Smiley Face

“Change is sudden. Change erases what the mind thought it knew about the world and forces adaptation and survival. Out of change, is creation and innovation. In the year 2009, change became inevitable.”

-Thomas Francis

Director of Project A

Earth was as it always had been. It rotated around the sun and turned to make day and night. It provided a thriving environment for those that inhabited it. It was a place millions of beings called home. Earth isn't what changed—the moon was. 

The moon grew dark and unstable. It began to rock off its normal orbit. One night it would be too close to Earth, and the next it would be too far away. Scientists didn't understand the phenomena, calling it "worrisome" and "unnatural." Selenography studies and research from different countries were performed for years with no true answers being found. Over time, the Earth adapted to the way the Moon moved and shifted. Waters rose and receded, and humans began to invent and reinvent their cities and towns to follow the ebb and flow of the sea. Life had evolved without a second glance. Until the moon changed again. “The Event” happened on September 14, 2011.

A massive, thin canyon formed on the surface of the lunar body. So massive that from Earth it looked like a wicked smile. With this new concern, NASA launched a shuttle holding a scavenging bot, which they so fittingly called "Smiley Face," to study the crack. That was mistake number one.

The robot had been deployed successfully, and roamed for months; taking seemingly random pictures of rocks and dirt while it made its way around the newly formed canyon. Nothing of extraordinary standards came up. Until they appeared.

At first, everyone thought it was a mishap. A glitch in the pictures. By the end of the year, it was all over websites and news channels.

Professional de-bunkers claimed it was fake, and was only made to introduce fear of the unknown. But the strange pictures didn't stop there. 

Shadows and silhouettes of tall, bulky creatures could be seen in the background of every picture the droid sent back. Scientists began to worry. They tried to keep the pictures from leaking, wanting the rest of the world to continue thinking it was fake, to keep the world adapting to the new ways of things. 

The pictures grew more horrendous. 

The creatures came closer. 

Their bodies were clearly seen in every picture. They were tall and pitch black—some with four legs, some with two and, horrendously, some with more. They wore gaping mouths and dark crimson holes where their eyes should be. The last picture that was ever taken by Smiley Face was one that led NASA to believe there really was hell. The picture was a close up of one's face, right in the camera. It's breath slightly fogging up the glass, and it's eye sockets staring into the lens. It's mouth was a gaping hole, its body skinny, with multiple limbs. The scientists could have sworn that the creature was grinning. That was the last they saw or heard of Smiley Face. Mistake number two was the decision, months later, to send astronauts up to retrieve Smiley Face.

By now the story was out that they were no longer alone. Creatures had inhabited their beloved moon. People were frantic, some calling it the "end of days," or, "the apocalypse." Citizens were glued to their television screens as the announcement to send astronauts up to the moon was released. 

Anger and outrage broke out among the nations. Riots and protests erupted around the world as governments prepared their scientists and astronauts in three major continents. China, Russia, and the United States. They were to send three ships to the moon; one to retrieve, one to research, and one to scout out the canyon. Nobody liked this. Nobody wanted this. It was surreal and fantastic and everything in between. On the day of the launch, families everywhere prayed and asked their higher powers to watch over their loved ones and return them home safely.

At 9:00 A.M., on July 11th, 2014, Project A was in place. Three ships were sent up at the same time. Up to the moon. Up to their final moments.

The news came in about a year and a half later. All nine astronauts had perished—some of them vanished altogether. No one understood what happened. The only evidence of this was a final call from the American team. It was placed at 11:30 A.M., August 4th, 2015

"They...they found us. Oh god. They took the others. P-picked us off one by one," This was followed by heavy breathing and grunts. "Please... help me."

A few moments of silence had followed this, soft crying could be heard in the background. Suddenly, a loud screeching and gurgling noise filled the recording followed by screaming, "Please! No! WHAT ARE YOU!?" A click soon after ended the recording.

That recording was mistake number three.

It was only a few weeks after the recording finally made it to NASA did "The Event" turn into "The Happening." On September 19, 2015, the crack in the moon grew larger and black mist began to spew from the opening. It began to shake and crumble. Pieces of the moon hurdled towards Earth, landing in the ocean and around various continents. In one quick day, the moon shattered. Pieces of the moon orbited the Earth. The black mist spewed down and encompassed the planet. What should have been impossible, was now reality. 

Within the mist, a heat came. All around the Earth, people began to die from the toxicity of the mist. The Earth began to change as the great waters grew unstable and rose; without the moon, the waters flooded the land. The shape of the continents drastically changed, eliminating masses of people and resources. 

Within all these changes, evolution took place. Humans and animals alike all found their kind beginning to change and evolve within the mist. Humans gained new abilities, animals evolved and began to change their appearance. It was like a dream. People gained abilities and attributes that helped them live within the mist.

But this was not all people.

The human population was depleted nearly ninety percent in just a matter of weeks. Living things perished in the black mist. 

The scientists and researchers and all carefully went underground, saving as much for their research as they possibly could. Having secretly prepared for catastrophe, they built underground bunkers that were unbeknown to the media and the general population. With the human race dying and some evolving, the scientists were at a complete loss. 

A few weeks later, the mist had subsided. The Earth had taken a heavy toll. Millions of people died, and the land was changed. 

Humans emerged from the wreckage with terror and despair. Their world was gone. For those that did not evolve, they feared sickness and starvation. It was hard to grow anything, for most of the ground was blackened from the mist. The people were forced to regroup and make their way to any land that wasn’t covered with toxic mist. With no leadership established after such a loss, the world was plunged into a post-apocalyptic era. Humans raged against each other for land and for food. 

Over the next year or so, humans regrouped and began building small towns to recoup, heal and eventually move on from this disaster. A new form of leadership was established, one that united the remaining peoples from all over the world.

In an agreement that focused solely on the betterment of humankind, the nations of the world elected that a council be formed to govern the new Earth. Their goals were quite clear; find new ways to live and reclaim the glory of the human race. This council was named Dark Earth Alliance—DEA. 

That was when the people, known as "The Changed" began to emerge.

They began to use their abilities throughout the world, rebuilding towns and cities. They helped those that got sick and were able to create viable land to grow crops. This caught the attention of the DEA. These Changed people not only lived through the mist, but evolved to live in such a harsh place. That mist was what changed them. The authorities grew more curious and finally decided it was time to bring these changed people in for some procedures.

For many years, they brought in groups of people, studying them. They were unique humans, who gave a new promise to the world.

 All the while, Earth began to go back to normal, trying to regain its dignity. Schools and businesses resumed and people tried to forget the horrendous events of the last 12 years. Scientists kept close watch on the Earth's status, every year confirming that the mist showed no sign of dissipating or leaving. Every year, something new and worse was recorded. Something dark and sinister was just on the horizon