π°πππππππππππ 2021_Day 07 [Treat]
~Set in "Back to the Future" AU~
Category: Suspense, Attempted Humor, Mystery.
Trigger Warning: jellyfish, deep sea trench.
π―ππ πππππ: π¬ππππ
The crew of the "Ring of Fire" ExpeditionΒΉ* had been collecting data on the Challenger Deep (the deepest spot on Earth, right beside the Marianne Trench) inside the bathyscaphe when, outside the DSV Limiting Factor, an increasing glow shined in the darkness.
The first one to notice the oddity was the pilot of the expedition, since they weren't doing anything in particular other than revise every 10 minutes the data gathered by instruments.
Taylor squinted to try and see better if it was just a refraction of a particle under the DSV headlight, but since they couldn't be certain, the pilot turned the artificial beam off. And they were not disappointed.
Some kind of bioluminescent creature was floating towards them lazily, pulsing with amber-reddish light.
β Any idea on what that could be? β Taylor asked their fellow crewmate, pointing to the porthole.
β It could be a jellyfish, given the movements. β Penny the geologist paused in her analysis on rock composition to peer at the being her coworker had signaled her. β You know that I'm no marine biologist, though? β She chuckled.
β Yeah, yeah, but I was just making sure my eyes weren't tricking me. β They waved her off, then hummed pensively. β We're practically at the bottom of the Trench, how can a jellyfish be here with all the water pressure?
β We could try to scan it? If it has adapted to the high pressure and we try to bring it to the surface, it'll certainly explode! β She remembered what had happened to previous specimens and she didn't wish that fate to anyone.
β That's a good idea. Sonar and camera ON. β The pilot clicked few buttons and a deep impulse shook the DSV, along with the water around them.
The returning echo showed up only the rocks around them, nothing else.
This technology had been able to sense even algae and krill before, but this jellyfish was invisible.
The impulse seemed to have some sort of effect, though. The invertebrate's behavior changed from lazy to active and it appeared to speed up towards them. The duo observed fascinated its movements and Penny was about to comment with how jellyfish density could be nearly identical to the one of water, when one of the alarms installed in the vehicle went off.
The duo twisted to the side, searching for the origin of the alarm, only to gape at it: it was the mandatory Ectoplasm Detector.
Taylor had had to install it inside the Limiting Factor for "safety precaution", as the US government had declared.
Before this moment, they had thought it was just a bother and a waste of space inside the already tight compartment, but since it had never malfunctioned before, this was a real deal.
The pilot (even if a bit skeptically) had known that the paranormal govern agency GiW existed, but from there to actually acknowledge that ghost were real wellβ¦
β Okay, we didn't prepare for this. But we can still contact the surface. β Penny took the matter in her hands seriously and opened the Comm. β Control, we have a problem. β She enounced, then muttered under her breath, β How can this be possible, when I was on the Shuttle I never had an emergency like this!
β Limiting Factor, here Control, what's the emergency? β Their contact on the surface called back.
β The Ectoplasm Detector went off and a glowing creature that looks like a jellyfish is coming towards us. What should we do? β Penny answered promptly.
β How far is the creature? β The man on the other side asked after a pause.
β The sonar doesn't pick it up, so we can only estimate by sight. β Taylor intervened, turning the headlight on again, and peered through the porthole. β A hundred or more yards [ο½100 meters], I'll say.
β Okay, try to keep your distance for now, we were not ready for this eventuality either. β The poor guy from Control instructed, sounding nervous.
β Control, could you try to contact Special Agent Gray? She was one of the federal contacts we referred to at NASA if weird things would ever happen. β Penny suggested, while Taylor maneuvered the bathyscaphe to (practically) flee from the spectral jellyfish.
β Roger, I'll keep you posted.
The next few minute were spent in tense silence, checking every minute the progression of the ectoplasm being on their trail: they were still ahead of it, for now.
A ping alerted them of the returning call from the surface. β Limiting Factor, we found Special Agent Gray and she said to keep maintaining the distance from it. She's dispatching her assistant "to take care of the matter". β¦She didn't explain further, unfortunately.
β We have at least 4 hours to ascend, pressurizing pauses included, how could anyone reach us here? β The ex-Navy officer demanded, as they veered to the left to avoid a pinnacle.
β The only thing she told us was "not to worry". She did ask for the coordinates, though.
β Well, that's encouraging! We should definitelyβ¦ β The pilot trailed off as a light as bright as sunlight lit the water above them. They aimed the gyroscopic camera at the source and gaped in both awe and terror.
The whole ocean above them was filled by a thick school of jellyfishes. Ghost jellyfishes.
(Had they been invisible up until now?)
β Control, we've been lured in the metaphorical lion's den! Here looks like a scene straight from the "Sphere" movie! β Penny reported, trying to keep a level-head despite the dread pooling into her gut. β We won't be able to escape!
The jellyfishes' tendrils started to descend on them while Ectoplasm Detector screeched at the proximity of the specters. Neither Taylor nor Penny knew what to doβ¦!
A flash of green-azure flickered unnoticed on the seafloor, before pure toxic green engulfed both the porthole and the outside camera, blinding the duo.
It took them few seconds before they could see again, but when they did, they both gaped: a man, around 6' [ο½180 cm] tall, geared with only a sort of black and white diving suit and a high-pressure white helmet floated before the porthole, back facing them and arms raised.
The Comms pinged softly among the Ectoplasm Detector shrieks, then a new voice (even if a bit static-y and echo-y) spoke up. β Sorry for keep you waiting, Val-β¦ er, Special Agent Gray called me while I was stalking a criminal on the other side of the world. I had to leave a replacement and gear up to join you here. β The man, who only now the duo inside the DSV noticed that was glowing like the ghost jellyfishes, turned towards them, smiling reassuringly.
The suit was mainly black with white gloves, boots, high collar, utility belt and stripes that run down from the shoulders and reached the wrists, along with two bands on each bicep. On his chest stood evidently a logo that resembled a "D" with a little "p" embed insideΒ²*. Through the helmet glass, green eyes peered at them as if to be sure they were safe.
β β¦Thanks for the save, boyo. Who are you? β Taylor recovered from the shock, but still eyed the casualness of their savior under high pressured water warily. They couldn't comprehend how anyone could sustain that much weight, even if probably it was because he wasn't alive to begin with.
β Right, I'm Danny Phantom from the Phantom P.I.. We're an agency that works freelance to deal with supernatural phenomena. Special Agent Gray is our contact with the US government. β The man, the superhero(!), explained, floating near the porthole.
β So those really are ghost jellyfishes. β Penny breathed, leaning forward to shut off the Ectoplasm Detector. With Phantom here, it was redundant.
β Yep. They seemed curious about you and the sonar. β The specter looked up, pensively. β I'm not sure if they would have harmed you, but better safe than sorry.
β Indeed. What do we do now, though? β The pilot asked, looking at the green force-shield that divided them from the invertebrates.
β There are three options: β Phantom counted, β first, you could keep exploring the seafloor while I thermos the jellyfishes to relocate them afterwards; second, I could keep the shield up while you explore and then follow you up during the decompression; and the third is similar to the second, but without the exploration part. Which one would you prefer?
β Well, we were planning to stay here for at least another hour, before the ascent that lasts 4 hours. Since we prepared so long for this expedition, I think I speak for the both of us when I say we'd like to continue. It's up to you to consider if you can keep up the shields for that long and stay so deep in the Trech. β The geologist stated, earning a nod from her companion and a contemplative hum from their helper.
β I wouldn't mind to stay a bit to chat with you, but you're right, the shield would drain me sooner or later. Thermos it is. β Phantom tinkered with his right glove and a mini-cylinder attached to it materialized out of thick water, immediately lighting up on one end with a white glow. A beam of light shoot from the glowing end and it seemed to suck in all the spectral jellyfishes, leaving Phantom, the shield and the DSV headlight as the only sources of luminosity. β Done. β He waved to dispel the shield, letting the darkness return. β So! Do you need me to do anything while I'm here?
The next hour was spent chatting and frolicking around the ocean floor, though Penny and Phantom were the ones who bonded mostly, due to the time both of them (in separate missions) spent in space. Apparently the superhero was a bit of a space nerd, because the two separate works he had to do for NASA had him still geeking out.
Once the time was up, Phantom saluted the two (who thanked him again profusely) and sped away along the bottom of the Trench to go and release the jellyfishes.
In the next expedition the DSV Limiting Factor would sport a fresh coating of Fenton Anti-phase Paint in case they would be back.
ΒΉ* Believe it o not, this is the real life name of one of the expeditions. How could I possibly have passed over this coincidence? (ΰΉγΪ‘βΰΉ)
Β²* Yes, this is Stephen Silver's design of Danny 10 years later.
The first time I wrote for this AU, there was only B*tch Hartman's out so I had to use those (to try and stay "in canon", PP excluded), but since I never really liked it in the first place, now it's time to edit/revise my old "Haunted Drabble"! Since I switched my reposting schedule for Ao3, the "Back to the Future" AU should be out around January 2022, but programs can change anytimeβ¦
A/N. Once again, I salvaged something already existing for my evil plots! (Like in Haunted Drabble's "Fly me to the Moon". (οΎΞ¦ΟΞ¦)οΎ
The Expedition and the DSV (Deep-Submergence Vehicle) names are real and unchanged, but the people inside them have been tweaked:
"Taylor" came from a city in Texas (country where Victor Lance Vescovo was born) and "Penny" from Pennsylvania in New Jersey (country where Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan was born). If you're about to ask it, then yes: Kathryn was an astronaut as well. So it seemed like the natural thing to do. Moreover, since she is a certified geologist, I can happily add:
*There are many disadvantages in being a Geologist.*
Sorry I couldn't resist! ~(Β°OΒ°)~
A sneak peek to the "Back to the Future AU": as stated, Valerie Gray is a Special Agent who function as a contact between the Phantom P.I. and the government (NASA included), while Danny (as Phantom) is one of the lead detective. His Fenton-half is employed as inventor and ghost anthropologist. For what the others from Team Phantom do, you'll have to wait for the Drabble to be reposted! I want to keep some surprises, yanno? κ°( ο½κ³Β΄)κ±
Anyway, hope you liked this, type ya tomorrow!
Will Day 08 be Splatter or Poison? Check in "Domestic Phantoms" and you'll find out!