Behind Door #1

3/7/2014

Today's Sci-Fi Friday post is all about audience participation (I'm lazy, three times a week is harder than it looks).

So, it's the internet and rumors abound, and apparently every time I'm hard up for a blog topic we're going to hit one. Don't question. Today's rumor, spurred on by a certain XKCD comic, is that James Cameron found a door at the bottom of the Marianas Trench.

I'm going to just stare at that for a minute, and bask in the fact it's under this license and I'm totally allowed to do that. Also, if you click on the comic it'll take you to the xkcd website where there are so many other comics and I don't even know where to start.

Anyway, here's the audience participation part. Tell me a story (in summary or whatever) about what Mr Cameron found behind that door that I'm about ninety-percent sure wasn't there. I'll devise some sort of prizey thing for the one I like the best.

Edit: I'm not sure how legal this is, but I'm claiming it anyway. Anything down there in the comments belongs to and is the responcibility of the poster.

4 Comments

Kate link

3/25/2014 02:51:37 pm

*deep breath* Okay, I've got to keep this smallish if I do it here. (need to get my 500 words in somewhere today)

James stared at the door through the bulbous window of JASON. He checked the gauges to verify that the CO2 scrubbers were working properly. He checked his pulse. The trench was too deep to be able to send spurious communications back to the surface. He had his timed check-ins, that would have to suffice.

The door in front of him looked like the simplest of kitchen doors. It had a pale red color in the bright lights of his craft. The shaker style panels were well-worn as if it had just come off of a house in Ohio. The edges glowed with bioluminescent algae.

The strange small creatures of the deep skittered by, noticed only by the cameras. All of James' attention was focused on the door that shouldn't be. He reached out with a tentative claw. It clearly rattled the silt from the door as it touched down.

The claw had limited flexibility, but he was able to get it around the iron handle. He pulled lightly on it. In the isolation of the one man sub, he knew that this was his decision. The scientists would want to study and measure it. It would be at least a year before it was shifted at all. He couldn't fund that research.

Something in his heart clenched at the idea that he might never know.

History alone would praise or damn him now. He maneuvered the claw into position. The grey rubber-coated pincers closed and he raised the arm, opening the door.

The water didn't rush into the space below.

Air didn't bubble up into the water.

The door hung open in the claw.

Stillness ruled for two heart-stopping minutes.

Then, very slowly, something began to seep from behind the door. It was so dark that it stood out against the darkness of the trench. He reared back, smacking his head into the back of the sub. He tried to lower the arm to keep the escaping darkness in check.

The darkness pressed up against the pressure. It was not going to be denied.

It slipped out in whirls and eddies that slipped off toward the surface. A few of them clumped together, creating images that danced at the edge of his understanding.

He pressed down against the door again and again. His breathing was rapid and he heard an alarm going off somewhere beyond the ringing in his ears.

He had to get the door closed before any more of the darkness was released. He knew it with the instinctual dread of a man facing an angry bear. He brought all the pressure of the craft down on the door.

The door was shoved closed, but not before a large tendril escaped.

Its laughter echoed inside his head. It shot toward the surface with the speed of a giant squid on the hunt.

Oh, God, what had he released into the world.

"DeepSea respond or we're pulling you out."

He pressed the transmitter. "I'm fine," he lied. His eyes followed the little eddy of black that had decided to attach itself to the side of the craft. "Readings are good. All systems are recording."

He couldn't ascend immediately.

He had to watch the door.

He watched it until the ship crew pulled him up.

When he closed his eyes, he saw the skim of black slide across the inside of his lids. It whispered into his mind. "I have the most wonderful idea."

Mike

5/15/2014 02:19:49 pm

James Cameron's submarine floated gracefully towards the door at the bottom of the Marianas Trench. It was old and rusted shut, but James knew that if he could just reach out and touch it, the door would open easily. Flushed with excitement he grabbed the radio and squeezed the transmit button as he held it to his mouth.

"Allen, can you hear me?" James asked, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Loud and clear, James," Allen replied through the speakers. "What's up?"

"I've found the door, Allen," James said. "It's here. You can see it on the monitor, right?" There was a prolonged silence and James relished it. They'd all called him crazy, of course, when he had told them about the door. No one could ignore the siren song of money though, and they'd all agreed to come along with him when he named a number high enough.

"I can't fucking believe it," Allen said breathlessly. "James, listen, I'll admit I didn't believe you but-"

"Of course you didn't believe me!" James said. "I know you all thought I was crazy but now you see! I'm not the crazy one!"

"Look, James, if that thing is real then it predates any sort of civilization or- well, anything we know about on this planet," Allen said with a sigh. "Maybe you should just leave it be."

"Leave it be?!" James spat with disgust. "No! How can you say that after we've come this far?!"

"I mean, maybe it's closed for a reason," Allen said. "Just think about it, who made this?"

"Maybe we'll find out when I open it," James said as he maneuvered the robotic arm towards the door's handle.

"James, please!" Allen protested one last time as the gripper closed on the handle. James Cameron was bouncing in his seat as he turned the door handle and pulled.

The door suddenly jerked inward, pulling the submarine in and slamming it against the frame. James ignored Allen's shouting as he gazed into the depths of the door from behind the reinforced glass and steel. The darkness beyond the door went down infinitely and swallowed all the light. There was nothing beyond the door.

Alarms filled his ears as his instruments began to go haywire. Allen was shouting from up on the boat and James could only watch as the water roared around him. From what little light the submarine produced, he could see water, sand, and the occasional creature fly past this submarine and into the void beyond the door. There was little more he could do but watch.

Nearly twelve hours later, after the submarine had finished depressurizing, James Cameron opened the hatch and stepped out onto the drying sand. The entire world's oceans had all drained into that door, and the boat that his crew was on, sat on a cliff high above him. Allen was running up to him along the bottom of what had once been the deepest trench in the world.

"What the hell did you do, James!?" Allen screamed as he stopped to catch his breath. James Cameron surveyed his surroundings quietly.

"I guess life's a beach, sometimes," James said.

"The whole world will die without the oceans!" Allen yelled at him. "What the hell were you-"

"Life's a beach..." James nodded sagely.

Allen balled up his fist and punched James Cameron in the face.

Ash

5/15/2014 06:03:53 pm

Day One: How stupid could I have been? Stupid! Stupid! I should have left it alone! This was not the time to give in to my curiosity. Now I am lost. I have no idea where I am. First and foremost I need to find shelter and water. How did I get here? Where am I? Where is the sub? What are these lights?

Day Three: I guess I should probably explain my situation a bit more now that I have found shelter and a small fresh water spring in a cave in the side of a mountain. I was in the small submarine exploring the Marianas Trench. The darkness was nothing like I had ever witnessed. The only light came from the lamps fitted on the sub itself. I was ready to turn back when something caught my eye, something that should not have been there, something that made no sense. A door. There was a door on the bottom of the trench. An oak door with a brass knob. It was plain and flat with an impossibly bright doorknob. I swear it was not there moments before. It was then I notice the whispering. It was indecipherable, but I felt as if whoever was speaking wanted me to open the door. My body began to move on its own as if something had possessed me. I could not speak only watch as my arms took the controls and the motorized claw descended towards the door.......

Day Six: I had to retreat further into the cave. There was something...I don't know...it sounded like an army marching. Anyhow, when I awoke, I was alone in a desert next to a large mountain with a red blinking light on top. A radio tower. That means there is civilization nearby somewhere. I must find it. I'm glad I have this little notebook. I fear these words may be my last.

Day 7: There are lights in the sky. I don't know what they are. I don't understand. They seem to move towards the east. There are lights on the horizon, like a city or town. I will follow the lights. There is more whispering. I can't make it out.....something about trees.....and doing something with your double or to your double.... I don't understand.

D8: I...am at a loss.....I don't even....on my way east I could make out buildings, but they seem so far away. It....they....fell, from the sky, animals. No not the sky, this large cloud. Cats, dogs, cows, rabbits, all dead, fell from a cloud. The carnage was indescribable. Also, I think I must be near the town. I smell vanilla. The whispering is more clear now. Kill your double. What does that mean?

9: Kill your double. Kill your double. Kill your double. Kill...............

I don't know why I wrote those words. I made it to the town. Some small town called “Night Vale”. There is no one in sight, but there is a park nearby. The sign has a dog on it, so I think it is a dog park I'm sure I can find some one in there to help.

Tamela link

5/18/2014 08:13:55 am

Excuse the delay. I had to get drunk to finish this ridiculousness, but then I sobered up and almost deleted the whole thing. But I said I would, and so here:

This is what happened. Nothing will convince me that this isn’t what happened. One day while David Bowie and Freddy Mercury were taking their customary stroll along the Abyssal Plain, Freddy fell off the cliff and stumbled head over ass through the Puerto Rico Trench, past the Milwaukee Deep straight to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, landing with a thud against a metal, bolted door.

When the shock of seeing his best mate tumble out of sight surpassed, Bowie walked tentatively to the edge and did the only thing he could.

“Helllllllo? Are you dead?”

His voice echoed throughout the canyons. A long time later a reply came. “Maybe? If so, I have found the door to the underworld. Want to join me?”

Bowie looked around, thought for half a second then backed away from the edge, took a deep breath, called out, “Be right therrrrrrrrrrrrrre!” and jumped.

The first 20 or so feet seemed to take a long time to reach, but when he did, it was face first, then after sliding on it for another yard or so, he began to roll, his shoulders and backside taking the brunt of the hits. It continued over and over and over until he lay broken, his last words, shouted so far away, so long ago, finally catching up with him.

“Well, that was the stupidest thing I have ever done. Ever,” he said… or maybe it was only in his head. He couldn’t be sure.

He looked blurrily around him. Mercury lay in a heap beside him, looking as broken as Bowie felt.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” he asked.

Freddy held up one no longer straight finger. “Wait for it.”

A long moment later they heard it. “Nooooooooo. Dooooooooooon’t.”

“Ah. Guess I should have waited, huh?”

“Perhaps. But, now that we’re both here and apparently alive—death better not hurt this much—what you say we open this door?”

“I’m not sure if I can move, mate. But, if I ever do gain the ability, I suggest we knock first. Might be considered rude to just barge in.”

“Good thinking.”

Bowie smiled. It hurt, but it was nice to know he still had the mental facilities to think of the polite thing to do. He was, after all, an Englishman. Still, he was in no hurry to move enough to knock on the door. Even if he was incredibly curious to where that door lead, what was contained within.

Mercury must have felt similarly, for they both lay there for what seemed at least half a day. Finally, Freddie reached up and tentatively rapped his knuckles against the hollow sounding door. The sound reverberated. “Well, either someone will open the door and offer us assistance, or they will finish us of and feast on our flesh.”

“Or,” Bowie added after a moment where no one came to their summons, “no one is home.”

“Our bad luck to come for a howdy-do the one day they have gone to run their pit-of-the-earth errands.”

David was going to retort about maybe coming back tomorrow, when they heard the clangs of what sounded very much like multiple locks being turned.

“Never a bad idea to be cautious.”

“Right-o, there’s a lot of riff-raff about. Just look at us, for instance.”

“Well spotted.”

The door finally swung slowly back and they could see the man who had answered their call. They were prepared for anything. Well, almost anything. They weren’t really prepared for his man, this young chap to be so… well… ordinary. Not ordinary exactly. He was exquisite. But he had the normal amount of limbs, the normal amount of heads and his skin wasn’t even blue or anything. His skin was instead flawless, his sandy blond hair’s fringe hanging to his eyelashes, which were long and blinked his doe eyes down at them.

“Good god,” Mercury whispered through his teeth.

Bowie chuckled, then clasped his sides which felt as if they were bursting.

“Are you okay?” the man asked, coming down on one knee beside Bowie.

David waved a hand with a wince. “Splendid. Just took a bit of a tumble.”

“As did I,” Mercury injected, dramatically clutching his lower back with both hands.

“You poor, dreadful things!” the young man exclaimed, standing back up and looking from one to the other. “I would invite you in, but as you only are injured and not dead, I can’t.”

Freddie and David looked at each other and then the man as they said in unison, “Pardon?”

“Davy Jones Locker.”

Now the two friends laughed. “Davy Jones Locker?” Bowie asked. “The place where sailors and pirates go when they die at sea? That’s just a story.”

“We’re all

Behind Door #1

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