June 5, 1959:

The five witnesses interrogated separately claim to have heard a scream in the mine at the same time. Witnesses #2 and #5, the closest to the collapse, tore off their ears and pierced their own eardrums with their tools or nearby rocks. It is only possible to question them under heavy sedation, and it is extremely difficult to keep them alive due to their numerous opportunistic suicide attempts (#2 bites his tongue or tries to swallow it, gnaws and scratches the veins on their wrists if not restrained. #5 bangs his head against the walls if not immobilized).

Witnesses #1, #3 and #4 were two hundred meters away, in the west branch of the mine. They all describe the scream as starting shrill, then becoming increasingly grave, with an echo and harmonics that triggered the following symptoms: migraine, nosebleeds, and bleeding gums. Witness #1 lost three teeth. Witnesses #3 and #4 first fainted, estimated at fifteen minutes by Witness #1.

These three witnesses first went to inspect the source of the noise, but encountered Witnesses #2 and #5 and went back up to take them to the infirmary. They did, however, catch a glimpse of the new gallery revealed by the collapse: they claim to have seen a blue glow tinting the entire vein.

June 19, 1959:

Authorization obtained for exploration, mine sealed and secured. Initial surveys conducted on the area:

  • · Radioactivity: 12 μSv/h (vs 0.1 μSv/h on the surface) => need for level 2 protection
  • Residual sound emission in the gallery: Decibel level measured at 150 dB (near the collapse) => Exceeds the pain threshold, need for noise-cancelling helmets to avoid bleeding
  • Echo frequency: Waves captured between 20 Hz and 20 kHz, with irregular peaks at 3.2 kHz and 8.7 kHz. => Correlations noted with frequencies having an impact on human health, causing nausea and dizziness.
  • Atmospheric pressure in the mine: 920 hPa (normal value: 1013 hPa).
  • Temperature: 4°C (outside temperature: 15°C). => Significant thermal anomaly in the vicinity of the collapse area.
  • Air composition:
    • Oxygen: 15% (normal value: 21%)
    • Carbon dioxide: 3% (normal value: 0.04%) => Indicating a possible accumulation of harmful gases or poor air circulation.
    • Luminosity: 3 lux (normal value: 100-500 lux for adequate visibility). => bluish glow, no visible source.

Level 3 infestation declared. 120 personnel assigned. No suspect at the moment.

June 20, 1959:

  • Losses: 12
  • Progress: second outpost installed 120 meters inside the gallery.

Notes:

The first explorers are sent with level 2 protective equipment, noise-cancelling helmets, and powerful flashlights. The new gallery measures between 1.80 and 2.70 meters high, with a width of 3.20 to 5.90 meters. Twenty meters into the gallery, we discover the nature of the blue glow: a kind of spores suspended in the air. They seem to be attracted to light and tend to accumulate on the flashlights, quickly blocking the light.

Once in contact, they can enter through the respirators and ignite when exposed to an oxygen-rich environment. Five deaths from burns, three deaths from lung inflammation.

At sixty meters, after a turn to the south, there is a river about one meter wide. The liquid is crystalline, with a higher viscosity than water. We have not identified its nature, but the temperature readings indicate -86°C. Direct contact, even through the suit, results in instant frostbite accompanied by necrosis.

Two deaths from frostbite, a third explorer was saved by amputating their legs at the upper thigh.

At eighty meters, there is a fork in the path. Taking the left path, the readings indicate a significant decrease in noise and radiation. Taking the right path: the left one is a trap. The ambient radiation and noise level decrease, and the temperature becomes increasingly pleasant. Gradually, a sense of fulfillment and ecstasy takes over the explorers, and they continue to advance, despite the passage becoming narrower and the rocks sharper. One explorer died once trapped in the tiny funnel, their bones nonetheless broken from trying to move forward. A second died of hemorrhage after crawling naked over the sharp rocks.

The right passage continues for 120 meters, where we were able to set up an outpost.

June 22, 1959:

  • Losses: 8
  • Progress: I feel we are reaching the goal

Notes:

After the outpost, the path continues for about fifty meters until it opens onto a vast, unfathomable pit. The hole, about 8 meters in diameter, descends in spiral coils of multiple sharp, spear-like rocks. No, rather horns. Somewhere at the bottom, a pure blue glow taunts us, daring us to join it.

We have installed pulleys on the rocky ceiling, just above the hole, and have lowered the explorers on ropes. It seems very easy to get injured on the spikes covering the walls: all the explorers we send so far end up dying of hemorrhages when they set foot, hands, or even bounce on the peaks after losing their balance. We can only descend about thirty meters, while the bottom seems so far away. We have lost another day.

A report from a survivor, made just before they succumbed to their injuries, mentions a strange noise once past twenty meters of depth: “like a hoarse melody of disorganized brass instruments.”

June 26, 1959:

  • Losses: 26
  • Progress: new outpost installed, pit secured

Notes:

We lost an additional day finding the appropriate equipment for the explorers. We spent a fortune bringing diesel engines and braided wire ropes here for a motorized descent.

Incredibly, we have discovered a species of ravens that have suspended their nests along the rocky walls. Their powerful and disturbing cawing destabilizes the explorers. They also attack anyone who crosses their path. The first eight explorers pulled up are just bloody balls. On three occasions, we only retrieve the torsos. The ravens swoop down on their prey, cling on by planting their talons in the victims' eyes, and fling them back and forth to make them crash against the walls until death. They then devour the corpse.

We brought in equipment to exterminate the threat, successfully. We managed to capture a living specimen, but it ignites and reduces to ashes when exposed to an atmosphere with either too much light or too much oxygen.

Interesting point, this species of raven has its eyes positioned on the front of the skull rather than the sides, like some predators.

We have secured the passage - with eighteen additional losses - and found an opening carved into the rock wall, about seventy meters deep. At this point, the blue glow seems just as inaccessible: we probably won't be able to produce a cable long enough to try to reach it for now.

June 27, 1959:

  • Losses: 0
  • Progress: WE HAVE FINALLY FOUND IT!!!

Notes:

The passage proved to be the right path, even though it narrows to the point that it is difficult to pass with safety equipment. But after about forty meters of crawling, it opens into an immense annex.

We estimate the circular hall to be 120 meters high, with a diameter of 70 to 75 meters. The walls are mostly covered in stalactites containing a multitude of blue crystals that illuminate the place enough to see with the naked eye; but it is very difficult to detach one's gaze from the horror.

It measures about 55 meters high, floating 12 meters above the ground. It has a skeletal form, the skin very worn, like a kind of mummy, with prominent joints and disproportionate limbs. Its legs, adorned with rusty nails and occult symbols, are crossed in a lotus position. It has two arms resting on its thighs, and two more arms crossed over its chest, its hands and fingers interlocked and twisted into an impossible shape, perhaps representing an ancient symbol.

It wears a copper and platinum mask decorated with ancient symbols, from which a mane seeming to be made of dead, twisted and bare tree branches emanates.

It has a head resting on its ankle, frozen in an expression of horror. A frigid mist measured at -12°C emanates from its eye sockets, nostrils and mouth.

The measurements in the hall are disturbing:

  • Radioactivity: 47 μSv/h => need for level 3 protection, minimize time spent in the hall
  • Residual sound emission in the gallery: 155 dB => uncomfortable even with noise-cancelling helmets. Vibrations throughout the body
  • Echo frequency: Inconclusive measurements, the frequencies change too quickly
  • Atmospheric pressure in the mine: 860 hPa => Difficult breathing, fatigue. Headaches, dizziness, and slight decrease in mental capacities observed. Sinus, ear and joint pain.
  • Temperature: -9°C => Reinforcement of suits.
  • Air composition:
    • Oxygen: 11%
    • Carbon dioxide: 5%
    • Luminosity: 80 lux

Furthermore, looking at the horror for too long causes the following symptoms:

  • More than 10 seconds => nosebleed
  • More than 30 seconds => detachment and loss of nails
  • More than five minutes => coma

Measurements completed. Tomorrow we can begin the first sacrifice tests.

June 28, 1959:

  • Chosen: 3
  • Progress: inconclusive

Notes:

The archives are very incomplete regarding the horror, with appearances or mentions in 2000 BC, 130 BC, and the years 450 to 470 AD. According to my research, it would be the god of Anxiogenesis, Inexorability and Evanescence.

These are the notions that we will have to reproduce before him for a sacrifice that he will accept.

Experiment:

5 chosen are selected and lined up in front of him. In each of their protective suits there is a small box, at chest level, but only one contains radioactive rock collected from the site. Anxiogenesis is represented by the box: the chosen one does not know if the one enclosed with them in the suit is lethal. Inexorability is symbolized by the radioactivity of the rock, an unstoppable force. Then, Evanescence is represented by the body of one of the 5 chosen, which decays slowly, ravaged by ionizing radiation.

Result: The 4 other chosen ones are visibly relieved when the last one begins to convulse, breaking the Anxiogenesis effect. The experiment is repeated twice with the new instructions, but there is always a moment when the spell is broken. The horror does not react.

June 29, 1959:

  • Chosen: 36
  • Progress: the horror finally awakens

Notes:

After more in-depth research, it turns out that the symbolic number of the horror is 18, which we can reuse to continue the experiments.

Experiments:

A. 18 chosen are gathered and placed under the flow of icy mist until complete hypothermia death of the group.

Result: no reaction noted.

B. This time, we decide to use the pit from which the unidentified blue glow emanates. We hang 18 ropes over the void with a pulley system and offer them to the chosen, gathered at the edge of the precipice. They cling to them with their hands and feet and let themselves swing over the hole. After a few minutes, after the Anxiogenesis of the situation, the Inexorability of their fall and the Evanescence of their muscular strength that inevitably leads them to sacrifice, they fall one after the other.

Result: After about thirty seconds, the chosen begin to murmur incoherent phrases. The audio analyzes made afterwards reveal fragments in several languages, some identified as ancient dialects (probably proto-Indo-European) and others unrecognized. As soon as the last offering disappears, a tremor shakes the entire gallery. A thick, milky mist appears from the small entrance of the horror's hall and spreads over the floor. Direct contact with the mist results in complete freezing of the feet up to the knees. The first explorers touched remain trapped, those who try to escape too late are caught and their legs are torn off as they tilt during the movement. They are then swallowed and disappear under the cloud. It finally reaches the edge of the precipice and slowly descends into the abyss. Eleven explorers decide to jump into the void, their only way out when the mist traps them. Five of us manage to jump and cling to one of the pulleys fixed to the wall until the mist finishes passing.

After one to one and a half minutes, the flow stops and we can return to the hall.

The horror has left the premises. The radiation level, temperature, atmospheric pressure and air composition have returned to normal levels. Disappearance of the noise.

It has only left the giant skull resting on the floor, shattered in two and empty of its icy mist. It contained an offering, the AR201-VC piece that we were able to secure and bring back to the laboratory.

Tests in progress.

Summary:

The mission is a success. Artifact secured, horror banished, minimal losses.

Financial costs:

  • Equipment: $4,520,700
  • Salaries: $78,950
  • Death insurance: $170,000