Tape Zero [Prologue]
Location: Brooklyn, New York City
Date: Present Day
Time: 7.05 A.M.
"Good morning New York City, it's now five after the hour of seven in the Big Apple. Temperature's a balmy 65 degrees which is good news for you commuters and it seems like a–"
The young lady silenced her alarm clock with a slap, groaning in aggravation for being so rudely awaken from her contentment of her slumber. She swallowed the thickness of her saliva, repulsed by the putrid sourness borne from the dryness of her mouth while she glared through half lidded eyes at the red diodes in pure disdain. However, the great chroniker has spoken. As much as she would rather continue the inward tussle in contemplating the decision to leave the gentle embrace of her cotton comforters or to get her lackadaisical behind off to face yet another sunrise in this drudging city.
She gritted her teeth, lifting her arms in a well-deserved stretch as she sat herself up in bed. Squinting her eyes from the blaring rays of the rising sun creeping through the narrow spaces between her curtains, breathing life and light into the dinginess of her meager one bedroom New York apartment. A small smile formed at the corner of her lips as she ran her fingers through her long blonde hair which she may add, was in desperate need of good brush. The gentle morning rays were comforting, almost affectionate like the gentle caress of velvet upon her cheek.
A yawn escaped her as she climbed out of bed, dressed in a simple t-shirt and shorts she made her way to the large panel windows before pulling the thick drapes of dark maroon aside. Almost instantly, the room came to life with the light of the sun. She felt a soft chuckle escape her, catching sight of the blazing streaks of bright pastel zipping by her windows as the pegasi went about their business.
She scoffed, shaking her head of her childish desires of someday flying alongside them up in the wild blue yonder. Ponies and humans have long coexisted with one another since the beginning of time, or at least that was what had been taught from the mountains of textbooks and irrelevant information she had been forced to cram into her tiny little skull back in high school.
Wonder if they would ever come up with a way to turn humans into ponies or vice versa? Naaaah!
Now enough pitter patter, and time for a good ole' cup of Joe. Seconds before she laid eyes on the coffee machine, she felt her heart jump as the telephone went into a frenzy. The young lady grinded her teeth in irritation before storming off into the kitchen, feigning her ignorance to the two bit ring tone, betting her bottom dollar she knew the particular skank on the other end. The phone continued to ring and after the sixth time, it was taken over by the recorded voice of the answering machine.
"You have reached the home of Jessica Burns, reporter extraordinaire! My apologies for I'm not home to pick up your call because I am currently out scouting for the scoop of the century, so please leave a message and I'll get back to you,"
Then, all Hell broke loose as if the Devil himself had risen from the bowels of underworld and decided the first thing he would do was to call her home.
"Jessica! Where the fuck have you been? You said you were on to something! You said you found 'the scoooop of the century!" the gruff, middle-aged voice blared across the living room.
"Well guess what? It's been two fucking months and you've got diddly-squat to show for it! What the fuck am I paying you for? You know what, fuck this. I don't fucking care anymore. Bottom line is, you promised me a front page editorial and I want it, on my desk by tomorrow or you're fired. You hear me! F-I R-E-D, FIRED!"
The sound of the receiver being slammed made Jessica cringe. Shrugging it off, she mouthed the obnoxious words of the uncivilized brute in a childish attempt at mockery. Even so, there was no denying the truth in those words. For what had started out as pledges of fortitude were now but soulless shells of empty promises. Like casino chips upon a roulette table, the young lady had placed everything– her life, her career and her reputation on this one story.
The gravity of such a scandal would without a doubt put her smack dab on the international wanted list for high treason and if convicted, she'll be getting fitted for a halo at the end of a firing squad. Yes, the stakes would be high but Jessica knew that this story would take her straight to pinnacle of journalistic world. She shrugged yet again as she poured herself a steaming mug of coffee.
Maybe they were right, maybe those fat, useless, ambitionless pieces of lard down at the Daily Sentinel prove to have more than Pony Joe's doughnuts on the brain. Maybe, maybe this was all just a waste of time. She took a sip from her coffee, averting her gaze to the large corkboard mounted firmly on the far side of room next to the LED screen.
It had been stuck with enough thumbtacks to rival the spikes of an Iron Maiden. Not to mention, a mile's worth of cellophane tape holding up multitudes of posted notes and newspaper clippings linked together with webs upon webs of red threads. A part of her had always been ashamed at how much it bore the uncanny traits of a stereotypical conspiracy theorist.
Just what in blue blazes was I thinking?
Jessica took yet another slow sip of her java, making her way to her corkboard as she studied the headlines printed in bold from clippings backdating three years ago.
Equestria, the aftermath, three years in continued silence.
The United Nations decree Equestria a RED zone.
The quarantine continues. What lies beyond those concrete walls?
Her eyes narrowed as she contemplated on the facts at hand. Three years ago on May 26th, 2012, the United States government issued a Level One contingency plan in response to an undisclosed incident in the neighboring continent of Equestria. The exact location had black bordered and classified and as far as the public was concerned, everything was on a need to know basis.
A few days later, rumors linking the world renowned, multibillion dollar pharmaceutical giant, A.E.G.I.S. and their involvement with the incident began circling the worldwide web. What's even more suspicious was the government's quick response to debunk such rumors. Instead, A.E.G.I.S. released an official statement that the incident was actually a highly contagious and strangely nameless pandemic brought upon by a poisonous vapors native to Equestria and they were mobilizing all their assets to contain it at all cost.
Throughout the entire incident, the White House had the media running around in circles with their heads up their asses. Like piranhas they fed off any scraps, even hardened shit thrown in their direction and in turn, fed their bull to the people with info fit for I.Q. of a sea slug.
Both humans and ponies across the world were restless and to put their worries at ease, they gobbled up any government fed garbage like the naïve little pigs they were. It was a vicious cycle and a testament to the dark side of journalism that Jessica had come to know a little too well. Though, no secret remains buried for long. It was only a matter of time before someone starts asking the right questions. Someone's going to start digging for the truth and more often than not, when truth finally does comes out, it comes out dirty.
In the midst of their journalistic pandemonium, many had left out the obvious facts. Like, what had become of the Royal House of Equestria? What had happened to both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna? What had become of their citizens? Why were the press denied entry to Equestria? Why all the secrecy? Sadly, American people were forced to put blind faith and trust in the half-hearted promises and vows of hypocrites, capitalists and power hungry tyrants in power, pledging that they would provide all the aid needed to their unfortunate neighbor.
Then, their worst fears had been realized. Within a week, the entire continent had been sealed off from the outside world and officially declared a quarantine zone. Conspiracy theorists from all around the world went absolutely ballistic, flooding the web with ludicrous rumors and speculations of aliens or supernatural incidences. Over the next several days, all manner of internet chatter across social media, blogs, and forums surged to exponential heights and in the midst of it all, one name kept getting flagged: 'Operation Black Mesa'.
Jessica paused, catching the Sharpie scribbled words across a yellow posted note. 'Operation Black Mesa' was a supposed black-ops incursion into Equestria's dead-zone. At first, she thought it reeked of conspiracy theorist mumbo jumbo, but someone or something went to great lengths to ensure all mission directives were kept strictly classified. Eventually, the whole thing became buried so deep in political horseshit, the whole thing was dismissed by the United States government and inevitably forgotten.
The months began to pass without incident but it wasn't until February, 2013, when the representatives of the United Nations made the most disturbing and controversial decision in history– the construction of massive concrete walls, effectively sealing off the entire continent of Equestria from the known world. The billion dollar undertaking known as Project Jericho, will be a joint effort from every nation on earth and upon completion, the largest and longest man-made structure ever constructed. As expected, the decision as a massive blow to ponies across the globe and they were about to make their grievances known.
The decision drew hundreds if not thousands of questions, accusations and conspiracies. Then, it all came to a boil. On March 15th, ponies across the globe erupted into mobs of anarchy, spreading riots and chaos over Washington, London and several more major cities in retaliation to Project Jericho. Once again, all fingers were pointed to A.E.G.I.S. as suspicions continued to mount. Unwilling to be dragged hand in hand into the impending shitstorm of bad publicity and civil lawsuits, the United States Government issued an immediate cease and desist.
The moment it made the front page, their stock prices plummeted. Factories forced to shut down, leaving thousands of employees jobless and the corporation thrown into a P.R. nightmare. Left up a creek without a paddle, investors and stock holders attempted to salvage whatever bits and scraps they could get their grubby little hands on before turning tail like rats off a burning barge.
Within a month, A.E.G.I.S. liquidated their assets, declared bankruptcy and soon faded into the halls of economic shame. However, the question still remains, what happened on that fateful day? Why were they trying to silence any bloke with the audacity to question? What happened in Equestria that has gotten every government on Earth so piss scared at the very mention of the incident? Pondering, she she took a sip of her coffee.
Just what were they trying to hide?
The phone rang.
She jumped, half-choking on her coffee. "Oh, God dammit!"
Wiping the stains from his lips, she rushed over to her phone and wrenched the receiver from its rest.
"Damien, you fucking blighter! Calling me like a fucking twat day in and day out isn't going to make things go any… Delia?"
"Jessica? Whoa, you sound pissed. Let me guess, Damien got your flank over a bonfire again?" said the voice from the other end of the phone.
"You don't know the half of it Darla, now he's threatening to have me fired and probably have my arse FedExed back to London by week's end," Jessica said.
"Oh, horseapples. Doesn't he know the only reason anybody or anypony for that matter even bothers flipping through half the bull printed in that paper is because of your articles."
"Well, to be honest, Damien isn't all to blame. After all, I did promise him a breakthrough and if it does pull through, papers would be flying off the shelves faster than cupcakes out of Sugarcube Corner."
"Oh, you mean from your lead? How is that coming along?" Delia asked.
Jessica gritted her teeth, rubbing the back of her head. "Uhm, I am still working on it."
"Uh huh… are you serious, Jessy? You've been at this for two months and you still can't convince your lead to give up the good stuff?"
"I know, I know. Jesus Delia, you aren't making this any easier for me, you know that? She is a stubborn coot, I can tell you that much." Jessica leaned her back against the wall.
There was a long sigh on the other end and in an instant, the natural perkiness in Delia's voice returned. "You know what, hun. You're stressed. What you need is some girl time. So how 'bout you meet me down at the mall this afternoon?"
A small yet comforting smile took shape on Jessica's lips. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Delia."
"Hey, what are best friends for?"
The doorbell rang.
Jessica raised her eyebrow, shifting her gaze front door.
A little too early for mail now, isn't it?
"Delia, could you please… hold for a moment?" she asked, resting the receiver down on the marble countertop before making her way to the door.
She wrapped her hand tightly on the brass doorknob, swallowing hard as the beating of her heart echoed in her ear canals. Her mind filled with thoughts of men and stallions in suits, black bagging every poor soul in sight who got a little too nosey for their own good. Just like in those B-Rated spy flicks.
Calm down Jessica, you're just overreacting… nothing is going to happen. Nothing…
Her baby blue eyes then settled on the nine iron in the cylindrical umbrella stand by the door. She bit her bottom lip as she removed it and gripped it tightly in her hand. Finding at least some sense of security in her chain lock, she twisted the doorknob and began to open it.
The loud squeaking the door's brass joints sent chills like a thousand tiny spider legs scuttling down her back. Nothing will happen, you're just scaring yourself silly, she repeated over and over again. Jessica tensed, half expecting someone to make a grab for her wrist or perhaps stick some bolt cutters through in an attempt to force their way in. However, when chaos failed to rear its ugly head, she exhaled deeply and realized she had been holding her breath the entire time. Shivering, she dared a peek out the door.
There was no one there.
What in blue blazes?
There, at her doorstep, was simple wrapped parcel with her name scribbled crudely in permanent marker like it had written post haste. The young lady raised an eyebrow, putting away her metal rod before unhooking her door open.
Cautiously, she picked it up and carried it inside. A thousand and one questions flooded her mind with her curiosity and her suspicion at war with one another. What could be inside? Could it a bomb? Were there people really out to get her?, she felt her blood grow cold with every morbid possibility.
In an attempt to distract her from her paranoia, she placed the parcel on the countertop and picked up the picked up the receiver. "Jessica? Jessica? Where in Celestia were you?"
"Oh, nowhere, sorry. It's just that, someone left a parcel at my door," Jessica replied.
Then, came a rather raunchy snigger from the other end of the line. "And pray tell, just what are you sniggering about?"
"Seems that you have a secret admirer," said Dalia.
"Oh, trample off, you are so immature," Jessica snapped.
Her eyes rested on the burnish parcel as her hesitation continued to play on her psyche. The last thing she desired was end up an unfortunate casualty of some deranged terrorist with a fetish for blood covered walls.
Oh, stop being so daft, Jessica, it's just a parcel. It's not like it's going to blow up or anything… will it?
She shook her head, reaching for the parcel, she began to unwrap it. Her fingers removing the cellophane tape around edges as carefully as she could, silently praying that she would come out of this in one piece. Though, what she found inside was far from her expectations.
A letter?
Raising an eyebrow, she unfolded it, running her eyes through the poorly written contents penned in black ink.
Dear Miss Burns,
Please forgive me for not having delivered this in person for as you can see, I am not a very brave woman and I could only wish that I possess even a hint of the courage and determination that you have shown when you walked in through my front door all those weeks ago.
I would also like to apologize for my animosity. It has been dreadfully rude of me but you must understand that I have my reasons. I have always been wary of reporters and journalist for I had always considered them no better than salivating snakes with forked tongues, looking to twist the truth in ways that will only prove beneficial to their own.
I had considered what you said during last visit, about the incident, about the lies. At first, I may have drawn the initial conclusion that you were just like the rest but I noticed there was something different about you. Your eyes, they were like his. Clear, honest and truthful, and because of that I have come to believe that you will be true to your word.
I have protected the contents of this box with my very life for the past three years. Rest assured that you will find everything you need to know inside. It was no easy task having to deal with the constant visits from anonymous federal agents both humans and ponies alike. Miss Burns, I have been threatened countless times with treason and a number of other atrocities should I fail to surrender any evidence to them in regards to the incident.
But as persistent as they were, I was unfazed. I do not have to explain to you the gravity of having something as dangerous as this in your possession. As of now I cannot guarantee your safety for they are watching. They will always be watching and it is only a matter of time before they come for you, just as they came for him and for me.
This may be the last time you will hear from me and I humbly ask of you to not come looking for me. I am sorry that you must now shoulder this burden alone but if there is anyone capable of telling his story to the world, it would be you. It was like he once said to me – To see the light, one must risk the dark. Unfortunately, I have nothing more to offer you save for my gratitude and hopes. Thank you, Miss Burns and I wish you all the best.
Sincerely yours,
Maria Rosa.
It took a good while for the contents of the letter to finally sink. A cocktail of emotions swirled within her like a stirred glass of martini. This was it, this was break she has been waiting for. Reaching out, she opened the top end of the cardboard box and peeked inside.
"Jessica! Heloooo? You there?" The voice from the phone immediately dragged her back to her senses.
"Oh, Delia. Sorry, I had my head up in the clouds for a moment there," Jessica said.
"Wow, you're in worse shape than I thought. You need some R and R stat, so I'll see you at the mall?"
Jessica bit her bottom lip. "Uh, actually, Delia. I think I'm going to have to take a rain check."
"What? But I thought you said-"
"I know but something just came up, I'll make it up to you I promise," Jessica said, silently cursing herself for having to lie to her best friend.
"Oh, fine, I'm holding you to that. Catch you later, hun."
"I'll see you soon." She hung up the phone.
Her nervous gaze returned the package and without a moment to spare, Jessica raced to her door, bolting it shut. Rushing to each and every one of her windows, she drew her curtains tight against the sunlight, engulfing the apartment in a blanket of darkness. Truthfully, she hated the dark, ever since she was a little girl, but she would rather be intimidated by the blackness than the confines of car trunk while being spirited away to an undisclosed location by a group of nameless men.
Flipping her table lamp on, she grabbed the package and moved it over to her coffee table. Prepping herself on the couch, she began unraveling its contents.
"Huh?" She stared at the first object she removed.
What on earth, a cassette player? Blimey, do people still use these?
Resting it upon the table's glass surface, she then removed what appears to be a stack of cassette tapes, each marked with a specific number from the numbers zero to twelve. A cold sweat trickled down her cheek as her eyes shifted between both player and cassettes, she began to hessitate. Does she really want to know what is on those tapes? Sometimes knowledge can be both powerful and dangerous, especially when it comes to matters bigger than you alone.
Jessica drew a deep breath, clenching her teeth, she got to her feet and freed a socket for the cassette player. Plugging it in, she then grabbed the first tape.
Here it is, tape Zero. I guess we'll start this…
Jessica felt her fingers tremble coupled with the uncomfortable sweatiness of her palms. Goosebumps erupted down her arms causing her hairs standing on end just as she removed the jet black cassette from its plastic casing.
She noticed how worn and tattered the tape was as it was littered with multiple dings and scratches. As she then slid the tape into player, her eyes of baby blue narrowed in on the play button. Just like before, the voice of reason began whispering to her better judgment.
There she was, barely an inch away from the truth and she was frozen stiff. Jessica felt her heart pounded against her chest as the gravity of what she was about to do began to sink in. She knew of the consequences that came the knowledge on this tape, and the cost will be more than she can bear. No, she could end this right now. She could put an end the fear, an end to it all. All she had to do was destroy it.
Yes, some lighter fluid would do the trick, she thought through her frightened breathing.
The tip-tap of plastic against her polished wooden floorboard wrenched her attention to the pin that had just fallen off her corkboard. Then, her mind began to clear. She remembered it all – The sleepless nights spent buried in research, the hours of pointless interviews made worse by the merciless ridicule and empty threats, all in her crusade for the truth. The world she knew was gone, razed by the fires of devastation and violence while the corrupt do their best to keep the illusion of peace together with staples made of lies. The ponies deserve to know the truth, and so did the people.
Drawing a deep, heavy breath, she hit the play button.
The red light on the player came to life. A soft buzz of white noise rasped the speakers for a good while before she heard a voice.
I do not know if this tape would reach the hands or hooves of anyone or anypony... or my words to be heard or believed but I don't care. It is my only way of ensuring that the unfortunate souls I left behind in Equestria will be remembered by more than just a few trinkets in a ruin somewhere.
It was male, a young man possibly in his late twenties from what she could tell. Though, what gripped Jessica on the inside was sense of forlorn and despair in his voice. She clasped her hands together as she listened.
I know that it will be only a matter of time before the United States Government attempts to erase all evidence, connections and knowledge in regards to the incident of May 13th and when they do, they will come for me... they will come for this. So whoever you are, if you are listening to this, then you have found the last shred of truth in a world about to be drowned in an ocean of lies and deceit.
By now, you must be wondering, who am I? My name is Doctor Alex Jensen. I was born on a small farm on the outskirts of Arcadia, Oklahoma in 1985. We were a family of four. My father was a Marine in the core and my mother used to serve tables at a local diner in town. My sister Annabelle and I didn't have much growing up but I know that once upon a time, the sun did shine on that little house in the middle of nowhere. I don't... actually I can't remember much of my parents and of my childhood, but I do recall the rain, the warmth of the sun... and the God given peace and innocence that I will never come to know again.
It was March of 2003 when my old man was sent for active duty to Afghanistan. He wasn't much of a talking man so we rarely had news from him, once in a while we might just get a line or two if we were lucky. In his absence, Mom had resorted to working two extra jobs to put my sister and I though school, not to mention keep that pitiful excuse of a farm out of the red... I was only 18.
But a year into the war, we received news that my father was being shipped back home. Apparently his platoon was caught in an ambush in the outskirts of Baghdad. They were outnumbered and outgunned. Miraculously, my father had been the only survivor. Doctors called him lucky. Heh, depends on your definition of luck.
You see, a grenade had blown half his face off during the crossfire. His injuries were so severe, not even the best surgeons would attempt putting what was left back together. He was a decorated soldier, one of the best and just like that, they gave him a Purple Heart and threw him to the curb like yesterday's garbage. I still think about the day he came home, how terrified I was watching him walk through that font door, how I couldn't stand the sight of him. Knowing that, Mom threw out all the mirrors in the house but that did nothing to ease his decline. In his depression, like a typical has been soldier, my father took to the bottle.
Every night, I swore I heard the Devil in his voice, the screams and pleas of my mother. I knew what was happening but I was too young, too powerless to stop it. There were nights I used to curl my fists, allowing my mind to wander to my late grandfather's old shotgun mounted above the fireplace. I had lost count on the times I had contemplated putting that man out of his misery had it not been for Anna. There was always something calm and gentle about her voice that had always seem to put me at ease. My only other option was to muster the courage to face Mom. I would beg for her to seek out the sheriff but to my aggravation she would always defend that waste of a man… I never understood why.
A full year had passed when one day, I received news that I had qualified for a full scholarship to Harvard. Microbiology and virology had always been a fascination of mine and now my dream was no longer denied to me. At first, it was… hard, leaving Mom behind since my sister had long left to Manehattan to further her studies in pony psychology. Though a part of me could no longer bear those soulless, barren walls, not with him around. Somehow, I believed even Anna felt the same way.
Come fall, I packed my bags and never looked back. Even then, my old man continued his bitter, drunken existence for the next three years. Then, on June 7th, 2007, with no longer the courage or the will to face his demons, he loaded up the old shotgun and took two solid slugs to the head. It was on that very same day the Dean called me to his office.
In all my years I have never seen Mom cry so hard. It should have been a sad day, but even as they lowered the casket into the ground to the thundering gunshots, I shed no tears. Deep down inside, I felt no pity, no remorse for the waste of life I had the shame to call my father. Unfortunately, Mom also came to pass a few months after. Doctors said the effects of delirium and severe depression had caused her body to shut down. Like my father's, the funeral was no different. Family? More like hypocrites the lot of them, with their crocodile tears and halfhearted condolences. As for the farm, well, Anna and I couldn't find it in ourselves to call that place our home, not anymore. So we sold the God forsaken thing and after graduation, she moved to Las Pegasus and I in turn moved to New York.
There was a slow pause in the tape, nothing but the crackles of the microphone and the feint sounds of breathing echoed through the walls of the apartment. And then...
I spent two years working as a lab tech at an established biotechnology corporation known as In-Gen, where the Director had taken a sudden unexpected liking to me. I suppose I can call myself blessed, having climbed the corporate ladder in such a short amount of time. Within months, I was looking at Head of Boitech. Yes, it was one of the most important, pivotal moments of my life but not just because of my career but that was also the time I met… her. Maria, Maria Constantina Rosa.
Heh, I remembered her, the way she walked, the way she talked, the way she smiled. Her beautiful hazel eyes, hair silky brown and olive skin as soft as the finest velvet. It certainly took me a while to muster the courage to ask her, even for a cup of coffee. I was never the social type, but one thing let to another and before you know it, we were in love. The first time we kissed, I knew I never wanted to kiss any other lips but hers again.
I will always remember the three years we spent together. We moved into to a small apartment down in Brooklyn. She would grow flowers on our window sill, roses to be exact. One day I told her how beautiful she looked with a rose in her hair and from that on, she would always keep one curled in her hair just for me. Those… those were the happiest days of my life.
There was a long and heavy sigh before he continued.
But our happiness was never made to last.
The world we knew continued to deteriorate. Wars, famine and the discoveries of terminal illnesses, deadly diseases and pandemics ravaging both humans and ponies across the globe. Within months, the death toll had escalated to mere hundreds to thousands. My own troubles however, were just beginning.
It wasn't long before we fell on hard times when In-Gen went bankrupt due to a series of embezzlement scandals. Years of hard work and dedication, all dwindled to nothingness. I have never felt so angry, so lost but knowing that Maria was there, feeling her gentle embrace and sweetness of her kiss... that warmth and assurance was the only thing that kept me going.
But not even her love could keep us from falling into debt and in a world marred by chaos and disarray, usually meant a decline in willing employment. It was then Maria and I started arguing a lot, even more so when the neighborhood mail pony brought us an eviction notice.
This was it, we were going to lose everything. Our home, our lives, possibly even our minds. At that point in time, I had no idea what I was doing anymore. I was caught between a rock and a hard place and I was desperate.
Then, one day, on November 18th, 2010, Maria and I were visited by a most unlikely person of interest. I recognized him as my childhood idol, Doctor Ian McConnell, one of the world's most prominent figures in biotechnology. We talked for a long time and against all known odds, he offered me a chance of a lifetime. To be part of a top secret project funded by the world's largest bioengineering, pharmaceutical corporation, A.E.G.I.S. I wasn't given much info, except they were working on a universal serum. One that would cure all sicknesses and diseases that plagued all man and ponykind.
And to quote unquote, I will be compensated exponentially for my work and my contributions to the project. However, it came with a catch. Doing this would mean leaving New York to an underground facility in Equestria. Then, came the hammer, because of my reputation, the offer was only extended to me which meant having to leave Maria behind. I was reluctant at first for I wasn't a good traveler. I've always hated saying goodbye, hated putting my life in other people's hands but Maria convinced me otherwise.
She knew that if I took this offer, my life would change, our lives would change. We would finally be out of the red, probably even a chance to finally settle down and start a family. A brand new start. Maria, she has given her all to me and I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to give her the life she deserved.
So I said yes.
Huh… my life changed alright, but not how I imagined. I will never forget the last thing she said to me. "Come home soon Mi Amore, come home safe."
Within a week I was on board a plane bound for Filliedelphia. Throughout the entire flight, I did my best to assure myself that this project has been sanctioned by the United States Government and the Royal House of Equestria. Heh, what would go wrong? Can't say I wasn't surprised when I was picked up at the airport by a military escort. The grueling journey took us right through a small little backwater town called Ponyville and eventually into the darkest most forbidden part of Equestria where even the very name made the locals shudder with fear, the Everfree Forest.
We arrived at a state of the art underground facility deep within the Everfree. The security was intense. Never have I seen so many soldiers draped in riot gear and armed to the teeth. It was there, I spent the next year and a half working with a team of scientists, biologists and virologists made of both humans and ponies on what was codenamed 'Project Pandora'. Our efforts went into the creation of an artificial gene that will amplify a body's immune system, at least in theory.
I should have seen it coming, I should have read the signs but I was blinded by my excitement even more so by my enthusiasm. I wanted to see this through as much as my colleagues, genuinely believing that in my own way, I was actually doing some good in this world. Eventually, some of my colleagues grew restless, claiming that we were tampering within the realms of God. Resurrection... the gene worked well, maybe a little too well. It dispelled any form of cancerous matter through the revival of dead and expired cells. After multitudes of tests and simulations, on May 10th, 2012, we did it. We have perfected the serum and it was a cause for celebration.
Everyone was excited, ecstatic that the serum was now ready for its first human testing. It was three days later, on May 13th, 2012, when we brought in our first subject. A 34 year old Caucasian male suffering from Parkinson's. His name was Albert Jones. Everyone had their fingers crossed as we watched the doctors administer the serum from atop the operating room.
The first couple of minutes ticked by with little to no response, but then the subject began showing a positive reaction to the serum. There were smiles on everyone's faces and within an hour, it would seem that all symptoms relating to Parkinson's had miraculously vanished. It was a success.
I have never felt so relieved, so happy. Everyone spoke of the good it would bring, the Nobel prizes headed their way. As for me, all I could think about was going home to her, to Maria.
But then–
Jessica jumped at the sounds of shattering glass and the clattering of metal in the background. His breaths were quick and staggered as if he had just recalled something too horrifying to put in words. A good minute or two went by before he could bring himself to continue.
Oh God… Oh God, I don't think I could ever forget the screaming. That horrible, horrible screaming. The subject went absolutely berserk, screaming at the top of his lungs, clawing his fingernails into his very flesh. Ripping, tearing chunks from his arms with his teeth like some rabid animal … as if… as if something... something was eating him from the inside. There was blood everywhere, so much blood, on the floor, on the walls. The doctors tried to subdue him but not before he had ripped his tongue out with his own bare hands. He then fell to the floor, flat lining on the EKG.
I've never felt so sick, so disturbed in my life. So much, I emptied my lunch all over the observatory floor. I couldn't even begin to describe the shock and I say the same for everyone else. The look on their faces as the body was wheeled away. But Doctor Ian was quick to diffuse the situation. He even assured us that what had happened was merely an unfortunate but inevitable accident and. That we would root out the cause of this and continue to work on perfecting the serum at hand.
To be honest, I didn't know if I should have been impressed or disturbed by his composure. To speak of a man's horrifying death as if it were nothing more than a simple bump in our efforts but I chose not to pursue it any further. As most of us were still shaken by the incident, he told us to take the next couple of days off to help clear our heads. I didn't sleep a wink that night, I couldn't. The image of that dying man kept playing like B rated snuff flick in my head. No longer able stomach it, I resorted to popping a couple of pills I had received from the infirmary earlier that day to deal with my nerves. Soon, the world around me began to fade as I drifted off to asleep.
When I came to, I awoke to the blaring sounds of a siren and flashing lights, I didn't know what was going on, only that the facility was in chaos. There was smoke and fire everywhere, screams of fear and panic filled hallways. I lost and confused but one thing was clear.
I had to get out.
I will have no doubt that whoever you are, by the time you listen to this, the people of the world would have been hoodwinked and misled into a more convenient truth. For as much as our beloved country believes in integrity, honesty and justice, national security will always be a number one priority. However, regardless of what they had told you, what really happened on that day can be found in these twelve tapes.
They record in detail, my experiences over the next twelve hours as I attempt to escape the continent of Equestria. I know there is no way that I can convince you that this is not a hoax or yet more trickery from those who seek to deceive you, but these are my words and my words alone. Like a great man once said, words offer the means to meaning and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth.
From here on out, that very judgement will be your own.
My name is Doctor Alex Jensen, and these are my tapes.
[Please insert Tape 1]