Chapter 19 - From Darkness It Came

He woke up screaming again, as he had for the previous three nights. Sitting up on the sofa he'd been relegated to sleeping on, Burt rubbed his eyes. I don't blame her, I really don't... who wants to get woken up at three in the morning by some fat guy screaming his head off? Throwing off the blanket, he swung himself around so he was sat on the sofa properly. Resting his elbows on his knees, Burt ran his fingers through his grimy hair, knowing he wouldn't get to sleep again that night. Rising to his feet, he plodded his way into the bathroom. One of the things he'd insisted on was getting a proper shower, not one of these modern sonic shower thingies...

Feeling refreshed, he clambered out a full half an hour later, dripping everywhere, a towel wrapped around his waist. Slapping his stomach, he watched it ripple a little bit. I really should think about getting in shape one of these days... Wandering back to the sofa, he slowly got himself into his clothes from yesterday. No sense waking the wife and getting in another argument.

Sitting back down, his thought returned to the dreams. What the hell do they mean? I swear my brain is trying to tell me something... you don't have the same nightmare three nights in a row for nothin'... ah, what the hell, I'm no thinker... Getting up, Burt Howards left his quarters for a short walk to clear his head.


The rage and frustration ran deep through its brain, anger at its imprisonment against its will, fury at its apparent inability to do anything about it. But that was changing and it knew the truth of it. Slowly but surely, it was gaining more influence in the world around it, gradually being able to manipulate what was around it. It was proud of itself, it hadn't been sure that it was capable of getting its old powers back, but now the day was coming when it would be free, when it would be able to open its eyes and look upon the world once more, to see people tremble before it. Oh, how it yearned for that day to come but it knew it would have to bide its time, they were already suspicious of it and pushing it any further would tip them right over the edge and then... then... well, what could they do? Without it, what could they do? They lived off him... but then, could it force remembrance on itself? That would be tricky, but not impossible... anything was possible with the powers it had... time was all it needed and time is all it had...


He strolled through the corridors of Deck 13, the bright lights shining down onto him, making him sweat. A journey with no real destination but that wasn't the point; Burt Howards was just trying to clear his mind. Trying to avoid any thinking whatsoever, Burt started whistling as he often did, tuneless as always. But something was wrong and he knew it. Where is everyone? The next shift should be dashing about like they usually do. Debbie always bitches about the noise when I get back from work, yet there is none... his senses heightened by the adrenaline pumping through his bloodstream, Burt ceased whistling, instead setting his ears to watch out for something, who knows what, but he was listening out for it, whatever it was. Straining his eyes as he looked down the corridor, he could see something was happening. Each light down the corridor was switching off, one by one by one until it reached him and continued on past, plunging him into perpetual darkness. "Damn it, someone's pissing about with the fucking electrics again... bloody kids." Reaching for his radio where he always kept it clipped to the back of his belt, Burt was surprised when his hand felt nothing. "What the hell? I swear I put it on before I left..." Slowing his pace down, Mr. Howards felt something he couldn't quite explain, a sense of inevitability.

Turning around to look into the darkness behind him, Burt knew it was his time. "Aww, fuck it. Come and get me."

And it did.


The young officer stood in front of him, expecting hearty commendations about her work and her brilliant use of initiative in the matter at hand, but she was mistaken. Not that he was one for giving tongue-lashings, but he knew the consequences of botching this kind of operation could be far reaching.

"You did all of this without consulting me? That was rather rash... So what can you tell me about this man?

"He's one of the engineers from deck 47, where they had the recent incident. He was showing signs of remembrance syndrome."

"Ah, I see. What else can you tell me about him?"

"He was a good worker, not great. He had his friends but mostly kept to himself. Married with no children... they hadn't been having the best of times recently."

"Alright, and you followed protocol in the matter? Removed him from service with no recall?"

"Apart from not informing you sir, it all went by the book."

"Well, I expect an in-depth report of what happened on my desk, and if I were you, I'd expect a rather harsh word from your supervisor sometime soon. You cannot do this kind of thing without direct authorization from me, understood?"

"Yessir." With a salute, the young woman walked from the room feeling defeated. Sod initiative then...

Leaning back in his chair, he sighed to himself, something he'd been doing a lot of recently. Stress was really starting to show on him, which was why he kept the lighting low in the room. It wouldn't do for word to get out about his currently agitated state. If word got to the wrong people, he could be in some serious trouble. Slowly easing his mind back to the task in hand, he least forward and jabbed at a button on his intercom. "Could you please send up Doctor Crantham please? I need a quiet word with him."


The alarm went off, the incessant ringing finally dragging her from her slumber. Prodding the bulk next to her, she muttered irritably, "It's time to get to work you big lummox. Get off your fat ass and get in that damned shower of yours."

When he didn't move, she prodded him some more, but that solicited no response. Sitting up, the sight Debbie Howards saw was the last thing she had ever wanted. Burt lay there, his body ripped open from sternum to pelvis, blood staining the sheets. Falling off the bed, Debbie back-pedalled herself into a corner where she retched violently, her guts trying desperately to throw themselves out of the body just like Burt's apparently had. Debbie Howards' nightmare had just begun...