Introduction
For most people, the art of programming is to fill desires left unaccomplished in reality.
For some, it is to pay their bills in an effort to have a home.
And for others, it may not be so heart-warming and wholesome most of the time.
It may be to sacrifice.
To reawaken.
To find.
1995, Lubbock, Texas –
Sal Perez, an ordinary man living in the hot summers of ‘The Lone Star State,’ was a Graphic Designer who strived to work with the company MIT, a programming organization responsible for the latest digital craze, “SUNKISS.” The SUNKISS disk, released in 1995, was a groundbreaking piece of software that quickly became a digital sensation due to its innovative design and captivating content. It combined vibrant, surreal graphics with interactive elements that pushed the boundaries of what was possible with digital media at the time. Users were enthralled by its immersive experience, blending art and technology in a way that was both visually stunning and intellectually stimulating. The disk’s unique ability to create an interactive, almost living digital environment set it apart from other multimedia releases of the era, making it a must-have for tech enthusiasts and casual users alike, and propelling it to iconic status in the mid-90s digital culture.
Sal Perez was just another guy from Texas, looking for a break. His job search had been dragging on for months when he stumbled upon a posting from SUNKISS Corp. The ad was flashy and promising, boasting of cutting-edge technology and unparalleled opportunities. It seemed like the perfect chance for Sal to get back on his feet, so he applied, never imagining the nightmare that awaited him.
Act I
1987, Lubbock, Texas-
Maurice Jak, the lead engineer and manager of SUNKISS Corporation, was a visionary whose life took a dark turn after a tragic car accident claimed his family. Struggling to cope with his immense grief, Jak became increasingly reclusive and obsessed with his work. He tried to forget his loss by immersing himself in creating something groundbreaking, but his efforts to find a new wife were marred by emotional breakdowns and lingering attachments to his late lover.
During this period of turmoil, Jak envisioned SUNKISS and its mascot, the CHAMELEON. This orange, anthropomorphic cat with a piece of straw between its teeth and swollen eyes streaming with a black substance became the symbol of the company. The CHAMELEON’s ability to adapt and change makes it a formidable adversary. It uses this power not only to evade capture but also to deceive and manipulate those who encounter it. The creature’s constant shifting creates an aura of unpredictability, making it impossible to know what form it will take next. This ever-changing nature is a core aspect of its identity, reflecting its desire to remain hidden and undetectable as it spreads its influence. The CHAMELEON, birthed from a collision of unknown sources, communicated with Jak through dreams and digital screens, demanding rituals and sacrifices in exchange for enlightenment and power. SUNKISS Corporation’s internal culture transformed into one centered around the worship of this malicious, digitalized disaster.
As Jak’s descent into madness deepened, he began incorporating the CHAMELEON into every aspect of the company’s projects. The entity’s presence could be felt in the eerie undertones of the software’s design and the cryptic messages hidden within the code. Employees were subtly indoctrinated into the cult’s practices, often unaware of the sinister force they were aiding.
Jak’s office became a shrine to the CHAMELEON. Dark, oppressive, and filled with bizarre artifacts, it was a place where reality seemed to blur. The walls were adorned with strange symbols and sketches of the CHAMELEON, each more disturbing than the last. Jak spent countless hours in this room, his mind tethered to the entity through their unholy connection. He believed that through these sacrifices and rituals, he could transcend human limitations and achieve a higher state of being, guided by the CHAMELEON’s dark wisdom.
Act II
1996, Lubbock, Texas- Sal Perez initially saw SUNKISS as a beacon of innovation. However, as time passed, he began to notice strange happenings within the corporation. Employees whispered about the CHAMELEON, describing it as more than just a mascot. Sal, known for his inquisitive nature and dedication to uncovering the truth, started digging deeper into these rumors.
Sal’s office was a microcosm of the larger company’s dark culture. He shared the space with “JANE DOE” ( an unnamed woman ), a talented but quiet programmer, and Kyle Piker, an enthusiastic and naive new recruit. Jane’s eyes always seemed to carry a shadow of fear, and Sal often caught her glancing nervously at the security cameras that dotted the ceilings.
Jane and Sal had become close friends over their shared late-night coding sessions. Jane had once confided in Sal about the strange practices at SUNKISS, mentioning rituals and whispered prayers to the CHAMELEON. Sal had brushed it off as office gossip, but Jane’s sudden and unexplained absences began to unsettle him.
One evening, Sal stayed late, working on a particularly troublesome piece of code. He noticed Jane’s empty desk and felt a pang of worry. She had been increasingly withdrawn, her usually meticulous work now marred by errors. The next morning, Sal was greeted by the horrifying news that Jane had been found dead in her apartment. Rumors spread quickly – she had refused to sacrifice her child to the CHAMELEON, and the entity had exacted its revenge.
The atmosphere in the office grew tenser. Sal noticed changes in Kyle, who had always been cheerful and eager to learn. Kyle’s bright eyes dulled, and he began to show signs of stress and fear. Sal tried to reach out to him, but Kyle brushed off his concerns, insisting that everything was fine.
Act III
Sal continued to dig deeper into the dark underbelly of SUNKISS. He spent long hours poring over company records, hidden files, and obscure notes left behind by previous employees. The more he uncovered, the more horrified he became. The CHAMELEON was not just a company mascot but a malevolent force demanding sacrifices and performing dark rituals to maintain its power.
Sal’s fear grew as he discovered the fates of other employees who had tried to resist. One such case was Kyle Piker, who had unknowingly been pulled deeper into the cult’s clutches. Kyle’s innocence and naivety made him an easy target for the cult members, who manipulated him into participating in their sinister activities.
One night, Sal overheard a conversation between two higher-ups discussing a “new recruit” who was resisting the rituals. Realizing they were talking about Kyle, Sal knew he had to act quickly. He tried to warn Kyle, urging him to leave the company before it was too late. But Kyle, terrified and confused, didn’t know who to trust.
Sal decided to escape, hoping to find help and expose the truth about SUNKISS. He managed to slip out of the building under the cover of darkness, narrowly avoiding detection. However, his departure sealed Kyle’s fate. The cult members, enraged by Sal’s escape, took out their wrath on Kyle.
Kyle was captured, tortured, and ultimately sacrificed to the CHAMELEON. His screams echoed through the empty halls of the SUNKISS headquarters, a chilling reminder of the cult’s power and ruthlessness. Sal, now on the run, was haunted by guilt and the fear that he might be the next target.
Act IV
In May 1997, SUNKISS Corporation released a highly anticipated new product: SUNKISSER II. This program and game combined took the immersive experience of the original SUNKISS to new heights. It featured advanced graphics, interactive elements, and an even deeper connection to the CHAMELEON. SUNKISSER II captivated users with its surreal environments and intricate gameplay, but behind its allure lay a dark purpose.
The release of SUNKISSER II marked a significant escalation in the CHAMELEON’s influence. The program was designed to further entwine users’ minds with the entity, drawing them deeper into its malevolent grasp. As players engaged with the game, they unknowingly participated in rituals that strengthened the CHAMELEON’s power.
Sal, now in hiding, continued his efforts to expose the truth. He reached out to journalists, law enforcement, and anyone who would listen, but his claims were often dismissed as the ramblings of a disgruntled employee. Desperate, he turned to online forums and underground communities, hoping to find others who had experienced the horrors of SUNKISS.
As more people fell under the CHAMELEON’s spell through SUNKISSER II, the entity’s power grew. Reports of strange occurrences and disappearances linked to the game began to surface, but they were often dismissed as urban legends or conspiracy theories. The CHAMELEON’s influence extended beyond the digital realm, seeping into the lives of those who dared to engage with its dark energy.
Sal’s relentless pursuit of the truth finally led him to a small group of former SUNKISS employees who had survived the cult’s terror. Together, they began to piece together the full extent of the CHAMELEON’s reach and the horrific rituals that sustained its power. They devised a plan to infiltrate the SUNKISS headquarters and gather concrete evidence to expose the cult once and for all.
Act V
The SUNKISS headquarters, a place that once bustled with innovation and creativity, had become a house of horrors by the time Sal Perez made his harrowing escape. The night John Mitchell lost his job marked a turning point for the corporation, plunging it into chaos and violence.
John Mitchell was a programmer at SUNKISS, known for his dedication and hard work. He was in his mid-thirties, standing at about 6 feet tall with a lean build. His dark hair was always slightly disheveled, and he wore glasses that gave him a bookish, unassuming appearance. His attire typically consisted of a simple shirt and jeans, making him blend in with the rest of the tech-savvy workforce. However, behind this ordinary facade lurked a man on the brink of madness.
Mitchell’s descent into madness began when he discovered the true nature of the SUNKISS project and the cult’s sinister rituals. He was unable to reconcile the horrors he uncovered with his own sense of morality. His paranoia grew, and he became increasingly erratic, often ranting about the CHAMELEON and the need to stop it at all costs. His colleagues dismissed his warnings as the ravings of a man under too much stress.
The night Mitchell lost his job, his breaking point was reached. It was June 1997, and the oppressive heat of the Texas summer seemed to mirror the rising tension within the SUNKISS facility. Mitchell was called into Maurice Jak’s office, where he was confronted about his increasingly disruptive behavior. Jak, a once visionary engineer now completely under the CHAMELEON’s thrall, saw Mitchell as a threat to the cult’s plans.
Jak had given Mitchell an ultimatum: fall in line with the cult’s rituals or face immediate termination. Mitchell’s response was defiant and desperate. He could no longer stand by and watch innocent people fall victim to the CHAMELEON. In a fit of rage, he lashed out at Jak, shouting accusations and threats. Jak, now viewing Mitchell as a dangerous liability, fired him on the spot.
As Mitchell left Jak’s office, something snapped. Driven by a mix of fear, anger, and a twisted sense of duty, he returned to his workstation and retrieved a concealed firearm. He began his rampage through the SUNKISS facility, targeting those he believed were complicit in the cult’s activities. Mitchell’s eyes were wild, and his movements were frantic as he hunted down his colleagues.
That night, Mitchell killed seven people. The scenes were gruesome, with blood splattered across the sterile, modern office environment. Each death was marked by a desperate intensity, as if Mitchell believed that by eliminating these individuals, he could somehow stop the CHAMELEON’s influence. The massacre sent shockwaves through the remaining staff, who fled in terror or hid in any available crevice.
In the chaos, Maurice Jak attempted to confront Mitchell, hoping to end the carnage. Jak, though not physically imposing, was determined to protect the cult’s secrets at all costs. As he cornered Mitchell in one of the darkened hallways, a violent struggle ensued. Mitchell, driven by sheer determination and fury, fought with a ferocity that bordered on the superhuman.
During the struggle, Jak grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and, with a desperate swing, lodged it into Mitchell’s forehead. The impact was brutal, cracking Mitchell’s skull and exposing part of his brain. Blood poured from the wound, but Mitchell, fueled by a twisted blend of rage and resolve, refused to die. His eyes, now filled with a mix of pain and unyielding determination, bore into Jak’s.
Mitchell’s ability to remain conscious and mobile despite his catastrophic injury was nothing short of horrifying. He continued to move, his body operating on a primal level, driven by a single-minded focus to destroy the cult. Jak, momentarily stunned by Mitchell’s resilience, realized that he was facing something far more terrifying than a mere man.
Mitchell’s rampage continued for a short while longer before he finally succumbed to his injuries. His death left a haunting silence in the SUNKISS facility, the echoes of violence lingering in the air. The massacre not only decimated the workforce but also left an indelible mark on the survivors, who were now fully aware of the darkness that had taken hold of their once-innovative company.
Jak, now grappling with the reality of what SUNKISS had become, was forced to cover up the events of that night. The true extent of the massacre and the reasons behind it were buried, hidden behind layers of corporate obfuscation and misinformation. The survivors, traumatized and fearful, were either silenced or disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
The night John Mitchell lost his job became a grim legend, a cautionary tale whispered among those who knew the truth about SUNKISS. It marked the beginning of the end for the corporation, as the events set in motion a chain of horrors that would culminate in the eventual downfall of the company and the unmasking of the CHAMELEON’s sinister influence.
Act VI
Years had passed since the downfall of SUNKISS, however..
A new figure arrived at the scenes of the 10-year-old-crime.
Amid the eerie silence of the abandoned SUNKISS facility, Jack Goodman, a seasoned private investigator, had been hired by the families of the missing employees to uncover the truth about the corporation. In his early fifties, Goodman was a man of average height with a sturdy build, grey hair, and a pair of sharp, hazel eyes that missed nothing. He was known for his methodical approach and unwavering determination to solve even the most perplexing cases.
Goodman arrived at the SUNKISS headquarters in the fall of 2007, his curiosity piqued by the strange and terrifying stories surrounding the company. As he walked through the desolate halls, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The flickering computer screens cast ghostly shadows on the walls, and the silence was punctuated only by the occasional mechanical hum.
Goodman’s investigation began with the records left behind by Maurice Jak. He meticulously combed through files, video logs, and remnants of unfinished projects, trying to piece together the company’s dark history. The more he delved into the data, the clearer it became that the CHAMELEON was not just a company mascot but a malevolent force that had taken control of Jak and his employees.
Goodman discovered detailed notes and sketches by Jak, chronicling his descent into madness. These documents revealed Jak’s obsession with the CHAMELEON and the horrifying rituals he had imposed on his staff. Goodman also found Mitchell’s personal journal, which painted a picture of a man driven to desperation by the cult’s sinister influence. The journal detailed Mitchell’s growing paranoia and his ultimate decision to take violent action in an attempt to destroy the entity’s hold over SUNKISS.
As Goodman continued his investigation, he began to experience strange phenomena. Shadows seemed to move of their own accord, and distorted whispers echoed through the empty rooms. One night, while reviewing footage in the surveillance room, he noticed something chilling: the CHAMELEON’s grotesque form appearing on multiple screens simultaneously, its black-streaked eyes seemingly fixed on him.
Driven by a mix of fear and determination, Goodman decided to explore the lower levels of the facility, where the core servers and Jak’s private lab were located. The deeper he went, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. The air was thick with an unsettling energy, and the faint glow of computer screens barely cut through the darkness.
In Jak’s private lab, Goodman found the epicenter of the CHAMELEON’s power. The room was filled with advanced technology, strange artifacts, and symbols of the cult’s rituals. At the center of the room stood a massive, ominous server tower, pulsating with an unnatural light. Goodman realized that this machine was the CHAMELEON’s gateway, the conduit through which it exerted its influence.
Goodman discovered a vibrant computer screen, blaring text from the Notepad. It detailed the CHAMELEON’s intentions: to breach the digital realm and manifest in reality, using the sacrifices to fuel its power. The text was filled with dark prophecies and rituals, highlighting the CHAMELEON’s goal to find a way into the real world and rule.
Act VII
Determined to stop the CHAMELEON, Goodman devised a plan to shut down the server and sever its connection to the digital realm. He knew this would be dangerous and could possibly end his life, but the thought of the entity manifesting in reality was too horrifying to ignore.
Goodman carefully navigated the labyrinthine halls of the facility, gathering the tools he needed to dismantle the server. His every step was shadowed by a growing sense of dread, the oppressive atmosphere weighing heavily on his mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the CHAMELEON was aware of his presence, watching and waiting.
As he approached the server room, Goodman was confronted by visions of the past. The faces of those who had fallen victim to the CHAMELEON appeared before him, their eyes pleading for release. He steeled himself, knowing that he was their last hope for peace.
Goodman entered the server room and was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the machinery before him. The server tower loomed ominously, its pulsating light casting eerie shadows on the walls. He set to work, his hands trembling as he began to dismantle the intricate network of cables and circuits.
As he worked, the CHAMELEON’s presence grew stronger. The room seemed to pulse with a life of its own, the walls closing in around him. Goodman’s mind was assaulted by a barrage of dark whispers and twisted visions, but he pressed on, determined to see his task through to the end.
Finally, with one last effort, Goodman severed the main power supply to the server. The room was plunged into darkness, the oppressive energy dissipating almost instantly. Goodman collapsed to the floor, exhausted but triumphant. He had succeeded in severing the CHAMELEON’s connection to the digital realm, but he knew that his work was not yet done.
Act VIII
Goodman emerged from the depths of the SUNKISS facility, battered but victorious. He knew that the CHAMELEON’s power had been significantly weakened, but the entity was not yet fully defeated. He resolved to gather the remaining survivors and form a plan to ensure the CHAMELEON could never return.
With the help of the former SUNKISS employees, Goodman began to piece together the final steps needed to destroy the entity once and for all. They discovered that the CHAMELEON’s power was tied to a series of hidden artifacts scattered throughout the facility, each one imbued with dark energy.
Together, they embarked on a dangerous quest to locate and destroy these artifacts, braving the lingering remnants of the CHAMELEON’s influence. The journey was fraught with peril, but their determination never wavered. They knew that the fate of countless lives depended on their success.
As they destroyed each artifact, the CHAMELEON’s power waned. The once-oppressive atmosphere of the SUNKISS facility began to lift, replaced by a sense of hope and renewal. The survivors felt a growing sense of liberation, their spirits buoyed by the knowledge that they were finally free from the entity’s grasp.
In a final, climactic battle, Goodman and the survivors confronted the CHAMELEON in its weakened form. The entity fought back with all its remaining strength, but it was no match for their combined resolve. With one last, desperate effort, they banished the CHAMELEON from the digital realm, ensuring that it could never return.
The survivors emerged from the ordeal forever changed, their lives intertwined by the harrowing experiences they had endured. They vowed to ensure that the truth about SUNKISS and the CHAMELEON would never be forgotten, dedicating themselves to preventing such horrors from ever occurring again.
Epilogue
The SUNKISS headquarters was eventually demolished, the site cleansed of its dark past. The survivors went on to lead lives marked by a deep sense of purpose and resilience, their bond unbreakable.
Sal Perez, forever haunted by the loss of his friends, became an advocate for victims of cults and corporate corruption. His efforts helped bring about greater awareness and protections for employees in the tech industry.
Jack Goodman, having fulfilled his mission, retired from his career as a private investigator. He found peace in the knowledge that he had helped bring an end to the CHAMELEON’s reign of terror.
The story of SUNKISS and the CHAMELEON became a cautionary tale, a reminder of the dangers that lurk in the shadows of innovation and ambition. It stood as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of truth and justice.