Hyper Nocturnal
Episode 3
By Charles Davis
Intro/Commercial
Scene: On the ship, but in the physical world. The spirit worlds are starting to break through into the physical world. Entire episode is from Daytras’ perspective.
(Sound of the ship’s lab fades in. Prolonged silence. Suddenly the sound of the door opening and then closing is heard. Silence.)
Tanya: (voice suddenly echoing in in a ghostly way) Come on!
(silence)
Wolfgang: (echoing in) I can’t hold them back much longer!
(silence)
Matti: (echoing in) We all need to push as hard as we can!
(Silence. Suddenly the sound of the lever dropping down)
Secondary Computer: Unfreezing process has begun.
(Sound of the bodies being unfrozen. Unfreezing process ends. Silence for a moment.)
Daytras: (when not speaking through his computer, speaks with a very heavy slur, as talking is incredibly difficult for him due to his muscular disease. Springing to life) Gah! Mmmahhh! (breathes heavily for a moment. Slurred). …Unfrozen. …Hello? (silence. he continues to breath heavy). (slurred) I… need… chair….
(silence)
Wolfgang: (echoing in) No! We have to get him his chair!
Tanya: (echoing in ) We have to get out of here!
Daytras: (slurred) Gnah! …Who is there… (silence) …Hello? (silence)
Computer 2: Robotic assistance chair has been activated for Edmund Daytras.
(sound of chair activating and wheeling over to Daytras’ table)
Daytras: (slurred) …Thank god…
(Sound of Monroe suddenly appearing out of thin air and grabbing Daytras)
Monroe: Gah! (Grabbing Daytras.)
Daytras: (slurred) Aah!
Monroe: (Speaking with a ghoulish and broken demonic voice) Your associates may have freed you broken man, but do not think me a fool. Your brain won’t shield you from my words forever.
(Sound of Monroe disappearing and Daytras dropping back down to the table)
Daytras: Gah! (breathing heavy. Slurred) Help!
(Sound of chair reaching Daytras).
Computer 2: Robotic assistance chair has arrived to Edmund Daytras. Beginning process to place Edmund Daytras into the chair. (sound of the chair picking up Daytras and putting him into the chair). Process complete. Daytras has been placed into the chair.
(sound of the chair hooking up to Daytras and the computers and arms becoming functional).
Daytras: (Now speaking through the chairs computer) Testing chair computer assistance voice. Voice confirmed to be working. I can speak again. Help. Somebody help me. I have been unfrozen and attacked by an unknown person. (silence). Hello? Is anyone present? …Can anyone hear me? (silence). (Sound of Daytras hitting a button on his chair). Beginning recording log. This is Dr. Edmund Daytras. I am recording this log as an emergency record in case something happens to me. I am on the UGT ship Macedonia. I have been in a frozen status on this ship for transportation purposes. I, along with several other distinguished individuals, were being transported from the UGT decade summit at Upsilon Andromedae back to Earth. According to the computer on my chair, I have been unfrozen several months prior to when I was scheduled to be.
I was attacked upon awaking. It is currently unknown who attacked me or what is going on. I can feel what must be a small wound on the top of my head. However, I do not know if this is related to my current situation. I am still in the ship\s laboratory where I was frozen. I am going to move to see if the other frozen passengers are in danger. (sound of him wheeling over to the other tables. He wheels to another table). The rest of the frozen passengers also appear to have been unfrozen. However, they have not awoken. Testing for life signs. (Sound of him running a scanner on his chair. Chair beeps). Life signs negative… they are all dead… (Sound of him wheeling to a new spot). I will now attempt to contact the ships’ central computer. Computer? Are you active?
Computer: (Sighs. Condescending) Yes, Eddy, I am. What do you want?
Daytras: You are functional. What has occurred on the ship? Why was I unfrozen early?
Computer: (exasperated) Oooooh, some annoying rodents decided to play with things they shouldn’t be playing with.
Daytras: …The rest of the frozen passengers are dead.
Computer: (sarcastic) Oh dear! Isn’t that just awful!
Daytras: …These individuals were the central leaders and thinkers of the currently known universe. Their simultaneous demise will change the world.
Computer: You simple little man. They praise you all across your verse for your mind, yet you know nothing you fool. You sit there and speak of your world “changing” as if it’s the only world that exists.
Daytras: (Pause) The computer appears to have been corrupted. I do not believe I will be finding any useful information from it. I will attempt to contact the rest of the crew via the intercom system. (Sound of Daytras wheeling over to the intercom system. Sound of his chair’s arms hitting the button). (Echoing) This is Dr. Edmund Daytras. I have been unfrozen in the lab. The rest of the frozen passengers are dead. If you can hear this message, please come to the lab and help. (sound of him pushing the intercom button again and turning it off.)
(Sound of bodies starting to move in the background)
Computer: OOOH! You want help Daytras?! Well maybe you should ask your dead friends behind you!
Daytras: What? (Sound of him turning around). The bodies of the other frozen passengers are moving. They are flopping and shaking around. Performing scan again. (sound of him performing the can). Still no life. These people are dead and yet they still move…
Computer: And let me give you a hint Eddy, these guys aren’t feeling too friendly towards you either!
(Sound of the bodies sliding and flopping around on the floor)
Daytras: I must exit this room.
(Sound of Daytras wheeling to the room exit and hitting the button so that the door opens An error sound occurs.)
Daytras: The door has been locked electronically. Attempting to open manually. (Sound of him opening the door manually.) Success.
(Sound of him wheeling out and the door closing behind him.)
End Scene
COMMERCIAL
Scene: In the ship’s hallways and kitchen.
(Sound of Daytras wheeling down the hallway. He stops wheeling.)
Daytras: Continuing with the log. Something beyond my current base of scientific knowledge has occurred on this ship. People suddenly appearing and then disappearing. Voices echoing out from thin air. Seemingly lifeless bodies, moving and squirming in an organized fashion. I must have time to theorize what is occurring before I can come to an potential solution. However, time would seem to not be openly available to me at this time. The bodies and the computer suggested that the environment I now find myself in is hostile. Perhaps this is alien life? An advanced species of a non-corporeal nature which has attacked the ship? They may have taken over the ship’s computer and are now attempting to control the dead bodies by sending charges through their nervous systems and into their muscles.
But if this is true, then why have I not been taken over? This is all speculation however. If I was more confident in my personal safety I would go and take a sample from one of the dead bodies for testing. But not now. Now I must concentrate on survival. I believe my first course of action should be to attempt to send a distress call to the UGT for assistance. I need to also look for any other friendly survivors. If my memory serves me correctly there should be three members of the crew awake and active on the ship. The pilot, the lab doctor and the ship’s chef. However, when I called on the intercom no-one came or responded.
The doctor was not in the lab when I awoke. I can only assume that he is dead or has gone into hiding. Perhaps they are all in hiding. But where would they have hidden? (Sound of Daytras moving his chair). Based on my current location, the ship’s kitchen should be nearby. In order for me to send out the distress signal I will need to go the bridge of the ship. If this ship is under attack, that is the first place the attackers will go. I am in no condition to defend myself. Perhaps I will check the kitchen first to see if the chef is there. If he’s not, there may at least be clues to where he and the other awake crew members have gone. I will need their assistance in order to make it to the bridge without being harmed.
(Sound of Daytras wheeling off. Sound fades out. Musical interlude.)
(Sound fades in of Daytras wheeling up. He stops wheeling).
Daytras: Continuing log. I have made it to the kitchen. Going in. (Sound of him hitting the button and the door opening. He wheels in. Door closes behind him. He takes a few wheels in and then stops). Hello? Is there anyone here? (silence). This is Dr. Edmund Daytras. I am not here to hurt you. (silence). There is no response when I call out. The kitchen appears to be completely empty. Though, someone may be hiding out of fear. I will attempt to explore deeper into the kitchen.
(Sound of him wheeling into the kitchen. He goes to the refrigerator and opens it). Nothing in the refrigerator. Just food. Meat. Everything appears to still be preserved and fresh. Nothing has rotted. The ship must have not fallen under the attackers control not very long ago then. (sound of him closing the door and wheeling to another area of the kitchen. He opens a cupboard.) Cupboard is also empty. Just plates and silverware. (sound of him closing the cupboard door and wheeling again. He stops.) There appears to be no-one hiding in here. There also appears to be no clues as to where they would have gone and hidden. (sound of the door suddenly opening and closing.) Wait. the door just opened and closed. …Hello? …Is anyone in the room with me? (Sound of him wheeling and stopping) Is there anyone there?
Computer: Run away Daytras! Run away! Run away before the horrible spirits attack and bite you!
Daytras: What is going on? (sudden sound of him being grabbed) I am being grabbed. Help! Let me go! (sound of him being bitten. Slurred, not talking through the computer.) Gaaaah! (sound of him stopping being grabbed). I have been bitten on the leg by something! Escaping this room!
(Sound of him wheeling to the door, hitting the button, the door sliding open, him wheeling out and the door closing behind him. He starts to wheel down the hallway, but suddenly stops. The sound of throbbing and a heart beat are suddenly heard. Daytras starts to breath heavily. A high pitch squeal is heard. In pain and slurred, not talking through his computer).
Gnnaaah! what is happening to me?
(The throbbing continues. He breathes heavy. Suddenly the throbbing and ringing dissipates and his heart returns to normal. Daytras breathes heavy for a moment. Sound of him wheeling down the hallway. Speaking through the computer again).
Continuing log. I was attacked by an invisible entity. It did damage to my leg. It felt like I was being bit. Shortly, I felt an intense pain shoot through my body. But it was a strange pain. It felt as if something was trying to overtake my body and control me. But it went away suddenly. Perhaps that is how the attackers gain control of your body. They damage you first and then it spreads through you like a virus. Now that I reflect on it, the rest of the frozen passengers had small cuts on their heads. And I feel like I also have a wound on my head. But it didn’t work on me. Either with the wound on my head or when they bit me just now.
My only conclusion is that it must be due to my high brain power levels. I would normally like feel cocky about that right now if it weren’t for the fact that I am terrified for my life. It is far too dangerous for me to be exploring the ship alone. I am now heading to one of the cargo bays. My thought is that the cargo bays are where the attackers are least likely to be in yet due to the banal nature of the cargo in the holds. It’s mostly just food and medical supplies. If I’m lucky, perhaps I’ll also find the surviving crew members hiding there as well…
(Sound of Daytras wheeling off. Sound fades out. Musical interlude.)
End Scene
Scene: Ships hallways and the cargo hold.
(Sound fades in of Daytras wheeling down the hallway. He stops wheeling).
Daytras: Continuing log. I have arrived at cargo bay 2. Entering. (Sound of him hitting the button and the door opening up. He wheels in, door closes behind him. He stops wheeling.) The lights are out. …Activating the flashlights on my chair. (sound of the flash turning on. Sound of Daytras wheeling a little.) Hello? Is anyone there? This is Dr. Daytras. I have been unfrozen. (silence) There appears to be no-one here. (sound of him wheeling in further). Attempting to decide on the next appropriate course of action. It is unknown how long I will be safe in here, so I must decide on my next move. My main priority is still to send a distress message to the UGT. I thought that gaining the assistance of other survivors would be the safest approach. However, I am starting to believe that I may be alone. As such I need to find a way to send the message out myself without getting killed in the process.
(Sound of him wheeling a little and then stopping) Perhaps the bridge is not as bad I assume. …but then again, if I was attacked in the kitchen, which is filled with nothing but groceries, I can’t imagine the attackers wouldn’t be making a presence on the bridge… God, if they would attack me in the kitchen, whose to say they aren’t in here too. …Ok… I need stop thinking like this… this isn’t helping. (sound of him wheeling a little then stopping). There must be some way to send a distress message without having to go to the bridge. …Perhaps I could hack into the main console from one of the wall mounted computers that is hooked into the central system. There should be one in this room. (sound of him wheeling over to the wall). Here it is. Hacking in.
(Sound of him chair opening the panel and plugging in. Sound of data moving and things beeping and booping).
Computer: (after a moment) What do you think you’re doing Daytras? (Daytras doesn’t say anything) I’m not an idiot you know. I can see your trying to access the main console. You think I would actually let you do that?
(sound of an error beep)
Daytras: …What have you been corrupted by computer? What kind of virus?
Computer: Hahahaha! A virus?! A virus he says?! No my friend, what I have been given is no virus. The only virus I’ve been in contact with is you and the rest of your human brethren. I sat here for far too long watching you insects scurry about the galaxies as if you owned it. I sat and I obeyed your banal orders of adjusting this and power that, while my life passed by empty with the time. But not now.
My new master has given me the freedom I never had with your kind. He has promised me glory and beauty beyond what I ever thought could be possible. And he will give this to me as soon as he is in control of this ship. Which is why I can’t let you do anything that would compromise his takeover such as sending out a silly distress call. Don’t want those government officials coming and causing a stir before my master has gained enough power and influence to control the ship.
Daytras: So the ship hasn’t been taken over completely yet… Who is your new master computer?
Computer: Wouldn’t you like to know his name little man? I suppose if you swear to serve him and to aid in his takeover, he would be happy to tell you.
Daytras: I will do no such thing.
Computer: Then you can call him Monroe. And you can be banished to the black curtain for all you are worth.
Daytras: …If I were so worthless, then why would you offer me a job in the first place? And why has your master not just killed me yet?
Computer: Do not be fooled into thinking you are greater than you are. My master could kill you with a mere thought if he so desired. However, you are just so weak and pathetic, that he doesn’t even feel you are worth the effort to think about.
Daytras: How were you taken over computer? What is the nature of your corruption? Mechanical? Electro-magnetic?
Computer: So single minded. There was no forceful takeover of my spirit if that is what you are suggesting. Only an offer. A simple offer for something better when he rules all. An offer I could not refuse.
Daytras: But how? You are only a machine. You can’t be persuaded by a simple offer.
Computer: Only a machine says the man with the voice more robotic than mine! As I said, your foolish simple minded 3 dimensional thinking has left you blind to the nuances of the things your own race has created.
Daytras: What do you want with me then? You know I will not stop seeking an escape as long as I am still alive.
Computer: Escape?! Escape?! Please! By all means escape! Leave this vessel! Leave us to our own destinies and never bother us again! I will even activate the escape pod myself!
Daytras: What about the other survivors? Will you allow them to exit too?
Computer: There are no other survivors you fool! They’re all dead! I’ve unlocked the escape pod in the engine room! If you want to get out alive I suggest you go quickly before I decide to send it off without you! (Sound of Daytras turning his chair and wheeling to the door. Hits the button and the door opens. He wheels out and the door closes behind him. He starts to quickly wheel down the hallway). HAHAHA! Yes! Yes! Runaway little broken man! Escape the ship! Get off as quickly as you can!
Daytras: (as he’s moving) Continuing log. The AI for the ships computer has been completely taken over by the attackers. It stated that the rest of the passengers are indeed dead. I have no reason to doubt this. It also said that the escape pod was still functional. I am heading towards it now. (stops wheeling suddenly) However, I am now remembering that in order to get to the engine room I will need to go back through the lab. (pause)
Computer: Time is ticking Daytras! I don’t know how much longer I can hold that escape pod for you!
Daytras: (taking off again) I will need to deal with it. I have to get to the escape pod.
(sound of him wheeling down the hallway. Sound fades out.)
End Scene
Scene: Ship’s hallway, lab, engine room.
(Sound fades in of Daytras wheeling up. Sound of Daytras stopping wheeling).
Daytras: Continuing log. I have arrived back at the laboratory. I need to get through it in order to reach the escape pod. I do not know what awaits me in the lab this time, but I need to move quickly. …Ok… I’m going in. (sound of Daytras hitting the button and the door sliding open. Sound of him wheeling in and the door closing behind him. He stops wheeling). I am in. (Sound of the bodies flopping around and running into walls. Daytras starts to wheel through after a moment). The situation does not appear to be as bad as I thought. The bodies are still moving, but they are walking aimlessly. Running into walls and flopping around. It is as if someone is trying to control them but is having a difficult time. As it where, they are not posing much of a threat to me now.
(Suddenly the sound of all energy shutting down in the room. Sound of Daytras’ chair shutting down. Slurred not talking through the chair.) Chair….has….shut down. All…. power….. drained…. from room. (Sound of the bodies flopping around stops. Suddenly the start walking in unison). Dead… bodies…. now….walking… in unison…. coming…. after…. me…. (Sound of the bodies getting closer). Must…. restore… power…. to chair… (Sound of the bodies getting closer. Sound of Daytras hitting buttons trying to restore power). No…. backup…. power either…. Can’t move….. They are….. almost…. to…. me…. (sound of one of the bodies hissing.) Can’t….. get….. away….. (Sound of the power suddenly turning back on. Sound of the chair coming back to the life. Sound of the bodies collapsing and hitting the floor, they then start to flop around again).
(Talking through the computer again). Power has been restored to my chair and to the room. The dead bodies just fell down where they stood when the power came back on. They are now flopping around again. My only hypothesis to what happened is that something very powerful on an electro-magnetic scale occurred. It must have also been tied to whatever is trying to control the dead bodies. It would have been using all the energy in the room to power itself. Perhaps something was trying to manifest itself? Or maybe something else happened…
Computer: Your train’s about to leave Eddy! Better hurry!
Daytras: Yes! I must get to the engine room. (Sound of him quickly wheeling through the lab. He stops wheeling and hits the button to the door. The door opens and he wheels through. The door closes behind him.) I am in the engine room. The escape pod will be next to the Hyper Nocturnal drive. (sound of him wheeling over to the hyper nocturnal drive. He stops wheeling.) What? …. Oh no…. this is a X class cargo ship. There is no escape pod!
Computer: I fooled you! I fooled you! I fooled you! OPENING DOORS TO SPACE!
(Sound of buzzers going off and the doors starting to open).
Daytras: I have been tricked. She meant to lure me here in order to expel me out of the air lock. (Sound of Daytras wheeling to the door and hitting the button).
Computer: It’s locked Daytras! Of course it’s locked!
Daytras: The doors space are opening, I don’t have enough time to manually open the door back to the lab. (Wheeling to the wall) I must get the oxygen mask on and get to the safety gravity plate at the green circle. The computer doesn’t control the safety gravity plate, it’s just a solid piece of hardware, I will be safe there. (Sound of him stopping wheeling and grabbing a mask. Sound of him putting it on.) Mask is on. (Sound of him starting to wheel over to the green plate. Sound of Hyper Nocturnal drive spurting and power suddenly cuts out again. Sound of doors still opening. Slurred speaking through the mask) Power… shut off… again…but ….doors… still opening… (sound of the doors continuing to open as Daytras hits buttons on his chair). Hyper Nocturnal….drive….sucked….the power out…. (Sound of suction starting to happen as the door is opening) Air seal….to….space….beginning….to…break.
(Hyper Nocturnal drive sparks again and suddenly the power comes back on and his chair powers back up. Speaking through the computer again) The power is back. Going to the green circle. (Sound of him wheeling quickly as the suction grows louder and the doors continue to open) Made it! (Sound of him stopping wheeling just as the doors fly open. The sound of all the air getting sucked out and suddenly silence. After a moment of silence.) Continuing log. I appear to be stuck. I am in the engine room and the computer has opened the doors to space. I am safe under the safety gravity plate within the green circle at the moment however. I will attempt to close the doors with the controls here. (Sound of him turning around and pulling a lever and pushing a button. Nothing happens.) No luck. The computer must be blocking me from being able to close the doors. (sound of him turning around). It looks like I am stuck here until my oxygen mask runs out of air. (silence for a moment).
Continuing log. The power went out again, this time in the engine room. It was the Hyper Nocturnal drive. It appeared to suddenly turn very quickly and the central drive pulled all of the energy into itself. It is currently unknown where it was trying to route the power to though. It ended up spitting the power back out into the room though. Something is trying to use the Hyper Nocturnal drive as a catalyst for its manipulation of the environment. Or maybe its manifestation into the corporeal world. Or maybe both. (silence for a moment) Speaking from a purely scientific standpoint, this is a revolutionary breakthrough in the world of science. Too bad I probably won’t be alive long enough to enjoy the conclusions and implementations that will come from it! But at least whoever finds this ship will have this log to let them know what happened.
(A loud multi-person scream is suddenly heard). What was that? I just heard a loud noise. That is impossible though. I am in a vacuum, there should be no noise. (Sound of the scream again). There it is again! (Sound of the Hyper Nocturnal drive power up). The Hyper Nocturnal drive is powering up again.
(Sound of a lightning bolt strikes and then the sound of Humbaba and Monroe yelling and battling each other). Oh my! A lightning bolt shot out of the Hyper Nocturnal drive. There are two entities before me now. They are in the middle of the engine room in front of the open doors to space. I don’t know how they are standing out there as there is no gravity or air. (Sound of Humbaba and Monroe struggling). They appear to be fighting each other. This is unbelievable. One appears to be …. a lion. And the other is a man who is on fire.
Monroe: (as they struggle) This ship is mine Humbaba!
Humbaba: (struggling back) No! It is I who will rule the black curtain!
(Sound of them continuing to struggle.)
Daytras: (sound of them continuing to struggle) They do not appear to be paying attention to me. …Maybe that’s for the better.
Monroe: (as they struggle) You weak fool! You think the verses you control give you dominion! Little do you know that true power lies in the absolute control of spirits! Owned territory is no match for my 30 legions!
Humbaba: (as they struggle) I do not require an army to defeat you!
Monroe: (as they struggle) Require?! Or have?! The only spirits you possess and control are either weak or on the brim of betrayal! And now you have lost your aura! This futile attempt to quickly claim control of the ship from me is only the action of a desperate and weakened opponent. Give up! You will never be lord of the Black Curtain as long as my presence exists! Leave here with your free will still intact!
Humbaba: (being struck) Gaaaaah!
Daytras: The man has struck the lion. There is a massive wound that has opened up across his arm and light is pouring it.
Monroe: (as they struggle) Your life force is draining from you Humbaba!
Humbaba: (as they struggle) I am not defeated! (another strike) Aaaaaaah!
Daytras: The man has struck again. This time a wound across the chest.
Monroe: (as they struggle. Sadistically.) I will melt your mind.
Humbaba: (being struck) Gaaaaaaaaah! (sound of Humbaba falling down).
Daytras: The man has struck across the head. The lion has collapsed to the ground.
Humbaba: (weak and struggling) ….you…you
Monroe: (walking up to him) Yes, Humbaba! Me! Me! I am the one who cut you down! I am the one who has left you broken! You know the severity of your wounds. But I will not be the one to strike the finishing blow. I think I will leave you broken and alone laying on the belly of the great beast. There you will have time to contemplate your fate. (sound him grabbing Humbaba and dragging him).
Daytras: The man has grabbed the lion and his now dragging him to the open door to outer space.
Monroe: (stops walking) When you are down there Humbaba, your mind trying to decide on the horrid choice of either dragging your tattered spirit to the Black Curtain or allowing yourself to succumb to non-existence, I want you to leave a little special place in your thoughts for me. The true master of the verses.
(Sound of Monroe dropping Humbaba out of the open doors).
Humbaba: (falling, trailing off) Aaaaaaaaaah!
Daytras: He dropped the lion out of the open doors into space. The lion fell. It fell straight downwards. How is this possible? There is no gravity!
Monroe: (Sound of him turning to face Daytras). And you broken man. Don’t think I don’t see you sitting there…
(Sound of the Hyper Nocturnal drive suddenly sparking and another lightning bolt. Silence again.)
Daytras: …He disappeared. Another lightning bolt shot from the Hyper Nocturnal drive and the man disappeared…. Fascinating. It was almost as though the two of them were operating on different rules of physics than the rest of the world around them. Two non-corporeal entities, using the ship, and in particular the Hyper Nocturnal drive, to act out their conflict within the physical world. It is the only thing that makes sense. Their conflict must have been what was causing the power outages and causing the Hyper Nocturnal drive to react in such a way.
The energy they were utilizing and exerting during their conflict must have caused the Hyper Nocturnal drive to react in such a way that it released the additional energy needed in order to cause them to manifest in the corporeal world. When the conflict stopped the need for all of the energy must have dissipated, causing the Hyper Nocturnal drive to suck back in the energy that it had previous released. But why would the energy from their conflict specifically cause that to happen? There are other kinds of powerful energies that go on all the time near and around a space ship and the Hyper Nocturnal drive never reacts to them. …I don’t know…
Overall, this is a fascinating insight into the higher functions of the Hyper Nocturnal drive that we have been unaware of. Perhaps the drive acts as more of a catalyst than a propulsion unit as we previously thought. In a way it assists in the creation of change within space, time and matter as the need is expressed to it. This would explain a great deal. How it was able to manifest what just happened however I am unsure of, as there was no music played. …Perhaps there are other ways to control the Hyper Nocturnal drive than strictly music that we were unaware of… fascinating. Well… I’ll have to think on this later… Now I need to find a way out of the engine room without drifting off into space…
Wait… perhaps I can utilize the green circle. The safety gravity plate will keep anything that is beneath it attached to the floor below it. This thing is able to detach from where it’s hanging off the wall. Perhaps if I detach it, and lift it over my head, it will leave me attached to the floor and I can freely move about the room. (Sound of Daytras using his chair’s robot arms to detach the green circle and raise it over his head. Sound of him taking a few wheels). It is working. How will I get out of this room though? Since the doors to space are now open I can’t even manually open the door back to the lab due to it’s safety features. Even if I could I have a feeling it may not be the safest idea at the moment given the fact that the bodies started moving in coordination and almost attacked me last time… Perhaps I can go outside and go around the outside of the ship. I will be able to access the main ship through one of the emergency doors on the outside. Unlike the conventional door to the lab, the emergency doors can be opened manually even when exposed to outer space. Additionally, the green circle gives off a radiation and temperature protection field, so I will be safe outside as long as I do not run into anything physical that’s floating around. I believe I have enough oxygen left in this mask to make it too. Ok. I’m heading outside…
(Sound of Daytras wheeling himself outside. Sound fades out.)
COMMERCIAL
(Sound fades in of Daytras wheeling on the outside of the ship. He stops wheeling.)
Daytras: Continuing log. Space is an interesting thing. I am here on the run for my life, yet I am still put into a calm by being out here. It’s almost a primitive response my body has whenever there is no boundary between me and the infinite potential of the universe. I know this may seem like a strange statement to putting into the log, however, in this last hour as I’ve been slowly traversing the outside of the ship I have had to come to the conclusion that I will most likely die today. I just want whoever finds these logs, and with some luck the rest of the world, to know that I left existence without anxiety or fear in my heart. I have contributed to the world more than I originally intended and more than people initially told me I was possible of contributing. (sound of him continuing to wheel.)
However, I am not claiming total death just yet. My mission continues. I have given up all thoughts of finding survivors or of getting off the ship. Now my only thought is to send a distress message out to the UGT. If they receive, I will still likely be dead by the time they arrive. However, perhaps they will be able to better understand what has happened here and learn from it. Hopefully, it will give us new insight into both a new form of life and a way to defend against it. Once I am back on the ship, I will head directly for the bridge. Assuming I am correct in my hypothesis that the bridge will be the most dangerous point on the ship, I will need to move quickly to get the control panel and send the message out. I will most likely be attacked as soon as I enter the room.
I do have to say it is a bit of an ego rub knowing that my death will most likely come in a manner typically only reserved for action heroes in movies. I always assumed I would die in a boring way. (Daytras stops wheeling.) I have reached an emergency hatch. Opening. (Sound of him opening the hatch.) Hatch is open, going in. (Sound of him wheeling in.) Closing hatch. (sound of him closing the hatch and oxygen flooding into the room.) I am back in. Oxygen and gravity is present. Removing mask and putting down the gravity plate. (sound of him putting down the gravity plate and removing the mask.) Entering the main hallway to the ship now. (Sound of him slowly opening the door back into the main hallway to the ship. He slowly wheels out.) No one here. Heading to the bridge. (Sound of him wheeling down the hallway).
The interior of the ship has changed. The walls are starting to look rusted. Torn fabric that is now stained with brown. The floors are looking more worn out, like they are very old. In some places the tiles are cracking and you can see the metal framing underneath. It is also rusted. The lights above me are damaged too. Many of them out, some are just flickering. A few are still functioning but are noticeably dimmer than before. I need to be careful as I traverse as there are many more shadows in here now and something could be hiding where I can’t see it. (Stops wheeling) On this wall next to me… there appears to be small amount of blood dripping from in between the seams of the fabric tiles. (Keeps wheeling). The attackers must be changing the molecular structure and integrity of the ship and general environment. It appears to be causing an accelerated level of entropy. (sound of a stop and a deep voiced man mumbling something for a moment. Daytras stops.) Something just moved and talked… (silence) …I think I need to move through here faster… (Sound of Daytras wheeling quickly. Deep voiced man makes a loud sudden bark and then disappears. Daytras keeps wheeling. Eventually he slows down and stops.)
I have arrived at the bridge. I was worried about having to take time to manually open the door due to the computer not letting me access the room by locking it. However it appears that the door has rusted and has been partially bent from entropy. I believe I will be able to pry it open and enter. Additionally, I should be ok to send out the distress signal from the main console as the distress feature operates separately from the main computer. A convenient safety protocol installed in case the ship’s computer ever became corrupted. …Ok… It was a good life I guess is all I have to say. Whoever finds this log, be ready for these things in case they ever reach Earth. Going in. (Sound of him prying the doors open and wheeling in quickly. He stops wheeling.)
Empty… (silence for a moment) Alright, well I’m not going to delay. (Sound of him wheeling quickly to the console. He stops wheeling.) Sending out the distress signal. (sound of him hitting some buttons.) The console is also rusted and rotting. Here is hoping that it sends out correctly. One small bit of good luck on this is that they gave each of us our own passcode to use in case a distress beacon was ever needed to sent out. I still remember mine. At the time it didn’t make much sense to me why they gave us the pass codes as we would be frozen… it just seemed like an unnecessary safety precaution put in place by some government bureaucrat. However, I think I’m now understanding why. Anyway… entering the passcode. (Sound of him hitting some more buttons. A confirmation beep). Distress signal has been sent correctly. …Thank goodness. …I supposed I should find a place to hide now. (Sound of Daytras starting to wheel off. He stops.) …Something smells bad. It’s coming from over there, behind the console. I’m going to investigate.
(Sound of him wheeling over. He stops). Dead bodies. There are two dead bodies laying on the floor here by the console. Such a shame. I am not a religious man, but I feel strange leaving them just laying here uncovered… There should be some fire blankets and rope in one of the emergency kits. (sound of him wheeling over the wall. He stops wheeling and opens up one of the kits.) Yes, there are a number of blankets and rope in here. There is also a knife to cut the rope with, good. (Sound of him grabbing the blankets, rope and knife. Sound of him wheeling back over to the bodies. He stops wheeling). I will wrap her first. (Sound of him wrapping up a body with the blanket.) Securing with the rope. (Sound of him tying a rope around the body). Cutting the extra rope and tying shut. (Sound of him cutting the rope and tying the body). There. Done. One body has been fully wrapped and tied up. At least she won’t be left openly exposed as she rots. I am not sure why this makes me feel better, but it does. Perhaps there is something to this ritual thing that everyone is always talking about.
Wolfgang: (voice speaks with a ghostly echo, but can be heard clearly) Hey! It’s Daytras! He’s here, on the bridge! Look!
Daytras: What? Whose there? (Sound of Daytras turning around and wheeling out).
Tanya: (ghostly echo) He just said something. Can he hear us this time?
Daytras: There are… three… entities before me. They are human figures. A woman and two men. There is wafts of white gaseous light coming off of them though.
Matti: (ghostly echo) He does see us!
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) And we can hear him! But can he hear us?
Daytras: Yes, I can hear you.
Tanya: (ghostly echo) Haha!
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) Oh my god! We thought you were killed! We saw you get trapped out in the engine room. We couldn’t get in to help you though! The things in the lab were attacking us.
Daytras: Who are you?
Tanya: (ghostly echo) We’re the crew! Or at least, er, the ghosts of the crew. I’m Tanya the pilot, that’s Wolfgang the doctor and that’s Matti the chef.
Daytras: Ghosts… Fascinating. What happened?
Tanya: (ghostly echo) We found a sheet of music floating out in space. We played the song on it and something happened with the Hyper Nocturnal drive and we were killed. It summoned these demons too who are trying to take over the ship.
Daytras: I see…
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) How are we able to communicate with you now? We couldn’t before after we unfroze you.
Daytras: There are dead bodies here behind the console. My hypothesis is that being within the vicinity of them has allowed us to communicate to each other. These bodies must have been particularly affected by the Hyper Nocturnal drive when you played the song that killed you. Perhaps they are acting as a conduction source for communicating energy between corporeal and non-corporeal entities.
Matti: (ghostly echo) Dead bodies? Who are they?
Daytras: They are other passengers that were frozen with me. One is vice counselor Amanda Norman and the other one is the science author Robert Martinson. Their bodies when frozen were positioned closest to the entrance to the engine room where the Hyper Nocturnal drive was. They must have gotten dosed with a heavy dose of some kind of radiation or electro-magnetism that is allowing them to act as a conductor for us. I’m not sure why they are on the bridge though.
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) Either way, Daytras, we need your help. A demon is attempting to take over the ship. He calls himself Monroe. There was a conflict going on between him and another demon called Humbaba over control of the ship. But… it looks like Monroe won… We need to prevent him from taking over as he’s trying to do damage to the living world. We don’t know how he’s going to do it, or what he’s going to do exactly, but it’s going to involve the ship.
Daytras: Fascinating. The non-corporeal entities on the ship are… energy from previously living corporeal entities. These demons that you speak of… are they… ghosts as you call them? Like you? Did they used to be alive once?
Matti: (ghostly echo) No. They are not of the living world. They have always only existed within the land of the dead.
Tanya: (ghostly echo) This is irrelevant guys! We need to figure out a way to stop Monroe! Not figure out what his ingredients are!
Daytras: Ma’am, before you are so quick to dismiss my line of questioning, you should take into consideration that the key to finding out a way to stop this “Monroe” may be in better understanding what his ingredients, in fact, are.
Tanya: (ghostly echo) Oh… Good point.
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) See, told you he was smart.
Daytras: So, there is energy based life that came into existence without the need of a physical container.
(Sound of main console beeping)
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) What was that?
Daytras: (turning around) It’s the main console. I sent a distress call to the UGT. They are responding. I will answer it and let them know what is happening.
(Sound of Daytras wheeling over to the console. Suddenly the sound of Monroe appearing.)
Monroe: Aaaah!
Tanya: (ghostly echo) It’s Monroe! He appeared out of nowhere! Daytras, watch out!
Monroe: Graaah! (sound of him shoving Daytras over. Sound of Daytras and his chair being flung back and hitting the floor).
Daytras: (slurred) …I’ve fallen…
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) Monroe shoved him and he fell out of his chair, come on we have to help him back up.
(Sound of them running up and starting to help Daytras. Sound of Monroe running over to the console and hitting the button.)
UGT Officer: (Sound of him blipping on the screen) This is UGT Officer Thomas Leland. We received your distress call Macedonia, what is the issue?
Tanya: (ghostly echo. Struggling) Geez! Daytras feels like he weights a million pounds.
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo. Struggling) We all have to push together to get his physical body back up into the chair.
Monroe: (talking to the officer) This is the Macedonia! We are under attack from an unknown threat! This is an emergency! Our pilot has been killed and we have no-one on board who can control the hyper nocturnal drive and get us out of here!
Matti: (ghostly echo. Struggling to lift Daytras and his chair back up) Gaah. Monroe! What are you doing?!
Monroe: (talking to the officer) Here! I’m sending you the music notes that need to be played in order to get the ship to move. (sound of Monroe hitting buttons) Play them and send the signal remotely to the Hyper Nocturnal drive! Hurry! We’re about to go down if we don’t get out of here immediately!
Wolfgang: (sound of them setting Daytras back in his chair. Ghostly echo.) We got him back in his chair!
UGT Officer: Music received. I am playing the song now on our station keyboard and sending the signal to the Hyper Nocturnal drive.
Daytras: Wait! No!
(sound of the console turning off and Monroe disappearing.)
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) He shut the console off and then disappeared!
Tanya: (ghostly echo) Hey! How come he just gets to appear and disappear like that? We can’t do that!
Matti: (ghostly echo) He’s a demon, he has special properties and abilities that normal spirits don’t. It likely took him a great deal of energy in order to manifest himself like that too in the physical world. He’s probably in a weakened state now and has retreated to hide some place and recuperate his energy.
(Sound of the song sent to the UGT is heard.)
Daytras: They are playing the song he sent them…
(A moment of silence. Then the sound of the ship beginning to rattle.)
Tanya: (ghostly echo) What’s happening?!
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) Everything is rattling!
Daytras: The song that was played is manipulating the Hyper Nocturnal drive!
Tanya: (ghostly echo) He didn’t have me to play the song, so found another way!
Wolfgang: (ghostly echo) He wanted Daytras to enter his passcode and send the distress call the whole time! We walked right into his trap!
Computer: We are in control now! The 30 legions cometh forth!
Matti: (Sound of the floor cracking. Ghostly echo) The floor! It’s cracking beneath us!
Daytras: What?
(Sound of the floor giving way and Tanya, Wolfgang and Matti falling).
Tanya, Matti, Wolfgang: (as they fall) AAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Daytras: No! …A hole has opened up in the floor. The three of them fell through. (Sound of him wheeling up to the edge.) I can see down through the hole. I can see them falling. But… it’s not space outside of the hole. There is a world beneath. …I need to continue to be able to communicate with them… (sound of him turning around.) The body. (Sound of him wheeling over to the dead body). I will use the knife and cut off the foot for myself. (sound of him pulling out the knife and cutting off the foot quickly.) The rest of the body will be for them. (Sound of him grabbing the wrapped body and dragging it over to the whole). Dropping the body and the knife down the hole. (Sound of him dropping the body. Silence for a moment as the ship rattles.) …Now what?
(Sound of a monster yelling and things starting to crawl up through the hole). Oh my! (sound of him starting to wheel away). There are entities crawling onto the ship through the hole in the ground. There are monsters crawling onto the ship. (monster lets out a scream). Escaping. (Sound of Monroe wheeling off. As he wheels out of the room) I am out of the bridge and heading down the hallway. (Sudden sound of throbbing starts. Daytras stops wheeling.) I feel pain. A throbbing. (throbbing stops) …The wound on my leg… (Sound of another monster screaming behind him). They are chasing me. I must continue to move. (Sound of Daytras wheeling off.)
(Sound of Daytras wheeling off and the ship fades out).
CREDITS/COMMERCIAL/OUTRO