2049-10-31

From:              Commander Ezra Stone
To:                   SOCOM

Subject:          Operation: Shadow Intruder

Event Summary:

After Ensign Quillroy, Ensign Albert, and Cadet Daart’s report of the shadow phenomenon, the entire San Nicolas Island base went on high alert for a week. Daart had warned us that we were wasting our time—that the creature only shows up in the SNI recreation room late Saturday evening, but we maintained alert status regardless. In the meantime, we prepared “Operation: Shadow Intruder,” to be executed on Saturday evening.

At 2100 on the night of October 30, we executed the operation according to plan. I prepared to lead the strike team in surrounding the intruder at its expected 22:30 arrival time. Ancillary teams led by Lieutenant El Ray, Ensign Quillroy, and Ensign Albert VII covered other base locations.

My objective was to communicate with the creature, prevent its escape, and gather intel. The ancillary teams were to aid in preventing escape, as well as cover areas the creature might appear instead of the rec room.

Cadet Daart wanted to be on the strike team with El Ray, but I ordered him to remain near the holding cells. He’s still a boy, and I wasn’t going to put him at risk. In the event there was trouble, he was to take cover in a cell. I further assigned Petty Officer 3rd Class Rick “Firearms” Brewer to protect Daart. Having observed Brewer on and off for a few months, my gut tells me he is uncomfortable around the Deltas. This is unacceptable in military operations. I need him to see that the Deltas behave like humans, despite how they look. It was my hope that putting him in charge of Daart’s safety would help him reach that realization.

My strike team braced ourselves as 22:30 arrived. The seconds ticked and ticked away, but it was quiet. There was no sign of the creature in that rec room. I began to wonder if the 22:30 time Daart gave us wasn’t exact. I wondered if perhaps the creature could detect that there was a large strike team hiding nearby. Then the call came in from Brewer.

He was whispering, and I could just make out his words. He’d spotted the creature and positioned Daart in the cell. Now, the creature was outside the cell, watching Daart.

Brewer reported that it was slowly getting closer to the cell. It appeared to be merging with the cell walls.

I ordered Officer Brewer not to engage and radioed the nearest strike team—the one led by Quillroy—to assist.

According to witness accounts taken from Ens. Quillroy’s strike team, Brewer raised his weapon to the creature. The creature must’ve taken this as a hostile act, because it quickly seized Brewer, devouring both his rifle and his left arm.

It’s my understanding that only Ens. Quillroy’s quick action in tackling Brewer and ripping him away from the creature prevented him from being completely devoured.

Ens. Quillroy reports that, having lost its hold on Brewer, the creature emitted a blinding light and moved away from the squad at an incredible speed. The creature disappeared and Brewer fell to the ground in a state of shock. His arm was gone and the wound appeared to be cauterized. Thankfully, Brewer survived.