The Numinous

by Michie, Tristan

  “Oh my god!” She whispered to herself. “Finally something of importance.”

  She sat herself down at the desk and looked at the log, it belonged to a crew member by the name of 'Sally Worthing', department and rank weren't mentioned. But still, it was a record from someone!

  She switched it on, and watched how the log opened like a book; relieved to see no password was required. There was a small screen in front of her with a variety of entries, dating way back to October 19th 2089. Louise recognised that date, it was the date they had left Earths orbit. She pressed play and listened to the recording. Sally Worthing was young and excited, from what Louise could gather it was her first space flight. Sally kept talking about how fun it would be, the first ship to use the Light Drive, to travel further than anyone has before.

  The next entries came sporadically, there was no pattern to when Sally was making these recordings. Up until leaving Saturns orbit Sally remained happy and excited, again chatting about the Light Drive, pioneering trips and how jealous her friends were!

  The Light Drive was activated on January 9th 2090, Sally's recording of the same day wasn't as happy as previously. Although she wasn't specific, something had happened two hours in to Light speed travel that shook her up – she no longer seemed happy aboard the the ship.

  “The Light Drive was activated two hours ago, as soon it was; the ship went weird. I can't put my finger on what it is, but something isn't right. I was talking to Jerry a few minutes ago, he'd noticed it too. Some of the crew are acting oddly, I've caught some of them just staring, it's as though they aren't in our reality; stuck in a dream. I know that sounds ridiculous but I don't know how else to describe it. Something is wrong and I don't like it.”

  The next entry was dated three days later, January 12th.

  “I'm to be joining the second night shift, this means I'll be in Hyper-sleep for six months and then woken. There will be about forty of us in total, just living our lives and monitoring the vital systems on-board the ship; while everyone else is sleeping. After another six months we go back in Stasis for the remainder of the journey and another team takes over. If I'm honest, I'll be glad to be away for a bit. The ship is getting worse, I still can't describe what's going on. Everything has started to feel surreal, I'm starting to wonder if this is all a dream. I'm always feeling anxious, I'm nervous talking to people. Even the ship itself feels different, distant in some way. I will record another entry when I awaken.”

  Five minutes later another recording was made.

  “Just found out Jerry will be joining me in Hyper-sleep, this makes me a bit happier; someone I know when I wake up!”

  Louise tried to cast her mind back, was this woman familiar? She couldn't remember, the name, the voice; neither sounded like someone she knew or had known. It was as she was about to play the next recording, dated just six months after the last when she heard it. Breathing, right behind her, almost in her ear. She froze, unable to move or speak and completely at the mercy of whatever haunted her. The more she listened, the more it sounded less like breathing and more like whispering; as though someone was stood behind her gently whispering into her ear. Louise couldn't make out any words, it was gibberish but the same syllables over and over again. She could feel her heart beating through her chest, so hard in fact. she feared it may stop altogether. The room had taken on an odd atmosphere, the lighting seemed different; dimmer yet brighter. Sound seemed wrong, distant and disconnected and it had gotten cold; she could feel the tiny hairs standing up all over her body – was that fear, the cold or something else? She felt something run down her back, warm and wet, and still the same gibberish over and over again in her ear. Louise wanted to flee, more than anything else she wanted to run, away from here, back to safety. There was no safety on-board this ship though, it was dead; cold and dark. Something was in here with her, she was convinced of that; feeling an ice-cold hand on her shoulder confirmed it. And still she was unable to move or even scream for help, but then who would hear her? James and Markus were both on different decks, she was alone with whatever was in the room with her.

  Her subconscious began to speak to her, the voice in her head desperately trying to talk over the gibberish whispering in her ear.

  This isn't real, it's just hallucinations. No-one is here with you Louise!

  She tried her best to listen, if this was a hallucination then is was more vivid and real than anything she had experienced so far. Edward was almost driven mad by what he had seen earlier in the corridor, she had put that down to hallucinations but to Edward it had been all too real. Just like now. The hand on her shoulder felt large, adult sized and was beginning to squeeze. Louise could feel the pain, it was very real; this was happening in reality not her mind. The whispering continued, it was as though it was starting to form into proper words. She was in terrors embrace, unable to move or scream all she could do was listen while the pain in her shoulder grew more intense.

  “Louise.....”

  With that she regained control of her body, hearing her own name spoken by whatever was behind her was enough to kick start herself into flight. She grabbed the Personal log and ran from the room, not daring to look behind her as she went. Running down a corridor, not even knowing if this was the way she had just come, the scream finally came. She stopped running and leant against a wall, tears streaming down her face and let herself slide to the floor where she sobbed uncontrollably. She remained that way for sometime until she finally calmed herself down.

  “Jesus Christ!” She said to herself.

  get a grip. I don't know what just happened but I need to find Edward and we need to get home.

  Her heart was pounding.

  That must have been a hallucination, there is no other explanation.

  Taking a deep breath she looked about the corridor she was in, there was an open door a few meters down from where she sat.

  But what if it was real?

  Nothing looked familiar, but at the same time all these corridors and rooms looked the same. The ship was like a maze.

  The ship is called the Numinous.

  “The Numinous? The name of the ship? Where did that come from?” She said to herself, shock in her voice.

  The Numinous? The ship was named after the mission..... the presence of a divinity? The signal was in fucking English!

  Louise jumped to her feet, the sudden realisation distracting her from what had just happened.

  The signal that was picked up from Alpha Centauri was in English, that's what they kept secret from the world and that's why we were sent out here to check it out!

  She felt elated, an important memory had come back to her. For a moment she forgot about the fear and darkness that surrounded her mind.

  She began to walk down the corridor towards the open door, already the feeling of elation had started to change to dread. Remembering something important had only very briefly masked the real problems at hand, her mystery assailant being one of them. Thoughts of what had happened in that room only a few minutes before sent a shiver down her spine, she was on edge again; watching the shadows as she passed and always listening. Maybe Markus was right, there is something waiting in the shadows.

  She reached the door and slowly looked around the corner, she recognised the room immediately; it contained her Stasis chamber.

  “Thank god for that.” She whispered to herself.

  Edwards room is Lounge six, it's should be just down the corridor.

  She made her way further down the corridor to Edwards room, as she went the lights overhead began to flicker, slowly at first then more erratically the closer she got. She noticed the pain in her head, spreading from the core of her brain like a disease; slowly eating her from the inside out. When almost outside Edwards room she had to stop, the pain in her head had become almost unbearable. Her hearing had become muffled and her vision was starting to fade, she felt as though she was about to pass out.

  I need to see if Edward is here, can't stop
now.

  “Edward?” She called. “Edward, are you in there?”

  Just calling his name sent waves off pain shooting from her head right down to her feet, she winced in pain. All around her, as her vision faded she could see the shadows moving; as though they were trying to form a shape, then separating, forming and separating. Each time something more and more vivid was created. She held her head and pressed on, the room was the same as it was before, nothing had changed. Edwards Stasis chamber was off, in fact. they all were.

  “James must off turned them all off to conserve power.” She muttered to herself.

  She stumbled over to Edwards chamber, the pain in her head had become intolerable; and looked through the glass. Edward was inside, Edward was dead and looked as though he had been for sometime.

  “No” She said to his corpse. “Edward? What's happening?”

  Her top lip felt warm and wet, she lifted her hand to her nose; she looked down at her hand to find it covered in blood, blood was pouring from her nose!

  Panic again, that unshakeable fear that had been plaguing her since she woke in her Stasis chamber was all around her, she could almost reach out and touch it; feel it's darkness.

  “Edward, please help me.” She begged to the corpse, tears running down her cheeks. “Please.”

  Edwards eyes were open, looking at her; his body was trembling.

  Witnessing Edwards corpse move and writhe in his Stasis chamber was almost too much, Louise felt her mind closing down, she couldn't cope with what she was seeing. All around her, from the corner of her eyes the shadows moved and swirled, twisted and turned. Blood ran down her chin and dripped to the floor, a pool had collected in her hand. Darkness began to close in.

  And with that Louise collapsed to the floor.

  10

  James walked down to the far reaches of Engineering, the rooms he had seen earlier were down a corridor just before reaching the reactor. A strange sensation fell over him as he was nearing the personnel lounge, he couldn't quite place it; as though someone was watching him. He turned around as he neared the end of the corridor, convinced someone was there; but there was nobody, just an empty corridor. James stood watching, expecting a head to peer around the end of the corridor any second; he was even tempted to walk back up just to double check there was no one there.

  This is stupid, nobody is following me.

  He turned around and continued walking down the corridor, which ended in a large hallway. Several doors lined the walls, each he assumed led to different Engineering crew member quarters.

  “Where do I start?” He muttered to himself.

  He stood in the hallway, looking at each door in turn; trying to imagine leaving the room in the vain hope it would bring some memory to the front of his mind, but there was nothing. He approached the first door and pressed the button that lay beside it on the wall. Surprisingly the door effortlessly slid open, James slowly walked inside. The room was sparsely furnished, a bed, storage, terminal and bathroom. Someone's personal effects were strewn around the room, books, clothing and empty food packets. James checked through the drawers and cupboards but found no indication this had once been his room. Sighing he left and tried the next door, this one refused to open when the button was pressed but with a large amount of brute strength he was able to force the door open. This room was much like the first, just as sparsely furnished and a similar array of personal items and effects left lying around, unlike the first room, this place looked a lot more organised and tidy. After rooting through the cupboards and drawers and coming up empty handed he turned to the door; was about to leave when he spotted a photo stuck to a wall. He crossed the room to take a closer look. The photo was a picture of a man holding a black cat, it looked like it was taken in a garden; the aspect which initially stirred his emotions was the recognition.

  “Nettie?” He found himself asking the photo, “My god it's my baby!”

  He realised the photo was a picture of himself holding Nettie, his beloved cat. And that's when he remembered where his code was, he took the photo from the wall and turned it over; on the back was a piece of paper with a ten digit number and a message which read, 'In case of emergencies!'

  “I think this classes as an emergency!” He said with a smile on his face. “Thanks for keeping it safe Nettie!”

  Hopefully now I can get to the bottom of whatever is happening on this damn ship.

  He was about to turn and leave the room when he heard screaming, loud piercing screams; his heart leapt at the sound. It sounded as though it was coming from the room next door; the first one he'd not long left.

  Slowly, James left his room and stood in the hallway. The screaming continued and out here it was much louder, it was definitely coming from the first room he had entered. The door now stood closed, although he had no memory of closing it.

  I don't like this.

  The temptation to run away was almost overwhelming, but he couldn't; someone may be in trouble.

  But I checked the room, nobody was in there.

  He walked up to the door and listened, it had become silent again. He pressed his ear right up against the cold metal, not a sound could be heard. He was about to move away and put it down to his imagination when something banged against the inside of the door, something large and heavy. He backed off so quickly he stumbled and fell backwards to the floor, narrowly avoiding hitting his head against the wall.

  “Shit!” He shrieked.

  What the hell is in there? I need to get out of here!

  Before James could act upon his thought the door slid open, beyond the room was dark; briefly illuminated by the ceiling light as it flashed on and off intermittently. A body lay face down on the floor, it's hair long and tangled, dressed in what looked like a white medical gown. Every time the light flickered, the body seemed to have moved, only slightly but moved none the less. It was slowly creeping closer to the door, it's head starting to look up; James started to see it's face, a woman, cut and bruised. He could start to make out more the closer she got, her arms were cut and scarred, her gown patchy with blood stains but it was her eyes; they were completely white, no iris or pupil seemed to be present. Closer and closer she came, a grotesque gurgling sound coming from her throat.

  Shit, shit, shit! Need to move, can't stay, run!

  James got to his feet, the woman was mere feet away from; he turned and ran back up the corridor. All around him the lights were flashing off and on, like a slow strobe light. He reached the end of the corridor, briefly looking behind him as he went. The woman was on her feet, no she was floating; gliding slowly up the corridor behind him. Each time the lights flashed she seemed closer, as though she could only move in the dark.

  James' chest was on the verge of rupturing; the force of his heart beating was making him feel faint, he was utterly terrified. The woman’s arms were outstretched, her head cocked to one side allowing what looked like blood to run from her mouth down her gown.

  Not real, can't be real. Hallucination, must be a hallucination!

  James tightly closed his eyes, for a few seconds he blocked out everything, tried to clear his mind and just hope when he opened them things would be back to normal. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again. She was there right in front of him, her lifeless white eyes staring right into him, she screamed in his face; her teeth rotten and black, her breath stank of decay. James felt his bladder empty. He fled, he ran faster than he knew was possible; through Engineering and back out to the hallway, closing the door behind him.

  James sat on the stairwell, staring at the doors to Engineering; convinced any moment they would slide open. Out here the lights had returned to normal, his heart was beating fast, threatening to burst through his chest, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

  What was that? What is wrong with this place? What if we need to go back in there?

  James sat with his head in his hands, trying his best to focus on Nettie; the cat which had given him so much happiness, she
was the only happy thing he could think off. The door was showing no sign of opening, he figured it was safe to move on. The thought of getting this ship home had to be his only concern, he yearned for the safety of Stasis; lost in his own dreams.

  We need to get home.

  He slowly stood up, he was trembling. His encounter with the woman had done something to him, any positivity he'd had remaining was gone, he was left feeling fearful and paranoid. He felt ashamed he'd wet himself.

  I'm better than this..

  James made his way to the top of the stairs and stood in a large hallway, ahead of him a large set of double doors stood in the wall, a map to his left and an elevator to his right. He walked to the map on the wall, sure enough this deck was the topmost deck; the Bridge.

  He walked over to the double doors and pressed the button on the wall, nothing happened. He wasn't overly surprised by this, although from what he remembered from Engineering; the Bridge was meant to have a greater share of the available power; given this was the 'brain' of the ship. He used brute strength instead and forced the doors open, a task that required all his strength but he managed to open the door a couple feet, large enough for him to squeeze through.

  James walked onto the bridge, as soon as he entered memories came rushing back. This was once a calm yet busy environment, there was space for all the flight crew here, including the captains chair in the middle, surrounded by monitors; angled towards the windows. The windows were dark, a thick metal shutter was covering them – the blast screen.