Inside the Dravos Military Intelligence Center, soldiers sat at their desks, observing their computer screens intently, as the general walked into the room.
In the background, an old radio played with seemingly no one paying attention to it.
[Presenter]
There is nothing the human race cannot overcome, Clyve. We were on the verge of going back to the dark ages not too long ago, and yet, it's been 5 years now since we officially announced the end of the global energy crisis, and everything is still going smoothly. Personally, I think this is a fairy tale. It's definitely nowhere near as dangerous as the government wants us to believe. I say they are just looking for a way to keep us indoors so they can fly their UFOs.
[Guest speaker]
Hahaha, I honestly hope you're right Jim, but this is nothing like the energy crisis. If they're right, we're screwed.
"I can never listen to this guy with a straight face, people really think we can do anything since we just barely pulled through the energy crisis." -Soldier 1
"It makes them feel safe, and that makes our jobs easier, that's all I care about." -Soldier 2
The once-silent room came to life as soldiers shared their opinions on the media's notions of the supposed "new threat to society". This was the collective name given to the spike in the reporting of mutated animals throughout Dravos.
About three years after the initial announcement of the energy crisis, a few of the Dravos countryfolk told tales of mutated bears and dogs attacking their settlements in the late hours of the night.
One account claimed that a bear twice the size of a typical bear attacked a farmhouse and tore through its baleen-reinforced walls with ease. The farmer reported that the bear was twice the size of a regular grizzly and had metal claws and incisors that were three times larger.
He claimed it moved faster than anything he'd ever seen and made quick work of his livestock before disappearing into the night. Although bearing witness to all of this, the farmer reported that the creature paid no mind to him; whether this was because the creature was too occupied with its feast or because of his inability to move made the bear think he was lifeless, he could not say.
As the years went by, spontaneous accounts of similar nature popped up throughout the countryside, each time involving a different creature.
None ever resulted in human casualties, and no hard visual evidence was ever provided. One of the farmers reported they had taken a picture of the beasts that devoured his livestock but showed up only with a picture of his lifeless stock.
Up until just a year ago, these reports occurred at a frequency of about 3-6 per year, but this year alone, the frequency spiked to 37, which got the attention of the public and has everyone on the edge of their seats waiting to see how the government will respond.
A female soldier with a well-tailored suit and epaulettes with intricate braiding walked towards the general with a file in hand. The once bustling room slowly became quieter until it was dead silent, with noticeable tension developing in the air.
"Sir, here's the report showing all the areas that have matched the energy signature... I'm afraid we may be right general. All the areas with this energy signature match the reports on sightings and kidnappings that have recently spiked. " -Female soldier
The general has a complicated expression after hearing this information and then reaches out to grab the papers from the female soldier. She hands the papers to the general, then gestures to a soldier in front of a large screen, and he starts frantically working his keyboard, and the large screen displayed a mapping of said energy pattern.
When the screen is pulled up, all the lieutenants in the room grow complicated expressions as well, resembling fear, anxiety, and conviction all at once. At the same time, the cadets turn their attention to the general to ascertain what the information being displayed might mean.
"And that's not the worst part; there's a new area as well, all the other locations have low energy signals that have been radiating from the area since about 30 years ago, according to past data, however, there's an area in the Dravos forest that only recently started surging with energy, and it started right about when the sudden spike in the sitings began. The energy in this area isn't pulsing like all the other areas, though. What do we do, sir?" -Female soldier
After hearing this information, General Bronn clenched his fist and looked at the screen with strange conviction in his eyes. The Female soldier reporting the findings expected a look of worry from the general, but after seeing his reaction, she felt as if the General had been waiting for this moment. The General had not said a word to her, as he seemed to be lost in thought as he stared at the screen.
After a few seconds, the general regained his composure and directed his attention to the soldier.
"Well done, soldier, you have served your country well. Prepare an extraction unit. Go and survey the area…And don't hold anything back." said General Bronn with a stern look.
The soldier left with a salute, and the general retired to his office, where his lieutenant general had been waiting for him.
"Permission to speak freely, sir?" -asked the lieutenant general.
" Granted"
"We have been chasing these sites for years now, and every time we send in an extraction team and end up with nothing, do we even know what we are looking for? The so-called beast of legend? ... The Keraxi troops on the border have increased in number again. I feel that the Oasis project wastes precious time and resources, and its mission is built on fairy tales. We should head to the border and prepare to defend against the real threat."-Lieutenant general
The general gave his lieutenant a tired look and sat down before saying anything. He then proceeded to pull a cigar from his bottom drawer and gestured to the lieutenant to light it, and as if it were some sort of signal, the lieutenant, who originally stood with a straight posture and stern look on his face, suddenly eased up and seemed more comfortable. The general hands him a cigarette, and they both blow out a few puffs before anyone says a word.
"If you had seen the things I had seen, then you wo-"
The general finally broke the silence, but before he could finish his statement, an alarm went off, and the screen on his desk began to flash with warning notices. Both the lieutenant general and the general were visibly confused until the female soldier walked in to give them an update.
"It's pulsing, and it's growing," said the female lieutenant.
She then explained that the energy level in the Dravos forest site had begun rapidly growing and was now active. The lieutenant general, who was more composed before, became tense. The situation before them was unprecedented; never before had the energy levels of a site changed.
As the female soldier finished briefing them, they approached the screen and watched in awe as the energy signature became larger and larger, first slowly and then faster, until the power in the military base was suddenly lost, as if simultaneously with the rapid growth of the energy source. Once the building's backup power kicked in, the energy signature was gone.
Everyone staring at the screen was awestruck, and no one moved for the seconds that followed the backup power coming back up. Then the general broke the silence.
"Prepare my gear." General Bronn commanded
[In the Dravos forest]
Bang!
A sudden explosion caused a small crater to appear in the middle of the forest and threw a young, unconscious man on the forest floor, leaving him lying next to the crater it created.