. .. ... ..... Something Happened ..... ... .. .
It was all over the news & media outlets.
No one knew what it was, or how to properly describe it; that didn't change until after a while when the phenomenon caught an infamous label on the internet:
" The moon is sick! "
Somebody had posted it as a joke on some media platform, and it quickly trended.
Even though it was impossible to tell the nature of the phenomenon, it was a fact that indeed, something did happen.
And it was significantly alarming because astrologists & physicists couldn't recognize any cosmic event that would cause the moon to turn green and dim.
Some people took it as a prank of sorts, claiming that some rich kid probably pulled it off somehow & cursing at them.
Other people were demanding answers from the government about the pollution.
Some people never even bothered about it and kept to their daily routines nonchalantly.
Some communities were worried & seeking answers among themselves consulting anyone who knew better.
Superstitious people.... were going haywire with apocalyptic proclamations.
But the scientists.... the scientists.... they were afraid. They didn't know what could have happened, but thanks to their accumulated knowledge & years of expertise, they could easily tell.... It wasn't a natural phenomenon. Something.... Or someone out there had to have caused it.
Discussions & speculations on the topic were raging back & forth across the globe.
Day 1.... , second day.... , it's been a week.... a whole moon cycle later.... It hadn't disappeared....
The moon was still green and dim.
This wasn't a joke anymore. Real panic was starting to creep in. Someone had better do something about it before the situation truly gets out of hand.
And so, a joint global project was organized for each continent to dispatch some astronauts into space & investigate the situation. The project was made a global & public effort in order to pool funds together & take action as soon as possible.
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One month later
More accurately; two months after "Something happened" and the moon fell sick & dim.
The Global Joint Investigation project was completed & ready for launch.
Specially selected astronauts that had undergone a comprehensive training program on how to handle the situation & were lectured on the priorities of this mission; they were confidently displayed to assure success rates to the masses.
Those who could attend at the publications & programs did their best to arrive on time & fought for the special spots that were likely to show on camera.
Some middle-aged people observerd the situation through the monitors available in their offices, cafes, restaurants, clubs and other social gathering spots with news TVs or at least radio playing in the background.
The elderly watched it nervously from their home screens, as some of their kids were out there among the participants.
Many Important Figures gave a solemn speech during the announcement that the mission.... would launch in three days time. One person could have said it in one sentence....
To the dismay of the masses, it was anything but brief....
They sure milked the event out of every potential highlight & prestige it might have offered them. It was a ridiculous charade.
An unjustifiable assortment of the Important Figures would go on to talk then brag pompously and talk some more then brag once again before letting up the stage; only for the next individual to do the same.
Often times you'd hear the masses venting out their frustrations among themselves or vainly shouting at their streaming devices in protest.
• "One small step for man, and a big step for humanity.... "
>Yeah, yeah. Step down already!!
• "No matter what comes, we shall stand united and.... "
>We get it already! Move aside! Launch the program!
• "Dear Citizens of Planet Earth! Rest assured, our company has prepared the finest technological.... "
>Boo! None of us average masses can afford that shit !!
They kept at it the whole day....
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• "Today I stand before you all, honored to witness this glorious.... "
>I've never seen this guy before, is he even a President?
• "We need to think objectively! This may be the first encounter we have with.... "
>Hm? A Prodigy? What did they achieve?
>They're really smart.
>That's not.... Nevermind.
• "In science, any form of progress is welcome.... "
>I'm betting this month's salary they only picked him for the crazy look....
The second last day too....
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• "To be or not to be, we might finally be able to answer this lifelong.... "
>Na-aaa, am not touching this. No comment.
• "I'm honored to participate in this important mission, the trust that.... "
>Then freaking go already!! We all have jobs!!
• "So Jimmy, can you tell us your thoughts on this matter? " I'm excited!! I may get new toys and.... ""
>Whose child is this!!
>Dear God.... Not the FREAKING day of the MISSION LAUNCH TOO!!
>Hhh~
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Oh? Finally!! They are doing the countdown thing!! At least they are cultured on this part!!
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,
3
2
1
Shrr-choOO OoOmm!!!
Successful launch! And so they landed on the moon. Their first order of business was to set up camp and prepare all the necessary equipment for the investigation.
Secured spacesuits, communication devices, vehicle, sample containers,etc
It was eerily casual, as there was nothing out of the ordinary except for the green chunks of the moon plus the fact that it seemed to be losing its luminosity. But knowing that didn't help much, so they started collecting samples from the sickly looking moon rock and some of the still healthy parts too.
Heavy stakes & perhaps the fate of humanity itself were bound to this mission, so the astronauts & scientists worked diligently while taking note of every detail and documenting regular reports of everything.
Click.
>" This is the Captain speaking, that's it for today, regroup at base. "
About 5 hours later, the Captain of the mission contacted the dispatched crew members & told them to wrap things up and return to main camp.
The investigation effort was set to a daily limit of 6 hours max, then all members were to return to camp. Once everyone was confirmed present, they'd set up security & head inside to begin preliminary examinations of the samples they collected for the next 4 hours. Less than half a day in total.
The rest of the time was allocated for sleep & recovery from the physical strain as well as enjoying some recreational activities to keep their mental capacity & fortitude at its peak at all times of working hours.
Inside the labs where the scientists had gathered the samples for examination.
They were waiting for the Captain who was in the command room making a live report to Earth headquarters.
The Captain barely took 10 minutes, although it usually required about 30 minutes at least to cover the details in each report, hinting that something was off when the Lab door slid open so early & a shadowy figure of the "Captain" walked in, stiff like they'd seen a ghost.
• ".... um c-Captain, what's going on, have you concluded the report alrea-"
> "Įt'ş Õvër. Ğîvë üp whætêvêr ýøû'vë bèén døıñğ"
Says the "Captain" in a gruff voice as they slowy walk into the light, revealing a grim face with dead eyes that didn't sparkle in the least.
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The crew members were shocked silent.... with one thought circling each of their minds:
•• ' Already!? We haven't even touched the samples Yet !! ' ••
And the silent confrontation barely lasted for three more seconds before the crazy looking scientist from the publications about the mission back on earth; drew a baseball bat he had hidden within his lab coat:
• "I told those rigid soldiers that they should have provided us with personal firearms to carry at all times. Tch! Security isn't likely to arrive anytime soon. Not that I care, cause I sure as heck ain't dying in space to some alien shit !! "
Having said his part, the mad looking scientist with crazed eyes & disheveled hair charged at the "Captain" in a valorous display of willpower.
Alas, the difference between his sickly physique & the "Captain's" muscular athletic body alone already determined the result to their advantage; even though they were unarmed.
BAM!! SWIPE, CRUSH!!
The "Captain" easily knocked the baseball bat away, disarming the feeble man, and proceeded to twist his arm and pin him by the shoulder to the ground.
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It was dreadful silence that descended on the Lab room this time, as everyone had lost resolve & were waiting for the bloodbath to commence, hoping they'd somehow be left for last & maybe miraculously survive.
Their fear made obvious as they all backed up to the furthest corner of the Labs while pushing each other aside.
> ".... "
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The "Captain", clearly triggered by this, silently glares at each of them before speaking.
> ".... What do you think you're doing? "
• ".... Science be damned !! It speaks !? "
• ".... NO! I think it's parasitic & has invaded the mind of its victim! "
• ".... Doesn't matter if we can't study it !! "
Even as they whimpered in fear while shoving at each other, their scientific minds still maintained their curiosity, proving that they were indeed the best of the crop in each of their fields of science.
> " Hhh~ It's not that kind of scenario you idiots. Haven't you noticed that the crazed Kenrick is still alive? I just knocked him out for insubordination "
• ".... "
• ".... what? "
• ".... it's true, Kenrick is still breathing.... "
• ".... how come?.... "
> "Stop freaking out & listen to the end this time. It's true that I'm upset but my face is not that monstrous!! The reason I ordered you to cancel what you're doing, although I may have phrased it badly, is because this mission itself has been terminated.
Pack up, we're heading back to Earth. There's no need to do any research up here, the headquarters have already identified the cause of the phenomenon.
I inquired for more details about such sudden orders but it wasn't up for negotiation, that's why the latest report I was updating them with didn't last more than a few minutes. Do you understand now?
We all knew Kenrick was crazy from the beginning, we just couldn't prove it due to his genius & he was nefariously selected for the mission purely for propaganda purposes as he is widely infamous globally due to his crazy scientist social brand.
And no, there's no parasite. You can check in with the headquarters, they'll give you the order directly. We launch in twelve hours. And Kevin, you might as well fix the lab while you clean up the floor. Niraj, carry Kenrick back to his chambers & fill him in when he wakes up. Dismissed. Just make sure we leave nothing behind. "
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Having cleared up the misunderstanding, the Captain didn't wait to hear pathetic excuses & left to handle their work in preparing the spaceship for launch back into orbit.
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Back on Earth
The spaceship landed safely & they received a thunderous welcome by millions of the oblivious masses that thought the mission was a resounding success & hailed the astronauts as heroes.
The reality was actually that they hadn't even gotten the chance to perform a proper inspection; having been abruptly summoned back by the headquarters, reasons yet to be disclosed to them.
But oh well, they did their best, so they might as well not just play along to keep up appearances but rather enjoy the thunderous hero welcoming party & glory.
Although they never accomplished their mission successfully, one couldn't really say that it had been in vain or that they had failed; considering they did manage to at least bring back samples for examination. That had to count as something significant, right?
So let's ease up and bask in the glorious celebrations.
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Area 5 & 1
A maximum military security underground research city, location unknown.
Along with the VIP Figures that had clearance to be here, all significant & accomplished minds were gathered (mandatory) from around the globe.
A count of more than four thousand of these scientist were standing on an assembly ground, murmuring among themselves.
They were waiting for whoever was going to walk onto that podium at the Eastern wall of this grand assembly hall; explaining the situation.
And indeed, soon enough, someone stepped onto the podium and addressed the collection of Elite brilliant minds:
>"The situation is grave. Not just humanity; our whole Solar System could cease to exist"
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• "Ha! What kind of nonsense is that? You couldn't come up with something more convincing for your propaganda schemes? A dead parrot can do better if they tri-"
TAH !!
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.... Man drops dead.
>"Kenrick's quirks were mildly amusing, but the situation is dire enough that we'll need the time earned through his immediate death. Unless you're feeling generous & want to save us some more time, shut up and pay attention till the end."
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Kenrick's body gets indifferently dragged away in the background by robotics as the man on the podium continues his word:
>"Ironically, it's true. The moon is literally sick. We have identified the source of the infection to be a ball sized meteorite originating from outside our Solar System.
This event took place four months ago, meaning for two months we were living in ignorant bliss, discovered it during the third month when the green spots became visible yet we were still skeptical and wasted that month talking about it.
Finally deciding to investigate, we wasted the whole fourth month on the operation. Two weeks already into the fifth month, we finally have samples in our hands to examine.
That will be your job, but the gravity of the situation must be made clear before we begin. Not just humanity; our whole Solar System could cease to exist.
We know it for certain because satellites captured images of rapidly dying stars & whole solar systems on our neighboring Galaxies, including Andromeda, which is bigger than our own Milky Way Galaxy.
Satellite images show that Andromeda has suffered 24% irregular destruction of its total comic size, so far; as in the damage is rising."
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>"The small sized meteorite that landed on our moon traveled crazy intergalactic distance, skipping our radars & Satellite stations due to its supposedly insignificant size.
The meteorite shot out from a gigantic doomsday Gravitational Cosmic Cloud [GCC] that is currently wrecking havoc on the Galactic Group which the Milk Way, Andromeda and about sixty other galaxies reside in, causing unfathomable destruction by its electromagnetic storms ravaging everything they contact.
The storm has proven to cause diverse effects on the cosmic bodies it crosses, being concentrated on the bigger mass cosmic bodies.
Luckily for us, the [GCC] storms entered our Galactic Group from the side of Andromeda, the biggest Galaxy, making it take the brunt of the storm & slowing it down a bit with its sheer cosmic size.
The small meteorite that landed on our moon resulted from the initial collision of the storm as it entered the boundaries of our Galactic Group.
Thankfully there are some minor galaxies between us & Andromeda that the weakened [GCC] storms will have to travel through before reaching us.
Some Solar Systems & cosmic bodies were totally obliterated while others are surviving the storms with mild damage. 44days.
That's how much time we have left to figure out the nature of the phenomenon & figure out a way to increase our chances of survival.
The blue pocket sized robots will show you each to your respective station as soon as you input your names in them.
Further details & instructions will be provided through your personal blue robic. Any & all discovering must be reported & input on them within the hour to avoid recreating the wheel.
Withholding knowledge or failing to make the hourly report of progress or lack of it thereby is an immediate death sentence, no questions asked. We care not who discovers what, you will act as one unit to further this research.
The minds gathered here are the only ones capable of making a difference in this predicament, no time for goodbyes.
If you have a Last Will to write you're stupid, because it won't matter if we all perish. 6 hours of sleep. 6 hours of work. 2 hours of simple life. 2 hours of sleep. 8 hours of work.
That will be our strict schedule for the next 30 days. Any form of sabotage to this schedule is an immediate death sentence, no questions asked. Omega protocol is under effect for the next 30 days. You're all dismissed. "
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14 days to [GCC]
An oval table made of high quality mahogany wood.
Across its surface ran several carvings of art works depicting important highlights of human history.
300 seats, each unique; were neatly placed along the perimeter of the table.
The people in this room were gathered to determine the course of action humanity should take in the face of the imminent threat of extinction, [GCC].
The research on the samples was fruitful, but it came at a terrible price & the discoveries are beyond shocking.
Out of the four thousand brilliant scientific minds tasked with this research, only 2164 were still alive....
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• " .... amounting to 243 different kinds of evolutionary patterns discovered thus far. The main catalyst for successful evolution has been identified as a specific type of gene compatibility. In case of human subjects, it has been confirmed in 8 out of every 10 humans. The 2 ratio without the gene had a fixed mortality rate upon contact.
Six of them had a very high chance of survival & safe evolution. But the remaining 2 ratio of every 10, despite having gene compatibility, are often subject to irregular evolutionary patterns that are beyond the scope of our current technology & medical prowess to analyze.
In addition to failed experiments, we also lost some scientists to violent research subjects that showcased untold strengths. This concludes the report of all events that took place throughout Omega Protocol. "
Said the female secretary controlling the holographic monitor that displayed various images & information over the table. Wearing classic get up matching her curly brown hair & smart glasses.
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>" Have they made a cure yet? "
>>" Or at least a vaccine? "
>>>" If they are sentient, why can't we communicate with them? "
• " There is neither vaccine nor cure that can be devised for the infection as it is not a disease. As for communications, its theoretically possible; but the issue is that during the evolution, both the frontal lobe & cerebral cortex were affected as well; on a cellular level that rewired their language models & sensory speech organs. "
The room was solemnly livid once the discussions were done, & it was time to take action in accordance to what they agreed upon & do everything that they could to ensure their survival.
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