Into The Rift

Prelude To Conflict (44)

Author's note;
I shouldn't have taken this long. If anyone cares, at the end of this chapter, I'll explain why this update took forever.

Anyways, enjoy lads! I hope people still remember this story.

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-1952 Military Hours
-Cygnus Station, Antarctica

An oasis of activity in an otherwise remote locale, Cygnus station continues to operate under a veil of secrecy. Alongside the rich field of stars, an Aurora looms over the heavens in a shimmering display of green and violet, the silent phenomenon splayed across the captivating sky.

Chilling winds bellow hauntingly throughout the near permanent night, its sickly whispers rolling across the Antarctic landscape. A pair of muffled footsteps resound along the outskirts of Cygnus, the dark silhouettes trudging through the western sectors.

"Westside perimeter clear, nothing... but the usual," a disgruntled voice reports over local communications, the words lightly tinted with boredom.

Pausing briefly, my companion continues relaying the update on my behalf as we begin moving further west. "Now proceeding to next waypoint, will provide sitrep upon arrival, over."

"Sentry team... Cygnus Administrative copies, out," the response crackles through my helmet's internal speakers.

The invasive cold creeps in to my extremities in spite of the insulation provided by the retrofitted winter equipment. Pushing through the discomfort, I set my eyes ahead to get my attention away from the numbness evident at the fingertips.

Through tinted goggles, the odd visage of the Rift is barely visible, its black impression blending in perfectly with the night sky. Along the way, the snow beneath pulls on my every step, making it that much harder to traverse the unforgiving terrain.

"God, this weather," I comment as the involuntary shivers kick in, sparing a glace to the side.

Bradley replies with a shrug, "At least it's nothing like what's going on in Africa. Continent's become a hotbed for the insurgency movement."

I stifle a verbal reply, offering a nod to indicate my agreement with the Sergeant as we approach the highlight of our otherwise lackluster patrol.

The anticipation sends a distinctive chill up my spine, separate from the ambient cold. Its uncanny appearance alone is enough to raise concerns even in its watered-down state.

"There she is," I say, eyes marked with guarded focus, keeping a healthy distance from it.

The sole reason for Cygnus station and her associated operational activities on this desolate stretch of land, all encapsulated in the form of a dark mass of energy. The infamous Rift, completely inert regardless of any form of stimuli, and lacking discernable features across its jet-black exterior.

There are certain things in life I will never forget, this was one of them. Hardly anything could surpass the oddity ahead and the grim implications it carried.

"Over a hundred people trapped on the other side, still probably hoping for rescue," I remark, stopping completely to stare at the Rift, feeling the unease enveloping my skin. It still haunts me to think had my fireteam arrived earlier, we would have been stationed on the other side of the anomaly.

The entire UN reactionary force dodged a bullet by arriving only after the Rift lost its colours, I did not know what to really make of that unforeseen stroke of luck.

"They knew the risks," my companion reasons with a dejected sigh, "... the researchers still went through anyway."

"Curiosity's never a good thing." I say with a solemn tone, shaking my head in disapproval. "There's already talks of classifying the entire taskforce as Missing-In-Action. Doesn't look like any of them can return, not with it like this."