Project Pandora [brought Hell on Earth]

I intend on writing a series of blogs from 4 people at a research facility on Earth. The first are blogs (audio logs) from someone in research, the other three will be from people in security, medical and finally administration. The four tales will recount a series of events how Doom was brought to Earth from Mars.

3-8-48

Another day in a cube starting at a computer and I think that I’ll go crazy. We’ve been working on project Pandora with little to show for it. Not just that, but only Foster knows what’s going on with the project.

Something’s inside the box and all we have is speculation.

3-9-48

Another day of the dull drums, at least I have Kathy to make this place tolerable. When she looks at me I freeze up, caught in her stare. Shame is when she glances my way is when Kent’s eyebrows raise my way too.

I can see him chewing his gum in a different way when he realizes she is looking my way. When his tour of working here is over, I’m done playing the waiting game. I’m gonna ask her out. To what do I ask her out? I don’t know.

The only thing I can think of is the big screen in the lounge on movie night.

3-10-48

The only thing keeping me going is Kathy. I see her every day, she tries to talk to me, but I cower down and hide like a hunter is pointing a rifle at me. Her roots are showing, seeing as how she can’t get any dye stuck at this facility. I don’t mind though, its not the blonde that I like about her. It’s the way she treats me.

Gerald out.

3-20-48

I haven’t recorded any audio logs in a while, but that is only because I have had a lot on my mind. Bosster Foster says we are at a crunch time, Pandora needs to be operational in a month before funding gets pulled and we’re all forced to work at company HQ.

3-20-48

Two logs in one day. I remember when I was able to record five in a day, but that was back when I was on the Santa Monica freeway stuck in traffic. To explain things, so I can get them clear in my head, Bosster Foster says I’m not doing my job up to par with the rest of the crew.

So what does he do? Moves me and promotes me to a unit supervisor. Just after he reprimands me, I see him talking to Dalton. I think maybe he wants me out of the unit so Kathy can’t talk to me when he’s shipped out in 11 days.

A man can hope right?

3-21-48

A day after I get promoted it is sheer chaos. Less than a day in fact! What am I doing here? I’m not the supervisor type. No one listens to me and every time I try to get them to listen it just sounds like I’m threatening them.

The four people under me think that I’m a joke and that I was just hired because my dad works for company admissions. That bastard tried to get me thrown out of the company after making me work three times as hard to get the job.

I just need a nap maybe. I haven’t been sleeping that well.

3-25-48

My mother called me up for our weekly fifteen minute conversation. She misses me of course, but she knows the deal. I am stuck here for three months. She said she’s afraid it might be the last time she talks to me, because of the war. The news told her that the Russians didn’t take too kindly to their president killed by an American soldier just before the signing of a peace treaty.

I have my own problems here.

3-26-48

I’m getting hit from all directions here. I just need some time to vent, and I can’t go down to the lounge to do it. Too many ears hear things and rumors spread fast in a facility of eighty plus people.

Bosster Forster is questioning if I can handle the pressure. Sure I can, I’m just not that good at it. If they wanted someone good with pressure, they would have found a marine. If they wanted their toy programmed correctly, then they’d come to me. Brilliance takes time, and isn’t done in an instant.

Then there is Kent. Mister Dalton I mean has been in my face a lot lately. The alpha male isn’t going to be here to try anything with Kathy and he knows it. I’m just a threat to him.

I. I gotta go... Someone’s buzzing at the

3-27-48

I need to catch up on some sleep. Bosster Foster has us working morning, noon and night. Someone should tell Captain Ahab the whale is dead already and to lighten up. I would tell him, but things are getting hostile enough.

Shivvel snapped at me today when I tried to coach him on what he was doing. I almost got shoved back, which is pretty astounding for a man that I swear cries when he looks in the mirror.

Its lunchtime, but I need my sleep more than lunch. Maybe the new diet will help.

3-28-48

Bosster Foster changed the deadlines. He heard tensions between us and the Russians have increased. The company needs Pandora to be operational in 30 days or there might not be a government to fund us! He was blathering something about missiles launched and thousands dead in major cities.

I wish I could see the news for myself, but we need a television that works.

3-29-48

What is wrong with some people? Anderson spazzed out over being forced to drink decaf and went on a rant that I will not soon forget. Bosster Foster needs to let us catch up on some sleep, because we’re getting more and more calls off work as of late. He knows we can’t keep this up; especially when we’re working a little blind here.

3-30-48

Kathy seems like she’s the only person not cracking under the pressure. Maybe it’s because she had yesterday off. I missed her like a monkey misses a banana. It’s like I need her around for comfort. She told me she slept the entire day, and I wish that I had that luxury.

She also told me that Dalton had told her I was promoted because one of the unit leaders was hospitalized. So everything was shifted around. Bosster Foster had told me that I was just the right man for the job.

Why don’t I believe it when good things happen?

3-30-48

Great things are happening for me! I had a great conversation with Kathy.

Gerald out.

3-31-48

They announced today that the company would not be sending out their drop ships for the tour change. Which means that I will be stuck with Kent’s leers and blocking me from getting to Kathy. I asked around to see why the company isn’t coming and Foster explained that they’ve gone into hiding and the Russians are on our soil.

He was very upset about it and said that the company told administration there would be no contact from them for a brief amount of time. In fact there will be no communications to keep the facility safe from discovery.

Just what is in this box outside my window?

4-4-48

I’m not even sure I’m ready to say this, but Kathy is dead. Four days ago, she was found in her quarters. No one is letting anything known, but I’m being watched. I think security thinks that I did it, or I’m at least a suspect. Now is a good time for me to call off work, but Foster said there’s no chance of that.

4-5-48

Even with the day off of work, I was still busy with security answering questions. Where was I the night of the thirty-first. I know where I was, trying to get some sleep, but no one can verify that seeing as how the hallway cameras were off during a late night power outage.

Something is going on here at the facility. The last time that the power went off was when we tried to animate Pandora, but we haven’t tried that in a month. I tried mentioning that to Harmon, but security will do what they want to I guess.

4-6-48

It was reported today over the speakers to be on the lookout for Kent Dalton. ID 114-54. Black hair, blue eyes, big facial features and a face that looks like it can turn men to stone. They mentioned he was wanted for questioning, but Anderson told me his friend down at security put Dalton in Kathy’s room the night she was killed.

I’m not sure if this is all hearsay, but he also added Dalton is on the loose with a pistol from security.

4-7-48

Where do I even start today?

CMO Lowery came over the speaker to make an announcement that we are all to receive immunization shots at our earliest convenience. What he really meant was at Lowery’s convenience. We were all called out of work and Foster started to freak out about how this messes with our time table. Nothing would calm him down, so security ended up having to escort him.

When we got down to the med ward, I overhead one of the nurses say that Dalton has the disease. What disease? Am I infected with something? Lowery said the shot would make me immune, but I just feel strange; groggy. I think I’ll go lie down before night shift starts. I’m getting really burnt out.

4-8-48

I had this weird dream again that I’ve been having for a few days now. It’s about Kathy lying in a morgue somewhere. In the dream I get called in to identify her body and there she is in her pink nighty and just before I get to her, she sits up without any eyes and the shotgun pellets still in her head. Then I wake up.

I think about going to the CMO and asking for something, but I don’t trust that shot he gave me. Something tells me it won’t make us immune to whatever this disease is.

4-9-48

Something strange happened today in the lab. The power went out. It flickered, and then it was out. Foster flipped his lid and thought one of us had done it. He screamed who started Colossus?

Colossus? Is that what’s in the box? Is that Pandora?

Man, I’m having headaches again. I need to take some pills.

4-10-48

Today wasn’t like the rest. It went by quickly and to top it off I found the April fools joke that Shivvel left for me in the lower drawer of my desk. There it was a little voodoo doll of Bosster Foster. It was worth a chuckle and we tried it out. Shivvel had completely forgotten that he put it in there. He knows the stress I’ve been under. We all have.

On a completely unrelated note, when I was in the hallway from the lounge, I saw four guys from security carrying Dalton down toward the armory. I first heard Dalton’s whaling from down the hall. Everyone did, and then when we saw him struggling, his skin was all grey and it looked like he lost a lot of hair. I only remember seeing his eyes once, but they didn’t look the same.

Big Jill from the lounge covered her mouth with a napkin when she saw him. Maybe that’s what we need to not get infected.

4-11-48

CMO Lowery came over the speakers this morning and said that we should all begin recording daily audio logs. Anderson came up to me and commented, uh that ain’t good. When I asked him what he meant, he said that it sounds like there’s been no contact from the company about getting the next tour in.

The CMO also added that if we are having any personal issues with the deaths of Kathy Sidmore to please see Dr. Kenneth Leaver in the med ward. I thought about it all through work today, so I took a stroll down there.

Turns out that I can’t even sit in the waiting room it’s so cramped. I’d say one fifth the staff was down there. At first I was almost insulted there would be that many there for her. I know she was the most charming, but that is a lot of people. Then I started to notice half of those people had graying skin.

4-12-48

Another power outage, this time it lasted five hours. Guys down at the power systems told us we overloaded it again. Nope, wasn’t our doing, unless Foster is up to something, but each time there is an outage, he is the one to flip out.

I took a stroll down to Dr. Leaver’s office today after final shift. There was a line outside the door. Instead I went to Big Jill in the lounge. She was having a rough night with some grabby creep. She’s a bartender, she can handle herself, but this guy kept lunging at her. Security had to stop it and drag him away.

4-14-48

Yesterday was hectic and we were understaffed. Everyone takes a turn at Dr. Leaver’s office. Including me, it is now mandatory that we speak to him. He asked me if there were nightmares keeping me up. Of course, Kathy’s corpse wakes me every night. Twelve holes in her forehead. He asked if I hear voices in my waking day and said they can even come over communications.

Come to think of it, I have been hearing things, but I thought it was com traffic. I’d call down to the power systems and I could hear things in the background. The guys down there never mentioned it, so I thought they knew. I just don’t know what they were saying.

4-15-48

Haskell went down to Dr. Leaver’s office this morning as part of the new mandatory visit to the psychologist, but the strange thing is he never came back. Administration also announced there would be no more alcohol served in the lounge or anywhere and the cafeteria would be reducing our portions of food in half.

Today the power went out again, and this is the fifteenth time by our records. The only catch is only my computer monitor remained on. I didn’t notice for a few minutes, because I was away from my station. When I came off it was flickering static and went on and off in a harmonious fashion. I wonder if the rest of them noticed.

4-16-48

What is going on here? There hasn’t been any power in this place for sixteen hours now. The guys at power systems say they’re running through it, but it’s like they are taking their sweet time! Foster has been losing his hair over this issue. They blame it on us and say to stop what we’re doing until they’re ready. The catch is that we’re not doing anything.

4-16-48

My PDA hasn’t had charge in over a day. I should really have charged it last night, but I didn’t, so if it dies, it’s all my fault.

4-18-48

This is insane! The power has been out for two or three days! There was a hold up in the power systems area, because of a death due to negligence. Security tied up the place a full day as they investigated the accident. That’s what it was ruled, an accident.

Meanwhile, in our department, Anderson had a meltdown that we won’t soon forget. He was angry at a computer crash and put his foot through the monitor before he threw it. After it was all over, he said he didn’t know what came over him.

The only thing that I have to look forward to is the end of my tour in twelve days.

4-19-48

Last night I had a dream that I was at a party in the lounge. It was my birthday in the dream. No one I recognized was there, but on the plus side, a giant cake was there. A woman was cutting the cake and passed each slice that was cut. When I was asked if I wanted a slice, I asked what it was and someone commented, its space virus.

That’s what it is. I just need to tell that to the CMO or Dr. Leavers.

4-20-48

The doctor is out. Dr. Leavers was murdered today. Killed by one of his patients; well we are all his patients now. Were; were all his patients. I never got to tell him my theory, so instead I told Big Jill. She said it probably came from Pandora.

Where’s Haskell? I’ve asked around for him, but no one has seen Daniel.

4-21-48

When I called off work this morning, I noticed something this morning while I was looking out my window. I could always see the long range transmission antenna from my window. I could always see it, I’ve just never noticed that now its not there. How long has it been gone?

There were no announcements this morning, which was very strange. I feel like I shouldn’t waste my whole day off. I should go do something. Maybe play some basketball.

4-21-48

I’m never playing basketball again. Not only am I not tall enough for it, but today when I got to the gym, there was a man standing at the free throw line. He looked lost. He just stood there, no ball in his hands; standing, looking toward the basket.

Some of the guys and I asked if he was alright. It took him a while to notice us and when he did he grew angry. Unjustifiably angry with us and he ended up chasing the four of us out of there. He was furious and ready to kill one of us.

Virus or just angry we caught him daydreaming?

4-22-48

Foster did the strangest thing this morning. He commed me and said there wasn’t any work today. He said the project was scrapped. When I asked whose authority, he said his own. I guess I can’t argue with the man and I need the sleep after the nightmare last night.

Gerald out.

4-22-48

There is a security barricade in front of the department when I walked by. They said they have orders to shoot anyone that tries to get past them. Whatever, I’m in no hurry to get back to work.

Just before I left, I heard one of the officers get commed. It was Foster asking if he could come into the lab. I saw it was pitch black when the doors slid open. It was strange that Foster was still in there when he had called off the project.

4-22-48

I just wanted to say that it is 11:22 pm according to my PDA and there is no power again. Anderson came to my door to ask if I got a com from Foster just before the power went out. I sure as hell didn’t. Anderson said Foster wanted him to come to the lab and it got cut off when the power went out. So now he and I are going down there to see what it was about.

4-23-48

Foster isn’t right. He called us down there, but never called off his security. Once he finally told them to let us in, he kept the lights off the whole time we were down there. Only five people were down there to hear his motivational speech about meeting the deadline and punching Russia back. I could tell that something’s happened to Foster. He’s missing most of his grey hair. So he’s either losing it to worry or he’s diseased.

After we were done at three in the morning, one of the other guys told Anderson and I about what’s going on at the morgue. The three of us took a peak after bribing the security guard some food rations to look the other way.

When we took a peak in the morgue, it was completely empty. The only thing I can figure a guard would be posted at an empty morgue would be to keep us from knowing no one was in it when there should be at least three bodies.

4-23-48

When I woke up, Anderson and I got together and counted the missing persons at the facility. Haskell was the first that came to mind, but as we asked around to people like Big Jill, there are at least six more that haven’t been seen in a long time. Foster hasn’t been seen, but we know where he is. He’s in his own little world, guarded by security that will not let anyone through unless they have an invitation.

4-24-48

I’ve realized that I’m just not going home. No communication from the company and no long range antenna to ask what the hell is going on out there. This. This hasn’t been a good day.

4-24-48

Having nothing to do but calculate conspiracy theories is killing me. All I do is question everything with anger; Anderson too. We need something to do. When we went to the lounge, we were shocked to see it’s not just shut down, but under a security detail. The two guards there told us to turn around and get back to our quarters for our own good.

The only thing that I have to do is record these things.

4-25-48

Sec Chief Underhill came over the com today and announced that we were all under lockdown. There was an attempt to break into the lab that was met with extreme force. He apologized and said it was necessary. What’s necessary about killing someone for trying to enter the lab? Now they have us locked down in quarters like it’s a prison.

That wouldn’t be bad if quarters weren’t like dorm rooms or like prison cells. Being in this tiny area is starting to get to me. I go into the hall, but there is a guard posted at the end that just tells me get back in my room. I can’t even get him to answer a question before he pushes me back in.

Gerald out.

4-26-48

Two am and the guy next to me won’t shut up. If he was playing a harmonica that would be different, but he keeps talking to me through the vent. It’s almost like a recording, because he doesn’t acknowledge anything I say.

He calls to me, Geeeerald. Geeeerald. We’ve gotta get out of here Geeeerald. They can’t keep us here Geeeerald. At first I just told the guy to shut the fuck up. Impolite I know, but I’ve lost all patience with him. Then I tried reasoning with him to shut up, but I just heard, him say We’ve gotta get out of here.

So I went outside to tell the guard he’s driving me nuts. If I didn’t have such strange shifts, I’d actually know who was in the room next to me. When the guard came over to hear my complaints, he said there was no one in the next room. Why? Sends chills down my spine, but he said the guy worked in power systems and died in an accident.

Then he opened the door with a swipe card to reveal an empty room. The guard wondered if it was coming from the quarters next to mine, but that’s Leah’s and she doesn’t have the same voice. Nor would she call for a rebellion. The guard said he’d ask her and get back to me.

4-26-48

I didn’t just see what I think that I saw. In the hallway when I asked the guard something, he told me to get back to my room. It’s for my own safety, before he could wave his gun at me, I saw Kent or at least what’s left of him.

He just put a bullet through that guard’s neck! Blood everywhere spackling the wall; I couldn’t do anything to help. All I could do was hope he didn’t see me.

Leah asked me through the vent if I heard what she did, but I just told her to keep quiet.

4-26-48

Not a peep for hours outside in the hall. I’m really getting tense. I’m sure the guard is dead, but I wonder if he’s alright. That’s a good question to ask right? Means I still have some of what’s me inside of me to wonder how a fellow human being is doing.

4-27-48

The mystery man keeps talking to me and its 3 am. He’s been talking for the past four hours. He asks, are ya scared Geeeerald? Over and over, he’s trying to get me killed. I just feel like screaming at him through the ducts, but if I do that Kent could be waiting. I’d rather have a guard telling me stay in quarters instead of someone with a grudge out for me.

Just cause Kathy took a shine to me when I arrived he’s held that against me this whole time. I would say this is like high school all over again, but it’s more like prison. I mean what’s wrong with him? Is it really a virus that got him or was there something like my neighbor nagging him?

It must’ve been a virus, because Kent’s skin was grey and he had lost most of his hair. He looked horrible in the glance that I saw him.

4-27-48

No announcements today. I wonder what happened to Clay. He use to do announcements, then its gradually shifted to CMO, then Sec Chief; now nothing and I woke up to gun shots. I’m too afraid to ask Leah if she knows what’s going on. When I look out my window, all I see is a blinding snowstorm.

I feel like this tiny room is the only place on Earth right now.

4-27-48

Two days until my tour was scheduled to be over, but now I know that I’m not getting out of here. I heard guns this morning and now I’m in hiding. I had to leave my room through the air duct. You never know how much a butter knife can save your life. Every thirty seconds I heard gun fire this morning. I decided it was time to get out of here.

They knocked on her door and Leah didn’t answer, then they just came in and I watched through the vent as they shot her. It looks like security is performing quarantine.

Each quarters that I crawled by had a bloody dead body in it. I don’t know how much longer I’ll last.

4-28-48

No where is safe, I had no sleep last night. Hiding in the air ducts gets me shot at by security. Walking around is less safe. This space disease has spread to everyone. I think it’s got me too. I’m hearing voices and things all the time, maybe its paranoia or dementia.

I finally got to hydroponics today. Its one of the only places that I’ve never seen and I saw a lot of it today. All of it was on fire when I went through. Someone set that fire on purpose. I find myself thinking the same. Maybe its best to blow this place up and make sure that we all die.

Then I realize that death doesn’t stop this virus. I swear that I saw Kathy today in one of the halls. I followed her, knowing she’s dead. She’s still dead, but alive. When she turned to see me, she had a missing forehead and gouged out eyes. She had to be dead, or am I just seeing walking nightmares?

5-5-48

I woke up today on a table in the med ward to CMO Lowery over me. He was half awake and barely with me. When he noticed me, he said I was shot by security and he had to operate. Then he said I’m exhibiting the signs of the virus. He began asking me questions if I had tingling in my extremities, blurred vision, loss of hearing, muscle weakness and a sore throat.

He said if he didn’t operate again he’d lose me. Then he stepped away and I could see his grey skin and he pulled off his surgical mask to reveal jagged teeth, missing lips and bloody muscle tissue.

Just before he stuck me with the needle he got shot by more bullets than I have birthdays. He slumped over on me and I had a gun pointed in my face followed by a question; Infected? Tell me now or I shoot.

My savior will not tell me his name; he just said it will make it easier for me to kill him if he gets infected. He knows who did this and he knows how to stop it. I don’t trust his motives though; he said he needs me to get the codes from Foster so he can end this before we all go mad.

5-6-48

I saw the American dream come true; Foster was shot in front of my eyes. Not Foster the man, he was dead quite a while ago. What my savior shot today was an angry, hollow husk. An angry body that tried to claw us both and the only thing he said was repeating the codes over and over again.

It took us a while to gather that Foster was repeating a number. A sixteen digit code that I can gather is the only way to open the giant box out in the arena. My savior ripped the key from off Foster’s neck and gave it to me.

I don’t want to think about the amount of power that I have. I have the power, but I feel so powerless. I’m the man without a gun in this chaotic place. Maybe it would regain its sanity if less people had guns.

5-6-48

Security is the enemy, my friends are the enemy, my savior is the enemy, administration is the enemy, my boss is the enemy, myself is the enemy. Today my savior had a firefight with security. He told me he was a part of them and they’ve gone mad. They say they’re protecting themselves by killing the rest of us, but what they don’t realize they’re infected. We all are.

My mind tells me my savior is a threat. I need to kill him when I get the chance. There is no way I can kill a man, and he’d never give me a gun to shoot him with. He got us into the lab. Now he’s holding off security while I open Pandora. He says whatever is inside is manipulating us. The voices I hear, the way everyone has been acting. It has to be true.

Whatever is in the box is only manipulating this facility. If Pandora gets out, she will be able to manipulate everyone. There is no way that I will have that taint my soul when I meet St. Peter at the gates. I know I’m not getting in to heaven, but I am going to do the right thing and that’s kill myself before I do the wrong thing.

It’s too late to stop me. I’ve already slit my wrists on some broken glass. My savior just doesn’t know it yet. Even as I sit here dying to record this, I want to open the box, just to see what this colossus is that Foster mentioned and maybe stop it.

Gerald out.