Alien Site

Alien site

1

The world outside the portal was full of green and towering trees, even now we could see the animals and other critters going through their day, unaware of us. Our orders from on high were to observe only, but those were only the orders that were public. The company wanted something from this world, and they would have it, no matter the cost.

Of course, us peons were to be the fall guys if the hidden orders became known publicly. My team was sure the company had already put together a PR packet specifically in case that happened. OASIS was the name of the company that held our contracts.

After a few years, we still have not been able to escape them. My team included Mags the weapons specialist; Pog, the newest unfortunate soul to land on my team; and Specs the techie, a woman who could ruin your life on the internet with a grin. Finally, there is me, the glorious leader, the magnificent ruler of cargo bay 9, Zed.

My team was one of five teams OASIS had in their retinue. We usually received the worst of the worst jobs, or as they liked to say, the most important ones for the company. I cannot help but stare out into the alien world before me and remember my father’s words: “Being the best at anything will usually lead to a bad end.” I thought he was just being a cynical old buzzard, but after the last few years, I finally started seeing what he meant.

The bureaucratic scientist behind us spoke, startling none but Pog. “All is set. Just step through and maintain contact. The radios and recorders you have should work,” he said in a bored voice, eyes showing his contempt for us soldierly types.

“Should work?” I asked. “They better work or this foray into the unknown will hardly be worth the effort.” He scoffed and turned back to his machines.

“Alright team move out. Let’s get this done and over with as fast as possible. We wouldn’t want to put him off any longer than we have to,” I ordered, and as we moved through the gate, I heard the scientist mutter under his breath, “Meatheads.” I do not think he likes us.

The transition between the bay the gate was held in and the alien forest before us was unusual. It was sudden and disorienting but otherwise, it was like stepping out the door into a hot and muggy summer's day on earth.

“Sir, I don’t think the bureaucrat likes us. Do you think we should send him a gift basket to say sorry?” Specs asked.

I stared at her evil grin for a few seconds before responding. I did not like the meaning behind those words and that grin. “No Specs, I do NOT think he would appreciate that. Do not do anything to get us in more trouble. We are still cleaning up from last time.” I glared at her and Mags. The two always seemed to get in the most trouble if we had too much time in between orders.

“Okay boss, if you think it's best,” she said with a blazing smile I trusted even less than her grin.

“Mags, on point, and we will follow behind. Specs, which way does that thing tell us to head?” I asked.

“Straight ahead, sir.”

“Alright, let’s move,” I snapped, ready for this to be over with.

As we moved along, the area around us quieted. We could see the animals hiding but curious, looking at us from hidden perches, and from around trees.

“Sir, do you think they are dangerous?” Pog asked.

I chuckled, “We are on an alien planet in an alien forest. Of course, they are dangerous.

Everything is dangerous until we know otherwise.”

“Yes, sir.”

I could hear Specs chuckle behind me, but she kept her eyes on the device the scientists had given her for this mission. We were told to follow where it led; we would need to collect what they had found there. Per usual, they did not give us all the information as we were about to find out.

“Sir, we have run out of land to walk!” Mags hurriedly said as he stopped.

“Wait! What?” I asked as I came up to him.

We were on the edge of a gigantic cliff, the device the scientists had given us did not show the terrain change. “Oh, that is what you meant. Okay, find a tree that you think can hold us and we will rappel down. We need to do this fast but safe,” I ordered. I continued to look around and make sure the camera would see everything I could. If I didn’t have to be careful of the camera and what it could record, I would be cursing the scientists. They were always making missions more difficult as they hated sharing information with the teams. What they deemed necessary for us to carry out a mission was never what the other team leaders and I felt were necessary. More than a few of our teammates had died because of them.

2

Mags’s “Ready sir!” pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Mags, head down first, then Pog. Specs, I will keep an eye out from up here until you are mostly down.”

I kept watch as they went down the cliff face, the forest below was slightly different than the one surrounding the cliff’s edge. The canopies were green but a much darker green, almost black. There were no birds in the air, and I could not hear any creatures or wind stirring the leaves below. I checked the gear one last time before I started my own descent. Thankfully, the descent did not take as long as it looked like it should. 300 feet was a long drop if we should fall but we had plenty of strong lines thanks to the scientists; they were good for a few things.

Halfway down, Specs came over the radio, “Sir, there’s something weird down here. We are at the base of the cliff and there is a strange fog here.”

Being careful to not slide down before responding, I asked, “Anything to describe other than strange and weird fog, Specs?”

“No Sir, it’s just weird and strange. You will have to see when you get here.”

“That was informative Specs. Just the way I like it.”

I continued making my way down hoping the scientists had not led us into more danger as I set foot on the forested canyon floor. Releasing myself from the ropes, I turned to where my team was standing, staring at the forest before them. The dirt seemed dark and rich, full of everything a plant needed to thrive. The towering trees were dark, almost the same color as the leaves. The fog was indeed as weird and strange as specs had said.

“Specs, which way do we need to go? See anything else strange other than the fog?”

“Straight ahead sir and no, just the fog, unless you deem the absolute lack of life beyond the trees as strange,” she answered.

I gave another look around before answering, “That is strange as well, but we need to get this thing done soon. Lead on Mags.” We slowly made our way towards the area the device was pointing to. The forest around us was still deadly quiet, no breeze but not as muggy and wet as the fog would lead you to believe.

What felt like hours had passed but according to my watch, it had only been thirty minutes. This area was much larger than it had first appeared.

“Specs, does it say how far away we may be?”

“No sir, but it does appear to be closer now and should not be too much further ahead.”

“Good. We will take a short break when we get there depending on what’s there. Stay

alert. It’s a bit too quiet.”

“Yes, sir!” they all said. But Pog being a bit out of step with the other two, made me silently chuckle. New guys were always funny, even the good ones.

3

“Sir! We are just about on top of the signal, but I think it’s beneath us,” Specs called out.

“Alright, look around people. There’s probably an entrance to a cave or something around here.”

Looking around the area we had arrived at showed more trees, however, one of the trees appeared larger than the others. Its trunk was thicker than any of the ones we had passed so far. As I went closer, I could see a darker section at its roots.

“Mags! Get over here. I think I see something. Where’s that light the scientist gave us?”

Grabbing the ultra-special flashlight the scientists had foisted upon us before we left, I flashed it upon the roots. It cut through the gloom of the recess created by the roots of the tree surprisingly well, showing what appeared to be a doorway, a metal doorway, one with what looked like scratches upon it.

We stared at it for a moment before Pog piped up, “Um sir why is there a doorway here, under a tree?”

We turned to him and stared.

“Pog, what in your mind gives you the idea I would know why there is a doorway in the middle of an alien forest?” I barked at him.

Specs followed up with a question, showing her exasperation with his priorities. “Why was that your first question? You should be asking why there was a seemingly solid metal door in an alien forest covered in scratches? We have not seen or heard anything big or strong enough to have made these scratches?”

The rest of us turned to look at her at that question.

“She is right, keep a lookout. It’s still too quiet. I will check the door out and see if it can be opened.”

“Aye Sir!”

Stepping closer to the recess, I carefully looked and felt around checking for any suspicious items. You never know what people put down to guard doorways. I was trying to not think of why there was a doorway on an alien planet that looked like it was made by humans. The only thought that kept coming to me was that OASIS had been here before and had left a lab or something behind. Finding a lock with a number pad beside the door, I swore to myself; the scientists had mentioned nothing about any of this. Of course, they wouldn’t. Why make this easy?

“Base, we have come across a doorway and it has a numbered lock. Does anyone have the code?” Waiting for them to get around to respond, I checked with my team. “Any issues?”

“No sir, it’s still quiet, and not even a shadow has moved,” Mags responded.

“No issues, sir,” Pog agreed.

“Still creepy, sir,” Specs quipped.

The crackling of the radio in the silence made us all startle a little. “Zed team, about time. You should be checking in more often. The code to the door is 8675. Report when you grab the item.”

“Thanks, Base. Anything we need to know? Like why there is a door in the middle of a forest and what is behind it?”

“Negative, Zed. It’s need to know. Get in, get out. No questions. Base, out.”

“Well, team, Base wants us to shut up and get going so let’s do it,” I muttered to them. I knew the camera would pick it up, but I was tired of the attitude from those sitting comfy at the base. The keypad seemed to still have power, emitting a sound as I finished entering the numbers. A pop sound came from the door, and a sliver of light appeared around the edges. I looked back at the team to check their readiness then slowly cracked the door open more. Having no clue what we would find on the other side of the door, I proceeded with caution. Nothing surprising or dangerous happened as it fully opened, somehow lights were still on, but everything was quiet. Even the door's opening was silent.

4

Just inside the entrance was a short hallway with another doorway with another numbered keypad.

Rolling my eyes, I said, “Base, we can see the second door. Mind telling me the code for it?”

“Watch yourself, Zed. It’s 3098.”

“Sure thing. Any other passwords I need to know?”

“No, Base out.”

“Well, they told you, sir,” Specs muttered.

“Yup let’s go. Nothing to worry about, right?”

“So, you say, sir,” Specs responded flatly.

Apparently, my techie was not an optimist. I chuckle to myself, leading the way slowly to the other door made of the same material as the first but thankfully without the deep scratches in it. I entered the numbers given to me by Base and after a second, I heard another faint pop. The doors’ lock had disengaged and popped it out a little. I opened this door slowly as well just in case. The fact that the scientists really did not want to give any information wasn’t that unusual. In this case, however, I was getting increasingly suspicious and worried about what we would find ahead.

This doorway gave us entrance to a large open floor. Lab equipment was everywhere, circled around a table with a glass container set upon it.

“Okay, spread out a little and look around. Specs, is that it, at the center?”

“Yes, it seems to indicate that whatever is in that container is what the scientists sent us to find, sir.”

“Thanks. Walk around it to make sure so we can tell the scientists we tried if it turns out to not be what they wanted,” I ordered, before stepping towards what seemed to be the main console and monitoring station. It was the largest out of the group of stations surrounding the item contained in glass. The only monitor that seemed to still be working was set into the center of it, a flashing message on the screen. The words on it filled me with dread but I did not fully understand its meaning: “Do not use it.”

The message could have meant anything, but I had a gut feeling it was talking about the thing in the container. Unfortunately, there was not much we could do. We had to take it back to the scientists. There was no other choice.

I was going over any alternatives that could be possible when the scientists squawked over the radio, “Zed, do you have the item? Report!”

“Base, we found an item in a glass container. What happened to the scientists here?” I asked and was not surprised by the answer.

“Zed, do your job and grab the container. Do not concern yourself with anything else. Base, out,” the scientist practically snarled through the radio.

“Aye, aye, captain,” I mockingly said to myself, hearing the snickers from the others. “Right, our magnificent leaders say to get hopping, so hop to it. Pog, take the container and be extra careful.”

“Yes, sir,” he responded a tad hesitantly.

I couldn’t blame him; my inner alarms were blaring an alert I was surprised the others weren’t able to hear. Going around the room, I could see no trace of whoever had been stationed at this alien base camp. The fact that the lights were still on, but no one was home, worried me. The warning on the screen did not help even a little.

“If everyone is set, let’s head out. Time to blow this joint. And no, Mags, I was not being literal.”

Mag's disappointed mutter was the only response I received as we went back the way we came. I hesitated at the last door to the outside, hoping that the creature that had put the scratches on the door was not still around. I pushed the door open just a bit, enough to see if anything was out there. Thankfully, it still appeared as if we were utterly alone at the bottom of the canyon. Stepping out into the embrace of the strange fog and stranger forest, we moved.

This time, I led the way back putting Pog into the middle, to protect the item we had been sent to this strange planet to find. Mags and Specs knew their jobs well and spread out slightly to offer the best support if needed. Halfway back to the cliff face we had climbed down, Pog’s panicked voice startled me. It was loud in the silence that had only been broken previously by our footsteps.

“Sir! Something’s happening with the item!” his panicked shout bringing us to a stop, and

I turned to him. “What do you mean Pog?”

5

The sight of the cube of glass glowing an eerie and startling shade of green gave me a moment of unease. As I heard muffled curses from the others, I could tell I was not alone.

“Is it doing anything else? Or just glowing?” I asked.

“It started to vibrate slightly then a glow started in the center,” he blurted out.

“Okay, just don’t drop it and I will contact Base. Probably won’t be much help though,” I said. “Base, we are halfway back to the cliff face, but the item seems to be glowing and vibrating. Should we do something with it? Anything we need to know?”

“Zed, just get it here. It's fine. Hurry! Base, out.”

“Yup, no help whatsoever. Let’s double-time it,” I ordered.

Picking up the pace from the previous walk, we made it back to the cliff face in half the time.

“Mags, get up there first, then Pog and so on. Be careful and keep an eye out.” Their confirmations were followed by our readying the gear and the item. The item we placed in an extra bag we had, hoping it would make the trip safely.

One by one, I watched my team go up the face, the feeling of dread steadily rising in me. A final look around looking into the dark and strange forest around me I began my own ascent. As fast and safe as possible, I made my way up the craggy face of the cliff.

“There’s something wrong, sir,” came Mags' concerned voice over the radio.

What now? I thought before responding, “What’s up Mags?” I asked.

“Not sure, sir. Just get up here quick,” he said.

What did he think I was doing? Taking a leisurely stroll up the side of a sheer cliff face?

“Working on it, Mag,” I responded gruffly.

Nearing the edge above me, I could see Mags waiting to help me over it; even a few feet away still, I could see the worry on his face. With his helping hand, I was on flat ground again and undoing the ropes.

“What’s up?” I asked, “Listen, sir. The forest…it’s quiet. It wasn’t this quiet when we came through earlier,” he whispered to me, eyes steadily moving.

I took a second to listen and look around, discovering he was indeed correct. The once bright and beautiful forest seemed to have grown darker during our visit to the strange forest below. The light seemed to be gone and the heavy silence was now around us for miles instead of just in our small area as before. No creatures could be seen or heard…no bugs…nothing. My concern went up a few more notches that I didn't know existed.

“Move out, keep your eyes and ears alert. This may turn hairy soon,” I ordered, moving down the path previously taken.

Nothing happened for a while. We were almost to the gate before an ear-splitting sound seemed to resonate from behind me.

“What the heck is that?” I yelled, trying to be heard over the sound.

No one responded but Pog pulled the item from the bag we had stowed it in. The container that had previously been glowing and eerie green was now an angry and tumultuous red light. The item seemed to be emitting the sound and only seemed to be louder once Pog had removed it from the bag. I couldn’t hear anything other than the ear-splitting ruckus the item was making but I could see that behind us the trees were moving, shaking. Something was happening.

I tried to rush the others to the gate with a shout but instead had to grab them and push them to it.

The sound was starting to make it hard to think, hard to move.

I had a thought as I saw the scientists waiting on the other side of the gate. They looked eager, uncovered. My gut feeling about this mission was correct. I was a few steps behind the others and as they passed through the gate, the lead scientist turned and smiled just before he shut it down. They had left me here, just as the previous scientists. This realization made me sick at first as I turned to see the beast bearing down upon me. Then I remembered that I had not reported the message on the screen, nor did I let the camera see the rest of it. The alien creature closed its jaws around me as I let loose a cackle, for they had spelled their own doom. I did feel sorry for my team but at least they would be free.

“Do not use it, for it will release a darkness upon those who do. We will forever remain in the belly of the beast.”