: Quipped Jackson, one of our team's technicians. A sharp look
1:07:44
from Kaz was enough to shut them up, and reluctantly,
1:07:47
I continued, the images I've seen are well in excess
1:07:52
of anything I've witnessed before, and they certainly have no
1:07:55
artistic merit that I can see. The violence is graphic
1:07:58
but also rualistic in nature.
1:08:02
Speaker 3: What do you mean like human sacrifices?
1:08:05
Speaker 2: Exactly?
1:08:07
Speaker 1: I confirmed, with the lump in my throat. I'm no
1:08:12
expert on cinematography, but I have some experience of violence.
1:08:16
Based on what I've seen, I believe these people are
1:08:18
filming and broadcasting real assaults and murders.
1:08:22
Speaker 3: And who are these people? What do we know about
1:08:25
the society on this world?
1:08:27
Speaker 1: Kas interjected. She held my gaze while waiting for my answer.
1:08:33
The rest of the team were also listening intently. There
1:08:36
were no more jokes. In fact, the tension was almost unbearable.
1:08:40
In the fear palpable, No doubt, everyone was thinking of
1:08:44
the bloodbath on two seventeen and fearing a repeat. In reality,
1:08:49
I hadn't told them the half of it. The vile
1:08:52
images i'd seen, brutal assaults, torture, sessions, cannibalism, and almost
1:08:59
defied belief. The society here is vastly different from our own,
1:09:06
I continued, basically stating the obvious. The population has a
1:09:11
twisted moral compass. Indeed, it's difficult to see any sense
1:09:15
of morality or compassion whatsoever. They have a religion of sorts,
1:09:20
but it appears to be steeped in a dark, ritualistic cruelty.
1:09:26
Based on what I've seen, I believe the entire basis
1:09:29
of their society is violence and sadism, But in spite
1:09:35
of all this, the civilization of this world is technologically
1:09:39
advanced and, in my opinion, extremely dangerous. You could have
1:09:47
heard a pin drop at that moment. I looked around
1:09:50
the faces of my team members and noted their collective
1:09:53
look of horror. I caught Helen's eye for a moment
1:10:00
her gaze. She smiled in an attempt to reassure me,
1:10:04
but I could sense something was off with her. Kaz
1:10:08
didn't show any outward signs of emotion, however, as her
1:10:12
hardened gaze cut right through me, she spoke up to
1:10:15
make herself heard over the panicked mutters of her team.
1:10:20
Speaker 3: What about the drone footage? What did the UAV pick up?
1:10:24
Speaker 1: She demanded? I broke eye contact, shaking my head. Well,
1:10:29
the local area is more heavily populated than in our
1:10:33
own world, and the nearby town appears to be something
1:10:36
of a hub. This obviously wasn't good. The success of
1:10:41
our mission dependent on our team getting in and out
1:10:44
without drawing attention, and obviously this was less likely if
1:10:48
there were more people around. But this wasn't even the
1:10:51
half of it.
1:10:53
Speaker 3: Did you see any potential threats?
1:10:56
Speaker 1: Kaz asked carefully bringing the conversation back to Businesess, I
1:11:01
actually didn't have the words to answer this question. Instead,
1:11:05
I opened a new window on my laptop, playing a
1:11:08
recording of the video footage taken by the drone as
1:11:10
it flew over the nearby town. Kaz and the team
1:11:14
huddled around, all watching closely as the scene played out.
1:11:19
The drone hovered over what, at a glance, appeared to
1:11:23
be a typical small town in Middle America. Unlike the
1:11:27
long abandoned ghost town we'd found in Earth two seventeen,
1:11:31
this version was a thriving settlement with well maintained streets,
1:11:35
well stocked stores, and modern automobiles driven by seemingly normal people.
1:11:41
The central hub of the town was a large building
1:11:44
which looked like some sort of temple, complete with a
1:11:47
steeple and adorned with unfamiliar symbols. This was unusual, but
1:11:52
nothing of great concern. That was until the camera zoomed
1:11:55
in on a scene of utter horror. We saw were
1:12:01
three human bodies, all naked, one woman and two men.
1:12:07
All three had been impaled, and I mean literally fucking impaled,
1:12:13
with steel spikes driven through them from anus to mouth.
1:12:17
Their lifeless pale faces staring up into the sky while
1:12:21
their limp bodies hung like sides of beef, slowly decomposing
1:12:26
in the cool autumn air. It was truly horrific. Fuck,
1:12:33
someone swore, Jesus Christ, exclaimed another, and I heard someone
1:12:39
wretching in the background. Perhaps I shouldn't have shown these
1:12:44
awful images without a warning, but I couldn't think of
1:12:46
any other way to alert them to the seriousness of
1:12:49
our situation. Things might have descended into anarchy at that moment,
1:12:54
but luckily Kas took control and restored order.
1:12:59
Speaker 3: Listen up, people, she shouted, this is not the time
1:13:03
to panic. We've been in this situation before and learned
1:13:06
from our mistakes. I have no intention of leading our
1:13:08
team down there. We stay here, secure the perimeter, and
1:13:12
sit tight until they reopen the portal.
1:13:14
Speaker 2: She paused to look at her watch.
1:13:17
Speaker 3: Extraction is in eighteen hours. If we keep our heads down,
1:13:20
no one will notice we're here, and we'll all get
1:13:22
home in one piece. Now, you all know your jobs,
1:13:25
remember your training, and get to it.
1:13:27
Speaker 1: Her pep talk seemed to do the job, as my
1:13:30
team members nodded their heads in acknowledgment and moved out.
1:13:34
I wished I could share their confidence. Shir Kaz was
1:13:37
a good leader and she wouldn't fuck things up like
1:13:40
Custer had. But still, eighteen hours was a long time
1:13:44
to be stuck in a hostile environment, and I had
1:13:47
a terrible feeling that history was repeating itself. The next
1:13:58
few hours passed by in relative peace. There was a
1:14:02
downpour of rain during the afternoon, which left us soaked
1:14:05
and did little to improve our already low morale. The
1:14:09
atmosphere was tense, but didn't descend into panic. We all
1:14:13
had our jobs to do. But I'd be lying if
1:14:16
I said I wasn't watching the clock the whole time.
1:14:20
I was thankful to get some alone time with Helen.
1:14:22
As we crouched down together hidden behind a stack of
1:14:25
steel containers, we shared a passionate kiss before speaking in
1:14:31
hushed tones to avoid being overheard. I know you're worried,
1:14:35
Helen said sympathetically as she held me tight and looked
1:14:39
deep into my eyes.
1:14:42
Speaker 4: But it's going to be okay. This isn't two seventeen.
1:14:45
Kaz knows what she's doing, and she'll get us home safe.
1:14:48
We'll never have to visit this hell world again.
1:14:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, I suppose I replied, without much confidence. I just
1:14:58
can't understand why people do the things. How can they
1:15:01
treat their fellow human beings with such cruelty. It's it's
1:15:05
fucking sick. The light in Helen's eyes faded as she
1:15:10
broke my gaze and shook her head in disgust.
1:15:15
Speaker 4: I know it's evil, pure and simple. I don't think
1:15:19
I fully understood until now, seeing those bodies with spikes
1:15:22
driven through them put out on display like.
1:15:25
Speaker 6: Fucking Christmas trees. Sick doesn't even cover it.
1:15:29
Speaker 1: She paused briefly, and when she raised her head, I
1:15:32
saw tears forming in her beautiful eyes.
1:15:36
Speaker 4: You know, I always thought of these missions as adventures.
1:15:40
I loved the idea of discovering and exploring new worlds,
1:15:43
and I guess I was blind to the risks. Even
1:15:46
when I saw that poor guy getting killed on two seventeen,
1:15:49
I still.
1:15:50
Speaker 3: Didn't get it. I didn't get where you were coming from.
1:15:53
Speaker 1: I listened intently, wondering where she was going with this.
1:15:58
Speaker 4: I think this mission should be last. I want to
1:16:01
leave the project so we can be together, so we
1:16:04
can start a life together.
1:16:06
Speaker 1: Uh are you sure, I blurted out, hardly believing what
1:16:11
I was hearing. In that moment, I felt total elation.
1:16:16
She nodded her head in the affirmative, and I hugged
1:16:18
her in a tight embrace as tears ran down my cheek.
1:16:23
Speaker 4: Thank you, I whispered, dry these tears, big boy, She replied,
1:16:31
we need to get back to our posts before we're missed.
1:16:34
Speaker 1: I nodded my head, composing myself before I kissed Helen
1:16:38
with all the passion I could muster. Then we emerged
1:16:41
from our hiding place, returning to our work with a
1:16:44
renewed sense of hope. But of course I wasn't complacent
1:16:49
because we were still a long way from home and
1:16:51
by no means safe. It wasn't long before the peace
1:16:56
was broken as our tech team alerted Kaz to a situation.
1:17:02
Jackson had gathered everybody around to watch his screen, and
1:17:06
what we saw was the live footage from the aerial
1:17:09
drone which was conducting a security sweep of the vicinity.
1:17:14
It hovered over a small road which led up the
1:17:16
hillside close to our base camp. I was horrified to
1:17:20
see a small convoy of SUVs speeding along the narrow road,
1:17:25
loaded up with armed men and women, all carrying what
1:17:28
looked like hunting.
1:17:29
Speaker 2: Rifles, fuck, cass swore.
1:17:33
Speaker 1: A moment later, a gunman riding in the rear of
1:17:36
the lead suv spotted our drone. He quickly raised his
1:17:40
rifle and opened fire, hitting the drone and ending the feed.
1:17:43
And we all just stood there, dumbstruck and staring at
1:17:47
the now blank screen. I felt a cold chill running
1:17:51
down my spine as I realized my worst fear had
1:17:53
come to pass. The sick fox knew we were here,
1:17:58
and they were coming for us once again. The camp
1:18:02
might have descended into blind mania, but Kaz took charge.
1:18:06
Speaker 3: Okay, people, this is bad, but we always knew it
1:18:09
was a possibility, and we've planned for this scenario. I'll
1:18:12
lead a team and draw the hostels away from this location.
1:18:15
If necessary, we'll engage and neutralize the enemy. The rest
1:18:18
of the team will stay here and secure the camp.
1:18:20
When it's time, we'll meet you back here and complete
1:18:22
the evac. Is everybody clear?
1:18:24
Speaker 1: We all nodded and answered in the affirmative. It was
1:18:28
a risky plan, but we had no other choice. Kaz
1:18:32
took three of her security people with her as they
1:18:35
descended down the hillside, Armed to the teeth. She left
1:18:39
one man behind to defend the base, a twitchy military
1:18:43
veteran named Carter, and the rest of us were civilians
1:18:47
with little to no combat experience. In addition to Helen
1:18:51
and myself, there was Doc, our medical attendant and fellow
1:18:55
two seventeen survivor, and our two technicians, a middle aged
1:19:00
man named Jackson and a younger woman called Rachel. The
1:19:05
light was fading by this point, the sun slowly disappearing
1:19:08
on the far horizon. The onset of darkness brought a
1:19:12
new level of fear to an already tense situation. The
1:19:15
only one unaffected was the Doc, who seemed disconnected from
1:19:19
reality as he stared out into the abyss. We warily
1:19:25
looked out upon the foliage which surrounded our base camp,
1:19:29
jumping at every gust of wind or snapped twig. Carter
1:19:33
kept in radio contact with Kaz and her team, who
1:19:36
were closing in on the armored convoy. Prospect of a
1:19:40
gun battle only added to our anxiety.
1:19:44
Speaker 2: The only thing.
1:19:45
Speaker 1: Which kept me going was Helen, as I stayed by
1:19:49
her side and dreamt of the future we'd have together
1:19:53
if we got out of this healscape.
1:19:55
Speaker 7: That is.
1:19:56
Speaker 1: Suddenly, Carter abandoned his radio call and focused his attention
1:20:01
on the darkened perimeter. What the fuck was that, he exclaimed,
1:20:05
dropping down onto one knee and aiming as M four
1:20:08
towards the tree line. I couldn't see a thing, but
1:20:12
obviously he had, and his military instincts were kicking in.
1:20:17
Get behind me, he whispered, whilst preparing his rifle to fire.
1:20:23
But he never got the chance. A second later, a
1:20:30
shot rang out and Carter fell to the dirt like
1:20:33
a lifeless rag doll. I gasped in horror as I
1:20:37
looked down upon our guardian's corpse and saw the bullet
1:20:40
had torn through his right eye, apparently killing him instantly.
1:20:45
Jesus Christ, I swore in dismay. Helen screamed when she
1:20:50
saw the body, while Jackson and Rachel ran to Carter's side.
1:20:53
But then two further shots rang out, except they sounded different,
1:20:58
this time a soft popping sound rather than a harsh
1:21:02
crack of a rifle. I saw our two technicians fall
1:21:06
in quick succession, looking at their bodies and seeing what
1:21:10
I thought were tranquilizer darts protruding from their chests. Shit,
1:21:16
I swore again, as I almost succumbed a blind panic. Instead,
1:21:20
I grabbed Helen's hand and screamed in her ear, We've
1:21:24
got to get out of here. But it was already
1:21:28
too late. There was another soft pop, and a third
1:21:31
dart struck Helen in her rib cage. She let out
1:21:35
a surprised gasp as she fell. I caught her body
1:21:39
in my arms, crying her name as I watched her
1:21:41
eyes roll into her head, and a moment later she
1:21:44
lost consciousness. I gently laid my lever down on the grass,
1:21:50
the anger swelling up inside me. As I stood, determined
1:21:53
to face our attackers, no matter what the risk. I
1:21:58
saw a figure emerge from the tree line, wearing furs
1:22:01
and a mask fashioned from.
1:22:02
Speaker 2: An animal skull.
1:22:04
Speaker 1: He carried some kind of rifle which was aimed directly
1:22:07
at me. I guessed that this was the tranquilizer gun
1:22:11
he'd used to shoot the others. I stood up to
1:22:15
the hunter, my heart full of rage and defiance. He
1:22:19
placed his finger on the trigger and called out, in
1:22:21
open mockery, do you surrender? Came the booming voice. Go
1:22:28
fuck yourself, I shot back, He laughed cruelly, before firing
1:22:34
a single shot. The dart struck me in the chest
1:22:37
only an inch from my heart. I felt a stab
1:22:40
of pain as the air was sucked from my lungs
1:22:43
and all the strength left my body. Before I knew it,
1:22:47
I was falling, my limp body crashing heavily to the ground,
1:22:52
and a moment later, my eyes shut and darkness overcame me.
1:23:02
I awoke to screaming, my brain alerting me to the danger,
1:23:06
even though my body was still trying to recover from
1:23:09
the shock. I thought through the pain as I struggled
1:23:12
to open my eyes. I also couldn't move, and soon
1:23:16
discovered why. As they'd bound me to a chair and
1:23:19
secured my neck using a leather collar. I was completely helpless,
1:23:24
and at the mercy of my captors, I groggy opened
1:23:29
my eyes and tried to make sense of my surroundings.
1:23:32
They were holding me hostage inside a building which I
1:23:35
can only describe as a cross between a church and
1:23:38
a torture chamber, with a foul stench and only a
1:23:41
dim light emanating from the candles and lanterns. Rows of
1:23:46
pews were set up throughout the hall, all facing towards
1:23:49
an altar adorned with what looked like Satanic symbols and tapestries.
1:23:54
Depicting images of extreme violence and bloodshed. But this wasn't
1:23:59
the worst of it, not by a long shot. I
1:24:05
saw Helen in front of the altar, bound to what
1:24:08
looked like a medical gurney. Her clothes had been removed
1:24:12
and they dressed her in a white gown which barely
1:24:15
covered her naked flesh. In a panic, I called out
1:24:19
her name and fought against my binds, but to no avail.
1:24:23
It's the worst feeling in the world to see someone
1:24:26
you love in such danger, in being unable to help them. Thankfully,
1:24:32
Helen was still unconscious at this point. I could see
1:24:36
her chest rising, and so knew that she was still breathing,
1:24:40
but otherwise she was completely oblivious. So where was the
1:24:44
screaming coming from? Who was emitting the cries of agony
1:24:48
ringing in my ears? I soon got my answer as
1:24:53
I looked up above the altar, and what I saw
1:24:56
both sickened and terrified me. It was Jack, our technician.
1:25:02
They'd literally crucified him, nailing him to a cross with
1:25:06
spikes forced through his wrists and ankles. Clearly he was
1:25:11
in immense pain as he screamed and begged for mercy.
1:25:15
Speaker 2: Please it get me down from here. It fucking hurts
1:25:18
so bad.
1:25:19
Speaker 1: As I glanced around the hall, I saw four figures
1:25:22
standing guard, all dressed in the same manner as the
1:25:25
hunter who'd captured me. Figures adorned in animal firs and
1:25:30
masks fashioned from skulls, and with either tranquilizer guns or
1:25:33
hunting rifles slung along their shoulders. They looked on dispassionately,
1:25:39
ignoring Jackson's pleas for mercy as they maintained their ghoulish vigil.
1:25:45
A moment later, a new figure opened and entered the room,
1:25:50
a woman with blood red hair and wearing robes to match.
1:25:54
She glided down the aisle with the utmost confidence, and
1:25:57
all the assembled hunters moved to make way for her.
1:26:01
She looked down upon me like I was nothing, her
1:26:04
dark eyes full of malice. This woman was beautiful, for sure,
1:26:08
but I could tell that she was very dangerous. The
1:26:13
mood darkened when she entered, and I noted the array
1:26:17
of sharp daggers she carried in a belt fastened around
1:26:20
her red robes.
1:26:22
Speaker 6: Fresh meat for our sacrifice.
1:26:25
Speaker 1: She said, whilst looking over me with total contempt. Somehow
1:26:32
I managed to open my mouth and speak through quaking lips.
1:26:36
Speaker 2: You can't do.
1:26:37
Speaker 6: This, Oh can I? And who's going to stop me?
1:26:43
Speaker 1: You, the woman replied in open mockery. You don't understand,
1:26:49
I continued frantically. We're not from your world, We're not
1:26:52
part of This has nothing to do with us. Oh,
1:26:57
I'm afraid they know all too well who you are
1:27:00
and where you come from. My newcomer spoke these words,
1:27:05
and to my shock, I recognized the voice. I turned
1:27:09
my head as far as my restrictive collar would allow,
1:27:12
and came face to face with Doc, our team's medical man,
1:27:17
who had forgotten all about during the chaos of our capture.
1:27:21
To my astonishment, Doc wasn't bound like the rest of us.
1:27:26
In fact, he walked freely by the side of the
1:27:28
Red Priestess, acting like her ally rather than her prisoner.
1:27:33
Speaker 2: Doc.
1:27:34
Speaker 1: What the hell are you doing, I exclaimed in confusion.
1:27:39
Oh I am sorry, my old friend, he replied calmly.
1:27:44
But I've told them everything they know, all about the
1:27:48
project and the TDP technology, and I've committed to working
1:27:51
alongside them going forward. I shook my head in disbelief.
1:27:58
I'd always known there was something off with the Doc,
1:28:00
but had never imagined he'd do something like this. A
1:28:04
dozen questions were racing through my head at that moment,
1:28:07
but I asked the most obvious why. The doc nodded
1:28:12
his head before answering this society seems brutish to us,
1:28:18
But have you considered the possibilities here? We have a
1:28:23
people and constrained by conventional morality. Imagine the potential for
1:28:28
scientific advancement. Think what we can discover about the human
1:28:32
mind and body when you push a man to the
1:28:36
very limits of physical and psychological endurance. Theirs is an
1:28:41
offer I simply cannot refuse, and frankly, I think our
1:28:47
higher ups would appreciate the work I could do here.
1:28:52
The rage welled up inside of me. The doc's betrayal
1:28:55
was unforgivable. You fucking traitor, I screamed. Okay, interrupted the
1:29:02
red woman.
1:29:03
Speaker 6: That's enough talk. Silence him.
1:29:06
Speaker 1: She motioned to one of the masked hunters, and he
1:29:09
advanced upon me, roughly jamming a ballgag into my mouth
1:29:13
and securing it firmly. I tried to cry out in protest,
1:29:17
but my voice was muffled by the gag, and I
1:29:20
was entirely helpless and unable to resist.
1:29:23
Speaker 8: Bring out the next tribute A moment later, two of
1:29:28
the hunters dragged out our second technician, Rachel, force marching
1:29:33
her towards the waiting altar.
1:29:36
Speaker 1: She kicked and screamed the entire way, somehow breaking free
1:29:39
from their grasp and kicking one of the hunter's hard
1:29:42
in the testicles. She tried to flee down the aisle,
1:29:47
but the Red priestess reacted in an instant, pulling a
1:29:50
knife from her belt and throwing it through the air.
1:29:55
The blade struck Rachel between her shoulder blades, and she
1:29:58
fell to the floor, letting out a pained cry before
1:30:01
she stopped moving. Damn it, screamed the Red woman as
1:30:06
she directed her anger towards the two masked hunters.
1:30:10
Speaker 9: If you idiots fuck up again, I'll cut you open
1:30:13
and let the worm's feet on your innards.
1:30:16
Speaker 1: The men lowered their heads in shame and fear. Clearly
1:30:20
they knew this was no idle threat.
1:30:23
Speaker 9: She continued, glory to the dark Lord, we offer these
1:30:28
tributes as a sign of our fealty.
1:30:31
Speaker 1: I could only watch an abject horror as she withdrew
1:30:34
another dagger from her belt and advanced towards the altar.
1:30:37
She turned, glaring directly at me. While she spoke her chilling.
1:30:42
Speaker 9: Words, May their fear and pain bring you renewed strength.
1:30:48
Speaker 1: At that moment, she was interrupted by a fresh chorus
1:30:51
of screams from Jackson. The poor bastard literally nailed to
1:30:55
a cross.
1:30:56
Speaker 5: Please, dear God, please.
1:30:58
Speaker 6: Help Me's got the fuck upworm.
1:31:02
Speaker 1: The priestess cried in fury. A second later, she stabbed
1:31:06
him repeatedly in his chest and stomach, brutally ending his
1:31:10
life in a savage attack. To my dismay, Helen shows
1:31:15
that moment to regain consciousness, remaining woozy as she opened
1:31:19
her eyes and struggled against her binds.
1:31:23
Speaker 6: Where am I?
1:31:24
Speaker 3: She whispered, What's happening?
1:31:27
Speaker 1: She said, Growing fearful, I desperately tried to call out
1:31:31
to her, but the gag muffled my cries. The red
1:31:35
woman saw me struggling frantically against my binds and surely
1:31:38
guessed the reason why. With a twisted smile on her lips.
1:31:44
Speaker 9: She said, so this pretty little thing means something to you.
1:31:52
Speaker 1: Tears streamed down my cheeks as I shook my head vigorously. Well,
1:31:59
she continued, with a wicked glint in her eye.
1:32:03
Speaker 9: I'm going to do you a favor. I'll grant your
1:32:05
little girlfriend the mercy of a quick death.
1:32:10
Speaker 1: I watched helplessly, my whole body shaking as I watched
1:32:14
that evil bitch approaching my lover, knife in hand. Helen
1:32:20
was now alert enough to recognize the danger, and I
1:32:24
could see the terror in her eyes and hear the
1:32:26
fear in her voice. What are you doing, Helen screamed.
1:32:32
Speaker 4: Don't do this, Get the fuck away from me.
1:32:36
Speaker 1: The red Woman's sadistic grin widened as she raised her dagger,
1:32:41
holding it above the bound Helen as she cried out
1:32:43
in terror. I made one last desperate attempt to escape
1:32:48
from my binds. Mustering all my strength, I managed to
1:32:52
break the screws which had secured my chair to the ground,
1:32:55
but only succeeded in collapsing to the floor, my wrists
1:32:59
still bound the chair arms. I emitted one last muffled
1:33:05
cry as I looked up in time to see the
1:33:08
dagger stabbing downwards, plunging deep through Helen's chest and into
1:33:15
her heart. I closed my eyes and experienced an indescribable
1:33:28
pain as I wished the ground would.
1:33:31
Speaker 2: Swallow me up.
1:33:35
Speaker 1: Get him up, screamed the priestess, A moment later, I
1:33:41
was being pulled up by two of the masked hunters.
1:33:45
I reluctantly opened my eyes and was devastated to see
1:33:48
Helen's lifeless body lying on the gurney. The red woman
1:33:52
calmly wiped the blood from her dagger before advancing upon me.
1:33:57
Speaker 6: I showed her mercy, she.
1:33:58
Speaker 1: Said, while approaching with the knife in hand, but you.
1:34:02
Speaker 9: Won't be so lucky. I'm going to peel your skin
1:34:05
off piece by piece, keep you alive for as long
1:34:08
as I can. Your agony brings glory to the Lord
1:34:11
of darkness.
1:34:14
Speaker 1: My body shook as I focused on her twisted smile,
1:34:17
predatory eyes and the daggers she brandished so deftly. The
1:34:23
Hunters held me down. As the cold steel touched my
1:34:25
skin and she began to cut. There was a mighty
1:34:34
blast which rocked the room, and then all hell broke loose,
1:34:38
with men screaming and bullets flying. I turned my head
1:34:42
in time to see Kaz and her security team burst
1:34:45
into the hall, laying down suppressing fire with their m thoors.
1:34:50
One after one, the hunters fell under a hail of gunfire,
1:34:54
ruthlessly and efficiently eliminated by Kaz and her men. The
1:34:59
priestess initial seemed taken aback by the sudden assault, but
1:35:03
she soon recovered. Acting out of pure rage.
1:35:08
Speaker 9: How dare you interrupt the sacred ritual?
1:35:12
Speaker 1: She screamed, a split second later, she threw her dagger,
1:35:16
sticking one of the security troops right through his eye,
1:35:19
killing him instantly. Kaz responded at once, screaming.
1:35:25
Speaker 3: Go to hell, bitch.
1:35:27
Speaker 1: She fired a single round from her M four, blowing
1:35:31
the red woman's head clean off. I watched with grim
1:35:35
satisfaction as her body hit the floor. The battle was
1:35:39
over almost as quickly as it had begun. The hellish temple,
1:35:43
now strewn with dead bodies.
1:35:46
Speaker 2: Cut him loose, Kaz.
1:35:48
Speaker 1: Ordered, and a moment later, my gag was removed and
1:35:51
the bind's cut. Once free, my first move was to
1:35:54
run to Helen's side. I still held a slim hope
1:35:58
that she'd survived, but when I saw her cold body
1:36:02
and face strained of blood, I realized that there was
1:36:07
no hope. She was dead and I'd failed to save her.
1:36:17
I cried uncontrollably as I touched her soft skin, still
1:36:23
not wanting to believe I'd really lost her. Kaz grabbed
1:36:29
me by my shoulder, pulling me away from Helen's body.
1:36:32
Speaker 5: We've got to go, she shouted.
1:36:36
Speaker 2: I shook my head vigorously.
1:36:38
Speaker 1: I can't leave her, I replied emotionally. Kaz pulled me closer,
1:36:44
forcing me to look her in the eye.
1:36:46
Speaker 3: She's gone. We need to get out of here, otherwise
1:36:48
we're dead too.
1:36:51
Speaker 1: I didn't want to listen, but I knew that she
1:36:54
was right. Just then, I saw movement out of the
1:36:58
corner of my eye. I looked over Kaz's shoulder and
1:37:02
saw a figure emerging from behind the altar, and it
1:37:05
was a face. I recognized the Doc. Once again. I
1:37:11
had forgotten about him during all the chaos, but evidently
1:37:15
he survived the gun battle. Worse still, I saw he'd
1:37:20
armed himself with one of the discarded hunting rifles, and
1:37:24
he was aiming directly at Kaz's back.
1:37:28
Speaker 2: Look out.
1:37:29
Speaker 1: I screamed as I shoved my team leader out of
1:37:31
the line of fire. A shot rang out. I felt
1:37:38
a searing pain in my shoulder, like I'd been stabbed
1:37:41
with a red hot poker, and suddenly I was falling,
1:37:45
collapsing down to the floor with a bullet inside of me.
1:37:49
I heard shouting and more gunfire before once again I
1:37:53
blacked out. What happened next is something of blur in
1:38:00
my memory. As I dropped in and out of consciousness.
1:38:04
I recall being dragged out of the blood soaked temple
1:38:07
and piled into a commandeered vehicle. There were some further gunfires,
1:38:13
We made a frantic escape out of the town and
1:38:15
sped up the hillside back to the extraction point. I
1:38:23
must have blacked out again at this point, because I
1:38:26
remember nothing about our return to Earth one. My next
1:38:31
memory was waking up in the medical bay after emergency
1:38:33
surgery to my shoulder. The doctors kept telling me how
1:38:38
lucky I was to still be alive, but I sure
1:38:40
as hell didn't feel lucky. And so that's it, My
1:38:48
tragic love story, one of pain, loss and guilt. I
1:38:56
just keep thinking back to our last conversation together, to
1:38:59
our last kiss and embrace. We were so damn close
1:39:07
to being free from all of this. Only a few
1:39:11
short hours and we would have been safe. Now I
1:39:15
can't sleep at night because when I close my eyes,
1:39:18
all I see is that fucking dagger plunging into Helen's heart.
1:39:27
In addition to my personal loss, the Earth three twelve
1:39:32
mission had been a total disaster, even more so than
1:39:35
two seventeen. We'd lost more than half of our team
1:39:39
and once again had left behind our dead and almost
1:39:42
all of our equipment. And what's worse, that treacherous bastard
1:39:48
had escaped during the chaos. Doc was still alive, and
1:39:55
no doubt he would share his entire knowledge of the
1:39:58
project with those six sadistic fus bucks who roll or
1:40:01
three to twelve just to save his own skin. You'd
1:40:07
think that after two disastrous missions and multiple casualties, that
1:40:12
the powers that be would have pulled the plug on
1:40:16
the whole project, But of course they didn't. Those assholes
1:40:22
only care about money and results, not about human lives.
1:40:27
They'll just keep going and going until they get what
1:40:29
they want. It may surprise you, but I decided to
1:40:37
stay on the project even after losing Helen on three twelve.
1:40:42
In fact, I went straight back to work as soon
1:40:44
as my gunshot wound had healed.
1:40:48
Speaker 2: Why, you may ask, It's hard to explain.
1:40:55
Speaker 1: I mean, I suppose I had a death wish after
1:40:57
Helen died. I didn't care whether I lived or died,
1:41:00
as my heart was filled with rage and a lust
1:41:03
for revenge. I wanted to seek out monsters like Steiner
1:41:07
and the Red Priestess and end them. In my warped mind,
1:41:13
I thought I could stop atrocities and save people by
1:41:16
stopping these evil focks. But of course it was futile.
1:41:23
What difference can one man make in a multiverse full
1:41:27
of horrors? Okay, I need to go now. It's time
1:41:40
to move on from this place, assuming I avoid the
1:41:44
grasp of the various government agencies.
1:41:46
Speaker 2: Hunting me down.
1:41:48
Speaker 1: I intend to tell you one last story, an account
1:41:52
of an earth ruled by monsters from another planet. Until
1:42:00
next time, my friends, stay safe. Greetings, friends and truth seekers.
1:42:38
I'm writing this with a heavy heart, and I believe
1:42:41
this will be my last account before the government catches
1:42:44
up with me. I've had too many close calls already,
1:42:48
and I know my luck will run out, And to
1:42:51
be honest, I'm tired of running. This is no way
1:42:55
to live. To recap, I am a whistleblower and former
1:43:00
participant in a top secret government run experiment. It's objective
1:43:06
to open portals to alternate universes, deploy survey teams, and
1:43:11
seek out a world fit for a seed colony. If
1:43:16
you haven't read my previous accounts. I suggest you do
1:43:19
so now. Once you've learned the true extent of the
1:43:23
horrors on Earth two seventeen and three twelve, I hope
1:43:27
you'll understand why I've done this, why I've effectively sacrificed
1:43:32
my own life to tell the world the truth. The
1:43:37
bloodbath on Earth three twelve really fucked me up. I
1:43:42
don't think there's any way to describe what it's like
1:43:44
to see the woman you love brutally murdered in front
1:43:47
of your eyes, all while being powerless to prevent it.
1:43:53
That horrifying memory will haunt me to my dying day.
1:43:59
The V twelve mission was a disaster, and once again
1:44:03
our bosses, government officials, senior military officers, and tech billionaires.
1:44:09
They all wanted answers. Weeks of investigations and recriminations inevitably followed.
1:44:19
We never discovered the history of Earth three twelve or
1:44:22
the truth behind the brutal society which inhabited it. Our
1:44:26
anthropology team has various theories based upon our findings, perhaps
1:44:30
a civilization where Satanism became the dominant world religion, or
1:44:35
a death cult who'd somehow formed a functioning global government.
1:44:40
Naturally nobody's in a rush to go back there and
1:44:43
start asking those psychopaths questions. Unfortunately, they know all about us.
1:44:49
Thanks to the traitor on our team, Doc our medical
1:44:54
attendant on three twelve defected and joined the enemy, jumping
1:44:58
at the opportunity to form his twisted experiments on live
1:45:02
human subjects. In exchange, he will tell his sadistic new
1:45:08
masters everything he knows about trans dimensional portal travel, no
1:45:14
doubt helping them to develop their own technology. The heavy
1:45:18
losses on three twelve didn't deter the powers that be, however.
1:45:24
Once again they made a few cosmetic changes to our
1:45:27
personnel and operating procedures before giving the go ahead for
1:45:31
new missions. By that point, I had barely survived two
1:45:35
disastrous operations upon hellish alternate worlds. I'd been bitten, beaten,
1:45:43
tortured and shot, and had seen friends and colleagues slaughtered
1:45:47
in horrific circumstances. I was betrayed by a once trusted
1:45:53
team member, and worse yet, I watched the woman I
1:45:56
loved get brutally murdered, and in an instant, my entire
1:46:01
future was wiped out. I should have left the project,
1:46:06
of course, Why didn't I that's a question for my psychiatrist.
1:46:13
I suppose call it a death whish or an unhealthy
1:46:16
desire for revenge. Either way, I was operating like a zombie,
1:46:20
going from mission to mission whilst taking reckless risks. It
1:46:24
seems unbelievable, but the bosses actually promoted me to team
1:46:28
leader around this time. I don't know why they did
1:46:31
something so stupid, but if I had to guess, I'd
1:46:34
say it was for two reasons. Firstly, I was one
1:46:38
of the few team members to have survived from the
1:46:40
early days of the project. Most of my contemporaries were
1:46:44
either dead or had quit. The other reason was their
1:46:48
decision to transfer the leadership of the project from the
1:46:50
military to civilian personnel. Two seventeen and three twelve those
1:46:58
missions were both under million military command, and both had
1:47:02
ended in bloody disaster. Kaz had taken the blame for
1:47:06
the deaths on three twelve, even though it wasn't really
1:47:09
her fault. Still, our bosses needed escapegoat, and Kaz was
1:47:13
the team leader. They would have canned Cass if I
1:47:17
hadn't interceded on her behalf. It was the least I
1:47:21
could do. After all, she'd come back to rescue me
1:47:25
from that damn torture chamber on three twelve. I just
1:47:29
wish she'd arrived in time to save Helen. The next
1:47:35
few missions were largely uneventful. We had a few cake
1:47:39
walks and a couple of close shaves. Nevertheless, we didn't
1:47:43
encounter anything on the scale of two seventeen.
1:47:46
Speaker 2: Or three twelve.
1:47:48
Speaker 1: No Nazi super soldiers, no genetically modified werewolves, or Satanic
1:47:53
death cults. Even so, I always sensed that it was
1:47:57
only a matter of time before we ran into another disase.
1:48:02
The multiverse is populated by monsters. I don't think the
1:48:08
bosses ever realized the full extent of the threats we
1:48:11
face from the evil regimes on the other side of
1:48:13
these portals. That was until we crossed over to Earth
1:48:18
five three seven. After that clusterfuck of emission, all bets
1:48:23
were off. The atmosphere on the morning of our crossing
1:48:29
was undeniably tense, although this had in fact become the norm.
1:48:34
Gone were the days of idealistic scientists and researchers eager
1:48:38
to explore and discover the secrets of these new worlds.
1:48:42
Those naive types were long gone, either dead, were tired,
1:48:46
or turned into world weary cynics like me. Other than
1:48:51
Kaz and myself, the rest of my team were a
1:48:55
combination of trigger happy mercenaries and washed up academics lacking
1:48:59
the proper training and field experience. The quality of our
1:49:03
recruits had gone downhill since the early days of the project.
1:49:07
I was the leader of this ragtag band of misfits
1:49:10
and renegades. On paper, at least, yeah, they followed my
1:49:15
orders on base, but if the shit hit the fan
1:49:17
on the other side, I didn't know what would happen.
1:49:22
Speaker 2: In the moments.
1:49:22
Speaker 1: Before the crossover, I stood at the front of the
1:49:26
line in the bunker, a crate full of equipment at
1:49:29
my feet, ready to push down the rail. Once the
1:49:31
portal opened, I watched on as the machinery was activated
1:49:36
and power surged. The initialization process had begun. This part
1:49:41
used to scare the shit out of me as I
1:49:43
imagined all the horrific things which could go wrong, But
1:49:47
now I hardly cared. I glanced across to my long
1:49:51
suffering companion, Kaz, who stood beside me in her body
1:49:55
armor with an M four carbine slung over her shoulder.
1:49:59
She at my gaze, briefly showing just the slightest glint
1:50:03
of vulnerability in her eyes, a chink in her armor,
1:50:07
which only lasted for a moment. I thought she might
1:50:11
say something, but instead she regained her rock hard composure,
1:50:16
nodding curtly before turning her attention back to the operation.
1:50:21
Kaz was the toughest person I'd ever met, and she'd
1:50:25
saved my ass more times than I could remember.
1:50:29
Speaker 2: But all this.
1:50:29
Speaker 1: Horror had taken a toll on her too. Suddenly, the
1:50:35
room filled with light and a wave of heat hit us.
1:50:39
The portal opened, as it had done one hundred times before,
1:50:42
creating an impossible passageway to another world. I looked with
1:50:48
despair at the fluid membrane before me, not wanting to
1:50:52
step through, but knowing I ultimately would. Kaz's shout brought
1:50:57
me back to reality as she screamed instructions to the team,
1:51:02
ordering them forwards and making sure they got all our
1:51:05
equipment through before the portal closed. The deployment wasn't the best,
1:51:11
not nearly as smooth as back in the day, but
1:51:14
we just about made it. I remember little about my
1:51:20
crossing on that occasion. It used to be the most
1:51:23
terrifying experience imaginable for me to cross over into the
1:51:27
abyss and face the emptiness between the two universes. The
1:51:32
darkness used to frighten me, but not anymore. An eternity
1:51:38
trapped in limbo seemed preferable to the living hell my
1:51:41
existence had become. Now now the crossings were easy compared
1:51:48
to what they had been. I walked out on the
1:51:51
other side of the portal and managed to keep the
1:51:54
contents of my stomach. But as soon as I took
1:51:57
my first breath of air, I knew something was wrong.
1:52:01
Everybody respirators on. My brain was racing and lungs burning.
1:52:07
As I almost succumbed to panic. Thankfully, I remembered my training,
1:52:13
dropped my backpack and reached inside with shaking hands. I
1:52:17
quickly withdrew my respirator mask, clumsily placing it over my eyes, face,
1:52:22
and mouth, before securing the strap and breathing purified air.
1:52:27
I struggled to adjust to a situation that had deteriorated
1:52:31
so quickly. I looked around for the first time and
1:52:35
was relieved to see all of my team members had
1:52:37
also applied their masks and appeared.
1:52:40
Speaker 2: To be uninjured.
1:52:41
Speaker 1: That was something, at least, however, as I surveyed the
1:52:46
scene around me. I soon realized we were in trouble.
1:52:50
The sky above us was an unnatural shade of red,
1:52:54
and the soil beneath our feet was dead. In fact,
1:52:59
the whole land escape was barren, without a living creature
1:53:03
or plant to be seen. If I hadn't known better,
1:53:06
I would have thought we'd been transported to the surface
1:53:09
of Mars. But this was Earth, or rather a hellish
1:53:15
version of it. My team members were all still hanging
1:53:19
at the insertion point, all appearing confused and frightened. Kaz
1:53:25
was shouting out orders through her masks communicator. She commanded
1:53:28
the security team to establish a defensive perimeter and for
1:53:32
the technicians to set up their equipment and begin their analysis.
1:53:37
My team members reluctantly complied, knowing they had no real
1:53:41
choice but to follow protocol. I switched on my communicator
1:53:47
and approached my lead technician, a young man named Tyler,
1:53:51
who was, in fairness, one of the more competent.
1:53:53
Speaker 2: Members of my ragtag team.
1:53:56
Speaker 7: What the hell happened?
1:53:58
Speaker 2: I demanded.
1:54:00
Speaker 1: I could see the look of shock and surprise through
1:54:02
the visor on his mask.
1:54:05
Speaker 7: I don't know, Boss, It's not my fault. The initial
1:54:08
readings detected toxins in the air. It might be safe
1:54:11
to breathe. But I'm just following protocol.
1:54:15
Speaker 1: Okay, I said, backing down somewhat. To be fair, Tyler
1:54:23
was just doing his job. But obviously someone had fucked up.
1:54:27
Situations like this weren't meant to.
1:54:29
Speaker 2: Happen, and we all knew.
1:54:31
Speaker 3: It looks like the probe malfunctioned.
1:54:34
Speaker 1: Kaz suggested as she joined our conversation. I guess, I replied,
1:54:40
with some cynicism. It was standard procedure to send in
1:54:45
a robot to check out the atmosphere and conditions before
1:54:48
a team was sent in to explore a new world.
1:54:51
If the probe detected dangerous toxins in the air or soil,
1:54:55
or significant levels of background radiation, the manned mission was
1:54:59
supposed to be a Clearly, this hadn't happened on this occasion.
1:55:04
In my mind, there were two possible reasons why. The
1:55:09
first was that the probe had indeed malfunctioned, or that
1:55:13
the data it sent back to Earth one had been
1:55:16
corrupted or misinterpreted. The alternative was a more cynical explanation
1:55:22
that our bosses had known Earth five three seven wasn't safe,
1:55:26
but decided to send us in any way. The project
1:55:30
leadership had already shown a total disregard for human life,
1:55:34
and no doubt they considered us all expendable. I experienced
1:55:39
a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, one
1:55:43
of utter despair, but I decided not to communicate my
1:55:47
fears to my team members. Morale was low enough already,
1:55:52
and frankly, I feared a mutiny. I tried to compose
1:55:56
myself and remain calm as I continued to press Tyler
1:55:59
for information. All right, well, are we in immediate danger,
1:56:06
I asked sternly. I don't know yet, he replied sheepessly.
1:56:11
Speaker 7: Honestly, I'll need to run more tests to find out
1:56:13
what exactly we're dealing with.
1:56:15
Speaker 1: Well, get to it, please, I ordered, watching as Tyler
1:56:20
reached for his equipment and laptop. I'd give him space
1:56:25
to complete his analysis, but we all knew it wouldn't
1:56:27
make much of a difference either way. The portal was closed,
1:56:31
and our colleagues on the other side wouldn't reopen the
1:56:34
passageway for another twenty four hours. If our respirators failed
1:56:39
or provided inadequate protection against the hostile atmosphere. Well, frankly,
1:56:44
we were fucked. All we could do was sit here
1:56:48
in this lifeless wasteland, waiting to see whether we'd die
1:56:52
from exposure to this unfriendly environment, whilst simultaneously praying that
1:56:57
some other disaster didn't befall us within the new twenty
1:57:00
four hours. Words can't describe how much I hated our
1:57:05
bosses at the moment. Time passed as we waited for
1:57:10
the results of Tyler's analysis. We sat crossleged, looking across
1:57:16
the dead landscape, staring in dread filled awe at the
1:57:19
bloody red sky as a cold wind blew over our
1:57:22
exposed hillside. Our respirators didn't give out, so the chances
1:57:28
of us all suffocating to death were getting slimmer. However,
1:57:32
this didn't mean we hadn't been exposed to a lethal
1:57:34
dose of radiation, which would result in a slow and
1:57:37
painful death even if we did make it back to
1:57:40
our earth. To say the situation was tense would be
1:57:45
an immense understatement. It took the combined efforts of Kaz
1:57:50
and me to keep the team calm. After some time,
1:57:54
I approached Tyler's makeshift work station, looking over his shoulder,
1:57:58
as he frowned at the data appearing on his laptop screen.
1:58:03
Speaker 7: The atmosphere is unlike anything we've seen before on any
1:58:06
world we visited. It's like someone is deliberately trying to
1:58:09
modify the atmosphere and ecology.
1:58:13
Speaker 1: Tyler said, what do you mean?
1:58:16
Speaker 2: I demanded.
1:58:18
Speaker 1: This conversation certainly wasn't filling me with confidence. Tyler looked
1:58:23
up from his laptop to meet my gaze, his eyes
1:58:27
visible through his visor.
1:58:30
Speaker 7: You ever heard of terraforming? Boss?
1:58:34
Speaker 2: Terraforming?
1:58:36
Speaker 1: This term conjured images of science fiction in my mind,
1:58:39
of missions to Mars and plans to make alien planets
1:58:42
habitable for human colonists. But why the hell would anyone
1:58:46
do that here on Earth? I was about to ask
1:58:49
Tyler that very question before I got interrupted.
1:58:53
Speaker 7: The fuck is that?
1:58:54
Speaker 1: Screamed Martinez, one of our security personnel. He pointed to
1:58:59
the far her eyes, and I looked to the sky
1:59:02
and was horrified to see three small dots appearing some
1:59:05
type of aircraft quickly approaching our position.
1:59:09
Speaker 7: We've got incoming defensive positions now, ordered Kaz.
1:59:14
Speaker 1: Our security personnel reacted slowly, prompting Kaz to shout a
1:59:18
fresh set of orders while she simultaneously ran to one
1:59:21
of the steel containers to withdraw weapon. I watched on
1:59:25
in awe and horror as the trio of aircraft descended
1:59:29
from the Crimson skies. As they sped ever closer, I
1:59:33
was able to identify their features, but this only added
1:59:36
to my terror. The three aircraft appeared similar to unmanned drones,
1:59:42
but their design was ugly and alien to my eyes.
1:59:46
Saucer shaped jet black robots adorned with an array of
1:59:50
unfamiliar but deadly looking weapons. The three aerial drones were
1:59:55
headed straight for our location, and we had nowhere to
1:59:58
run or hide. Suddenly, there was an almighty blast, followed
2:00:03
by a streak of white as a missile tore through
2:00:06
the air. A second later, the projectile hit the led drone,
2:00:10
causing a huge explosion and turning the aircraft into a
2:00:14
ball of flames. I watched the wrecked drone fall to
2:00:18
the earth, and then turned in astonishment to see Kaz
2:00:21
holding a stinger missile launcher. She'd acted fast, taking out
2:00:26
the lead drone, but the other two kept on coming.
2:00:29
The second drone opened fire with some sort of projectile. Luckily,
2:00:33
Kaz saw the attack coming, dropping the launcher and jumping
2:00:37
out of the way just in time. A rocket hit
2:00:40
a second later, causing a mighty blast and leaving a
2:00:43
small crater in the ground, and in that.
2:00:46
Speaker 2: Moment, all hell broke loose.
2:00:50
Speaker 1: Both surviving drones opened up indiscriminately with rockets and explosive rounds,
2:00:55
causing utter carnage. I heard shouts and screams, saw men
2:01:01
and women running in blind panic, but there was nowhere
2:01:04
for them to go. I watched in shock as my
2:01:08
team members were cut down one by one in an instant.
2:01:14
Tyler's head was blown clean off by a high velocity round,
2:01:18
his limp body collapsing into the dirt like a lifeless
2:01:21
rag doll.
2:01:22
Speaker 2: Some of the.
2:01:23
Speaker 1: Security men tried to fight back, dropping down to one
2:01:26
knee and opening fire with their mphoors, but they didn't
2:01:29
last long. Martinez was hit square in the chest by
2:01:33
a rocket, his body literally exploding, covering everything in blood, flesh,
2:01:40
and bone fragments. It was horrific, but there was nothing
2:01:46
I could do. With nowhere to run, in no way
2:01:49
to defend myself, I simply stood there and waited for death,
2:01:53
but it didn't come. A moment later, I felt a
2:01:56
firm hand on my shoulder, pulling me back from the brain.
2:02:01
It was Kaz, of course, my savior once again.
2:02:06
Speaker 6: Let's get the hell out of here, she urged.
2:02:10
Speaker 1: We jumped on one of the quad bikes that had
2:02:12
survived the onslaught, with Kaz driving. She revved the accelerator
2:02:17
and we sped off, leaving the carnage behind us. One
2:02:21
of the drones continued the slaughter of our team members
2:02:23
in destruction of our equipment. The second broke off to
2:02:26
pursue us. Kaz zigzagged through the dirt as high velocity
2:02:32
rounds exploded all around us. Our bike wasn't fast enough
2:02:35
and there was no cover. It seemed like we'd only
2:02:38
delayed the inevitable and we'd be blown to smithereens within seconds.
2:02:43
But then a powerful shot rang out above our heads.
2:02:48
I looked back over my shoulder and saw the killer
2:02:51
drone had taken a hit, its navigation system apparently damaged
2:02:56
as it swayed over to one side. His second shot
2:03:00
rang out, and the drone fell from the sky, crashing
2:03:04
down heavily into the dirt. I hadn't seen where the
2:03:08
shots came from, but a moment later there was a
2:03:10
gruff cry from our left hand side.
2:03:13
Speaker 7: Over here quickly, your friend Moore.
2:03:18
Speaker 1: I saw a figury merge from behind a rock, A
2:03:21
man dressed in combat fatigues and a gas mask, carrying
2:03:25
what looked like a Barrett fifty cal sniper rifle. He
2:03:28
motioned us towards his position, and we abandoned our quad
2:03:31
bite to follow him. Initially I couldn't see where he
2:03:36
was leading us, but then he opened a hidden trap
2:03:38
door concealed within the ground. We followed him down the
2:03:42
ladder into an underground bunker, slamming the door shut behind us.
2:03:48
We were safe for the time being, at least, although
2:03:52
our troubles were far from over. The bunker looked like
2:03:58
it had been recently installed, but was also oddly familiar.
2:04:03
Our savior turned on the lights to reveal a seemingly
2:04:05
comfortable living space, although I noted the bunker was filled
2:04:09
to the brim with weaponry. He laid down his sniper
2:04:13
rival and began to remove his mask. Oh you don't
2:04:18
need those in here, The air is clean, the man said.
2:04:23
Cas and I were relieved to be able to remove
2:04:26
our respirators and Breathe normally had hoped for some respite
2:04:30
after the shock of the massacre we just escaped from.
2:04:33
But instead I was in for the biggest shock of
2:04:35
my life, because when I looked up at our savior,
2:04:40
I saw my own face staring back at me. True,
2:04:45
the man was battle scarred, worn out, and looked like
2:04:48
he'd be in a hell and back, but it was
2:04:50
definitely me, my exact double. To be fair, my doppliganger
2:04:56
was also in a state of shock as he stared
2:04:58
back at me with his jaw ajar. Neither of us
2:05:02
were able to speak in that bizarre moment, so it
2:05:05
was left to Kaz to bring some levity to the
2:05:07
tense situation when she exclaimed that this was certainly a
2:05:11
first with a laugh, and she was right. Of course,
2:05:16
we'd never seen anything like this before. The scenario had
2:05:20
been discussed by our planners back on Earth one, but
2:05:23
was written off as highly unlikely. It was, of course
2:05:27
possible that another version of you would exist on an
2:05:29
alternate version of Earth, but the chances of you running
2:05:33
into your double during a twenty four hour mission were
2:05:35
extremely remote, and yet it happened here on Earth five
2:05:41
three seven. Look, I know who you are and why
2:05:47
you're here, said the other me, after he'd recovered from
2:05:50
his initial shock. A project, right, they got it up
2:05:55
and running on your world, Cass frowned, looking concerned. Well
2:06:01
I was recruited for it, my double replied, nodding towards me,
2:06:06
the same as you were. I'm guessing I moved out
2:06:09
of here a couple of years ago, back when the
2:06:11
project was starting up. This bunker was part of the
2:06:14
complex they built to accommodate us, but we didn't have
2:06:18
enough time to construct a functioning TDP. Now I'm all
2:06:22
that's left of that original team. There was sorrow in
2:06:27
his eyes, in my eyes as he looked down at
2:06:31
the concrete floor. I couldn't begin to imagine what he'd
2:06:35
been through. My mind was racing at this point. It
2:06:39
seems crazy, but we hadn't anticipated this scenario where the
2:06:43
project would also exist on an alternate Earth. But of
2:06:46
course this had always been a possibility. But as my
2:06:50
double said, the project on Earth five three seven had
2:06:53
never gotten off the ground. Clearly, something horrific had occurred
2:06:56
on this world. What the hell happened here? I asked,
2:07:02
part of me, not wishing to know the answer. Well,
2:07:05
my double seemed angered by the very question. We got
2:07:09
fucking invaded. That's what he shouted, before composing himself. The
2:07:15
squids are what we call them. They're an aquatic, highly evolved,
2:07:20
and technologically advanced species originating from a water world on
2:07:25
the far side of the galaxy. As far as we
2:07:27
can discern, they showed up in our solar system two
2:07:31
years ago and unleashed hell, attacking every nation on the planet,
2:07:36
simultaneously wiping out cities, crushing armies. We fought back fiercely,
2:07:42
but obviously we didn't stand a chance. It was fucking genocide.
2:07:49
He paused, briefly wiping sweat from his brow before continuing,
2:07:54
I'm sorry. I haven't spoken to another human being in months.
2:08:00
There's very few of us left now. Those drones that
2:08:04
attacked you there the lower end of the squid's technology,
2:08:08
but very effective at tracking down and killing survivors. Of course,
2:08:13
it won't matter in another year or two. You've seen
2:08:17
what they're doing on the surface. I nodded my head grimly. Yeah, terraforming,
2:08:24
he confirmed. We assume they're preparing the earth for colonization.
2:08:29
Plants and animal life are virtually extinct. The atmosphere is
2:08:32
quickly turning toxic.
2:08:35
Speaker 2: In time.
2:08:35
Speaker 1: The hunter drones will find our remaining bunkers and holdouts,
2:08:38
and the human race will cease to exist on this
2:08:41
world at least. I shook my head, now unable to
2:08:47
meet my double's gaze. I thought my own life had
2:08:51
been hell, but what I'd been through was nothing compared
2:08:53
to the suffering this alternate version of me had endeared.
2:08:57
It was a strange feeling to feel pity for a
2:09:00
man who's also yourself but also not you. It was
2:09:07
a hell of a lot to process, and frankly, beyond
2:09:09
what my brain could comprehend in that moment. Kaz seemed unfazed, however,
2:09:16
taking this bizarre new development in stride.
2:09:19
Speaker 3: We appreciate your help.
2:09:20
Speaker 1: She said, speaking to the other me.
2:09:23
Speaker 3: But we're still in the shit. Our team has been
2:09:25
wiped out and our equipment destroyed.
2:09:27
Speaker 1: She glanced at her watch before continuing.
2:09:31
Speaker 3: In twenty hours, our people on the other side will
2:09:33
reopen the portal for our extraction. If we're not there,
2:09:36
we'll be stuck here for the rest of our lives,
2:09:38
which I'm guessing won't be very long.
2:09:40
Speaker 1: My double nodded and acknowledgment, frowning in the same way
2:09:44
I do when I was trying to think it's possible,
2:09:48
but it won't be easy. He eventually replied. Look, I
2:09:54
can draw the drones away from your extraction point by
2:09:57
you sometime. It will be tight, very dangerous, but if
2:10:01
we time it well, you might just make it. I
2:10:05
shook my head in disbelief. You would risk your life
2:10:09
for us, I asked, incredulously. The question prompted my doppelganger
2:10:13
to smile for the first time in our conversation. Technically speaking,
2:10:18
I'm risking my life to save me, or at least
2:10:22
a version of me who has a chance for survival. Besides,
2:10:26
what the hell else am I going to do? I
2:10:28
won't survive for much longer down here. If I'm going
2:10:32
to die, I might as well die for something meaningful.
2:10:36
My heart sank at his poignant words. Come with us,
2:10:41
I muttered, knowing deep down that this wasn't possible. He
2:10:47
shook his head in the negative. I can't do that, buddy.
2:10:51
This is my world and it's where I belong. I
2:10:53
was born here, and I'll die here. That's all there
2:10:56
is to say. Plus we don't know what kind of
2:10:59
fucking shit it will get into with I do come back,
2:11:02
and there's two of us in one place. Now, let's
2:11:06
just get our plans straight and make our preparations. I
2:11:12
was still in a state of shock, but Kaz spoke
2:11:15
with my double, formulating the plan for our escape. For
2:11:19
better or worse, we'd make our break for it at dawn.
2:11:24
I was tempted to engage my double in conversation during
2:11:27
that long interlude down in the bunker, to learn about
2:11:30
his life and confirm whether it corresponded with my own,
2:11:34
but he wasn't interested in talking with me. Instead, he
2:11:38
fed us with canned food and suggested we get some rest.
2:11:43
I don't know how he was able to sleep when
2:11:45
we could all die the next morning, but I guess
2:11:48
this has been my double's reality for some time. I
2:11:52
did talk with Kaz throughout the long night. Oddly, in
2:11:55
spite of everything we'd been through together, we'd never actually
2:11:58
had a real conversation. Kaz was a good soldier, and
2:12:03
she maintained a tough exterior, but there was a vulnerability
2:12:07
underneath all that. We spoke about Helen and how much
2:12:12
I missed her. As it turned out, Kaz had suffered
2:12:15
a similar tragedy, having lost a lover during a combat
2:12:21
mission back on Earth. Ie we bonded over our mutual grief,
2:12:27
and I'm glad that we had time to talk. It
2:12:30
meant a lot to me, and I'm sure it did
2:12:33
to her as well. When morning came, the tension inside
2:12:40
the bunker was palpable. My double retained a hard demeanor
2:12:44
as he explained his plan without emotion. I'll take the
2:12:48
service tunnel and exit through the trap door a mile
2:12:51
to the north. Once I'm in position, I'll cause a
2:12:54
ruckus and draw the hunter drones out to my location.
2:12:57
Once the diversion is in place, all radio through to
2:13:00
you guys. After that you're on your own. Promise me
2:13:05
you won't take any unnecessary risks, I asked. Once you
2:13:09
make the call, you need to get back to safety.
2:13:12
There's still a chance for you and others. Sure, he replied,
2:13:20
without much conviction. Don't worry about me. I know how
2:13:24
to look after myself. I didn't doubt it. It surprised
2:13:30
me that this version of me was so much braver
2:13:32
than I was. My double wasn't one for long advice.
2:13:37
After his briefing, he put on his respirator mask, grabbed
2:13:40
his rifle, and set off down the subterranean tunnel. Keep
2:13:45
your radio on were his parting words. I looked at
2:13:50
Kaz before we masked up. Do you think he'll be okay?
2:13:55
Speaker 3: What's the matter? Don't you trust yourself?
2:13:57
Speaker 1: She said with a teasing smile. Understandably I didn't see
2:14:01
the funny side. We waited for what seemed like an
2:14:05
eternity for the call, with Kaz calmly speaking into the radio.
2:14:09
Speaker 2: When it finally came through, we read you over, she.
2:14:13
Speaker 1: Said, I'm out of the tunnel. The plan is working.
2:14:17
I've got a half dozen drones converging on my location.
2:14:20
I can hold them off, but not for long. You
2:14:22
need to move quickly over. I angrily grabbed hold of
2:14:26
the radio and shouted at my double, don't be a hero,
2:14:30
get the hell out of there, move it, damn you,
2:14:34
came the furious reply. After that, all I heard was gunfire,
2:14:39
explosions and screaming. My blood froze as history repeated itself.
2:14:46
Speaker 7: Fuckers kill him.
2:14:47
Speaker 2: I screamed, fucking move.
2:14:50
Speaker 1: Kaz ordered, as she physically forced me up the ladder.
2:14:54
With no other choice, I opened the hatch and emerged
2:14:57
in the wasteland. We had to move quickly, not only
2:15:00
because the drones would be hunting us, but because the
2:15:03
portal would be opening in a matter of minutes, an
2:15:06
Earth One team wouldn't wait for us. We ran for
2:15:10
our lives across the barren landscape, struggling to breathe through
2:15:14
our respirators. The land was cloaked in darkness, but the
2:15:18
sun was slowly rising on the far horizon. Our extraction
2:15:22
was at dawn, and we were quickly running out of time.
2:15:26
We got about halfway to the hillside when I heard
2:15:29
the ominous buzzing sound. I glanced over my shoulder in
2:15:33
time to see a single Hunter Killer drone approaching. The
2:15:37
deadly UAV was still a distance off, but moving rapidly
2:15:41
in our direction. I swore him, Kaz ordered as she
2:15:47
cast aside her rifle and backpack. I ran as quickly
2:15:51
as I could, suddenly realizing that I didn't wish to
2:15:54
die in this hellish place. Somehow we reached the hillside intact,
2:16:00
but now the drone was in range and explosive rounds struck.
2:16:03
Speaker 2: All around us.
2:16:05
Speaker 1: I saw a burst of light, indicating that the portal
2:16:08
was being opened from the other side. For the first time,
2:16:12
I believed we could actually make it, but the derrone
2:16:16
was right on top of us, now tearing the ground
2:16:19
up around our feet. The portal opened a fluid membrane
2:16:24
leading back to our home dimension. That passageway had never
2:16:28
looked so welcoming. I noticed the drone had stopped shooting
2:16:32
at us, but didn't have time to consider why not
2:16:35
before Kaz pushed me forwards, literally shoving me through the portal.
2:16:41
Speaker 2: I fell into the dark.
2:16:42
Speaker 1: Abyss, temporarily existing only in limbo, before spilling out into
2:16:47
the metal gangway. For a second, I dared to think
2:16:50
I was safe, but then I heard an almighty crashing sound,
2:16:55
the awful din of metal striking metal. Instinctively, I rolled
2:16:59
off the gang way, just in time to save my life.
2:17:03
When I turned my head, I was sickened by what
2:17:06
I witnessed. Caz, my long term comrade in arms, had
2:17:12
been crushed, with virtually every bone in her body broken.
2:17:17
She stared at me with fading eyes, blood pouring from
2:17:21
her mouth as she took her last breath. I realized
2:17:25
later that she'd sacrificed her life to save me, pushing
2:17:29
me through the portal just seconds before impact. And on
2:17:34
top of her broken body was the heavy frame of
2:17:37
the killer drone. It had crossed over following us back
2:17:42
to Earth one and breaking into our underground fortress. This
2:17:47
was a living nightmare, but it got worse. To my horror,
2:17:51
I realized the drone was still active as a saucer
2:17:55
hovered over Kaz's body, its weapons systems coming back to
2:17:58
life as it scanned its new environment. The technicians and
2:18:03
staff inside the bunker had never seen anything like this before,
2:18:07
and they reacted with blind panic. They hardly had time
2:18:12
to react before the drone opened fire, filling the room
2:18:15
with deadly rounds and rockets. In a matter of seconds,
2:18:18
the once pristine in high tech control room was transformed
2:18:23
into a slaughterhouse, with computer terminals, equipment, and human bodies
2:18:28
all torn to pieces. I heard the screams and explosions
2:18:32
and witnessed the bloody carnage, but I didn't want to
2:18:35
join the victims, instead ripping off my mask and darting
2:18:39
for the exit at the far end of the bunker,
2:18:41
pushing my way past a couple of burly security men
2:18:44
armed with MP fives. They bravely but foolishly opened fire
2:18:49
on the killer drone, but predictably, they didn't last more
2:18:53
than two seconds before being cut down. At least they
2:18:58
bought me some time me to reach the bunker exit,
2:19:01
which led to the service tunnels beyond. I slammed my
2:19:05
fist on the emergency button in a desperate attempt to
2:19:08
close the shutter door, but it did nothing, as the
2:19:11
mechanism had apparently been damaged by gunfire. I quickly turned
2:19:16
and fled down the corridor in a desperate attempt to escape.
2:19:21
By now, the whole base was on full alert, with
2:19:24
sirens blaring in red lights flashing. Technicians and scientists ran
2:19:29
for cover while security troops tried in vain to stop
2:19:32
the robot's murderous rampage. I glanced over my shoulder as
2:19:37
I ran, horrified to see the saucer shaped drone squeezing
2:19:41
down the tight corridor, chasing after me while slaughtering everyone
2:19:45
in its path. It seemed like the AI was homing
2:19:49
in on me, fulfilling its deadly mission by hunting me down.
2:19:53
Speaker 2: In a parallel universe, I.
2:19:56
Speaker 1: Kept running, turning a sharp corner at breakneck speed, crashing
2:20:00
into a heavy figure running in the opposite direction. I fell,
2:20:05
hitting the hard concrete floor and looking up to see
2:20:07
a large soldier wearing full body armor and armed to
2:20:11
the teeth. He screamed at me, shouting get the fuck out,
2:20:16
but he never got the chance to finish his sentence,
2:20:18
as a second later, his head was blown clean off.
2:20:22
I winced at the carnage, hearing the ominous din of
2:20:25
the murderous drone scraping its way down the corridor, its
2:20:29
weapons recalibrating as it closed in for the kill. I
2:20:33
looked to the body of the decapitated soldier, seeing what
2:20:36
was surely my last chance. Attached to his belt a
2:20:39
hand grenade. I reached for the explosive device with my
2:20:43
shaking hand, grabbing it firmly and pulling the pin. In
2:20:47
an instant, I tossed the grenade in the direction of
2:20:50
my attacker before tearing down the corridor and diving into cover.
2:20:55
A couple of seconds passed before I heard the explosion,
2:20:58
followed by the terrible whining sound of a machine slowly dying.
2:21:05
When I eventually emerged from my hiding place, I saw
2:21:08
the wreckage of the drone, its life force finally extinguished.
2:21:13
Had managed to stop the murderous machine and save my
2:21:17
own skin. The cost had been horrific. The Earth five
2:21:35
three seven massacre proved a watershed moment for the TDP project.
2:21:41
The casualties on two seventeen and three twelve had been
2:21:44
written off as acceptable losses, but we'd lost all but
2:21:48
one of our team members on five three seven, and
2:21:52
an entity had followed us back into our own world,
2:21:55
breaking into our previously secure base and slaughtering a dozen
2:21:59
of our Earth based staff. The powers that be weren't
2:22:03
able to cover up this disaster, and before long the
2:22:06
base was on lockdown. Not to mention crawling with government
2:22:10
inspectors and corporate lawyers, they placed an indefinite ban on
2:22:15
new missions. As for me, my medical examination established that
2:22:21
I wasn't dying from radiation sickness, but they did diagnose
2:22:25
me with advanced PTSD and I got placed on furlough
2:22:29
pending a full psychological evaluation.
2:22:33
Speaker 2: Earth five three.
2:22:34
Speaker 1: Seven was my final mission, and I have no intention
2:22:38
of ever stepping through a TDP again. For a while,
2:22:42
I considered trying to live a normal life, but how
2:22:45
could I after all the horrors I had witnessed, My
2:22:50
hopes for the future had died with Helen, and the
2:22:52
guilt I carried was too much to bear. Earth five
2:22:57
three seven had broken me, but the massacre i'd lived
2:23:01
through had also given me a new purpose. Both my
2:23:05
five three seven double and my friend Kaz had died
2:23:09
to save my life, so it wasn't an option to
2:23:12
simply give up. I realized I needed to do something
2:23:16
to atone for my part in all of this, and
2:23:19
that's why I decided to tell my story to the world.
2:23:24
Before I went on the run, I made a few
2:23:26
discreet inquiries with a few of my former colleagues who
2:23:30
still work on the project. They informed me that the
2:23:33
ban on visiting new worlds had been made permanent, but
2:23:37
the portal technology and infrastructure is still very much intact
2:23:41
and operational. My former employers have identified several viable worlds,
2:23:48
all deemed fit for colonization. They'll go ahead with their
2:23:52
insane escape plan and their extraction plan of resources or
2:23:58
whatever else, and think nothing of those who died to
2:24:02
make it happen. But I remember everything. I will never
2:24:08
forget Helen, Caz, Custer, and all the others, and I
2:24:13
believe their stories need to be told. What's more, we
2:24:17
cannot ignore the threats posed by the monsters of Earth's
2:24:21
two seventeen, three twelve, and five thirty seven, and God
2:24:27
knows how many other parallel dimensions, Those evil and ruthless
2:24:33
regimes who would think nothing of conquering our world and
2:24:35
wiping us out. The people in charge, the government and
2:24:41
super wealthy, they don't give a shit. If you want
2:24:45
to survive what's coming, what I guarantee is coming, then
2:24:49
you need to prepare. But for me, it's already too late.
2:24:54
This will be my last entry. I know they'll get me,
2:24:59
and I'm okay with that. I need to face the
2:25:01
consequences of my choices. So what are my parting words?
2:25:09
Stand and fight because the monsters are coming. If we
2:25:14
can do it, so can they. And they'll show you
2:25:17
no mercy. God speed, my friends,