Depth One - by Tyler Wilson

The mystery of what happened on board Depth One will likely never be solved. It was, after all, manned only by a single person, Doctor Lambert, and unfortunately he is in no condition to tell us anything about what took place down there in the darkness beneath the sea.

Depth One was a marvel of nautical engineering. Perfectly spherical, its top half was entirely glass, capable of withstanding an almost infinite amount of pressure, whilst offering a three hundred and sixty degree view of the area around the occupant. The bottom half contained the radar and computing equipment required by the scientist on board to communicate with the launch vessel that would be waiting above. There were lights around the top and bottom of the sphere-shaped body, making it resemble a disco ball when underwater, with the beams powerful enough to penetrate the complete blackness that engulfed the ocean's floor.

Work began on Depth One with the discovery of the aptly named Atlantean Trench, situated in the heart of the Atlantic. The trench surpassed the Pacific's Mariana as the deepest known point on Earth – so deep, in fact, that the previous fleet of submarine vessels were incapable of handling the treacherous environment.

Unfortunately, the maiden voyage of Depth One did not go entirely to plan. Whilst the vessel was recovered, for the most part, undamaged, the same cannot be said for the brave scientist who was on board.

Doctor Lambert stood on the prow of the RSS Pioneer, and did his absolute best to look calm. A chill Atlantic breeze was slapping him in the face as the Pioneer tore through the miles of ocean towards the Trench. The sound of sea spray and gushing water assailed him, but his entire focus was on appearing as zen as possible. Not because he was terrified about being the first man to delve into the deepest, darkest, most dangerous point on Earth – well, not entirely, anyway – but because Professor Rose, who was very pretty indeed, was making her way around the ship's cabin and walking towards him.

“Lambert!”, she called over the roar of the waves, stepping up behind him. The Doctor cleared his throat, lest he sound pre-pubescent, and turned to greet her, beaming his most fetching smile. Her arms were folded as she glanced down over the edge of the ship. “Presumably you weren't waiting here to recreate a Titanic moment, so I can only assume you are stood here so that nobody can see how scared you are?”, she asked, fixing him with a challenging stare. Lambert raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak, but alas, the clearing of his throat had failed him, and only a high pitched croak escaped before he violently cleared his throat once again.

“Terrified? What would give you that impression?”, he said.

“Well...”, she began, staring him up and down, “Your leg is twitching from side to side, you've yet to make some sort of wise crack about my breasts, and you're stood here alone when usually by now you've spent the mid afternoon drinking fruity cider with Martin below deck.” The Doctor nodded a few times, frowning.

“Yeah, it does seem like you've seen through my ruse. You should have studied criminology, clearly you've the eye for it.”

“And there's that humour we so love to hate.” She shook her head, but smiled nonetheless. “Well, either way, I wanted to wish you good luck. Who knows, if you make some famous discovery, they might even consider renaming the trench “Lambert Trench”.

“If they named every dark crevasse I've ever been inside after me, Rose, then there would be a number of awfully confused girls around.”

“You're really trying hard to impress me with your confidence now, aren't you?”, she said.

“The important question is is it working?”

“Ask me again when you get back, Lambert. Now, I must get back to preparing the DO for you.” She turned on her heel, waving over her shoulder, “Try not to shit yourself too much before you get down there.”

“I assure you my bowels are already empty,” he said, with a smile and a wave.

 

It wasn't the first time Lambert had been inside Depth One – affectionately known as DO – but he was still a little overwhelmed. It truly was science fiction, with flashing lights and buttons and radars and, most importantly, a smooth chrome interior. The submarine was in the launch bay beneath the Pioneer, clasped by a heavy crane that would soon release the vessel and plunge it down into the icy Atlantic below.

Doctor Lambert, can you hear me loud and clear? Came a voice through the radio.

“So loud and so clear it's like you're spooning me in bed, Martin,” Lambert responded, distractedly flicking switches and buttons and performing the occasional spin on his chair.

Can you try for a little professionalism for once? We are on the verge of scientific advancement, here. I don't want the Daily Mail to concentrate on us spooning.

“Yes, yes, fine. I'll be professional. Are we all set for the launch?”, he asked, licking his thumb and wiping down the glass panel that encased him. A heavy sigh came through the radio.

Just a few moments more and we'll be ready. Are you clear on your objective? Lambert cleared his throat, before reciting in a well rehearsed tone,

“Our objective is to identify any and all forms of potential undiscovered life, to observe and understand the way that the trench has formed, and to – if possible – reach the very bottom of the Trench.”

1. I think we're prepared now, Lambert. I'll keep a fruity cider on ice for you when you get back.

“You really are a man of my own heart, Martin.”

As ever. Right! Here we go. Launching in T minus 5… 4… 3… 2… 1! Good luck, Lambert!

A yelp escaped him as the crane holding the Depth One suddenly released the heavy sphere into the ocean. The strange sensation of seeing the water engulf him from all sides made the Doctor slightly queasy, but at the same time he couldn't help but release a delighted giggle. It was like dropping down into the ocean in a giant bubble.

Okay, Lambert. Activate the jets and start to make your way down. You'll need to switch on your lights once you reach two thousand feet. Lambert pressed a combination of buttons to his left, and he heard the thrusters on the submarine roar into life. Taking hold of the small joystick-like controls in front of him, Lambert began to guide the Depth One down into the blackness.

If it hadn't been for the idle chatter that came through the radio from time to time, Lambert would have been excused for thinking he was trapped in some alien planet. It did not take long before perpetual and utter darkness surrounded him, but he hadn't quite reached two thousand feet, yet. This was the scary part of the journey. Lambert craned his head around, looking behind himself, but he may as well have had his eyes closed. The DO was blanketed in darkness.

Mercifully, Lambert eventually reached two thousand feet.

Lambert, you've hit two thousand feet. Time to turn the lights on. Let's hope nothing is waiting in front of you, huh?

“Yeah, real fucking funny Martin. I swear down if I see anything when these go on, I'm coming up there and putting a beer glass in your eye.” The sound of laughter reverberated through the radio. Muttering obscenities to himself, Lambert began to engage the lights on the DO. Bright beams of yellow and white light suddenly shot out from the top and bottom of the vessel, and thankfully, did not reveal any giant sea monsters lurking around. They were staggeringly bright, however, and even down here where the sun's light had never penetrated, Lambert could see clear as day through the murky water around him.

Right then, Lambert, it should be smooth sailing from here on down. It will take approximately three hours before you break thirty thousand feet, and then you are in trailblazing territory.

The Doctor reclined back in the swingy chair, and guided the submarine further down towards the Atlantean Trench.

An uneventful hour or so passed without Lambert hearing a sound. It was the sort of silence that physically assaulted his ears – it was so quiet, he could hear the quiet. Thus it was that the Doctor jumped up in his chair when a deep, cavernous bellow reverberated through the icy depths, echoing on for what seemed like miles and miles.

“Martin! Martin, did you hear that?”, he said into the radio.

No, I've suddenly developed a hearing disorder. Of course I heard it. It sounds like it was probably a whale.

“I'm at about ten thousand feet, Martin. It would be some whale to be this far down.”

Sperm Whales have been recorded at nine thousand nine hundred feet, actually.

“You're a fucking sperm whale.”

Be professional Lambert! Look, if it wasn't a whale, it was some sort of seismic activity on the ocean floor. We've never been this far down, here – there might be an underwater volcano.

Lambert gave a disgusted look towards the radio, before reaching for the playback. He pressed play on the recording of the noise that he had heard, and instantly regretted doing so. The noise was so organic, so alive. A whale. It had to be.

The silence was welcome, now. Every few minutes, the Doctor kept expecting to hear further cries, but the ocean remained deathly quiet. Thousands of feet passed by in hours. Lambert saw nothing – no doubt the brightness of the DO was scaring off the few creatures that lived this deep before he even arrived.

Fifteen thousand feet. Twenty thousand feet. Thirty thousand feet. The blackness of the trench was so thick, now, that even the lights of the DO were struggling to penetrate it.

Then he heard it. It was louder, this time. Closer. The sound seemed to pass through him – a hollow, echoing, deep roar of noise.

Lamb- did- wha- the radio crackled and popped.

“Martin? Martin? I can't hear you! This isn't funny. If you look up the opposite of 'funny' on Google, this is exactly what you would find!”

Don- com- -ack and with that the radio fell silent, with only static escaping from it. Lambert slammed his hands on the controls before him.

“Fuck!”, he yelled, to nobody.

Who? Came the whisper from nobody. The Doctor's eyed widened. He slammed a hand onto the radio.

“Martin? Martin, was that you?!”, he shouted into the communicator. Static greeted him. A few moments of silence passed.

Who? Came the whisper again.

Lambert swallowed hard. The noise had seemed to come from everywhere, and nowhere. His throat tightened, and suddenly his hands felt paralysed in the moment. Silence permeated the air inside Depth One, broken only by the static of the radio. Then the murmurings rose again; indiscernible, indescribable, like a thousand voices all whispering on top of one another, fighting to be heard. The Doctor swivelled in his chair, eyes frantically searching the darkness around him. He checked the depth metre on his computer; fourty thousand feet. The deepest any man had been before. Lambert began to continuously murmur curse words beneath his breath, with the whisperings around him overwhelmingly distracting. Grasping the joystick before him, he turned it upwards, and decided that he didn't care what Martin or anybody else said, he was leaving this stupid trench.

Then, as if in response, the lights on the DO flickered violently.

“No, no, no, don't you fucking dare!” the Doctor shouted at the machine, slamming his fists against the computers before him, but before he knew it, the lights died entirely. He was floating in an abyss, senseless, clueless as to what was going on around him. Soon after, the DO gave a violent jerk. The crescendo of whispers rose louder and louder, as the Doctor soon realised something was holding the DO firmly in place. Lambert gripped at his ears, trying to block the sound out, but it was as though the voices had infiltrated his very mind, the noise now not even distinctive from his own thoughts. “Stop, stop, stop!” he yelled, coiling and writhing backwards and forwards.

He comes too deep, a voice said in his mind.

Wakes it from its slumber, said another.

Dark things dwell here, said the first.

We can see you, a new voice whispered.

At once, the blazing lights of Depth One shot back into life, blinding like the sun. Lambert stared out into the abyss; and the abyss stared back. What seemed like thousands of round, colourless eyes were pressed tightly against the glass sphere of the submarine, each one moving in frantic, wild movements, up and down, side to side, like a mesmerising dance. There was no sign of what beings the eyes belonged to – instead, it was as if they simply hung in the cold waters, the pupils constantly shifting their viewpoint back and forth.

The senseless whispers reached a fever pitch as Doctor Lambert finally snapped. Curling up tightly on the swivelling chair, he buried his head into his knees and wept, his tears falling without any sympathy as he sat trapped at the bottom of the world.

 

Professor Rose sat by the side of the bed in the medical cabin. The Pioneer was making slow, steady progress, and so Doctor Lambert slept soundly. He was curled in a foetal position, facing the wall with his back towards her, hands clasped tightly into his chest. The change that had overcome him ever since Depth One had finally resurfaced, hours after they had originally lost contact with it, was frightening. His eyes, once full of mirth, now stared, wide and unblinking. No matter how dry they became, how red and raw they seemed, he never once let them close; Martin had made the doctors on board drug Lambert into the sleep he now enjoyed.

Let him find some measure of peace in dreams, Rose thought to herself. More and more, she wished that there was some way of knowing what had happened down there. Lambert no longer seemed able to speak; he simply murmured incoherently about the eyes, how they were watching, and about the whispers that wouldn't leave his mind. She simply could not believe that the man she was flirting with less than a day earlier now lay, helpless and shattered before her.

She would have found it even harder to believe that the helpless and shattered man before her was not asleep. His eyes might have been closed, and his functions dulled, but his mind was still operating frantically. He carried the whispers with him now, forever in his head; and whatever his eyes saw, they too saw. For Doctor Lambert had, unknowingly, stirred them from their long slumber at the bottom of the sea.

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