Descent Into Damnation
Legal Material: All DarkStalkers and Biohazard references are copyright Capcom, Inc.
Rated: Teen for violence and rough language.
Chapter 1: The Curse
January 19, 1997
4:34 p.m. EST
Office of Special Agent Forrest Wilson
Langley, VA
(A thick, vanilla-colored folder lies in the center of the G-man's cluttered desk. The dossier's cover is emblazoned with the seal of the CIA. The words "YOUR EYES ONLY" are stamped in bright red.)
Pg. 1
WARNING: This document is property of the United States' Central Intelligence Agency. Unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited. Offenders will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Pg. 2
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DIVISION 6: PARA-PSYCH OPERATIONS
FILE #: 10285023F
CASE OPENED: NOVEMBER 1, 1996
CASE CLOSED:
CLASSIFIED CLEARANCE LEVEL: BLACK
Subject: Redmond, Troy Gregory "Leon"
D.O.B.: 12 - 29 - 1967
Height: 5' 11''
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Race: White/Caucasian
Residence: 2010 Pine Street New Orleans, LA 70118
SS #: 722-84-6351
Home #: 504-752-9811
Credentials: Undergraduate – Tulane University (Religious Studies), Graduate – University of Notre Dame (Theology; unfinished)
Current Status: Missing. Subject is assumed to be armed, dangerous, and mentally unbalanced.
(A Xerox of the man's driver's license is attached with a paper clip. He's a clean-shaven, young-looking fellow with short-cropped hair. His smile is half-hearted and disinterested.)
Pg. 3
EVIDENCE
(The subsequent information was transcribed from a journal recovered from the remains of the missing person's domicile.)
February 26, 1996 – Rachelle [Smith, currently under surveillance in case the subject attempts to make contact. left me. Said I was obsessed. Whatever. I'm on to something.
April 29, 1996 – "If one allows for the existence of a God, he must also take into account the possibility of a Devil." Fair enough, 'cause I think I just met the latter. Some guy named Albert. Said he worked for a defense contractor and he was looking for people like me. Pay's pretty good and the work is right up my alley. Hell, if everything turns out all right, they just might let me finish my doctorate with the "research" I'll be doing.
April 30, 1996 – (There is nothing written. The author simply glued newspaper and tabloid articles with highlighted segments into the notebook. Digital copies of the clippings are located on a CD-ROM labeled "10285023F," which is stored in a plastic protective slip stapled to the back cover of the dossier. Upon inserting the media into a functioning computer and browsing for a file named "Redmond 4-30-95," a PDF document appears onscreen. The sections of interest to the author read as follows.)
REPEATED UFO INCIDENTS HAVE U.K. ASTRONOMERS BAFFLED
(London) - …As of yet, scientists have no explanation for what witnesses describe as "a blue shooting star" racing across the night sky. Based on amateur video footage, the unidentified object usually travels at least a mile high in the air and is capable of reaching velocities close to one and a half times the speed of sound. It is interesting to note that every report occurred on the evenings of a full moon…
11 CONFIRMED BRAIN-DEAD ON FIRST NIGHT OF ROCKER'S WORLD TOUR
(Sydney) - …Bystanders report that the victims simply collapsed during the solo of Lord Raptor's metal hit "After Life." Emergency responders were on hand to quickly transport them to Sydney Hospital. Though physically unharmed, the patients exhibited no activity in the areas of the brain responsible for higher thought. Physicians predict little to no chance of a recovery…
GIANT TERRORIZES RURAL AUSTRIAN TOWN
(Zwettl) - "…He was huge! Massive brute, built like a freight train," Heinrich Weirden, a farmer, alleged with the help of a translator. "He tried to grab my daughter Elisa, so my son Johan and I ran over to stop him. The monster brushed us aside like we were nothing! His skin was a sickly blue color, and he had bolts coming out of his head, and he could channel electricity through his hands!" (There is a black and white picture of a middle-aged man in dark pants and a long-sleeved button-down shirt that is pulled open. He is showing the camera operator the burns on his neck and chest from the electric current that the attacker sent through his body.) "I never would have imagined such a creature could exist!"
DISCOVERY CHANNEL CREW FOUND DEAD INSIDE TOMB OF PHAROAH
(Giza) - …The corpses of renowned archaeologist Dr. Samuel Roderick and his seven associates were strewn haphazardly around the recently-excavated burial chamber of ancient Egyptian ruler Anakaris. Autopsies revealed that the victims died as a result of having their blood completely drained from their bodies. During the chaos, the video camera used by the crew was damaged, allowing only audio input to be received by the device. Access to the contents of the recording is currently restricted to investigators and the families of the deceased…
ROMANIAN OFFICIAL DELIVERS ULTIMATUM TO NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
(Bucharest) - …Demitri Maximov, Lieutenant General of the Romanian Land Forces, issued the following statement to the country's body politic. "Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister: you have 24 hours to step down from your positions, dissolve the Parliament, and hand over control of the nation to me. There will be no negotiations. The only choices for you are submission or utter annihilation. That is all." The United Nations condemned his threats as "barbaric" but has not yet committed to sending troops to Romania…
May 20, 1996 – The others on the BiohazardRecruits channel on IRC are calling it the DarkStalker phenomenon, whatever that means. Some are hailing it as a sign of the end of days. Some jokingly suggested converting to Satanism "while there's still time." Let them fret. If my predictions are right, the coming years will certainly prove to be some of the most interesting mankind has ever witnessed.
June 9, 1996 – Right now I'm in Central America following a lead I received from my "benefactor." By the end of the week I hope to have completed my search of Tikal, Palenque, and Cancuen. I just hope I don't run out of money bribing the local officials to turn a blind eye to my investigation.
July 2, 1996 – I found it! I fucking found it! A Makai ruby! I haven't told anyone, not even Albert, who's become a real prick as of late. Screw him; he'll get his finished product when I damn well feel like giving it to him.
July 18, 1996 – I've almost completely unraveled the mystery behind this little gem. I just received a fax from my cryptographer buddy at Stanford, and I'm waiting for a reply from a linguistics expert in Belize. I had to call Mezeratti, a loan shark that I met through some of my shadier acquaintances, to get him to Western Union me some extra green, and he said he'd send gorillas with baseball bats after me if I was late with any payments. I would've laughed, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't kidding…
August 6, 1996 – Sneaking that rock and my charcoal rubbings of the temple hieroglyphs across customs was a bitch and a half. Barely had enough money left for a Greyhound ticket home.
Pg. 4
August 8, 1996 – Sick as a dog. Puking 'til I feel like my intestines are gonna fly out of my mouth. When someone says don't drink the water down there, you open up your God damn ears and listen. Ritual can wait until tomorrow.
August 9, 1996 – It worked! I flubbed the incantations a few times, but I finally got the portal to form. I spent about 8 hours in the Demon Realm before I started coughing up pieces of my lungs like a TB patient on his deathbed. I still can't believe that when the Mayans were conducting human sacrifices, they were actually opening up a gateway to Hell!
August 28, 1996 – Back up to full strength today. Bought a Remington 12-gauge and 50 shells at a gun show to deal with the inevitable local wildlife. Snagged an IMI Deagle .44, a big-ass knife, and some high-powered binoculars as an afterthought. That was easy. Getting my hands on a Haz-Mat suit, now that was a pain in the rear.
August 29, 1996 – Got to explore the landscape a bit more in detail. Just as bleak as most people would expect. The sky changes from deep purple to navy to black to red constantly, and when it rains it's as if Zeus is emptying his entire arsenal every ten seconds. The earth looks blackened and crunches loudly with every step I take. There's almost no plant life to speak of, just a few withered weeds every now and then. Saw two or three rotting trees, but that's the extent of it, really. Oddly enough, my compass still functions when I'm there. Oh, damn, almost forgot. Need to get some extra batteries for my camcorder.
(A search for said camcorder at the author's premises yielded nothing.)
August 30, 1996 – To say that I had a close encounter would put me in the running for mother of all understatements. I was heading east towards a mountain range when I ran into what I can only describe as an imp. Dark red skin, horns near its temples, bipedal, deformed wings but still somehow able to fly, mouth full of gnashing, serrated teeth. Really nasty little bugger, kept healing its wounds. Almost tore a hole in my suit before I managed to put it down with a point blank blast from the shotty to its face. Removing the head seems to be the only sure way of killing demons. Cut off a tissue sample to send to Albert later 'cause I didn't feel like dragging the bastard's stinking carcass a mile back to the portal.
October 1, 1996 – Don't know how I didn't notice this earlier. I don't get hungry when I'm over there, and I don't get tired either. Honestly, I feel like I could punch out Mark Kerr if UFC ever decided to put on a tourney in the Bad Place.
October 5, 1996 – Figured out I only need a gas mask to stay healthy on the other side, so I ditched the Haz-Mat suit. Whatever was turning my lungs to tomato soup must be airborne. Now I just gotta buy a some more filters.
(The next three entries are undated.)
– I don't know how long I've been in this cell. They humored me and allowed me to keep my journal, but I can barely lift my hand to write, and my coughing fits are getting worse. Ran out of air filters a day or so ago; don't know how much longer I have to live. I was on an expedition, looking for intelligent life forms. I found them, or rather they found me. Two humanoid zoanthropic creatures, one resembling a fox, the other a gargoyle. Both were around seven feet in height and clothed in manner that reminded me of peasants from the Middle Ages. I raised my hands to signify that I wasn't going to attack when they lunged at me, pinning me to the ground and relieving me of my backpack with what must have been minimal effort on their parts. The fox began screaming at me in a tongue that was harsh and guttural, unlike any I had ever heard. I could only open and close my mouth like a fish with its gills glued shut for a few seconds before I came up with something to say. One of them pulled out a tiny centipede-like creature from a pouch attached to the belt wrapped around his waist. He roughly grabbed my hair and thrust the thing into my left ear.
"You are trespassing on the hunting grounds of His Emminence Lord Baraba Kreutz, descendent of the Mighty Xell!" the gargoyle snarled, his hot breath blasting across my face like a raging sandstorm. "You will accompany us at once!"
I was too shocked to reply or resist, not that doing either would have made much of a difference. We walked for hours until we reached a monolithic stone castle. The sides of the fortress jutted into the air at least twenty-five meters, and beyond it dozens of spires and towers stretched to the hideous mess that passed for the Demon World's sky. Once we passed through a massive wooden gate that served as the main entrance, I was led deep into the stronghold. The inhabitants of the citadel stared at me in a mixture of mild curiosity and revulsion as they went about their business. All of them possessed demonic or animal-like features and were garbed in a fashion similar to that of my captors. After descending several flights of stairs, we reached a dark tunnel where two muscle-bound sentries were posted. Both wore some sort of thick protective covering and were armed with staffs that gave off a faint yellow glow at one end. They could have passed for human were it not for their bright orange skin and bull-like horns protruding symmetrically from their skulls.
"An outsider," the fox-demon growled. "Found him wandering on the outskirts of N'arleth Fields. Bringing him in for questioning."
"Aye," the one on the left replied. He balled up his fist and rapped soundly against the metal double-doors behind him, apparently signaling for his comrades behind them to let us in. Once inside they tossed me into the nearest holding cell without another word. I think it's been several days since I ended up in here. I just don't know any more.
Pg.5
– My body…it feels like I was burned alive and somehow survived. The ways they tortured me, I can't even begin to understand, much less put down into mere words. At first I told them the truth: that I was a scientist conducting research. Then I just said whatever they wanted to hear. Something about being a spy for House Dohma. Anything to make them stop.
– An emissary of Lord Kreutz visited me today. Said that his Master had taken an interest in me.
"A human who can last this long in Majingen's atmosphere even with the assistance of technology is rare," he hissed in a raspy voice that helped to emphasize his reptilian features. "He will grant you an audience tomorrow morning."
I can't wait.
October 31, 1996 – Two armed guards marched me through the dungeon and into a dimly lit reception hall. It appeared very Spartan to me. But it more than made up for sparseness in sheer size. The room was around 100 meters in length. At the end was a colossal throne, occupied by an equally formidable figure. I couldn't make out his features when I first entered, but as I drew nearer the details became clearer. A dreadfully huge beast, at least eight feet tall. His face resembled that of a wolf. His eyes were two golden embers that seemed to penetrate into my brain, attempting to pick apart my very essence. His lips were drawn back slightly, and I could make out two rows of menacing, pearl-white teeth. On some parts of his body his fur was purest white, while elsewhere it was a fitting royal blue. His clothing was almost comical, though taking into account his nobility helped to put things in perspective. The lingo for the ridiculous trappings that people used to don eludes me at the moment, but suffice to say that he would have fit in perfectly at a dress rehearsal for 1776. When I was within about fifteen feet of the monster, one of the guards escorting me shoved me down to my knees.
"No need for that, soldier," Kreutz spoke in a gravelly bass. "Leave us for now."
"As you wish, sir."
When they had exited, the Demon Lord rose from his seated position and snapped the fingers on his left hand. The manacles around my wrists then crumbled to dust.
"Rise, human."
While I shakily did so, he made a fist with one of his enormous hands and suddenly unclenched it. My backpack instantly appeared in his palm. He reached inside, pulling out the Desert Eagle. That handcannon looked like a toy in his giant mitts. He flicked off the safety and ejected the magazine, examining the weapon. He slid the clip back into the grip and held it out at arms length, staring down the sights. He snorted, tossing the gun casually over his shoulder.
"I can't believe you creatures still wage battles with such devices," he spoke disapprovingly.
The next item he produced was the machete. He smiled as he lightly flipped it in the air, switching between holding it at the hilt and gripping the edge between his thumb and index finger. Abruptly he dropped into a fighting stance and began performing a kata.
"A true warrior needs only his body as a weapon," the noble chastised as he sliced, parried, and lunged with grace and fluidity that contrasted markedly with his size. Unexpectedly he spun 180 degrees and with a lightning-quick thrust brought the blade within a millimeter of my right eye. "Remember that, human."
The knife disappeared from my sight in a puff of black smoke. He then drew out the jewel that had made my journey possible.
"Where did you find this?" he questioned as he held the ruby up to his one of his radiant eyes.
I mumbled an incoherent jumble of syllables. Faster than I could react he whirled on me and seized me by the waist in his gargantuan hands, giving me a painful squeeze.
"Speak up, lad!" He roared.
I coughed and spluttered under his immense strength, spraying a stream of blood down the front of my soiled jacket while prying uselessly at his interlocked fingers.
"Central America…Mayan…ruins!" I managed to choke out.
"Ah," he replied, simultaneously falling back into his previous state of composure and dropping me to the floor. "The Huitzil storage area. Well, that clears things up a bit." With that, he crushed the gem into powder in his bare hand. "I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're thinking. You claimed to come here in search of knowledge, and I believe you. Man's inquisitive nature is intrinsic and undeniable."
I could only nod dumbly, gawking in fascination and trepidation.
"Therefore, I will grant you the opportunity to study the mysteries of the Dark to your heart's content. But only under the condition that you never attempt to return to this Realm again. Do you agree to those terms?"
I licked my lips. My throat and brain felt as if they had been deep fried. I could hardly make sense of what he was saying over the relentless pounding of my own heart. "Yes," I croaked.
"Excellent!" Lord Kreutz exclaimed. "I must warn you, I don't take kindly to deceit. Should you ever break your end of the bargain, you'll wish I had executed you. Now, be baptized in Darkness!"
I cried out in surprise and horror at that unexpected turn of events. He stretched out one of his huge fur-covered hands and I was immediately consumed by pain that defies description. I mercifully passed out after a few seconds. I woke up on the floor in the den. The clock on the VCR claimed that it's almost midnight. I assume Kreutz transported me back after I blacked out.
I just checked through the kitchen window; the moon is entirely visible tonight. Oh, God, what's happening to me?! I
(The entry is illegible past this point.)
Pg. 6
(The following is a transcript of the telephone conversation between emergency dispatcher Sheryl Moore and Phillip Granley, the subject's neighbor, on the night of October 31, 1996 at 11:53 p.m. CST. An audio file version labeled "Redmond 10-31-96.wma" is located on the CD-ROM "10285023F.")
Moore: 911, what's your emergency?
Granley: Yeah, there's some serious shit goin' on next door; sounds like someone's getting their ass kicked. Lotta yellin'. You gotta send some cops over, pronto.
Moore: Sir, what's your name and address?
Granley: Phil Granley, 2008 Pine Street. Whoa, what the-? Friggin' couch just smashed through the front door. (Said aside.) LAURA! Get the kids in the car!
Moore: Sir, I'm going to advise against that. A squad car and an ambulance are on the way. Please stay calm and remain inside your- (Children's screams can be heard.).
Granley: Holy shit! Oh, my God, the roof just exploded. Some kinda…some kinda green ball o' fire just flew out. Looks like it's headin' uptown. Holy shit, what the hell was that? Wow, I never…. Damn, the rest of the house is catching, startin' to burn.
Moore: (A pause.) The Fire Department has been alerted and a truck is en route.
Granley: Well, that's fine and friggin' dandy, Miss, but unless they get here soon, ours is gonna light up, too. We're gettin' outta here.
Moore: Sir, pl- (Sound of dial tone.).