Project Icarus Rising

The following files are all concerning Project Icarus Rising and are considered highly classified. Icarus Rising was an attempt to build a ship that could travel around the sun. The ship was equipped with state of the art engines and outfitted to deal with extreme heat. The trip lasted 36 months from launch to land. 5 Astronauts were chosen to make the historic journey. Captain Eric Williams, Navigator John Phillips, Engineer Don Ryder, Physicist Simon Gray and Science Officer Fred Harris. The ship made it to and from its destination safely however the mission was officially labeled a failure. Herein lie the disturbing details of the mission.

April 16th, 1200 hours: Icarus 3 came into communication range as it approached the planet.

Ground control: Icarus 3 good to see you return home. How was the journey?

IC3: *silence*

Ground control: Icarus 3 do you copy?

Continued silence on the other side.

Ground control: We have no communication with the crew. They may be unconscious or worse. The auto pilot will bring them into the atmosphere and towards the base. However it can not land the ship. We need to be prepared for a crash landing.

April 16th, 13:30: The emergency crews were gathered on the side of the runway. 2 fire trucks and paramedics waited with bated breath as the ship came into view. The ship was approaching at a rapid rate and if no one could slow it down it was going to slam into the runway. Every mile closer sent the crew’s heart rate spiking. The ship looked like it was about to crash when it gently pulled up and made a perfect landing.

Everyone let out a relieved sigh followed by a loud cheer. It would seem the communications had been broken. This would prove true however there were much greater problems at play. Several minutes went by and the shuttle door did not open. Everyone went back into emergency mode and rushed the ship. They managed to get the doors open and called out the flight crews names. No sound came out of the vessel.

One of the paramedics rushed in. He was only in for less than a minute before he rushed back out and vomited on the jet way. A second paramedic followed and what he saw stopped him cold. The crew had been torn apart. Their faces and bodies were streamed with blood. Their heads bludgeoned in with pure blunt force trauma. Most disturbingly however was that their stomachs had been carved open with inner organs dangling.

The paramedic went to examine one of the bodies when a loud angry shout emanated from deep in the ship. Out came the crew’s one surviving member, science officer Fred Harris, rushing the paramedic. He was covered in blood and had completely scratched out his eye balls. The blood was completely dried on. He tackled the paramedic to the ground and tried to choke him to death. One of the security personnel was able to restrain him and drag him off the ship. Despite his blindness Harris continued to scream about everything being too bright. He continued to scream until he was placed in a pitch black cell.

Coroner’s Report: April 16th 2200 hours

This is Dr. Michael Cameron examining the bodies of the four deceased astronauts. I’ve been in the medical field for over 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like this. These bodies are not just mangled, they were torn apart. I can confirm that the cause of death was indeed blunt force trauma, likely from a large pipe or bat like object. However there are several more injuries that raise many questions.

The disembowelment was performed post mortem, thank goodness for that small mercy. It also seems that the inner guts have several burns and lacerations. It obviously wasn’t an attempt to stop the bleeding nor was it torture since the victims were dead. Though most of the mutilation took place post mortem there were injuries that took place before.

I found several small nails and screws in Navigator Phillips digestive tract. What concerns me is that there is no bruising in the throat which means these were swallowed willingly and were not forced in any way. Captain Williams has a small hole in his forehead that looks like it was caused by a medical drill. This hole is only a mere half inch deep and was not related to his death in any way.

All the men possess bent fingers and cut knuckles, likely caused in the struggle against officer Harris. There is one thing that is deeply concerning me about this whole ordeal. Based on the decomposition I would say that these men have been dead at least a day. I am told officer Harris had his eyes gouged out and the blood was dry. If that was the case then who landed the ship so perfectly?

Report from Doctor Jessica Winters, N.A.S.A psychologist. April 18th.

I was asked to interview Officer Fred Harris, the lone survivor of the Icarus incident from 2 days ago. I had been briefed on everything known about the situation and I will admit the whole thing intrigued me greatly. I was briefed by Major Thompson on the situation. Despite Harris’s blindness he still couldn’t handle light of any kind. They keep him behind bulletproof glass in a completely dark cell. They monitor him with thermal cameras 24/7.

He told me that they have microphones inside and that I could do the interview remotely but I declined. I prefer to be in the same room as my patients, it allows a stronger bond to form. They led me down the hallway to his cell and shut off the lights. I felt the gentle hand of the major leading me inside. Then he exited and closed the door. I was now alone in the dark with a suspected murderer. I found my chair and sat down with my digital recorder. Below are my transcripts from the interview along with my personal experiences.

Harris: Good evening Dr. Winters.

Winters: Thank you Mr. Harris. We appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.

Harris: Oh thank you but please just call me Fred. Besides, time is the only thing I have left.

Winters: Well regardless I thank you for your cooperation. You seem to be fairly sound of mind.

Harris: Oh yes I feel much calmer here, thank you. So what do you want to know?

Winters: Well why don’t you tell me of your mission. A trip around the sun sounds extraordinary.

Harris: I don’t want to talk about that!

I felt his anger rising and I didn’t want to risk upsetting him.

Winters: We don’t have to. You have been gone 3 years, that is a long time to be in isolation. Do you want to catch up on current events, maybe sports?

Harris: Well I didn’t see hell on Earth as we approached so I know the Leafs didn’t win the Stanley cup.

Winters: No but the Oilers came close a couple of times. Do you miss your home land up north?

Harris: You didn’t come to talk pleasantries, you came to find out why I killed those men.

Winters: So you admit to killing your fellow crew members.

Harris: Why yes of course. 4 men in a rocket dead and one alive, doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out who did it. Yes I killed them all.

I began to become nervous. He spoke of murder far too casually. He could have been talking about the weather or television.

Winters: Why did you kill them?

Harris: Why protection of course.

Winters: Did they try to hurt you? Was it them who gouged out your eyes?

Harris: Oh heavens no, I did that myself.

Winters: Why?

Harris: Hmm let me answer your question with one of my own. Why do you do what you do?

Winters: Oh well the human mind is fascinating to me and I…

Harris: No, I mean why do you work for NASA? A woman with your skill could have her own practice and yet you help space men with coping strategies. Why?

Winters: Well I know it is silly but as a girl I always wanted to be an astronaut. I didn’t follow through and so I thought working here would at least keep me connected to that dream.

Harris: Why didn’t you follow through?

Winters: To be honest I get nauseous very easily.

Harris began to laugh at that. While his laugh was genuine it unnerved me all the same. There was something hidden underneath it. Not a madness per say but a knowing quality. I can’t describe it but part of me wanted to get out at that moment.

Harris: That’s what I’m getting at. We have so many dreams or desires and yet we find some excuse not to do it. We avoid the party because it is too far across town. We don’t apply for the job because we think we are not worthy. But what if there was something behind those feelings? What if we would have died on the way to that party? What if the job was a dead end? What if there was some outside force guiding our instincts.

I didn’t know how to respond to his statements. It was at this point that the darkness must have been getting to me. I felt as though we weren’t alone in the room despite knowing that was impossible.

Harris: And yet there are those who push through these instincts and try anyway. Bad things can happen to those people. Horrible things.

Suddenly I thought I heard shuffling footsteps to my right and I became very afraid.

Harris: Do you ever stop and think how fragile everything is. Our planet is nothing but a spec of dust floating through an infinite vacuum of debris. Yet even after millions of years we are still here. It makes you wonder what is out there. Is there some great force keeping things in order? Protecting us from things unseen. And yet some men continue to fly too close to the sun on wings of wax.

That was when it happened. I felt a warm breath on my neck and suddenly his voice was directly behind me.

Harris: Do you want to know what lies on the other side, Doctor?

Winters: I want out of here now!

I could hear them unlocking the door and from the other side of the glass I could hear Harris speak.

Harris: Leaving so soon doctor? That’s fine but can I just say one last thing before you go? Purple is not your color. You would be better with a green or yellow.

The major came in and escorted me from the room. When the lights in the hall came back on I leaned against the wall and began panting. I looked at the major accusingly. “Are you sure that he is secure? That he isn’t able to open the door? I felt him right behind me!” I shouted. The major looked at me dumbstruck. “Ms. Winters, I was watching the thermal camera the whole time. He never even got up from his bed.” The major said plainly. I turned around and walked away without another word. I couldn’t even look down at my plum dress.

Evidence file 2814.

The Icarus 3 was equipped with security cameras all over the ship. Sometime during its flight they were sabotaged and destroyed. Technicians spent weeks recovering and restoring the video files to the best of their ability. The vast majority of the footage was lost and what remains is of poor quality and incomplete but presented here are the descriptions of what we were able to recover. They tell an incomplete log of exactly what happened. Warning the following is very disturbing and unexplainable.

Day 3

The crew is gathered in the dining area. Playing poker with magnetic cards.

Williams: So how does it feel being the first crew in history to go around the sun?

Phillips: That’s a little premature isn’t it? We still have almost a year and half before we accomplish that.

Ryder: Well if anyone knows about being premature it’s Phillips.

Phillips punches Ryder on the arm.

Gray: Well I don’t know about you guys but I’m going to come back with a tan for the ages.

Ryder: Not likely, the ship’s windows are too thick to allow any harmful rays.

Gray: Party pooper. What about you Harris? Are you excited?

Harris: I’m with Phillips a million things can go wrong in three years. There are literally infinite ways to die out here.

Gray: I take it back Ryder, he’s the party pooper. Lighten up Harris.

Harris: I’ll lighten up when we have our feet on the ground thank you.

Day 57

Gray is shaking Harris awake.

Gray: Fred wake up man. I think something is wrong with the captain man. You need to help him!

Harris and Gray rush to the captain’s room but right before they get there the captain comes out wearing a rubber alien mask. The Captain chases him while yelling “take me to your leader. Resistance is futile.” The whole crew laughs wildly.

Day 527

The crew is strapped into their seats.

Williams: Today is the big day we are now going to be executing our sling shot maneuver around Sol. This is what we have been waiting for gentlemen. Gray, how is the ship looking?

Gray: All readings within perfect range. I told you this baby has what it takes.

Williams: How is our course Phillips?

Phillips: We are right on target sir. We are ready when you are.

Williams: Okay initiating rocket boost in 3,2,1 ignition!

The men are all forced back into their seats as the rockets burst. An alarm begins sounding off.

Harris: We are getting some strange readings. I need to get to the lab to check them out.

Ryder: Just don’t take long, you don’t want to miss this.

Harris unbuckles and floats off camera. The men marvel at the sun up close.

Williams: Have you ever seen anything so beautiful gentlemen?

Gray: Meh I thought it would be brighter.

Phillips: We are now completely on the other side of the sun. Our mission is…what is that?

At this moment the video becomes very blurry and distorted. Vague shadowy images appear on the sun. The men start screaming “What is that!” A shadow that looks like a great maw of an open mouth appears and the men start screaming while covering their ears. The shadows seem to form a giant obscured eyeball and the men all go into a seizure. Harris comes back and asks what’s going on. He looks at the great shadow eye but only for the briefest of moments and he looks away. The footage goes completely static and cuts out.

Day 528

The crew is gathered in the lab. They look disgruntled and like none of them have slept.

Williams: What the hell was that thing?

Gray: Nothing but some shadows caused by looking directly at the sun for too long. It was like an eye floater.

Ryder: Not possible the ship’s windows would prevent that.

Gray: Then it’s a hallucination brought on by cabin fever. We have been out here a year and a half.

Phillips: How would we all have seen the same thing? Not to mention that roar we all heard.

Gray: That is impossible, there is no sound in space.

Ryder: Regardless we all heard it loud and clear. There was something inside the sun.

Gray: Then how have we never seen it?

Harris: I might have an answer, one I struggle to believe myself. I plugged in the exact coordinates we passed and I’ve studied that data. That exact section of the sun never faces the Earth.

Williams: That’s impossible the Earth completely rotates around the sun.

Harris: But not every inch. Somehow year after year we miss it completely. I don’t know, its like the universe doesn’t want us to see it.

Williams: It doesn’t matter. Whatever that thing was, it is behind us now. We are on our way home. When we arrive I think it is best if we do not speak of this to anyone. They will think we are insane and our feet will never leave the ground again. Now lets all get some rest and that is a direct order.

Day 577

Video log: Captain Williams

It has been weeks since I have gotten a good night’s sleep. Every time I try I get nightmares. I see that eyeball and then the Earth. I see creatures rising from the shadows and from the ground itself, as if they have been summoned. I see cities burning, people screaming. I can hear that impossible roar and I wake up in a sweat. The other men haven’t spoken about it but I know they are suffering through the same problems. Only Harris is able to sleep through the night, lucky bastard.

Day 650

Harris’ video log

Food seems to be running out faster than it should. We all eat our meals together and yet the stores are going down rapidly. I’ve asked the others about it but they get mad at me and tell me to mind my own business. If this keeps up we are going to have to start rationing.

Day 655

Harris sleeps while the other four men begin walking down the hall towards the food storage. They open the packages of food and begin devouring it with extreme hunger. They feed like wild animals opposed to men. All this time they never once blink or speak to one another.

Day 700: Dining room

The crew, all looking exhausted and disgruntled, sit around the table. Captain Williams stands before them.

Williams: It has come to my attention that our food stores have been decimated over the last few weeks. I don’t know what is going on but it needs to stop. If we are going to make it back to Earth alive then we must take drastic measures. Effective immediately we are going down to one rationed meal a day.

Phillips: You can’t do this to us. We have a right to eat!

Williams: And so you shall but we have nearly 400 days remaining and we need to make it last. I recommend in the meantime we reserve our energy and avoid unnecessary excursions. Why don’t you start by shutting your mouth Phillips.

Phillips gets up and goes to make a move against the captain. The other members of the crew stop him.

Phillips: I’ll get you for this you bastard! No one tells me what to do!

Phillips storms off.

Day 852

The crew is gathered again at the dining table. Phillips stares at his empty plate with a furious look on his face.

Harris: Hey man are you okay?

Phillips: I haven’t had more than protein paste for months. I’m hungry!

Harris: Do you want the last of my meal?

Phillips: I said I’m hungry!

Harris: I’m offering you food man.

Phillips: I’M HUNGRY!

Phillips leaps from his chair and tackles Harris to the ground. Phillips grabs Harris’ arm and takes a bite out of it. Blood drains down his chin and he munches on the flesh with a big smile on his face. He goes for another bite but the men tackle him to the ground.

Later that day in the medical wing Gray treats Harris’ wound. The sound of Phillips screaming can be heard from down the hall.

Gray: Man he took a good chunk out of you.

Harris: What the hell is wrong with him?

Ryder: Cabin Fever. We’ve been out here for too damn long. None of us have had much sleep and the lack of food is getting to all of us.

Gray: He was also the first to look at that thing in

Williams: We do not speak of that!

Gray: Sir something is going on with us and don’t try to deny that you don’t feel it too. Something has changed in us and at this point I don’t even know if for best if we did make it back to Earth.

Captain Williams grabs Gray and slams him into the wall.

Williams: We are going home! That is more important than ever now. Do you understand? We are going HOME!

Everyone stares at the captain in silence. Finally he comes back to his senses and lets Gray go.

Williams: I’m so sorry. This tension is getting to us all. Let’s all try to sleep a bit. Hopefully Phillips will be better in the morning. Good night everyone.

Day 900: 3am

A hallway camera picks up the sounds of the crew members in their rooms hysterically laughing. Only Harris’ voice is not heard.

Day 925:

Gray and Ryder sit at the table simply staring at each other. Their body language suggests they are in heavy conversation but their lips do not move and no sounds can be heard. Finally the two break into laughter at some mutually unspoken joke.

Day 945: Harris’ video log.

Something is very wrong with the crew. They have stopped speaking to each other during the day entirely. I can’t even get the captain to acknowledge me. Yet everyone still seems to be working incredibly diligently. Phillips has calmed down completely. They don’t even complain about the food anymore. I don’t know if I should be thrilled or terrified. But I will say the silence is unsettling. I can’t help but feel they are hiding something from me. Sleep is also hard to come by. Between them seeming to laugh in their sleep and the tension, I’m having trouble falling asleep. I’ve also been having nightmares. 150 days to go. God I hope we can make it.

Harris closes his laptop but as he does a silent Williams can be seen standing in the doorway smiling.

Day 1002

Captain Williams walks through the ship in the middle of the night. He mutters “What is seen can not be forgotten.” Over and over again. He goes into a tool drawer and pulls out a power drill. He places it to his forehead. He ignites the drill and begins pushing it into his skull. All the while he does not scream or whine. He continues chant “What is seen can not be forgotten.” Finally Harris comes in and manages to pull the drill from him.

Day 1080:

Phillips gets up in the middle of the night and walks to the kitchen laughing the whole way. He goes into the spare parts grabs a handful of screws.

Phillips: I know you are hungry. So why not try this.

Phillips dry swallows the screws laughing all the while that he does it.

Day 1090

Ryder is up in the middle of the night staring out the window. He is talking to himself.

Ryder: Yes…..I know we are….No I can’t do that……Please we could die….No you are right…..Yes we must return…..It will be done.

He walks off towards the cockpit. A minute later Harris walks down the hall after him. His voice can be heard down the hall.

Harris: No what are you doing? Stop!!!!

A sound of a struggle can be heard with Ryder screaming in fury.

Day 1091: Harris’ video log

The crew has officially lost its mind. I found Ryder trying to change our course back to the sun. I had to drag him screaming from the controls. We barely have enough fuel to get back to Earth. I have been forced to take drastic measures. I’ve imposed a password for all controls that only I know. I will not let us fail. 4 days. Just 4 more days. I just want to go home.

Day 1092:

In Harris’ room he is sleeping peacefully. The other four crew members stand around his bed silently. They do nothing but stare at him until morning.

The next morning Harris is having breakfast when the other four crew members walk in. They are holding tools as weapons.

Harris: What is up with you guys?

All at once the other crew members say “Change our course.”

Harris: No! We are going home damn it!

Unison: Wrong answer!

The men grab Harris and try to beat him with the objects. Harris kicks the captain away and manages to lock himself in the bathroom. The others bang on the door and whisper to him.

Williams: Come out Harris, we don’t want to hurt you.

Phillips: You are squinting brother, we want to open your eyes fully.

Gray: He can show you so many things.

Ryder: Just open the door.

Unison: Open. Open. Open.

This goes on for 2 days.

Day 1094:

The others continue to whisper for Harris to come out. Finally Harris emerges with a water pipe and begins to bludgeon the others while screaming.

*Static*

Harris sits before the dead bodies panting. Suddenly Phillips’ body starts to jerk. A claw bursts through his stomach and the body jerks to his feet. Phillips stands with his back to the camera and Harris stares at his stomach.

Harris: What is that? What the hell is that? No!

Harris screams in absolute terror as the body begins walking towards him. Harris grabs a blow torch and thrusts it at Phillips’ stomach. An inhuman screech can be heard and the body falls to the floor.

*Static*

Harris sits on the floor sobbing. All around him are the dead bodies of his crew members. They have all had their stomachs gutted open and burned.

*Static*

Harris rocks back and forth holding his head.

Harris: No I don’t want to see anymore. I don’t want you to see either.

He begins to frantically claw at his eyes until nothing remains but a bloody mess.

Day 1095:

Harris sits on the floor laughing and singing to himself.

Harris: I once was lost but now am found. I was blind but now I see.

*End of video recordings*

Holding cell thermal camera: April 20th

Harris lies on his bed when suddenly he bolts up.

Harris: No, no he’s looking at me! No!

Harris begins screaming wildly. As he does the thermal readings on the camera go off the charts. His entire body is radiating a deep scarlet. All except for a circle on his forehead in the shape of an eyeball. That section was pure black indicating absolute zero temperatures. Steam radiates off his body. Finally the screaming stops and he looks straight at the camera with a smile.

Harris: He sees you too now. What is seen can never be forgotten.

With that his body melts to the floor in a steaming pile of gore.

Credit: Tenac