Upon arriving at the office the next day, Miyuki and Ozaki came across people in a panic in the science department, and confusion from everyone else. Ozaki was going to report to his training session, but as he started to head in that direction, Captain Gordan and Major Kumoro beckoned him to follow them to the science department instead.
"Keep a visual on it, I don't want to miss it again!" Matthew Reeds commanded as he swiftly ran around the room, overseeing each computer monitor. His temperament seemed different than the day before. He looked out of balance. He had less of a military leadership and appeared to have just as much fear as the frantic scientists did. When Major Kita, Gordon and Ozaki arrived, he straightened up as he walked over to them.
"Gentlemen, I'm glad you've arrived. I have contacted Miss Namikawa, Major Kita, and Secretary General Naotarô Daigo. They'll be here shortly, then I will explain what our situation is," Matthew breathed out. Ozaki's eyebrow raised slightly.
"The EDF's leaders are involved? How serious could this be?" Ozaki was worried now. Daigo hasn't been called in for an emergency in such a long time. Only a couple minutes later, Namikawa and Daigo were rushed into the room, being escorted by EDF soldiers.
"Mr. Reeds, what is going on?" Namikawa demanded. He turned and gave a short bow.
"Early this morning, when our night watch had left their post, the securities cameras spotted something that…emerged from the hole," He moved his way toward one of the monitors, and the rest followed. The screen was looping video, soundless, and only about 15 seconds long. Two personals were studying the clip, slowing it and freeze framing.
"It was a creature. Nothing like we have ever seen before. It emerged swiftly from the hole, then in a short span, returned to it," Matthew pointed to video as it was slowed down to show the creature climb up out of the hole. It had the figure of an oversized canine but looked reptilian. It had a hunchback, with plated scale armor running along its body. Its tail was stubby and was barely noticeable. The eyes were also small. The video was in a grayscale, so they couldn't identify its colors either. They all stared in fascination but quickly snapped back to reality.
"Did it hurt anyone?" Daigo asked.
"No sir, it was only out for 10 seconds before returning to the hole. We don't what it is, or why it even came out," Matthew said. Just as he finished, Miyuki has entered the room and approached the monitor.
"I came as soon as I could," She stopped before the monitor, looking at the footage for the first time," Her jaw dropped slightly, "Oh my God," Matthew stepped away from the monitor.
"We need to send a team down there. We cannot allow it to escape again, it might be dangerous," Matthew insisted.
"Sending our men down there is dangerous as well. We don't know if there's any more of them," Major Kita argued.
"That's a risk we might have to take," Matthew responded.
"You plan on just killing it? We don't what it is, it might not even be hostile. It didn't attack anyone," Miyuki argued.
"We don't have time to argue about this! If we are going to handle this, we are going to do this now!" Matthew exclaimed back.
"Mr. Reeds, I understand your panic, but blindly sending our soldiers down there is a risk I am not willing to take until we understand more about this creature," Namikawa spoke firmly. Matthew took a second to think before responding.
"I'll send one of my own teams down. They can handle themselves," Matthew said.
"Mr. Reeds, it's too dangerous-" Namikawa was cut off.
"According to the pact we signed, my department has a right to intervene regarding the 'Signal', and by my orders, I will send my infantry division in," Matthew rebuttal, but in a much calmer tone. Namikawa opened her mouth to refute, but she knew she couldn't argue with a legal contract, not in a time like this. She shut her mouth, it was obvious to everyone she wasn't happy with this decision.
"Very well, but if any harm comes to those soldiers, it is on your hands," Namikawa remarked.
"I am well aware of that," Matthew responded. Without another word, he stormed out of the room. Namikawa and Daigo were both escorted out by EDF soldiers and the Major, leaving Gordon, Ozaki, and Miyuki in the room with the frantic staff.
"I don't like this, any of it," Gordon muttered.
"I know, Mr. Reeds was given too much power, how could they have agreed to this?" Miyuki asked, talking quietly.
"There has to be a side to this we aren't seeing. But I don't think we can worry about that now. I think should focus on the matter at hand," Ozaki said, turning back to the screen of the looping footage. Gordon and Miyuki turned their attention back to it, studying it for a moment.
"Could it be Xilien?" Ozaki wondered.
"It might be, it could be something that survived from their invasion," Miyuki said.
"If it's Xilien, then it might not be friendly," Gordon commented. "Either way, we don't what we're up against. The infantry team might not stand a chance,"
"Let's hope they do," Ozaki said.
Only a few hours have passed as the team was ready to descend into the crevice. They had been equipped with microphones and cameras for a direct live feedback to the base, as well as automatic firearms, and flashlights. They have placed other infantrymen around the entrance to ensure it doesn't escape.
Back at the science department, everyone was gathered in the monitor room, from the Miyuki's science team to the EDF officials. Matthew overwatched as his team began to lower down into the hole. The room was disturbingly quiet, despite the noise of scientist scrambling about. No one felt the need to speak, as the suspense was overbearing.
As the team finally reached the bottom, the site of the tunnel came into view on the monitor's screen. Miyuki inched closer, trying to get a better look to see if there was any hint of Xilien traced in the architect. As the soldiers began to make their way down the corridor, the design of the wall made it clear that is was Xilien. It seemed almost identical to that from the Xilien mothership years ago.
"Command, are you reading clearly?" One of the infantrymen asked.
"Affirmative, loud and clear," Matthew responded. The large monitor was divided up into eight different sections and numbered so. Each section showing the different feeds from each soldier. Soldier Two had turned his head towards the wall, getting a better look at the architecture design.
"Can you confirm this to be Xilien?" He asked.
"Yes, it's almost identical to the previous ship," Miyuki said. "We can't deny it, whatever those things are, they have to be related to the Xiliens somehow,"
"Is anyone getting a reading on the creature?" Solder Five asked the others all responded with a negative.
"Keep a lookout," He reminded them. They continued in silence, progressing through the tunnels, taking different turns. They had it briefly mapped already to ensure they wouldn't get lost. But as they pushed forward, the tunnels began to change. The architecture was different, as it resembled a more tribunal or ancient temple, but still held similarity to the original hallways. Soldier Two took notice in this and began to look up and around him. The walls and ceilings were decorated with some sort of engraved art.
"What is that?" Ozaki asked. Soldier Two moved closer to the wall, and it almost seemed like a stretched out mural, depicting a story. As he continued forward, it revealed a battle between what looked like a pre-cyborg Gigan, and Mothra.
"Is that?" He asked but was cut off.
"Gigan and Mothra. They are depictions of when the Xiliens first came to Earth to invade it," Miyuki confirmed. "These must be the battles that took place. This must be filled with so much history from that time period,"
"Let's not get over-excited, Ms. Otonashi, we have a serious mission at the stack," Matthew reminded her. With pursed lips, she silenced herself. But without Matthew looking, she quickly started to jot down notes in a journal.
The soldier continued onward, as they passed more murals. They exited the temple soon after and were treading ground again in more of the other hallways. They were nearing a four-way tunnel crossing.
Solder Eight reared the end of the group, when he caught something from the corner of his eye, down a left-hand hallway. A swift, silent shadow. Instinctively he raised his flashlight-equipped firearm, but only to see nothing.
"Anderson, do you read something?" A soldier up front asked.
"Sorry sir, I thought I saw something," He said hesitantly.
"Keep on the alert, it can be anywhere," Soldier One instructed.
Only seconds past as another soldier jumped to the site of a shadow. Even trained soldiers couldn't help but feel uneasy about the unknown.
"Did anybody see that?" Another soldier called out. All negative replies.
"Command, are you seeing anything?" Soldier Four called.
"Negative, we aren't getting anything," Matthew responded.
"There! Didn't you see it? Down that hallway!" Flashlights darted back and forth in a panic motion. Then suddenly a helpless scream was heard, and the site of one of the soldiers being pulled down the tenebrous hallway.
"Man down, I repeat, we have had man down!" Soldier One relayed to command. The monitors were a frenzy of panic and distorted imagery. The soldier's cameras looking left and right. The soldier that was taken, his camera had lost connection shortly after he was dragged off. Not a second later, like a planned attack, the creature came charging from the tunnel, and rammed into Solider Four, and dragged him down the next hallway. His screams echoed as he disappeared. The soldiers began firing down into the hallways in hopes of hitting it. The gunfire let out bursts of bright lights. However, before he could react, one of the creatures appeared from the ceiling behind Soldier Two, and dropped down on top of him, not hesitating on killing him. The others turned to fire, but another one attack from behind took out Solider Three. They were trapped in a circle of attacks. They tried to kill them, but they charged without even having time to react. The last images seen on the monitors showed at least five creatures lunge at the remaining soldiers. And within seconds, all of their screens were cut to static, not before the room was filled with screams and gunfire.
The room was alive with anarchy. People struggling to get the connection back to the soldiers' cameras or microphones. With the device Soldier Eight was carrying, they were attempting to track it. Matthew couldn't find words to say as he looked back at his colleagues, who had brought their frightened eyes away from the screen to Matthew. A long pause that was filled with only the noise of a chaotic room.
"What do we do now?" Douglas asked finally. Instead of turning to the EDF leaders, they faced Matthew. He hesitated for a moment as everyone gazed at him, the pressure was not helping him think.
"We'll bury them. Destroy that hole! Seal it off, blow it up. I don't care how, but get rid of it! " Matthew said.
"Wait, we can't just destroy it! We just discovered something new, and you to bury it? We can just jump to conclusion, those creatures could have been acting defensively to an intruding force," Miyuki protested.
"Did you not just see what happened? Did you see what those things did? Those were my soldiers!" Matthew angrily replied.
"Soldiers you sent down there. You were the one who wanted to jump on the defensive and kill them and look what happened. Too much time and resources have been put into this research, and you cannot just jump to conclusion," Miyuki said defensively.
"Ms. Otonashi, you cannot deny that these can pose a serious threat to the civilians, or anyone else. I understand this project brought progress, but we cannot take any risks," Daigo stated.
"Mr. Secretary, I'm not saying that we shouldn't act carelessly, but we shouldn't act rashly about it. Whatever is down there, whatever ancient culture that has been preserved is not only crucial for the progress of G.S.X.C but can help lead us to unanswered questions about the Xiliens that can keep us safe from future invasions, if they ever occurred," Miyuki stated. The group was silent for a moment, soaking in her words.
"I second this notion. Let's approach this with caution, not full brute force," Major Kumoro said.
"I second," Gordon stated.
"Third," Ozaki spoke up.
"Who said this was going to be a vote?" Matthew fumed.
"I have to agree, this is not your decision to make," Daigo stated.
"Let us remind you that all the departments in the EDF had agreed to fund this project, and have already donated. This is immediate shut down won't just affect my department, Mr. Reeds," Miyuki said.
"Ms. Otonashi-" Matthew started.
"Would you like to call a board meeting to discuss this? I'm rather certain that the other departments would favor in our decision," Miyuki was almost glaring Matthew done, so determined not to lose this fight. Before Matthew could speak again, Namikawa finally spoke up.
"Place a defensive perimeter around the site. I want a twenty-four-hour watch. The site stands as it is, for now, until a decision is reached. I pose this as a threat to civilian life, but Ms. Otonashi is correct about the financial damage that could be done from shutting down this project completely. This will be a decision made by the board, and not just your pact rights alone, understood? " With a sorrow face, Matthew agreed. Secretary Daigo and Major Kia agreed to this, as well as the others.
With the day dwindling to an end, Miyuki and Ozaki departed home. They conversed on the matter of Xilien ruins below the site but equally shared their growing hatred, or more so annoyance for Matthew Reeds. However, on the matter of the creatures, Ozaki theorized if maybe they were defensive not because of territory, but because they are specifically defending something. He believes that something important must lie where the signal is emitted from. Or someone.