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The Journal - Sci-Fi - first draft.
In the hot afternoon sun, dry dust kicked up from underneath shuffling feet. Soldiers and government scientists hustled back and forth setting up equipment, erecting tents and making observations. On any other occasion, this would have been a strange sight to see at the entrance of a secret research facility. In fact this facility, which had been built into the face of a government owned mountain, was so secret that this was the first time many of these soldiers and scientists were even made aware of its existence.
Through the throng of scientists and soldiers, a Hummer slowed and came to a stop in front of the guarded facility doors. A uniformed General stepped out and surveyed the area from where he stood. Although General Harrington had known about the VorteX facility for some time, this was the first time he had been told of its location. The giant steel doors that sealed the entrance shut had been pushed open from the inside about three feet and from its dark interior an odd, thick foliage pierced the outside.
Even though he was briefed thoroughly on the situation, he wasn't prepared to see such a thick, impenetrable growth. A tangle of dark green vines and thick healthy leaves reduced any visibility into the facility to about 6 feet. The pried open steel doors were held tightly in its grip. What most surprised him, mostly because he thought he must have been misinformed, was what he saw embossed on the two thick stems that stretched outwards from the center of the growth and straight up towards the sun.
"They really weren't exaggerating were they?" He said to the driver not expecting an answer.
"General Harrington." A voice from behind spoke. The general turned around to see one of the military's lead scientists approaching. "Sir, you must come with me, I have something you'll need to look at before we get started." As they briskly walked towards the generals command tent he continued speaking. "Earlier this morning there was movement within the growth."
"There's something in there?" He wondered how anything could move around inside such a dense environment.
"No. The movement wasn't something in there, the movement was the growth itself. This wasn't like a tree blowing in the breeze or a sunflower turning towards the sun. This was an intentional motion."
"How do you know?" The General didn't want anyone jumping to conclusions and this sounded just like that to him.
"This." He replied and pulled out a small, thin hardcovered book. The scientists voice was fast and excited. "In much the same fashion an elephant uses its trunk to pick up shrubs, a vine like growth extended forward and laid it gently on the ground within our reach. This is extremely exciting. A plant based life form with a measurable intelligence"
The general stared at him in disbelief.
"It wanted us to have this. When you read it you'll see why. We highlighted the relevant pages for you so you could bring yourself up to speed as quickly as possible."
He handed the general the small book. It was at this point he realized that it was a journal. "The plant gave this to us?" he thought to himself. Taking a deep breath and a seat at his desk he began to read:
Day 1:
This is my first entry. I don't know where to begin. I should probably start by mentioning that all entries in this journal will be related to the GenSource project. I'm still somewhat fuzzy on the details of it so I can't get into what its about. The research team I've been selected for will be living at the VorteX research facility until the project is completed. We've got a good team assembled: Dr. Xo Chen MIT graduate 15 years experience in experimental quantum physics, Dr. Marion Craig 12 years experience in applied bioengineering, myself and a team of about 18 jr researchers at our "disposal". We are being led by Dr. Jeff Cameron, head researcher of VorteX.
Day 2:
Finally finished the grand tour and my first night here. The whole facility is built into the side of a mountain and is fully equipped with the best technologies and completely locked down. Our living quarters are comfortable with each room having its own private bathroom. With the exception of us researchers, the facility is basically empty as no one is allowed to come or go; there isn't even any janitorial or kitchen staff. We've all been assigned housekeeping duties. I've been assigned to the janitorial dept. Most of the hallways are kept fairly dark, like an office building after hours. There's enough ambient light to see though. I actually find it very relaxing.
Day 7:
Dr. Cameron has turned out to be a brilliant man and an over achieving workaholic. He seems totally focused and dedicated to making this project happen. Maybe even a little too dedicated. We've already skipped our rec time once this week at his request. In just these short 7 days we four have crunched out a roadmap to develop the GenSource units.
Day 20:
The first GenSource unit ( GenSource 1 ) was brought online today. It was exhausting work but it paid off and is quite spectacular to watch. The plasma streams create a spectacular mini light show. More importantly though, is that it's working even better than we had expected. We've already seen growth in several of our test mediums. We weren't expecting to see anything for another 9 days. As a special thanks, Dr. Cameron has given us all two days off to compensate for our missed rec times since we've been here.
Day 26:
Now that we have a set of blue prints to work from, the other eight GenSource units on the array went up fairly quickly by the jr researchers. All have been brought online and are generating. Units 5 and 6 seem to have minor fluctuation issues but are still well withing our safety parameters.
Day 34:
GenSource 5 and 6 have been fluctuating beyond predefined limits for most of this morning. We have decided that the array needs to be brought down until the issue can be determined. I've jointly submitted a request with Dr Xo Chen and Dr Marion Craig to temporarily cease production.
Day 35:
This morning Dr Chen informed me that our request was denied. Instead, we are to find a fix for the fluctuations or alter our acceptable parameters for plasma variance. The research is to move forward. Dr. Cameron has, in addition to denying our request, bumped up the deadline for several key experiments using the array. Dr. Chen is furious.
Day 40:
We have begun to refer to Dr. Cameron as Dr. Jeckle (Behind his back of course). He is prone to tantrums of rage. We are working way too fast with way too little sleep. I'm very concerned. We've already made several mistakes and are lucky no one has been hurt by them. We've made some adaptations to GenSource 5 and GenSource 6 to stabilize the fluctuation including transferring some of their plasma output load to the other seven units. Still, we are running well outside of acceptable limits now on all nine devices. Tomorrow the three of us will confront Dr. Cameron.
Day 41:
Something's going on. The gist of it is I think we're prisoners. We went to Dr. Cameron's office and he wasn't there. Dr. Chen, who had made himself a copy of Cameron's swipe card after one of his prior fits had been able to open the office door. We found stacks of mail, our mail to our families and friends, unopened in a box. With no phone or internet allowed mail was our only connection to the outside. I don't know what's going on.
Day 45:
The plasma array has breached the titanium chamber yet it is still generating. Twelve jr researchers and Dr. Chen are presumed dead as the plant life has consumed that sector. Auto security features have closed that part of the building off. Cameron has barricaded himself in his office. In case the research logs are destroyed, here's the project in a nut shell. The plasma array was designed to create life out of energy. Dr. Craig was able to conceive a scenario where energy could become life. We built the GenSource units around that hypothesis. Things have changed however. It seems that the life we created is self preserving. The containment breach should have created an environment where the plasma streams could no longer exist, however a living shell has formed around the units and it is maintaining production.
Day 48:
Dr. Craig has come up with a plan. She believes that we can modify our bodies chemistries enough to adapt to the growth and hopefully interact with it. It's frightening but I don't see any other option. The growth has broken out of the secured quadrant and is quickly consuming the rest of the facility. Computer models show it will breach the facility in 24 days and will then spread even quicker in the natural sunlight. We have subjected ourselves to the genetic modifications Dr. Craig suggested. I feel incredibly light, almost like I'm floating, but exhausted. She decided we'd better sleep through the night and attempt assimilation in the morning.
Day 49:
This may be my last entry. It is morning. At least I think it's morning. I still feel as light as a feather but I'm rested now. Unfortunately the growth has breached my quarters and time is short. We are about to attempt to interact with it. Good God am I scared. Even if we fail life on earth will continue but I'm afraid mankind won't.
General Harrington looked up from the journal. "So those two are?" He glanced towards the human like features on the growths edge.
"Drs. Craig and Lennox we presume." Said the young investigator.
"Well I'll be god damned. And they're?"
"We're guessing its them keeping the growth from proliferating they way computer modeling projected. I don't know how successful they're going to be. We've located breaching in five different parts of the mountain."
Harrington stood up and took a long breath. "Then they need help?"
"We weren't sure until it then brought this forward." The investigator presented the General with another pile of papers.
The general grabbed the small pile. "What is it?"
"Dr. Craig's procedure for human adaptation to the growth." the investigator paused. "We suspect that they want us to send in some soldiers to join them."
Ten hours later at team of eighteen men and women stood before the effigies of Craig and Lennox. All twelve of them feeling lighter than air but well rested. The thick rich growth opened up and exposed the hallway once again. Single file, the eighteen soldiers marched into the darkness. Tentacles of plant life periodically reached out to guide a pair of soldiers away from the group, one male and one female, until it would stop them at a fissure in the mountain wall.
The next morning General Harrington woke up in his mobile quarters to a knock on the door. "Enter." He called.
A young private walked in without speaking, saluted, handed the general a folder, saluted again and quickly walked out. Harrington opened the folder to reveal photographs accompanying a brief report. Reviewing the photographs, Harrington could recognize in the stalks of the plant growth faces of the eighteen soldiers who had volunteered to adapt. Each pair occupied an opening in the mountain's surface. On the last page, a red box labeled STATUS contained the following:
"Growth stabilized and has receding in at least one location. All participants appear to have successfully adapted and have obtained positions of adequate sunlight. The consistent male/female pairing seems intentional but whether it was the groups decision or the growths is unknown. Could be a reproductive feature, could just be coincidence. A special OPS team has been allowed into the facility and has been guided through it unharmed. Status of plasma array still unknown but initial readings suggest it is still generating. Recommend recognizing the growth as a possible new form of life and giving it protected status."
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