Latest / Creepy Stories to Fall Asleep To / I am Part of an Arctic Research Team. The Arctic is Horrifying.

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I am Part of an Arctic Research Team. The Arctic is Horrifying. · Creepy Stories to Fall Asleep To

0:00
The wind speed indicator on the anemometer spun wildly, its
0:03
needle jumping past 60 mph. I squinted at the reading, then
0:09
checked it again. This couldn't be right.
0:13
The forecast had predicted clear conditions for the next three
0:16
days. Damn it, I muttered, tapping the
0:21
glass face of the instrument panel.
0:24
The needle didn't budget. I stepped away from the
0:28
meteorological station and looked through the observation
0:31
window. Outside, what had been clear
0:35
Arctic sky just 30 minutes ago was now a wall of approaching
0:39
white. The stormfront moved with
0:42
unnatural speed, consuming the horizon like a living thing.
0:47
This wasn't just an unexpected weather pattern, this was a full
0:51
blown Arctic cyclone bearing down on Polaris Station.
0:56
I grabbed the radio from my belt.
0:59
This is Miguel to all personnel. Drop whatever you're doing and
1:03
get to the central hub immediately.
1:05
We've got a category 4 storm incoming.
1:08
This is not a drill. Repeat, this is not a drill.
1:13
The radio crackled with immediate responses as I rushed
1:16
from the meteorological lab toward the central hub.
1:20
The corridor lights flickered ominously as I moved, the wind
1:23
already howling against the exterior walls.
1:26
The station's infrastructure groaned under the sudden
1:28
pressure change. I reached the central hub just
1:32
as Maya burst through the opposite doorway, her arms
1:35
loaded with emergency blankets from the medical Bay.
1:39
Miguel, what's happening? The barometric pressure just
1:42
dropped off a Cliff, she said, dumping the blankets onto the
1:46
central table. Rogue storm system, I answered,
1:50
Moving to the environmental controls.
1:53
Came out of nowhere, whether satellites didn't pick it up
1:56
until it was practically on top of us.
1:59
Jeffrey pushed through the door next, carrying two large
2:03
equipment cases. His beard was frosted white,
2:07
suggesting he just come in from outside.
2:10
Was checking the perimeter sensors when your call came
2:13
through. He said, setting down the cases.
2:17
Wind chill is already at -60 and dropping fast.
2:21
Oscar followed close behind, clutching his tablet with white
2:24
knuckles. My samples.
2:27
I left cultures running in the bio lab.
2:30
They'll be ruined if the power. Forget the samples, I cut them
2:35
off. We need to secure the station.
2:38
Alice and Kaden arrived together, both carrying tool
2:41
kits and portable power cells. Alice's curly hair was coming
2:46
loose from her ponytail, her expression tense but focused.
2:51
We grabbed what we could from the maintenance Bay, Kaden
2:55
explained, setting down the equipment.
2:58
If we lose main power, these batteries can run essential
3:02
systems for about 12 hours. Sage was the last to arrive,
3:08
medical kit in hand. I've prepped the emergency
3:12
medical supplies, she said, her British accent more pronounced
3:16
under stress. What are we dealing with,
3:18
Miguel? Before I could answer, a violent
3:21
shudder ran through the station. The lights flickered, went out
3:25
for three seconds, then came back dimmer than before the
3:30
backup generators had kicked in. That can't be good, Alice said
3:35
quietly. I moved to the central
3:38
monitoring station and pulled up the structural integrity
3:41
display. Red warnings flashed across the
3:45
eastern section of the digital blueprint.
3:49
The eastern wing is taking heavy ice buildup, I explained,
3:53
pointing to the display, the storms creating rapid ice
3:57
secretion on the exterior walls. Another violent tremor shook the
4:02
station, longer this time. The lights flickered again, but
4:07
held everyone. Grab something.
4:11
I shouted as the rumbling intensified.
4:14
A deafening crack echoed through the station, followed by the
4:17
screech of tearing metal. The floor beneath us tilted
4:22
slightly. Warning alarms blared from every
4:25
speaker. We're losing the eastern wing.
4:29
I yelled over the noise. Seal the emergency bulkheads.
4:34
Jeffrey and Kaden rushed to the manual override controls,
4:37
spinning the heavy wheels that would isolate the compromise
4:40
section of the station. The bulkhead doors slammed shut
4:44
with hydraulic finality just as another tremendous crack
4:48
reverberated through the structure.
4:51
The monitoring display showed the eastern wing going
4:53
completely dark. The exterior cameras still
4:57
functioning captured the horrifying sight of that entire
5:01
section of the station collapsing under the accumulated
5:04
weight of ice, crumpling like an aluminum can.
5:08
The bio lab, Oscar whispered, his face ashen.
5:13
All my research. Better your research than you.
5:17
Maya said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
5:20
I turned to the communications console and began the emergency
5:23
protocols. This is Polaris Research Station
5:28
declaring emergency conditions. We have experienced catastrophic
5:33
structural failure in our eastern wing due to extreme
5:36
weather conditions. Requesting immediate evacuation
5:40
assistance. The radio returned nothing but
5:44
static. I adjusted frequencies and tried
5:47
again. This is Polaris Research
5:50
Station. Mayday, Mayday.
5:52
We need immediate assistance. More static than a broken,
5:57
barely audible response. Lyra station copy unable
6:02
approach Conditions 2 weeks. Minimum hold position two weeks.
6:09
Alice exclaimed. They can't be serious.
6:13
I tried to re establish contact, but the transmission dissolved
6:16
completely into white noise outside.
6:20
The storm had enveloped the station entirely.
6:24
The exterior cameras showed nothing but swirling white,
6:27
occasionally illuminated by flashes of Arctic lightning.
6:31
As if to punctuate our isolation, the lights went out
6:35
completely. The emergency backup lights
6:38
kicked on, bathing the central hub in an eerie red glow.
6:43
Main power's gone. Caden confirmed, checking the
6:46
systems. Panel generators are struggling
6:49
with a cold. We're on emergency power only
6:52
now. I looked around at my team's
6:55
faces, each showing varying degrees of fear and
6:58
determination in the Crimson emergency lighting.
7:02
We had trained for emergencies, but nothing like this.
7:06
Listen up, I said, keeping my voice steady.
7:10
Help isn't coming anytime soon. We need to conserve heat, power,
7:15
and supplies. The central hub and southern
7:18
wing are still intact. We'll move all essential
7:21
operations here. What about the eastern wing
7:24
collapse? Sage asked.
7:28
Could there be structural damage affecting other sections?
7:31
We won't know until we can properly assess, I admitted.
7:36
But right now, we need to focus on survival.
7:40
Jeffrey, you and Kaden check our remaining power systems.
7:43
Maya and Sage inventory our medical and food supplies.
7:48
Alice, see what you can do to reinforce our communications
7:52
equipment. I want hourly status reports.
7:55
They nodded and moved to their assigned tasks, the gravity of
7:59
our situation settling over everyone like a physical weight.
8:03
What about me? Oscar asked, still clutching his
8:07
tablet. Help me set up the emergency
8:10
heating systems. I told him.
8:13
We need to maintain livable temperatures in our remaining
8:16
space. The night passed in a blur of
8:19
emergency procedures and makeshift repairs.
8:23
The storm showed no signs of abating.
8:26
It's howling a constant reminder of our precarious situation.
8:31
We gathered in the central hub, huddled around portable heaters,
8:35
sharing what little warmth we could generate.
8:38
By morning the storm had weakened slightly enough that I
8:43
decided to risk a brief exterior assessment.
8:46
I suited up in the thermal gear, double checking every seal in
8:50
connection. This is a bad idea, Miguel, Maya
8:54
said as she helped me secure my oxygen mask.
8:57
The temperature out there is lethal.
9:00
We need to know how bad the structural damage is, I replied.
9:04
I'll stay tethered to the airlock and be back in 15
9:07
minutes. 10, she countered. Any longer and I'm coming after
9:13
you. I nodded and stepped into the
9:16
airlock. The decompression sequence felt
9:19
agonizingly slow, my breath fogging inside my mask despite
9:23
the heating elements. When the exterior door finally
9:27
opened, the full force of the Arctic hit me like a physical
9:31
blow. Even through my protective gear,
9:34
the cold bit deep Visibility was poor, maybe 20 feet at most with
9:41
snow and ice particles swirling in the air.
9:44
I activated my tether and stepped out onto what had once
9:48
been the main approach to the station.
9:51
The devastation was worse than I'd feared.
9:54
The eastern wing had completely collapsed, leaving a twisted
9:58
mass of metal and insulation material partially buried under
10:01
snow and ice. I took photos with my equipment
10:05
camera documenting the damage for when we eventually re
10:08
established contact with headquarters.
10:10
I worked my way carefully around the perimeter, checking the
10:14
foundation supports of the remaining structure.
10:18
Most seemed intact, though several showed concerning signs
10:22
of stress fractures. As I rounded the corner near
10:26
what had been the secondary equipment storage, something
10:29
caught my eye, a dark shape against the white landscape.
10:35
At first I thought it might be equipment thrown clear during
10:38
the collapse. As I moved closer, the shape
10:42
resolved into something that sent ice through my veins,
10:45
colder than the Arctic air around me.
10:48
It was Oscar. He lay face up in the snow, eyes
10:53
open and glazed over with frost, skin blue, white.
10:57
His right arm extended outward, ending in a ragged stump where
11:01
his hand should have been. There was no blood, just frozen
11:06
tissue. I stared in disbelief.
11:11
Oscar had been with us in the central hub all night.
11:14
He couldn't be out here yet. There was no mistaking his face,
11:19
his research parka with a distinctive patch on the
11:22
shoulder. My radio crackled.
11:26
Miguel, it's been 12 minutes. Get back here now.
11:30
I couldn't find my voice. I took several photos of Oscar's
11:34
body, my hands shaking so badly I nearly dropped the camera.
11:39
Miguel, do you copy? Maya's voice was edged with
11:43
panic. I'm coming back.
11:46
I finally managed, and I'm not alone.
11:51
I couldn't leave him out there. Despite my shock and confusion,
11:56
I couldn't abandoned A-Team member to the ice.
11:59
I disconnected my safety tether against all protocols and
12:03
carefully made my way to Oscar's body.
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Up close, the sight was even more disturbing.
12:10
His eyes, though frozen, seem to follow my movement.
12:15
His lips were pulled back in what looked like a grimace of
12:18
pain. With tremendous effort, I
12:20
hoisted his frozen form over my shoulder.
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The cold had made him rigid, and the awkward weight threatened to
12:28
topple me several times as I struggled back to the airlock.
12:32
When the inner door finally opened, she collapsed forward,
12:36
Oscar's body sliding from my shoulder onto the floor of the
12:39
preparation room. Maya screamed.
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Sage rushed forward, medical training overriding her shock.
12:47
That's impossible, Maya kept saying.
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That's impossible. I pulled off my mask, gasping
12:54
for breath. Get everyone here now.
12:59
Within minutes, the entire team had gathered in the prep room,
13:03
staring in horror at Oscar's frozen corpse.
13:07
Except for Oscar himself, who stood among us, very much alive,
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his face drained of color as he looked down at his own dead
13:15
body. This isn't real, he whispered.
13:19
That's not me. It can't be me.
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But it was him, down to the small scar on his chin and the
13:28
unique pattern of his research. Parka Sage knelt beside the
13:32
body, her medical training taking over despite the
13:35
impossibility of the situation. She examined the stump where
13:40
Oscar's right hand should have been.
13:44
This wasn't frostbite, she said, her voice clinical but strained.
13:49
The tissue wasn't blackened first.
13:51
This was cut. Cut.
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Jeffrey repeated. What are you saying?
13:58
I'm saying someone removed his hand with a sharp instrument.
14:02
Sage clarified, looking up at us before he froze to death.
14:07
A heavy silence fell over the room, broken only by the
14:11
constant howl of the wind outside.
14:15
But I'm right here, Oscar said, his voice rising with hysteria.
14:19
He held up both hands. I'm fine, both hands intact.
14:25
This is some kind of sick joke. We need to move the body to the
14:29
medical Bay. I said, trying to maintain some
14:33
semblance of control. Sage, I want a full examination.
14:38
Miguel, that's not possible. Maya objected.
14:42
Oscar is standing right here with us.
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How can he also be? She gestured helplessly at the
14:48
corpse. I had no answer.
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None of us did. We moved the frozen body to the
14:55
medical Bay, where Sage conducted as thorough an
14:58
examination as our limited equipment would allow.
15:02
The rest of us gathered in the central hub, the mood tense and
15:06
confused. Could it be someone else?
15:10
Alice suggested. Maybe another researcher from
15:14
one of the other stations who just looked similar, wearing my
15:19
exact same custom parka with the tear I repaired last month?
15:23
Oscar countered, pointing to the distinctive stitching visible on
15:26
both his current jacket and the one on the corpse.
15:31
That's not possible. None of this is possible.
15:35
Kaden said quietly. Yet here we are.
15:41
Hours later, Sage returned with her findings.
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Her face was grim. The body is definitely human,
15:50
and the physical characteristics match Oscars exactly.
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She reported the hand was removed with a sharp instrument,
15:58
likely something like a bone saw.
16:01
Based on tissue samples, I estimate death occurred
16:04
approximately 12 hours ago. That's when the storm hit, I
16:09
noted. But I was here with all of you.
16:13
Oscar insisted. I never left the central hub.
16:17
No one had an explanation. We secured the body in the
16:21
medical Bay cold storage and tried to focus on our immediate
16:24
survival needs, but the impossible discovery had
16:28
shattered what little morale we had left.
16:31
That night. I took the first watch while the
16:35
others tried to sleep. The storm had intensified again,
16:39
the winds screaming against the remaining structure of our
16:42
station. I sat at the monitoring station,
16:46
checking our dwindling power reserves and trying to raise
16:49
someone, anyone, on the emergency frequencies.
16:53
Around 3:00 in the morning, I heard it, a faint scratching
16:58
sound coming from the main entrance.
17:00
At first I dismissed it as ice particles being thrown against
17:04
the door by the wind, but the sound continued, rhythmic and
17:09
deliberate, like fingernails dragging across metal.
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I moved cautiously to the entrance, grabbing a flashlight
17:17
along the way. The scratching grew louder as I
17:21
approached. Then it stopped suddenly,
17:25
replaced by silence so complete it felt unnatural.
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I hesitated at the inner door of the entrance airlock, listening
17:33
intently. Nothing.
17:36
I was about to turn back when movement at the small reinforced
17:40
window caught my eye. I raised my flashlight,
17:44
illuminating the exterior view. For a split second, just a
17:49
fraction of a moment, I saw a face pressed against the glass.
17:54
A blue white face with frosted eyes and lips pulled back in a
17:58
grimace. Oscar's face.
18:02
I stumbled backward, dropping the flashlight.
18:05
It clattered loudly on the floor, the beams spinning wildly
18:08
across the walls. Miguel.
18:12
Kaden's voice came from behind me.
18:15
He had woken up and come to investigate the noise.
18:19
What's going on? There's something at the window.
18:22
I said, my voice shaking. I saw Oscar's face, the dead
18:27
Oscar looking in at us. Kaden frowned and picked up the
18:32
flashlight. He approached the window
18:34
cautiously, shining the light outside.
18:38
After a thorough inspection, he turned back to me.
18:41
There's nothing there, Miguel, Just ice and snow.
18:46
I know what I saw, I insisted. Kaden gave me a concerned look.
18:53
You've been awake for almost 24 hours straight.
18:56
Stress, exhaustion, and the situation with Oscars, with the
19:01
body we found it would mess with anyone's head.
19:05
I wanted to argue, but doubt had already crept in.
19:09
Had I imagined it? The face had appeared for just
19:13
an instant, there and gone so quickly I couldn't be certain of
19:16
what I'd seen. Maybe you're right, I conceded.
19:21
Maybe I just need some sleep. But as Kaden led me back to the
19:25
central hub, I couldn't shake the image of that frozen face at
19:30
the window, or the certainty that somehow, impossibly, it had
19:35
been looking specifically for me.
19:37
I noticed the temperature gauge on the wall reading 28°, four
19:42
degrees below freezing. The digital display flickered
19:47
occasionally, threatening to go dark like so many other systems
19:51
had over the past three days. My breath formed small clouds in
19:56
front of my face as I pulled my parka tighter.
20:00
It's getting worse, Maya said. Feeding another stack of papers
20:05
into the metal trash can where a small fire burned, the orange
20:10
glow cast eerie shadows across her face.
20:14
These climate models won't keep us warm much longer.
20:18
We'd gathered in what remained of the central hub, huddled
20:21
around our makeshift heat source.
20:24
The storm continued to rage outside, the howling wind a
20:27
constant reminder of our isolation.
20:30
The eastern wing collapse had damaged more than we initially
20:33
realized, including our primary heating system.
20:38
Any word from the rescue team? I asked, though I already knew
20:42
the answer. Maya shook her head.
20:47
Communications are still down. Alice is trying to boost the
20:50
signal. But she trailed off, the
20:54
implication clear. Oscar sat nearby, his eyes
20:58
constantly darting to the doorway.
21:01
He hadn't spoken much since we'd found his doppelganger's body.
21:05
I couldn't blame him. The image of that frozen corpse
21:09
with his face haunted me too. I scanned the room, counting
21:14
heads. Where's Doctor Kozlov?
21:18
Sage looked up from where she was organizing medical supplies.
21:23
He said he was going to check on the backup generator.
21:26
Thought he might be able to get it running again.
21:29
When was this? I felt a knot forming in my
21:33
stomach. Maybe an hour ago.
21:37
Sage frowned. He should have been back by now.
21:41
I caught Kaden's eye across the room.
21:44
He nodded, already understanding what needed to be done.
21:49
We'll go look for him. I said, standing up.
21:52
The rest of you stay here. Conserve heat.
21:56
Kaden grabbed a flashlight and checked its batteries.
22:00
The generator room is in the West corridor.
22:03
Should still be intact. We moved through the darkened
22:06
hallways, our flashlight beams cutting through the gloom.
22:11
The temperature dropped with each step away from our fire.
22:14
Ice had formed along the edges of the walls where condensation
22:18
had frozen. Doctor Kozlov?
22:21
I called out, my voice echoing down the empty corridor.
22:25
No response. The generator room door stood
22:28
ajar, but the space beyond was empty.
22:32
The backup generator sat silent. It's control panel dark.
22:36
He's not here, Kaden said, sweeping his flashlight around
22:40
the room. But he was.
22:43
Look. He pointed to a tool kit left
22:46
open on the floor, tools scattered as if abandoned in a
22:49
hurry. Let's check the lab.
22:53
I suggested. Maybe he went to salvage
22:55
equipment. The research lab was located
22:58
down another corridor, past the communications room.
23:03
As we approached, I felt a blast of frigid air, much colder than
23:08
the already freezing hallway. Something's wrong, Kaden
23:13
muttered. We turned the corner and saw it
23:17
immediately. A window in the lab had been
23:20
broken. Snow had drifted in, forming a
23:24
small pile on the floor. Wind whipped through the
23:27
opening, carrying ice particles that stung my face.
23:32
Who would break a window in these conditions?
23:34
Kaden asked, his voice tight with disbelief.
23:39
I approached cautiously, glass crunching under my boots.
23:43
The lab was in disarray, equipment overturned, papers
23:47
scattered, and there, by the broken window, was a single
23:51
glove. I recognized it immediately as
23:55
Doctor Kozlov's. He was here.
23:58
I said, picking up the glove. It was stiff with ice.
24:03
But where is he now? We searched the entire western
24:07
section of the station, but found no sign of Doctor Kozlov.
24:11
Eventually we had to return to the central hub, the cold
24:14
becoming too intense to bear. Nothing.
24:19
Maya asked as we returned. I shook my head.
24:23
Found a broken window in the lab.
24:26
His glove was there, but no sign of him.
24:29
A broken window. Oscar's head snapped up.
24:34
Did something get in or out? Alice said quietly.
24:40
No one spoke for a long moment. The implications hung in the air
24:44
between us, as tangible as our frozen breath.
24:48
We need to seal that window, Sage finally said.
24:52
We're losing what little heat we have.
24:55
Kaden nodded. I'll handle it.
24:58
There's some plywood and storage we can use.
25:02
I spent the rest of the day helping Kaden seal the broken
25:05
window and searching for any sign of Doctor Kozlov.
25:09
We found nothing. As night fell, the temperature
25:12
dropped even further. We took turns feeding our fire
25:16
with whatever would burn research notes, old reports,
25:20
even furniture. Sleep came in fitful bursts,
25:24
interrupted by the cold and the constant worry.
25:28
When morning finally arrived, I volunteered to check the
25:31
exterior cameras, hoping they might have captured something.
25:35
The monitoring station was freezing, the screens barely
25:38
functioning. I rubbed my hands together,
25:42
trying to restore circulation as I cycled through the camera
25:45
feeds. Most showed only swirling snow,
25:49
but when I reached the feed from the communications tower, I
25:52
froze. There, at the base of the tower,
25:56
was a body. No, I whispered, leaning closer
26:01
to the screen. The figure lay sprawled in the
26:05
snow, partially covered by fresh powder, but I could clearly make
26:10
out Jeffrey's red knit cap. I grabbed my radio.
26:14
I need help at the monitoring station now.
26:18
Within minutes, Maya and Kaden joined me, their faces falling
26:22
as I pointed to the screen. It's Jeffrey.
26:26
Maya said, her voice breaking. How is that possible?
26:31
He was just here last night. We need to get him.
26:35
Kaden said, already moving toward the door.
26:39
Wait. I called after him.
26:41
The storm's still too strong. We can't go out there yet.
26:44
He might still be alive. Kaden argued.
26:49
I pointed to the screen. Look at him, Kaden.
26:52
He's been out there for hours and -60 temperatures.
26:55
No one survives that. Maya leaned closer to the
26:59
screen. What happened to him?
27:02
His his chest? I looked back at the monitor and
27:07
felt my blood run cold. Jeffrey's torso appeared to be
27:11
torn open, his parka ripped apart to expose his chest
27:14
cavity. Even through the grainy camera
27:17
feed, I could see it was empty. That's not possible.
27:22
Kaden whispered. As we stared at the screen, I
27:26
noticed something that made my skin crawl.
27:29
Jeffrey's eyes. They seem to be looking directly
27:32
at the camera, and as we watched, his head moved
27:36
slightly, turning to follow our viewpoint.
27:40
Did you see that? I asked, my voice barely
27:43
audible. See what?
27:47
Maya asked. His eyes, they moved.
27:52
Kaden shook his head. That's just the wind moving his
27:56
body. He's dead Miguel, we need to
27:59
retrieve him. Maya said.
28:01
Once the storm dies down enough, I couldn't shake the image of
28:06
those eyes tracking me through the camera.
28:09
I'm not going out there, Miguel. Maya started.
28:13
No, something's wrong. First Oscar's duplicate, now
28:17
this. I won't risk it.
28:20
I backed away from the monitor, unable to look at Jeffrey's
28:23
frozen form any longer. Maya and Kaden exchanged
28:28
concerned glances. We can't just leave him out
28:31
there. Maya said softly.
28:34
We have no choice right now. Kaden replied, his breath
28:38
visible in the cold air. The storm's too dangerous.
28:43
We'll we'll retrieve him when it's safer.
28:48
We return to the central hub in silence, the image of Jeffrey's
28:52
mutilated body haunting my thoughts.
28:56
When we told the others what we'd found, Oscar broke down
29:00
sobbing quietly in the corner. Alice tried to comfort him, but
29:05
her own hands trembled as she patted his shoulder.
29:09
How did he even get outside? Sage asked, her medical training
29:13
clearly at odds with the horrific state of Jeffrey's
29:16
body. And what could have done that to
29:20
him? No one had answers.
29:24
We spent the day in somber silence, feeding our dwindling
29:28
fire and trying not to think about what lay outside in the
29:31
snow. As darkness fell, the
29:35
temperature dropped even further.
29:38
The walls of the station creaked and groaned under the pressure
29:41
of the storm. I took first watch that night,
29:44
volunteering to stay awake while the others tried to sleep.
29:49
Sitting near our dying fire, I stared at the frosted windows,
29:54
barely able to see through them. To the darkness beyond, the wind
29:59
howled, sometimes sounding disturbingly like human voices.
30:05
Around midnight, a movement caught my eye.
30:09
Something outside the main window.
30:12
I squinted, trying to see through the frost patterns that
30:14
had formed on the glass. A face stared back at me.
30:20
I jerked backward, nearly toppling my chair.
30:24
It was Jeffrey, his skin blue, white with frost, His dead eyes
30:27
somehow focused on me. And beside him stood Oscar.
30:32
Not the Oscars sleeping a few feet away from me, but another
30:35
Oscar, frozen and pale. I blinked hard, certain I was
30:41
hallucinating, but when I looked again there were more faces
30:46
pressed against the glass. Alice, her neck twisted at an
30:51
impossible angle, and Doctor Patel, both arms missing from
30:55
the shoulders down, the wounds jagged and frozen.
30:59
No, I whispered, scrambling to my feet.
31:03
No, no, no. My movement woke Kaden, who sat
31:07
up quickly. Miguel, what's wrong?
31:11
I pointed a shaking finger toward the window.
31:14
They're outside, all of them looking in at us.
31:18
Kaden followed my gaze, then frowned.
31:21
He stood and walked to the window, peering out into the
31:24
darkness. There's nothing there, Miguel,
31:27
just the storm. They were there.
31:31
Jeffrey, Oscar, Alice, Doctor Patel, all frozen, all dead, all
31:36
staring in at us. My voice had risen enough to
31:39
wake the others. Oscar sat up, blinking in
31:42
confusion. I'm right here.
31:46
He said, his voice thick with sleep.
31:49
Kay didn't put a hand on my shoulder.
31:52
You're exhausted, we all are. Your mind is playing tricks on
31:56
you. Check on Alice and Doctor Patel,
31:59
I insisted. Make sure they're here.
32:03
Alice is right there, Kaden said, pointing to where she
32:07
slept near Oscar. And Doctor Patel is just
32:10
sleeping in the corner with Doctor Reeves.
32:13
See, everyone's accounted for. I looked where he pointed.
32:17
Alice was indeed there, curled under a thermal blanket.
32:22
Doctor Patel and Doctor Reeves were huddled together for warmth
32:25
in the far corner. All present, all alive.
32:30
I saw them, I insisted, though my conviction was wavering.
32:35
Outside the window, Sage approached me, her medical bag
32:40
in hand. Let me check you over, Miguel.
32:44
Extreme cold can cause hallucinations.
32:47
I submitted to her examination, though I knew what I'd seen, or
32:51
thought I'd seen. The faces at the window had
32:55
looked so real, so detailed. Jeffrey's empty chest cavity,
33:00
Alice's broken neck, Doctor Patel's missing arms.
33:05
Your body temperature is too low.
33:07
Sage announced after checking me.
33:10
You need to get closer to the fire and rest.
33:13
I didn't argue. Maybe they were right, maybe the
33:17
cold and stress were affecting my mind.
33:20
But as I lay down near our meager fire, I couldn't shake
33:24
the memory of those frozen faces staring in at me.
33:28
The days blurred together after that.
33:31
The storm showed no signs of abating and our situation grew
33:35
more desperate. The temperature continued to
33:38
drop as we ran out of things to burn.
33:41
We moved into an ever smaller area, trying to conserve what
33:45
little body heat we had. On what I calculated was the 5th
33:49
day since the storm began, Alice volunteered to check the
33:53
ventilation system. Parts of the station had become
33:57
completely inaccessible due to ice build up, and she thought
34:01
she might be able to clear some of the vents to improve air
34:04
circulation. I'll be back in 20 minutes.
34:08
She promised, taking a flashlight and disappearing down
34:11
the corridor. 30 minutes passed, then an hour.
34:18
We called for her on the radio but received no response.
34:22
We need to find her, Maya said, already pulling on her gloves.
34:28
Kaden, Doctor Patel, Doctor Reeves and I joined the search.
34:33
We split up to cover more ground, agreeing to check in by
34:36
radio every 5 minutes. I took the northern section,
34:40
moving carefully through the darkened hallways, calling
34:42
Alice's name. The ventilation access panel in
34:46
the northern corridor stood open, tools scattered beneath
34:50
it. I shined my flashlight up into
34:53
the opening, seeing nothing but darkness.
34:57
Alice. I called, my voice echoing in
35:00
the metal shaft. No response.
35:04
I radioed The others found an open vent access in the northern
35:08
corridor. No sign of Alice.
35:11
Keep looking. Maya's voice crackled through
35:14
the radio. We'll join you.
35:17
I continued searching nearby rooms, finding nothing.
35:22
When the others arrived, we decided to check inside the
35:25
ventilation shaft. Kaden, being the smallest,
35:30
volunteered to climb up and look.
35:33
He was only gone for a minute before we heard him scream.
35:37
Kaden. Doctor Patel called, rushing
35:40
forward as Kaden scrambled backward out of the vent,
35:43
falling to the floor in his haste.
35:45
His face was ashen. She's she's in there.
35:50
Alice, she's dead. It took all four of us to
35:54
retrieve her body from the narrow shaft.
35:57
Alice was wedged into a bend in the ductwork, her limbs
36:00
contorted to fit the space. Her eyes were wide open, her
36:05
face frozen in an expression of terror.
36:08
Her neck was broken, twisted at the same impossible angle I had
36:12
seen through the window nights before.
36:15
This can't be happening. Maya whispered, turning away
36:19
from the sight. We brought Alice's body back to
36:23
the central hub, laying her gently on a table.
36:27
Sage performed A cursory examination, confirming what we
36:31
already knew. Alice had been dead for hours,
36:35
her body temperature suggesting she died shortly after leaving
36:38
us. But how did she get into that
36:40
section of ventilation? Dr. Reeves asked.
36:45
It's nowhere near where she was supposed to be.
36:46
Checking. No one had answers.
36:50
That night I saw them again, the faces at the windows.
36:55
Jeffrey with his hollow chest, Oscar's duplicate, Doctor Patel,
36:59
missing both arms. And now Alice, her neck twisted
37:04
grotesquely. They pressed against the glass,
37:07
their frozen lips moving as if trying to speak.
37:11
I said nothing this time. The others already thought I was
37:15
losing my mind. Maybe I was.
37:19
By the end of the week, our numbers had dwindled further.
37:22
Doctor Reeves, Doctor Patel, Kaden and I were the only ones
37:26
left. Oscar had disappeared two days
37:30
after Alice and we never found his body.
37:34
Maya had gone to check the communications equipment one
37:36
last time and never returned. I stopped sleeping.
37:42
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those faces at the windows.
37:47
Sometimes I thought I heard scratching at the doors, like
37:50
frozen fingers trying to get in. The other saw nothing, heard
37:55
nothing. They looked at me with
37:58
increasing concern as I paced the central hub, checking and
38:03
rechecking the windows and doors.
38:05
Miguel, you need to rest, Doctor Patel told me on the 7th night.
38:10
You're no good to any of us. If you collapse, they're out
38:14
there. I insisted, waiting.
38:18
Doctor Reeves exchanged a look with Doctor Patel.
38:22
Who's out there? Miguel.
38:24
All of them, The dead ones. And they're, they're the same
38:28
people who are in here, too. How can they be in two places at
38:31
once? I knew how I sounded, deranged,
38:37
paranoid, but I couldn't shake what I'd seen that night.
38:42
I volunteered to check our dwindling supplies, needing to
38:45
move to do something. The storage room was at the far
38:50
end of the western corridor, away from where the others
38:53
rested. As I counted our remaining
38:56
ration packs, I heard a sound from the adjacent room.
39:00
The communication center Flashlight in hand, I cautiously
39:05
approached. The door stood partially open, a
39:08
sliver of darkness beyond. Hello.
39:13
I called softly, pushing the door wider.
39:16
The beam of my flashlight fell on Kaden, slumped over the
39:19
communications console. Relief washed over me.
39:24
He must have come to try the radio again.
39:27
Kaden, you scared me. I said, stepping into the room.
39:31
Any luck with it? I stopped mid sentence as Kaden
39:35
turned toward me. His throat had been slashed
39:39
open, a gaping wound from ear to ear.
39:43
Blood had poured down his chest, freezing in Crimson rivulets on
39:47
his parka. His eyes were glassy, unfocused.
39:52
I stumbled backward, my flashlight clattering to the
39:55
floor. This couldn't be real.
39:59
Kaden had been alive just an hour ago, sitting with the
40:03
others in the central hub. A movement at the window caught
40:06
my eye. I turned slowly, already knowing
40:11
what I would see. Kaden's face stared in at me
40:14
from outside, his features frozen, his throat bearing the
40:18
same terrible wound as the body before me.
40:22
His dead eyes tracked my movement, his blue lips moving
40:25
silently behind the glass. I couldn't breathe, couldn't
40:30
think. The room spun around me as I
40:33
tried to make sense of what I was seeing.
40:36
Kaden, dead inside the station. Kaden dead outside the station.
40:41
Both at once, both impossible. I backed away from the window,
40:46
from the body, my mind fracturing under the weight of
40:49
the contradiction. As I reached the doorway, I
40:53
heard Doctor Patel calling my name from the central hub.
40:57
Miguel, where are you? Kaden's missing now too.
41:03
But Kaden wasn't missing. Kaden was here, dead on the
41:07
floor and outside the window, both places at once.
41:12
I turned and ran. I slammed the storage room door
41:16
and dragged a heavy metal shelf in front of it, my breath coming
41:20
in ragged gasps. The shelf scraped against the
41:23
concrete floor, the sound echoing in the small space.
41:28
I pushed with everything I had, feeling my muscles strain as I
41:32
positioned it firmly against the door, but it wasn't enough.
41:35
I needed more. Miguel, open the door.
41:41
Doctor Patel's voice came through, muffled but urgent.
41:44
You need help. I ignored her, scanning the
41:48
dimly lit storage room for anything else I could use.
41:52
Metal supply crates lined one wall.
41:55
I grabbed the nearest one, my fingers numb with cold as I
41:58
hauled it across the room and stacked it against the shelf.
42:03
We're not going to hurt you, Doctor Reeves called out, his
42:07
voice attempting a calm tone that didn't match the situation.
42:11
You're experiencing A psychotic episode.
42:15
Let us help you stay away from me.
42:19
I shouted back, my voice cracking.
42:22
I saw Kaden outside the window with his throat cut, but his
42:25
body was inside too. Don't you understand?
42:29
They're duplicating us. They're knocking.
42:31
Grew more insistent, I continued barricading the door, stacking 3
42:37
more crates, and wedging a broken chair under the door
42:40
handle. The storage room was cold, but
42:43
secure a small space with shelves of emergency supplies,
42:48
tools, and rations. A single emergency light cast
42:52
everything in a sickly red glow. Miguel, your core temperature is
42:58
dropping. Doctor Patel tried again.
43:01
You could die in there. I backed away from the door,
43:05
retreating to the far corner where I slid down against the
43:08
wall. My hands were shaking from cold
43:11
or fear. I couldn't tell anymore.
43:14
The knocking continued for what felt like hours, their voices
43:18
alternating between concerned medical advice and frustrated
43:21
demands. Eventually, their voices faded.
43:26
I sat in the silence, listening to the howl of the Arctic wind
43:30
outside and the occasional groan of the station's compromised
43:35
structure. I checked my watch.
43:39
I've been in here for nearly four hours.
43:42
The temperature in the storage room had dropped to well below
43:44
freezing. I could see my breath forming
43:48
clouds in front of my face. I found an emergency thermal
43:52
blanket on one of the shelves and wrapped it around my
43:55
shoulders. There were enough supplies here
43:59
to last week's and food, water, purification tablets, tools.
44:05
I began taking inventory, arranging items in neat rows to
44:09
maintain some sense of order and control.
44:12
A scream tore through the silence.
44:14
I froze, the can of beans I've been examining slipping from my
44:18
fingers and clattering to the floor.
44:21
The scream came again. Doctor Patel's voice filled with
44:25
raw terror. Then Doctor Reeves shouting
44:28
something unintelligible, followed by a wet, gurgling cry
44:32
that cut off abruptly. My heart hammered against my
44:36
ribs as I crept toward the door. The barricade I'd built looked
44:41
pathetically inadequate now. I pressed my ear against the
44:45
cold metal, holding my breath to listen.
44:48
Shuffling sounds, a dragging noise, something heavy being
44:53
pulled across the floor. I spotted a small ventilation
44:56
grate near the floor, about 6 inches square.
45:00
I dropped to my knees and peered through it, trying to see into
45:03
the corridor beyond. The angle was awkward, offering
45:08
only a narrow view of the hallway floor, illuminated by
45:11
flickering emergency lights. A dark smear crossed my limited
45:15
field of vision, blood fresh and glistening.
45:20
Then Doctor Reeves's hand came into view, limp and pale, being
45:24
dragged slowly past my hiding place.
45:27
His fingers were bent at unnatural angles, the skin torn
45:31
and bloody. The hand disappeared from view,
45:34
pulled by something I couldn't see.
45:37
I scrambled backward, covering my mouth to keep from making a
45:40
sound. I waited, barely breathing for
45:45
what felt like hours before I dared move again.
45:49
When I finally gathered enough courage to look through the
45:52
grate once more, the hallway was empty except for a dark trail of
45:56
blood leading away from my hiding place.
46:00
Night fell, though it was hard to tell in the windowless
46:04
storage room. I checked my watch repeatedly,
46:08
marking the passage of time as I huddled under the thermal
46:11
blanket. The temperature continued to
46:14
drop as the station's damaged heating system failed further.
46:18
I found a small portable heater and tried to turn it on, but the
46:22
battery was dead. I must have dozed off despite my
46:26
terror, because I woke with a start, disoriented and shivering
46:31
violently. Something had changed.
46:34
I sensed it before I saw anything.
46:37
A presence, a watching feeling. I looked toward the small
46:42
rectangular window set high in the storage room door, the
46:46
window I hadn't been able to block.
46:49
Oscar's face stared back at me, his eyes Milky white with frost,
46:54
his skin blue, Gray and covered in ice crystals.
46:59
His right hand was missing, the stump ragged and frozen, but he
47:03
was moving, his frozen lips working silently as he pressed
47:07
his face against the glass. I scrambled backward, knocking
47:12
over my carefully arranged supplies.
47:15
Oscar's face disappeared, replaced by Jeffries.
47:19
His chest was torn open, a gaping cavity where his vital
47:22
organs should have been. His red knit cap was still
47:26
pulled down over his ears, now rimmed with frost.
47:30
No, I whispered, pressing myself against the far wall.
47:35
You're not real, you're not real.
47:39
Alice appeared next, her neck twisted at an impossible angle,
47:43
her eyes staring in different directions.
47:47
Then Kaden with a gash across his throat that had frozen mid
47:50
bleed, the blood like dark rubies against his skin.
47:54
They kept changing, cycling through faces.
47:57
Doctor Kozlov with his eyes gouged out, Maya with her jaw
48:01
missing. And then faces I hadn't seen in
48:04
years. My former colleagues from
48:07
previous expeditions, my Graduate School advisor, my
48:11
neighbors from childhood. My mother's face appeared,
48:15
though she died of cancer five years ago.
48:19
Her cheeks were sunken, her eyes hollow.
48:22
Then my father, who passed away when I was in college, his face
48:26
bloated and discolored, as if he'd been pulled from water.
48:31
I closed my eyes and covered my ears, rocking back and forth.
48:37
Not real, not real, not real, I chanted, trying to drown out the
48:42
soft scratching sounds coming from every wall of the storage
48:45
room. When I opened my eyes again, the
48:49
faces were gone, but the temperature had dropped further.
48:54
I could feel ice forming in my beard, my extremities growing
48:57
numb. I needed to move, to generate
49:01
heat. I spent the next several days
49:05
reinforcing my position. I moved everything in the
49:08
storage room, creating a fortress within a fortress.
49:12
I stacked all the heaviest items against the door and walls,
49:16
leaving only a small space in the center where I could sit or
49:19
lie down. I rationed the food carefully,
49:22
allowing myself one can per day eaten.
49:25
Cold water was more difficult. I had to melt ice that was
49:30
forming on the walls using my body heat, a slow and painful
49:34
process. The faces returned every night,
49:38
pressing against the window, watching me.
49:41
Sometimes they scratched at the door and walls, sometimes they
49:45
whispered my name and voices that sounded like the wind.
49:49
I stopped sleeping for more than minutes at a time, jerking awake
49:53
at the slightest sound. The temperature dropped to
49:56
levels that should have killed me.
49:58
I lost feeling in my toes and fingers.
50:01
My thoughts became sluggish, disconnected.
50:05
I could talk to myself constantly, reciting scientific
50:08
formulas, listing the names of Arctic fish species, anything to
50:12
keep my mind active. On what my watch told me was the
50:16
14th day, I heard a new sound, a rhythmic thumping that seemed to
50:21
come from above the station. I ignored it at first, assuming
50:25
it was another hallucination, or perhaps the station structure
50:28
finally giving way. The sound grew louder, more
50:33
insistent, mechanical whirring, thumping, beating against the
50:38
howling wind. Helicopter rotors?
50:42
No, I muttered, pulling the blanket tighter around my
50:46
shoulders. Not real.
50:49
Another trick. The faces at the window seemed
50:52
agitated, moving faster, their frozen mouths opening and
50:56
closing more frantically. The sound of the rotors grew
51:00
louder still, and then there were new noises.
51:04
Voices, boots on metal, the crackle of radios.
51:08
I retreated further into my nest of supplies, grabbing a
51:11
screwdriver to use as a weapon. The voices grew closer, calling
51:17
out as they moved through the station.
51:20
Hello. Anyone alive?
51:22
Norwegian emergency response. I remained silent, clutching the
51:28
screwdriver. The faces at the window had
51:31
disappeared, but that didn't mean anything.
51:35
This could be another trick, another manifestation of
51:38
whatever was killing us and taking our forms.
51:42
Banging on the storage room door, loud, authoritative.
51:47
Is someone in there? We're rescue personnel.
51:50
The storm is cleared enough for evacuation.
51:53
I said nothing, holding my breath.
51:56
There's a barricade, a woman's voice said.
51:59
Someone's in there. Stand back, a male voice
52:04
ordered. Then came the sound of something
52:06
heavy hitting the door once, twice, three times.
52:12
The chair wedged under the handle splintered.
52:15
The crates I'd stacked shifted. With one final crash, my
52:19
barricade partially collapsed and the door pushed open about a
52:23
foot before catching on the remaining obstacles.
52:27
A beam of bright light cut through the opening, sweeping
52:30
across the storage room until it found me huddled in the corner.
52:35
We've got a survivor. The male voice called out.
52:39
Sir, can you hear me? The light was attached to a
52:43
helmet worn by a man in bright orange cold weather gear.
52:48
Behind him, I could see a woman, similarly dressed, speaking into
52:52
a radio. Survivor, located in Western
52:55
storage facility, appears to be in severe hypothermic state,
53:00
requesting immediate medical assistance.
53:03
The man pushed harder against the door, creating enough space
53:06
to squeeze through. He approached me slowly, hands
53:11
visible, voice calm and measured.
53:15
My name is Asher Rodriguez, I'm with the Norwegian emergency
53:19
response team. We're here to help you.
53:22
Can you tell me your name? I stared at him, still clutching
53:26
the screwdriver. Miguel.
53:29
I finally whispered, my voice cracking from disuse.
53:33
Miguel Moore. Good.
53:35
Miguel, we're going to get you out of here.
53:38
He turns slightly. Gloria, I need the thermal kit.
53:43
The woman, Gloria Thompson, squeezed through the door
53:47
opening, carrying a large red medical bag.
53:51
She knelt beside me, her movements efficient but gentle
53:55
as she assessed me. Mars, severe hypothermia, she
53:59
confirmed, wrapping a special thermal blanket around me.
54:03
Possible frostbite to extremities, Dehydration.
54:07
We need to move him immediately. The others, I managed to say.
54:13
My team, they're they're outside looking in, but they're inside
54:19
too. They're everywhere.
54:22
Asher and Gloria exchanged a look.
54:24
I recognized the look of people communicating silently about a
54:29
patient's mental state. We'll explain everything once we
54:33
get you stabilized, Gloria said, attaching monitoring equipment
54:37
to my finger. Right now, we need to get you to
54:41
the helicopter. They work together to help me
54:44
stand, supporting my weight Between them.
54:47
My legs felt like wooden posts, numb and uncooperative.
54:52
They guided me through the partially open door and into the
54:55
corridor beyond. The station was eerily silent
54:59
except for our movements. The emergency lights were still
55:02
on, casting everything in that same red glow I'd grown
55:05
accustomed to. As we move slowly down the
55:09
corridor toward the main entrance, I saw something on the
55:12
floor ahead, a dark shape lying motionless.
55:17
Wait, I said, trying to stop. What's that?
55:22
Asher tried to turn me away, Sir, We need to keep moving.
55:27
But I'd already seen it, Doctor Patel's body lying face down in
55:31
a pool of frozen blood, her back torn open as if something had
55:35
burst out from inside her. Further along the corridor lay
55:40
Doctor Reeves, his limbs bent at impossible angles, his face
55:44
locked in an expression of terror.
55:47
No, I whispered. They were at the windows.
55:51
They were outside looking in. We continued through the central
55:55
hub, where I saw more bodies. Jeffrey with his chest cavity
55:59
empty, exactly as I'd seen his apparition at my window.
56:04
Oscar nearby, missing his right hand, Alice with her neck
56:08
broken, Kaden with his throat slashed.
56:12
They were outside, I insisted, my voice rising.
56:16
They were watching me from outside.
56:19
Easy, Gloria said, her grip on me tightening.
56:23
We're almost there. As we passed the communication
56:27
center, I saw Maya's body slumped over the console, her
56:31
jaw torn away, just as I'd seen in her ghostly appearance at my
56:35
window. But I saw them outside, I
56:39
repeated, trying to make sense of it.
56:42
They were at every window, looking in at me.
56:46
How could they be here, too? Asher and Gloria didn't answer,
56:50
focused on getting me to the entrance where the helicopter
56:53
waited, its rotors still turning, kicking up swirls of
56:57
snow as we stepped outside into the blinding whiteness of the
57:01
Arctic day. The cold hit me like a physical
57:04
blow. Despite my thermal wrappings,
57:08
the helicopter sat on the landing pad about 50 yards away,
57:12
it's orange body bright against the endless white landscape.
57:17
I looked back at the station, at its windows, dark against the
57:20
metal walls. There were no faces there, no
57:24
frozen corpses pressing against the glass, just empty windows
57:29
reflecting the pale Arctic sky. They were there, I said, my
57:35
voice small and lost in the wind.
57:39
I saw them every night. Let's get you on board, Asher
57:43
said, guiding me toward the waiting helicopter.
57:47
The medical team will take care of you.
57:49
As they helped me across the snow, the realization settled
57:53
over me like the cold. The bodies inside the station
57:56
had the exact same wounds I'd seen on their ghostly
57:59
apparitions at my window. The same injuries, the same
58:03
positions, the same frozen expressions of terror.
58:09
But they had never been outside looking in.
58:12
They had been inside all along. I lay in my hospital bed,
58:16
staring at the sterile white ceiling of the Medical Center in
58:20
Tromso. The steady beep of monitoring
58:23
equipment had become a familiar companion over the past few
58:26
days, marking time in this strange limbo between the
58:31
nightmare I'd escaped and whatever uncertain future
58:34
awaited me. Doctor Hoffman entered my room,
58:38
clipboard in hand. He was a tall man with a neatly
58:41
trimmed Gray beard and glasses that sat low on his nose.
58:46
His face carried the practice neutrality of someone who had
58:49
delivered difficult news many times before.
58:52
Mr. Wagner, how are you feeling today?
58:56
He asked, checking the monitors beside my bed.
59:00
Better, I lied. The truth was more complicated.
59:05
Physically, I was recovering from hypothermia and mild
59:08
frostbite. Mentally, I remained trapped in
59:12
that frozen station, surrounded by death.
59:16
Doctor Hoffman pulled up a chair and sat beside my bed.
59:20
He flipped through several pages on his clipboard, his expression
59:23
growing more somber. We need to discuss what was
59:27
found at Polaris Station. He said, his voice measured and
59:31
clinical. I believe you're stable enough
59:33
now to hear the details. I nodded, though part of me
59:38
wanted to cover my ears. Some truths were better left
59:41
buried in the ice. The recovery team completed
59:45
their investigation of the site, he continued.
59:49
They documented the condition of your colleague's remains in
59:52
detail. My throat tightened.
59:56
I'd seen their bodies as I was being evacuated, but in my
1:00:00
hypothermic state, reality had blurred with hallucination.
1:00:05
Oscar Washington was found with his right hand severed.
1:00:08
The cut was clean, surgical. Dr. Hoffman paused.
1:00:13
Watching my reaction carefully, Jeffrey Medina's torso had been
1:00:18
cut open with precision, Alice Stevenson's skull was crushed,
1:00:22
and Kaden Dunn's throat was slashed.
1:00:26
Each description hit me like a physical blow.
1:00:29
I'd seen these exact injuries on the apparitions that had visited
1:00:33
my window during those 14 days of isolation.
1:00:37
The others I managed to ask. Doctor Kozlov was found with
1:00:41
severe facial trauma, Doctor Parker's lower jaw was missing,
1:00:47
and Doctor Davis and Doctor Reeves showed signs of multiple
1:00:51
traumatic injuries. I closed my eyes trying to block
1:00:55
out the mental images, but they only became more vivid in the
1:00:59
darkness. The most troubling discovery,
1:01:03
Doctor Hoffman continued, his voice dropping slightly, was
1:01:08
that all these injuries were inflicted with research tools
1:01:10
found in your possession. My eyes snapped open.
1:01:14
What? A surgical saw.
1:01:17
Scalpels and other implements were recovered from your
1:01:20
quarters. They matched the wounds on the
1:01:22
victims. Your fingerprints were the only
1:01:24
ones present. That's impossible, I said, and
1:01:29
my voice rising. I never.
1:01:31
I wouldn't, Mr. Wagner. I understand this is difficult
1:01:35
to process, Doctor Hoffman said, raising a hand to call me.
1:01:40
But the evidence is quite clear. I was hiding in that storage
1:01:45
room for two weeks. I protested.
1:01:48
I saw them. I saw all of them outside my
1:01:51
window. They were trying to get in while
1:01:52
somehow already being inside too.
1:01:56
How could I have killed them? The heart rate monitor beside me
1:01:59
beeped more rapidly as my pulse quickened.
1:02:03
Dr. Hoffman glanced at it before returning his attention to me.
1:02:07
We believe we found an explanation for your
1:02:11
experiences, he said. Carefully.
1:02:15
The recovery team analyzed the station's water supply.
1:02:18
They found significant traces of hallucinogenic compounds.
1:02:23
Hallucinogens. I repeat it trying to make sense
1:02:27
of his words. Yes, apparently they originated
1:02:31
from a contaminated research sample.
1:02:34
One of the biological specimens Oscar was studying contained a
1:02:37
naturally occurring psychoactive compound when the eastern wing
1:02:42
collapsed. It appears the containment was
1:02:45
breached and the substance entered the water system.
1:02:49
I shook my head, unable to accept this explanation.
1:02:53
That doesn't make sense. We all drank the same water.
1:02:57
Why would I be the only one affected?
1:03:00
You weren't, Doctor Hoffman said quietly.
1:03:04
Based on blood samples taken from the victims, everyone was
1:03:07
exposed. But individuals react
1:03:10
differently to such compounds. Some might experience mild
1:03:14
disorientation, others full psychosis.
1:03:19
The implications of his words sank in slowly, like a stone
1:03:23
through thick oil. You think I killed them during
1:03:26
some drug induced psychotic break?
1:03:30
I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
1:03:34
The evidence suggests that's the most likely scenario, Doctor
1:03:38
Hoffman replied. The isolation, the extreme cold,
1:03:43
the psychological stress of the situation, combined with
1:03:47
powerful hallucinogens, it created a perfect storm for a
1:03:51
severe dissociative episode. But I remember everything.
1:03:56
I insisted. I remember hiding in that
1:03:59
storage room. I remember barricading the door.
1:04:02
I remember hearing their screams.
1:04:06
Doctor Hoffman nodded sympathetically.
1:04:09
The human mind is remarkably adept at creating narratives to
1:04:13
protect itself from traumatic truths.
1:04:17
Your memories may be a combination of actual events and
1:04:20
hallucinatory experiences reconstructed into a sequence
1:04:24
that absolves you of responsibility.
1:04:28
I turned away from him, looking toward the window.
1:04:32
Outside, the Arctic winter had wrapped trom SU in darkness,
1:04:37
broken only by the scattered lights of the city.
1:04:40
The black glass reflected my haggard face back at me.
1:04:45
I know what I saw, I said firmly.
1:04:48
I know what I heard. Doctor Hoffman sighed, standing
1:04:53
up from his chair. Get some rest, Mr. Wagner.
1:04:57
We'll continue this discussion tomorrow.
1:05:00
The authorities will want to speak with you once you're
1:05:02
medically cleared. He walked to the door, pausing
1:05:07
before he left. For what it's worth, I don't
1:05:12
believe you were in control of your actions.
1:05:15
The toxicology reports should support that assessment.
1:05:18
After he departed, I continued staring out the window,
1:05:22
watching. His snow began to fall,
1:05:24
illuminated by the hospital's exterior lights.
1:05:28
The darkness beyond seemed to deepen, to take shape.
1:05:33
And then I saw them. Pressed against the glass,
1:05:37
barely visible in the gloom, were frozen faces.
1:05:41
Oscar's Milky eyes stared at me, frost clinging to his eyelashes.
1:05:46
Beside him was Jeffrey, his chest a gaping wound.
1:05:50
Alice's neck bent at an impossible angle.
1:05:53
Caden's throat gaped open like a second mouth, Maya jawless,
1:05:58
trying to speak words I couldn't hear.
1:06:02
Their blue lips moved silently, forming accusations I couldn't
1:06:05
bear to understand. Their dead eyes held mine,
1:06:09
refusing to release me from their gaze.
1:06:12
They're still out there. I whispered, my breath fogging
1:06:16
the air despite the room's warmth.
1:06:20
Waiting. I blinked, and the faces
1:06:23
remained more solid than before. Were they real?
1:06:28
Had they followed me here? Or was my mind still poisoned by
1:06:33
the hallucinogens Dr. Hoffman had described?
1:06:36
I would never know for certain, And that was perhaps the
1:06:40
cruelest truth of all, that I would never escape these frozen
1:06:44
visions, regardless of their reality.
1:06:48
They would haunt me forever, trapped between the world of the
1:06:52
living and the dead, just as I was now trapped between
1:06:56
innocence and guilt, sanity and madness, truth and delusion.