Chapter 69: The Past of Earth in Universe 03

The film adaptation of *Doom* adopted some elements from the game *Doom 3*. It had no connection to the 2016 reboot of *Doom*, nor did it feature the iconic "Doom Slayer."

As the film neared its conclusion, apart from contributing nearly five minutes of first-person shooter perspective to cinematic history and the action scenes between Dwayne Johnson and Karl Urban playing opposing roles, it lacked the exhilarating and intense violent scenes that fans might have expected.

The overall pace and atmosphere leaned more towards sci-fi horror.

In the movie, set in 2026, a human archaeological team unexpectedly discovered a "teleportation device" in the Nevada desert, located north of Los Angeles, that could transport people to Mars.

As a series of scientific research activities unfolded, it was confirmed that the device enabled rapid travel between two points, and it was named the "Ark."

At the same time, the archaeological team discovered an ancient city on Mars, along with numerous "human" skeletons.

The discovery of the Ark led to the formation of a new organization, the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC). UAC's predecessor was a conglomerate of large military-industrial complexes, which had also funded the archaeological team. Through various maneuvers, UAC successfully secured the rights to use the Ark and conduct scientific exploration and mining on Mars.

By 2040, UAC had built a research center on Mars called "Olduval," aimed at conducting advanced weapons tests, mining, and studying the "human" remains excavated from the ancient city, focusing on anthropology, archaeology, and genetics.

Initial tests showed that the DNA of the Martian remains was remarkably similar to that of humans, or in fact, identical, except for one key difference: the Martian corpses had 24 pairs of chromosomes.

Chromosomes are the primary carriers of genetic material, located within the cell nucleus, and humans typically have 23 pairs of chromosomes, including 44 autosomes and 2 sex chromosomes.

After years of research, UAC's genetic team discovered that the extra pair of chromosomes granted the Martians incredible strength, reflexes, and healing abilities, allowing them to overcome nearly all diseases.

This additional pair of chromosomes was not naturally occurring; it was created through genetic engineering, a "serum."

In 2046, UAC's genetic engineering team successfully extracted the 24th pair of chromosomes and began injecting it into death row inmates for testing.

However, due to inadequate containment facilities and a lack of armed personnel, the inmates, who gained superhuman strength and underwent severe bodily mutations, escaped, leading to the lockdown of the Olduval research center.

In response, UAC urgently requested military assistance. Dwayne Johnson's character, a Marine sergeant, led a rapid response team to Mars via the Ark, tasked with the mission to "neutralize threats by any means necessary, protect, and retrieve UAC property."

Subsequently, the Marines, misled by UAC personnel and lacking crucial intel, were ambushed one by one, either killed or infected and assimilated.

In the end, only two remained: the sergeant, who was assimilated, and the Marine known as "Reaper," who had injected the 24th chromosome but did not mutate.

Recalling this, Samuel Young carefully observed the images on the screen, particularly those of the large, nearly three-meter-tall mutated creatures...

They indeed resembled the Hell Knights from the movie version.

Although the film didn't explicitly depict supernatural elements like hell or demons, the dialogue was filled with metaphors, such as "inner demons" and "pure evil."

The mutated creatures seemed to select their victims.

In the film, the UAC researcher, who was also Reaper's sister, tested the mutated tissue (a tongue) on the brain fluid of two deceased Marines to see if it would react.

The tissue reacted violently to the brain fluid of the Marine known as "Goat," who was a drug addict, but had no response to the brain fluid of "Destroyer," a Marine known for his strong will and few words.

This, combined with the metaphors, suggested that the mutated creatures would filter victims based on their brainwaves or even their souls, infecting and assimilating only certain individuals.

However, there were also those who, once forcibly assimilated and aware of their mutation, chose to end their own lives, like the Marine known as "The Priest" in the movie.

Those who did not meet the criteria for infection were either killed outright or...

"Kept alive."

Based on the intelligence gathered from the captured soldiers, Samuel Young pieced together the critical timeline of Universe 03 on the holographic screen:

**May 24, 2046:** UAC, the world's largest military-industrial complex, began offering low-cost health insurance across the United States and globally, actively cooperating with various nations.

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**January 12, 2047:** UAC began screening large numbers of U.S. military personnel under the guise of assisting the military with physical and fitness tests.

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**January 19:** UAC administered so-called "vaccines" to these military personnel, claiming it was to prevent avian flu.

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**February 17:** The soldiers referred to this day as "Judgment Day."

On that day, the United States, along with many other countries, launched a sudden, disproportionate military purge within their armed forces.

The human soldiers captured by Atlas were former U.S. Marines. Their commanding officer, Colonel Frank Hammer, had anticipated that something was wrong within the government and military leadership and led his troops to defect before "Judgment Day," narrowly escaping the purge.

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**May 10:** After a period of global chaos, there were no longer any nations or governments on Earth in Universe 03.

Everything was under UAC's control.

Cities and towns fell into unprecedented chaos. The former military and government forces had become "The Fallen," indiscriminately slaughtering civilians.

There was no reason or purpose—only a perverse love for blood and the thrill of killing. The Marines referred to those twisted in body and mind as "The Fallen."

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**June 6:** The Marines, along with civilians, police officers, and firefighters who had fled the cities, took refuge in a forest about 80 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. They used abandoned mines and air-raid shelters to establish a survivor camp.

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**2047 to 2050:** The survivor camp grew from an initial population of over 2,000 to nearly 10,000.

During these years, the Marines continued their reconnaissance missions and discovered that The Fallen would pile countless corpses together to create mounds that emitted blood mists.

The ecosystem underwent drastic changes, becoming increasingly dry and hot. Even during the day, the sky was often shrouded in a blood-colored haze, while the nights were marked by sharp drops in temperature.

In addition to these findings, the Marines tasked with long-range reconnaissance brought back even more shocking news.

UAC had constructed a massive city in the desert where the Ark was located, continuously sending captured normal humans into the city to be "kept alive."

Although the Marines had not successfully infiltrated the city, it wasn't difficult for them to deduce UAC's purpose in building the mega-city: to provide The Fallen with a continuous source of pleasure and slaughter.

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