Project Rift

Eyes and Ears Only

Date: Classified

Location: Classified

Time: 10:30A.M.

Master Sergeant Ray Williams, U.S. Army Rangers, 450th Infantry Regiment

It was a bright sunny day on this classified Air Force airbase. There were few clouds up in the beautiful blue sky with a small breeze coming from east. Master Sergeant Ray Williams was standing outside with his fireteam by a massive air hangar waiting for...well anything since they were told by security to wait there, after they went through a heavily guarded security checkpoint by the entrance. Ray looked up at the sky enjoying this sunny day thinking...

...Why cant everyday be like this

While enjoying the moment, he was brought back down to Earth with a outburst from his squadmate Corporal Andrew Velazquez.

"HEY SARGE!"

Ray replied with a groan, "What do you want Velazquez?"

"Why do you think we were told to come hear and not say anything about it?" asked Velazquez with a goofy smile.

"I don't know," Ray answered, turning at him with a blank look. "Probably something important"

          "As long as I don't get killed, I'm in!" Velazquez said, then turning away from Ray back to his former position.

Ray turned his head to the left after his small conversation with Velazquez observing this mysteriously quiet airbase.

Geez! It's like this is place dead! There's no aircraft landing or taking off...

Suddenly, the sound of approaching helicopter blades interrupted the dead silence of the area as they came closer and closer. Ray looked up to see what type heli it would be. Three Apache attack helicopters were passing by the airbase giving a small shake to Ray and his team.The walls too were vibrating roughly, along with the two massive hangar doors as the powerful blades spun by.

I guess this place isn't so dead anymore...

The three Apache's flew over for about twelve seconds, then disappearing behind a few large hills with a small treeline on them, beyond the airbase's large chain linked fencing's, returning the 'peace and quiet' to the location; however, leaving the 'thunder' behind them.

Ray looked back at his squad to see what they were up to during this long boring wait. Velazquez was leaning against the hangar door, bobbing his head slightly up and down listening to some music through his earphones connected to his IPod. The other squad members were Sergeant Derrick Lancewood and Private John Alveraz having a conversation about something.

Ray, to start off with was white in skin color with dark brown eyes and shaved dark brown hair. He was about 5'10 in height and was all ways paired up with Lancewood if they ever had split up on a patrol during their tours of war. Ray was glad that he was paired up Lancewood rather than hearing the loud-mouthed Velazquez.

Velazquez skin color was dark and was around the same height as Ray. Velazquez had dark brown eyes and had small black hair and always wore sun glasses. There was one thing that made Velazquez...Velazquez...He was a completely annoying, yet funny. He liked to annoy his squad members and other fellow soldiers he was around and knew. Velazquez would change the sound of his voice to sound like a complete idiot or he would talk things rapidly in spanish so no one would understand him!

John Alveraz was the same skin color as Ray and was the smallest out of the squad, sporting a height of 5'8. Alvarez had blue eyes and light brown hair. John was paired up with Velazquez when they went off on patrols out on the field. John enjoyed Velazquez' 'chaos' even when it was upon himself and on other soldiers as well.

Last, but not least, was Derrick Lancewood. Derrick was the tallest out of the squad, he was around 5'12. Derrick had light brown eyes and small hair. Derrick would always get annoyed by Velazquez actions. He was a little quiet, but did speak once in a while.

Ray was starting to grow weary of this long wait they were going through. Ray was about close his eyes when he heard footsteps approaching his direction. Ray turned to the left again and saw a three star Airforce general standing before him!

"Sir!" Ray saluted with his squad following the same action.

  "Thank you gentlemen, I am General Granger...now if you would all follow me," said Granger motioning a hand to persue him.

"Yes,Sir!"

The four followed Granger to a security door. Granger put in some password on the security pad activating the door to open. Before they entered, Granger looked at them with a serious gesture.

  Granger said in a cold tone, "Eyes and Ears Only"

All four just nodded in compliance. They entered a large hallway with two security guards by the door saluting Granger. Continuing down the hallway there were a few windows on each side of the wall. Ray with a hint of curiosity looked at one of the windows while moving and saw some technicians working on some plane engine that looked liked from a F-22 Raptor. Alveraz too was also curious and saw a Global Hawk drone through the window on the right. There were some parts stripped off and wires connecting to the fuselage with a few technicians working on it.

Must be modifying it...

They eventually reached a door to the left near the end of the hallway. Granger twisted the nob and all five of them entered a medium-sized room with lighting low. All the blinds on the windows were shut and there was a large meeting table in the middle of the room with multiple chairs on each side. On one chair on the opposite end of the table was a four star Army general with two Apache attack helicopters pilots sitting on the other side of the Army general.

"Boys take a seat it! I want you all to get comfy for now," joked the Army general. "Oh, and before we start...I am General Townes".

All five of them took their seats, Alveraz and Velazquez begun taking their seats on the same side and the two helicopter pilots and Ray with Lancewood sitting on the side with the two generals.

   "The reason that your all hear is because you've been randomnely hand picked by 'Uncle Sam' to lead a operation far beyond any man, any government, and any military on this Earth," Townes proclaimed.

The squad and the two helicopter pilots raised a few eyebrows on what they've been picked for.

"Have any of you ever wanted to go to some place away from Earth through a portal?" Townes asked. All of them (Except the generals) looked at each other with puzzlement, and were trying to compute on what they just heard right now.

"Portals!? This has to be a joke! There is no way humanity can create a portal right now or even can!" Velazquez exclaimed slamming a fist lightly on the nicely polished meeting table.

  "Oh corporal...you are very wrong on what you just said right now," Townes said with an evil grin. "They very much exist among us".

On what the general just said, the sunglasses that Velazquez had were starting to crack down the middle, like if a tiny earthquake was tearing through them. Eventually, the sunglasses went their separate ways towards the carpet floor, landing on it without any sound as if they didnt leave Velazquez' nose at all. The only thing that was left on his nose were another pair of fresh sunglasses, except this time the lenses were green.

  "HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?" exclaimed one of the helicopter pilots.

Velazquez slowly made a grin turning his head to the puzzled pilot saying only one thing to him; "Magic"

The other pilot let out a small laugh, and Granger raising a eyebrow in the air, leaving Townes with a slight smile.

  Townes continued where they left off saying, "It all starts off when the government started a classified military project called 'Project Rift'"

Granger decided to enter this conversation, "Project Rift was a portal that would allow us to travel to other worlds without any spaceships or such things like that".

Granger took out a small remote control, with a press of a button it brought the projector on the ceiling came to life, letting it display multiple classified photos of Project Rift on the whiteboard.

The pilots and the team just sat there in disbelief as they saw photos of a portal that was being created. 'Rift' looked like a spiral galaxy; the arms where whitish, and was light blue in the areas near the arms, but got a dark blue color towards the center. It also looked like 'Rift' had a few small twinkling stars actually with in it.

  "If you don't believe the images here's a video to prove it."

Another click of a button and a video started to play with a scientist in front of the camera with another one holding it.

"What you doing there Steve?" asked the scientist holding the camera.

Steve let out a small laugh saying, "I'm going to feed Rift!"

Steve grabbed some small pieces of tech and parts from multiple military items from a small box. The first thing Steve grabbed was a small part from a UAV spy drone. Steve just lobbed the part towards 'Rift' and just disappeared in a small flash of light. Steve got out a magazine from am M60 LMG with rounds still loaded in then throwing it towards the portal. Steve and the scientist holding the camera just laughed as items were getting thrown towards 'Rift'.

Granger just sat there with a face palm as he saw these two morons were allowed to work on this multi-billion dollar project

The video finally ended after a few minutes of duration. Granger clicked another button turning off the projector.

  "Do you all want to meet 'Rift' now?" Townes asked again with an evil smile.

Granger said, "Follow me".

Both generals got out of their chairs and led them out of the room down the hall towards another security door on the left, except this one was being monitored with cameras and small security guard station right by it to enforce it. Ray was trying to process in his head if this is actually real and happening.

This is insane! There is no way these guys created a portal!...

Granger took out a security card this time sliding it on the security pad and inputting another code into it for proper access to open it. The door slowly opened, and all of them entered a massive room, but Ray just realized one thing of this room...it was the massive hangar he was standing by just earlier today!

Townes pointed to the right, and they all looked at what he was pointing at, the squad and the two pilots stood there with a incredulous gesture,  leaving one thing to say at what they were witnessing...

"...MY GOD"