Project Paradox

Everything begins in New York. You are a 24-year-old man named Mark, you were hired by a mysterious company. You end up accepting to work there since life has been tough and you were unemployed, and they pay well.

Mark arrives at the company

Mark: Damn, I had to take a really weird path to get here, and there’s nothing here, it’s just a dark alley. I think I got scammed.

Suddenly a hatch opens on the ground and an old man appears

Herbert: Hello Mr. Mark, my name is Herbert, please, come with me.

Mark goes down with Herbert

Herbert: Welcome to Project Paradox.

Mark: Huh? What is this?

Herbert: We are a company that studies and contains anomalies to protect humanity. I am a Class C scientist, and I will be responsible for you.

Mark: And what am I? They didn’t tell me yet. They just told me to come here.

Herbert: You are responsible for finding and studying these anomalies.

Mark (thinking): What a strange job.

Herbert: And since you match all the requirements we want, you are a perfect candidate for this position and you are already hired.

Mark: Okay, I didn’t really understand it, but when do I start?

Herbert: Today.

Mark: Seriously? What do I have to do?

Herbert: We received a letter from the department responsible for this. Here it says it’s in a house located at ********.

Mark: Okay, I can get there.

Herbert: Take this, you will need it.

Herbert gives a gun, a flashlight and a backpack with some supplies to Mark

Herbert: You will have to stay there for 3 days, so I gave you a backpack with some supplies you will need.

Mark: Okay.

Herbert: Everything the creature does or reacts you will have to write it down.

Mark: Leave it to me.

Herbert: You can go.

Herbert opens the passage for Mark to leave

Herbert: Good luck, I hope you survive.

Mark: Alright!

On the way

Mark: What nonsense, do they really think I will believe this? This is going to be easy money.

Arriving at the house

Client 1: P-please, eliminate this anomaly.

Mark (thinking): This guy is really scared. It was probably just a cat or something, and he must think it’s a monster.

Mark: Okay, I’ll have to stay here for 3 days, alright?

Client 1: O-okay...

Mark enters the house

Mark: Let’s go, this should be very easy.

Day 1

Mark: Man, this room is really nice and comfortable, but this iron door is really ugly. But I’ll lock it just in case, what if someone breaks in here, right?

Mark opens the backpack, takes a snack and sees a book at the bottom

Mark: A book? I’ll take it, I’m bored anyway.

Mark (again): Project Paradox Anomalies is the name of this book. Interesting...

hears some banging coming from the ceiling

Mark: Hm? What is that? It must have been a cat on the roof.

Opens the book on page 1

Book: ARC (Analyze, Restrict, Confine) is what we call anomalies. ARCs are classified by anomaly type.

ANOMALY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM:

SAFE

These are ARCs that are easy to deal with, and sometimes even harmless, but there are SAFE anomalies that attack if you bother them. But the attack should be weak and should not cause any damage.

UNSTABLE

Hard to predict behavior. They may attack at any time, but sometimes they don’t if they are not hungry or something like that.

DISRUPTIVE

Dangerous anomalies that can affect you physically or mentally. Some can release toxic gases, inject poison, or something that can affect your body. And sometimes they can mess with your mind just by looking at them. If any release gas, be careful, this can kill you or drive you insane.

REALITY-BREAKER

Anomalies that can alter simple things in reality, like some objects. They can have devastating strength and are almost always hungry.

WORLD-END

Anomalies capable of causing global collapse.

They can destroy civilizations, ecosystems, or fundamental structures of the planet.

ABSOLUTE

The highest level.

They cannot be contained or defeated. They are beings from another reality. If by any chance they come into our world, humanity can consider itself extinct.

Mark: Interesting book. Is it horror? Or do they really take this seriously?

Mark hears banging on the iron door

Mark: Stop it, damn it. Let me read.

The banging stops

Mark: Wait... but I’m alone...

sounds of someone going up or down stairs

Mark: I’ll go check, probably someone messing with me.

Mark grabs the flashlight, opens the door and goes to check

Mark: What is that sound? It’s coming from the basement.

Mark goes down the stairs from the second floor and sees the basement door

Mark: I’m going to open it, I want to see who this joker is that’s stressing me out.

Slowly opens the basement door and points the flashlight at the stairs

Mark: What is this?

Mark starts running desperately while the anomaly chases him

Mark manages to lock the iron door in time

Mark: What was that? What time is it?

Mark looks at the time and sees 22:41

Mark: This is only the first day, there are 2 more. Oh no...

Mark lies down

Mark: I’ll deal with this better tomorrow. I should sleep, I think this was all in my head...

End of Chapter 1