First and foremost, I would like to thank any and all who come and read this. It is my first posting on FFN.

A quick word for all the purists out there: I know that this is a departure from the way everything is told in the Doom series, especially in respect to the locations, and certain design concepts. I love all of the Doom games, and I have decided to take some liberties, specifically taking everything I liked from all the games and throwing them in a mix while removing the elements with which I didn't agree. I'm done rambling now, so enjoy and don't be afraid to criticize the work. (Just keep it constructive)

1.

All throughout the installation, silence. There were no noises to indicate what once was here on Phobos. Bodies littered the floors of every sector, both human and alien. It had been a bloodbath ever since the invasion started. UAC scientists, marines, and of course, the demonic invaders - their corpses lay dormant in the halls and corridors of this once bustling research facility.

Phobos Lab had been home to the UAC's top scientific breakthroughs. On the moons of Mars and the planet itself, they had none of the moral restrictions of Earth's laws. Weapons testing, teleportation of living creatures, and even human experiments were commonplace. So, it was of no surprise that in one particular corner of the labs, I awakened groggily inside a tube. As my eyes opened, the stasis fluid drained below my feet. I was lowered with it and brought to rest in a mock-fetal position. I blinked slowly, my vision blurred, and beyond the glass I could see carnage. Scientists, maintenance personnel - laying on the floor in their vital fluids. Equipment damaged beyond repair. It had quickly become apparent that the fact that I still lived was a miracle. Even more miraculous, the stasis chamber's automated systems still functioned, as the tub raised and allowed me to sit up and step down to the floor, hesitantly.

One of the workers lay slumped over an instrument panel just beside the stasis chambers. His lab coat was in tatters and stained with blood, weeks old. the stench of death and decay assaulted my olfactory sense, and I will begrudgingly admit, I got sick. Normally, it would be my job to clean such a mess, but given the current state of my surroundings, I saw little need. Memories flooded back to my mind as I stood straight for the first time in how long? That was one thing I could not perceive. How long had I been in that tube?

My name? It came back to me slowly - J - Jim... Brooks. Custodian at Phobos Labs. My job... if you have to ask, then maybe you should be considering reading a dictionary. I, along with four others, was charged with the ever so daunting task of keeping the Labs clean and tidy. The pay was... well, it was pay, though not nearly enough to be able to afford a funeral.

I remembered a call coming from Earth. My brother had contacted me and was in tears. The video feed showed him in the hospital, our mother just behind him. She'd passed away peacefully in her sleep. The question of how we would afford the costs of burying her pervaded, and as always I reassured him that I would think of something. So, as any loving son would do in my situation, I found the best opportunity to make some extra credits. There were posters all over the facility about volunteering for research at the labs, as well as many other side jobs. Some even offered to help the janitorial crew. Since I was already doing that, it was blatantly obvious they probably weren't going to give me more hours behind a floor buffer. So volunteer for the research program, I did.

Myself and three others from different departments around Phobos base arrived. One of them - Phillip, I think his was his name - was, silently saying a prayer. Something about not being placed into a teleporter. I didn't pay him much mind. I assumed we were going to go planet side to collect rock samples from the site where they'd found the Gates. I'd seen them - rather, pictures of them. No one without clearance was allowed anywhere near the Gates. I highly doubted we'd be going there, and for once my gut-feeling was correct. The four of us had been ushered by Security and a couple of coats to the newest wing of the labs. We stood anxiously outside a door with a sign over it that read "Genetics Department" as one of the coats produced a key card. The door sprang up as the blue card was swiped and inside were marvels I'd only heard about in comic books. We were instructed to keep our mouths shut about this wing and we weren't allowed to ask questions. I was alright with that - I didn't get along with a lot of the Lab workers. They were rude to those of us in the janitorial department - worse than they were with the maintenance guys. I suppose from their point of view, we were just rejects - too poor to afford college educations or something like that. I was an exception. I'd gone to college and graduated at the top of my class, though my focus was in entertainment software development. Little did I know, the competition to get a job with a studio was fierce. I decided to just find any job and the UAC was happy to pick up my application, put it on the floor, dance around it a few times and then say, "HE'S A JANITOR!" Could've been worse, I suppose. Hell, I could be in the military. I could be...

The present came roaring back to me. I'd meandered to the door and begun to peer out of the window. I saw more of the same out there - death. There was a marine propped against the wall opposite the door. His innards had been strewn up and down the hallway, and an eternal scream was frozen on his face. I could be that guy... I turned away, feeling nauseous again but I didn't get sick this time. I hadn't eaten anything in over a month. I felt heavier than before I volunteered for the experiment. Felt like my equilibrium, or maybe something else was out of whack. I knew one thing; if it hadn't been for the weeks without food, the sights in my immediate area would have completely killed my appetite. My stomach roared up my esophagus and reminded me that it needed sustenance.

I walked slowly between the counters and desktops in the genetics room until I found one of those blue keycards lying next to one of the dead coats. I bent down to pick it up and immediately caught something different. My hand... I looked it over, then the other, and further up my forearms. I gave myself a thorough inspection and noticed the change. I'd gotten bigger. Much bigger. My skin had sort of a red tint to it. I touched my neck and face, and much to my surprise I had really filled out. It was like I'd been going to the gym every day for the past few months!

Suddenly, the rest of my senses came back to me, full-bore and pain wracked my body. I felt hot and I began to sweat. My eyes burned and for a moment all I could see was red. Voices rang through my head. Too many at once to be able to make sense of anything. The words spoken soon turned to deafening screams. I wanted nothing more than to destroy everything, so I did. I reached out to the nearest counter and pulled my seething body off its knees. The countertop crumbled in my grasp as I stood, and I swung my left arm down, bellowing like a madman and crashed a clenched fist right through the thick, smooth surface as if it were cardboard. In my mind, horror erupted. I could actually watch myself behaving this way but could do nothing to stop it. My rampage continued, and by the time I was done I'd demolished everything in a ten foot radius. Slowly, the rage subsided and all I had left were legs that could barely support my weight, and arms that hung heavily at my sides. I have to get out of here.

That's one chapter down. I know, it's starting off a bit slow but bear with me. It will get better. Thoughts, comments, and criticism are all welcome. I only ask that you keep the criticism constructive. Thanks again for reading.