Dark Matters: Dark Below (Short Story)

Dark Matters: Dark Below is the second short story in the 2018 Dark Matters series. It follows a group of Intergalactic Alliance (IGA) Agents as they investigate a disturbance near a town on a planet called Terra. In 2023, the short received a Kindle update that canonized the story. It was also announced to be a chapter in Dark Matters: Anthology.

## Description

*"Taking place over a year before the events of Dark Matter: Code Red, something has stirred beneath the surface of the Earth-like planet, Terra. The seaside caves of a small town have been reported to be haunted. The Alliance has dispatched a band of Agents to uncover whether or not this disturbance is related to the Industry. What chaos awaits in the dark below?"*

## Plot Summary

Six Intergalactic Alliance (IGA) Agents are sent to Terra to investigate a disturbance that is believed to be "haunted," though further intelligence pointed to a possible Peterson Industries presence, which would be a violation of the *Peterson Industries vs. Collin Williams Treaty*. Led by the Xerofian, Cersis Khergon, Ray Pearson, Dalila Fornay, Mary Bures, Gerald Monquez, and Nathaniel Sreth journeyed into a cave on a coastline where most of the stories of zombies running around occurred. Bures reminds everyone that the locals' description of the "zombies" match that of a type of bioweapon Peterson Industries was working on. An antidote had been provided to each of the Agents, but if bitten, it had to be administered within thirty minutes to be effective. Khergon scoffs at the idea that the squad would even need anything. The question is raised on whether there are any schematics of the caverns, but there was nothing available other than talk of a strange metal tunnel.

Without any more intel, the squad moved deeper into the cave, eventually coming across the metal tunnel, with a metal door stopping them. Fornay hacked a hidden door panel, while Pearson claimed that if Peterson Industries was behind this hidden tunnel, they would have violated the treaty, though Bures was quick to remind him the tunnel was possibly there long before the treaty was signed. The door final slid open and the squad was rushed by several BIOS. Sreth was bitten on the shoulder but was administered an antidote by Fornay just after the Agents killed the BIOS. Khergon deduced that there was an entire abandoned Peterson Industry facility ahead. While Monquez suggested they retreat and seal the cave, Bures objected and suggested the squad of Agents retrieve data on what Peterson Industries. Pearson expresses concern as IGA still does not have much information on the BIOS. Khergon finally issued an order: move in, obtain intel, extract.

The squad continued into the facility, weapons ready, towards the facility's mainframe. They passed what appeared to be a receptionist desk with a skeleton occupying the seat. Monquez question what it meant and Pearson replied by telling him that the age of the skeleton proved that the facility was older than the treaty. Pearson also comments that he wished Dark Matter was present. Fornay informed everyone that the BIOS must have overrun the facility at some point, but whether it was on purpose or a freak accident was unknown. As the squad pressed on, they noted the bloodied walls and, despite being as stealthy as possible, their footsteps were echoing through the facility. Sreth suggested that the tunnel their were moving through at this point must have been travelled by cart after Monquez complained about it's distance.

The squad eventually arrived at a massive, circular atrium. Bures suggested they are at the central hub, though Fornay argues that IGA has never seen a Peterson Industry facility such as this one. Fornay also noted that there was backup power still running through the facility, though there were no lights. Khergon pointed out the nearby control room. Bures, Sreth, and Monquez were ordered by Kergon to guard the control room from outside, while she and Pearson would stay in the room to guard a vent that Khergon believed something might come through. Fornay began hacking the mainframe from the computers.

Fornay discovered that the facility shut down nearly twenty years before after a brief power outage allowed the BIOS to escape and slaughter the staff. Security footage even showed some scientists killing themselves to escape the BIOS' rampage. Khergon ordered for Fornay to download everything so they could show IGA HQ. Fornay agreed, stating that they needed to exterminate the BIOS.

Monquez shouted that he had movement on his combrace and moments later, he, Bures, and Sreth began to open fire into the darkness of the atrium. Pearson rushed to them and saw dozens of BIOS pouring into the light of the flashlights the Agents were using. Bures shouted to fall back and the Agents managed to closed the doors from inside the control, temporarily sealing themselves in. Khergon had not seen the BIOS as she was helping Fornay, but Bures informed her that the BIOS came out of nowhere. A large number of BIOS moved to the front of the outside of the control room. They simply stared into the control at the Agents through it's atrium window. Pearson suggested fighting their way back to the surface. Khergon objected, reminding the squad they only had enough antidotes to treat five bites.

Khergon ordered for Fornay to reroute all power to the atrium lights, hoping to blind the BIOS before trying to mow through them and retreat to the surface. Fornay overcharged the lights. All of the Agents covered their eyes as a flash of light blinded the BIOS, and as soon as the lights burned out a second later, the Agents exited the control room. They fought through a horde of BIOS, but were concerned after a bellowing roar echoed from the lower depths of the facility. The Agents continued to rush to the surface, firing back at any BIOS that followed. They moved past the door to the facility, with Khergon ordering Pearson to place charges at the tunnel's entrance and for everyone else to cover him. After planting the charges, Pearson joined the other Agents as they made their way to the main cavern and detonated the charges, sealing the facility. Pearson was bitten on the leg, but was administered an antidote by Fornay.

As the squad was heading back toward a nearby town, the ground began to shake and a massive BIO dug out from the ground. Just as the Agents were about to engaged, Sir Ben Riley and Sir Raine Harolds, two Knights, appeared and took down the behemoth. The Agents were angered that Knights were called in to do a job they felt they could have completed on their own, but Sir Harolds reminded them that they were told by IGA to investigate the cause of the disturbance on Terra, not infiltrate. While the Agents argued that things were under control, Sir Harolds reminded them that the behemoth would have torn them apart and proceeded towards the town; hundreds of people would have died. The Knights and Agents continued to argue for a few minutes, but eventually broke away from each other as Sir Riley tells the Agents that they are to report directly to Admiral Koron on Managarus. The Knights walk away, knowing the Agents are going to be in trouble for going too far into the facility and risking the safety of the planet. As the Knights departed to Earth to track down a wanted fugitive, the Agents were satisfied with believing they could have handled the behemoth BIO; their mission was done.

## Notes

* Taylor has stated that the 2018 Dark Matters Short Story series is only meant to be taken as loose canon. This changed for Dark Below when the manuscript was corrected and updated January of 2023.
* This story is technically a direct sequel to Dark Matters: A City In Peril.
* The BIOS were not named at the time of writing and were simply referred to as "creatures." This was corrected in the corrected manuscript.
* Dark Below was the second story in the DMU to include Ray Pearson, a fatherly figure to Collin during the latter's exile. Jarod Frey was unable to fill this role during this time period.
* Dark Below has the first appearance of Xerofians (Cersis Khergon), one of several reptilian humanoids within the DMU. It is also the first time the BIOS appeared. However, when Dark Matters: Heist On Aeris received its updated and corrected manuscript, Harge Borracks, who had been written as simply a "reptilian" in the original, was corrected to being a Xerofian. This does not change that Cersis was the first Xerofian to receive the species name.