November 12, 2018:
We have been receiving reports for several weeks from various ships (yachts, cruise ships, oil tankers, cargo vessels) deviating from their course and ending up at the exact coordinates: 74°51'51.2"N -03°50'09.0"W.
The ships, sometimes by the dozens at once, are irresistibly drawn to this exact point, colliding and merging into a mass. It seems that a signal is interfering with GPS navigation systems.
After further investigation, we notice that even airplanes flying over the area have their course deviated by a few degrees toward the anomaly.
Furthermore, testimonies report animals (whales, orcas) also being drawn to these coordinates.
We embark on an expedition vessel equipped with a submarine, with a crew of 30 explorers.
We head toward an island 1400km northwest of the anomaly, making sure to pass as close as 280km from it. However, the GPS makes us deviate from our course, and we collide with a cruise ship in a fleet of 31 vessels clustered together.
We dispatch a group of 10 explorers to interview the stranded civilians, sometimes staying for up to three weeks: no signs of life, on any of the ships.
Meanwhile, the scientific team begins their measurements:
Cyclical disruption of the Earth's magnetic field, peaks every 5 minutes and 12 seconds. Instruments are unusable for 17 seconds.
Various fish circle around the vessels, predators mixing and coexisting with prey. A shark is brought up onto the expedition vessel: a phalanx is found fused in its jaw, DNA matching a man who went missing in 1997.
The hulls of the clustered ships show advanced corrosion simulating 300 years of natural erosion.
Permission granted for an expedition.
November 16, 2018:
Loss: 1
Conditions have deteriorated exponentially. The group that explored the upper decks of the clustered ships reported disturbing findings:
- Presence of unknown organic material: dark filaments stretched between the hulls of the vessels, forming a structure similar to a spider’s web. Under a microscope, the material appears to mutate in real time, adapting its structure based on temperature and humidity.
- Unexplained apparitions: Several explorers reported moving silhouettes in the stagnant mist surrounding the vessels. Thermal cameras recorded no heat signatures, but figure-like optical distortions were visible to the naked eye.
- Auditory phenomena: Some explorers began hearing voices in their respective mother tongues. The messages varied, but all shared the same theme: "Come. Join us. The void awaits you."
One of the explorers, visibly disturbed, threw himself into the water after shouting that he "had to unite with them." His body was never found.
November 17, 2018:
Losses: 8
A first submarine dive is organized. The objective is to identify what lies at the exact coordinates underwater, at a depth of 4300 meters. A team of five explorers boards the submersible, equipped with high-intensity lights and magnetic survey instruments.
As the submarine descends, a reddish, flickering light emanates from the depths. At 3500 meters, the team loses all radio contact.
Meanwhile, at the surface, the remaining explorers experience a collective paranoia crisis. Mutual accusations of sabotage, espionage, or betrayal erupt. One explorer attempts to attack a colleague with a crowbar before being subdued. However, one explorer manages to push two men overboard, who are crushed between two hulls of colliding ships. The murderer cannot be restrained, screaming and laughing simultaneously. He is eventually euthanized.
The submarine resurfaces six hours later, but does not respond to any radio calls. When the extraction team opens the hatch, they find the interior covered in the same black, filamentous material discovered on the hulls of the ships. The five explorers are missing. An internal camera, still intact, reveals their final moments:
T+03:12:16: The pilot announces that he has seen a massive structure, resembling a temple, erected in the marine sediment. He describes columns formed of what appear to be gigantic, luminescent bones.
T+03:16:47: Movement is detected near the structure. A gigantic, blurry form rises from the base of the temple. The submersible's lights reveal a single eye, approximately 20 meters in diameter, suddenly opening.
T+03:18:03: The explorers begin screaming in terror. The images blur due to an electromagnetic explosion.
November 18, 2018:
Ancient rituals engraved on the inner walls of one of the ships have been deciphered by linguists. They tell the story of a forgotten sea god, Zharqualis, who attracts the living to consume their souls and expand his influence. The texts mention a cycle: every 104 years, Zharqualis "awakens" and calls for "offerings" that disappear into oblivion. According to the writings, this horror represents Total Oblivion and Absolute Disappearance.
To offer him a sacrifice he will accept, we must send him offerings that will vanish completely from the surface of the Earth: a material disappearance, but also from memory.
We select 7 chosen ones (7 representing the 7 seas) and give them diving suits. We also place all their personal belongings (papers, files, etc.) inside and send them into the water. With their weight, they slowly but surely descend into the depths.
At 11:47 PM, the last of the divers reaches the designated depth, approximately 4,200 meters below the surface. The equipment responds according to established protocols. The vital systems of the subjects show signs of moderate stress, but not critical. Cognitive functions appear intact despite a marked increase in heart rate.
The injection valve is activated at 11:49 PM. The controlled flow of concentrated sulfuric acid, a solution calibrated for slow dissolution, begins to fill the diving suits at a rate of 10 milliliters per second. The acid enters the suits through pre-pierced channels at the chest and shoulders, ensuring an even distribution over the tissues.
11:50 PM: The first signs of chemical reaction are observed. The fluid attacks both organic and synthetic materials indiscriminately. The internal sensors of the suits record a rapid rise in temperature due to the exothermicity of the reaction. The biometric data of the subjects indicate imminent loss of consciousness.
11:52 PM: The disintegration of personal belongings is confirmed by the onboard cameras. The symbolic objects placed inside the suits – photographs, medallions, handwritten notes – are dissolved into an amorphous substance within two minutes.
At this point, the vital functions of the chosen ones are interrupted. The dissolution of the outer tissues progresses at a steady pace. The acid reaches the respiratory systems at 11:54 PM, causing the definitive cessation of all neurological activity.
12:02 AM: The suits themselves begin to give way. The metal alloys specially chosen for their chemical fragility collapse into microscopic fragments, accelerating the integration of the remains into the oceanic environment. At 12:10 AM, all material traces of the chosen ones have disappeared.
The increased density of the resulting solution has precipitated the remaining particles to the abyssal depths. The site is now irrevocably sterile.
12:03 AM: The sonar confirms that the horror sinks into the depths until it disappears. Meanwhile, we see a rogue wave approaching the horizon. We have time to evacuate before the wave engulfs the other ships, carrying them into oblivion with everything else.
Summary: The mission is a success. The horror left, and losses minimal.
Financial Costs:
- Equipment: $1,097,200
- Salaries: $180,000
- Death insurance payouts: $160,000
