The Depths of Ourselves

It was a morning that only the sea could give. The sun cast a pale gold sheen on the calm waters with a breeze gentle enough to feel like a whisper.

As if to declare the day a masterpiece, the gulls soared high above, their cries sharp and clear.

Despite this, seaman Jessup Eldridge felt a foreboding sense of dread that clung to his thoughts: he had been here before. He watched as their sister ship the SS Hoover was ensnared in a thick, elaborate web of wiring.

He couldn't place the feeling. It was one of those times when the pull of déjà vu was so strong and familiar, that you hold your breath in wait for the pin to drop. Until it doesn't…

Carl Murphy, who was one of the ship's electricians, stood with his arms crossed and a scowl on his dark face. Jessup asked, “Any idea how wrapping a ship in wiring could help us beat the Nazis or Japs Carl?”

Carl shook his head before answering, “Shoot I don't know doc, maybe if we have enough electrical current we can ram other ships with it to shock everyone on board?”

Carl realized how asinine it sounded and shrugged.

Harold White, or Harry as he went by, if he wasn't going by “Gunny” added his two cents, “Shit, and light up everyone on our own ship like it's Christmas?”

Jessup rubbed the red stubble on his chin in thought. Harry continued, “Maybe with that much electricity we could use it as a death ray like War of The Worlds or something.”

Whatever it was, it was big. The day prior was used for the crew to brush up on treating electrical burns, general nausea and signing NDA’s

While military police handed them out, the ships commanding officer spoke: “Its a weapon that could change the tide of the war and our understanding of this world.”

“Attention!” Some far off sailor yelled. Jessup was sucked back into the present.

Just as he and the others stood at attention, their XO Charles McGregor pulled the pipe from his mouth and barked. “At ease!”

His white dress wear was crisp as if just from the drycleaners, every gold button polished. His worn face scowled at the Hoover, “Alright boys, we are gonna get a bit further from Philly and they will begin the test. So at your stations, there will be an announcement on the PA soon.”

Carl and Harold saluted and walked away in separate directions.

Jessup, reflected on his laissez-faire relationship with McGregor. As the ship's Medical assistant he helped the XO work out a case of dysentery months back. Since then, Jessup considered him a friend; although because of the difference in rank they walked a line. “Sir?”

“Yes Eldridge.”

“Why are we testing a new weapon so close to the ports of Philadelphia? Don't we want the weapon to remain a secret?”

McGregor twirled his pipe thoughtfully. “What better place to keep a secret but plain sight?”

Jessup considered it.

The XO walked away, his head trained on the SS Hoover. He paused and turned back towards Jessup. “Oh, and Jessup? Make sure you got your shit in a group just in case something goes awry. Aye Aye?”

Jessup nodded, with a salute.“Aye aye sir.” His feet swooshed as he pivoted away towards the queue forming. Jessup got one last look at the Hoover before going below deck.

Down below the men were packed like sardines in various parts of the ship. Jessup felt like he could hardly breathe. The chatter was equally breathless of what they may be testing. One said: “I heard it's a death ray, like War of The Worlds or somethin.”

Well that spread fast, Jessup chuckled to himself.

Another thought it was going to make the ship powered by electricity instead of diesel.

Jessup watched as the game of telephone went along the ship. The PA system crackled to life. “The test will commence at 0830. Unless your assignment requires you to be on deck, remain in cabin until the test has finished.” It repeated once more.

Jessup glanced at his timepiece, 0807, less than 30 minutes.

To pass time he tried to imagine scenarios; cuts, loss of limbs, burns, but found it difficult since he had no idea what the test entailed. Jessup laid on his cot until he got a visitor at 0826. Harry slapped Jessup’s foot, and gave him a sly look, “Follow me.”

“Uh okay?”

They weaved in and out of men, until Harry stopped in front of a mechanical access point.

He held a finger to his lips, he loved being the one to “know things.”

Carl was there waiting for them.

“Where are yal taking me?” Jessup asked to no avail. They walked some ways before they were met by a ladder. Jessup followed their lead going up and before they knew it they were met by morning skies.

Jessup grumbled, “We are gonna get chewed out for this shit.”

Harry laughed. “That's if we get caught.”

Carl spoke with a cigarette bouncing on his lip, “We signed the NDAs, so as far as I can see, long as we keep our mouths shut we’re good.”

The ship's sirens rang out three times before the engines were cut.

Harry took a long puff off his own cigarette, “Too bad we didn't bring any popcorn.”

The odd wiring on the Hoover began to glow with white light. Its eventually sped up to a blue light. Then it surged and turned into an angry violet. Over the deafening hum Jessup could barely hear Carl say, “Violet is the most powerful current.”

Jessup could feel his hairs standing.

They all watched in shock as the current turned green, which led to a green smoke obscuring the Hoover.

It has no smell, but neither does carbon monoxide Jessup thought. He hollered to the others. “You think we should be breathing this shit?”

The water, the sky, and the horizon seemed to be gone. It was just the Hoover in a green abyss. With a crack of what could only be described as thunder, and a bright green flash, it was over.

The three men shuddered before cautiously looking at the Hoover. It sat, the seas surrounding it calm as ever. Aside from the soft clouds of green you wouldn't have known anything happened.

Jessup spoke first. “Well, will we ever know if this worked?”

The three scanned their surroundings, their view still blocked by the green fog. Alert sirens broke the silence.

“Shit.” The three blurted out. Jessup stared at the Hoover one more time before crawling down the maintenance shaft. His heart went to his throat as he saw a person going overboard. He gasped, cusping his hand over his mouth. “Hey! Someone just went overboard!

The three double timed to their superiors.

XO Mcgregor pulled Jessup to the side, “Sir someones overboard on the Hoover!”

“I know damnit, why do you think I'm grabbin you? We are taking volunteers to head over now.”

“What happened?”

The XO shrugged, “They aren't responding to our hails and we have seen others go overboard. So you are being volunteered to head over to address any other casualties.”

“Yes sir. I was ready for it.” Jessup grabbed his gear, and felt compelled to ask: “Sir, what the hell did we do?”

Jessup could tell the XO was missing his tobacco pipe. He shook his head, “I signed the same NDA as you.”

Soon after Jessup was on a boat of volunteers, some medical, some random like Carl. It was all quiet as the boat buzzed through the fog to the Hoover.

There was no sign of the person who went overboard.

They ascended the ship. On the deck of the destroyer, there was nothing or no one. “Well down into the breach we go.” Jessup said to the others. He noticed that Carl wasn't following the group, he was staring in the distance.

Jessup joined him, “What is it?”

Carl pointed a meaty hand. What they saw made no sense. Waiting for them through the fog was the statue of liberty. Her torch just the size of a lightbulb from this distance.

It wasn't as though NY was that far away, but to travel hundreds of nautical miles in the blink of an eye, should've been impossible.

Carl muttered. “Well I guess we figured out what the experiment was.”

Below deck was quiet, there were muffled clanks typical of a ship; but no cries of help, Jessup soon saw why.

There, frozen in the aisles of the ship were several sailors. Some seemed frozen mid sentence, mid scream, or oblivious that Jessup and the others were there.

He approached a blonde haired man who wore a dazed expression. “Come along, sailor.” Jessup and Carl both found him immovable.

They pulled up a pant leg to find the man's feet were one with the ship as if welded together.

“What on god's green Earth?” Carl whispered. Jessup gave a gentle tug, the man eluded an animalistic scream sending the two stumbling back.

Carl pulled Jessup down to the next level “I don't think we can help him.”

As they descended deeper the worse and more strange the casualties became. They found men stricken by madness. They spoke in what Jessup could only describe as gibberish. Some were vomiting. There were more and more men who were inexplicably welded into the ship.

Jessup found that his hand was over his mouth every time he entered a room.

A string of men were linked together like a ghastly spider web across the ship. Jessup nearly fell when he heard a moan above his head. He turned his flashlight towards the ceiling. He cried out at the sight. It was filled with torsos, arms, and feet poking through the floor with no body in sight.

“What the fuck has happened?”

Part of Jessup wished to flee. There was nothing they could do for these poor souls. Though, a part of him yearned to see what other monstrosities awaited.

In the lowest levels, near the engines it was the most disturbing. Carl and Jessup were the first to arrive. Absent were the roars of the engines. It was dark and the air thick with the smell of diesel and mildew.

Their flashlights skimmed the path ahead, it wasn't until they entered the engine room they saw the last vestiges of the crew.

With the faint glow of their flashlights they thought the bloody shapes were demons. Jessup fell onto his back in horror.

The demons however sat idle in a gentle sway similar to the men frozen above.

Jessup clawed for his flashlight, being medically trained he recognized the organs in the shapes. He saw a chest cavity, the veins, the lungs, a familiar beating muscle. He couldn't stop himself from vomiting. These were not demons, these were some poor men who were turned inside out.

Jessup held up a hand towards them, to maybe comfort them, but recoiled, knowing it would be in vain. A sudden shock, Carl was gone. “Carl?” He whispered. His voice hissed off the iron of the creaking ship. He was afraid that he might wake or startle the pile of organs that stood feet away.

He walked further into the engine room, he saw a beam of light on the floor. “Carl? You okay?”

He came around the corner to see his friend inspecting something. All the electrical wiring they had wrapped the ship in led here. It converged down into a large bell shaped object.

At the bottom of the bell was strange writing, they looked like hieroglyphics to Jessup.

“Carl? What's goin on? You okay?”

Jessup noticed the green gas was pooling at Carl's ankles. On the bell some icon was blinking.

“Carl, let's get the hell out of here.”

As he caressed the bell Carl spoke as if on the verge of climax, “It's about to open its eyes again.”

Jessup winced. “What the hell are you sayin?” Connected to the bell was some sort of control station that resembled the bridge of a ship.

There were various screens, but one in the middle caught Jessups eye. Circular radio waves seemed to pulsate faster and faster. He couldn't be sure, but it felt like a countdown.

“I think we should either stop this thing or get the hell out of here.” When Jessup placed his hand on his friend's shoulder he was stunned by the force of a fist in his chest. It sent him sprawling backwards.

His friend's eyes were crazed, “You wont stop it!” He hissed, baring his teeth.

Jessup regained himself, holding up his hands. “Woah buddy, I don't know what's gotten into you but I need you to remember who rescued you from those Marines in Cape Canaveral. Lets just cut off this blinking station and get off this ship.”

Jessup made a half step towards the station, and like a protective mother bear Carl stepped in front. Jessup could see the glimmer of a knife.

Jessup backed away until he was in the main part of the engine room again. The diesel engines were shrouded in the green smog. Jessup felt another presence. With his flashlight he quickly scanned his left. His sight was met by the inside out men. They slowly moved towards him with their ruby and purple arms reaching out.

Jessup cried out when he felt a squish on his right shoulder. He tore away as hard as he could and began bolting for the stairs.

He felt a burning sensation in the middle of his back. He gritted his teeth when he returned a handful of crimson blood from the fresh wound. Crazy bastard stabbed me. He pumped his fist and knees up the stairs.

Behind him he heard Carl’s rabid screams, and the sound of metal scratching metal close behind.

Fortunately the Hoover had the same layout as his own ship. The way out made all that much easier with the gruesome landmarks. The spider web of men.

The trail of limbs in the ceiling and finally the frozen men. Jessup entered the room barely catching his breath. To his dismay the frozen men all now shared the crazed look that Carl had.

One pulled a blood covered knife from another, Jessup couldn't be sure if it was another frozen man or someone from the rescue party.

“Jesus Christ,” he wheezed. He sprinted, ducking through the outstretched arms of the crew, some that were part of the ship.

Finally Jessup emerged on the deck to the welcome sight of the sea. He could see several boats full of the other would-be rescuers leaving in equal states of panic. “Wait! Wait, you bastards!”

He waved his arms after them.

Jessup heard Carl's voice, this time with a strange calm to it.

“You will join us. You will be a part of the ship. You will be one with the ship.”

Amongst him were a wall of sailors, their faces were blank and devoid of emotion; but their eyes had a demented smile in them.

They began to encircle Jessup, and someone grabbed him.

He pulled the sailor towards him, punching them dead in the nose. Blood sprayed from their face, but they did not seem affected. Though it was just enough to loosen their grip.

A blue light began along the wiring of the Hoover. Jessups hairs on his arms and legs stood at attention.

The light quickly turned violet, and he began to feel as though he were being cooked.

Blue, violet, green, and whatever the hell comes next.

As best as he could, he shielded his eyes and ran blindly until he hit the railing. Railing meant to keep someone from going overboard; though that's exactly what he intended to do.

A splash of cold saltwater and Jessup was in the sea. He opened his eyes; beneath him the depths were illuminated by the flickering green light. The light began to strobe so fast that he felt himself being hypnotized.

He shook himself from it. I have to get away from this cursed ship. He paddled and paddled, his arms and legs heavy with the sea. He was still out of breath from running for his life.

He swam underwater until he felt his lungs would explode and made for the surface. When you need air it always seems so far away.

When he emerged gasping under a starless sky, the only light was that of the Hoover. He turned to it and felt as though he would sink to the bottom of the sea.

He was probably thirty yards away but some part of him knew that wasn’t far enough. On the starboard side of the deck he could make out the lines of sailors as if they were manning the rail at attention.

He could see the deranged looks on their faces, he saw Carl's face as if in his mind's eye.

His sunken brown eyes. The laugh lines pulled tight. Pure madness.

This was the last thought Jessup had as the Hoover erupted into a single blinding flash. In its wake it left calm seas.

It was a morning that only the sea could give. The sun cast a pale gold sheen on the calm waters with a breeze gentle enough to feel like a whisper.

As if to declare the day a masterpiece, the gulls soared high above, their cries sharp and clear.

Despite this seaman Jessup Eldridge felt a foreboding sense of dread that clung to his thoughts: he had been here before. He watched as the SS Hoover, their sister ship, was ensnared in a thick, elaborate web of wiring.

He couldn't place the feeling. It was one of those times when the pull of deja vu was so strong and familiar, that you hold your breath in wait for the pin to drop. Until it doesn't…