The Ghosts of Ganymede.

Stitch stared at the barren surface of the moon below. The silvery sand glinted off the sun's light, and a large facility was all to be seen. It was the same color as the surface of the moon, blending in perfectly. Stitch had searched for the facility for nearly an hour, before realizing he was right on top of it.

It stretched on, it was at least three square miles in size. The many spires and buildings all joined together in one massive building. In the middle of all was a large main building, stretching high into the sky. On the front of this main building, were the words, "Ganymede Research Facility," below the words were the serial number of the facility, followed by the research facility's quote, "What we do in life, echoes through eternity."

Stitch took another look at the giant facility, then turned to awaken Serenity. He walked back out of the cockpit, and into the small living room-like area of the ship. There on the couch lay the sleeping experiment, she was sleeping soundly after playing checkers with Stitch for nearly four hours. Stitch sighed, and smiled at her, she had lasted nearly the entire voyage.

The first day on the trip went well. They had stayed up and played checkers until they both grew tired and retired to their separate rooms. When they awoke, they played checkers a while longer before Serenity fell asleep on the board, Stitch had moved her carefully to the couch where she now lay sleeping. Stitch smiled, 'She really likes checkers...'

Stitch walked up to her, and gently shook her, saying, "Serenity...Serenity...hey, we're here."

Serenity awoke, and sat up yawning, "Did I win?"

Stitch looked to the checker board to see it predominately red, he was black, "Yeah, fourth time in a row."

Serenity suddenly became alert, she sat up, "Wait, are we at Ganymede?"

Stitch looked out the window at Jupiter's large storm raging, the sight still bothered him, "Yep, we are at Ganymede alright."

Serenity stood and walked to the window, observing the facility, she stood there a long while before turning to Stitch, "Well, let's go."

Stitch nodded, and he headed for the cockpit, to land the vessel.

They stood in the hatchway to the outside, each wearing their space suits. Stitch had landed the ship close to the facility, since there was no landing pad of any kind to be seen from above. They stood in the air lock, Stitch could hear the air hissing as it was drained away. When the hissing stopped, the door opened, and Stitch picked up his pack, took Serenity by the hand, and they walked to the facility door.

It was difficult walking, and the short distance took them longer than normal, but they made it to the chromium doors. Stitch let go of Serenity, and walked to the keypad beside the door. He touched it, and was surprised to see it glow with life. He turned to Serenity, and she brought Jumba's notes from the pack she carried. Handing the paper to Stitch, she watched as he input the code. Once the code was in, the doors began to slide back, making an awful hissing as they did. Stitch and Serenity covered their ultra-sensitive ears as the door grated by.

Once the door had ceased opening, Stitch let go of his ears. Though they were okay, his ears were now ringing severely. He shook his head, clearing his vision, and picking up his pack, headed for the door, Serenity was right behind him.

They stepped into the door, the interior was pitch black. Stitch carefully opened his pack, covering the opening so the contents wouldn't fly everywhere, and brought out a flashlight. He examined the room, it was a plain airlock. He searched for the terminal and found it in the corner, next to another pair of steel doors. Stitch walked over to the airlock terminal, and while keying in the preparations, observed the doors.

Both sets of doors were massive, and were at least a few feet thick. Stitch pondered the doors, they appeared so strong he doubted even he could break them. The doors were either meant to keep something out, or keep something in...

The door to the outside closed, and Stitch heard air whistling into the room. Serenity began to take off her helmet, and Stitch motioned for her to stop, there was not enough air in the room. They waited about five minutes, before the hissing ceased, and Stitch nodded to Serenity, and they took off their space helmets.

Stitch breathed in the air, it was fresh. Normally, to keep the oxygen levels up to date, someone had to bring in reserve tanks. Stitch also looked at the panel, it was in top condition. He stared down the dark hallway, someone else was here...

Stitch turned to Serenity, "Hey, are you sure this facility is abandoned?"

Serenity nodded, "That's what Jumba told us."

Stitch nodded and stared down the hallway, he could feel his fur prickling, something wasn't right, "Okay, turn on your flashlight, let's explore."

They switched on their flashlights and began the walk into the darkness. The hallway was long, and their foots sounded hollow notes on the steel floor. Stitch couldn't get it out of his mind, everything, everything worked, except for one thing...except for the lights...

The hallway ended, and it split into two new branching paths. Stitch shot his light upon a sign on the wall. With an arrow pointing to the left path, were the words, 'Testing Area,' and under the arrow pointing to the right were the words, 'Holding Pen.'

Stitch brought out his map. According to the map, the testing area is the largest area in the complex. The holding pen was located below ground. Stitch looked to Serenity, "Any ideas?"

Serenity thought a moment, then said, "We split up. You take the holding pen area, and I'll check out the testing grounds."

Stitch shook his head, "Splitting up is a bad idea. You may get hurt or-."

Serenity cut him off, "I've got my own set of powers 6-2-6, don't you worry about me."

Stitch was skeptical of the idea, but he grudgingly nodded, "Yeah, it'll go faster if we split up...just be careful."

Serenity nodded. Stitch reached into his pack, and brought out his plasma pistol. He handed it to Serenity, who looked at him queerly. He shrugged, "It might not hurt, and I'll feel better if you had it. I've got an odd feeling about this place."

Serenity gripped the pistol tightly, "But, what about you?"

Stitch flexed his arms jokingly, "Three thousand times my own weight, remember? And besides, I've got a beam sword with me, just in case."

Serenity nodded and set off down the hallway to the testing area. Stitch watched her go, watching her back until he couldn't see her anymore. He sighed and turned to face his hallway, and as he began to walk, he began to think that it was he that had drawn the short straw...

Stitch reached the location where an elevator should have been located. Instead what he found was an ominous black pit. He stared down it, and checked the map once again, the holding pens were twenty-three floors below him. He looked to see if there were any cables he could use, he sighed when he saw not even they remained.

Stitch took a look down the deep pit, put the flashlight in the pack, braced himself, and jumped into the darkness. He began falling quicker and quicker, yet he paid that no heed, he kept the rhythm of the passing floors, counting them as he flew by. He counted the eighteenth floor, and extended his claws, and drove them into the wall. They cut through the metal, and he began to slow down, gliding easily to the floor he desired. He grasped the top of the doorway, and flipped inside, landing nimbly on his feet. He brushed the metal shavings off his claws, and investigated the sign, it read, 'Floor 23: Holding Pens.'

Stitch nodded and continued forward down a dark hallway, his flashlight illuminating the way. He listened carefully, alert for any sounds of some unwanted visitor creeping up to attack him. Stitch halfway expected to be attacked, yet when he came upon the large open area, all other thoughts eluded him...

The holding pens were spread in large massive rows, like a giant library of cages. Each row held hundreds of pens, the mere size of the room dumbfounded Stitch, it was an awe inspiring sight. Stitch walked forward into the room, and investigated one of the pens. The door was solid steel, a compound that was known for it's unrelenting strength of defense, and here it was, ripped from it's hinges lying on the ground before Stitch.

Stitch walked to the pen and peered inside, what he saw was a skeleton of an experiment. Stitch studied the cadaver, 'It's skeletal features, these are like me too...'

A sound, a footstep, running, beating against the steel floor caught Stitch's ear and he whirled around to see an empty room. He stood perfectly still for a moment, his fears were confirmed, he had a visitor.

Stitch began to creep forward, silently looking for any sign of a pursuer. His ears pricked up, he heard something...behind...footsteps...

Stitch whirled around, pointing his flashlight to where the sound originated. Nothing. Nothing but some stirred up dust that hung in the air. Stitch could feel beads of sweat coalesce upon his brow, 'Something's watching me...why doesn't it attack?'

A sound from above this time, and Stitch turned his flashlight upward to see a hideous being gazing down at him. Whatever it was had scales, and a long sinuous tale, barbed with deadly spikes. It's head was reptilian, and it's yellow eyes glared down at Stitch. They stared each other down, and the lizard man turned and quickly climbed the steel wall. Stitch wasn't about to let that thing get away, and extending his own claws, followed the creature up the wall.

The creature was fast but Stitch kept after it, following it row after row of cells. The creature turned, and from what Stitch could see, smiled, and leapt to another row of cells and leapt off the edge. Stitch leapt over to the cell row, and followed suit, landing hard on the steel floor. He whirled around to find the creature staring at him, watching him with those yellow eyes...

Stitch took a step forward, "Who are you?"

The creature smiled a wicked smile, and said, "The forgotten have no names...we choose not to remember them."

"Riddles then? Why do you live here?"

The creature, to Stitch's surprise, began to laugh, his words barking out between fits of insane laughter, "Ohh, you see! Haha! You see well? Haha! Why am I here it asks? Haha! Doesn't know it doesn't! Haha! Chaos wants me here...Chaos placed me here...For Chaos knows all..."

Stitch stared at the crazed man as he laughed maniacally into the dark. Stitch took a step forward, and the lizard man smiled at him, "Walks the wrong way it does...needs to be walking in reverse...to the exit..."

Stitch stared at him, "What's wrong with you? Answer my questions! Why do you remain in this deserted place!"

The lizard man took on a serious voice, just as quickly as he had taken to madness, "Fool! You think I'm alone here? HA! They are here with me, they are watching now, and it is they for which he is their messenger..."

Stitch felt angry, "Listen you fool, stop throwing riddles my way. Now answer me, do you know anything of the experiments created here?"

The lizard man turned away, and walked into the cell and sat down, "Do I know? Yes, yes I do...this was his very cell, did you know that?"

Stitch raised the flashlight, and shining it into the cell, was shocked at what he saw.

Claw marks covered the walls, etching in words upon words. Stitch studied them all, all of the words, all of them the same word, etched in hundreds of languages from across the galaxy. Stitch stared, one of the words of a word was in English, it was 'Atonement.'

The lizard man talked some more, "Yes...I was his creator...for awhile...I was his god..."

Stitch remembered something Jumba had told him about the black experiment's creator. Stitch looked to the man, "Jornhald..."

Jornhald seemed surprised at the sound of the name, "Yes, yes that was my name...Jornhald...an evil name isn't it?"

Stitch stared at the man, the creator of the thing that now threatened Stitch's entire life, and everything he cared for, "Why? Why did you make him?"

Jornhald looked at Stitch, "Why make anything? For greatness! He was designed to be the perfect war machine...completely unstoppable..."

Stitch walked to the man, and grabbed the rags Jornhald wore and shook him, "Listen to me! There has to be a way to stop him! There has to be!"

Jornhald snickered, "That wretch Daimon...he found a way...or...at least he thought he did..."

Stitch looked Jornhald in the yellow eyes, and said, "You tell me where to find it...I need to know..."

Jornhald knocked Stitch's hands away, and spat the words at him, "Why? Do you think it even remains in this facility! Daimon was one of the first victims! It is likely boy, that the antidote for experiment 6-6-6's evil is long gone!"

Stitch was taken aback, "His number...his number is 6-6-6?"

Jornhald smiled, "Yes...close relative to that little rat you traveled here with, yes?"

Stitch snarled, "Don't you call her that! You know nothing of Serenity!"

Jornhald stood, and snarling replied, "Fool! I know more about her than you know! And I'll tell you something, do you want to know the truth?"

Stitch stared at the man, "Why should I trust you?"

Jornhald chuckled, a twisted sound like rusty iron grating together, then looked to Stitch and said, "Because...I want that son-of-a-bitch dead!"

Jornhald reared back and laughed, then his eyes opened wide, and he smiled quietly. He looked to Stitch, "You want answers? Find lab Alpha 003, that's where it all began."

Stitch stared at him, "How should I-."

Jornhald backed slowly away, "You should be running."

There was a sound behind Stitch, like the scraping of claws upon steel. Heavy breathing, with a stench of rotten flesh. Stitch whirled to face another horror, one that seemed to crawl from his deepest nightmares.

It stood nine feet tall, it's skin was a horrible pastel green. It's skin appeared leathery, and hung loose off the creatures bones, yet underneath there was rippling muscle and sinew. It appeared a large crocodile, yet it stood upon hind legs. It's hands were of man, and long deadly claws reached downward. It's jaws were wide open, a black tongue hanging out. Behind it were eight deadly spines, and a large tail that could crush bones. But what fascinated Stitch the most were the creature's eyes, four small globes, all of them a brilliant red...

The creature rushed Stitch. Stitch reached up his hands, and caught the claws as they descended, yet the creature proved to be too strong, even for Stitch, and the blow pushed Stitch into the ground up to his knees. Stitch struggled with the beast, but somehow he couldn't overpower it. Stitch extended his two other arms, and reaching out, tripped the beast. Once the beast had fallen, Stitch leapt out of the pit.

Stitch saw an opportunity, and leaped on the creature, slashing wildly with his claws. Black blood flew, and the sickening stench filled the air. The creature lifted one arm, and grabbed Stitch's head, it's entire hand enveloping Stitch's head. The creature lifted Stitch into the air, and slammed him, repeatedly, into the ground. After awhile, it tossed him into the cell walls. Stitch was instantly on the rebound, and leaped on the creature once more, driving it into the ground. Stitch was ready to attack when he noticed that all the creature's wounds were gone...healed in a flash. Stitch leapt off the creature, the creature that was stronger, the creature that had healed, the creature that could kill him...

The beast began to lift itself up. Out of the corner of his eye, Stitch saw Jornhald standing perfectly still, he leaned close to Stitch, "You cannot defeat it...best if you ran."

Stitch took another look at the rising monster, and turned to run. Yet he found his exit blocked by many of the creatures. He shouted at Jornhald, "What are these things!"

Jornhald chuckled, "Why, these are his army. These are the Grims, you see, and they cannot die..."

Stitch saw the Grims approaching, and he leapt onto the cell block, and swiftly climbed his way to the top. Once on the top, he sprinted to the end of the row. A Grim leapt up to stop him, sending a clawed hand towards Stitch. Stitch dodged, and kicked the creature hard in the knee, knocking it off balance sending it bellowing to the bottom of the cell row. Stitch saw it hit, and it remained intact, only to rise once more and begin to climb towards Stitch.

Stitch saw Jornhald calmly sitting where he last was, 'Why don't the beasts attack him!'

Stitch didn't have time to think, another of the Grims was climbing after him. Stitch leapt from the cell block, and sprinted the distance to the elevator. He glanced from side to side, seeing more and more of the monsters, all snarling, all foaming at the mouth, all wanting to feast on him...

Stitch reached the elevator, and leaped on the wall. He began to climb until he felt all his arms would fall off. He heard the noises behind him, the scraping of claws on metal. Stitch hurriedly quickened his pace, and finally when he reached his floor, he leapt off, and smashed the ground away with a single blow. Below, he heard cries of anguish as rocks fell upon the monsters. Barely hesitating, Stitch turned and ran, he had to find Serenity, and get to lab Alpha 003.

His thoughts buzzed as he ran, 'I couldn't even hurt that thing! What did Jornhald mean, his army? Jornhald said that the experiment 6-6-6 is only a messenger...what could that mean?'

Stitch's heart pounded, and he ran on, fearful of the beasts looming around ever turn.