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Title:
The Anomaly
Synopsis:
A luminous anomaly enters the orbit of Earth, and the reports brought back by astronauts sent to investigate it only raise more questions than answers.
- Genre: Mystery
- Length: Medium
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Most thought of it as a suicide mission. If it could shut down NASA's orbital probes, then it could do the same to a human life, but after six months of this thing in our orbit, riots in the streets, and religious doomsday panic, people needed answers. The only thing we really knew was that is was this new light shining in the daytime sky was not a star.
The international team of astronaut volunteers were launched from special module attached to the ISS as the station's orbit crossed with that of the anomaly. The contact event lasted 2.1 seconds before the module drifted past the target. It then safely landed in the Pacific where it was then recovered by the Chinese Navy as per the international agreement. The data recorded by it's instruments were largely useless due to spontaneous malfunctions and contradictory readings. Such readings include simultaneous subzero and burning temperatures, impossible measured distances between between nearby debris, and photons carrying "negative" levels of energy. The astronauts however are a different story; most of them claim to have no memory of crossing the surface threshold of the anomaly, but three have come forward with their experiences of the event.
Astronaut Holly Lazeira, reports a sense of infinite deja vu that still persists following the mission. By her account, every passing second after crossing the threshold has felt as if previously experienced countless times before, but each moment seems to deviate from the order of "planned" events in some small way. This effect seems to be diminishing with time—after six days, she now claims to have lived every new moment only three times.
Astronaut Sergei Brusilov reports a retroactive sense of being watched extending back to even before his birth. Even after five separate investigative interviews, a clear understanding of his meaning has yet to be established. Brusilov has taken to painting following his return to Earth, and he now completes a dozen paintings per day. Many of these paintings are now being analyzed by the American Psychiatric Association in the hopes of finding some insight into his experience, but some have found their way to wealthy collectors.
Astronaut Latisha Michaels reports a sensation of "being the light," and has begun suffering bouts of narcolepsy following exposure to the anomaly. Sources inside the international task force report her disappearance from her home. Speculations regarding her involvement in the Church of Eternity movement have not been substantiated.
What are we to make of this?
The international team of astronaut volunteers were launched from special module attached to the ISS as the station's orbit crossed with that of the anomaly. The contact event lasted 2.1 seconds before the module drifted past the target. It then safely landed in the Pacific where it was then recovered by the Chinese Navy as per the international agreement. The data recorded by it's instruments were largely useless due to spontaneous malfunctions and contradictory readings. Such readings include simultaneous subzero and burning temperatures, impossible measured distances between between nearby debris, and photons carrying "negative" levels of energy. The astronauts however are a different story; most of them claim to have no memory of crossing the surface threshold of the anomaly, but three have come forward with their experiences of the event.
Astronaut Holly Lazeira, reports a sense of infinite deja vu that still persists following the mission. By her account, every passing second after crossing the threshold has felt as if previously experienced countless times before, but each moment seems to deviate from the order of "planned" events in some small way. This effect seems to be diminishing with time—after six days, she now claims to have lived every new moment only three times.
Astronaut Sergei Brusilov reports a retroactive sense of being watched extending back to even before his birth. Even after five separate investigative interviews, a clear understanding of his meaning has yet to be established. Brusilov has taken to painting following his return to Earth, and he now completes a dozen paintings per day. Many of these paintings are now being analyzed by the American Psychiatric Association in the hopes of finding some insight into his experience, but some have found their way to wealthy collectors.
Astronaut Latisha Michaels reports a sensation of "being the light," and has begun suffering bouts of narcolepsy following exposure to the anomaly. Sources inside the international task force report her disappearance from her home. Speculations regarding her involvement in the Church of Eternity movement have not been substantiated.
What are we to make of this?