The Thing: from the Depths of Hell

by V Bertolaccini

  From being a life form that was seeing the humans as a species that should be examined and used to educate itself, it had turned into their most repulsive menace from the deepest depths of space.

  Some people were still in the massive library, which was a replica of a massive ancient twentieth-century library, and it had only left them because of their distance, and to finish its work of altering itself and planning its future as fast as possible, and it considered them as not worth its time as they were separate people, and it was hidden from them, as they were from each other, behind large bookshelves, and could be heard making occasional silent whispers, and it knew that they would not appear, and if they did, it would kill them, swiftly and silently.

  It was fascinated by their complete unawareness of it, and its killing spree of the people that had witnessed it come down through the roof like a demon apparition, and it had attacked them swiftly, not considering it any further.

  Some had even confronted it, not thinking anything could be deadly on the spacecraft, and it had instantly viscously attacked them, and moved their bodies away, discovering how powerless they were without their weapons, technology, and science.

  It dragged their bodies away into dark places, leaving trails of blood, and parts of bodies dropping off everywhere, without it seeing the mistake, as its mind and body were carrying out altering processes to achieve its goal, and which were needed far more for its survival, and it had hidden them away out of view, where they would not be found for a long time.

  While altering itself at one point it was able to examine some of the computer files stored there in detail, and searched for what the humans would avoid the most, and found many of their monsters and supernatural beings, and it stored the information to use, and searched for anything that it could use to kill the humans that it had not known about.

  After searching information on warfare and weapons it soon realized it was in danger again, and its work was only beginning, and that it would have plenty of time for that after its escape, and that it would have to leave the region as fast as it could.

  There were pieces of information received by it from distant places that further startled it, and that they were preparing to attack, and it considered if they would leave and hurtle away from the surrounding abyss, and barn world.

  It would be beat it if they left, as it never had the outer entity, and on its own it would nothing.

  Many people nearby were starting to believe their worse nightmare could be close at hand, and planned to defend themselves, and it eventually left seeking to hide, and get ready and plan its attack, to fight for its survival.

  It lurked in the shadows of the dark corridors, seeking out almost anyone to attack and kill that attempted to confront it.

  The thing slowly turned into their worst nightmare, and attacked and killed just about anything that it encountered, and showed no limitations or mercy.

  Chapter 14

  Worst Nightmare

  The opinions of the media and passengers of it soon turned to it being the most awful deadliest nightmare from the deepest depths of space, or hell itself, which lurked in the shadows of the dark corridors, seeking out any living thing anywhere at anytime to kill.

  The thing turned into a nightmare killer that had attacked and killed just about anything that it had encountered.

  It seemed to most people that it had only one motive and that was to kill everybody aboard.

  The GX1 had been prepared to leave at one stage, and hurtle away from the deadly place into the surrounding abyss, when they had decided against it, and had announced to everyone aboard that they would leave when the alien monster, of an unknown identity, was killed or captured, and no longer loose and attacking passengers everywhere, and they warned people more and more that they had to remain in public areas, and have the weapons they had been given ready to use, and to avoid looking for confrontations with it, as it was still avoiding populated regions.

  The thing had turned to killing and maiming everyone that it came across that was not attached to groups of people, without reported cause or provocation, and it was believed that it had been avoiding being killed by avoiding groups.

  Many people were starting to believe their worse nightmare might be close at hand, and the total annihilation of everyone aboard would occur, and many stories appeared, even connected to many weird superstitions and religious convictions.

  All the vehicles and astronauts were banned from leaving the ship, and people were not even allowed in the region outside the spacecraft inside the energy shield, and everyone everywhere was put on alert, ready for action, for attacks from outside the spacecraft, surrounding space, as well as the interior attacks, as they expeditiously rushed to try to confirm what they were up against, with them checking everything.

  It had avoided their every attempt at being captured, and had clearly gone to great lengths, after the occurrence in the bar and the events that had taken place after it.

  When the military arrived at the region of the library, prepared for battle, investigating everything and sending back detailed accounts and recordings of what they found, they still did not realize what they were up against, and began an investigation.

  Chapter 15

  The Investigation

  After the military had finished their surveillances and proven that the alien had left the region, the space police began their investigation of the deaths in the library, which they wanted a full investigation of to find anything that they could give them, since they were fully experienced with detection systems, and had the newest equipment and detection methods that had been used on alien civilizations.

  More than a hundred of the space police from all over the spacecraft crammed into the region below the library where the alien had come through the roof, and examined everything, and mainly for anything it had left behind.

  Kruger entered with Major Ripley, looking about him, and the damage that it had done, and the trails of blood, and the body of a librarian on a robotic stretcher, being removed from there. He recognized her as it approached him, and he saw she had died fast, and had not even had time to react to the horror of the situation.

  It was an absolute savage now, and had used untainted force to kill, and he wondered why. Why had it turned to such savagery?

  He also saw people sitting in seats further in the library, being comforted, who had missed the attack by being further in the library, and perhaps beyond its hearing.

  At one area where there was a body, clearly hidden like an animal hides its food, he saw some computer book cards were further out from their drawers, and was sure that that it had either moved them by bumping into it or by examining them, and he was sure that it was latter, as they looked like they had been individually pulled out, as there would be far more signs indicating something had hit the bookshelf, and he walked over and examined them.

  The cards held large amounts of details about investigations of paranormal, weird creatures, demons, the occult, mythology ...

  Major Ripley walked over, and examined them, looking more interested than he had ever seen him. He seemed to like things occurring.

  “It is hard for me to believe that Dan was behind this!” he stated. “Even though I originally thought he was something strange, when he arrived out there! It gives me the creeps thinking of that now!”

  “You right!” Kruger muttered, mainly to himself. “It’s a horribly thought thinking what it could have done!”

  “Well, what do you think he was up to here? He seems to have done crazy, and savage ...”

  “It killed them brutally, and then dragged them into hidden areas.”

  “Perhaps scared that he would be caught in the act, with all the bodies around him, and so hideously killed, and that he might be killed for it.”

  “Which indicates that it can be killed, and was in danger of being killed.”

  Kruger considered if it was true, and if it was just the alien being up against something that it
had not seen before.

  If it descended at this void, then it would not know of the outer universe, and would never have seen anything like them, their technology, capacity, and would not be sure what it was up against.

  “Which is clear!” Major Ripley replied. “I wondered what he was up to here?”

  “It may have taken a look at this occult stuff!”

  “What would that be for? Unless he turned into a psycho, and was affected by it!”

  “No! It was fighting for its life, and to escape ...”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “It took the form of Dan, which makes it capable of altering itself to human form ... And could be capable of far more!”

  “Great! Meaning it could copy anyone aboard – and get rid of the original person – and the next time miss out all its mistakes. And it could even copy the president, if it got good enough!”

  “Or even an animal, if it wanted to go into hiding ... It’s in great danger, and it may not have full control of itself! Look at the mess it made! Which could be due to the state it is in at the moment?”

  “Such as someone’s pet cat!”

  “It may want to hide out until it can get out of here.”

  “It may be able multiply itself on one of our worlds!”

  “Yes! They will have to destroy the thing! Perhaps they can find a way of detecting it. Or we could come up with some way of recognizing it.”

  “Good one, Kruger. There has to be a difference in it somewhere.”

  Chapter 16

  The Paranormal Scientists

  There was something not right about the alien that Kruger could not grasp, and he again went back to the library, and wondered why it had been interested in the occult books.

  He had an interest in investigating paranormal activity, as well as aliens, and though he had never properly proven the existence of anything of that nature he still investigated everything of that nature. Could this thing be from beyond this realm of space, and some form supernatural being?

  On the ship he knew all the scientists, and knew two who had the field of investigating the paranormal, and who were there to investigate anything in that region for a paranormal association, and he had known them for years, and had accompanied them on a few of their investigations.

  They were very accurate in their investigations, and checked everything, searching for the proof they had always dreamed of coming across, and never took anything for without reflection, and had built up the most advanced research paranormal establishment that there was, containing the most highly advanced equipment that there was available, which they had aboard.

  They were there to investigate what other scientists could not, and do it to a far greater degree than before.

  He sometimes wondered if they would eventually find something that had gone undetected by everyone else, with their detection methods and equipment, which he had not heard of being available anywhere else.

  At their research laboratory, he entered staggered, as they had advanced far further than he had even imagined, and the place was packed solid with ever form of equipment possible.

  They had to be at the pinnacle of their profession!

  It was sometimes like an experiment to them to see what would happen if they pushed beyond the boundaries of natural science, and out it to the supernatural.

  The paranormal research equipment was everywhere all over it, and the two scientists and all their assistants were speedily monitoring everything, which confused Kruger when his normal scientist opinions surfaced, and he wondered what there was to monitor there.

  The dark sky through a porthole in the spacecraft showed it was located at the edge of the spacecraft, and showed the abyss of billions of light years of blackness.

  This region of the spacecraft now looked silent and lifeless place to him. The area was virtually an empty zone, which they liked for their work.

  Many regions aboard were empty though. The immense miles of corridors were by far greater room than was needed, and it was there either for looks, and showing the immense power of the craft, and the GSO, or it was needed in the future for some unknown mission.

  “How are you, Kruger!” Mitchel, the older of the two scientists, asked, dragging himself away from his work, after suddenly realizing something, and that Kruger’s visit was more, and it was far more than what they were doing.

  “Great! Seen the media?”

  “Everyone has! And you! You’re famous!”

  Bryan, the second of the two scientists, marched over after seeing them talk, and patted him on the back.

  Kruger recalled again why they liked him so much, and it was more him being a leading scientist on aliens than anything.

  Kruger examined their assistants and equipment carefully, placed evenly apart. He estimated the temperature there and outside, and wondered if it was colder at the edge of the craft.

  “What is this stuff for?” he asked them, for something to say, and to see if he could find out something about their work, unless they wished to conceal it.

  “We have been checking outside!” Bryan answered first.

  “What in that emptiness? What the hell could exist out there?”

  “It is a good way of detecting if there is something near here!” he replied.

  “So you should theoretically detect anything around here as well!”

  “Yes! Why?”

  “So did you detect anything from that alien we encountered?”

  They simultaneously nodded in disagreement, firmly, but he sensed there was something else that they were not saying, and he only needed to wait for while for them to agree to something and tell him.

  Chapter 17

  The Discovery

  It never took long for the two scientists to make an agreement, after conferring in whispers at the other end of their laboratory, and they marched over, with Mitchel in front, while Bryan followed trying to calm him, and persuade him into not doing anything too hastily.

  He soon saw his point of view when they confided with him that they wished him to keep their research confidential, especially with him being in the media, and meeting leading scientists, and they wanted him to agree to a verbal contract agreement of not disclosing anything without their consent, which he agreed to, and wondered what they could actually discover.

  As they considered what to say next, Kruger examined nearby equipment, and that he recognized, and that it was for detecting neutrinos, and he considered what it was for, and just guessed it was another way of detecting paranormal phenomena.

  Bryan moved over again, and considered what he was doing, and examined him for a few seconds.

  “We are checking outside, as we detected something strange out there!”

  “When was that?”

  “When we entered the region of this void!”

  “What did you detect?”

  “We barely even found it,” Mitchel added. “It was pretty well concealed!”

  Kruger looked confused, and wondered what they were suggesting, and why they were so secretive anyway. Surely they would only receive fame for their discovery. Scientists all over the ship would have announced whatever it was straightaway, without any hesitation, just to be acknowledged as the finders, and they wished it concealed.

  “We found something new!” Bryan continued. “And we have not seen anything like it before. It is totally unknown, and it has intelligence!”

  “A life form that exists in space?”

  “We do not know if it is a life form or what form of life it is, but it exists multidimensionally!”

  “You have equipment that can detect outer dimensions? I never knew all that stuff actually existed! I have not seen it proven to exist or anything that can enter or detect there yet!”

  “Exactly! We have equipment that does that! It is confidential, of course.”

  “Of course! But why not sell it? It could make a lot of cash, and they may be able to advance the technology further along!”


  “Perhaps we may! But it is new, and it needs to be checked out further, and we may also come up with other finds before anyone else does!”

  “Alright! I get you now.”

  “We believe your alien monster, running around the ship, is connected to it!”

  “That could explain where it came from!”

  “Exactly! And that is why we wish you to know of it. We have barely done any research here. We have been at this virtually since we arrived here. We have barely slept! We had so little time! The spacecraft would have left here by now, and it was pretty lucky this world was here, and that alien’s arrival, or we may have missed a great deal.”

  “You could have contacted someone to prolong the stay to carry out your work?”

  “No! We checked that out! They will not do it!”

  “Well, I know the president now, and he could do it! But you would have to tell them why!”

  “Right, and we will probably be here for a long time, until they catch that alien! Whatever it is?”

  “What kind of form does this multidimensional existence take, and what do you call it?”

  “We have not called it anything really! We have so little, and know so little about its identity that it could even be embarrassing if it came out. Or if it came out the wrong way!”

  “Meaning they may not believe you? And that you can not properly back up your claims?”

  “And we also do not want it revealed for nothing!”

  “So what’s the connection between it and the alien?”

  “Exactly! They would need to know everything they can about it, as they will need to destroy it.

  “We need as much as possible in detecting it, and getting rid of it – or capturing it if we have to.”

  “Well, currently we do not know, but if we come up with anything we will contact you! Right?”