@deep_divrr: UNCANNY, UNREAL, IMPOSSIBLE: What you think you know about the Mariana Trench.

@deep_divrr: UNCANNY, UNREAL, IMPOSSIBLE:
What you think you know about the Mariana Trench.

I’ve been inactive on here for the past couple months as, last year, I was selected from thousands of applicants to join a team of researchers on their descent to the Mariana Trench. Not as anything important, really, just an extra pair of eyes and hands if they needed it.

A once in a lifetime opportunity - my dream come true, really. I took some time away from writing to prepare for, go on, and return from the trip, which was meant to be a month overall due to their swanky new submarine:

(It’s got small living quarters, a kitchen, a bathroom. A lab and medical. Nicer than my flat to be honest.)

Image: WIRED via Pinterest)

But something happened and I need to tell someone about it. I don’t even know if this will post from down here, but I just need it out and somewhere that isn’t my mind.

We had passed the Epipelagic Zone and were approaching Challenger Deep in the Hadalpelagic Zone when the lead researcher told the Helmsman to dock the sub so they could send out one of the divers for samples.

I watched from the communications room where we had a live feed from a camera attached to the diver.

At first, it was amazing. Somehow, despite the lack of sunlight and freezing temperatures, there was plant life everywhere. Plants that were healthy and had clearly reproduced somehow without photosynthesis. Brilliant.

The diver was returning to the sub when we saw a huge glowing blur of blue, like bioluminescence, slam into him. Looking back on the footage it resembles some kind of eel, but based on size, that would be impossible.

Image: Pinterest

Thankfully, the diver was conscious, if not a little dazed, and he was attached to the sub, so they managed to get him back on board easily. After that he was sent to quarantine for 24 hours, as per protocol.

This is where things get really odd.

About halfway through his quarantine period, I was in the Lab when there’s trouble down the hall. The supervising researcher and I found the rest of the crew gathered around the window into the quarantine room. We joined them and… Jesus it was bad. He was writhing around on the floor coughing and gagging. He looked so pale he was almost transparent.

We were banging on the window whilst the medic argued with the lead researcher when we watched him get on his

knees and throw up what, I swear to God, was a pile of small wet, glowing eels.

I was ushered away immediately. I kept saying “You saw that too, right?” but was ignored.

That was a few hours ago. Nobody has said a word since; I’ve tried to bring it up but every time I get immediately shutdown by the lead researcher. He’s claiming I’m in hysterics, that the pressure down here has sent me loopy, but I know what I saw.

I have no idea what’s happening to the diver, and I don’t know if I want to.

I don’t know what I would prefer: him being thrown out to sea if things get bad or being stuck on this sub with him.

Whatever new comes out on this expedition, just know that I was here, and if they tell you, it was an accident- it wasn’t.

Goodbye for now, wish me luck.

Posted by @deep_divrr.