Pulling his hood further over his head he let out a deep exhale. Rolling the last piece of equipment into place, he watched as the steam of his breath rose to the top of the cave. All the monitors were in place and the various other scanning devices were set. It was a lot of equipment for one object, but he’d heard the rumors going around between the scientists. It was supposedly a discovery for the ages, but to him it looked just like any old relic they’d found before.
Turning around, he looked at the obelisk that stood in the center of the cave. It was made of obsidian, and rose twenty feet out of the ice covering the floor. Whether or not more lay below was unknown. As he looked closer he could make out dozens of strange hieroglyphs that ran down each side of the object. After the research was done he was sure they would once again conclude that it was a relic of great importance to some long lost civilization from thousands of years ago. Then they’d tell him to pack it up and it’d be off to the next “great discovery.” It didn’t bother him too much though, he got paid either way. However, he did hope that the next job would be somewhere warmer. These Arctic jobs were wearing on him.
Looking back towards the equipment he went about finishing the set-up process. The heavy winterized cables needed to be run from the machines to the generator outside the cave entrance but the large ice chunks between the equipment and the wall were going to be a problem. While the simple solution would be to run the cables in the front he knew that wasn’t going to work. The scientists were very particular about the cable placement, ornery even. If he tried to do that he’d be on the first plane back stateside and he could forget about any kind of a severance package. Not to mention, they’d been more particular about the placement when it came to this particular object. Fifty feet away from the obelisk at a minimum. They’d never been too concerned about this before but he figured that they’d want to drill into the ice to see if anything else was being covered up and if the equipment was too close they’d have to move the whole set-up. It was reasonable; but certainly annoying. Letting out a sigh, he took the ice pick from his belt and began to hack away at the ice. The work was tiring and slow-going but at least it helped keep him warm.
After an hour, he was about a third of the way through towards the entrance when he felt something warm slide down his face towards his lip. Then, with a drip, a ball of crimson fell and stained the ice below him.
Of all the times to get a bloody nose.
Reaching into his pocket he grabbed a tissue and tore off a piece. Shoving it up his right nostril he felt the blood soak in and hold. Laying down the pick he sat against the icy wall and hoped that the cold would help to freeze it up quickly so that he could get back to work unbothered. It was already taking him longer than he had thought it would. The ice was thick and old, each blow of the pick had to be delivered with full force or else it would simply bounce off. Thankfully he wouldn’t have to worry about losing light from the cave entrance, or else who knows how long this would take. Looking up he glanced again at the obelisk in the center of the room.
This better be worth all this damn effort. Maybe when the rest of the crew gets here I’ll ask them for a raise, heh, or a drill.
Standing up, he checked his nose and to his surprise found that it still hadn’t let up. Figuring that it would eventually stop on its own, he got back to work.
As the hours dragged on, so did his progress. After getting to about the halfway point he was slowed down by another nuisance. His head had begun to ache. First starting slowly at the back of his head, then radiating to cover the entire right side as well. He’d had migraines in the past but this was different. Each swing of the pick brought a throbbing pain that seemed to bore further and further into his head. Eventually he could bear it no longer and was forced to stop. Sitting against the wall he removed the tissue from his nose and felt the blood flow once again.
I must have burst a vessel or something.
Leaning his head back against the wall he closed his eyes and sat in silence but still could find no relief. The pain continued to grow worse, spreading towards the left side of his head as well. No matter how he positioned himself or how hard he tried to ignore the pain he simply could not. It had become almost unbearable as it consumed him from the inside out. Laying on the floor he prayed for something, anything to take the pain away; it didn’t matter how. The minutes felt like hours as he lay suffering until something broke through the painful silence.
Come Closer
Opening his eyes he saw the ice below him was red with blood flowing from both of his nostrils now. Slowly he sat up and looked around, expecting to see one of the scientists, but the cave was empty besides himself.
Now that’s a first—never thought that something would hurt me so bad that I’d start hearing things.
Wiping his face he rose and took another look around the room; empty. Just as he was about to close his eyes again, he noticed something off. Despite how close he was to the equipment it appeared blurry to him. However, bringing his hands up to his face he could see them clearly.
What the hell is going on? He looked towards the obelisk in the center and could see that clearly as well. He could even make out the hieroglyphs that decorated its dark sides. Before he could look away he was hit with a sharp pain that exploded through the throbbing sensation and brought him to his knees.
Come Closer
Frightened and confused he tried to stand but found that he could not. Nor could he take his eyes away from the obelisk. The pain was unbearable. He felt like his head was breaking open. Blood streamed out of his nose covering his coat and the ice in front of him in a dark crimson.
Come Closer
The voice was louder this time, as if it was his own thought. Pain rocked his body now, no longer isolating itself to his head. He was completely vulnerable in the presence of the strange voice. No longer himself; overwhelmed by the excruciating pain. In mere minutes his sense of self was gone. His mind taken by the voice and its god-like power.
His body wasn’t discovered until a few days later. A large storm had descended, rendering travel from the camp to the cave impossible. By the time the storm let up the rest of the crew quickly rushed to rescue the man from the excavation site. However, instead of the hungry and freezing man they were expecting to find, they were greeted with a frozen husk.
Upon examination they found that he had died of a heart attack and had been dead for days. What couldn’t be explained is why he was found kneeling, as if in prayer in front of the obelisk.
Looking up from the report on his desk Cyfrin made eye contact with those seated at the table across from him. The six of them each gave him a curt nod and he placed the report back into the folder and opened the drawer to his right. From it he retrieved a rubber stamp and an inkpad. Placing it on his desk, he made sure to adequately coat it before stamping the folder with a bright red “CLASSIFIED.” With that he stood and handed the folder to a man standing by the door in a dark suit who quickly left the room, before returning to his chair. With a curt wave the rest of the individuals stood from their chairs and left the room. With their exit he retrieved another folder from his desk and signaled for the next group to enter. Taking their seats, Cyfrin opened the folder and began to read the next report.