CHAPTER SIX

IT CAME OUT OF THE SKY

Three hours before the Entity appears...

Nights in white satin

Never reaching the end

Letters I've written

Never meaning to send

Beauty I'd always missed

With these eyes before

Just what the truth is

I can't say anymore

'Cause I love you

Yes I love you

Oh, how I love you

Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues.

The song plays on the laptop as gentle snow falls outside the window covering the quiet town of Odette.

A woman in a white coat enters the room.

"Hey, Yui! How you DOIN'?" she asks in a bad impression of the character Joey from the TV show Friends as she sits on the bed. Yui doesn't respond.

She lies on the bed watching funny cats videos on her smartphone

The two young women resemble each other like a reflection from a mirror. It is not hard to conclude they are twins.

A black Fender Stratocaster guitar connected to an amp is next to the bed.

The amp gently hums in static.

"You know, Yui, you can use actual words."

"Don't you have work, Sara?" Yui tells her sister to go away in a not so roundabout way.

"SHE SPEAKS!" Sara proclaims in an over-the-top dramatic fashion.

She laughs for a moment then her laughter turns serious. Sara looks at her sister with sad eyes. Her smile doesn't waver for she needs it to hide her truth.

"You took your meds, Yui?" Sara asks. Yui nods.

"You okay, sis?" she asks. Yui nods again.

Sara picks up the electric guitar as she plays Smoke on the Water intro lick by Deep Purple with questionable tempo. Yui doesn't respond. Sara puts down the guitar.

"Alright, I'll see you after work. You should go outside. Would be a shame not to take advantage of the fresh air here. There actually is air here unlike San Jose," Sara jests. Yui continues watching her phone.

Sara hugs her sister; Yui quivers a bit.

“Still a problem?” Sara asks as she stops the hug.

“I'm okay if it's you,” Yui says as her movements calm. Sara lightly smiles.

“Does the music help you?” Sara asks, Yui nods.

She goes to the door but turns once more before going outside.

As Sara dresses up and goes outside Yui puts down the smartphone and looks outside the window; she waves to her sister while she isn't looking.

Sara stops, without turning, and waves back. A sister knows her sister.

The peaceful hamlet of Odette carries on like any other place. With only a little more than 1000 citizens everybody knows everybody. Sara walks through the snowy streets as she exchanges greetings with her neighbors.

"Hey, Sara, how are you?" a woman walking hand-in-hand with a young child asks as she stops her on the street.

"I'm good, Becca," Sara says.

"How's your sister?" she asks.

"She is good," Sara automatically responds as she puts on a fake smile.

With the classic chit-chat questions out of the way a small moment of silence ensues.

"You and your sister should come over one day for dinner," she adds.

"Will see. They are overworking us quite a bit at the station," Sara explains.

"You tell me. They got Mike working all the time. The moment he steps through the door he falls asleep" she says as she leans closer to whisper something to her, "And I need him to have some strength left. If you know what I mean," she adds as she winks twice.

The two women giggle.

"How's the glamorous scientist life?" she asks.

"We've been making strides but..." Sara explains as she stops.

"Yeah, yeah. It is confidential. Well, if you see my husband tell him I said hello," she says as she turns away and waves.

Sara makes her way to the dock.

"Hello, Joseph, have you seen old man Bob?" Sara asks a young handsome man as she approaches.

A large warehouse-type building overlooks three berths where three armed black military boats are safely secured.

"Hey, Sara, I think Bob is running a bit late. I can take you to the station if you want," Joseph says, cheeks slightly reddish.

"Thanks, Joseph, but you know it's kinda a tradition for Bob to give me a ride. But thanks anyway," Sara says as she smiles back.

He tries to smile back but every one of his facial muscles acts on its own accord turning the simple smile into a a jumbled mess as if an alien was trying to impersonate a human.

Joseph realizes his little faux pas as he tries to hide it with two consecutive coughs.

So stupid, Joseph says to himself in his inner voice.

The two youths wait in the quietest silence.

Silence by definition is a complete absence of sound and the term quietest silence would normally be considered a redundancy but this time, to Joseph, it makes perfect sense. He nervously fidgets trying to say something but only awkward smiles come out.

Speak, Joseph, speak, Joseph encourages himself.

"You know, Sara if it's okay with you... I mean... maybe sometimes, you know..." Joseph tries to speak but only manages nervous sweating.

He takes a deep breath to calm himself.

"I would like to give you a ride," Joseph says, happy that he managed to say it.

Sara's eyes open wide.

I would like to give you a ride, the words repeat in his mind.

Then, it hits him.

"Oh my god, I didn't mean it like that. I'm so sorry," Joseph fumbles upon fumbles. It is not a usual occurrence for people to feel hot outside during cold Alaskan weather but there are always those rare exceptions.

Sara burst out laughing.

"It's okay," Sara says as the laughter overcomes her. With nothing else to do Joseph joins in the laughter.

Old man Bob approaches them; they are still laughing. He shrugs as he proceeds to the boat.

"Come on, I don't have all day." Bob says as he ponders for a moment, "Actually I do but still," he adds.

Sara sits in the boat as Bob starts the engine.

"We can," Sara says.

Joseph turns to her, confused.

"We can get a drink sometimes," Sara says as the boat sails away.

"I would like that," Joseph quietly murmurs as he waves them goodbye.

The boat sails over Lake Makpik leaving a trail of stirred water.

Bob glances over at Sara with a playfully sinister smile; he glances back and repeats the process a couple of times.

"What?" Sara asks.

"Did he ask you out?" Bob asks.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sara remarks.

"He did," Bob concludes as he nods, "Hey, you know why pirates are so popular?" Bob asks, already proud of the answer before giving it.

"I don't know. Why?" Sara asks.

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"They just ARRRGH," Bob says. Sara facepalms herself.

She holds a serious expression for a moment then bursts out laughing.

Bob nods; this came as no surprise. Old man Bob is a master of pirate puns.

"Everyday you've driven me to the station you told me a pirate pun. I'm seriously wondering will you ever run out?" Sara comments as she laughs.

"With old age comes a lot of pirate puns. And no I will never RUM out," Bob concludes.

Sara looks in the distance still wearing the smile from the terrible pun.

The Odile Station stands atop the calm waters.

There are many notable research stations in the world but Odile is one of a kind. It took less than half a year to construct this metal monster and the amount of money it took is staggering. But there is a reason for it. There is a good reason.

Two hours before the Entity appears...

Yui stretches and turns in her bed constantly shifting from one position to the next in arduous lazy gymnastics. The "perfect spot" eludes her. Yui keeps still for a while but the desire to move keeps coming and coming like a never-ending itch. She scratches that itch.

She picks up the guitar next to her bed, and plays a few tunes, mostly famous rock'n'roll intro licks on low volume. Outside the bedroom window, small snowflakes waver through the air as she plays. Some stick to the window as their journey ends while others soldier on.

Yui googles outside forgetting about the still playing guitar.

She remembers her sister's words, "You should go outside."

"Why not," Yui says. She gets out of her room, cozies up in warm clothes, and puts on a long scarf.

Her hand stops only inches away from the doorknob. Her hands shake as her breathing becomes erratic. Yui pants as cold sweat pours down her brow.

The symptoms amplify bit by bit like volume being turned up on a TV screen. She takes a pill from a pill bottle.

The breathing and panting subside as the volume turns down.

Yui takes a deep breath and exhales loudly.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," Yui says as she looks at the small picture of her and her sister on the cupboard next to the door to calm down.

She puts on her headphones and opens the door...

The quiet town of Odette lies in front of her. Barely a dozen people walk on its lonely streets.

The distinct lack of noise amplifies the passing breeze. Yui takes a sigh of relief at the serene.

None of this came as a surprise but it is still good to see with her own eyes. She understands everything from a logical and rational point of view yet sometimes that isn't enough. It is like a phobia; we understand that our fear is unwarranted yet that does not stop the fear. Few people can manage their irrationality. But we manage as much as we can. Yui manages.

"Come on, Yui, you know what they say? Thirty-first time's the charm," she encourages herself.

Yui takes the first step. A feeling of relief comes over her body like washing your face with water when you wake up. It feels good. With the first step she takes another, and another as she proceeds... somewhere. She does not know where but her current destination lies in the journey not the destination. People wave to her; she waves back.

"Hey, Sara," a man says as he waves at her.

"I'm not, Sara," Yui remarks, correcting him.

He stops for a moment, dumbfounded.

"OH! You must be Sara's sister. You two really look alike," he remarks.

Yui nods and proceeds on her way abruptly ending the conversation.

The conversation was short, there was no ill will, no negative remarks, or anything malicious yet it was more than enough to give her an uneasy feeling. Yui takes a deep breath as her hands slightly quiver hidden behind thick gloves.

She walks for some time amid the snow-covered roads. Going here and there, going nowhere. Just looking around. Then, she suddenly stops.

Where am I going, Yui wonders?

Various buildings surround her including a small restaurant with large windows. She can see inside.

It is packed with joyful people drinking and dining.

Should I go inside, Yui wonders?

She shakes her head in refusal. It is a bit too crowded.

Somewhere in the distance, a bell rings across the peaceful hamlet.

Yui turns to the source. She can see a chapel with a bell tower in the distance.

Why not, Yui concludes.

She turns to her new destination.

Yui watches the small chapel as the bell tolls upon the tower.

She heard it numerous times before from the comfort of her room but it never sounded like this, never so vivid and loud. The bell toll itself is a far cry from a pleasing sound but there is something there, something mystical. It fits well amid the white-painted hamlet.

The chime stops. Yui sits on the snow. She browses through a list of songs.

"This," Yui says as she stops on the song The Wizard by Uriah Heep.

About a minute in the song she gently sways her hand as snowflakes start to fall. There is a sort of beauty in a remote place such as this. As she smiles an armed guard passes and nods at her; Yui holds the smile while hiding the unnerving feeling she gets from guns.

The quiet heavenly hamlet of white only appears innocent here and there but considering the town of Odette and the research station Odile were a big investment it is only natural for there to be stationed guards; even though there are civilian structures this is still a military settlement with an army barracks and guard towers.

One hour before the Entity appears...

Somewhere inside the Odile station, Sara is drinking coffee with a coworker at a table inside a dining hall. Other scientists enjoy their hard earned free time in the mess hall; those with the strength to do so.

Sara maintains a healthy complexion and a smile while her coworker is barely managing to stay awake.

He dozes off in short intervals while attempting to drink his coffee.

"Kendrick," Sara calls to him.

"I'm listening," Kendrick says as his eyes remain in perpetual limbo.

Sara stares at him in silence.

"Yeah, yeah," Kendrick says as he nods. He dozes off again as he places the mug of hot coffee on the table and just as he is about to knock over the cup Sara stands and grabs it from across the table.

"KENDRICK!" Sara yells.

Kendrick abruptly wakes up.

"HA! He didn't spill his coffee. You owe me five," a scientist in the back says as another one shakes her head.

"What happened?" Kendrick asks, regaining consciousness.

"I think you cost Dr. Palmer five bucks. When was the last time you slept? It's the night of the living dead here," Sara says.

Kendrick shakes his head and takes a sip of coffee.

"You know how it is. Ever since we made strides with IT they have everyone working non-stop. I got one more shift and I'm off to get drunk at Bill's," Kendrick says.

"Shouldn't you go to sleep?" Sara asks, pointing at the clearly exhausted man.

"Nah. I got extra stamina for some drinking time. That is why my name is CAN DRINK," Kendrick says proudly as he bursts out laughing.

Sara slaps herself on the forehead.

"What is with men and bad puns?" Sara says as she looks at a clock on the wall, "I have to go. They got me working in the fridge," she adds as she stands.

"Good luck, Sara. And it's a great pun," Kendrick says as he laughs with a decreasing intensity to the point that he starts dozing off again.

Sara walks through the station as she bypasses thick glass safe-like doors; inside them are various rooms with scientists working. There is no place in the research station where armed guards aren't vigilantly patrolling. Sara goes to a lift.

"Authorization card, please," a guard with half of his face covered by a visor asks in a pretend polite manner. He grips his rifle even though he sees the same people day after day. Sara takes out her ID card and swipes it at the machine by the elevator. As she swipes the ID a panel opens.

"Please place..." the guard instructs as he gets cut off.

"I know!" Sara says, annoyed, "Every time," she murmurs.

She places her eyes on the machine as a light scans her retina.

The green light followed by a short but loud beep clears her as the door opens.

Fucking beep, Sara says in her quiet voice.

She enters and presses a button as the elevator descents.

As the boxed construction moves, it releases minute screeches of steel grinding on steel.

"Why do we need an ID card if we have an eye scanner," Sara comments out loud as she shrugs.

The unpleasant screeches hold a steady low decibel count as the elevator descends. Sara's right foot dances an unconscious tap as her annoyed gaze fixates on one point.

"All that money and they can't..." Sara remarks to herself as she shakes her head in disapproval; her right foot continues to drum on the steel floor. The elevator doors open as a red light blinds her.

"Please proceed through the Omnichecker," one of the four guards instructs her.

She moves through a machine similar to a metal detector but with thicker parts as it scans her. It scans her for everything. Through a nearby glass window on the other side, a security officer closely watches her screen.

"She is clean," the officer says.

Sara goes through the checkpoint. On the other side is a room with another stationed guard and hazmat suits; she puts one on.

An automatic door opens as she moves inside. She presses a button on the wall as another retina scanner opens.

"How much security do you want?" Sara talks to herself, "And they answer yes," she adds as the decontamination area activates.

The last door opens revealing a huge white room filled with people in hazmat suits.

Sara takes a deep breath as she enters.

Somewhere at the end of the room in a large glass pod lies a pile of flesh.

A grotesque cocktail of flesh and organs shaken and stirred in each other.

Somewhere outside Yui watches snow fall as she listens to music just outside the chapel. At one moment for no particular reason at all, she glances up at the sky. She catches a glimpse of something. A blinking light? Yui stands to see better. Another blink! It's hard to see and hard to discern.

"Maybe it's aliens," Yui jests.

A pillar of light appears from the station as the people of Odette turn to it.

Then...

On June 13, 2057, a bright flash of light emanated from the research station Odile. After the flash vanished, satellite imagery recorded an uneven opaque shifting shape encircling both the research station Odile and the town Odette. All attempts to contact the research station and the 1 071 people located inside have failed. The anomalous shape has been designated as The Entity. In response, the government formulated a contingency operation designated GUNGNIR