Terror on Phobos report by: Lane Jefferson photography by: Lane Jefferson Chuck Warner It was a Monday when I walked into the office, holding a steaming cup of coffee in my hands. I threaded my way through the desks of reporters working on last-minute projects; and as I sat down at my terminal, a message flashed on the screen. "See me ASAP. Bob." Bob Jenkins, my editor, was not one to say to see him soonest unless it was *extremely* urgent. Nervoulsy, I grabbed my coffee and strode over to his office. I knocked on the door. "Lane! Get in here!" I turned the knob and stepped inside. "Yes, sir?" I asked. "Lane, two weeks ago, something happened on Phobos, Mars' first moon and United Aerospace Corporation's system research center. The government had some kind of battle with Corporation forces. I need you to go cover it." "Sir," I responded, "I'm just a photographer. If you want someone to gather info, I'm not your man. Maybe Chen Ling or Dave Miles can do it." "Lane, I'm not interested in information. I want pictures. Besides, we have an idea that there isn't much alive up there to get information from. You're the best man we have for forensic-type research..." "Sir, you're asking me to go into a war zone. I won't do it." "Lane, it's a *former* war zone. The battle's over. Besides, we're sending Chuck from the security department on the off chance that anything goes wrong. He's a former marine, with the Black Knights division. On top of that, we didn't expect you to do it for free. You get a fifty thousand dollar expense account, and you keep whatever's left over." The number sent me reeling. That was almost my entire pay for the next six months. It was tempting, to tell the truth. So, that is how I found myself on a cargo shuttle, headed toward Phobos, equipped with my cameras, pistol, and a former Special Forces operative named Chuck. Had I known what was coming, I may well have preferred a quick, painless death. The photographs show what I found there. Doom00.pcx - As we walked into the hanger, Chuck and I were impressed by the heavy silence surrounding the building. Our first impression of the Phobos base is what you see here. Doom01.pcx - The bottles shown here contain stimulants that increase one's feeling of well-being. Sort of like caffiene with a kick. Doom02.pcx - Attracted by a noise, we moved toward the alcove, and saw something moving on the stairwell. Doom03.pcx - The guard must have gone mad, because he opened fire at us. This picture recorded from Chuck's comm. helmet shows the guard going down. Doom04.pcx - Thinking we might have use for it, we took the guard's shotgun. Within the alcove, we found a suit of kevlar riot armor used by one of the troops in the battle. Its position is vaguely reminiscent of a sacrifice ritual. (?) Doom05.pcx - A view of the mountainous terrain of Phobos. Doom06.pcx - One of the dropped Comm. helmets in the battle. Doom07.pcx - Barrels full of toxic waste were everywhere throughout the base. Doom08.pcx - A bloodied corpse from the battle. Doom09.pcx - More bodies. Government Marines must have fought skillfully against the Corporation's forces. (Body count ratio so far is 2:1...) Doom10.pcx - A wide-angle of the control room of the hangar. Note the radar and tracking info. panels on the overhangs. Also note, more corpses. It must have been some fight. Doom11.pcx - All hell breaks loose. We turn the corner, and I am greeted by a corporation trooper who fires at me. Thankfully, I had on my body armor. Doom12.pcx - I take aim at the trooper. It's him or me ... Doom13.pcx - As we move into the corridor, I can see five or six guards, and *something* on the tower... Doom14.pcx - A view from Chuck's comm. helmet after he drops a guard. Doom15.pcx - The things on the tower just fired that orange ball at me! (The view is again Chuck's) Doom16.pcx - I dodged the fireball just in time. You can see it explode on the left side of the picture... Doom17.pcx - Another shot of those things on the tower. Doom18.pcx - Another. If we get back to Earth, I want to be able to verify their existence. Doom19.pcx - Another, with a view of the fireball. Doom20.pcx - As close as Warner got before he took those brown spikers out. Doom21.pcx - A shot of Mt. Cadillac, the tallest mountain on Phobos. Doom22.pcx - Another. Doom23.pcx - Heading up the bunker into open air and (hopefully), safety. Doom24.pcx - A view of the hanger from outside. Where our ship has been, however, is now a pool of toxic slime... We were nearly crushed. Survival now became our motive. We headed for the exit, and the nuclear plant... according to our maps, the nuclear plant had an interplanetary radio. Doom25.pcx - Doom31.pcx I mistakenly hit a barrel, causing a brilliant explosion. The bodies don't even resemble humans... Doom32.pcx - I'd never been gladder to see an exit sign in my life. Now, to the nuclear plant, that radio, and off this hellhole. Doom33.pcx - Another alien? Genetic experiment? Mutant? I didn't know, but it was heading for Chuck... (Picture from his comm. helmet.) Doom34.pcx - Doom41.pcx The monster throws a fireball, and Chuck responds by throwing lead. Chuck was burned, but not severely, because we were both covered in armor and helmets. (Here end the adventures of our hero. For now)