by Project Kyle
Deep Cosmos
A
Thrilling
Novel
by
Project Kyle
Protect your sanity at all costs.
Deep Cosmos. Copyright © 2018 by Project Kyle.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Printed in the United States of America.
[1. Science-Fiction 2. Mystery 3. Suspense 4. Phycological 5. Thriller]
Photos of Sophia Nelson-E.A. Catania.
Cover art © Project Kyle.
Book art © Project Kyle.
Note from the author
Warning. Although this book is intended to reach a wide audience and does not contain explicit material, Deep Cosmos is a sci-fi series that contains content that is suspenseful, intense, and sometimes scary. It tackles several serious issues and dives deep into the psychiatric mind. If you are easily terrified, sensitive to eerie content, or overwhelmed when stories contain psychological elements, I would not recommend reading this book until you are familiar with material that features suspense. This has been your warning.
With that being said, sit back, relax, and enjoy your experience as you embark on your journey…into the Deep Cosmos.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 Sophia
Chapter 2 Nerd
Chapter 3 The Observer
Chapter 4 The gap
Chapter 5 Layers
Chapter 6 Stone cold
Chapter 7 Deceived
Chapter 8 Menace
Chapter 9 Menace part 2
Chapter 10 The first experiment
Chapter 11 Mission briefing
Chapter 12 Galactic plague
Chapter 13 The grim truth
Chapter 14 Green eyes
Chapter 15 Green Eyes Part 2
Chapter 16 The torn page
Chapter 17 The lord of sorrow
Chapter 18 The Temple
Chapter 19 The stalker within
Chapter 20 The masked monster
Chapter 21 The final showdown
Chapter 22 The aftermath
Prologue
The Galactic Times
After a long session, the galactic court has found Dr. David Bell guilty of spearheading the human laboratory experiments of Cosmic 5. David Bell has been charged with genocide and given the death penalty!
Documents supplied by Dr. Crimson show that David Bell ordered the mutilation of at least 685 subjects, including men, women, and children. The experiments were inhumane and highly illegal. Thankfully, the inhabitants of our galaxy can sleep soundly tonight, as David Bell will be executed by tomorrow. He will no longer be around to cause any more grief.
We at the Galactic Times would like to express our gratitude to the galactic court for taking such strong action against this despicable human being. May the human race continue to prosper, and may better times come our way.
Earth date: March 12th, 2009
Chapter 1 Sophia
Earth date: February 4th, 2010
Time: 1200
Location: Underground Lair, Zentar
Sophia groaned. The sound of dripping water surrounded her. She had no idea how long she was out, let alone who had attacked her, putting her in this state. Her vision was blurry, and at first she was unable to identify where she was. All she knew was that she was no longer sitting by the hot springs of Kethar where she had been anxiously waiting for her boyfriend, Dr. Crimson, to arrive. Her former location was warm, fresh, and had a sweet aroma. Her new location was cold, the air was stale, and the stench of mold was so bad that it made Sophia feel sick.
As time passed, she was slowly able to regain her vision. There was only one light in the room, and it revealed a horrid sight. Rusty machines stood all around her: a giant saw to her right, a large drill to her left, and a three-pronged claw with a razor welded onto each tip lurking above her face. She knew she was in danger and needed to escape immediately. She attempted to prop herself up but was unable to do so.
Her heart began to race as her eyes shifted downward, informing her that she was strapped to an operating table. Her arms, legs, neck, feet, and wrists were shackled. There was a belt wrapped tightly around her waist and another wrapped around her forehead, making it impossible for her to shift her position. She was totally paralyzed and unable to escape.
Afraid for her life, she attempted to let out a scream, with hopes that someone would hear her cry for help. She was unable to, as her mouth had been muzzled shut. There was no escape, no way out for her, meaning she would be at the mercy of her captor, and there was nothing she could do.
Sophia’s vision cleared some more, and she was able to make out the silhouette of a man about ten feet in front of her. He was sharpening a large Bowie knife, which was visible due to the light reflecting off it.
“Hello, Sophia,” a soft, calm, yet disturbingly familiar voice called. “It’s time to find out what makes you so…special.”
The shadow man stepped forward into the light. Sophia felt her heart sink as her captor’s identity was revealed.
Dr. Crimson? She thought to herself. The man she had been dating for well over a month. No…no! She refused to believe it; this had to be a misunderstanding. Crimson would never try to hurt her. He would never try to hurt anyone; she was certain of it. But something was different about him this time. The last time she saw him, his face was vibrant and full of life. Now, his face seemed to be grim, emotionless, and dead. There was no feeling, no sign of life or energy. He was an empty shell with no substance inside. It was terrifying, and it was evident that he was not the same man that she knew.
Sadly, whatever faith she had left in him was quickly shattered when he responded to the startled look on her face.
“Don’t look so surprised, my love,” he said to her. “Surely you must’ve known I was way out of your league. What would a famous doctor ever want with someone like you? The facts were right in front of you. You were a disappointment to your family and a failure as a person. You confided this to me many times, so you must have known that you never had a chance. But you allowed your human emotions to take control. You fell for me, even though you knew I could never love someone as low as you, and because of this, you will pay.”
A dull numbness began to fill Sophia. Her racing heart began to slow down, and an ache began to grow within it. The man who claimed to be her true love had taken advantage of her, and through his actions he had dug up every mental scar she had fought so hard to bury. Her silver eyes began to fill with tears, which only seemed to amuse the monstrous human being in front of her.
“Oh, don’t cry, little one,” Dr. Crimson taunted. “It’s your fault that you’re in this mess. You were stupid enough to trust me, and now you have become my next victim. Although you may be worthless, your organs are very much needed right now for my next experiment. I’m afraid I must remove them from you, piece by piece.”
Dr. Crimson slowly ran his fingers through Sophia’s soft red hair and gazed deeply into her eyes. She felt her skin crawl as he did so, but then she realized that things were about to get a lot worse. Crimson’s cold, calm state began to shift, morphing into a lust for human life. He had trapped his victim, and now he was ready to devour his prey.
A psychotic smile spread across Crimson’s once emotionless face. He placed the Bowie knife above Sophia’s shoulder, ready to cut her open. He laughed vigorously as he savored his moment of glory. Howeve
r, right as he was about to begin, a blue light flashed from the back of the room. Crimson instantly lost focus and turned to face what was behind him.
“You!” He shouted in rage. “I told you what would happen if you ever stood in my way again. Do you really have a death wish? Have you really fallen that low?”
The mysterious man slowly walked into the light. Like Crimson, he was wearing a white lab coat with a button-up shirt underneath, accompanied by a pair of long black leather gloves that covered his bare hands and a third of his sleeves. He had dark hair and round, oversized glasses. He stood at about 5’9” and weighed no more than 160 pounds. His skin was very pale, and his face was straight, firm, but far from emotionless. Overall, the man looked to be quite the geek, and he would’ve been the last person Sophia could see standing up to Crimson, who was tall, strong, and robust. However, as the mysterious stranger started talking, she began to realize that there was more to him than his appearance gave him credit for.
“Because of you, I lost everything,” the man responded. “My life is not what’s important, the life you’re trying to take right now is. So why would I hesitate to risk a life that doesn’t matter to save a life that does? But a man like you would never understand. Your mind is just too small to grasp the more complex things this universe has to offer. That’s why you feed on the innocent. It’s the only way someone like you could ever have a sense of self-worth.”
Crimson’s right hand started to shake. He gritted his teeth, and for the first time since he and Sophia had met, he seemed to be frustrated and angry.
“Your senseless preaching bores me!” Crimson said to the man. “I no longer have any use for you. If you want to die so badly, then die!”
Suddenly, Crimson darted towards the man, swinging his knife back and forth at a speed that seemed to challenge the sound barrier. The man quickly walked backwards, matching Crimson’s speed, and miraculously managed to dodge every thrust Crimson made with his blade. Sophia was stunned; both men showed tremendous speed and skill. However, a great deal of frustration overcame her as well, as an old flame started to burn deep inside.
After a few seconds, the mysterious man led Crimson towards the light. He was so focused on killing the man, Crimson paid no attention to what was behind him as he took a swing at the man’s head. He missed and drove his blade straight into the light. A bright flash filled the room, and darkness soon followed.
For a brief second, all went silent. So much so that the room seemed to be empty. After a moment had passed, however, it was evident that the mysterious man had planned this all along as Sophia felt her restraints unhinge. She was swept off the operating table and carried across the pitch-black room.
Twenty seconds had now passed since the battle had started, and it wasn’t soon to finish. Crimson had found a flashlight and was able to spot the two individuals running out of the hall.
“Well played!” Dr. Crimson shouted across the room. “It took you long enough, but you have learned how to give me the rush I need. Let the hunt begin!”
Crimson’s eyes began to fill with excitement. He started prowling like a lion stalking his prey. As soon as the moment felt right to him, he charged at his two victims, with his large knife still flashing in his hand. The man carrying Sophia stopped as soon as Crimson started running. He turned around to face Crimson and fearlessly confronted the raging monster that was charging at them. Sophia attempted to scream at the man and urge him to continue running, but the muzzle was still wrapped around her mouth, as the man did not have the time to remove it.
The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a communicator. Sophia looked up at the man’s face. He had exchanged his glasses for night vision goggles, which explained why he was able to maneuver through the dark so easily. Sophia lowered her gaze to the ground, noticing that they were standing on a teleport pad. It was the only good news she could find in the situation, given the fact that Crimson was only ten feet away from them, ready to carve them both up like a turkey. Sophia closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst, as Crimson swiftly approached.
Chapter 2 Nerd
Dr. Crimson continued to close in, his eyes heavily focused on Sophia’s position. Things looked grim, but the mysterious man had timed everything perfectly, and he betrayed only a little fear in his voice as he spoke into his device.
“Away team to Iron Heart. Two to beam up, now!”
Crimson was now only three feet from them and had lunged forward in an attempt to reach them before either could be transported. In a courageous move, the mysterious man turned his back towards Crimson, putting his body in between Sophia and Crimson’s blade. This told Sophia that he was indeed more interested in protecting her than himself. However, the move was unnecessary, as a flow of energy surrounded them both.
White light seemed to cover the two of them, and a weightless feeling soon followed. The light then faded, and thankfully, both individuals were now in a new location. The man quickly put her down, ripped off his night vision goggles, and ran towards a set of stairs leading upward, dropping his goggles next to Sophia in the process.
Sophia sat on the ground, attempting to process everything that had just happened to her. Her eyes were still red and puffy from the crying she had done earlier, and she was still weighted down by shock and heartache due to what had just taken place. She was in the dark as to what had happened between Dr. Crimson and the mysterious man. But it was evident that the two held a deep-seated grudge against each other, and somehow, her being kidnapped had ignited it. It was powerful, even a little scary. Still, she felt a level of gratitude to the man who had just risked his life to save her, even if he did look like a goober.
Sophia attempted to chuckle at the thought of the appearance of her hero but realized she couldn’t, as the muzzle was still forcing her mouth shut. She wanted it off and wanted it off now. So, she picked herself up and followed the man up the stairway and into a large room, which seemed to be the main deck. The starship began to shake, and a loud warp sound could be heard, giving her the impression that they had just entered hyperspace.
Upon gaining her footing, Sophia looked ahead and noticed a doorway, where she could faintly hear the man’s voice. She walked towards it, hoping she could get some answers.
The door automatically opened, and she was easily able to walk through. She was now in a long hallway that led to another door. The room was lit by a long row of lights that were located on either side of the floor. She now knew what type of ship she was in: it was a J2 Dragon-class spacecraft, which had been extinct for years due to the fall of the Zecarah family. Somehow, this man had gotten his hands on one, which told her that he had connections with the upper class.
Sophia made her way down the long hallway, her footsteps echoing through the metal room with each step she took. When she finally reached the door at the end, it opened automatically, revealing what was on the other side.
Sure enough, she was on the bridge of the small spacecraft. The man was sitting in the pilot’s seat and chomping on a bag of cheese puffs. She looked around the room and noticed bags of chips and empty soda cans covering the entire bridge. It was a pigsty, and clearly the man didn’t care. It was evident that he was aware she was in the room, as he spoke to her with half-chewed cheese puffs still rolling around in his mouth.
“That was quite a close call, wasn’t it? A second later and you would’ve been missing your right arm at the very least. Good thing I was there to get you out of that mess, eh?”
Sophia was unable to respond. The man swallowed what was in his mouth and tried to talk to her a little bit more seriously than before.
“I was just kidding. What he tried to do to you, it was horrible. I’m just grateful that I was able to stop him before it was too late. I wasn’t always able to do so with him in the past. I’m glad I was at least able to save one life, compared to the thousands that he slaughtered.”
Sophia was still unable to respond. The man was concerned, and he qui
ckly turned around to face Sophia. Cheese puff crumbs covered his shirt, pants, and lab coat.
“Look! I know I’m not a charmer by any means, but you could at least…” Suddenly, the man noticed the muzzle around Sophia’s jaw. A panicked look covered his face, and he reached into his lab coat to pull out what looked like some sort of key. “Aaaaaah!” he shouted. “Sorry, sorry, so sorry! That was very insensitive of me. Please hold still, I’ll get that off ya.”
The man placed the key in one of the muzzle’s slots. The muzzle unhinged, and Sophia was finally free to speak. She rubbed her jawline with both her hands. A sudden jolt of pain shot through her jaw. She sharply inhaled through her teeth and swiftly retracted her hands. The muzzle was strapped so tight that it had bruised the lower part of her face. Sophia was not thrilled about this, but she was relieved that the stupid thing was finally off her.
The man noticed, and concern could be seen in his eyes as he examined the bruises, but after noticing that Sophia was attempting to hide her face, his eyes diverted from the bruises to her. She was very self-conscious of how she looked, especially right now, and he seemed to notice. Yet he didn’t seem to know how to respond, so he simply put the key back in his pocket, smiled, and continued talking to her like nothing had happened.
“Welcome aboard, my friend! Don’t worry about that mean old doctor; he has been trying to find me for the last year. The only way he will ever see me is if I come to him, but I guess that’s not important right now. What is important is you! Obviously, you had to be special for him to build an operating room underground just to…operate on you. Which makes me feel very curious as to who you are. What is your name? Where do you come from? Why was Dr. Crimson so obsessed with dissecting you?”
