Terror at Survey Station Delta - Chapter 1

Dr. Henson scratched the stubble on his chin.

“So, any guesses?”

The six residents of Biological Survey Station Delta all stood around the stainless steel table, eyes trained on the object situated they’d carefully there. The whole thing was covered in countless strands of multicolored wires, each one hooked to one of half a dozen monitoring machines scattered all around the room. What could still be seen wasn’t much, since it was only about the size of a volleyball – maybe a bit bigger.

After a minute of shuffling and confused glances, Dr. Malek broke the silence.

"Some kind of ceremonial mask, maybe?"

Dr. Henson gave him a look over top of his glasses – the kind of look that makes clear why no-one volunteered guesses. "What kind of mask" he gestured towards it with an open hand "has fucking veins in it?"

Nobody answered.

Dr. Ryuzaki and Mrs. Warren both leaned in to take a closer look, quickly followed by Dr. Quinn. Dr. Ryuzaki grunted in annoyance as Dr. Quinn's shoulder bumped against his.

"Sorry" Dr. Quinn mouthed silently, shuffling forward until her face was just a foot away from the object.

It was shaped like a bald human head cut off at the chin. It's brownish-greenish-blackish "skin" seemed to glisten under the hanging florescents like it was wet. At first they thought it was just that they found it in ice, but no matter how many towels they rubbed it with it still kept it’s glossy sheen. Instead of a nose it had two slits, like a snake. Instead of eyes it had two oversized black membranes, oblong and angular. It's ears were pointed, and where the mouth would have been there wasn't a mouth at all.

"It's kind of cool looking" Dr. Quinn said glancing about for any sign of agreement.

There was none.

"I mean" Dr. Allen said shrugging "maybe it's like a hollowed out head, like from some pre-historic humanoid or something."

Dr. Henson rubbed his palm down his face "Anyone wanna challenge greenhorn Jack on his hypothesis?"

"If it were that old" Dr. Ryuzaki said "the tissue wouldn't be this well preserved, especially detached from the rest of the body. Maybe this really is the whole thing."

"Like a mask" Dr. Quinn interjected.

Silence again.

"Well" Mrs. Warren said, her voice layered in a thick German accent "it's clear we don't have the resources to properly study it here, so how about we call it in and we can send it out for further, more expensive testing, how does that sound?"

The room waited for a reply from dear leader.

"Our glorious benefactor speaks the truth" Dr. Henson sighed, rubbing his balding scalp "when are we expecting that blizzard, Ken?"

Dr. Ryuzaki stiffened at the mention of his first name "I think central said around midnight?"

Again, silence.

"Welp" Dr. Henson clapped his hands "I don't know about you all but I've had a VERY long day" he stepped towards the table and everyone else stepped back "In the meantime" he used a towel to pick the mask-thing up "this is going straight into storage. No private visits, no-unauthorized examinations without my say-so, all right?"

Everyone nodded except Dr. Quinn.

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The day was almost over. Daytime was never more than a few hours, and even then the frequent storms usually blocked what little breached the horixon. Time dragged, as it often did, and by sundown the bored crew had largely taken there usual places in the base lounge situated on the far side of the compound from the examination room. With nothing to do other than be either be there or sleep, the choice for the merry band of insomniacs was pretty clear. 

Not that there was much to do there anyways. Dr. Malek and Dr. Ryuzaki usually just played checkers at the table in the middle of the room. Jack sat in the corner alone. Whenever he asked to play checkers the two men always said he could play the winner – but their game never seemed to end. Mrs. Warren sat alone as well, going over a stack of paperwork. Dr. Quinn, slouched in her chair by the window, watched the waning sun with her usual detached longing. Other than the occasional glance, the others just left her alone.

Suddenly she stood and walked across the room. Nobody really took notice until her destination became. Within seconds the eyes of the whole room were on her as she stood over Dr. Henson, seated in his favorite high-backed armchair (flown in from New York) reading an old book.

"Dr. Henson?" she said meekly.

The whole room stopped. The show was about to start.

Dr. Henson looked up from his book "Yes Dr. Quinn?" he said pleasantly.

She took a deep breath "First off, you can call me Zoe. You call everyone else by their first name, so you know..." Dr. Henson looked like he didn't know "Second, I know you said no individual examinations of the specimen, but I was thinking--"

Dr. Henson raised a hand to stop her. "I don't know what's gotten into you to make you think that you of all people have the privilege to supersede my very explicit orders" he shifted in his seat and faced her directly "but if you ever ask me to to pander to your whims because the suits back home – no offense!" he craned his neck to speak to Mrs. Warren on the far side of the room who was barely listening " - because they wanted better 'female representation' on my crew, God help me I'll find a way to get you out of here faster than you can say 'desk job'." He leaned in closer. "Have I made myself clear?"

"But sir, I wasn't..."

"Get. Out" he returned to his book.

"Sir, you can't --"

Dr. Henson's patented quick death stare stopped her sentence in it's tracks.

Her breaths quickened, but Dr. Henson didn't seem to care or notice. Swiveling 180 degrees Dr. Quinn strode across the lounge making for the door, head downcast.

"Better luck next time" Dr. Ryuzaki said, not looking up from his phone as she passed.

"Feeling pretty bold today, huh?" Dr. Malek said looking Dr. Quinn, and then Dr. Ryuzaki "Is it that time of month again." They both gave stifled chuckles.

Dr. Quinn blushed even redder, indignant. She began to cry and sped up her exit, passing Mrs. Warren by the door. What had happened was written all over Dr. Quinn's face. While Mrs. Warren's expression said "sympathy" her look said "Not sure what you were expecting."

Humiliation complete, Dr. Quinn left...

...and a moment later, Jack stood up from his chair.

"You all shouldn't treat her like that" he said, fuming "she's just as smart as you all, and you just keep treat her like shit! The least you can fucking do is treat the people trapped here with you with some basic goddamn respect!"

Instead of the argument he expected, the whole room fell silent. With it clear that his words weren't swaying anyone, Jack stormed out of the room, favoring a dramatic exit over continuing his lecture.

"What's his problem?" Dr. Malek mouthed silently to Dr. Henson.

"Canadian" he mouthed back.

Dr. Malek didn't know what he meant by that but laughed all the same.

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She wanted to do it by the book, but once again the Doctor-in-chief had to publicly humiliate her again just so he could get is geriatric rocks off.

As Zoe knelt she looked with her tear-swollen eyes into the eyes of the strange alien mask and wondered to herself why Dr. Henson never changed the storage lock combo from his ex-wife's birthday. It didn't matter, it just meant that she was able to examine specimens without interference from the men. She thought of sharing her secret with Mrs. Warren, who always liked being there for the examinations, but decided against it since she was all about being official and official this most certainly was not.

Venturing with her right hand she stroked the scalp with the palm of her hand. She felt warmth blossom the longer her hand touched it. She guided her touch along the surface until it reached the temple, and there, for a few seconds, it rested.

Suddenly, a pulse under the skin, like a heartbeat, pushed against her hand. The slightest surge of electricity shot up her arm and up her neck. A thought emerged. All through history science has advanced because people were willing to put their bodies, even their lives on the line for the sake of discovery. Well here was the discovery, and here was her body.

Reaching out with her other hand she grabbed the other temple and stood up, turning the mask about until the back faced her. Her chest felt hot as her heart beat faster and faster. A seam appeared along the back of the head and peeled apart, like an opening flower. Zoe saw the inside was even veinier than the outside. The whole thing pulsed and shifted as she watched, a thin layer of ooze adding to the glisten. It called to her, it wanted to devour her, and she was more than willing to oblige.

Closing her eyes she inched the opening closer and closer to her face...

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Night had fallen.

Back in the lounge Dr. Henson and Dr. Ryuzaki were the only ones left. Dr. Henson's feet were propped onto the table with his nose still buried deeply into his book. Dr. Ryuzaki propped his chin on his palm while his thumb swiped his phone screen casually.

Glancing over he saw the faded title: ‘At the Mountains of Madness’

"How the hell can you read something like that down here."

Dr. Henson looked up from his book just long enough for Dr. Ryuzaki to feel his displeasure at being disturbed. 

"Like this" he said curtly before dropping his gaze back to the page.

Ken could tell when he wasn't wanted, even when the great Dr. Ralph Henson didn't say it. Nine months with him had made that abundantly clear. Just as he was about to push himself out of the chair and leave, the walkie on the nearby table crackled to life.

"Hey, Ralph" the voice of Mrs. Warren crackled through "I think you're gonna wanna come down to the sick bay."

Dr. Henson rolled his eyes, placed his book on his lap, and grabbed the walkie. Pressing the button down and the crackling stopped "All right, what happened" he said trying his best to sound professional "did Jack's shit turn green again" he smiled at Ken and Ken smiled in bemused acknowledgment.

"No, its Dr. Quinn" she said.

Dr. Henson and Dr. Ryuzaki froze and looked at each other as their realization turned to horror. With a lurch they both leapt from their chairs. Dr. Henson's book toppled from his lap and landed on the carpet face up, and the lounge was silent.