I was sitting in dad's car as we were driving to the airport, feeling less than happy at what dad had decided to call an "Adventure of a lifetime" but all we were doing was going to Antarctica so that dad would conduct research for a few months with nothing but strangers to keep us company during that time.

"I see that look...come on, Seth, I know you're not happy but please try and look like you're excited to travel the world," Dad reasoned and I shot him a scowl as I crossed my arms and huffed.

"You're dragging me on this trip and I'm going to be who knows how many miles from home and unable to talk to my friends...yeah, really exciting," I grumbled sarcastically and dad frowned.

"Seth, you're seventeen so there's no need to pout and act like a five-year-old. I took you with me on this trip because I want to spend more time with you and get you away from your computer so that you could socialize more," Dad stated with a sigh as we drove off the highway and was arriving at the airport.

"Dad, we're going to be staying in a research base out in the middle of nowhere with strangers I don't even know so you know I'm not comfortable around new people," I admitted uneasily and dad looked at me with a sympathetic expression.

"I know, son, but it'll only be for a few months so just bear with it and let me know if you're feeling overwhelmed so that I can help you adjust," Dad reassured and I reluctantly nodded in agreement as we pulled up to the gate and dad showed his clearance to the security officer manning the gate, then the woman opened the gate and we drove to the hanger where our plane was waiting for us.

Once we pulled up to the hanger, we got out and took our bags before heading to the hanger and entering it to see someone waiting for us.

"Dr. Mercer, it's good to see you," the man greeted as he and my dad shook their hands.

"Henry, I'm glad you're here to see us off," Dad said with a pleasant smile as Henry looked at me.

"And this must be your son, Seth. Nice to meet you, Seth, I'm Henry Richards and I'm an old friend of your father," Henry introduced as he held out a hand and I timidly reached out to shake it while barely keeping eye contact with him.

"N-Nice to meet you...sir," I mumbled and Henry chuckled good-naturedly.

"It's okay, you don't have to be shy with me and call me Henry since everyone calls me that," Henry assured while I hesitantly looked up at him.

"Okay...Henry," I said quietly and dad rested a hand on my shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Son, why don't you put the bags in the plane while I chat with Henry," Dad offered since he most likely knew that I was uncomfortable, then I nodded as I took the bags filled with winter clothing and other supplies before I went into the plane and loaded the bags into a large metal container while my dad was talking to Henry.

Once I was finished, I closed the lid of the container and made sure it was secure just as dad entered the plane and he shut the door.

"How's our bags?" Dad inquired and I gave him a thumbs-up, causing him to nod while he sat down in one of the pilot seats and I followed suit as we buckled ourselves in and dad put on a headset before passing one to me and I put it on.

Dad contacted the control tower for clearance and was given the go-ahead until dad started up the plane and we slowly inched out of the hanger, the sound of the single propeller roaring as we headed onto the runway and gained speed in preparation for takeoff. When we pick up enough speed, dad pulled back the joystick and I felt a sinking sensation in my stomach as we lifted into the air and I closed my eyes as I took a few deep breaths to remain calm.

Once the sinking feeling went away, I opened my eyes and saw that we were high up in the sky and I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding in, just as dad looked at me and patted my shoulder.

"Hey, you alright?" Dad asked in concern and I sent him a shaky smile.

"Yeah, I'm just nervous is all," I told him and dad focused on piloting the plane.

"Don't worry, I'm right here so take a deep breath and you'll be just fine," Dad reassured and I sighed while I looked out the window to see that we were leaving the city of Miami and traveling south across the ocean to Antarctica so I sat back and took a little nap until then.

After a while, I had woken up and checked my smartphone for the time when I saw that a few hours have passed by and I noticed that the sun had gone down while we were passing through a light snowstorm and I yawned as I stretched to get rid of the crick in my neck, getting my dad's attention as I looked out the window and saw that we were flying over a snowy wasteland.

"Good evening, sleeping beauty. How was your nap?" Dad asked and I shrugged.

"Eh, not exactly comfortable but it's better than nothing. Are we close?" I inquired and dad shook his head.

"Almost, just have one more mile to go until we arrive at the research facility," Dad informed me as I looked out the window to see that the storm was picking up and I knew that it'll get dangerous if we don't arrive soon.

I took out my earphones and plugged them into my phone before listening to my music to pass the time, then everything vibrated and shook slightly which cause me to let out a slight gasp as I took out my earphones and looked at my dad.

"Dad, what the hell was that?" I asked nervously.

"It's alright, Seth, just a slight turbulence so we'll be fine," Dad reassured as I let out a shaky sigh.

"Okay...if you say so," I said anxiously as I checked my seatbelt to make sure it was secure and noticed that the storm had turned into a blizzard that was raging outside.

Suddenly, the plane jerked violently and I snapped forward but the seatbelt prevented me from smashing my head against the console, then I looked at my dad to see him appearing alarmed as he was fiddling with the panel.

"Dad?!" I yelped in a complete panic as the console started beeping like crazy.

"Don't worry, son, we're going to be okay," Dad assured but the tone in his voice didn't fill me with confidence and the front of the plane tilted until we were starting to drop out of the sky, which filled me with terror.

"Dad, we're going to crash!" I exclaimed in alarm and dad swore under his breath as he reached for the radio and tried to contact anyone that was in the area.

As we were falling from the sky, I gripped my straps and let out quick frequent breaths of pure terror as dad issued a mayday but no one responded and dad tried to angle the plane so that we could make an emergency landing.

"Oh God...the controls are not responding! Seth, brace yourself!" Dad yelled as we braced for impact and screamed as the plane got closer to the ground, then everything went black when we hit the ground.

Unknown to my dad and me, something ancient and horrible beyond our darkest nightmares was out there hybernating in the snowy wasteland, then the plane crashed into the ground and broke apart which caused the unknown creature to stir and awaken after sleeping for so many years since escaping that nearby human settlement in self-preservation and to prevent itself from being destroyed by the humans with their weapons that unleashed fire.

The creature became more active and started to thaw out once it moved around enough and it dug its way out of the icy ground, taking in the fresh air after being frozen for so long but what caught its interest was that someone had arrived in this cold landscape by plane, judging by the knowledge of Earth's technology it acquired from assimilating its prey and the plane appeared to have crashed due to the heavy storm but the creature could care less since more prey had arrived and it was only a matter of time until they became a part of it so that the Thing could spread and survive.

The Thing examined itself and saw that its current form was too frightening for its new prey, so it would take the form of the four-legged Earth creature to fool its new prey as it had done to the previous humans in that small settlement so many years ago. The creature lowered itself to the ground and its form made horrific snapping and crunching noises as blood and gore pooled underneath it, its form altering in a most disturbing fashion as fur grew in, its body changing into a canine shape and pretty soon, an Alaskan Malamute was standing in the monster's place as it sniffed the air to try and catch the scent of its prey.

The shapeshifting alien creature caught the faint scent of smoke and burning gasoline nearby and its cold calculated mind formulated a strategy as it started taking off into the night, eager to locate its prey and show them what it's like to be a part of it while continuing its original plan to spread across the planet now that the irritating humans known as Kate, Blake, and MacReady were long gone and quite possibly died not too long ago.

Pain, that was the first thing I felt when I was regaining consciousness and I groaned as I opened my eyes to see that I was laying on my back and freezing from the heavy snowstorm that continued to rage on. I carefully sat up and hissed in pain when my ribs protested from my current decision, clutching my side as I struggled to stand up and started rubbing my arms to try and warm myself up from the freezing cold.

I looked around and saw the plane, feeling stunned to see it in half with the wings completely gone and wondered how the hell I survived that when I should've died. At that moment, I remembered that my dad was in the plane when it crashed and panic rose up at the thought of my dad being seriously hurt or worse as I stumbled to the plane and froze up when I saw my dad. My dad was still in the pilot seat but he was slumped against the console and the sight of him not even moving made me move fast, ignoring my ribs flaring up at the sudden movement as I entered the upper half of the plane and reached my father.

I tried to talk to him, but the pain flared up and I was resorted to simply grabbing his shoulder and shaking him, only there was no reaction and I pulled him back until I saw the horrifying sight of his abdomen impaled by a very large piece of shrapnel and blood covered his part of the console.

"Dad?" I wheezed as I stared at my father's blank gaze and tears started welling up at seeing that my father was dead.

I felt like breaking down while tears ran down my cheeks and anguish-filled sobs escaped my mouth, but I knew that I had to dress up in my winter clothes and look for help or I would join my father by freezing to death and we had taken a limited supply of food and water so that would run out soon if I didn't man up and kept going to find help.

"I'm so fucking sorry, dad...I love you," I whimpered while I was weeping and sniffled as I turned away and headed to the bottom half of the plane where the supplies were secured.

I wiped my eyes as I entered the bottom half of the plane and saw the container still secured by the straps that were bolted to the floor, then I stumbled to the container and opened it to get my bag and dad's as I opened mine and pulled out a heavy parka with gloves and a sweater along with a scarf and winter pants while also taking out insulated socks and boots. I put on the winter clothing while my ribs and other injuries stung from the excess movement and flipped the hood over my head after I placed goggles over my eyes to protect them from the storm.

I gathered the food and water supplies, along with firewood, a flashlight, and a compass while also taking a survival knife and a map of Antarctica just in case as I packed them in my backpack and put it on. I adjusted the straps of my backpack and left the bottom half of the plane before taking out my compass and my map and looking through it to find the correct route.

'Shit, thank God for my time in the Scouts or I'll have no idea what the fuck I'm doing right now,' I thought as I put away my map and used my compass to guide me as I started walking in the direction of where the research facility was at, hoping that I'll make it in time but I'll have to set up camp during my trek across the snowy tundra or I'll die out here where nobody would find me.

The creature had been following the scent of smoke and burning gasoline for a short time and ignored the cold since it was long used to it, not to mention that the thought of more prey to assimilate made it more eager to find the human or humans so that it could spread even further and finally escape this icy landscape. As it moved through the heavy snowstorm, the creature spotted a flickering light in the distance and pushed itself even harder as its powerful canine muscles rippled and flexed during its run to the crash site.

Eventually, the creature got closer to the light until it arrived at the crash site and saw a small plane that was meant for two humans and cargo, only the plane was in half and both pieces were near each other while some of the debris was in flames and the creature approached the wreckage to search for any survivors. After the creature entered the front half, it found a dead human that had died in a gruesome manner and it picked up the scent of another one that appeared to be a juvenile that was almost an adult so it came to the conclusion that the second human was the spawn of the first human.

The creature looked around for the youngling but couldn't find the human anywhere, which meant that the human was alive and had left the area but that also meant that the human knows that its male caregiver is not alive so it couldn't assimilate the older male and get the younger one to drop its guard. It was a minor inconvenience, but it still had its dog form so the human would never suspect that it wasn't what it appeared to be until it was too late.

The creature kept searching for any sign of where the human went and picked up its scent before finding a trail of footprints that lead out of the crash site and was starting to fade, then the creature knew that it didn't have much time left before it lost the human's trail so it followed the footprints and noticed that the human was unknowingly heading to the old destroyed human settlement the creature escaped from so many years ago and came up with a plan that would work in its favor while it chased after the human.

The creature's false flesh started wriggling from what appeared to be worms moving under its skin and the creature licked its muzzle in anticipation at the thought of the warm body it would consume and that the human would have no idea what was coming its way.

I didn't know how long I was traveling and had checked my phone, only there was no signal and frustration was setting in since I wasn't seeing the research facility yet but I eventually saw something in the distance, though it was too dark to see and I took out my flashlight before turning it on and aiming it at the thing I spotted. It was hard to see because of the storm, but the light shone on what appeared to be a large compound in the distance and I could see a metal sign propped up nearby as it was covered in snow.

Feeling relieved that I had found help, I quickly rushed over to the sign and started wiping away the snow in the hopes that I had found the research facility but I was stunned when I saw that the sign was coated with rust from years of neglect and I knew that this place wasn't the facility since the people working in the building wouldn't leave the sign in such a bad condition.

"Are you fucking shitting me...I'm lost?" I wondered in disbelief as I quickly took out the map to see if I had made a wrong turn, only to feel horrified when I had noticed that the map was upside down and that I had been going the wrong way the entire time.

"Okay, is this is a fucking joke?! I went the wrong way the entire Goddamn time?!" I exclaimed in frustration and proceeded to cuss up a storm at my bad luck and scolded myself for not checking the map more clearly, then I realized that the facility was miles away now and going back would be signing my own death warrant since I had to take shelter fast before I died of hypothermia.

'Well, nothing I can do but see if this place is still intact so that I can take shelter in it,' I thought reluctantly and before I headed to the main building, I took out my knife and gently scraped the rust off of the sign until it was more legible and started reading it to see what this place was.

"Research Outpost 31: Property of the US Government...huh," I mumbled as I backed away from the sign and turned my attention to the compound that was nearby.

'This place used to be an American research facility? How come there's no information about it on the internet? I checked Wikipedia on the research facilities in the Antarctic before dad and I left for the airport but there's nothing about this one,' I thought as something about this didn't feel right and I've had the feeling that I'm being followed ever since I left the crash site.

I looked around in a sudden bout of paranoia but inwardly kicked myself since the only thing I had to be worried about out here were polar bears and other wild animals that would either attack me by being provoked or hungry so I had nothing to worry about as long as I keep my distance and try not to piss off the local wildlife. I shook my head and shivered at the freezing cold as I passed the sign and approached the compound, then I got a good look at the building and was shocked to see it looking pretty much nearly destroyed from what appeared to be massive explosions of some kind.

I also saw an old 1980s destroyed helicopter and snowcats just sitting near the building while what appeared to be a communication's tower was on its side and covered in snow just like the vehicles, then I noticed a wrecked shack near the main building and saw that it was in a bad condition like everything else which made me wonder what the hell happened here that ended in the entire main building almost being completely destroyed.

I decided not to think about it too much since I could see a path that led down into a pit that looked like the ground caved in and I followed it in the hopes that there was a nice warm place for me to take shelter in due to the main building not looking like it had many places that would shelter me from the storm, then I spotted what looked like part of the building that had fallen into the pit and entered it while avoiding the sharp metal edges before finding an old tape recorder.

"Shit, they don't make these recorders anymore," I muttered as I checked it and saw that it looked to be in an okay condition, despite having a few scratches on it and I pushed the play button so that I could gain information on what happened here and felt surprised that it started playing while an exhausted male voice started speaking with a lack of hope in his tone of voice.

"I'm going to hide this tape when I'm finished so if none of us make it, at least there'll be some kind of a record. The storm's been hitting us pretty hard for the past 48 hours and we still have nothing to go on...one other thing, I think it rips through your clothes when it takes you over. Windows found some shredded long johns but the name tag was missing, so it could be anybody's...nobody-nobody trusts anyone now.

We're all very tired and there's nothing I can do, just wait. R.J MacReady, helicopter pilot, US Outpost 31," MacReady said before the tape stopped and I just stared at the recorder while a cold chill went down my spine at his tone of voice.

"Jesus...what the fuck happened here that would've caused him to sound like that?" I wondered uneasily and hearing MacReady saying about something taking over and ripping that person's clothes made me feel confused by what he's saying but the way he sounded so sure of himself unnerved me slightly since something seriously bad happened here a long time ago that made the occupants completely paranoid and distrustful of each other.

I concluded that cabin fever must've got to them and everyone in the facility went crazy, but I couldn't shake the sinking feeling that there was more to the story that I wasn't seeing yet and decided to file it away for now as I left the broken room and spotted a cave nearby that looked like it was mined.

I headed to the cave and went in before taking out my flashlight and used it to help me navigate the corridor, then I entered a big room and paused with my eyes completely wide in disbelief as I saw what appeared to be an alien spaceship that looked old but it was unfinished like someone was in the process of building it from different parts of the facility and got rudely interrupted.

"What the...fuck?" I breathed out in shock at the sight and muttered, "Okay, this place is officially creeping me out now."

I took a few wary steps back from the unfinished makeshift spaceship and immediately turned around to leave since I didn't want to spend another second in that room, then I exited the cave and headed back up to the main building before approaching the front door.

"Well, let's see if I can head inside," I mumbled as I placed my hand on the door handle and turned it, just as the door opened and I went inside what was left of the research facility.

I saw that the corridor ahead of me led into an area that used to be part of the main building but there was a door on the left that was near the entrance so I headed over to it and entered the room, seeing what used to be a communication's room but it was in a bad condition like the rest of the building and I left the room since there didn't appear to be anything useful I could see. I went down the corridor and found myself in what appeared to be the recreation room but the roof was gone and I couldn't help but smile when I saw the frozen pool table in the middle of the former room.

"Heh, maybe I could play a little pool to pass the time," I quipped and chuckled at the image of me trying to play pool and cussing up a storm from failing badly at it.

I shook my head and the cold heavy wind prompted me to keep moving as I passed a few rooms and a bathroom that was completely gone as I saw what used to be a dog kennel and spotted another door that led into a different part of the building. I entered the room and saw that I was in a medical bay as I shined my light around in the dark room, then I spotted something on a table in a corner and went to investigate until I got a good look at it and recoiled.

"Whoa! Oh, fuck!" I yelped as I backpedaled and my back hit a wall while I was breathing rapidly at the sight of what was on the table.

What I saw looked like a charred dead body that was perfectly preserved by the cold, but the thing didn't even look human anymore since it had two faces that held expressions that were frozen in agony while dried blood was on the table and the floor around it as I started hyperventilating and tried to calm down.

'What the fuck is that thing?! It looks human but it appears to be something out of an HP Lovecraft or Clive Barker novel! Christ, what the fuck did I just discover?!' I thought in horror and panic while I started taking deep breaths.

"Well, whatever the fuck that thing is, it's dead now so it won't come after me...okay, I'm going to look around for any information on what the fuck that thing is and then I'm getting the hell out of here," I declared quietly and looked around for anything useful.

I searched the room for any information while avoiding the thing that was on the table and found a desk that had a few papers in the drawers, then I looked through them and saw that they were only research notes and medical files but one of them caught my attention and I aimed my light at it while reading it.

'The virus has the ability to replicate the original biological entity, with the exception of the clothing'

"Virus? Oh shit, is this place contaminated by a pathogen and am I already infected?" I wondered nervously as I looked at the dead body and felt seriously scared that I might've gotten infected by whatever might be airborne in this place.

I backed away from the desk and spotted more notes on a metal cart nearby and headed over to it, picking up the notes and looking through them until I found a document that had more information on what this virus was.

'Although contact with an infected entity does not guarantee infection, there is still a fifty to seventy percent chance of infection'

"Okay...so as long as I refrain from touching anything and keep my gloves on, then I shouldn't get infected by whatever's here," I muttered and let out a shaky breath, wanting to go home where it was safe and declare all of this a bad dream.

I looked around and saw a computer on a desk that was near the table with the dead body, then I went over to it and pushed the power button to see if I can look through it and nothing happened.

"Yeah, guess that was too much to hope for since this place has been abandoned since the cold war and any chance of restoring power to the place is long gone," I grumbled with a sour expression as I backed away from the desk and saw a junction box that I had missed completely but what startled me was the old C4 that was on it.

"Jesus, is that a fucking military-grade explosive?! Okay, the research team living here found that body, discovered that it was contaminated with a pathogen and got infected, became crazy from paranoia and distrust, then blew up the place and killed each other in the process to prevent the spread of the virus.

Shit, looks like the military showed up in the aftermath and decided to destroy what was left but quickly abandoned their mission for some reason...and the reason why there's no information about this place on the internet is that they must've covered up the events of what happened here and erased any information about this research facility to prevent panic from breaking out due to the cold war back then," I theorized and tensed up since the knowledge of this place contaminated with a virus and planted with explosives by the military scared the ever-loving hell out of me.

"Okay, time to see if I can get the power back on 'cause I'm freezing my ass off," I muttered and headed over to the junction box, then I took a look and hoped my studies on electrical engineering in school would help.

"Huh, looks like this junction box was repaired by someone so there's a good chance that the generators still have enough fuel in them to give this place power again," I mumbled as I found the power switch and pulled it, then the junction box started humming as the lights above me turned on and flickered but I was too happy to be bothered by it.

"Heh, let there be light," I quipped softly and felt the heat entering the room in the vents, then I smiled since it looked like my luck was changing for the better and remembered that the computer should be working by now so I headed back to the desk and attempted to turn on the computer, then I was successful and the computer booted up as I felt like doing a little happy dance.

'Thank God dad made me take those classes on electrical engineering or I would've been completely clueless on what to do here,' I thought and knew now that dad did those things to help me get the skills I needed so that I could find a job to sustain myself.

I put it in the back of my mind and started typing on the computer to find any information that proves my theory and I found a strange medical report that didn't make any sense and appeared to be the ramblings of someone that had completely lost their shit.

(Play The Thing by Ennio Morricone)

'I have compiled a five-page report from the autopsy performed on the anomalous body that was discovered at the Norwegian outpost and it appears that what we are dealing with is some kind of self-repairing extraterrestrial entity that has the ability to morph itself into different biological forms. Access to medical supplies is limited to myself and Garry (code 1138)'

"A shape-shifting alien lifeform? The fuck was this person babbling about...that's impossible, alien life doesn't exist so this poor bastard must've snapped and suffered from delusions but those medical supplies would definitely help right now since I feel like shit," I mumbled as I shut off the computer to conserve power just as I heard a noise just outside the door.

I quickly reacted by spinning around and taking out my knife since the noise sounded like something clawing at the door, then I heard what sounded like a dog whining and cautiously approached the door before peering out the window and seeing an Alaskan Malamute just sitting in front of the door with its head cocked. I let out a sigh of relief and put away my knife since the dog didn't look like a threat and was probably hungry, but what had me confused is how the hell there was a dog all the way out here in the middle of nowhere with no one around to take care of it.

Letting it go, for now, I opened the door and the dog perked up as it saw me and I kneeled down to make myself less intimidating.

"Hey, what're you doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Why don't you come inside so you don't freeze to death," I said gently and started clicking my tongue in a gesture for the dog to head inside.

The dog started moving and entered the room while it was panting, then I shut the door and held out my hand so the dog could smell it before the malamute approached and sniffed my hand while I petted it.

"Huh...I wonder, are you're a guy or a girl?" I muttered and checked the dog's gender to be sure, seeing a sheath and a pair of balls that answered my question.

"Okay, guess that answers my question so how about I help you dry off?" I offered and the dog just stayed quiet while I shrugged and looked around for anything that could dry him off.

'Well, looks like I made a new friend so where would a clean towel be?' I thought as I spotted a door next to the junction box that I haven't gone in yet and the keypad told me that I found where the medical supplies were locked up.

"Alright, stay here boy so that I can find something in there to dry you off," I instructed and the dog sat on his haunches as I headed to the door, hoping to find something to dry off the dog since it looks like it's going to be a long night.

A/N Hello everyone, I would call this a new story but it isn't...that's right, this is a remake to my canceled Naruto story Tale of a Nine-Tailed Legacy and unlike my character being a veteran and a police officer, he's a teenaged civilian with no military experience and has a completely different name now but some ideas from my old story will be written down here while other things will happen differently.

So, as you can see, Seth has made a new friend but we all know that particular dog isn't what he appears to be so Seth has no idea that he's going to enter a different kind of hell and be forced to survive until the worst has happened and he winds up in the Naruto world under special circumstances.

Anyway, I tried to write down the Thing's point of view and figure out how it thinks, so I think I'm satisfied with what I written since the Thing would operate in a cold and detached manner with a lack of empathy and remorse.

I just wanted to let you all know that the year this chapter takes place in is 2019 so many decades have passed since the events of the prequel, the original movie, and the 2002 video game sequel so the original survivors are either dead from old age or they died out in the artic as Kate had.

Well, let me know what you think since there are not a lot of Naruto/The Thing crossovers and I hope you like this so far, so stay tuned.