It happened softly...bump, I was there finally at the sea bed at just over four miles below sea level. Amazing. Despite shaking I was full of sickening wonder. My caplight seemed to be dimming as I peered around about me. The drones were vague blobs of darkness against the backdrop. None seemed near. I was here, in this strange place where few had ventured. I was here by myself.
Well, now I was finally in this place, I thought that I should sit down. The sea floor was much harder than I anticipated and the lack of mud and silt was surprising. I thought to myself that it was like soft rock. And so I sat.
It was almost immediately that I noticed something that I could hardly make out. What was that in the near distance about 9 metres in front of me?
I thought for a moment that I could see movement, but then, no not movement but familiar shapes instead. Shapes of...human bodies...in a pile? I glanced about for my drones. They were nowhere near, in fact I could not see them. This pile of bodies in front of me, it could not be drones because these beings had hair and faces and pale flesh reflecting in the unnatural glow of my caplight.
I stood, unsure, yet captivated, and ambled unsteadily toward what I saw. As I drew nearer I noticed the bodies looked muscular and bulky. It was inexplicable that in such an undersea pressure these bodies were not crushed or affected in any way. Confusion and disorientation suddenly overwhelmed me and I cried out in my tomblike headpiece. The only person hearing this inhuman sounding screech was human me.
I was unable to move further and remained rooted to the spot just 1 metre in front of this impossible vision. My scalp prickled as a face of a body lying on top turned to look at me. He rose up quickly and stood or stooped in front of me. I saw him there looking at me with an expression of agression. Then, equally as bizarrely I heard him speak and saw him move his lips.
'he took the flesh and left our souls, because without our flesh we were diminished and buried'
Unable to make any sense whatsoever of these words or this situation, I was highly alarmed to see the other bodies slowly rising. Their hair and clothing flapped in slow motion with the unseen undersea currents.
I involuntarily backed up although gloom seemed to be around me at all sides. I saw nothing save the bodies standing or stooping purposefully in front of me.
It was only then that I noticed these walking, floating corpses had numbers on their clothing. Like big numerials on t-shirts and figures on the thighs of the trousers.
I think in my terror that I may have half screamed my plea 'God help me', which hurt my own ears. 'Help me, help me, help me'
I began to long to be at home safe in my cabin and cushioned safely into my breathing space. I closed my eyes and imagined it.
When I opened them again something was different. The bodies had their hands outstretched crying soundlessly out the same words 'God help me...help me, help me, help me' A look of anxious agression wracked every face. The silence belied the action causing me to wonder yet again what was happening.
Then, as if nothing more strange could then occur, a golden glow began pervading the scene in front of me. The glow started with them, but continued outwards, outwards and I looked out around at it as it surrounded them and I.
All at once, the light flickered and what I can only describe as twinkled or sparkled.
It was quite beautiful and I felt lost and surrounded by it. I was soon reminded of how far I was from anyone though when my phenosuit commenced an emergency bleeping. I looked at the display to note with greater alarm that the air remaining was insufficient to continue life.
It took me a few moments only to acknowledge my impending death. I would in fact never return to the surface to recount this experience to a living soul. However, despite this awareness I felt light and untroubled. My vision clouded and as my last minutes ticked by I felt the pressure increasing and starting to crush my body. I was relieved to finally slip from consciousness just prior to feeling any pain.
This was the start of my calling which I had waited all my life for.
