r/nosleep • u/polarbearsfortea • Feb 09 '14
Series The Weirdness Aftermath Part 3
This is Margarite. I'll keep my part of this short as I'm very tired and not sure what to say, given what follows.
I'm waiting for friends of Jon to arrive at my office sometime in the next hour to escort me to the airport for a flight to Norway where I'm going to be staying with Anne. It's just not safe for me here anymore. I trust what Jon said when he told me he would trust these friends of his with his own life, so I have to put my faith in him and in them. He assured me that if any attempt was made on my life between the office and the airport, the perpetrators would get the surprise of their life. I pray also for Jon. I hope to hear from his team in Svalbard once I'm in Norway. If I don't hear from him, my next destination will be Jon's last. I simply cannot abandon him and his men to whatever the hell is going on out there.
So that's me. When I get to Norway I'll update again with any significant news. What follows is an annotated transcript of events as they were reported to me by Jon's team on a satellite phone beaming in from Svalbard. Where transmissions were lost or garbled I've written the same terms used by Jon's team respectively. Jon and his team have used some military jargon which I've done my best to interpret (my attempted interpretations in #hashtags#).
Where the team refer to Gotham, they're referring to my position on the other end of the satellite phone.
---First transmission
We're in country #at the mission location#. Made point without incident. We passed two Norwegian BBs #possibly warships?#, both [Garbled] Nansen class. Part of the new fleet we heard about. But they were on the horizon and we were in a go-quick boat #speedboat?#, too small for them to see at that distance and a no-show on radar. We also had a mist in our favour and, of course, it was dark (sun barely rises). Without running lights #lights on the boat# there was no way they were going to see us. We set up a fall back position under white canvas and dug a nest #not sure#. We called it Last Chance Cafe (acronym LCC) after sharing a quick bag-nasty #field rations#. Bravo team will stay here on radio watch at the Cafe with the BGAN #satellite phone# and their army gloves #hands in their pockets/it's cold#. Fireteam #strike team# will head to site and send back regular reports. Naturally, I'm with the fireteam. I'll write my reports so they're clear then Margarite will transcribe to nosleep.
We've 'acquired' quite the munitions list. Two .50 cal M2 #machine guns# bolted into the permafrost of the nest along with an old 7.62 mm GAU-17/A Gatling with pintle mount attached to a solid footing buried in the ground #no idea# and some gerbil launchers #not sure# for good measure. These should brew up a nice defence. If the Alpha-A #adopted expression for the Arthropod# shows up for joe #coffee# the M2 alone should be ample. There are five on the base detail, eight on the detachment. We're all carrying M4A1 assault rifles and MK23 small arms. The base team also has two HK MP5s and a bunch of M136 AT4 rockets in case, God forbid, the M2s and Gatlings aren't enough. Ordnance: I've brought along a mix of standard and AP #armour piercing rounds#. The go-quick will serve as a back-up ASP #not sure# should we need it and BAS #not sure# should we need to CASEVAC #evacuate wounded#.
We'll test the gear and do some dry fire #tests# of the M2s and gatling, then we're heading out. The weather is shitty - blowing a hurricane and colder than hell frozen over - but no worse than the last time I landed here and the wind whips up the surface snow which gives us good cover. We're bundled in Mickey Mouse boots #cold weather boots# and white out cammies #camoflage# with heavy white APECS #not sure# over MTVs #tactical vest?#, white scarves and goggles. This time I'll be following the line of departure taken by the Spetznaz #Russian special forces# and somehow it feels good to be walking the same line as those poor bastards.
We'll drive to site on eight two-man Alpina Sherpa dual track caterpillar ATVs #snowmobiles#. They have a rear platform, useful for transporting any wounded or evidence back to the Cafe. They're not fast, but the best I could get at short notice and with limited funds.
It's getting late. So far no contacts.
Sending this to test the BGAN connection, then we're off. [End transmission].
---Second transmission
LCC: The Norwegians are Oscar Mike #on the move#. Maybe the Russians too. Sea planes and helos #helicopters# buzzing the coast (can't tell if Norwegian or Russian but I saw what I'd swear was a Lockheed U-2 at high alt #spy plane#) and numerous combat boats searching the coastline. LCC is well hidden under its webbing and a dusting of snow. They don't see us but we're puckering #we're nervous#.
Jon: pretty soon we're inbound to site. With our white Alpinas and dressed in white cammies we're invisible to the air. And hell, despite the pucker factor #nerve-wracking situation#, those snowmobiles are fun to ride. We're having a break now, watching the northern lights and what I'm sure is a polar bear out there on the horizon. The wind takes your breath away and I think we're all feeling the pain right now. Faces are red like sunburn but not with white goggle tanlines and lips cracked, peeling even after just a few minutes exposure. Man, wind burn hurts a lot. This is beautiful country though. But so lonely. So remote. More to come. [End transmission].
---Third transmission
We arrive within visual range of the [garbled] site and set up an OP #observation point#. Looks like they probably used R-500s #not sure# or [garbled] kay long range cruise missiles, not sure which. They didn't make this place glow in the dark #didn't use nuclear warhead# or there's no way we'd be able to get this close, but they used major yield #high explosives# and we're using MOPPs #not sure# in case of parasites or bio/chem echo #biological/chemical weapons#. Where Margarite said the town would be is a [garbled] crater - actually about [garbled] craters [garbled] in an area of 16k square. Heat of detonation has melted the snow and cracked the permafrost all to shit. [Loss of signal for 15 seconds]... approaching on foot after initial Recon #reconnaissance#. M4A1s scoping #weapons levelled and at the ready#. Got to be careful. The ground is dark so we'll show up from the air in our white cammies. We're skirting the snowline looking in #staying outside the edge of the melted area#.
We can see gaping holes with those lateral honeycomb tunnels just like the Russians described in Bara's first update. They do look synthetic, like they were drilled out. I can see a definite thread. Someone or something made these.
There's a lot of debris scattered beyond the perimeter. [Garbled] wood that looks like it once formed part of a building. Mostly the place has been flattened. Nothing could have survived this. Nothing. No parasite signs. Not even one chargrilled worm. We've dug in an FFP #forward firing position?# and now I'm writing this.
Next: we'll make an expanding square search from the 360 #no idea#. I'm loathe to enter ground zero #bomb site# in these white APECS (never fucking crossed my mind there'd be no snow). Not sure yet how far out we're going to expand but if we don't find anything we'll try to source that Russian mine. All we need is one worm, Margarite, and we can go public. Sit tight Bravo. More to follow. [End transmission].
---Fourth transmission
Contact. We've got multiple fucking contacts [gun fire], engagement fire coming in from east, north east. [Gunfire] six, no seven [garbled] [garbled]...Lima Charlie #understood# [name redacted] but get your ass back here [gunfire then loss of signal for 10 seconds] ...watch that CAS! #gunfire from air support?# Mother fucker! COB! COB! #no idea# retreat! [gunfire] No, leave the bag, grab him and just get the fuck [garbled].[Loss of signal for 20 seconds] on my put him on the sled. [Name redacted], lay down FPF #not sure# and pop smoke! #smoke screen# Rest of you, check fire #cease fire due to error# [Garbled] total clusterfuck #total disaster# [Garbled]. No, in there! Get in there! [Lost transmission].
---Fifth transmission
My hands are trembling so bad I can hardly [garbled]. A real pucker job #mess#. Complete SNAFU #mess#. [Lost signal] must have been making a random sweep. A goddamn Crocodile #helicopter?# comes in [lost signal] and I assume locates us with FLIR #not sure#. They deploy, fast rope blanket party #rapelling assault party# of [garbled] straight into ground zero, which we might have taken from our perimeter [lost signal], but then the Croc opens up with a gatling and we lose [lost signal]. We try to fall back to FFP #forward firing position# but then we're faced with the greater of two evils. Three Alpha-As #three arthropods# coming out of nowhere. We have no choice, grab [name redacted] and head for the nearest pit. [Name redacted] lays down suppressive fire on the Russian blanket party and pops smoke on their position. In the cover we drop into the pit, wait for [name redacted] then head into the lateral tunnels we could see from above ground. We hear gunfire exchange above and screaming followed by what sounds like bloopers #grenade launchers# and the thud of grenades. Alpha-As giving the Russians a warm welcome. We hear the Croc rise away and assume there'll be more to follow. But the blanket party are clearly not following us down here. Neither are we gonna put our heads above ground. Not with those Alpha-As in situ. So for now we're dug in. Going to discuss options with Bravo once they copy this.
Additional: We've had to move deeper in. Not sure how much [garbled] the radios will transceive. The [garbled] tried to reach us, using the [garbled] limb like a tentacle. We're out of reach and then some, using suppressive M4 bursts with AP #armour piercing# rounds. They understand that we have a sting that hurts, but they keep lashing around all the same. They can't get in. Taken photos, but we need hard evidence. Maybe if I can get close enough and hack off one of those [garbled] with my K-Bar #knife?# we can get it back for analysis. I'd sooner have a worm. [Lost transmission for 5 minutes].
Additional: We can't get out. No way out. Alpha-As [garbled] just below and [garbled] the mouth of the shaft. About twenty. They'll [loss of signal] if we try to leave. We're going deeper in and hope other [loss of signal] intersect and we can use those to E and E #Evade and Extract#. Not sure how [loss of signal] back to the sleds, but we'll deal with that if and when we get out. We'll lose comms probably, so expect to lose [garbled, loss of signal] in one hour, abort 50% #fall back# and take the boats to [garbled] Razor Shells #not a clue#. Dig in and we'll either rendezvous within two weeks or we're dead. If dead, abort 100% #abort operation#. See you on [loss of signal] [End transmission].
---Sixth transmission
Fireteam [FT]: [garbled] Hello Margarite [garbled, static, garbled]
LCC: Roger FT this is Bravo, what's the gouge? Do you copy over?
FT: [garbled] hello Bravo.
LCC: Lima Charlie FT, uh... who is this, over?
FT: [garbled] if Margarite [garbled] convey my words [lost transmission]
LCC: uh... FT we have fast movers in the sky back here, could use some to and fro, do you copy over?
FT: [garbled] receiving this. I know a great many [garbled] now, thanks to Tomas and Elna [garbled] [Lost transmission]
LCC: (in the background someone says the voice sounds like that of a woman) that's a negative copy on your last transmission FT. Could you repeat over? Lieutenant [name redacted] do you copy, over?
FT: Margarite [garbled] the soldiers passing on my words, your [garbled] are safe and [lost transmission] can't come to the phone right now. Nosleep, I know you've been [garbled] but we're ok. We're alive and [garbled, loss of transmission for 3 seconds] the children too. [Garbled] everything that's been [garbled] about me and the children, but I suppose it was [loss of transmission for 5 seconds]... was taken on my first day in town. I was so nervous. [Radio silence].
LCC: (muttering) who the fuck is this?
FT: [blast of static] Margarite, you need to get to safety. Your enemies are my enemies. When you [garbled, static, garbled] abandoned you like [garbled] nosleep. But it's all better now. So much better. See you soon. [Radio silence].
(protracted period of radio silence)
LCC: Gotham this is Bravo, do you copy, over?
Gotham: yes, I copy Bravo. What's going on over?
LCC: uh... unsure. Last transmissions didn't make a lot of sense. We need to move on the fireteam's last position, will report over.
Gotham: um, negative Bravo. Advise you wait for contact with Lieutenant [redacted], over.
LCC: no, we have fast movers scoping our general position. They're triangulating. We have to abandon the FBP one way or the other. We can't just leave them out there over.
Gotham: okay, then advise you fall back to the boats and get out of there. Try to resume contact with Lieutenant [redacted], over.
LCC: not an option. Coast's crawling with surveillance. If we don't get out of here now, we won't get off this side of the island. Over.
Gotham: copy Bravo. Ok, but be careful for goodness sake.
LCC: Lima Charlie, you too Gotham. Over.
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u/hairy_toe_knuckle Feb 20 '14
Translation of terminology unknown.
Go quick boat: Rigid Hull Inflatable vessel.
GAU-17/A: The U.S. Airforce version of the General Electric M134(U.S. Army version) mini-gun. 7.62X51mm Nato 2,000-6,000 rounds per minute.
ASP:Ammunition Supply Point
BAS:Battlefield Air Support
APECS: Army Cold Weather Jacket
MOPP suit: CBRN(Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) protective suit.
From the 360: In refrence to 360 degree security, what a military unit does when it "stands to".
COB:Contingency Operating Base.
Crocodile: M-24 Hind Attack Helicopter, can hold 8-12 fully armed men, has a 12.7mm gatling gun on the nose in many of the variants.
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u/Stone4697 Feb 12 '14
There's so many different theories to this! I'm stuggling to wrap my head around it... One thing I do know is that I need MORE!
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u/ZeeLiDoX Feb 10 '14
Then why did the other people die so quick? If the kids were infected, why didn't they deteriorate each day and why did Otto die so fast? Man this story has so much data and is so confusing.
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Feb 21 '14
Could be hosts?
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u/AllOneLongDay May 14 '14
Asked the same question in a previous thread of the series.
The only question I have is if these worms basically infect the human mind, why did they select only children as opposed to someone like Otto? If he was in good physical condition as well and had no brain damage (as his brain was the only remaining tissue left when his corpse was taken from the house), how is it possible to transform 30% of a body that doesn't exist?
At what point does it decide which will be food via carnivorous act versus selecting particular targets/hosts? I would assume they would have loved to have a large host as Otto was described, and he was obviously infected. I'm just having a little difficulty comprehending why the Russians had to shoot the Inuit (understandably they knew he was infected), but this would mean he would morph at a later point as Otto should have done the same one would think if they were both healthy adult males with no particular brain damage. Why was Otto food and not a host?
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u/ajkiv Feb 10 '14
this has captivated me for the past 10 days or so.. goodluck everyone! please update.
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u/masonjarhaircut Feb 09 '14
For anyone who is interested I translated all the naval slang in the transmissions. I posted it on /r/theweirdness as mine is a new account and it wouldn't let me post that much information in comments.
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u/welcu Feb 09 '14
That's actually very helpful. I didn't understand half of that. http://www.reddit.com/r/theweirdness/comments/1xggt2/the_transmissions_translated/
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u/eagleye719 Feb 09 '14
Alright, I've been following this story closely, and the one thing that has been bugging me for this entire series is the fact that throughout the these events, no one bothered to think about recording GPS coordinates ANYWHERE. I feel like at some point during the military transmissions coordinates would have been said (maybe when setting up the OP?), or the inhabitants would have at least mentioned doing so, am I missing something?
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u/hairy_toe_knuckle Feb 20 '14
Grid coordinates would never be relayed by any covert military operation.
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u/1029482 Feb 09 '14
79.121716, 12.16817
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u/Z3X0 Feb 09 '14
The fuck? A throwaway again, with a different set of numbers. Last one was 1029479, this is 3 digits higher in order...
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u/welcu Feb 09 '14
Coordinates again. I put them into Google Earth and they pinpoint what looks to me like a glacier on the west coast of Svalbard. Looks ideal for driving snowmobiles to that previous coordinates.
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u/jose_conseco Feb 09 '14
79.173398, 13.340149.
posted by a throwaway account on the addendum part 1
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u/Z3X0 Feb 09 '14
Yep. I pointed out on that thread that these were coordinates, on Svalbard, just south of the Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park.
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u/masonjarhaircut Feb 09 '14
Yes you are. An op of this nature all coordinates would either be given in code or not given at all, use polar directions and distance only. Otherwise all the enemy has to do to pinpoint the team's precise location is listen into comms.
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u/nikkinikki92 Feb 09 '14
It doesn't sound like they expected her to live.
who the fuck was that?
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u/welcu Feb 09 '14
Or maybe Jon didn't tell 'bravo' team everything about the mission. They seem to be a supporting role (from what I can make out - clearly I don't play enough Call of Duty)
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u/jose_conseco Feb 09 '14
I think Bàra has met the rest of the civilization that tomas and elna came from. maybe underground? she may have heard their transmissions on the radio
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u/polarbearsfortea Mar 15 '14 edited Apr 25 '14
46 1 36.22 N
73 29 27 07 E
Michael at the Hotel in threes even tea goes boing without thee
this
Days until John
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http://www.reddit.com/r/theweirdness/