It is a wonder to me as to why I was never more prepared for what occurred during that investigation. I had spent some of the best years of my life as a pilot in the Air Force before working for NASA's Office of Inspector General, however, the time at the helm of government service isn't what opened me up to many of the "fringe" incidents that I had researched. As a child, I experienced something that I don't speak of much, and to this day I swear it not to be a dream. Upon going to sleep once on Halloween Night, I awoke to the sound of whispering around my bed. While my eyes were able to distinguish figures in the darkness, my body was completely paralyzed, and could not move my head to properly assert who was around me. In the darkness, my single night light cast a shadow of a figure that was in no way humanoid as what seemed like tentacles sprouted out of its head and danced on the walls. I screamed but no sound came out, but their whispers grew louder into full-fledged screams in another language unfamiliar to me. The final image imprinted in my memory was an almond-shaped eye, within a palm with three fingers reaching toward me. I awoke the next day and told my mother who assured me that the nightmare was the cause of too many sweets before bed coupled with a recent obsession with horror movies. Despite her explanation, I was completely sure that what I had experienced was real, and soon started my own crusade to research and prove the authenticity of my account. So while I am commissioned by the government to conduct investigations, on my personal time I conduct investigations of things they don't know about.
On July 15, 2030, NASA along with additional funding from private conglomerates launched the first manned mission to observe the surface of Neptune. The mission was no small feat as it would take over a decade to reach it and equal time to return. Realistically, the personnel on board would begin and end their career off of this one mission. I recall starting my military service, and it wasn't until my first few years at NASA that I received word that the individuals on the mission were on course to return to Earth. It would be a momentous occasion and a step forward for man, however, it didn't turn out that way. As the pod approached Earth, there was no radio communication from the personnel on board signaling that something had gone wrong. On that fateful day, the pod crash landed in the Great Basin Desert, and it was reported that the force of the crash alone would not contain any survivors.
Part 2
I woke up to the sound of my cell phone blaring a lame tune I had heard the night before. Still drunk from sleep, my supervisor rushed his communication on the phone. "Head over to the coordinates I'm sending you. Super X-6 has just crash-landed in the desert. We need you to assess the situation." he stated forwarding a file by text message. I agreed and then with little urgency went through my normal morning routine. As horrible as it may seem dead people on a two-decade-long mission didn't come as a surprise to me, nor did it constitute an emergency. In a few hours, I made it to the airport, following the news as the president had already made a statement on television praying for the families of the astronauts as well as interest in investigating the cause of the disaster by appointing a presidential commission. It was a fast response in my opinion but to my understanding, OIG was the last to know what happened.
I arrived around midnight at the location in the desert and in the distance from the road, I could see spotlights around a billowing smoke. Overhead helicopters circled the area dropping water in an attempt to contain a fire that continued for over a day. I was ordered to stop at a checkpoint by two soldiers. I lowered the window and flashed my badge at a sergeant observing the other officer already drawing his weapon. "Identification please," he ordered in a stern voice.
"Special Agent Samson with NASA OIG," I responded still paying attention to the other soldier.
"Agent Samson we have received orders to escort you to HQ. Please turn off the vehicle and leave the keys on the dashboard." he continued.
"Umm...ok?"
A different duo of soldiers appeared and escorted me to a makeshift command center made of a few shipping containers, about a half mile from the crash site. The entire situation was confusing to me as I observed the patches on the officer's uniforms; all had special forces tabs from various branches of the military. At the far end of the sterile, well-lit hallway inside the center, I was brought to a door and stopped right before I tried to touch the doorknob. "No firearms beyond this point, agent. Please relinquish your firearm." the soldier stated. I looked over to the other soldier whose stare into my eyes did not wane despite my smirk. I shook my head slowly and turned over my firearm, removing the magazine. Once I complied the soldier opened the door and moved me to a room that resembled our own interrogation room at OIG. "Take a seat agent," he ordered.
As I sat in the room, my thoughts were interrupted when a man in a suit entered and sat opposite me. On the desk, he threw down a file with my name on it.
"Special Agent Samson my name is Andrew Lodge and I'm with the Central Intelligence Agency. I have a few questions before you can begin to work on this crash site."
"What's going on? My supervisor directed me here. I thought OIG was investigating the crash."
"Mr. Samson, the CIA, and DOD are in charge of this investigation. You will be reporting to me and it has already been approved by your Special Agent in charge," he stated.
"The CIA? What's with the secrecy?"
"Agent Samson are you familiar with the screen name Notonlygreenmen21?" he asked no longer sounding somewhat friendly.
I nodded and leaned forward on the metal table.
"Yea, it's the screen name I use on UFO Hunters International. It's a website where we talk about UFO cases. What's this about? Why?"
"To make you aware, we currently have a search warrant to confiscate any and all electronic devices with internet capabilities from your home. In addition to this, we have obtained separate warrants for any computer you have ever used to access the site."
"Why are you doing all that? I'm confused, is that even legal?"
"Agent Samson, the US Marshal Service is already at your house executing the search warrant. I want you to understand the gravity of this situation. Currently, you don't have the required clearance to access this site but you came highly regarded."
"Then let's not make me feel like a criminal. I don't understand what I did to deserve this."
"These are preventative measures. You will get the devices back once they have been cleaned and your accounts wiped. We have to make sure."
Still tired from the night before, I rested my face on my palms and let out a groan. What the hell did I walk into? I should have just claimed I was sick and maybe they would have called someone else. Why was he telling me that they specifically asked for me? Lodge opened my file and put a piece of paper in front of me, placing a pen alongside this.
"What is this?" I asked.
"This investigation is a Top Secret investigation of the highest degree. All the men you see here are hand selected and screened specifically for this. You should know that if you disseminate, speak or mention anything you see here to anyone outside those working here, you will be prosecuted for treason. Off the record the CIA has not been known to formally refer for prosecution, as we have our own methods to ensure cooperation. " he explained.
"Wow, well I guess I don't have much other choice do I?"
"No, you do not. I will also have you know that until you finish you are going to be sequestered at the site. Once you complete everything, then you can go."
"A working prisoner?" I joked while leaning back in my chair.
"I don't see anything amusing. This is a matter of national security."
I quickly changed my demeanor and once again leaned forward. I gripped the pen and paused for a moment just glancing over the document before me. Lodge looked on as I signed my name, and when I looked up I saw a smile on his face. Within a moment's notice, the two soldiers opened the door and escorted me to another room in the command center.
The room, not as bare as the interrogation room before contained a computer on a desk as well as another table in the center of the room. On the middle table was what I recognized to be a data recorder, similar to a black box on a plane. In the far corner, there were two doors, which led to a small bathroom with a shower and the other led to a room with a cot and a small fridge with a microwave affixed on top of it. I opened the fridge to find it full of drinks, pre-sliced deli meats, as well as many microwavable meals. "Holy high blood pressure.", I mumbled to myself. "How are you liking your arrangements?" I heard a voice call from the front door. I saw Lodge standing at the door, closing it behind him.
"Interesting, I guess is the best way to respond," I stated.
"Only the best," he responded clearing his voice.
Lodge slowly walked to the table and placed his hand on the data recorder. In his hand, he held a USB which he placed on the table next to it.
"The Super X-6 was retrofitted with a different kind of data recorder than is normally used. The crew on the shuttle was recorded for the entire trip. All messages between crew members including written and spoken were recorded in real-time as well as the data from the ship's controls. We are aware of your experience with the so-called black boxes so figured you would be a good fit."
"That's like over 20 years of data," I stated.
"More like 10. We need you to look at all the data following when NASA no longer was receiving communication. Remember you are the only one who is listening to this. You report directly to me."
Part 3
For over a year that command center became my prison. I had limited contact with the outside world and almost everything required approval from Washington. When I brought up the issue of exercise, a treadmill was flown in and added to my room. To tackle downtime I was provided with books, a cassette player, and DVD movies with a small television. While I'm not a fan of the heat myself, I find sunlight to be extremely important and I was approved to walk the compound escorted by two soldiers in a vehicle only between certain times of the day. Any communication with my family came in the form of letters that had to be read and analyzed before it is sent out from a post office located in the nearest town.
I wasted no time analyzing the information in the box. Feeding it through the computer, it took two months of working every day to determine the first finding. There were apparently no issues in the computer systems recorded. The operation of the shuttle was run flawlessly. No issues with oxygen, pressure, etc., or with the controls. All systems were operating normally, so it should have been a smooth return. It wasn't until I began to go through the messages that I could tell something had occurred. All vocal messages were transcribed to make sure there was no confusion in the communication. I noticed the changes in messages on the return home. But while the messages were recorded in the data, none of the messages reached ground control. "This machine is on another level. Ground control we can see the surface of Neptune!" The message was upon breaking through the atmosphere and observing Neptune's surface by the flight crew.
About a month later, the messages began to look dark. "Crew has been seeing things here. All readings are normal, however. Please advise." the message read. Some messages were very short and contained no words and no transcription. For those, I heard the actual messages and some were little more than labored breathing that would quickly shut off at the end of the communication. Other messages contained arguments, discussions, etc. Did the stress of the mission cause so much separation on the trip? To me, it was understandable considering the length of the mission. It wasn't until I reached a message that was recorded halfway through the trip home that provided some clarity. "Mr. Roberts is ill. None of the tests are proving the presence of anything foreign. White blood cell count is elevated, however." it read. The following month, "Mr. Roberts has been showing signs of aggression and hallucination. Physically there are boils observed on his skin." About six months later, the fate of one of the crew members became clear. "Ground control...Mr. Roberts has killed Mrs. Alison. We cannot find Mr. Roberts at this time. Please advise."
As I went through the recordings, questions came to mind. While the shuttle was larger than most, I found it hard to believe that an individual could disappear or that someone could hide. Then, there was the question about the recordings. There were no reports that control had received the messages and therefore there were no responding transmissions. So why did they continue to try to make contact over a few years? What happened once they saw the surface of Neptune? What changed?
One night I decided to go into the recordings backward to narrow down the cause of the crash. The final transmission logged just two years before the crash, was nothing more than a man screaming and pleading for his life. A shiver ran up my spine in the room, lit by nothing but a desk lamp. I threw my headphones down and started to realize that despite their supposed best efforts, I was experiencing cabin fever. I alerted the soldiers and was approved to take a walk throughout the compound in the early morning hours. As my time there wore on, I came to see added shipping containers which included a makeshift lab, a store, etc. The crash site became a small town right before my eyes. As I walked towards the lab, I happened to see the door swing open between two soldiers and caught a glimpse of a black figure laying on a table. "What the fuck?" I asked myself. The soldiers made eye contact with me. "Keep moving agent." one of them stated still facing forward. I diverted my attention and decided to head back to my room. What was that? Confused I went back to the recordings. Could the bodies of the crew members still be under observation for over a year?
As I ran through the recordings I experienced the last messages of a dying man who had described the horrors of an unnamed disease as it developed, evolved, and ravaged his body. In one of the messages, he described small dark spots which resembled seeds growing out of his neck and chest, making it difficult to breathe. While he documented the symptoms, one could hear screaming and banging in the background. Blood-curdling screams as if someone were being murdered around him, and he was not concerned with anything other than his own issues. I continued on, quickly going through the recordings and skimming through the longer transmissions. Then, going back five years prior to the crash something new changed my entire outlook on life. The recording was of the crew member arguing with someone else. The only difference was that he was arguing in English, while the other individual was arguing in a low gargling moan speaking in an unfamiliar language. "You think you gonna do me in like you did the others? Huh, you son of a bitch?" he stated. The other individual responded in a gargling growl as if speaking while submerged underwater. At the conclusion of the transmission was the most demonic sounded scream in pain, which I deduced originated from the other person in the room. "There was something with them."
I rushed to the soldiers in a panicked state. "I need to speak to Lodge, it's an emergency!" I exclaimed ready to run out of the room. The soldier grabbed my arm and motioned me to return to my room. "Sir, Mr. Lodge isn't here at the moment," he stated. My eyes widened and I recalled the body on the table from earlier. "What kind of place is this? What do you have in that lab?" I asked. The two soldiers threw me back into the room, and I stumbled onto the table. I looked up to see their firearms drawn. "Sir, I am going to ask you to calm down. We have been instructed to use appropriate force as the situation dictates," he stated. Raising my hands as if to surrender, I waited patiently as the soldiers drew closer, handcuffs in hand. I counted to five and as soon as one of them was in striking distance I balled up my fist and hit him in the throat, grabbing his firearm as he descended to the ground. Shocked, there was hesitation on the part of the other soldier who attempted to fire but not before my shot. The bullet struck him in the chest and I quickly opened the door and ran down the hall outside the command center. An alarm sounded and I ran directly to the lab I had seen before. "Halt!" one of the soldiers shouted pointing their weapons. I pushed forward firing toward them as I ran. "This is a direct order! We will shoot!" the other soldier stated. After one of my bullets struck him in the head, and his body collapsed the other soldier took cover. Overhead the helicopter followed using its spotlight as I advanced into the container, chased by several soldiers.
With my gun drawn, I locked the door behind me, shocked that I could only see individuals in lab coats and no soldiers. Walking towards the table which was behind a plastic curtain my hands began to shake as I held the gun. The scientists whispered amongst themselves with their hands raised. "What's on the table?" I asked. The scientist stuttered and I noticed a pool beginning to form underneath his leg. "I'm not going to hurt you," I reassured him. The man continued to back up and allowed me to proceed. My heart began to beat wildly as I inched closer to the plastic curtain. With my sweaty palm, I grabbed the plastic curtain and took a deep breath, just before ripping it to the side. I witnessed a scene so horrific that I fell back and dropped the gun I was holding. It wasn't long before the soldiers entered the room and pulled me forcefully from the lab, the scientists followed suit and quickly returned the plastic curtain to its original position. I felt a prick on the side of my neck and my eyes began to shut.
Part 4
I awoke in the desert nude, dizzy and confused. Standing over me was Lodge, with a group of soldiers standing around him. "Where am I?" I asked covering my private parts and shivering as the sun set in the desert. "Mr. Samson I thought I was perfectly clear and the mission was simple," he stated as I tried to stand up. I looked around and saw nothing beyond sand dunes.
"Where am I?"
"Mr. Samson, you were cleared for this mission for one purpose. To analyze a data recorder. Now due to your actions, I believe that you were trying to steal secrets that were beyond your clearance."
"You son of a bitch! What was on that table?"
"I don't know what you are talking about. What I do know however is that no one will ever know about you beyond that mission. Your family has already been notified of your passing, and now you find yourself in hostile lands, in a country that dislikes Americans, who speak a language you do not understand."
"I know what I saw! I saw the tentacles on the ground. You dissected them!" I shouted tears running down my eyes.
"If you manage to find a way to return to the United States, remember we have your family in constant surveillance."
Lodge turned around with the group of soldiers and returned to their vehicles. I tried to run towards the vehicles to plead for another chance, but I saw their headlights quickly turn and begin to drive away. I fell to my knees and watched as their lights disappeared in the darkness before finding myself alone.
I screamed for help but it was obvious that no one could hear me, and the images of what I had seen on that table began flashing in my mind. As my tears rolled down for some reason a feeling of excitement came over me and I realized something. I was right all along! It wasn't in my head! I was right! I looked up at the sky and let out a huge shout of happiness.
As I laughed I heard a low buzzing noise in the distance but could not see where it originated from. It grew louder and louder with every second until a bright light began circling around me. It blinded me as if I were staring at the sun, and it burned my eyes just the same. "What are you?" I shouted. The buzzing continued however it was drowned out by a booming voice that sounded like the gargling from before, but this time I understood. The gargling sounds were no longer alien or foreign to me. While I was amazed at the fact that I understood, what was said sent a shiver up my spine. Did I hear it correctly? Did I truly understand what was spoken? I looked up hoping that the voice would repeat amongst the circling lights. Within the light, I could see violent, whip-like motions blocking the lights causing them to flicker. It never repeated the words, but I was sure that I understood. I understood that the gargling voice said, "We are God."