Mr-Calma
This short story follows a 2027 expedition by the Global Oceanic Research Initiative to uncover the source of the 1997 "Bloop" sound in the deep Pacific. Led by Dr. Rowie Whitewood, Lead Acoustician, the team-including marine biologist Dr. Lena Hanson, geophysicist Dr. Jian Li, and Captain Eva Rostova-travels in the advanced submersible Triton to depths of ten thousand meters. After a monotonous voyage, they detect a low-frequency precursor hum that resonates through their vessel, alongside magnetic anomalies in the seabed. Deploying remote vehicles, they discover colossal, perfectly geometric crystalline structures that defy natural explanation, along with shifting, formless entities moving in sync with a complex, alien sound. As the hum swells to a deafening crescendo and the structures blaze with otherworldly light, the team is overwhelmed by terror and awe: Dr. Hanson and Dr. Li lose their sanity, while Captain Rostova fights to escape. Though they reach the surface, only Dr. Whitewood retains his faculties, forever burdened by the knowledge that the ocean holds forbidden secrets meant to remain hidden in its depths.
(This short story is part of the Transfinitian Myths Universe/TMU)