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We Drilled Into the Antarctic Ground. Something Inside is Trying to Get us. · Creepy Stories to Fall Asleep To

• 0:00
  I zipped up my thermal gear and adjusted the collar.
• 0:04
  The research station was freezing.
• 0:06
  I pulled Sharon's photo from my pocket, her gap tooth smile and
• 0:10
  messy brown pigtails from last summer's camping trip.
• 0:14
  This is why I'm here, I told her image quietly, running my thumb
• 0:19
  over the protective plastic covering.
• 0:22
  To find things no one's ever seen before.
• 0:26
  I tucked the photo away and headed toward the main lab where
• 0:29
  the team was gathering. The narrow corridors of the
• 0:32
  station felt both cramped and comforting, A contained world of
• 0:36
  warmth amid the most hostile environment on earth.
• 0:40
  Catherine Rodriguez looked up from her geological charts as I
• 0:43
  walked in. Her dark hair was pulled back in
• 0:46
  its usual practical ponytail, and she gave me a quick nod.
• 0:51
  Morning, John. Coffee's fresh if you want some.
• 0:54
  Thanks, I said, grabbing a mug. Has Derek called the meeting
• 0:59
  yet? Francisco Daniels hunched over
• 1:02
  his laptop in the corner, his glasses sliding down his nose as
• 1:06
  he typed furiously. Not yet.
• 1:10
  Still going over the drill specs.
• 1:13
  Brooke Chen moved between workstations, organizing sample
• 1:16
  containers with methodical precision.
• 1:19
  Her short black hair swung as she turned to me.
• 1:24
  Did you check your cultures this morning?
• 1:25
  The colds playing havoc with the incubation temperatures.
• 1:29
  All stable, I assured her. The insulation modifications are
• 1:34
  holding. Jake McCullough sat alone by the
• 1:37
  window, staring at the snow. The tension in his shoulders and
• 1:42
  his grip on the coffee mug made me wonder what he saw out there.
• 1:46
  Ross Parker entered, carrying his medical kit, his beard
• 1:50
  neatly trimmed as always. Everyone feeling OK today?
• 1:55
  No altitude issues, no cold symptoms.
• 1:59
  Before anyone could answer, Derek Blackwood strode in.
• 2:04
  His commanding presence immediately drew everyone's
• 2:06
  attention. Team meeting in 5 minutes, he
• 2:10
  announced. Bring your preliminary reports.
• 2:14
  I settled into a chair at the conference table with my
• 2:17
  notebook. The others filed in.
• 2:20
  Catherine next to Francisco, broke across from me, Ross at
• 2:24
  the end with his medical charts and Jake taking the seat
• 2:28
  farthest from the center. Derek remained standing.
• 2:31
  We've been preparing for this mission for years.
• 2:35
  Derek began, his voice carrying the weight of authority.
• 2:39
  Two months to drill into Lake Vostok and discover what's been
• 2:43
  sealed beneath 2 miles of ice for millions of years.
• 2:48
  He activated the wall screen showing a cross section of the
• 2:51
  ice sheet and the liquid water beneath.
• 2:55
  This is our timeline, he continued, pointing to a chart.
• 3:00
  Week one final equipment calibration and test drills.
• 3:04
  Week 2 through 4. Main drilling operation.
• 3:08
  Weeks 5 through 8. Sample collection and analysis.
• 3:14
  Catherine raised her hand. The geological surveys confirm
• 3:18
  what we expected. The lake bed contains sediments
• 3:22
  that could hold fossilized remains from before the ice cap
• 3:25
  formed, and I'm ready to analyze any microorganisms we find.
• 3:30
  I added. My lab is set up for both DNA
• 3:33
  sequencing and live culture studies.
• 3:36
  Derek nodded. Good.
• 3:40
  This is the largest subglacial lake on the planet, untouched
• 3:44
  for at least 15,000,000 years. Whatever we find down there will
• 3:48
  make scientific history. I was excited.
• 3:53
  This was why I'd left Sharon with my parents for two months,
• 3:57
  to be part of something groundbreaking that would make
• 3:59
  her proud. The first week passed in a blur
• 4:02
  of activity. I spent most days helping
• 4:05
  calibrate the specialized drill, making sure it's sterilization
• 4:09
  systems would prevent any surface contamination from
• 4:11
  reaching the pristine waters below.
• 4:14
  Each evening I video called Sharon the satellite connection,
• 4:18
  bringing her face to my screen with only a slight delay.
• 4:22
  Daddy, did you find any aliens yet?
• 4:25
  She asked on our third call, her blue eyes wide with excitement.
• 4:30
  I laughed. No sweetheart, we haven't even
• 4:33
  started drilling yet. And remember what I told you?
• 4:36
  We're looking for tiny microbes, not monsters.
• 4:41
  But what if the microbes grew really big because they've been
• 4:44
  alone for so long? That's not how it works, I
• 4:48
  explained gently. The organisms we might find have
• 4:52
  adapted to survive with very little energy in very cold
• 4:55
  water. They'd be smaller than normal
• 4:57
  bacteria, not bigger. Oh.
• 5:02
  She looked disappointed for a moment, then brightened.
• 5:06
  Can I name one if you find a new one?
• 5:09
  Absolutely. I promised.
• 5:12
  First, new species is yours to name.
• 5:14
  I'm going to call it Sparkle BLOB.
• 5:18
  I smiled. We'll see.
• 5:21
  Scientists usually use Latin names, but maybe we can work
• 5:25
  Sparkle BLOB into the description somewhere.
• 5:28
  On Day 9, the drill broke through the ice.
• 5:32
  We gathered in the control room, watching the pressure readings
• 5:35
  as it penetrated the final layer separating us from Lake Vostok.
• 5:40
  Breakthrough confirmed. Francisco announced, his fingers
• 5:44
  flying over the keyboard, pulling the drill.
• 5:47
  Head back now to prevent contamination.
• 5:51
  A cheer went up around the room. Derek appeared with a bottle of
• 5:55
  champagne, popping the cork with practiced ease to discovery.
• 6:00
  He toasted, passing around plastic cups to science.
• 6:05
  Catherine added to sparkle BLOB. I said quietly, thinking of
• 6:11
  Sharon. I noticed Jake standing apart
• 6:14
  from the group, his eyes fixed on the monitor displaying the
• 6:18
  pressure readings from the borehole.
• 6:20
  I walked over to him. Everything OK?
• 6:24
  He didn't look at me right away. The pressure readings are
• 6:28
  unusual. How so?
• 6:31
  Jake pointed to the screen. See this fluctuation?
• 6:35
  It's almost like pulses. I studied the graph.
• 6:41
  Could be equipment settling after breakthrough, or thermal
• 6:44
  variations in the water column. Maybe.
• 6:49
  He didn't sound convinced. Is something wrong?
• 6:52
  I pressed. Jake finally turned to me, his
• 6:56
  blue eyes troubled beneath his white eyebrows.
• 6:59
  Probably nothing, just old man's nerves.
• 7:03
  He forced a smile and raised his champagne to discovery.
• 7:08
  I clinked my cup against his, but the moment of unease
• 7:12
  lingered. The next morning we lowered the
• 7:16
  first sampling probe. The camera would show us the
• 7:19
  ancient waters while collecting data on temperature, chemicals
• 7:23
  and currents. We gathered around the monitors
• 7:26
  as Francisco initiated the descent.
• 7:30
  The probe's lights illuminated the narrow borehole, ice walls
• 7:33
  glistening as it dropped lower and lower, approaching water
• 7:37
  level. Francisco announced 321.
• 7:45
  The camera broke the surface, bubbles momentarily obscuring
• 7:48
  the view before clearing to reveal darkness.
• 7:52
  The probes powerful lights cut through the gloom, showing water
• 7:56
  that was surprisingly clear. Depth reading is increasing
• 8:00
  rapidly, Catherine noted. The lake is deeper than our
• 8:04
  models predicted, temperature holding it just above freezing.
• 8:09
  Brooke added. Salinity readings coming in now,
• 8:12
  higher than expected. I leaned closer to the screen as
• 8:16
  the probe descended. The light beam revealed pale
• 8:20
  translucent shapes moving away from it.
• 8:24
  Are those fish? I asked, my voice barely above a
• 8:28
  whisper. Everyone fell silent.
• 8:32
  Impossible, Catherine said. Nothing that complex could
• 8:37
  evolve in isolation, but there they were, Small, eyeless
• 8:42
  creatures with elongated bodies, swimming in quick, darting
• 8:46
  movements away from our intrusion.
• 8:48
  Get images of everything Derek ordered.
• 8:52
  Record all footage. I couldn't tear my eyes from the
• 8:55
  screen. These creatures shouldn't exist.
• 8:59
  Couldn't exist according to everything we understood about
• 9:02
  evolution and isolation. Yet they moved with purpose
• 9:07
  through the ancient waters, living proof that life found
• 9:10
  ways to survive in the most extreme environments imaginable.
• 9:15
  This changes everything, I said, already mentally composing my
• 9:20
  notes. Complex multicellular organisms
• 9:24
  in a completely isolated ecosystem.
• 9:27
  The probe descended deeper, revealing more fish that
• 9:31
  gathered briefly before darting away from the light.
• 9:35
  I documented everything, my hand moving across my notebook.
• 9:40
  We need to get tissue samples, Brooks said, her voice tight
• 9:44
  with excitement. We'll modify the next probe
• 9:47
  descent. Derek agreed.
• 9:50
  This is just the beginning. I thought of Sharon and her
• 9:53
  question about monsters. We hadn't found monsters, but
• 9:58
  we'd found something perhaps more extraordinary.
• 10:02
  Life that had evolved in complete isolation for millions
• 10:05
  of years, adapting to conditions we barely understood.
• 10:10
  The fish vanished beyond our lights.
• 10:13
  We stared at the black water, realizing what this meant.
• 10:18
  We had crossed into unexplored scientific territory.
• 10:22
  Our discovery in Lake Vostok would change our understanding
• 10:25
  of life itself. I woke up with a jolt, heart
• 10:29
  racing as I sat up right in bed. Sharon's voice had been so
• 10:33
  clear, like she was right there in the room with me.
• 10:36
  Dad, where are you? I woke at 3:17 AM.
• 10:41
  The room was empty except for the hum of the heating system
• 10:44
  and occasional crack of the station settling.
• 10:47
  I took a deep breath, got out of bed, and ran my hands through my
• 10:52
  hair. Just a dream.
• 10:56
  Of course it was just a dream. Sharon was safe at home with her
• 11:00
  grandparents thousands of miles away.
• 11:04
  I pulled on my sweatpants and a thermal shirt.
• 11:07
  Sleep wasn't coming back anytime soon, so I might as well check
• 11:11
  on things. The floor was cold against my
• 11:14
  bare feet as I made my way to the door.
• 11:18
  I headed toward the kitchen for tea when I heard shuffling
• 11:20
  footsteps and mumbling from around the corner.
• 11:24
  Jake appeared in the hallway, still fully dressed in
• 11:26
  yesterday's clothes. His white hair stuck out in all
• 11:30
  directions and he walked with one hand trailing along the wall
• 11:34
  as if to steady himself. Jake.
• 11:38
  I called softly. You OK?
• 11:42
  He didn't seem to hear me, continuing his slow path down
• 11:46
  the corridor while muttering under his breath.
• 11:49
  I moved closer and caught fragments of what he was saying.
• 11:53
  Blood in the water. They're swimming in it.
• 11:57
  Blood in the water. I put my hand gently on his
• 12:00
  shoulder. Jake.
• 12:03
  Hey, it's John. He turned to me with unfocused
• 12:07
  eyes, looking through me rather than at me.
• 12:11
  John, can you see it? The blood in the water?
• 12:15
  There's no blood, Jake. Come on, let's get you back to
• 12:18
  your room. I kept my voice calm and steady
• 12:22
  as I guided him with a hand on his elbow.
• 12:25
  It knows us now. Jake whispered as we walked.
• 12:30
  It's learning. I didn't push him to explain.
• 12:34
  The isolation of the station got to people sometimes, especially
• 12:37
  veterans like Jake who'd seen too many Antarctic winters.
• 12:41
  We reached his quarters and I helped him sit on his bed.
• 12:45
  Try to get some rest, OK? I said, pulling a blanket over
• 12:49
  his legs. Jake grabbed my wrist with a
• 12:52
  surprising strength. Be careful with the water, John,
• 12:56
  it's watching us. I will.
• 12:59
  I promised, gently removing his hand.
• 13:02
  Get some sleep. I waited until he lay down
• 13:06
  before leaving, making sure the door closed behind me.
• 13:10
  Jake's behavior troubled me, but stress affected people
• 13:13
  differently. I'd mention it to Ross in the
• 13:16
  morning. The second probe deployment
• 13:19
  began at 10. The next morning.
• 13:22
  We gathered around the monitors in the control room, our
• 13:25
  excitement temporarily pushing aside last night's unease.
• 13:29
  Starting descent? Francisco said as he guided the
• 13:33
  probe down the borehole. The screen showed the probe
• 13:37
  moving through the ice tunnel. Catherine stood beside me with
• 13:41
  her clipboard while Brooke leaned close to the screen.
• 13:46
  Derek watched from the back of the room, arms crossed.
• 13:50
  Breakthrough in 321. Francisco counted down.
• 13:56
  The camera broke through into the lake water, sending ripples
• 14:00
  across the surface. The clarity was still
• 14:03
  remarkable, but as the probe descended deeper, I noticed
• 14:07
  something different from our first glimpse.
• 14:10
  Wait, what's that? I pointed to a reddish tinge
• 14:14
  visible at the edges of the probe's lights.
• 14:17
  Catherine leaned closer to the screen.
• 14:20
  Some kind of coloration in the water could be iron oxide from
• 14:25
  the lake bed sediments, or a microbial bloom.
• 14:30
  Brooke suggested, excitement clear in her voice.
• 14:34
  The first probe might have introduced enough oxygen to
• 14:37
  trigger rapid reproduction. Can we get a sample?
• 14:41
  I asked. Francisco nodded.
• 14:45
  Already on it. Collection chamber is open.
• 14:49
  The probe continued its descent, lights cutting through the
• 14:52
  darkness. Then they appeared, the same
• 14:56
  pale, elongated fish like creatures we'd spotted on the
• 15:00
  first dive. But this time they weren't
• 15:03
  fleeing from the light. Look at their movement pattern,
• 15:07
  I said, watching as the creatures swam in what looked
• 15:11
  like coordinated formations circling the probe.
• 15:15
  That's unusual, Brooke murmured, almost like schooling behavior,
• 15:21
  but more deliberate. I finished for her.
• 15:27
  The fish like creatures maintained their distance from
• 15:29
  the probe but continued their circular pattern.
• 15:33
  It reminded me of the way sharks might investigate something new
• 15:37
  in their territory. Cautious but curious.
• 15:41
  Are we recording this? Derek asked from behind us.
• 15:46
  Every second. Francisco confirmed, frowning at
• 15:49
  his control panel. That's strange, what is it?
• 15:55
  I asked. Readings are all over the place.
• 15:58
  One second, it's just above freezing, then 20°, then back
• 16:02
  down. He tapped his keyboard.
• 16:06
  And now the depth gauge is broken, too.
• 16:08
  It shows we're deeper than the lake bed should be.
• 16:12
  Could the probe be damaged? Catherine asked.
• 16:16
  Francisco shook his head. Diagnostics were clean before
• 16:20
  deployment. This doesn't make sense.
• 16:24
  On screen, the fish circled the probe.
• 16:27
  They seem to be studying us as much as we were studying them.
• 16:32
  Pull a full spectrum of samples. Derek ordered.
• 16:36
  If the equipment's acting up, we need to get what we can now.
• 16:41
  The probe collected water samples from various depths as
• 16:44
  the creatures scattered briefly before regrouping in tighter
• 16:47
  formation. Got the samples.
• 16:51
  Francisco confirmed. Should I bring it up?
• 16:54
  Derek nodded. Let's not push our luck with
• 16:58
  malfunctioning equipment. As Francisco initiated the
• 17:02
  retrieval sequence, I kept my eyes on the screen just before
• 17:08
  the probe began to rise. I could have sworn the fish
• 17:11
  aligned themselves in a perfect circle, like a living ring
• 17:15
  around the probe. That evening, we gathered in the
• 17:20
  communications room as Derek tried to establish contact with
• 17:23
  the outside world. Still nothing?
• 17:28
  Ross asked, leaning against the door frame.
• 17:31
  Derek shook his head as he adjusted dials and checked
• 17:33
  connections. Satellite systems completely
• 17:36
  down. Could be the solar storm they
• 17:39
  warned us about last week, or maybe something mechanical.
• 17:44
  How long until it's back up? I asked, thinking of my call
• 17:48
  with Sharon tomorrow. Hard to say if it's the storm,
• 17:52
  could be days if it's equipment failure.
• 17:56
  Derek didn't finish the sentence, but we all understood
• 17:59
  the implications. Catherine sighed.
• 18:03
  So we're cut off for now. Derek confirmed, pushing back
• 18:09
  from the console. We've got three weeks until the
• 18:12
  next supply drop. Worst case, we communicate, then
• 18:16
  we process this information quietly. 3 weeks of complete
• 18:21
  isolation felt daunting, especially with our strange
• 18:24
  discoveries. What about Jake?
• 18:27
  I asked, turning to Ross. He was wandering the halls last
• 18:31
  night, talking about blood in the water.
• 18:35
  Ross nodded gravely. I examined him this morning.
• 18:40
  Classic symptoms of acute stress disorder.
• 18:44
  The isolation combined with the pressure of the mission and his
• 18:47
  previous experiences up here, it's taking a toll.
• 18:51
  Is he a danger to himself or others?
• 18:54
  Derek asked bluntly. I didn't think so, but Ross
• 19:00
  hesitated. This afternoon he tried to
• 19:03
  access the drill controls, said he needed to seal it up before
• 19:06
  they come through. Jesus.
• 19:10
  Catherine muttered. I've sedated him for now, Ross
• 19:14
  continued. He'll sleep through the night,
• 19:18
  but we'll need to monitor him closely.
• 19:21
  Derek stood up, his face set in determined lines.
• 19:25
  We continue our work as planned. The communication issue is
• 19:29
  temporary, and Ross has Jake under control.
• 19:33
  We've made a ground breaking discovery here people, let's not
• 19:37
  lose sight of that. We nodded in agreement, though I
• 19:41
  noticed uneasy glances exchanged around the room.
• 19:45
  As the meeting broke up, I stopped by the lab to check on
• 19:48
  the water samples we've collected.
• 19:50
  The analysis would have to wait until morning, but I wanted to
• 19:54
  make sure everything was properly stored.
• 19:57
  The lab was quiet and dimly lit. I checked the sample containers,
• 20:03
  all safely locked in the refrigeration unit.
• 20:07
  Through the glass door, I could see the reddish tinge more
• 20:10
  clearly in some of the vials. Whatever was causing that
• 20:14
  coloration, we'd find out tomorrow.
• 20:18
  As I turned to leave, my reflection caught in the glass
• 20:21
  of the refrigerator door for a split second.
• 20:25
  I thought I saw Sharon standing behind me, but when I spun
• 20:29
  around, the lab was empty. Time for sleep.
• 20:35
  I was clearly more tired than I realized.
• 20:39
  The dream came as soon as I closed my eyes.
• 20:43
  Sharon was swimming in dark water, her small arms cutting
• 20:46
  through the blackness with surprising strength.
• 20:49
  I called out to her, but no sound came.
• 20:53
  She turned toward me and I recoiled.
• 20:57
  Her eyes were different, larger, without pupils reflecting the
• 21:01
  darkness around her. Come swim with me, Dad, she
• 21:05
  said, but her mouth didn't move. The voice seemed to come from
• 21:09
  the water itself. It's nice down here.
• 21:13
  I can show you things. I tried to reach for her, to
• 21:17
  pull her from the water, but my arms wouldn't move.
• 21:21
  Sharon swam closer, her face changing subtly, features
• 21:25
  elongating, skin becoming translucent.
• 21:29
  The water likes you. She said in that same unmoving
• 21:34
  lips voice. It wants to know you better.
• 21:38
  I woke up gasping, tangled in sweat soaked sheets.
• 21:42
  The nightmare had felt so real that for a moment I wasn't sure
• 21:46
  where I was. The familiar walls of my
• 21:49
  quarters slowly came into focus, grounding me back in reality.
• 21:54
  I checked the time, 5:45 in the morning, close enough to when
• 21:59
  I'd normally get up. I headed for the shower, hoping
• 22:02
  the hot water would wash away the lingering unease from the
• 22:05
  dream. I was toweling off when the
• 22:07
  alarm started blaring. I threw on clothes and raced
• 22:11
  into the hallway, nearly colliding with Brooke, who was
• 22:14
  running from the opposite direction.
• 22:17
  What's happening? I shouted over the alarm.
• 22:21
  Don't know. She called back, meeting in the
• 22:24
  control room. We rushed to the control room.
• 22:28
  Catherine and Derek were already at the monitors.
• 22:31
  Ross arrived moments later, half dressed.
• 22:36
  Where's Francisco? Derek demanded, looking around
• 22:39
  the room. I'm not in his quarters.
• 22:42
  Ross replied. I checked on my way here.
• 22:47
  Derek hit a button on the console, silencing the alarm.
• 22:51
  The drill site security system was triggered 20 minutes ago.
• 22:55
  Someone opened the outer door without proper authorization,
• 22:59
  Francisco Catherine suggested. His access card was used, Derek
• 23:06
  confirmed, but he's not responding to radio calls.
• 23:10
  He went out alone in the dark. Looks that way, Derek said.
• 23:17
  We need to find him. John, Brooke, gear up and check
• 23:20
  the drill platform. Catherine, stay here and monitor
• 23:24
  the systems. Ross, check on Jake and then
• 23:27
  join Catherine. We moved quickly, pulling on
• 23:31
  thermal gear and checking our radios.
• 23:34
  Within minutes Brooke and I were pushing through the outer door
• 23:37
  into the Antarctic darkness. The cold hit hard through our
• 23:42
  protective clothing. Our headlamps lit the path to
• 23:45
  the drill platform 200 yards from the main station.
• 23:49
  Snow swirled through the beams. Francisco, I called.
• 23:54
  We followed the snow path toward the platform.
• 23:57
  Halfway there, Brooke grabbed my arm and pointed down.
• 24:01
  Look, she said through her face mask.
• 24:05
  A set of footprints left the main path, cutting straight
• 24:08
  toward the platform. He was in a hurry, I said,
• 24:12
  following the footprints. The drill platform stood ahead
• 24:15
  with its access hatch open, the cover thrown aside instead of
• 24:19
  properly retracted. Francisco.
• 24:22
  Brooke called again. As we climbed the stairs to the
• 24:25
  platform, the wind howled. Metal creaked beneath our feet.
• 24:30
  Our headlamps swept across the platform until Brooke gasped.
• 24:35
  John, she said. Over there.
• 24:39
  Our lights revealed Francisco's helmet lying on its side near
• 24:42
  the open borehole. I could see blood stains on the
• 24:46
  shell and a smear leading toward the hole.
• 24:50
  Oh God, Brooke whispered. I picked up the helmet.
• 24:56
  The inside was clean, but one side of the exterior was
• 24:59
  bloodied, suggesting Francisco had been struck while wearing
• 25:03
  it. We need to call this in, I said,
• 25:06
  reaching for my radio. I reported our findings to Derek
• 25:10
  while Brooke examined the area around the borehole.
• 25:15
  The blood trail ends at the opening, she said after I
• 25:18
  finished the call. It's like he went in.
• 25:22
  I moved closer to the borehole, drawn toward the dark opening.
• 25:27
  The hole was about 3 feet wide, disappearing into blackness.
• 25:32
  I shined my light down, but saw only ice walls.
• 25:37
  We should secure the opening. Brooke said.
• 25:41
  I saw a reflection in the darkness below.
• 25:44
  Sharon's face looked up at me from the depths, her smile wrong
• 25:48
  somehow, her eyes reflecting my headlamp with an unnatural glow.
• 25:53
  I jerked back from the edge, nearly losing my balance.
• 25:57
  John. Brooke's hand was on my arm,
• 26:01
  steadying me. Are you OK?
• 26:05
  I blinked and the vision was gone.
• 26:08
  Just darkness below us and wind. Yeah, I managed.
• 26:15
  Let's seal this up and get back to the station.
• 26:19
  While securing the borehole cover, I couldn't shake the
• 26:22
  image of Sharon's face in the darkness.
• 26:25
  Just my mind playing tricks, I told myself.
• 26:30
  The stress, isolation and worry about losing contact with her.
• 26:34
  We're getting to me, but a small voice in the back of my mind
• 26:38
  whispered that something was very wrong with Lake Vostok, and
• 26:42
  we'd only begun to discover what lay beneath the ice.
• 26:46
  I helped Derek seal the borehole with a heavy steel cap that took
• 26:49
  both of us to position over the opening.
• 26:52
  My hands felt numb inside my gloves, partly from the cold and
• 26:57
  partly from what we discovered at the drill platform.
• 27:01
  Francisco's blood on the snow kept flashing in my mind, a
• 27:04
  vivid red against pristine white.
• 27:08
  This should hold. Derek said, tightening the last
• 27:12
  bolt with a wrench. His breath clouded in front of
• 27:15
  his face. Let's get inside before we
• 27:18
  freeze. We trudged back to the station
• 27:21
  in silence, our headlamps cutting through the darkness.
• 27:25
  I kept thinking about Francisco. What had happened to him?
• 27:30
  Had he fallen? Had something pulled him in?
• 27:35
  Back at the station, Derek called everyone to the common
• 27:38
  room. Catherine sat with her arms
• 27:40
  wrapped around herself while Ross stood by the coffee
• 27:43
  machine, pouring a cup with shaking hands.
• 27:47
  Brooke kept checking her tablet, scrolling through data as if
• 27:50
  answers might suddenly appear on the screen.
• 27:54
  I'm declaring an emergency situation.
• 27:57
  Derek announced, his voice steady but grave.
• 28:00
  Francisco is missing. Presumed.
• 28:04
  He paused, choosing his words carefully.
• 28:08
  Presumed. Lost until communications are
• 28:11
  restored. We're implementing emergency
• 28:13
  protocols. No one goes outside alone.
• 28:17
  All exterior doors remain locked.
• 28:20
  The borehole has been sealed. What about Francisco?
• 28:25
  Brooke asked. Shouldn't we be looking for him?
• 28:30
  Derek's expression hardened. The blood trail LED directly to
• 28:33
  the borehole. There's nowhere else to look.
• 28:37
  No one argued with that. We all knew what it meant.
• 28:42
  What about Jake? I asked.
• 28:45
  He sedated in the medical Bay. Ross said.
• 28:48
  I'll continue monitoring him. Derek nodded.
• 28:53
  We need to stay focused. Catherine, continue analyzing
• 28:58
  the geological data. John, I want you working on
• 29:01
  those water samples. Brooke, help Ross with Jake and
• 29:05
  inventory our medical supplies. I'll keep trying to establish
• 29:09
  communications. We broke up after that, each
• 29:13
  heading to our assigned tasks. I stopped by my quarters first,
• 29:18
  pulling out the photo of Sharon from my pocket.
• 29:21
  Her gap tooth smile looked back at me, innocent and far away
• 29:25
  from this nightmare. I'll call soon, kiddo.
• 29:29
  I whispered to the photo before tucking it back into my pocket.
• 29:33
  That night I was in the common room with Ross and Catherine.
• 29:38
  Derek had gone to check the communications array and Brooke
• 29:41
  was sleeping after her shift watching Jake.
• 29:44
  We sat in silence, then everything went dark.
• 29:49
  What the hell? Catherine's voice came from
• 29:52
  somewhere to my left. Power failure, Ross said.
• 29:57
  The backup generator should kick in.
• 30:00
  We waited in the pitch black. One minute passed. 2 minutes.
• 30:05
  The backup generator didn't start.
• 30:08
  I'm going to check the circuit Breakers, Ross said.
• 30:12
  I heard him stand up, the sound of his chair scraping against
• 30:16
  the floor. Wait, I called out.
• 30:19
  Don't go alone. I've got my flashlight, I'll be
• 30:23
  right back. I heard the door open and close.
• 30:27
  Catherine and I sat in the darkness, waiting.
• 30:32
  The station creaked around us, the walls contracting in the
• 30:35
  cold. Should we go after him?
• 30:38
  Catherine asked after a few minutes.
• 30:41
  Before I could answer, the light snapped back on, bright and
• 30:45
  sudden. I blinked against the glare, my
• 30:49
  eyes adjusting. Ross wasn't in the room.
• 30:53
  Ross. I called out.
• 30:55
  No answer. Catherine stood up.
• 30:59
  He said he was checking the circuit Breakers.
• 31:01
  That's just down the hall. We both moved to the door.
• 31:06
  I pulled it open and stepped into the corridor.
• 31:09
  A smear of blood marked the wall at about shoulder height.
• 31:13
  It continued down the hallway, the Crimson trail leading toward
• 31:16
  the medical Bay. Oh God.
• 31:20
  Catherine whispered behind me. I followed the blood trail, my
• 31:24
  heart pounding in my chest. It LED past the medical Bay
• 31:28
  where Jake was sedated and continued to one of the exterior
• 31:32
  doors. The door stood open, snow
• 31:35
  blowing in from outside. Derek.
• 31:39
  I shouted, running back to the common area.
• 31:43
  Derek. He appeared for the direction of
• 31:46
  the communications room, his face alarmed.
• 31:51
  What happened? Ross is gone, there's blood.
• 31:55
  The exterior door by the medical Bay is open.
• 31:59
  Derek's expression hardened. He grabbed his coat from the
• 32:03
  rack near the common room. Catherine, get your gear.
• 32:06
  We're going to search outside. John, secure the station, check
• 32:10
  on Jake, and make sure all other doors are locked.
• 32:13
  I nodded, watching them suit up quickly as they headed out.
• 32:18
  I made my way to the medical Bay.
• 32:21
  Jake lay on the bed, restraint securing his wrists and ankles
• 32:25
  to the frame. His eyes were closed, his
• 32:28
  breathing shallow but steady. I checked the restraints to make
• 32:33
  sure they were secure, then moved through the station,
• 32:36
  checking and locking each exterior door.
• 32:40
  When I returned to the medical Bay, Jake's eyes were open,
• 32:44
  staring at the ceiling. Jake, can you hear me?
• 32:50
  His head turned slowly toward me, his eyes unfocused.
• 32:55
  It's learning, he whispered, his voice hoarse.
• 32:59
  It knows us now. A chill ran up my spine.
• 33:05
  What knows us, Jake? The water.
• 33:09
  His eyes closed again, the sedatives pulling him back
• 33:12
  under. I sat with him until I heard the
• 33:16
  exterior door open and Derek's voice calling my name.
• 33:20
  I found him and Catherine in the entryway, removing their snow
• 33:24
  covered gear. Anything.
• 33:27
  I asked. Catherine shook her head, her
• 33:30
  face pale. Just footprints leading away
• 33:34
  from the station. They just stopped.
• 33:38
  Like he vanished into thin air or was taken.
• 33:42
  Derek said grimly. The tracks were odd, like he was
• 33:46
  being dragged. We gathered in the common room
• 33:49
  again, now just the three of us, plus a sedated Jake.
• 33:54
  Brooke had woken up during the commotion and sat with her knees
• 33:57
  pulled to her chest, looking small and frightened.
• 34:02
  What's happening to us? She asked, her voice barely
• 34:05
  above a whisper. No one had an answer.
• 34:09
  I tried the satellite phone every hour, desperate to hear
• 34:12
  Sharon's voice. Each time I got only static.
• 34:17
  I needed to hear my daughter, to know the normal world still
• 34:20
  existed outside this nightmare. Morning came, though you
• 34:25
  wouldn't know it from the perpetual Antarctic darkness.
• 34:29
  Derek found me in the communications room, staring at
• 34:33
  the satellite phone. We need to continue our work, he
• 34:37
  said. I looked up at him in disbelief.
• 34:41
  Two people are missing. Jake's lost his mind, and you
• 34:45
  want to continue especially because of that?
• 34:50
  He replied firmly. Whatever's happening, it started
• 34:54
  when we broke through to the lake.
• 34:56
  The answers are in your samples, John.
• 35:00
  I knew he was right, but the thought of studying those water
• 35:03
  samples made my skin crawl. Still, what choice did we have
• 35:10
  in the lab? I set up my microscope and
• 35:13
  pulled the first sample vial from the refrigeration unit.
• 35:17
  The water had a reddish tinge that seemed more pronounced than
• 35:21
  before. I prepared a slide and placed it
• 35:24
  under the microscope. What I saw made me gasp.
• 35:29
  The water teamed with microorganisms unlike anything
• 35:32
  I'd ever seen. They changed as I watched their
• 35:36
  structures, morphing and shifting in ways that defied
• 35:39
  biology. They seem to be responding to
• 35:42
  being observed, reorganizing themselves into more complex
• 35:45
  patterns. I prepared another slide, this
• 35:50
  time from a sample taken before Francisco disappeared.
• 35:54
  As I examined it, my blood ran cold.
• 35:58
  Among the strange microorganisms were human blood cells.
• 36:03
  Francisco's blood had somehow been in the water before he went
• 36:06
  missing. I worked through the afternoon,
• 36:09
  documenting everything I found. The organisms continue to
• 36:13
  change, becoming more complex with each hour.
• 36:17
  By evening, they had formed structures that resembled
• 36:20
  primitive neural networks. I was so absorbed in my work
• 36:25
  that I almost missed dinner. When I finally looked up from my
• 36:29
  microscope, the lab was dark except for my desk lamp.
• 36:33
  I stretched after hours of being hunched over.
• 36:37
  That's when I heard Catherine scream from the adjacent
• 36:39
  laboratory. I ran to the door connecting our
• 36:43
  labs and pushed it open. Catherine stood backed against
• 36:47
  the wall, her face white with terror, pointing at something on
• 36:51
  her workbench. It moved.
• 36:54
  She gasped. The water sample moved on its
• 36:57
  own. I looked where she was pointing.
• 37:01
  A vial of lake water sat on the bench, the liquid inside
• 37:04
  swirling slowly, though nothing was disturbing it.
• 37:08
  That's not possible. I said, moving closer.
• 37:13
  The lights flickered once, twice, then went out completely.
• 37:18
  In the darkness, I felt something cold brush against the
• 37:21
  back of my neck, like fingers trailing across my skin.
• 37:26
  I spun around, heart racing, but saw nothing in the blackness.
• 37:31
  Catherine. I called out.
• 37:34
  No answer. The lights came back on 10
• 37:37
  seconds later. Catherine was gone.
• 37:40
  The lab was empty except for me and that vial of slowly swirling
• 37:44
  water. I ran through the station,
• 37:47
  calling her name. Derek emerged from the
• 37:50
  communications room, alarm on his face.
• 37:54
  She's gone, I told him, my voice breaking.
• 37:57
  Just like Ross, just like Francisco.
• 38:00
  We searched every room, every corner of the station.
• 38:04
  Nothing. Catherine had vanished.
• 38:08
  It was just the three of us now, me, Derek, and a sedated Jake.
• 38:13
  We barricaded ourselves in the communications room, dragging a
• 38:17
  heavy desk in front of the door. Derek kept working on the
• 38:21
  satellite equipment, determined to make contact with the outside
• 38:24
  world. We'll take shifts watching Jake,
• 38:29
  Derek said, his voice tight with stress.
• 38:32
  He might know something about what we're facing.
• 38:36
  I nodded, too exhausted and frightened to argue.
• 38:41
  We set up a cot for Jake in the corner of the room, keeping him
• 38:44
  sedated but reducing the dose so he might be able to communicate.
• 38:49
  As night fell outside, I took the first watch while Derek
• 38:52
  worked on the satellite link. Jake mumbled in his sleep,
• 38:57
  occasionally becoming agitated before settling again.
• 39:01
  I sat beside him, thinking of Sharon, wondering if I'd ever
• 39:05
  see her again. Derek adjusted dials and check
• 39:09
  connections on the satellite equipment.
• 39:12
  Static crackled through the speakers.
• 39:15
  Any luck? I asked after several hours.
• 39:20
  Derek shook his head, not looking up from his work.
• 39:24
  Something's interfering with the signal.
• 39:27
  It's like. He paused, frowning.
• 39:31
  It's like something's blocking us.
• 39:32
  Specifically, the equipment is working, but the signal can't
• 39:36
  get through. I looked down at Jake, who had
• 39:40
  opened his eyes and was staring at me with surprising clarity.
• 39:45
  It doesn't want us to call for help.
• 39:47
  He whispered. I watched Jake's face change.
• 39:51
  One minute. He was lying still on the cot.
• 39:54
  The next his eyes flew open. He sat up so fast, nearly fell
• 39:58
  out of my chair. It's in the water, he said, his
• 40:03
  voice suddenly clear. No slurring from the sedatives.
• 40:07
  His eyes looked sharp, focused. It's been down there for
• 40:12
  millions of years, alone, learning.
• 40:16
  I glanced at Derek, who'd stopped fiddling with the
• 40:18
  satellite equipment and turned to stare.
• 40:21
  Jake. I moved closer.
• 40:24
  What are you talking about? It shows you what you want.
• 40:29
  Jake grabbed my wrist. His fingers felt ice cold.
• 40:34
  What, you love to draw you in? It showed me Wendy, my wife dead
• 40:41
  20 years, and I saw her standing outside in the snow, smiling at
• 40:45
  me. His grip tightened.
• 40:48
  I tried to pull away, but he held on.
• 40:51
  It learns from us. Every time we put something in
• 40:54
  the water, the probes, the samples, it learns more.
• 40:58
  It's not just the fish things, it's everything.
• 41:01
  The water itself. Take it easy.
• 41:05
  Derek said, coming over. You need to rest.
• 41:09
  Jake shook his head frantically. No, listen to me.
• 41:13
  Francisco saw his brother, Ross saw his dog from when he was a
• 41:17
  kid, Catherine. His body went rigid.
• 41:22
  His back arched off the cot, arms and legs stiffening.
• 41:26
  He's seizing. I yelled, trying to turn him on
• 41:29
  his side. Help me.
• 41:31
  Derek rushed over. Together we rolled Jake onto his
• 41:35
  side. His body convulsed for 30
• 41:37
  seconds, then he went still. Jake.
• 41:42
  I checked his pulse. It was there, but weak.
• 41:45
  Jake, can you hear me? His eyes open slowly.
• 41:50
  They stared straight ahead, empty, vacant, the pupils huge
• 41:54
  and black. Jake.
• 41:58
  I waved my hand in front of his face.
• 42:00
  Nothing. No response.
• 42:03
  What the hell just happened? Derek asked, his voice barely
• 42:07
  above a whisper. I shook my head.
• 42:10
  I don't know, but he's not responsive.
• 42:15
  We laid Jake back on the cot. His eyes remained open, staring
• 42:19
  at nothing. His breathing was shallow but
• 42:21
  steady. What was he talking about?
• 42:25
  Derek asked after a minute, the water showing people what they
• 42:29
  love. I don't know, I said, but a
• 42:34
  chill ran up my back. I thought about my dream of
• 42:38
  Sharon swimming in dark water, the vision of her face looking
• 42:42
  up at me from the borehole. Derek paced the small
• 42:46
  communications room, running his hands through his hair.
• 42:50
  We've lost three people. Jake's.
• 42:53
  Whatever this is, we need to make a call.
• 42:57
  What kind of call? He stopped pacing and looked at
• 43:01
  me. We need to destroy everything.
• 43:05
  All the samples, all the research.
• 43:07
  Seal that borehole permanently. But you heard what Jake said.
• 43:13
  You've seen what's happened. This isn't about scientific
• 43:16
  discovery anymore. This is about survival.
• 43:20
  I looked at Jake's vacant eyes, the way he'd seized up after his
• 43:25
  warning. I nodded slowly.
• 43:29
  You're right. Derek went to his locker in the
• 43:32
  corner of the room and pulled out a metal case.
• 43:36
  He opened it to reveal what looked like blocks of clay with
• 43:39
  wires and timers attached. Incendiary charges, he
• 43:44
  explained. Standard emergency protocol for
• 43:47
  biohazard containment. You brought explosives.
• 43:52
  Every Antarctic expedition carries them for emergencies
• 43:55
  only. He started checking the devices.
• 44:00
  We'll set these at the lab to destroy all samples, then at the
• 44:03
  borehole to collapse the shaft. I helped him prepare the
• 44:07
  charges. We worked in silence, except for
• 44:11
  Jake's breathing and Derek setting the timers.
• 44:15
  Ready. Derek asked when we'd finished.
• 44:19
  I nodded, glancing at Jake. What about him?
• 44:24
  We'll come back for him. Let's secure the station first.
• 44:28
  We moved the desk away from the door and stepped into the
• 44:31
  hallway. The station was quiet, with the
• 44:34
  heating system barely audible. Lab first, Derek whispered, Then
• 44:40
  the drill platform. We moved down the corridor
• 44:44
  toward the lab, charges in hand. That's when I heard it.
• 44:48
  Daddy, Daddy, help me. I stopped dead, Sharon's voice
• 44:54
  clear as day, coming from somewhere ahead of us.
• 44:58
  Did you hear that? I asked.
• 45:01
  Derek looked at me. Hear what?
• 45:04
  Daddy, I'm cold. Help me, please.
• 45:08
  I pushed past Derek, moving faster down the hallway.
• 45:12
  John, what are you doing? Derek hissed behind me.
• 45:17
  I reached the junction where the hallway split toward the lab and
• 45:20
  the exterior doors. And there she was, Sharon,
• 45:26
  standing by the door that led to the drill platform, her brown
• 45:30
  hair and pigtails, wearing her favorite blue pyjamas with stars
• 45:33
  on them. Sharon.
• 45:36
  My voice cracked. John Derek caught up to me.
• 45:41
  What are you looking at? My daughter, she's right there.
• 45:44
  I pointed. There's nothing there, John.
• 45:48
  Derek grabbed my arm. It's like Jake said, it shows
• 45:52
  you what you love. Sharon smiled at me, her gap
• 45:56
  toothed grin exactly like the photo I carried.
• 45:59
  She raised her hand, beckoning. Daddy, I need you come outside.
• 46:05
  I took a step toward her. John.
• 46:08
  No, Derek shouted. It's not real, but I couldn't
• 46:13
  stop myself. Another step forward.
• 46:16
  Sharon's smile widened too wide. Her face began to change,
• 46:20
  stretching and elongating. Her bright blue eyes darkened,
• 46:24
  the color draining away until they were empty pits.
• 46:28
  Her skin turned pale, almost translucent.
• 46:32
  I backed away. You're not my daughter.
• 46:36
  The thing that wasn't Sharon lunged at me with impossible
• 46:40
  speed. One second it was by the door,
• 46:43
  the next it was right in front of me.
• 46:46
  I see fingers closed around my throat, cutting off my air.
• 46:50
  Its face was inches from mine, a horrible parody of my daughter's
• 46:54
  features. John.
• 46:57
  Derek yelled, and then he slammed into the creature,
• 47:00
  knocking it away from me. I fell back, gasping for air.
• 47:06
  Derek wrestled with a thing on the floor.
• 47:09
  It moved with unnatural speed, its limbs bending in ways that
• 47:13
  weren't possible for a human body.
• 47:15
  Run. Derek shouted.
• 47:18
  Set the charges, I'll hold it. I hesitated, watching as Derek
• 47:22
  struggled with the creature. Go.
• 47:24
  He screamed. Now.
• 47:27
  I turned and ran toward the exterior door, the charges
• 47:30
  clutched in my hands. Behind me, I heard Derek.
• 47:34
  Shouts turned to screams, then suddenly silence.
• 47:41
  I didn't look back. I pushed through the door into
• 47:44
  the Antarctic night. The drill platform loomed ahead
• 47:47
  against the starlit sky. I ran to it.
• 47:51
  I placed the charges around the borehole cap.
• 47:53
  My fingers fumble as I set the timers. 10 minutes, enough time
• 47:59
  to get clear. I heard something behind me, a
• 48:03
  wet sliding sound. I turned.
• 48:07
  A shape stood at the edge of the platform.
• 48:10
  Not Sharon this time. Something that might once have
• 48:13
  been human but wasn't anymore. It moved toward me.
• 48:18
  I hit the activation button on The detonator and ran.
• 48:22
  Behind me, the timers started their countdown.
• 48:25
  I made it to the emergency shelter 100 yards from the main
• 48:28
  station. Inside, I sealed the door and
• 48:32
  watched through the small window.
• 48:35
  The explosion destroyed the drill platform.
• 48:38
  The ground shook beneath me. When the smoke cleared, only a
• 48:42
  smoking crater remained where the borehole had been.
• 48:46
  I waited three days in the shelter.
• 48:49
  When the emergency response team arrived, I told them about
• 48:53
  equipment malfunctions, colleagues lost in blizzards,
• 48:57
  and how I destroyed the contaminated samples.
• 48:59
  When bacteria from the lake proved dangerous, they believed
• 49:04
  me or pretended to. Six months later, I sat in my
• 49:09
  living room watching Sharon blow out the candles on her birthday
• 49:12
  cake. Nine years old now, my
• 49:17
  scientific career was finished. No one wants to hire the sole
• 49:20
  survivor of a failed expedition that cost 5 lives.
• 49:25
  But I had my daughter. That was all that mattered.
• 49:30
  Make a wish. I said as she leaned toward the
• 49:32
  candles. She smiled at me, then closed
• 49:36
  her eyes and blew. All 9 candles went out in one
• 49:41
  breath. What did you wish for?
• 49:44
  I asked. Can't tell you or it won't come
• 49:47
  true. She said in that matter of fact
• 49:50
  way children have. Later I noticed things, small
• 49:55
  things at first. How Sharon would stare at water
• 49:58
  in her glass, in the bathtub, in puddles after rain.
• 50:03
  How she'd sit for hours watching the fish tank I'd bought her,
• 50:07
  her face inches from the glass. One night, I passed the bathroom
• 50:12
  and heard her voice. I paused, listening.
• 50:17
  I know, she whispered. I know who he is.
• 50:22
  I pushed the door open. Sharon was kneeling beside the
• 50:25
  bathtub, her fingers trailing in the water.
• 50:29
  Sharon, who are you talking to? She looked up at me, smiling.
• 50:35
  The water, Daddy, it knows your name.
• 50:38
  I live with it now. The fear, the knowledge.
• 50:43
  Every time she takes a bath, every time she asks to go
• 50:46
  swimming, every time it rains and she presses her face against
• 50:50
  the window, watching the drops run down the glass.
• 50:54
  Something followed me home from Lake Vostok.
• 50:57
  Something that waited millions of years in the dark water.
• 51:00
  Something that learned, and it's still learning.