By Benji Clark - Truth Unveiled
Well I sat in my jail cell for the past couple of weeks updating my mailing list and reposting it on the blog, since I have nothing better to do. Wondering when I might go before a judge and plea for my freedom, even though I think I'm meant to disappear. Another test subject for the new Compound V42, probably. Then it happened.
Buckle up, because this one could not be stranger.
A Visitor with a Mission
A tall, jet-black haired woman named Cassandra visited my cell to inform me that they had a mission, one where my "expertise" may assist. I had no idea what expertise I could have offered these guys, but okay. If it meant getting out of this cell, and possible freedom, I was in.
Cassandra showed me pictures of a plane that had crashed last month in the jungle. The "official" story was, of course, that there were no survivors and that plane was a loss. The truth was that neither the government nor the airline had been able to locate the plane, and they didn't want to admit that to the families of the victims. Hence, the cover story.
The plane had now been located, about 30 days after the crash. It was in this jungle. I was to parachute in and help an operative look for the survivors.
I asked what expertise I could possibly have that would assist this mission, and Cassandra said it would soon be clear. And with that, left my cell.
Plane Ride
Next, I was escorted to a plane where I flew to the jungle in utter silence with a man who looked like a cross between the Terminator and one of the characters from Konami's Contra. He looked powerful, taller than a man should be, constantly smoking and his good eye always scanning around with an uncomfortable glare. His name was Murphy, and he didn't talk much. When he did, his voice sounded like a low growl, but was somehow smooth and comforting at the same time. I was told he was a whiz at tracking and survival.
I tried to talk to him but he largely ignored me, continuing to take long pulls on unfiltered cigarettes and flicking the butts toward the flight deck. Hopefully, he was just hyper-focusing on the mission. Because I didn't think I would be as much help as Cassandra seemed to think I would be.
Soon, it came time to deplane. And we parachuted to the jungle floor below, and that's when Murphy decided he was able to talk to me. Motioning me through the thick underbrush, we made our way toward the crash site.
Crash Site
Once we arrived, we surveyed the crash and found that no one had been there for many, many days. Murphy was easily able to pick up their trail, and we walked through a worn path. It seemed to have more definition the further we got.
Suddenly, Murphy stopped me. A snake flew, yes flew, from the tree in front of us and landed, coiled and hissing, on the ground in front of us. Murphy produced a serrated combat knife and dispatched the creature.
He then said that this is where I would probably come in handy.
I examined the corpse, and the snake was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It was clearly an enlarged tree snake, but with chameleon-like skin that seemed capable of changing color and bat-like wings. Something mutated this creature.
Murphy growled disapproval, and handed me the 9mm pistol he carried in his boot. For safety.
Plant Zombies and Cultists
Soon the path was no longer overgrown, and we found ourselves walking on a cobblestone road into a small, ruined section of an ancient town. Probably the square, as our path crossed near a well. With ruined walls acting as concealment for unknown creatures, Murphy urged caution as we investigated the area.
It didn't take long for a humanoid monster to jump from behind one of the wall remnants. Murphy blasted it with his sawed-off shotgun, and I took aim with the pistol. Together, we took the creature down.
I investigated, and found it to be a long-dead person that had been overtaken with some kind of fungus that was animating its central nervous system. A plant zombie, if you will.
From another wall, several robed figures emerged to thank us for taking out the monster. I easily recognized them as passengers of the downed plane, and they offered to take us to the master. Murphy and I agreed that this was the best course of action, so away we went.
Elliot Grange
The "master" was Elliot Grange, one of the passengers. Grange was a professor of engineering and a studious and careful academic. A natural choice as a leader.
While I assumed he would be grateful for the rescue, that was quickly proven untrue. He was upset that we showed up, because this group was chosen by the Heart for the mission of bringing its majesty to the rest of humanity.
Grange ordered his fellow cultists to seize Murphy and I. I pulled out the gun and took a shot at Grange's head. This shocked Murphy, who reminded me we were there to help Grange and the others.
"But he's crazy," I exclaimed.
It didn't matter. The shot had sent Grange running and the other cultists quickly surrendered. They wanted no part of Grange's madness. One offered to take us where Grange was likely going.
We arrived at another part of the ruin, where a large crystal sat atop a dais. We could feel it pulsing, and Grange was standing in front of it, whispering some dark incantation. He turned to us, and a harsher wave washed over us, where I saw a vision of 10-limbed aliens building this thing, which I now knew was called the Heart of Vey'Zan. I have no idea how I knew this, but I did.
I was nauseated, and dropped to one knee. The passenger was down, and so was Murphy.
Grange approached Murphy and pulled a dagger from his cloak. Resting a hand on Murphy's shoulder, he said, "Time to die."
I sprang into action, summoning a strength I didn't know I had. I rushed up next to Grange, and took a shot. I hit the cult leader, but he was unmoved. He tried to plunge his knife into Murphy still, but Murphy was tough. The knife didn't do break the skin. I took another shot but missed, and that's when Grange took a swing at me with the knife.
I was able to dodge.
I took one more shot at the deranged professor, and this time my bullet slammed into his chest. He was down, for good. A pool of blood spread from underneath his body, and his eyes looked unfaltering upward into the sky.
Final Thoughts
Debriefing the cultists, we found out that Grange had become the obvious leader right away. His rationing of the food and delegation of the daily tasks like gathering wood and preparing meals helped keep morale up. A patrol found the temple about a week later. Grange's mind had already started to slip. Attuning to that alien artifact ended his already loosened grip on reality. He started to believe and preach that no rescue would come because this group was chosen. As disciples of Vey'Zan, they would bring those teachings to the rest of the world, ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity for mankind.
Though what those teachings were, no one was for sure. Grange got angry and defensive if asked for specific lessons.
I can only guess that the Heart is some kind of psionic amplifier. A mindwalker could likely use it to buff their mental powers. The terrible vision of the ten-limbed spider-crawling aliens will stick with me for the rest of my life. Those creatures were awful to behold. I hope they are, as I have come to suspect, an extinct race and this device the last of their influence.
As little as I want to align with Cassandra, Murphy, or the feds in general, this seems to be my only path toward freedom. Perhaps I shall get another mission soon. Until then, never stop wondering about what THEY tell you.
I'll never stop reporting the truth. That's why they fear me.