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  ORIGINS

  A Descent into the Wicked

  Will Alers

  new degree press

  copyright © 2021 Will Alers

  All rights reserved.

  ORIGINS

  A Descent into the Wicked

  ISBN

  978-1-63676-803-8 Paperback

  978-1-63730-239-2 Kindle Ebook

  978-1-63730-246-0 Digital Ebook

  To my loving family,

  Dad, friends.

  My editors, you know who you are,

  And to Sadie.

  CONTENTS

  * * *

  Author’s note

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Earth’s Inferno

  Chapter 2

  Dream Matter - Part 1

  Chapter 3

  Dream Matter - Part 2

  Chapter 4

  Trickery in the Desert

  Chapter 5

  The Necklace

  Chapter 6

  Arakan Part - 1

  Chapter 7

  Arakan Part - 2

  Chapter 8

  The Battle for Sorwell

  Chapter 9

  Home

  Chapter 10

  Seeds of the Past

  Chapter 11

  Eye of the Storm

  Epilogue

  Appendix

  “It’s not the battles you’ve fought that make you tired. It’s realizing you still have more to fight . . . Accelerate”

  —Joseph Staten,

  Halo: Shadow of Intent

  Author’s note

  * * *

  Good horror is about the awareness of the restrictions surrounding our own humanity, coming face to face with something beyond our own understanding.

  In regard to multiverses and infinite realms of existence in the science fiction genre, everyone thinks or believes the multiple reality trope has been played out, and nothing can be new with it. I think differently.

  A few television shows have easily explored the multiple reality trope: Westworld, Black Mirror, Doctor Who, and The X-Files. These examples are great not only because they freshen up the multiple reality trope, but they also expand on existential horror.

  An abundance of examples are scattered throughout cinema, literature, and the video game industry as well, such as the Alien franchise and Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s origin on cosmic horror. For example, explanations of H. P. Lovecraft’s indescribable entity that haunts an old town in “The Unnamable” are deliberately subtle or change every time they are seen by a character. The characters look inward to make sense of the complex puzzle of emotions they are left with after experiencing the “unnamable.” After the interaction, these characters either go mad with the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the illusion of peace and safety of a new dark age, and thus the prophecy continues.

  The highly popular video game series Mass Effect comes to mind as well. The series creates an expanded universe where developed societies deal with unfair politics, war, discrimination, and inequality. The series correlates perfectly with the definition of sociology, which is “the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior” (American Sociological Association, 2021). Mass Effect perfectly corresponds to the themes I explore in Origins: A Descent into the Wicked.

  In the course of its twenty-six seasons, the television show Doctor Who also has many sociological implications regarding structure and the development of societies—and more. Oppressive forces in the series show the importance of cultural, racial, and possible future stereotypes, although shown through historical and contemporary social constructs and artificial intelligence.

  The show Black Mirror deals with existential horror, especially with plots concerning the possibility of digital simulations of human minds, asking classic questions such as:

  •Is it even possible to perfectly simulate the intricate workings of a human mind?

  •What if the simulated human mind discovers it is a simulation?

  •Do the feelings and thoughts of a simulated human matter?

  The X-Files usually involves crime and thriller stories that focus on realistic depictions of police work and psychological depth but with an underlying tone of existential horror.

  One of the first science fiction examples is Murray Leinster’s “Sidewise in Time,” in which portions of alternative universes replace corresponding geographical regions in this universe. “Sidewise in Time” describes one’s location in a manner similar to requiring both longitude and latitude coordinates but with the additional measure of time. Traveling through time, the fourth dimension, also creates the concept of traveling outside the known timeline, introducing the fifth dimension, also known as a parallel universe.

  H. P. Lovecraft does an excellent job of showing how bored the human mind can get when stuck in one’s own life, and he once said, “A mind can find its greatest pleasure in escapes from the daily treadmill, and in original and dramatic recombination’s of images usually thrown by habit and fatigue into the hackneyed patterns of actual existence” (Lovecraft). The idea of us running to a dead stop in our lives, and the pleasure we get in escaping from the mundane pattern of daily life, is something we can all relate to. This concept created the motivation for my main character to see more than what meets the eye: a gateway into the unknown. Lovecraft’s prose shows how ordinary the human mind can be, which catalyzes humanity’s unimportant place in the universe for my book.

  Haven’t we all heard it before? There is always an ancient race of alien creators. Specifically, I’ll draw inspiration from the “Old Ones” from “Call of Cthulhu,” which is more or less an ambiguous term. It can refer to these ancient beings of great power that lived ages before there was anyone who created or at least aided in life as my characters know it today. This is nothing new, but I’m fascinated about the idea of this ancient, mysterious alien race, or entity constantly messing with life, creating these horrific stories to pass down to generation to generation, begging questions to be solved that should remain unanswered, to see far from what meets the eye. So what if something was different?

  The idea that there are secrets we must battle to uncover, and that there is always something more, something sinister that we cannot see by the normal eye, will always fascinate me.

  In my book, there are multiverses I’ve explored in a new way. These following shows have played a role in my indulgence to realms within realms. This book is a multiverse of different stories, ideas, timelines within real life happenings, and the fiction that goes on in my head.

  …

  Lastly, it is time to discuss the validity of the science in time travel stories. In the novel Time Travel, John Macvey explains the types of time travel that are scientifically credible from time dilation to the passage through a black hole: “Nevertheless, human beings are by nature questing, striving creatures, and if time travel can be rendered a feasible and practical proposition they almost certainly will wish to add to this successful battles against the seemingly impossible.”

  Ultimately, the possibility is chaotic, but the unpredictability of life is something to appreciate to a point. The complex nature of chaos becomes my own therapy. The ability to come to these realizations helps me to keep going and move forward in life.

  For me, people need to embrace the chaos; to accept the uncertainty of life and move forward; to take action despite not knowing how things will turn out.

  My childhood home was burned down from the inside by a gas fireplace, a portion of my life that became the point of no return. In my eyes, there was not a lower point to hit. I was just able to use my t
wo legs again after a car accident earlier that same year.

  But there’s a lesson to be learned. Regardless of the day-to-day conflicts we face, there’s always a bigger force hanging over our heads. There is an “existential” reminder that there’s something bigger than us. Good horror shows the monsters and then tells us how to overcome them—thus, this book. This is my own story, with all the named influences above, for overcoming my own nightmares. I hope it shows you the way to conquer your own too.

  Prologue

  * * *

  Dream Matter Interviewee Answers Report

  “It turned us into savages—we weren’t the same anymore since Kage took ahold1. Having children became a rare commodity; food became scarce. There was no order, as if it were like a T-bone steak gnawed down to its bone—stringing together the last bits of our law and order. Only the bigger ones survived to become the ones in charge. The ones like us who stood below would simply gnaw at what was left until it was time. The mine kept our town from this. Our grandfathers and grandmothers never left. Once the radiation was worse, we dug deeper, slowly burying ourselves along with our memories. Indeed, we lived below, where we could breed with others who also survived. To pass along everything we knew about the ones who caused this, because we would never forget. And we will rise again.” (Prisoner #15, Sorwell, New Mexico)

  “I never wanted to leave. The desert was my home. Even with its giant sandy hills, jittery passages, and the unforgiving sun—I could never forget, boiling myself through every breath. . . . I won’t lie, it was tough out there, but it was the only land I knew of. After my chores, I would always look at the spick-and-span sapphire sky, completely untouched, as its flawless beauty haunted me. If only the sky was happy enough for me to cause a tear. What it seemed to offer was promise, an appetizing ideal, but that never happened until the . . . until Hārītī appeared. . . .” (Prisoner #13, Sorwell, New Mexico)

  No one knew their names, but their real purpose is affiliated with their presence near nuclear testing zones. These people were infected before nuclear testing was initiated. Something was there originally. However, after the US government nuclear testing from the 1940s ’til the ’90s, things changed in the state of New Mexico.

  Keep in mind that 331 nuclear testing operations were performed: Trinity, Nougat, Gnome, Crosstie Gasbugg, and Carrizozo. Out of those nuclear tests between 1945 and 1992 in the deserts of New Mexico, the radiation mutated every living creature within 1,300-plus square miles. If only the inhabitants listened to their government, none of this would have happened.2

  “It never could’ve ended like this, because who would’ve thought? Everybody told me to move, they were like, ‘Jess, get off your damn chair and put down that PBR, we need to pack.” How could it have happened this fast? Oh wait, it’s when the government actually had their shit together, but what they did will never be forgotten. It’s like crumpling generations of work, like last year’s tax return, where there was nothing but greed at the front door taking what’s yours.” (Prisoner #13, Sorwell, New Mexico)

  What happened before the nuclear testing?

  These operations were in response to something out of their control. The United states government just didn’t know it yet.

  During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was a dominant power, controlling eastern Europe. A face to face with Russia was a great concern. In this context, the United States was scared. However, who would’ve thought a drowsy little ranching town in New Mexico would change forever?

  We can start with a military base near Sorwell, where the 510th composite group (the organization who dropped the bomb off at the end of WW2) was located, and a bored rancher found something on the property and took it to the sheriff.

  This spooked the higher-ups, and a press release was issued in Sorwell thinking it was a flying saucer. It was debunked as a piece of a weather balloon, a harmless high-altitude weather balloon made out of mylar and light wood sticks. In reality, the balloon was a part of the Project Mogul effort, which was a project initiated by the department of defense to find out the potential threat of Russia and whether the Russians had a nuclear weapon. Sent out into the upper atmosphere toward the Soviet Union, it was a sound device that could detect soundwaves from an atomic bomb test, an effort to figure out what the Soviet Union was up to.

  “Eventually, the ground became sterile. It was diseased from the radiation. The ones who survived the sickness were never the same again. As if this radiation changed us even more. The government wanted to use our land for even more testing. Nuclear bombs were the only thing that seemed to affect the shadows. They tried to offer us new homes that weren’t homes. Camps for the hungry, fenced in by chicken wire, only to leave by asking for permission to do so.” (Prisoner #15, Sorwell, New Mexico)

  The original inhabitants of the town of Sorwell were in the mines when the testing carried out. Children who survived birth in the mines were mutated by the bleeding radiation that came through. Although there was something already in these mines that permitted these families to stay under these circumstances.

  …

  Periodical Report #3 Hill’s of Grismay, September 1947

  Surrounding the mine is a grove of rocks with razor-sharp edges creating this narrow but walkable opening into the mountain. The mine was the core of the city’s economy. No one was ever on the streets when the mine was in business.

  The mine shut down in 2019. However, more and more people have been going up there. Trading and exportation of minerals has ceased to exist. Since this cause, many people who depended on the mine for business had to live in the streets in utter famine.

  Because funding from the town to the mine shut down for two years straight, the miners decided to live inside. At first, families were trained to teach their children the ways of the mine, passed down generation from generation until it wasn’t.

  One day, I was lucky enough to come up to the hills of Grismay.

  Something was found in that mine. Call it whatever you want: a shadow, mineral, gem, entity, or soul. Whatever it was, it changed the locals.

  The townspeople used it for currency as it was an excellent source of power. No one could actually tell you what it really did. It also has some very intoxicating capabilities. Even in moderation it was dangerous. Secondly, no one thought this fantastic mineral would be capable of destroying a whole society. Eventually, members of the community used the ore to trade for water because this mineral would keep the miners alive.

  From the stories I’ve heard, this mineral was sentient; it had consciousness. It would entice its victims with enormous amounts of euphoria, but once they were hooked there was nothing they could do about it. This mineral became more important than shelter, food, or health. Whoever became enthusiastic about this mineral would be captivated by it. They worshiped it, referring to the entity as “Hārītī,3” or “Kage” (Kah-geh).4

  The ore is what founded the town. It kept the city thriving for many years until the miners just stopped coming back to town. As more and more miners stopped coming back, rescue teams were sent but never came back. The miners weren’t protesting—they were being controlled.

  “We soon left the mines when the testing stopped, and they began to impose on the trespassers: eat the weak, and poison the strong.” (Prisoner #13)

  The surviving prisoners are descendants of miners who refused to leave their land during the testing. They retreated into the mines they worked, or rather lived in, and the radiation destroyed their DNA with obtrusions of the skin and dismemberment of limbs.

  “And they came back—of course. Built bases on our roofs, caused our rooms to crumble, so we rose; for the first time in thousands of years, we took the tools that built our town. And we used them as the tools of your destruction; we are mere instruments of your own creation. We never obey, we operate alone. We sit here, frozen in time until it is right for us to rise again. And we terminate the weak, im
prison the strong. To all you humans who even dare to come back to this land, the one you rid of all of its beauty: We will strike again, we do not fear you nor fear in your dwindling numbers, because we are and always will be immortal. You see me, don’t you? Humans who think it’s an empty lie. We are still here, waiting for the right move. The radiation can do horrible things. You have no idea what’s possible. In these moments I dwell on the before, the present, and the hereafter. But I look at you, and I see where the lies speak truth and truth creates the lies. You’ve been here before, but I must ask: Can you do it again?” (Prisoner #15)

  Prisoners were a product of processed teaching, accepting a set of beliefs with a lack of criticism or consideration of whether something is right or wrong—indoctrination. Prisoners would also exhibit an existential displacement from their humanity; referencing the interrogators as “humans.” Every single prisoner had black pupils. This was our final attempt to harness the power of these “shadows.”

  “Humans try with great authority and power, yet it is always misused, tampering with matters with which they should not meddle in. Your existence has also created an artificial sense of control. Emotions are a genetic error.” (Prisoner #15)

  Every prisoner, besides #15, suffered deadly seizures after their questioning.

  End of report.

  * * *

  1 Japanese for “Shadow.”

  2 J*wagne22. United States Nuclear Tests: July 1945 through September 1992, 24, 38-39, 68 Nuclear Horror History.

  3 Hārītī: Britanica. A cannibalistic fictional ogress who is now the goddess from Buddhist tradition of protecting children. Ancient Religions & Mythology. 2018.