Strange Happenings
Midnight. They always came at midnight. The chimes from the old grandfather clock in the den jolted Daniel out of his restless dreams. It wasn't the chimes that woke him so much as the knowledge that They were coming. It was the same horrifying ritual, every single night.
The room was illuminated by an eerie pale green glow. Three figures in haz-mat suits stood around his bed. One of them held a large briefcase, another held a gun, and the third--the apparent leader, from the way he acted--was making entries into a large handheld computer. Daniel tried to escape, to run, to even move, but some unseen force held him in place, as immobile as the bed itself. The leader looked up from his computer and signaled to the one holding the briefcase, who set the case down and began to open it. Daniel strained to see its contents, but couldn't from his position. If only he could move...
The leader reached forward, grabbed the bedcovers and--
The shrill blast of Daniel's alarm clock filled the room. He'd had that dream again, the same one he'd been having every night for nearly a month. Except that it didn't feel like a normal dream. It felt more like a memory, but one that had been partially forgotten. Anyway, Dan had more important things to worry about, so he pushed whatever it was aside for the moment. Today was the last day of school, finally. All he had to do was survive his last few final exams, and he'd be home free. He wasn't about to let a creepy dream get him down.
***
Dr. DiCaoz glanced over his biology classroom. "Is anybody still working on the final?" he asked tiredly. He paused for a moment, then said, "If everybody is finished, you may talk quietly amongst yourselves for the remainder of the period." As the class erupted in chatter, he went back to nursing his hangover.
Daniel loved his biology class. It wasn't just that he was good at it, or that it was the last class of the day. By some bit of luck or fate, he happened to be in the same class as his four closest friends, Gassan, David, Pammy, and Jake. Gassan, David, and Pammy had become absurdly popular since coming to high school. Gassan was Lebanese and therefore "exotic," David was a star swimmer, and Pammy was a cheerleader. In retrospect, popularity was an inevitability. To the other popular kids, Jake an avid follower of the Furry subculture (he called it a craze, but nobody else did) and Daniel, the introspective writer, were social liabilities. Still, Gassan, David, and Pam never let their newfound "friends" keep them away from Jake and Dan. Privately, Daniel was grateful that he had managed to befriend the four people who appeared to be immune to high school drama.
"So, what'd you guys think?" Pammy whispered.
"I'm pretty sure Dr. Di is a nutcase," Gassan answered quickly. He was met with a chorus of approval from his companions.
"Anyway," Pam continued, "are we having our annual Thank-God-The-Schoolyear's-Over party tonight?"
"I can't go," Jake said, "I've got a convention."
"I can't go either," said David, "My dad's taking me camping. He's on a back-to-nature kick."
"I'm visiting my grandma," Gassan said. Pammy rolled her eyes.
"Alright," she sighed, "when do you guys get back?"
"Sunday"
"Sunday evening"
"Sunday, but it'll be late."
"So," Pammy continued, "is Monday night alright with everyone?"
***
The days passed quickly. By the time Monday arrived, he had gone an entire weekend without his mysterious dreams. He was mostly relieved, but part of him wished the visitors would come back so he could find out what they were up to.
The streets were charged with an eerie calm. A summer storm was coming. As Daniel reached Pam's door, he couldn't help but feel a strange foreboding. Something was decidedly wrong. He rang the bell.
"Come in," called Pammy. Dan opened the door and found friend sitting on the floor in a tidy circle. They were all staring at him, an unsettling hunger in their eyes. "We are playing Truth or Dare," Pammy intoned mechanically. "Please, join us. Truth or Dare?"
"Please choose Dare," Gassan said, in the same unearthly voice.
"The Truth is never any fun," agreed David, still in the same tone. Throughout the exchange, none of the four took their eyes off of Daniel.
"Is everything alright?" he asked. "You all seem...different."
Pammy answered in the same monotone as before: "We are collectively unnerved at a series of recurring dreams we have been having. Perhaps you too are experiencing these visions?"
"Yeah," Dan said, "but I'm not acting that weird about it."
"Perhaps," Pammy said, "All will be made more clear if you answer this simple question: Truth...or Dare?"
Written by Zodiac on 31 May 2008
The Dare
"Dare," Dan said shakily.
"Very well," Pammy responded, "your dare is to go to Area 50. You are familiar with Area 50, I trust?"
Jake jumped in: "It is a military complex on the outskirts of our town. It has been abandoned for a long time, though, so it will pose no immediate threat to you."
"It is nothing to be afraid of," said Gassan, "consider it to be something of a rite of passage."
"If you are truly afraid," said Pammy, "then we will accompany you."
Daniel stared at his friends incredulously. They had never acted this strangely before, and they had certainly never gone for childish dares before.
David appeared to sense his hesitation, and added, "perhaps Area 50 is somehow related to...Them."
Dan knew what that was about, and David was right. There seemed to be some connection between his nightly visitors and the military base. He couldn't quite place it, but the link was there. "Actually," added David, "all this talk of Area 50 has sparked my curiosity." He didn't sound the least bit like his curiosity has been even remotely sparked."
"I, too, am interested," agreed Pammy disinterestedly.
"As are we," said Gassan and Jake in eerie unison.
"Perhaps," Pammy went on, "we should go to Area 50 ourselves, whether or not Daniel is interested." The four of them stood to leave. Pam stopped for a moment, and asked, "Are you joining us, Daniel?"
Written by Zodiac on 02 June 2008
Area 50 Arrival
Daniel looked at his friends nervously. "Al...alright," Daniel said reluctantly, "I will go..."
"Nice to have you coming David," Pammy exclaimed. All David could do is let out a sheepish smile. "We will meet at Area 50 at 9 P.M. tonight, everyone can run by their houses and grab anything we may need. Flash lights, snacks, etc."
"I am just going to relax at my house until it is time" David said
"We'll I will see everyone then," Gassan said. Everyone soon dispersed and left to their respective houses.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Later at 9 Daniel met his friends at the base.
"Everybody ready to go in?" Pammy inquired.
"Yeah!" Gassan shouted.
"Let's do it!" As did Jake.
"Sure am" David said
"Unfortunately..." Daniel murmured.
David looked around and saw the front entrance directly ahead.
Far down to his left a hole in the fence could be seen.
And to his right a large tunnel could be seen. Though it was pitch black, so somebody better have a flash light.
Written by Shuusuke on 03 June 2008
Nanotechnology research station
As Daniel approached a bunker his friends separated, he traveled down the stairs. There were several red lights along the walls, then a red field appeared behind him, and in front, a green line of light went up and down his body, a voice that reminded Daniel of the computer on the droid ship on star wars republic commando said
“Analyzing genetic structure… match found, initiating proper age modifications.”
There was the sound of something powering up and a beam of silver energy shot him. Daniel twitched as the energy pulsed up and down his body. The beam stopped and he dropped the ground but still glowed, he felt weak, he began getting shorter, his muscle tone disappeared he screamed. His voice was a higher pitch and then it stopped, all his clothes except his boxers and shirt seemed to get bigger. From what he could see in the polished floor he was now 7 years old. The field in front of him dropped he tried touching the one behind him, it shocked him he then he proceeded forward.
“Please remove all unnecessary articles of clothing,” said the voice
Daniel removed all his too large clothes and continued down the hall, he reached a room that looked like the transporter room from star trek
“Please enter the teleportation module,” said the voice
Daniel entered it there was a glow of green light and he was in a near identical room, except there where what looked like clone troopers from star wars except black pointing weapons at him.
“All right now move it” said one of them,
He was escorted down a large hallway; he passed a window and saw he was in orbit, there several other ships outside the floors were metal and shiny and made him feel as though he were on a star destroyer. He was brought to a lab, there was a tall male figure wearing a black cape bent over a console. He turned and faced them, the left side of his face or even his head was covered in cybernetic implants. His left arm appeared to be made of metal, same with his right foot. His left eye was glowing blue and he still seemed to have an eyelid.
“Ah excellent, a new specimen,” he said in a monotone, but not robotic
“You may leave now” he said to the soldiers
They saluted and left. The figure then examined him. Daniel shivered; the floor was cold to his feet. The entire lab had different streamline instruments and several windows that viewed other larger labs. There was a large console that displayed a ship that looked almost exactly like the Eclipse from the Star Wars Empire at War expansion pack Forces of Corruption.
“It has been a while since anyone has wandered into our trap on the earth base, most were captured by a group of humans who work a project 0 if you cared to know.” Said the being turning back to a console, he typed several things in, the console beeped, it appeared to be a touch pad as were all the consoles.
Daniel saw several dissecting tools attached to metal arms that were connected to one point like the legs of a spider. He saw cutting tools, chambers, and other strange things.
“Who and what are you?” said Daniel
“We are cyborgs, we were once like you but we evolved and are now a hybrid of technology and flesh, we are at war with another race that mutates lower races into strange creatures and uses them in battle, we are able to battle them but we need a type as well, don't worry we don't do gender changes or make people into centaurs, we mainly do full or things werewolves but the werewolves are rare, you have a choice, I have selected and catalogued the DNA of nearly all the animals of your world we can begin transforming you into any you wish, as for me, just call me Zeta 78” said the being
“What about my friends?” said Daniel
“I don't know, they are probable going to be caught by project 0 or some other group that uses area 50 as a place to capture specimens, now what do you wish to be transformed into? It will not destroy the clothes you are wearing and we can return to scratch if need be,” said Zeta 78
(For what the eclipse looks like here is a link to picture http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Image:32035.jpg)
Written by Hnhn on 15 October 2008
A small tour of the labs
“Can I have time to think about it?” said Daniel
“Yes, we are not in the right lab any way, follow me” said Zeta 78
A door opened by one of the windows and they walked down a hallway. There were windows on ether side of them. The hallway they were in was suspended over a large room. Outside the windows Daniel could see many troops just like the ones who escorted him to the lab all shooting what looked like little floating cylinders. The color of the energy projectiles was white with a tint of blue. The cylinders would strafe to one side or the other. The projectiles hit an invisible barrier that only became visible when struck. Some of the soldiers had on backpacks that were connected to their armor. They passed through another door and there was another set of windows. On each side there were many beings like the one that he was following working on different things. Some appeared to be weapons, some he could not recognize. They passed through another door. The left window was shut but the right was open. Zeta 78 stopped and went up to the window and looked down into the room. There was a large beast. It appeared to be humanoid but hunched over. It was larger any human Daniel had seen. It had a tail and many spikes protruding from its shoulders and back. It had huge claws and its skin was brown. There were also two spheres with guns sticking out of them much like the guns of LAATs (The clone drop ships from star wars. The attack of the clones) just slightly below where they were standing, there were also several black amour soldiers along the wall, all pointing their weapons at the beast even though it was behind an energy barrier. There was then a soldier holding a weapon that Daniel had not seen carried by the soldier so far.
“That is our research in disruptor technology, that beast is the elite of the Fleraxian mutations, the Fleraxians are the enemies I told you about. The beast is extremely resistant to most of our infantrys weapons though our elite commandos can take them down. The disrupters break down organic matter at the molecular level. This is the first test of a disrupter designed to be powerful enough the destroy one of these beasts.” Said Zeta 78
The field dropped and the best charged. The soldier holding the disrupter fired. An orange ball of energy followed by a black trail, it hit the beast. There was a flash of range light and all that was left was a charred skeleton. The skeleton fell and then broke into ash. Zeta 78 pressed a few buttons on a panel on the windowsill activating an intercom of sorts.
“Well done Rho 18, Ill expect a full report and be sure to send your results back to weapons research.” Said Zeta 78
A tall being stepped out from a corner in the room and saluted then turned and exited through an unseen door. Zeta 78 then continued on. They passed through another door. The windows were shut. The remaining windows appeared to be the same.
“What is your species name?” said Daniel
“We are called Jerestians; our home world is called Jerest.” Said Zeta 78
They went through the final door and entered a circular room. The room sloped in towards the center. There were several devices placed around the highest part. There was also several doors along the walls. Zeta 78 went up to a wall. Tapped a few buttons and a long robotic arm extended from the ceiling and at the end of it there was an advanced looking syringe. The arm moved over to Daniel and injected the contents of the syringe into his neck. It didnt hurt.
“You are going to have to sleep for the night. I have injected you with Nanites and it will take them a while to disperse through your system.” Said Zeta 78
One of the doors opened and Daniel entered it. There was a bed and he went straight for it. He felt extremely tired and fell asleep as soon as he had lain down and drew the covers over himself. Though part of him felt as though the Nanites would do harm to him but he dismissed and fell into a dreamless slumber.
He awoke. At first he thought that he had just had a weird dream but the metal ceiling reminded him of where he was at. On the table in the corner of the room there was food and water. He ate and drank; he then went out the door. Zeta 78 was waiting for him.
“Ah good you are here, please step into to the circle and we can begin.” Said Zeta 78 Daniel walked down the center of the room.
“I have decided to try being a wolf.” Said Daniel
“Very well then, we begin now.” Said Zeta 78
The devices along the highest ring began glow. Thick streams of lightning shot from them and hit him. He felt extremely strange, his body seemed to slide and shift, it felt oddly good. His hands became paws and his head reshaped. He grew fur and the there was an explosion of light and he was full wolf. He fell to his hands or paws and painted. The same green light from the bunker went up and down his body, scanning him.
“I can communicate with you via your Nanites; we have been able to obtain sufficient results. What would you like to become next?” said Zeta 78
Daniel though for a moment and then decided to become a…
Written by Hnhn on 27 November 2008
The end (for now)