Verdace Research

[Arcane]

Introduction:: Okay. This is my first time posting one of my written stories here in the forums. I know I'm not the best writer around nor the person who is oozing with brilliant ideas, but at least I was able to make a decent and intriguing story. (I hope I did accomplish that.) This story is like a diary. I did it because my intention was to make it believable and convincing. So, here it goes... Oh yeah. If there are grammar errors, please PLEASE tell so I could edit this. Thanks :3

Warning:: This is a mystery/Science Fiction type of story.

Verdace Research

File # 1:

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I’ve been researching the small group called the “Verdaceâ€. The Verdace people are located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, an island that has been discovered 3 months ago. It was opened to the public a week ago due to it’s ‘Tourism†it can offer. It was closed for almost 2 months due to some odd and weird artifacts and objects found in the Verdace Island. It seems that the town has been swept clean after its discovery. I wonder if it’s a government conspiracy.

File # 2

After three weeks upon the opening of the island, almost 300 tourists came to see it. Miraculously, all of the objects that have been taken away were put back to where they belong. What was that about? I’ve heard that the government has been doing some secret excavation. They say that they could answer the media about some questions regarding the Verdace people. Rumor has it that they were an old civilization that never improved in terms of technology and relied on their religion and beliefs to flourish the land and survive. This gives me a lot of questions which requires further investigation.

File #3

A month has passed after the opening, strange occurrences had happened under that time duration. 3 tourists had disappeared and the government closed the island for good. They continued to dig and found an underground chamber. The strange thing was, it contained some house supplies. It was as if someone or one town was living there. The chamber was big enough to fit one army and a few rooms to store food or anything. How did they survive? No, how long did they survive? Why would they do that, isolating themselves from the world. The weird thing was, the chamber was buried underground. Which means, someone or a group wanted to erase the existence of the Verdace people that they buried them in a dark labyrinth and let them die in there. But why? I have to get into that chamber. For the sake of the truth…

For the sake of the people that died in there…..

Note: according to the news reports, the 3 tourists are still missing today. Not a single corpse has been found. Not even the rotting remains of the Verdace people.

File #4

I finally snuck in to the chamber and managed to get out. It seems that the Verdace people were divided into two (2): The Upper Verdace and the Lower Verdace.

The upper Verdace were the ones that lived on top of the island and the Lower Verdace were the ones that lived underground. The scripture that I have found in a room was written in English, how convenient. It says “The Upper people are hurting us again. Why won’t they stop? I hope Ashten will punish them.†Judging from the hand writing, it was written by a child. It was diary actually. The other writings were smeared and that’s the only line I can read. And who the hell is Ashten? Punish is a severe word for a child to use. Ashten sounds like a religious figure or a warrior of some kind. What did the upper Verdace hold against the Lower Verdace? Why is the government so secretive in their excavation? Does the government know what happened here? Well, that’s my job to find out.

File # 5

I’ve researched about Ashten in the net and I only found a little information about him. It’s a European website and had to translate it. What a bother. As the website says, “Ashten, the Evil god, was a part of the Neconian Mythology. According to the newfound texts, Ashten would reward or defend people if he is entertained by “rituals.†The text only states that Ashten was the only god in Neconian Mythology and the book that contains the ancient scripts of the Verdace has instructions on how to perform these “rituals.â€

The website was updated yesterday. Which means this information was fresh from the pest. Well, the government, that is. The so-called “Social Workers†have been grabbing evidences since the excavation. I’ve been having trouble collecting them since they always get to the important files first. Now is the time to dig deeper into the story.

File # 6

I’m now writing inside the chamber and found a handful of information. I decided to camp here for the night. I brought some food supplies and a couple of batteries for my flashlight. You’ll be even surprised that I brought my laptop, just in case.

There are numerous scripts regarding Ashten that haven’t been touched by the government. The writings…not good. Ashten was indeed an Evil god. Not only did he cruelly punish those who were against him, he ate the people that truly worshipped him as their god. The people believed that if they were to be sacrificed, they will become one with their god. Another was an instruction manual for the children that followed him as well; it indicates that children also performed rituals. The younger followers did the ritual called “Mucro Mundo†or “Blood Stainâ€. I know…It’s disgusting. But the ritual is sicker than it sounds. The child would wound his or herself with a ritual knife. Specifically, it was called the “Trinity Knifeâ€. It is named after its 3 spikes sticking out of its body. The distance between the spikes will directly hit the main arteries when you place it in your arm. Since, a main artery has been hit, the child has 40% survival rate due to a large amount of blood loss. The blood will be used to write the words “Ashten Mor Fricaâ€. I have no idea what that means. I bet it’s as sick as the ritual. How cruel…. Making a child bleed his or herself to death…. No wonder the Upper Verdace disliked the Lower Verdace. It was a group of Devil-worshippers that sacrificed themselves to a god they’ve never felt nor seen. I guess this is the outcome of isolating themselves from civilization. It was the Lower Verdace that never improved and depended everything to their god. Their faith was their downfall.

Note: Some of the words are in Latin. I can’t get the connection of Latin to the Verdace people. ‘Mucro†means edge or dagger point. “Mundo†means “to cleanseâ€. What kind of sick bastard thought of this?

I'll be posting more if you guys want..

[Defiance]

Very interesting. What happens next?

[Arcane]

Very interesting. What happens next?

Oh..Thank you very much.. /lv /lv

File # 7

The rituals that I have gathered are getting out of hand. Knowing the fact that they killed their enemies cruelly was a part of their practice was awful but discovering that they became cannibals just to survive made it even worse. I’ve read in a certain diary of a teen age boy that says “I’m hungry…The food gathered outside gone. Food is scarce. Food is rare. What will I eat? People are eating people. My older brother bite me. I trap me in a room. I don’t want to eat my friends…I don’t want to be eaten. Oh, Ashten. How long will you keep us in here?†Despite some grammatical errors, this entry is extremely disturbing. How lucky I am to read an English diary written by a person that suffered hundreds of years ago. So, Ashten trapped them underground? Wait…Don’t tell me Ashten was a real person who was considered a god. If not, how the hell did this religion spread unto the Lower Verdace? How did Ashten’s teachings reach the ignorant minds of the Verdace people? *sigh* More questions that still remain unsolved and yet here I am asking another one.

To add up to the intensity to this investigation, I have discovered a room that contained the “blood stain†ritual. The room was full of bloody writings in the wall. There lay a book that had a lot of blood which smeared some of the writings. All I can read is “3rd law. No one is ever to leave the Underworld after the “Last Revelationâ€. If you are caught, you shall be banished by Ashten, be sent to the Upper World and become slaves of the enemies of our God.†What’s so scary about the Upper Verdace? Oh yeah, they hate them. So if they were sent there, it would be like a group of piranhas attacking a single prey.

What’s the “Last Revelation?†all about? Why did Ashten forbid them to leave? Well I guess I have to leave the chamber for a while. If I don’t, I might end up like the Verdace people.

File # 8

Shit… I can’t find my way out. My batteries ran out and only have this freakin’ laptop as my source of light. All I can hope for is that those “Social Workers†might find me and eventually end up in prison or I die here uncovering the truth. Well, I like living better. There is a chance I can trade the fruits of my investigation for my freedom. But should I stay in the same place or keep moving?

Before I got into this situation, I found out that there were spies sent from the Upper Verdace. They served as messengers to warn their people what the Lower Verdace was planning. Unfortunately, according to the ritual record found in the room where all these damp books lay, the spies were discovered and suffered tremendous torture. They were hung on the ceiling with sharp strings that caused severe cuts and wounds. The strings are eventually snapped since it cannot support the person’s weight. Well, the bad news is, the spy will fall on spikes which were located on the floor. If the Victim does not die in the next 24 minutes, he or she will be dissected and hang the internal organs right in front of you. Of course, you don’t get to see your organs ….You’re already dead. What is the significance of all these rituals? The only thing I could think of is: Fear. To be able to contain or control a massive amount of people, all you need is fear if you want the easiest way to conquer them. But killing without any rational purpose is taking it too far. Now, I don’t feel sorry for this Civilization. I feel that they deserved what happened.

Wait…I’m not like this… I’m not supposed to say these words…Maybe. I’m changing…

No…I’m just hungry. It’s okay…I can overcome this.

Some of the books and rooms are damp. Why is that? Could it be that the water level increased and caused the people of the Lower Verdace drown to death? It is possible. Then I better hurry. If my hypothesis is true, then my laptop will get wet.

File # 9

This thing is getting out of hand. I’ve killed two people…They were from the government that also camped out here. They had the necessary equipment for scientific research and enough food supply that could last for days.

They knew that an intruder was wandering about the ruins of the ancient Verdace people. And they were ordered to kill that intruder. How did I know? Well, you see, I overheard their radio transmission between them and their boss. How did I kill them? I picked up some ritual “equipment†along the way and used it as “defenseâ€. It’s kill or be killed. They had a gun for Christ’s sake! Their boss will realize that his two men who were assigned here will not respond to his calls. This will make him send more men down here and check them out. Not unless…I allow them to enter. I guess its time for me to play defense. The ritual contraptions and equipment used by the Verdace people will play a vital role in saving my life, which is good considering the fact that these tools were used for evil.

It’s time for me to set the traps and uncover what is actually the government after…

[Armani]

This is really interesting. I liked the story. I didn't read that it was a "Sci-Fi" thing so I thought it was real for a few minutes. Until I realized I missed the blue texts.

You really should add more.

[FluffyMarshmellow]

That was so delicious that i didnt even read it!

[Eregon]

I liked it more than I thought I was going to. Post new entries ^_^

[Arcane]

Thanks Guys... /lv /lv

File # 10

I’m tired and sleepy…I’ve grown uneasy and paranoid. I’ve borrowed electricity from the generator that the government people used to charge my laptop. The funniest part is, the boss is using Yahoo messenger to communicate with his minions. Maybe I can use this to my advantage and pretend to be one of his “Loyal Subjectsâ€.

The traps that I’ve prepared for them will surely eliminate any pests whose trying to infiltrate the first passage. The traps are set 1 km away form the entrance. Yeah. I know how to get out but if I do that now, I might get killed. I don’t want to take the chance.

I’ve also blocked the path with a strange human-shaped box. It was big enough to fit an average adult male or female. This strange looking box reeks the smell of blood as if it was filled with it. On top of the box, I’ve placed a couple of spiked-covered cages. So, it will be hard to tumble it down just like that. What weird objects yet I’m happy that it was put into good use. If they manage to destroy my barricade, at least I’m prepared and aware of their presence. It’s time gain for some investigation.

Side note: I’ve been coughing a lot lately and been getting dizzy. It must be lack of food and water. I’m also getting less sleep...Heck...I hardly get any sleep!

I miss the sun……..

File # 11

I’ve already eaten a couple of bread but enough about what I’ve already eaten. Let me explain the numerous files I’ve discovered. It’s about the disturbing rituals that the Verdace people practiced.

I found a strange-looking fork found in ceremonial room. I could tell by the candles and strange patterns that were carved on the walls. According to the manual,(The same manual I found in the Damp room.) that strange utensil was used in a Neconian Rite called the “Twin Edgeâ€. The fork has two long sharp pointy edges that detaches both of your eyes. This is performed when a villager gets a glimpse of the sun’s rays. It is considered Unholy and a sin for Ashten’s followers. One things for sure, no one will ever survive this ritual.

There is also another one that I’ve read. It’s another one of those gruesome acts practiced by the Verdace people. I better get used to this by now. Anyway, it was the “Blood Bath†ceremony which was performed near the entrance. Yeah, that’s how I got that wooden box in place easily. It was just around the corner. The box will be filled with blood and a person will bathe in it and drink it after. Ugh... just thinking about it makes me sick. It’s a cleansing ceremony after the Wedding. The blood is believed to be Ashten’s when the High priest has chanted the words appropriate for the ceremony. But where the hell did they get this massive amount of blood?

The most jaw-dropping among all of the ceremonies I’ve encountered was the “Last Revelation†It’s an event to remember. It was to die for. The next entry will be all about the “Last revelationâ€. I think I should get the whole story and travel deeper into the caverns. I feel that there is something missing.

Note: I’ve also discovered that only “Chosen people†are privileged to exit the Lower Verdace chamber and gather food and other resources. Hmm… Another suspicious factor. Could it be that the religious leaders are preventing anyone to escape the chamber or they didn’t want any objects or distractions to corrupt and contaminate their beliefs towards Ashten? If this speculation of mine has proven to be true, then everything that happened to the Lower Verdace was carefully planned by a large organization. A single person couldn’t do this…Unless he or she is indeed a God.

File # 12

There was a reason why it was called the “Last Revelationâ€. This Neconian Sacrament was in an entirely different level of Faith and Devotion to Ashten. It was a multi-session of suicide acts. It all happened in one large room, the bloodiest room of all. It’s located at the deepest ends of the chamber. It’s where the Lower Verdace people rot and decayed. I’ve found hundreds of bodies and they weren’t skeletons. Not even close. They were decaying flesh full of maggots. Some guts were teared off and some corpses were mutilated. These bodies proved that they weren’t from hundreds of years ago. It’s like their deaths just happened yesterday. 3 days after the implementation of the 3rd law, the food had ran out and water, too. Judging from the number of bodies, there were approximately 70 that survived until the Last Revelation. A book that I found on the corner of the room was all about this horrific Rite. It says “Your anguish and suffering shall end here. Our stained souls shall be cleansed. We shall separate the flesh from our souls as we receive Ashten’s greatest blessing: Immortality. “

Tsk…Tsk..Tsk…Foolish people.

As the text says, in order to achieve eternal life, they killed themselves in the most brutal manner they could think of. They believed that, if their deaths were somehow entertaining in the eyes of their god, Ashten, they would receive immortality. Some bodies were decapitated, mutilated, immolated, distorted and poisoned by an unknown drug. Some of the bodies lay untouched. It was like they died sleeping. Everyone died at almost the same time. How pitiful… I saw a child whose head was cut into two. A woman who ate her hair and eventually suffocated to death. A man who has his tongue cut and has been stabbed at the forehead. These cruel deeds and gruesome murders all points out to one thing: Ashten was toying with people’s lives. Why do I have the feeling that their so-called god is nothing but a mortal who had the necessary knowledge and sources to manipulate the Lower Verdaces’ minds? Why do I begin to hate myself for getting into this situation? Why do I start to feel the emotion of regret when I already thought of it thoroughly before tackling this kind of scenario? That’s why I’ve fully realized that there’s no turning back now. I have to move forward to matter what.

[Arcane]

File # 13

I’m surprised to say that there were people with rationality and sense that lived among the Lower Verdace people. Let’s just say they were more inclined to reality than to silly old superstitions. It was a small group that consisted of 5 members. This group pretended to follow Ashten and avoided any dangerous rituals that would cost them their life. They fully understood that Ashten was just a Myth. Unfortunately, only 1 kept his word, which was the leader. The rest gave in and participated in the “Last revelation†because they couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to end their misery faster. I found this fascinating information in a room inside a wooden cabinet. It contained the personal insights of that group’s leader, who was brave enough to go against the “Last revelation.†In the last letter, he stated that he insisted to stay outside the “Revelation room†and said “I want to die alone because I believe Ashten would appreciate this kind of death.†as an excuse. Of course, the High priest, known as Sergundi, permitted him to do what the Leader wished. So, if the leader was the only one that didn’t attend the “Last revelationâ€, where is he? Did he survive? Did he manage to get out?

“Sergundi is lied to the people. I know he did because I couldn’t find his body anywhere in the ceremonial room. He didn’t sacrifice himself. I must look for him.†Those were the last words in the paper. The priest, huh? I finally have a suspect, Sergundi the High Priest of the Neconian religion.

File # 14

The puzzle pieces are slowly showing the picture here but I can’t find the other missing pieces. I know I have a long way to go.

I went back to my base and carried the “Trinity Knife†and the Social worker’s gun. (That I killed…Still can’t get that thought out of my head.) It’s a .22 mm handgun. Too cheap to be handled by the government, isn’t it? I wonder why. Anyway, the “Boss†has noticed the minimal activity of his “underlingsâ€. He just sent me a PM message 5 minutes ago. It said “Hey, have you found any corpses yet? Carlos is getting impatient and regretting that he chose ya guys. He also said that you should wear those flu masks that he gave ya but I know you guys know that since you guys are like Scientists dudes. Oh yeah, that Virus might be still in there. Contact us after you’ve found the bodies. I’ll send men to fetch the bodies and decontaminate them. Thanks. PM me if you need help.â€

….Shoot… A Virus? What the hell are the symptoms? Maybe the reason why I’ve been having these coughs and blurred visions lately is that I’m infected by that Virus. This is not good…This is not good at all. I should put the investigation on hold. I have to know more about this virus.

[chalkzone]

/slur

OMG I'm craving for more like a zombie!

/slur /slur /slur

[Kaboom]

It's got a creepy feeling to it especially at midnight...o__o hold mee... but it was awesome

[Arcane]

/slur

OMG I'm craving for more like a zombie!

/slur /slur /slur

Oh, Thanks a lot Chalky!!

Took me while to read it but I like it. /ok

Really creative and clever!

Yeah lol. It's a bit long but I'm glad you've read it nya~ Thanks too, Miss Mezri.

It's got a creepy feeling to it especially at midnight...o__o hold mee... but it was awesome

lawl. Really~? Thank you~~

[Arcane]

File #15 added

File # 15

I asked the sender to send me some files related to the Virus. After a few minutes, he replied “Yeah, Sure! No problem! Here ya go!â€. I assume that this guy I’m in contact with is a moron, giving classified information just like that without asking why. Anyway, there was an attached document, entitled “Verdace Virus.†I’ve read the content and was horrified on what I’ve learned. The Verdace Virus was developed because of…incorrect waste disposal. The droppings were gathered in one room which caused the virus to develop. But the virus was still weak at some point. The people that died at the rituals were also dumped in that room. Another factor for the Virus to grow was, since water was scarce, they never used it for washing themselves. This was the trigger that caused the pathogen to be strong enough to inflict damage and spread. The major error of this civilization was: Improper observation of personal cleanliness. What a simple yet strongest cause for a large population to fall. Now, as for the symptoms, it says “Coughing, dizziness and momentarily hallucinations.†Hmmm... I haven’t had any hallucinations….yet. Anyway, another effect is having visions of a shadowy figure with horns and red eyes. This is creepier than I expected. This unique pathogen doesn’t kill. Instead, it attacks the nervous system intercepting any neurons reaching the brain. If the brain does not acquire that data, the cerebellum will not do anything leaving the body paralyzed. While as for partially received data, the cerebrum will eventually create a false data to replace and complete the signal, therefore ordering the body do unnecessary movements not synchronized with the current situation. In other words, it causes your brain to malfunction. But that effect will happen if the virus has fully gained control of your system or your immune system is weak. That leaves me now with one question: How did it spread from Human to Human? Was it Airborne? If I’m infected, then I have no choice but to uncover the truth before I die.

Oh Sally…I’m sorry. Please take care of Harmonica.

[Arcane]

Here it is:

File # 16

I reached another part of this underground chamber and found the Final letter written by the Anti-Ashten group’s leader and…the dead leader himself. His body was bloated, cause of death: Drowned. Here he died with the Final letter in his hands. “I made a mistake. Ashten is real. I saw him… He had red eyes and horns. Ashten, forgive me. I doubted you. Please punish me. I should’ve attended the “Last Revelationâ€. I’m so stupid. There’s no point in finding a way out. I will be punished by Ashten if I did. It’s that time again where water arises from the ground. The water is now about 3 inches above my feet. I’ll stay here to repent. I’ll stay here and drown.†*Sigh* There goes my last chance of hope. In the end, he believed in that wicked god, Ashten. At least, I found out about three things: (1) The Verdace people where aware of measurement. (2) The leader was infected. (3) When High tide occurs, the water level rises and fills up the chambers. I’ve seen marks throughout the lower levels of the chambers that indicate the water escalated at about eye level, if the basis is my height, of course. I’m guessing that the water rose slowly that the people had time to flee towards the higher portion of the chamber, specifically near the main entrance. The water rises in its full potential when the full moon or new moon is up, increasing the strength of the gravitational force. So, the next full moon is…November 24 and today is…. Ha-ha…You’ve got to be kidding me. . It’s already Nov. 24. Before I knew it, my pants are wet. The water level is rising. I must reach the higher ground…fast.

It's sad to say that this is the last file found on his laptop. Yes, the main character died. And yes, my imagination died along with him.

tl;dr.

Umm...What?

[Arcane]

Thanks for reading guys~ /lv /lv Sorry I had to kill the main character~ :P It's more realistic~ /ok

His death did something. People knew that the dude was not a god, BTW plot spoilers here... :P

xD. Well, yeah but too bad he's infected so he died and never got to finish his research. /sob

[Diablo336]

I enjoyed reading the story, though the ending kinda sucked. You should have made it more dramatic somehow.

Good job though. ^^