The Project: Chapter 1 - Beginnings (584 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.79 on 44 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by PLANET (View user info) at 2009-08-03 15:36:35 EDT
I was with the project when it began.
I had spent my life studying, working and building models with the sole purpose of searching for the unknown and learning what I could. My drive to search for new knowledge was the only thing I cared about or ever wanted for myself. If I had known what it would lead to, I would have been an electrician.
You could imagine my excitement when I got the call from CERN. I could barely contain myself after they asked me to work on their LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in Sweden. It was a project on the cutting edge of science and exploration into the minute particles that make up this universe. Needless to say I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into it.
I had read all the research of course. The pros and cons of this kind of experimentation were vast and numerous to be sure. After weighing the odds of the "impossible" becoming possible I accepted the offer and uprooted my life, making the move halfway across the world and taking one more step toward my dreams. Hindsight being what it is I now know I let my ambition get the best of me. I should have taken less time deciding what was best for me and more time to decide what was best for the world...
In the months that passed all of my focus was on doing research for the project and building the machine. I had learned more about the particles that make up this universe than ever before. There were glitches of course, but what scientific experimentation doesn't have unforeseen variables?
We thought we knew what we were doing. We were completely focused on expanding scientific knowledge and "pushing the limit" as it were. But that was before the first one came through...
September 19th and the sun was shining. Like a kid anticipating Santa I could barely sleep the night before knowing full well that my presents were just under the tree, waiting to be unwrapped. I met with my team in the control room and started our procedures for start up, champagne at the ready. Those 20 minutes were the longest of my life to date. Staring at computer screens and watching energy levels, monitoring particle flow, logging every miniscule discrepancy.
Finally the moment came to initialize the machine and unlock the secrets of the universe. I grit my teeth and release the first wave of particles. It doesn't take long for something traveling at 99.9999991% the speed of light to travel 17 miles and cheers erupted as we began getting our first bits of data. It wasn't until we heard the alarm sound that we knew that there was trouble at the impact site. My mouth agape I watched the gauges peak as the energy output spiraled out of control. The temperature at the point of particle impact was rising at an unbelievable rate. I tried the emergency shutdown only to be punched in the gut with an error message, its image forever burned into my brain...
*FAILSAFE UNRESPONSIVE*
*FAILSAFE UNRESPONSIVE*
*FAILSAFE UNRESPONSIVE*
I guess Murphy really was right...
I thought the worst had happened. I thought the critic's worst fears had been realized when suddenly our prayers were answered. The machine had stopped along with the noise of frantic staff rummaging through procedure books and emergency manuals. The room went silent and dark and a sigh of relief escaped our lips for the briefest of moments, only to be stolen away by utter chaos.
When they are in your presence, the first thing you notice is the screaming. Evil and unrelenting their voices pierced our world for the first time and I have never been so frightened. Palms over my ears I looked down the tunnel in an attempt to make sense of the noise. The red iris of emergency lighting revealed only the cloud of dust that I would come to know so well in the coming months.
Instinctively I dropped to the ground, fearing that some of the liquid helium had escaped. My cowardice was my only saving grace at that moment. Cowering under a desk with my hands over my ears I felt the air around me begin to vibrate. Within seconds the creature was inside the control room. The smell of sulfur overpowering my senses I managed to look through my tears long enough to catch a glimpse of what would become my nemesis.
Oddly enough the wings are what shocked me the most. Grey feathers dragging on the ground behind the 7 foot tall beast as it made its way through the room. Its head resembled the skull of a large bird, its body without skin, its muscles bare and exposed dripping fluid. Surrounded in sulfur smelling dust it stopped every few feet to swing its massive clawed hands at my co-workers, dispatching them mercilessly. If it weren't for my hands over my ears I think the screams of the people I had come to know and love might have stopped my heart. But in that moment all I could hear was the beasts' voice muffled by my palms as I crawled on my belly out of the room and into the hallway.
Those 15 minutes on my belly felt like an eternity as I made my way out of the control complex and into the open air. The sunlight of the morning had yielded its grip on the world and given way to dusk as I ran across the parking lot trying to get to my car. I looked around me, daring to take my hands away from my ears if only for a moment to get my bearings. The air was eerily still, only being broken by the percussion of wings and screams in the distance as I shut the door and started the engine.
I made my way out of the parking lot slowly as to not attract any attention when dust began to creep its way through the air vents in my car. Smoky sulfur fingers dancing around me making my eyes tear. I looked in the rearview and saw grey feathers lying on my back window disappearing inch by inch. Before I could make heads or tails (or in this case feathers) of the situation there was a fist through the roof of my car swatting at me with razor sharp talons. I instinctively bent and dodged, hitting the gas and swerving my car in an attempt to remove my attacker from my roof to no avail. My heart rate skyrocketed in just a few seconds as panic and fear took over. I was seeing the world with high definition eyes. Everything was so tangible and real. Moments felt like seconds as I sped my car toward the pylons of a fast approaching bridge...
The sound and crunch of metal on metal has never appealed to me. Lucky for me an accident usually only lasts a few seconds before everything becomes still again. I rolled out of the drivers' seat slowly, still seeing stars from hitting the steering wheel. I attempted to scream for help but found out very quickly that I couldn't speak, the words were there but I couldn't get them out. I must have hit my head harder than I thought. I looked to the sky to try and find my attacker and found it empty, only the lingering smell of sulfur remained. I stumbled around the debris and discovered the beast's body smashed between the car and concrete. Its arms had been completely amputated and like a spider with half of its body removed the animal jerked in a futile attempt to move. In that moment there appeared a rage and a fire in my belly that had been absent in the previous years of my life. The seething desire for vengeance took over me and I knew what I had to do. I reached down slowly and grabbed a piece of shrapnel from the wreckage. Methodically I ran my finger over the tip to measure its sharpness. As I got closer to the beast I had to wrap my shirt around my face to fight off the gagging reflex from the sulfur. It lunged at me with its beak in one last attempt to take my life. With one motion I lunged forward with my weapon at the ready. Screaming I plunged it deep into the demons chest, its lifeblood pouring out and covering me while I stabbed it over and over. I had to take vengeance for the lives that had been taken from me; vengeance for my shattered dreams.
The cries of agony from those in the distance beckoned to me. A lingering sense of responsibility for their plight weighed heavy on my thoughts as I walked away from the scene of my first murder. Scared at my own reaction I wept. Not for me, but for those suffering at the hands of my ambition.
Now I have a new goal. One which I strive toward with all the drive and vision I had in my previous life.
Now I hunt them.
User Reviews
Submitted by spuj (user info) at 2009-08-10 11:08:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i hope you carry this on, it was excellent
my only critique if you will allow me one is this line:
'Before I could make heads or tails (or in this case feathers) of the situation'
the bit in brackets didnt feel right. apart from that fucking A
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2009-08-06 11:57:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
A man was sunbathing naked at the beach. For the sake of
civility, and to keep it from getting sunburned, he had a hat over his
male treasure.
A woman walks past and says, snickering,
"If you were a gentleman you know, you'd lift your hat.."
He raised an eyebrow and replied,
"If you weren't so ugly it would lift itself."
Submitted by RotAtoR (user info) at 2009-08-06 06:10:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Only negative thing for me is that CERN is based in Switzerland.
Otherwise great story.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 12:23:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 12:05:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Haha. Well aren't you amusing ;)
You are right though, most of the people doing good things in third world countries are christian. But at what cost?
My train of thought is jumping around like a mental tonight. On that note, I will say goodbye big man. Have a good day!
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All in good fun dear, all in good fun!
you have yourself a great night tuts! Nice talking with you!
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 12:05:10 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Haha. Well aren't you amusing ;)
You are right though, most of the people doing good things in third world countries are christian. But at what cost?
My train of thought is jumping around like a mental tonight. On that note, I will say goodbye big man. Have a good day!
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:58:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:40:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah who is that American preacher who it turned out was a homosexual in private? Despite his wife, kids and denouncement of gays? You know what pisses me off the most. The main message I get from their idol Jesus is love and live and let live. Yet, christians to me are the most judgemental and self righteous types.
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yeah it seems that the "love and live and let live" really only applies to the people they choose. Which isnt really the message at all now is it?! I dont want to pigeon hole ALL christians into the same mold because my mother is a believer and doesnt act that way at all. I think its just fear of the unknown and a personality that is unwilling to question authority that might be the lethal combination.
Then again, some of their beliefs are ok. I mean they frown on people being turned on by hairy men....
oh...
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:40:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah who is that American preacher who it turned out was a homosexual in private? Despite his wife, kids and denouncement of gays? You know what pisses me off the most. The main message I get from their idol Jesus is love and live and let live. Yet, christians to me are the most judgemental and self righteous types.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:31:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:28:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If you took the people who are so insistent on adhering to the exact word of the bible and moved them to a country where they actually do have laws and punishments that are Bible era, like stoning women for adultery, jailing men for homosexuality and the like. I'm assuming that they would find it restrictive and would want to come to whatever liberal country they are from. The stonings and jailings may be what the bible bashers think what should happen, but what they don't realise is that they would also miss out on a lot of other civil liberties and perks that they take for granted.
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yeah, I dont know about you, but I like eating a nice fat steak on a friday and not being literally crucified for it.
I mean hell, during that era everyone wore sandals, can you imagine the blisters? my god the blisters!
from my experience those that want the strict morality thats proposed in the bible are the ones that break that moral code the MOST in private. Everyone has skeletons in their closet, their closet just happens to be a bit deeper...
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:28:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If you took the people who are so insistent on adhering to the exact word of the bible and moved them to a country where they actually do have laws and punishments that are Bible era, like stoning women for adultery, jailing men for homosexuality and the like. I'm assuming that they would find it restrictive and would want to come to whatever liberal country they are from. The stonings and jailings may be what the bible bashers think what should happen, but what they don't realise is that they would also miss out on a lot of other civil liberties and perks that they take for granted.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 11:13:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:58:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow that is sad and you don't have kids yet hey? My parents love our kids more than they love my sisters and I. My brother they love more than anything.
What people have to remember in regards to stem cell research is that morality isn't fixed it is always fluid and changing, what once seemed shocking, like living together before marriage or women showing their ankles will one day become irrelevant. I do agree that there has to be limits on what we are allowed to do, but stem cell research hurts no-one.
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Exactly, I mean the basis for anti stem cell research is based on social norms that are from literally thousands of years ago, I mean how long is it going to take before we sit back and say, "wait a fucking minute, that doesnt apply anymore, we live in a different world"
for example, I have a friend thats engaged to be married. He lives with his fiance in a house that they purchased together. Her catholic parents will not set foot in their home until they are married because they consider them living in sin. WTF?
and no I dont have any kids yet!
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:58:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Wow that is sad and you don't have kids yet hey? My parents love our kids more than they love my sisters and I. My brother they love more than anything.
What people have to remember in regards to stem cell research is that morality isn't fixed it is always fluid and changing, what once seemed shocking, like living together before marriage or women showing their ankles will one day become irrelevant. I do agree that there has to be limits on what we are allowed to do, but stem cell research hurts no-one.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:49:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:43:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'll have me a pair of lungs and some new titties and some baby skin for my face when I'm fifty. Plus it's sad when people die young. I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to die young either. Think of all the unfair deaths that could be avoided.
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exactly! I mean hell, gimme a new heart while your at it. Living forever isnt really on my agenda either, I just want to reach a nice age where im old enough to say that I lived a full life, but young enough that I can go with some dignity! Is that too much to ask? My grandfather is crippled right now with a spinal injury, if he could walk again I think we should give him the chance.
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:43:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'll have me a pair of lungs and some new titties and some baby skin for my face when I'm fifty. Plus it's sad when people die young. I don't want to live forever, but I don't want to die young either. Think of all the unfair deaths that could be avoided.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:37:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:34:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah, the christians should just let us all eat aborted fetuses I mean it is kind of hypocritical for these women to kill them, then say well no I'm sad about it and you shouldn't experiment with them. Throw them in the furnace, at least stem cell research puts them to a use.
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hahaha I dunno about EAT them but at least put them to good use! I mean come on, there should be some good that comes out of that situation! Why not try to cure some LIVING people ya know?
I mean hell, I know im gonna need a new liver eventually, how about we start growing me one NOW!
I'll put it in the freezer for keeping.
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:34:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah, the christians should just let us all eat aborted fetuses I mean it is kind of hypocritical for these women to kill them, then say well no I'm sad about it and you shouldn't experiment with them. Throw them in the furnace, at least stem cell research puts them to a use.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:30:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:26:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Poor Michael J Fox. I don't often feel sad for celebrities because they aren't real people, rather they are caricatures. Michael J Fox though, he is Marty McFly! How can you not love him?
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I know. Not to mention that aside from the parkinsons he has aged so well, I mean he still kinda looks like a kid.
It really is a sad story. I still have some lingering feeling that Marty McFly will find a way to pull through!
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:26:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Poor Michael J Fox. I don't often feel sad for celebrities because they aren't real people, rather they are caricatures. Michael J Fox though, he is Marty McFly! How can you not love him?
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:18:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:11:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Some critics say my mind is a micro black hole. Haha that was lame. I suppose at the end of the day most people are a little bit afraid of technology and there is always that frankenstein kind of attitude towards it. You know we shouldn't mess, play god etc. It is pretty exciting though, I still think that time travel will eventually be possible. Me and the hubby had a really good convo stoned about it once where he concluded that because the time traveller would go into the past and mess with time it would change the future, therefore making it impossible for him to time travel. Which makes time travel impossible. But paradoxes hurt my head so we stopped.
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yeah discussing paradoxes will make your head spin. I mean think about it, if someone invented time travel and I was the first time traveler. I go back in time and cripple the guy who invented time travel, thus making the invention never occur, would I just dissapear? Its just too complicated. Lets all just watch Back to the Future and be done with it.
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:11:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Some critics say my mind is a micro black hole. Haha that was lame. I suppose at the end of the day most people are a little bit afraid of technology and there is always that frankenstein kind of attitude towards it. You know we shouldn't mess, play god etc. It is pretty exciting though, I still think that time travel will eventually be possible. Me and the hubby had a really good convo stoned about it once where he concluded that because the time traveller would go into the past and mess with time it would change the future, therefore making it impossible for him to time travel. Which makes time travel impossible. But paradoxes hurt my head so we stopped.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 10:02:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:58:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Shit sorry.
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Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:57:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Or aren't some scientists scared of it opening a black hole? And doesn't time stop aaround a black hole? We shall all be frozen in time.....
I hope I'm doing something good.
====================================
No biggie...
Some of the critics say that it could open micro black holes at the impact site, but this is a minute possibility...Then again people said that about whether or not the airplane would fly. Time doesnt really "stop" around a black hole, it just slows down to an incredible level. So hopefully im in the middle of having a drink!
or getting laid...every man on earth would be a complete stud.
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:58:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Shit sorry.
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:57:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Or aren't some scientists scared of it opening a black hole? And doesn't time stop aaround a black hole? We shall all be frozen in time.....
I hope I'm doing something good.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:47:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:43:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You are welcome!
However, when they first started making that thing. I was so freaked that they would open another dimension and let in invisible creatures that would kill us, because you can't fight the invisible things. That is what makes them scary.
===========================
Hah and to think the first time they tried to run it it failed. They havent even run a successful test on it yet
Im more worried about them setting the atmosphere on fire or something. I mean 17 miles of liquid helium and electro magnets? thats alotta juice running through that motherfucker.
I guess we shall see, eh?
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:43:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You are welcome!
However, when they first started making that thing. I was so freaked that they would open another dimension and let in invisible creatures that would kill us, because you can't fight the invisible things. That is what makes them scary.
Submitted by SgtHartman (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:14:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:11:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice buddy, nice.
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awwww thanks!
you too Fallen and Ash!
Submitted by TuTs (user info) at 2009-08-05 09:11:28 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice buddy, nice.
Submitted by FALLEN (user info) at 2009-08-04 21:38:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
meh.
just kidding
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2009-08-04 20:51:56 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Every time I see your name the words Planet Piss pop into my head. I do not know why that is.
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2009-08-04 20:20:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Ducky (user info) at 2009-08-04 19:37:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
continuum transfunctioner
Submitted by firefly (user info) at 2009-08-04 17:22:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
arrrgh?/!@#%$^&*(&^)(_+_+)???}|{ Hot!!! Hot!!! Baby!
Submitted by scourge (user info) at 2009-08-04 13:16:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
heavy handed and leading.
but a for effort i guess.
Submitted by Badlands (user info) at 2009-08-04 11:55:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by sage104 (user info) at 2009-08-04 11:17:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Well-written.
Good job, Sarge.
Submitted by monkeyswithguns (user info) at 2009-08-04 11:11:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm not going to read this, I'm going to base my rating solely on your girth. It is impressive, but I hope you lose some of it soon, otherwise, you won't be writing stories for very long.
Submitted by cheerios (user info) at 2009-08-03 20:16:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
looking good.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2009-08-03 19:55:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by YourNameHere (user info) at 2009-08-03 19:41:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2009-08-03 17:57:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Yozz (user info) at 2009-08-03 16:23:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Cool pic. But waht are those strange blacks of "text"?
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RACIST!
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2009-08-03 17:51:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
yeah we get something bad is going to happen no need to keep alluding to it
Submitted by SilentRenegade (user info) at 2009-08-03 17:00:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i love apocolyptia
Submitted by Yozz (user info) at 2009-08-03 16:25:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*blocks
Submitted by Yozz (user info) at 2009-08-03 16:23:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Cool pic. But waht are those strange blacks of "text"? Seeing as this is Ubersite and the poster is some dude name "Planet", it couldn't be an actual "story", could it?
Yeah, didn't think so.
Submitted by PlatinumScarecrow (user info) at 2009-08-03 15:50:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very Good