Walking through the corridors of the derelict facility was not pleasant for Miley, the place had a musty feel to it and the lights did not work. It was annoying having to shine their flashlights in front of them every now and again to stop them from tripping over the objects scattered on the floor.
"This place is a mess." Miley said as she stepped over a flipped desk.
"Being forgotten for how many years does that to ya." Catherine peeked into one of the rooms to check for anything of interest, all she spotted was a bunch of old computers. "Maybe we can find something by looking at these computers."
"Can't hurt to try." Haven walked through the door and attempted to turn on a computer.
Miley stopped and walked back to the others, the room they were in was in better shape than the hallways but by no means were they well off, mold and decades old dust littered the area. It looked like it used to be some sort of research room, a large bookcase covered one end of the room. It was, of course, filled with numerous books.
"Yeah, this stuff is fucked." Miley grabbed one book to examine it, the words were worn-out and it had that old book smell to it but not the nice kind, it leaned towards a fast-food restaurant dumpster kind of smell.
Haven smacked the side of the computer in hopes that it would magically work again but it remained dead. Catherine went row by row through each desks to find one that could work.
"This ain't happening." Catherine said after reaching the end of the room. All the computers were busted and the monitors weren't in the best of shape either.
Catherine walked back to Haven, who was still fiddling with the same computer. He had opened the case to check around on the inside. Meanwhile, Miley had been going through the books and checking to see if anything was worthwhile in them. She noticed a book thinner than the others while perusing the shelf, she grabbed it and opened to see its content.
"February 18, 2031... this is someone's journal." Miley adjusted her glasses and flipped through the pages, the words were still legible. "Hey guys! I think I got something here." She waved the journal to the others. Haven stopped messing around with the computer and headed towards Miley.
"Let's see... Ian's been stealing my breakfast... Edna and Roddy had an accident in sector 5..." Going through the journal, Miley could see that it belonged to a researcher named David. He had recorded his everyday life here at this facility called the Scottish Institute of Myth and Technology.
"That's weird, myth and technology..." Miley pondered why they would name it as such.
"Continue turning the pages, maybe we'll find out." Catherine rested her arm on Miley's shoulder.
They were now on January 4, 2032. The previous entries had nothing of note, even what the researchers were doing here was still a mystery. But on this page they could feel the anxiety coming from the writer.
> The lads up top decided what to do. I'm not sure of it myself but the Brits are closing in, everyday more and more of their 'security' forces have a larger foothold in Scotland and it's only a matter of time before they take it over for our own good. Those bastards. If this research institute falls into their hands who knows what they might do with the knowledge. With a war brewing up, I'd rather this whole place blow up than let them use it to their advantage. But my bosses know better than me and they decided to work with the Americans. They plan on moving this place over to America, god knows how. But it will be under cover using the fires of the rebellion to keep the focus of the Brits away, just the perfect excuse for them to take over. They may have tied a noose around Scotland's neck but damn if we'll let them have the pleasure of kicking the chair.
"Huh... that crazy professor was right, they somehow brought this whole thing over to North America!" Miley was genuinely shocked, the journal didn't detail how they managed to do it but the fact that this facility is in Former North Dakota proves that they did it.
"Woah I seriously have chills right now." Catherine was smiling ear to ear. "This must mean the Loch Ness Monster is somewhere here, that must be what they were researching!"
"There has to be more to it, right? I mean, the guy was clearly worried that the British would've weaponized whatever they were doing here." Haven attempted to be the voice of reason, the Scottish sacrificed their own land to get this place away from the British.
The Kingdom of Britain officially established themselves as conquerors a little before the war by taking over nearby countries, though their plans were put on paused during the stalemate period of the third war. Scotland, unfortunately, was the first country to be assimilated.
"They could've totally weaponized the Loch Ness Monster!" Catherine replied.
"I've reached the last page and it's dated on March 1, 2032. He doesn't explain anything else." Miley flipped back and forth in the journal.
"I guess we just have to go further in! Let me hold onto that." Catherine grabbed the journal from Miley's hand.
It seems like something important was hidden away in this place, Miley wondered if they can use it to turn the war over in their favour. To find that answer the group needed to go deeper in.
Step by step, hall by hall, with each room they looked into the place became even more mysterious. This institute was built under the Loch Ness, the date of it's establishment is unknown but it was clear that it had been here for a while. They found a room with ancient computers and monitors, their blocky shape made the group wonder how people could waste so much space.
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"Are those stairs?" Catherine shined her light down a doorway revealing steps leading further down.
As the group entered the new floor they were greeted by what looked like a relatively modern design. The previous floor was more concrete and steel-like while this floor was more sleek in comparison. It's painted walls have started to scratch off and the colours have faded but it was more like an abandoned school rather than a swamp bunker. Even more surprising was that the lights were working, a dim blue hue lit up the hallways giving it a more mystical feeling.
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say this place was built much after the other floor." Haven admired his surroundings.
"It doesn't smell like shit." Miley took a whiff of it, it smelled sterile which was definitely better than excrement and swamp juice.
The search continued for any signs of the Loch Ness Monster or super weapon that was hidden away in the facility. They didn't need their flashlights that much, except for some exceptionally dark corners, which made exploring more easy. They eventually stumbled onto another door that led to a room full of computers that looked like the ones above.
"Do you think these ones work?" Miley walked into the room and looked around.
There was clearly power going through this floor because the lights were working, maybe some sort of super generator that's still running it's ass off after all this time.
Haven approached one and managed to turn it on. Catherine gave him a huge slap on the back as they watched the monitor turn on and the homescreen appear. Haven, having one hand rub his sore back, started to search through the computer in hopes of finding anything.
Miley leaned back on a wall as she watch the two look through the computer. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise coming from the hall. She quickly held her rifle up and approached the door that they entered through. The sounds were coming closer. A scraping sound could be heard and a low distorted hum followed it.
Seeing how Miley was reacting, Catherine also pulled out her gun, it was the Chupacabra Electric Submachine Gun. Known for its high-rate of fire and compactness, this submachine gun saw many use in room to room combat and proved exceptional in raiding hideouts. It used the same type of battery cells as the Wendigo but use less power per shot allowing it to shoot 144 times before needing a change in cells. It's smooth white design combined with the chrome frame is shared among the other weapons produced by this company.
All they could do was wait for whatever it was to enter the room, they hoped it would just pass them but dealing with it now would be better in the long run. The scraping sound stopped as it reached the door and the humming changed to a higher frequency screech, it was similar to heart monitor flatlining. Haven covered his ears as he ducked behind a desk while Miley and Catherine remained focused on the door.
The door opened and the figure that went through it was a bright blue humanoid lacking in features surrounded by pockets of static mist, their was a brief pause as Miley and Catherine tried to comprehend what it was. It made a beeline towards Miley, each step it took sounded like someone dragging a pitchfork across a car, when it reached her it grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up.
"IS THAT A GHOST!?!?" Haven screamed as he stared horrified at the figure.
"This... thing is... strangling me!" Miley struggled to loosen its grip on her neck.
"Oh God, what do we do?" Haven started panicking, he looked around the room expecting something or someone to show up that will help them.
"Get it off me!" Miley coughed and her legs flailed in the air. "For the love... of all that is right... just fucking shoot it!"
"How am I going to do that? It's intangible!" Catherine pointed her gun at it hoping that it would scare the ghostly figure off.
"It's tangibly choking me out!" Miley delivered weak kicks to what could be called the stomach, she felt she landed her mark but the strangler remained steadfast in it's goal of strangulation. "Someone tangibly punch it's face..." She managed to squeak out as she stared at Catherine.
Haven screamed while he rushed up to it and gave a solid right hook to the ghost's head knocking it away. Miley fell to the ground and started coughing as Catherine helped her up.
"The hell is it?" Miley looked at the thing lying on the ground.
"U-uh Miley! You're neck it's..." Catherine had a shock look on her face as she pointed at Miley's neck.
Miley felt around her neck, the skin layer was damaged leaving burn marks all over where that thing grabbed her. It was the same for her boots which suffered minor damages after she kicked it. Realizing that physically touching this thing will hurt you she looked over to Haven to see if he was alright. Catherine had already thought about it and held Haven's right arm up to inspect it, the skin on his knuckles peeled back to reveal metal.
"Haven! You're an android?" Catherine held his arm closer to her face to make sure.
"Uhh, no. I just have a robotic arm." Haven struggled to pull his arm back.
Miley quickly scanned him to make sure. He was telling the truth, his right arm was mechanical but the rest of him was human. She thought about scanning the rest of his group so that wasn't any surprise androids among them, though she doubts she would find one in a cult.
"Let me see! Let me see!" Catherine started moving Haven's fingers as she gushed about the arm. "This looks high-end, oooooh, I wished I had one of these babies."
"Cath, you're already a robot." Miley grabbed Catherine from behind as she pulled her away from Haven.
"Yes, but I'm poor. I wanna do a rocket punch!"
"Guys? The ghost is getting back up!" Haven shouted at the glowing blue figure as it slowly got back on it's feet.
"If punching works let's try shooting!" Miley picked up her rifle and aimed it at the figure.
"Can't miss from this range, aye Miley?" Catherine held her submachine gun in one hand as she took a stance.
"Shut up and fire!"
The two sprayed the figure with scorching hot electric bullets, they tore through it as beams of light and static came off the figure with each shot connected. The shots that missed seared the wall behind the figure leaving black holes with smoke coming out of it. Haven held his hands to his ears to block out the pulsing sound of the electric bullets. The clicking coming from both of their guns signaled the end of their assault, the figure dissipated in front of them.
"I can't believe we killed a ghost!" Catherine ran up to where it disappeared.
"It's not a ghost Cath, ghost aren't real." Miley peered through the open door to see if anything else like it was out there. With nothing in sight, she breathed a sigh of relief before remembering to reload.
"Okay then explain what it is?"
"I don't know, but it's not supernatural if we can shoot and kill it."
"Untrue, werewolves can be killed with a rocket launcher."
"We watch one old werewolf movie and you think you're an expert in hunting them." Miley wrote Catherine off as she gestured at Haven to look at the computer again.
"What? It's a 70's classic brought to life because of the creator's experience after living through World War 3 and seeing the feral nature of humanity!"
"You read that off the synopsis."
"Doesn't make it any less true..." Catherine pouted.
"Hey! I think I found something." Haven waved for the girls to come over.
"What is it? The Loch Ness Monster?" Catherine asked.
"No, or at least I don't think so... the secret thing that the Scots had been working on is in the floor under this." He used one hand to point downwards.
"So we just have to get to the next floor..." Miley began walking towards the door. "Hopefully we don't run into more of whatever that thing was."