Smiling Ones On Space Station Mir | CreepCast

25:07Thought still makes me shudder to this day. Markov went on to highlight a few more strange occurrences. First, the life support system, which had been shut down for months since there was no one left on board, was found to be engaged and operating when Mir reappeared. Something else up there was breathing, be it Ladovsky or something else. Furthermore, if the man on mirror really was Ladovsky, how could he possibly know how to activate the life support system? Technology in 1957 was extremely primitive compared to what it is up there on the space station now. There's no way he would have been able to access the computer system and navigate the complicated process to manually engage life support.

25:48Secondly, the cameras and microphones used for video communications, which were in working order before the anomaly, had either been deactivated or were malfunctioning. Getting these back online as soon as possible would be a top priority for my communications team. After this, Markov took a seat and Nikovlev, my communications team member who worked at the terminal next to me, was called up front. His face was white as chalk, his forehead beaded with sweat, and his hands and legs were shaking as he stood before the control room. I have spoken at length with the one calling himself Oleski Lodovsky.

26:21He is coherent, rational, and articulate, though he seems just as confused about this situation as we all do, and wants to come home. He claims to have no memory of how he got onto space station, or of anything from the last 44 years. He says his last memories are crossing into space on a rocket in 1957 and waking up aboard Mir today. Kovlev paused to take a sip from a bottle of water resting on the podium. His hand was shaking so violently that he struggled to get the cap off. Something about the way he said this made me doubt his sincerity. So I went back and double-checked the recording, and something strange stood out to me.

27:00Each time Ladovsky would answer a question, there were several moments of silence and static. And upon further review, I detected that he was keying and realizing his radio transmitter in rapid succession before speaking. He paused again, wiping his glasses on his shirt. I soon recognize this is Morse code and well here is what was transmitted Screen above him changed to a white background the following stark black text Translation of the Morse code The smiling ones are with me The smiling ones are here Do not trust the smiling ones Don't tell them you know It will hurt me if they know That's the end of part one

27:49Why are you just looking What It's freaky And I would eat my words and say that the smiling ones But at the end made it really scary Because before I was like I don't know what the smiling ones title but I don't know What's got you in this mood You're being stupid sarcastic right now And I don't know why I legitimately really like this I don't believe you I like it a lot He's doing the Morse code there. And he's, it's, that's a fun twist at the end. These are all gimmicks. You wouldn't like, I don't know what character you've adopted. Do you not like it? I'm enjoying it. So no, you're not. This is when you enjoy things, when you enjoy things, you said over there and you're like, this rules.

28:34Yeah. This is sick. Yeah. It's not, you're not like, no, that was scary. That was really scary. That was cool. Like I thought that this was good and I'm excited to see what happens next. because I can't tell if the people doing Morse code are the spiny ones or not well I think it's interesting or do you think that he's in a parallel universe and he's able to talk with us right now like it's static like he's there but he's not you know what I mean like he's still existing in an alternate timeline or something to me this sounds like gun to your head kind of thing like they're around him making him talk and answer questions but he's trying to get a warning out I think interesting this video is sponsored by our partners at Factor Fall is here.

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31:07The wallet holds up to 12 cards, which I don't know a lot of people that need more than that. And you can get it however you want because the 2.0 comes in over 50 colors and designs, including pro sports and college teams. And whatever you choose, Ridge has their built-for-life warranty. So if your wallet's ever lost or stolen, they've got you covered. And for a limited time, Ridge is having a huge Black Friday sale. So right now you can head to Ridge.com to get up to 47 % off. that's right up to 47 % off your ridge purchase after your purchase they'll ask where you heard about him and if you remember to use code creepcast we'd certainly appreciate it thank you so much to ridge for sponsoring the show we are now back to the episode part two i read those words and immediately felt ill i made it to the lavatory just in time to vomit a thin gruel of cigarette butt flavored coffee into the sink after washing my sick out of the basin and splashing my face with cold water i looked into the mirror my face was pale and haggard large bags had formed under my bloodshot eyes it was the face of a man who had been working for over 24 hours straight i remember having during that surreal moment lost in reflection a vague presentiment that things were about to get much worse and much stranger but i know just how horrifying the next 60 hours would be, I would have gladly accepted termination and incarceration.

32:26Been worth it, not to know what I know now. I left the bathroom and made my way back to my station. Through the glass window on the opposite side of the room, I could see a small group of directors arguing in Cop Dev's office. An uneasy quiet had settled over the mission control room, punctuated by mouse clicks and the clacking of keyboards. Each operator I passed avoided eye contact, either completely focused on the tasks they had been assigned were doing an excellent job staring at the screen and faking it. Gossip and idle talk are strongly discouraged by the Russian space agency. When I arrived back in my terminal, I looked over to see Yakovlev hugging his elbows to his chest and staring vacantly into space.

33:08His chair had been pushed back from the desk and he reclined, stretching away from the radio transmitter resting there as if it were a snake coiled to strike. What did I miss? yes snapping him from his trance he looked over at me through cloudy eyes no more morse code so far but lodovsky has been pleading for rescue non-stop it was really starting to get to me i told him that we are currently discussing the best way to get him off mirror then i had to mute him there's seriously something off about that guy yeah no kidding they muted the transmission i think they muted uh like maybe they're mine yeah or even his transmission maybe yeah well if it's his transmission it's like you need to listen to his transmission i mean what if he's like oh my gosh and like they're probably just freaking him out he's probably just incessantly being like okay come get me yeah get me that kind of thing yeah the door to cop dev's office was closed but the argument inside had grown heated and i could just make out a few words all of them harsh through the glass i could see markov gesturing angrily and occasionally pounding a fist on the desk.

34:13Kopdev sat calmly at his desk, hands clasped in front of him. So is this what you think they are discussing in there? How to get Lodovsky back to Earth? From what I can gather, this is precisely what Assistant Director Ivanov wants. I heard him yelling something about Lodovsky being a national treasure and a hero of the Soviet Union. He thinks immediate rescue is the only option, and that we can figure out who, what and why later on. Once Lodovsky is safely back on solid ground. This guy who's been up there 40 years? That's a hero. Have they even questioned, like, shouldn't he be, like, super old?

34:46Mm-hmm. Hmm. I feel like that's what I'd say. Shouldn't you be, like, 100? Shouldn't this guy be old and also have starved to death, like, you know, 43 years ago? Shouldn't that guy not be alive? Yeah. I rolled my eyes, though I honestly hadn't expected any other reaction from the assistant director. Ivanov had been a cosmonaut himself in the 80s. It even resided on Mir for a few months. He was a fiery and passionate man with the very traditional values, the type to yearn in secret for a return to the greatness of the USSR. Now, close to retirement, he had been skipped for the job of director in favor of the younger and more level-headed Kopdev.

35:25Ivanov bitterly resented this fact. He must have seen this as an opportunity to upstage Kopdev and as a possible propaganda victory. In Ivanov's mind, rescuing Ladovsky would open the door to the mysteries of the universe. Russia would be the first to step through, the vanguard into the unknown. I take it that Markov has other ideas? I asked. The head of trafficking and communications was standing in the office, now screaming and pointing at Ivanov, shaking with fury. Quite an understatement. I never thought of Markov as a superstitious man, but he seems to think that there is something sinister and possibly supernatural going on up there.

36:05He's asked Koptav to cut off all communication with Mir and proceed with the orbiting as planned. He wants to let the station burn with Lodovsky still on? Still on it? Cover this up like nothing happened? I asked, and Kovlev gave a solemn nod. And what about Koptav? Where does he stand? You know as well as I that the director is a cautious man. I think he is weighing out his options and will try to gather more information before making a decision. There is so much about this that cannot be rationally explained, but I think Koftev believes Ladovsky has gone mad. Conversation was interrupted by Koftev poking his head out of his office.

36:44He spoke loudly so the entire room could hear. I want all personnel except communications department to put a hold on their current task. Spend the next half hour researching the Smiling Ones. Scour government records, historical archives, the internet, and anywhere else you can think of. for any reference to that phrase. Communications, I want your full attention to restoring our visual link to the space station. I want to see what's going on out there. I will expect reports in 30 minutes. He shut the door and the arguing inside resumed. Kovlev and I made eye contact for a fleeting moment and then returned to our terminals and got to work.

37:19Half hour later, we were once again gathered in a semi-circle with Koptev, Markov, and Ivanov standing in the middle beneath the central screen. Each department reported their findings, but all were variations of the same theme. There were no substantial mentions of the smiling ones to be found. I like how he steps out of the office and he's like, I need you guys to go to Google, you know, libraries. Everyone log into Wi-Fi and use Ask Jeeves for smiling one. Remember, Wi-Fi password is Russia number one, but the number is N-O and then period and the hashtag pound sign. Everyone go to Bing, turn safe search off.

38:02Type in smiling one, if not that, print out newest image. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. Cop dev, clearly frustrated, turned to the communications department, and it fell to me to act as spokesperson. I stood up from my desk and faced the director. I could feel the eyes of every person in the room crawling over me. My left leg was shaking involuntary. Sir, I have some good news as well as some strange news. The good news is we have fully restored the visual link to the space station. Mirror and all cameras are now active. A subdued cheer went up in the room. I waited for it to recede and then leaned over and pressed a button on my terminal.

38:45The main display at the front of the room changed into a black screen separated by crisscross gray lines, each labeled with a different location on the space station and each completely dark. The strange news is that every camera on me seems to be blocked or covered by something. My guess would be black electrical tape. Kopdev and Markov exchanged a look, while Ivanov stared at the screen confused. After a few moments, he turned to me, his neck glowing crimson under his collar. You are certain the cameras are active? There hasn't been a mistake? I'm certain of it, sir. Okay. Excellent work, communications department.

39:23We will take that under advisement. Anyone else have anything to report? Said Director Koptiv. A man from the life support department stood up and cleared his throat. Director, I've been going over the data for the life support systems and I'm running into some inconsistencies. First, though the station's internal clock says 44 years have passed, it appears that the life support system remained deactivated the entire time. In fact, they were only reactivated the moment of Mia reappeared in low Earth orbit. Secondly, though the electron oxygen generator is activated and working as intended, there is something very strange about the numbers coming from the Vodgov carbon dioxide scrubbers.

40:07They basically aren't doing anything. There is no carbon dioxide in the air, only oxygen. Either there is either a malfunction in the Vodgov data collection system or whatever is up there isn't breathing. Markov finished his sentence, glaring at Koptev, his eyes full of fire. I don't like this, sir. Stop being so superstitious, Markov. Said Ivanov. You're like an old provincial peasant woman making the sign of the evil eye. Pah! There clearly must be a malfunction in the unit. It's the only rational explanation. Besides, a national hero is up there. He is alone and afraid. and not in his right mind.

40:44It is our duty to rescue him. It must be our first priority. Opdev's face was blank and hard as stone. He gave each man a dead-eyed look, which silenced any further bickering. Men and women of Roscomos, it appears we have reached an impasse. None of us have any idea of what happened to Mir or how Lodovsky got aboard. I will not risk bringing this man back to Earth without first understanding what has happened to him. So, we have but one option left. We must speak to Lodovsky again And we must ask him directly Who are the smiley ones? I know the message requested we are not to bring it up But I see no other choice I must know what we are dealing with Simply a deranged man who wants to come home Or something else Like hey what's the smiley ones And he just gets like eviscerated Well that was a bad idea Well that was probably kind of bummer Well we shouldn't have done that my bad Do you know what guys on me Seriously, my bad.

41:41He paused for a moment and looked around the room, beating the eyes of anyone brave enough to look up. Finally, he turned towards our station. Yoko, love, you've already developed a rapport with Ladovsky, so I will ask you to continue speaking with him. I want the rest of you searching for clues to a possible explanation. You are free to chase down any leads you come across. Now, let's get to work. Cosmonaut Ladovsky, this is Roscosmos Mission Control. How do you read? Over. Anxiety and exhaustion had turned Yakovlev's face an ashy gray color. As he held his headphone to his ears, I could tell he was fighting to keep from shaking.

42:19Koptev, Markov, Ivanov, and the other directors were huddled behind his chair. I read loud and clear, Roskomos. Good to hear your voice again. Please, tell me you have a rocket on the way to get me here. To get me. I'm ready to feel soil under my feet again. His voice was calm and steady. Seemed in high spirits. We're still working on that, Lodovsky. It's quite a complicated process and will take some time to organize. In the meantime, there are a few questions I have to ask you. There was no response but dead static. Kovlev looked to Kopdev, who nodded for him to continue. Cosmonaut, I need you to tell me where you have been for the last 44 years.

42:58Lodovsky gave an exasperated sigh. Mission Control, I've already told you I have no idea. Last thing I remember was escaping Earth's atmosphere on my rocket in 1957 and then waking up here today. There is nothing else. Okay, cosmonaut. Then how about you help us better understand your situation by checking on the visual communication system? There seems to be something blocking the camera, and can you find it on your console in front of you and remove the obstruction? Several moments of silence followed before the radio crackled back to life. No, I'm sorry, Mission Control. There are many buttons and lights here that I don't understand.

43:35I don't see any camera. I like how the explanation's like, you know me, I'm a boomer. You should not have put so many flashing lights. Like all the cameras are visibly taped up. It's like, oh, I'm a klutz. It's weird. I don't know what this is. Markov gave a derisive snort. We all knew that the camera was in the direct center of the terminal where Ladovsky sat, very clearly labeled and easy to find, even for someone from the 50s. Yakovlev looked again to the director, who nodded for him to continue. Yakovlev took a deep breath and keyed the mic. Cosmo Ladovsky, who are the smiling ones? Instantly, the mission control room was filled with a shrill, inhuman screech, impossibly loud and high-pitched.

44:23It felt like a hot drill burrowing into both of my temples. Underneath the shriek was a continuous stream of rapid mechanical clicks, like a damaged hard drive trying to boot up. I immediately felt nauseous. I watched as Jakovlev ripped the headphones from his head and the directors covered their ears. After 10 agonizing seconds, the line went silent. I still heard and felt the noise reverberating in my head and I rubbed my ears with the palms of my hands. What the hell was that? screamed Markov, hands cupped over his ears. The radio cracked and sputtered, and then Ladovsky's voice returned, now high and panicky.

45:00What? I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of that. I have no idea. Just please, please get me out of here. I don't like it here. I just want to go home, please. He pleaded on the verge of tears. Calm down, cosmonaut. I need you to identify the source of that noise. Tadjikovlev, who was yelling like a deaf person. Unknown. What noise? I don't hear anything on my end There's nothing Just please get me out of here Listen Ludovsky There's nothing to be afraid of We are trying to help you We received the Morse code you sent You need to help us understand what your message meant So that we can help you Fucking dumbass What was the secret message you tried to send?

45:43The thing you don't want anyone to hear What was that about? I like how I like how they're like, what about the smiling one? Like the loudest noise ever. And they're like, so, so yeah, those, the smiling ones. What about the smiling ones? That was weird. Did you hear that? Ladovsky's like, no, I don't, what? I'm, I'm winking.

46:12Comrade, I'm winking. When Yakovlev let go of the transmitter, Ladovsky's voice came screaming over the speakers. now fraught with terror no no i have no idea how they know i didn't say anything i didn't send any message i said it i have no idea what they're talking about please you have to believe me now he was groaning oh no no more please please the line went dead for several minutes the directors looked around the room in silence avoiding eye contact finally yakovlev said what we were all thinking. Is it just me or is this guy like a total pain in my ass? The actual line he says is pretty.

46:54Is it just me or did it sound like he was talking to someone else? Wow. Incredible detective work. God, your intuition is amazing. Is it just me or when he turned and said, I didn't hear that and then said no, no, I don't know how they know. Someone that are with him on the space station? 41 could answer the radio clicked on and he was back. Mission control. I wish I could help you, but I have no idea what you're talking about. Perhaps one, perhaps once I have my feet back on the ground and some food in me, I will remember more. Any word on my rescue mission? Buddy got turned into a stick puppet, but they got their hand up him right now.

47:37Just talking. But what's funny is we never see it, which I will say the smiling ones at the beginning were kind of like, Like I see a lot of smiling faces that could be kind of cheesy, but the fact we don't see anything is fun. It makes it more inventive, but we don't see what's happening. We're like, no, no, I don't know. Please no more. We don't see it. So for all we know, it could be like, um, they've like got a little tiki bar and they're making him like dance. Like they pull. This is what's on the space station with a dove ski.

48:12that's just behind him at the chair

48:19that has to have a little astronaut helmet on of course of course and he put an astronaut helmet on and so he's got that and staying behind him when he heard like they're making pull up and they're bringing him to the dance floor he's like no no it's been 44 years kovlev picked up the transmitter to respond but cop dev grabbed his wrist and stopped him the static was interrupted by a series of long and short clicks i grabbed for my pen and began to write down the morse code message which reads do not let but that was as far as i got the message was cut off by the screeching of that same shrill piercing tone louder this time the mechanical clicking was there again but was now accompanied by a deep wobbling bass note the frequency of the wobble increased faster and faster like the spinning of a giant coin the volume rising the screech pierced through my brain like hot iron and i could feel the back and i could feel the bass in the pit of my stomach and all the way down into my testicles it felt like i had been kicked there my stomach turned over and i could taste the bile rising in my throat i looked around the room and found I was far from the only one experiencing this.

49:31Everyone was covering their ears. Some had grabbed waste baskets to vomit in. Others leaned back in their chairs. Eyes rolled back in their skulls. I was vaguely aware of one other noise. Somewhere in the blackness of space, Ladovsky was screaming. Ladovsky tried to say something like, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. No, just decimated. Yeah. That's the end of part two. now on to part three I woke with a thin coppery taste in my mouth and a throbbing headache above each eye the signal must have cut off at some point though I have no memory of this happening for the briefest moment of bliss I thought I was home in bed safe and comfortable my greatest worry the inevitable cry of the alarm clock then I rolled over and couldn't find my pillow when I tried to look for it I woke up and found myself face down on my desk I didn't slept in so very long I wanted so badly to close my eyes and drift away to the give me the beat boys free my soul.

50:32I'm lost in your rock and roll and drift away. Oh, ski.

50:40To pretend this wasn't happening, but it was and self deception would get me nowhere. There's a job to be done by God. I was going to do it. A fool. I was should have stayed asleep. I shook the cobwebs from my mind and rose from the desk, trying to ignore the piercing ring in my ears. Looking around, I could see other Roscosmos operators and engineers coming to similar predicaments, some wiping vomit from their mouths with the back of their hands, others massaging their necks or temples. Is everyone okay? Is there anyone injured? Came the loud voice of Director Coptive, clear but strained like an out-of-tune instrument.

51:18Scattered confirmations echoed throughout the room. i was about to attest my own well-being when i happened to glance over at yakovlev and stopped short his forehead resting on the keyboard in front of him and the headphones he'd been wearing to communicate with lodovsky were still covering his ears i could not immediately tell if he was breathing but he definitely wasn't moving i rushed to his side and peeled off the headphones a thin stream of blood trickled from each of his ears forming small pools on the desk tenderly I lifted his head cradling into my hands and calling his name his eyes were closed and blood dripped from his nostrils after a few moments his eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened but they were distant and opaque as if he didn't see me at all as if he were in a dream state off at some distant wonder his face was blank, loose and emotionless except for his mouth which was curled up into a large, toothy and humorous grin he didn't speak nor seemed to hear me at all i screamed for a medic but what i got were two intelligence agents in charcoal colored suits they lifted yakov live from the chair by his elbows and led him from the room he wafted between them grinning and dreamlike in the direction of the medical facility the last time i would ever see him with yakov live out of the picture the task of manning the radio fell to me markov tried to make the burden upon himself koptiv was having none of it.

52:44I'm sorry, Markov. I admired your tenacity, but we each have our own roles to play. And as a department head, your role is supervising our department members and providing advisement to the director. When Markov continued grumbling, Koptov turned to me. Will you serve your country in completely assigned tasks with vigor and professionalism? Yes, I will. I replied automatically. The product of decades of training. Even as I spoke these words, my brain was screaming. No, I won't. Let me go. Leave me in peace. But it was too far, too late for that. Turned back to Markov. Would you deny him the chance to serve Russia and fulfill his duty?

53:25No, I suppose I cannot. Ras Markov, speaking to Koptev, but locking eyes with me. He turned to follow Koptev. I swallowed hard and placed the headphones over my ears, but Markov turned back and snatched them off my head. No more headphones! He said to Koptev. He can hear what the rest of us hear on the overhead speakers well enough, and I won't lose another man in my department to whatever is up there. Kopdev nodded his approval and added, Cut the audio feeds as well. I don't want to hear that noise or anything else from the curved space station until we're good and ready for it. Lodoski will just have to stay iced for a while until we clear a few things up.

54:01Could've kissed him for that. I was not ready for this shit. then the pair turned and walked off continuing their rounds checking for injuries among the operators that's kind of cool that the guy that had headphones on just dies smiling now he has a humorless grin that almost feels like his face is just stretched like it's been pulled you're actually frowning when you do it that way because the top of your mouth is going down that's closer what if it was like the ABGN mouth

54:38I love that you just can't see any of his teeth ever so he's just like

54:47this thing's a fucking diarrhea shit sandwich did you like AVGN or the Nostalgia Critic better I don't know I've never watched any of them I didn't have internet until I was in college so I missed that whole wave of stuff I watched Nostalgia Critic a lot which one's he he's a he would do movie reviews but like it would always be gags about like he'd get really mad over like minute details and stuff like that and it was it was like more comedy was he the one with the red tie yeah oh yeah that's him doug walker he's also what i like about him is like he's still around um and a lot of those older guys have got like real butthurt about not being like as popular as they thought they would stuff but every time i see doug he's just like he has a good humor about it like on an episode of spongebob they made fun of him they had they had a character like wear the red tie and like the joke was he lived in his mom's basement and he was like really upset over something that didn't matter so doug posted a video of him watching that and like like he was heartbroken and he's like he pulls out his phone and calls avgn and goes spongebob doesn't like you you can't process criticism about himself but he's a good he's a good sport about it so hey this episode is sponsored by tushy tushy's luxury bidet that your bathroom has been missing over two million butts love tushy and yours will too i it wets my asshole and it makes it clean this holiday season give the gift of clean with one of tushy's premium bidets things can be pretty messy in our bathroom and that's why i use tushy we have them installed at the studio in our bathrooms in my house it's awesome using clumps and clumps of toilet paper is gross and honestly pretty wasteful people who have made the switch up to tushy use up to 80 less toilet paper and with less toilet paper means less clogged toilets and less gross bathroom experiences the other thing i really like about tushy is that it's really easy to use it takes no time to install and no additional plumbing or power tools needed restore balance to your bathroom and get the luxury bidet everyone's talking about of pushy remember a hole is only a naughty word if you wipe

56:51For a limited time, our listeners get 10 % off their first bidet order when you use code CREEPCREEPCAST at checkout. That's 10 % off your first bidet order at hellotushy.com with promo code CREEPCAST. Thank you to Tushy for sponsoring this episode. Now back to the episode. After confirming there were no other major injuries, Cop Dev appeared at the podium up front once more. The room fell silent. He began the greatest motivational speech I would ever bear witness to. It goes without saying that we are all experiencing something completely unique in our species history. It is in my personal opinion that we are in communication with some kind of undiscovered life form.

57:25If this is true, it will forever change our understanding of the universe and alter the future path of humanity. Whatever these smiling ones are, we can all attest to the fact that this is first contact. If that's really what's going on here has been less benevolent than we might have hoped. Regardless, our job as scientists remains the same. Not to have opinions and beliefs, but to provide proof. I have asked so much of you already, but now I must ask for more. We need to figure out what we are dealing with here. We need more information. We need proof. The fate of the human race may depend on it.

58:02Room was silent. The atmosphere gravid with the seriousness of the task at hand. I want the communications team to focus on analyzing that sound, but do not listen to a recording directly. We've all seen what that can cause. The rest of you, keep searching for any clues that might tell us who these smiling ones are, where they come from or what they might want. It's about time we finally catch a break. I put this in your capable hands. He smiled warmly. I'm counting on you, and I'm proud of every one of you. There's no other team in the world I'd rather be working with than the one I see before me here today.

58:37So, analyze we did. Breaking the noise down, searching for similarities in the sound wave patterns to no sounds from Earth. Comparing the frequency and amplitude to mysterious recordings collected during various natural disasters and from the deep ocean and outer space. We worked for hours, all for naught. Nothing even came close. The sound was completely alien, unlike anything anyone had ever heard or produced. It was more complex than anything we had even considered possible. The noise defied our very understanding of sound waves altogether. We had been affected by ultrasound and infrasound frequencies far beyond the range of what was previously thought possible, but we had all heard it and experienced the reaction.

59:20Denial was not an option. Others had better luck. Via confidential maneuvering by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency, we were able to obtain from the United States Space Surveillance Network higher quality satellite-based images of the exact moment Smear disappeared and reappeared. For once, the Yankee spying actually benefited Russia, and the results were stunning. From these new angles, we discovered something previously overlooked. At the exact instant of vanishment, something had appeared in the path of the space station which momentarily blocked out the dim light from distant stars in the background.

59:55The image showed nothing directly behind mer except absolute blackness. The same thing occurred at reappearance. The images were taken at a high frame per second rate, and in a few of those frames, we could actually see the space station partially obstructed by this void, as if it were disappearing into whatever was there in the darkness, like a photo of a diver disappearing into a pool. Barrier's hypotheses were tossed around, but all kept coming back to the same explanation, a theoretical phenomenon known as a wormhole, or something akin to it. Till this time, wormholes, tunnel-like structures connecting two separate points of space-time, though congruent with Einstein's general theory of relativity had remained purely hypothetical.

1:00:42Now here we sat an entire room of physicists and scientists staring at possible evidence of an actual wormhole excitement and terror bundled together into a peculiar knot of emotion. There are a few different theories on wormholes. Some believe they connect together two vastly distant points in space perhaps billions of light years apart. Others propose a linkage of the same place in space at two different times. Still others advocate of the multiverse theory, propound the idea of wormholes connecting a point in our universe to another point in a completely alternate universe. Any of these seemed a possible explanation for our anomaly.

1:01:22Though the potential evidence was exhilarating, the fact that it had appeared in the exact same location twice in the span of 24 hours implied that the wormhole had been controlled or even manufactured by some kind of intelligence, a sinister prospect given the events and a transpired-sinsverged reappearance. There was one little problem with our wormhole theory, however. Unlike a black hole in which the event horizon, a boundary in space-time beyond which events cannot be observed, prevents light from escaping due to gravitational pull, a wormhole would not produce an event horizon. Appearing through the mouth of a wormhole, more of a 3D sphere rather than a 2D hole, should reveal to us what is on the other side.

1:02:04For if matter can pass through, then so can light, though distorted by the curvature of space in the wormhole. All of our theoretical models visualize a wormhole as something similar to a bubble in space, with intense light radiating from inner rim of the mouth, quickly dimming as our view moves towards the center, and in the center, we should be able to see right through to the planet, stars, or nebula on the other side in our case we saw nothing no ring of light and certainly no stars nothing but an empty field of pitch black three possible conclusions can be drawn from this either our understanding of wormholes is way off what we're seeing in the images is not actually a wormhole something else altogether or it is a wormhole but whatever universe it leads to is a vast empty void where not even light exists.

1:02:57This, which if you're looking at scientifically, like would have to be the most likely option if what you're looking at, again, assuming all this actually happened, would be the most likely option. Because the fact that anything exists, according to like scientific theory, is a super, super impossibly rare occurrence. they're like you know big bang everything exists as it is so any other universe a wormhole would appear into would more than likely have nothing because nothing's far more likely than something right um but i also don't know if models of the wormholes were that in tune in 1957 maybe yeah it would because einstein was around and he theorized it he also theorized that like black holes would be like a bending of light like uh the light would kind of bend in two forms around it so it looks more like an axis rather than like a hole and then when we got actual footage of black holes now he was right so the dude was pretty on his game imagine in the 1940s being like well it would have been light in time to look like this and then a hundred almost a hundred years later they're like yeah yeah he was right damn yeah that guy knew what he was talking about he was smart that guy must have been an einstein or something oh Oh, okay.

1:04:19It real convenient that I, that Einstein guy had no idea where that came from. It matched the name. Yeah. It's like, it's like that scene from the Sopranos when Chris is like, isn't it crazy that Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig's disease?

1:04:38That's so good. I love Chrissy. My favorite Chris joke on that show is after Olivia dies and him and Adriana are high as a kite at Tony's house and no one will say anything nice about Olivia. And Chris is like, you know, they say that there's never two of the same people. Everybody's unique. But how would they know? Because you'd have to like get everyone on the planet to line up and look at all of them. And even then there could be someone dead. He goes for five minutes. He's like, the point is... The Tony sister goes, thank you, Chris.

1:05:24Thank you. The new revelation had produced an atmosphere of excitement in the mission control room, and in director Koptov especially. Here we few stood, unique among all humans living in past, perched upon the precipice of the utterly unknown. We were living out a scene from the pages of a science fiction novel, except it was reality, a surreal, terrifying, astonishing reality. May have been a bit of a stretch, but by this point, Koptav had thoroughly convinced himself, and in turn all of us, that we had encountered a newly discovered life form, extraterrestrial, extra-dimensional, or otherwise.

1:06:02We couldn't help but feel excitement. This was every astronomer's dream. Any who said otherwise was either lying about their own dream or lying about being an astronomer. At the same time, it was a horrifying prospect for what it meant for us, for our planet, and especially what it meant for Ladovsky. To Koptev, we were on the threshold of a discovery which would alter the destiny of mankind, but among the other directors' opinions of how we should proceed still differed. They began to argue again, passionately and excitedly, not bothering this time to retreat to the confines of the office. This is our chance!

1:06:39yelled assistant director Ivanov, brown eyes bulging, to step out from under the shadow of the United States and take our rightful place as premier among the nations. His face was flush and beads of sweat stood out of his wrinkled brow. We'd be fools not to reach out and take it. I propose we send Zoya's capsule to dock with Mir and bring whatever is up there back to Earth and still hold that hope that it really is Lodovsky. But if it isn't, we capture it, examine it, experiment on it, and force it to reveal to us the secrets of the universe. Just imagine it. Russia, the first nation on Earth to make interstellar travel possible via wormhole generation.

1:07:22We would instantly become the greatest nation on the world. No, the universe is ever known. We must do this for the benefit of all mankind and for the glory of Mother Russia. So I like how Ivanov's so fired up about getting the guy back and stuff. like that and I understand that's kind of what's motivating what he's saying like for Russia to be on top he's near the end of his career as mentioned and I get all that but it's also funny because like what are you going to do with wormhole travel maybe 200 years from now when we have tech that lets like people colonize space and live and travel to far off planets but it's like right now we're going to go through and be like yep a whole lot of nothing alright I'm on my way back this is crazy total darkness wow i sure hope this works the other way or else but also like i realized i was wrong because ledovsky's from the 1957 but this space cruise like what 2001 it said 2002 so yeah i was i was off with that they certainly would have wormhole theory yeah yeah that's correct a few muffled agreements rose from the assembly the room was filled with the quiet tension almost palpable like a steel wire ready to snap.

1:08:36All eyes turned to Markov, who sat with one leg crossed over the other and an ironic smile plastered to his face. Do you have anything to add, Markov? That's Koptiv. Yes, Director. I still think it should be destroyed. Do you orbit the space station with Lodoski still on board? No. I don't think we can risk that. I think we should destroy it while it's still in orbit. I'm not sure how yet. Maybe with a nook, just to be certain. So I'm 100 % on coptive side Like just Blow it up 100 % We've been gone for 44 years man We ain't missing you According to the records you never died up there You don't even exist Thank you for your assistance comrade Beep Yes no everything will be fine Ship on way A few surprised exclamations Rose above the general murmur that followed his remark Koptav looked at him aghast.

1:10:01new world of discovery, but once a door is opened, who knows what Mike walked through from the other side. Larissa is too great. We may well be sunning the death certificate of the entire planet, and welcoming our own destruction. I say we destroy it immediately and remove that possibility." Whispered approvals rose from a few of the gathered. Kopdev and Markov locked eyes, Markov's smile gone now, replaced by a look of iron determination. I understand your sentiment, Markov, I do. But I will not be responsible for firing any weapon into space, especially a nuclear weapon. How would we explain that to the rest of the world?

1:10:39Who knows what other repercussions there might be? Markov let out a frustrated grunt and crossed his arms. Kopdev continued. Besides, Ludovsky may still be alive up there. If there's still a chance to save him, however slim, we are obliged to try. I don't think you are. I don't think you have to try at all, actually. Again, on paper, that guy is dead. He was never even up there, so... Ivanov was beaming. So what? We go with Ivanov's plan and invite chaos onto our planet? No. We will still need more data to make a decision. We need to know who the smiling ones are. Thank you for your input, gentlemen.

1:11:16But I believe I have a plan. The grin on Ivanov's face twisted into a sneer as he turned back to Koptav. And what might that be? We contact Lodovsky again, but this time we bluff. We tell him we have a Soyuz capsule prepared to launch. We tell him the rescue is on its way. Then we see how he reacts. I feel the color draining from my face. Skoptev turned to me. Think you can handle that? Forced myself to not. This is good. I like the decision here. So I'm liking this story. I enjoy it. I feel like there's a few times that, like honestly it being titled the smiling ones and like the word of the smiling one juice is one of the story's biggest faults yeah like just because it it's too cheesy it's too cheesy it completely cheapens the story yeah it cheapens the story yeah i think i i think you could have just literally been like like you could have just called it like they they're here them or it could have just been like uh i don't know that the uh the forgotten space station like just anything that was just like something that's just or it could just be called mirror yeah well i mean like in the story like have the guy oh yeah yeah they are in here i don't think i don't think you refer to him as anything i think it's just a thing if you are wondering the whole time is there actually someone there yeah you know and you can have him scream to somebody and be like i didn't tell them anything and you're like is he just crazy i don't know but here's the thing and this is kind of what we like when we uh had the interview with uh dathan we kind of talked about patreon exclusive Patreon exclusive the author of pen pal It's on it's on Patreon It's on Patreon let's interview him on Patreon If you want um we were talking about with him Is like there's this crossroads between What I want to do and what does well Cause there is if this was written around like 2014 2016 area Stuff about like smiling people was Killing it was It was like how new is the story I have No idea uh but my point Is like if that could have been Like a strategic move yeah I'd be in like, Oh, Oh, I see what you're saying where he's like, well, that's just the, that's the hot thing.

1:13:19That's what sells. That's what people want to read. And maybe that's part of the reason it's successful. And like people are recommending it now because they read it from that. So it could be some of that, but for the story, I feel like the smiling ones is a disservice to it. Cause if you take that out, it's a good story. Yeah, it's great. I love the simple premise of just, uh, you know, thing goes missing. It comes back and now it's floating and we have this dilemma of, do we help save somebody? Oh wait, I feel like literally humanity might, be at jeopardy if we let this thing back on earth yeah yeah that's fun and also like how uh ivanov is kind of set up as like he's desperate for something to happen so he wants to bring this very proud man yeah yeah it's also like that was the other thing i feel like the story could trust itself a little bit more like we have that dialogue between our protagonist and then the guy who died who he was talking to where they kind of have an explanation about the directors like oh ivanov says this coptev's a man that believes this and stuff like that but honestly you don't need that because it's that's present enough in their dialogue yeah i mean also just having a character say someone google the smiling ones is just that was rough that was rough yeah i agree but it looks like in 2018 this story uh was posted no sleep to one best original monster 2018.

1:14:39Okay. And then in 2020, he expanded it into a novel X. So like kind of a novella length ebook. Okay. So, so I guess it is more, a little bit more recent. So 2018 first called the smiling ones. That's still around the time. I think it was doing well, I would say. Yeah. Cause I was in high school coming out of high school. So yeah, I think smiling ones probably helped it around that time. So I'll give him some levity there. I say I give him some levity like I'm some grand jury on it, but I will be merciful to you. Oh, thank you, Master Isaiah. Thank you. You're welcome, Darius. No problem, Darius.

1:15:21Darius Pilgrim. I sat at Yakovlev's former consul with the radio transmitter in hand, stealing myself against the task which lay before me. Someone had cleaned up the bloodstains. Thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to continue. I could feel the huddle of directors hovering over my shoulder, staring daggers into my back and waiting breathlessly for me to begin. The room had fallen quiet once more. On the main screen above me, the white numbers and letters indicating timing and positioning of the mirror camera feeds glowed brilliant white against the inky darkness of the background.

1:15:55I took one final deep breath and, bracing myself for the worst, flipped the radio receiver to the on position. The hiss of static filled the room, a warm and comforting sound in comparison to that horrendous otherworldly screech. This is Roskomo's mission control. Attending to reach Cosmonaut Ludovsky. Do you copy? Over. Nothing. Static. I repeat, this is Roskomo's mission control for Cosmonaut Ludovsky. Do you read me, comrade? More static. Or nothing. He turned to Coptive. Keep trying. He has to be there. unless the smiley once stopped torturing him and finally decided to kill him. Then Markov bitterly, Kopdev opened his mouth to reply, and the radio crackled alive.

1:16:42Affirmative. I read you loud and clear, Mission Control. It has been quite a while. Welcome back. Your voice is different. What happened to Yokovolev? He is... indisposed at the moment. I'm sorry to hear that, Mission Control, but I hope you might have some good news for me. Roger. Affirmative. I just got off this line with the head of the crew over at Launchpad. They've got the Soyuz rocket all lined up and ready to go. Should be headed your way within T-60 minutes. Orp, are you serious? As a heart attack. We'll get the champagne on ice for you down here, comrade. Just get yourself squared away and ready to go.

1:17:22What do you say, are you ready to come home? The hiss of silence returned. There was no reply. I bet they're talking to him. Telling him how to respond. Yeah, maybe. Or maybe they're throwing a little part to celebrate our stupidity. Finally, after what felt like at least a century, it was probably more like 45 seconds. Madofsky's voice returned. They want to know. Transmission cut out momentarily. Copdev and Markov exchanged a glance. I mean, I want to know how long before the capsule arrives. All said and done, probably just under two days before the docking process is complete. Possibly sooner, depending on where in orbit you are, when we launch.

1:18:07Oh, well. Okay, you're really coming. His voice was thin and confused. We're really coming. The line went dead once again for a minute, then two. A soft sound of static purring from the speakers. Then it roared back to life. This time, Ladovsky was shouting. The transmission was quieter and muffled, as if he was turned away from the receiver. No, you can't do this. I won't let you do this. I don't care what you do to me. Not anymore. My life is already over. It's been over. I won't let you do this to anyone else. Hold by complete silence. No static this time. Ladovsky was still keying the mic.

1:18:49I could hear the quiet hum of Mir's oxygen generators in the background. It went on for about 15 seconds, and Ladovsky's voice returned, louder and agitated with an edge of dark humor. Oh yeah? That's what you think. There's still one thing left I can do. And now, the voice was even louder. Ladovsky was screaming directly into the microphone. You fools, you fools, don't do it! Cancel the rocket ship, don't send it! Leave me here! You cannot let them get you hurt! Then the sound began again, impossibly loud now, impossibly harsh. The white-hot drill in my head turned back on, and it was screeching, piercing, burning, scrambling my brains to paste.

1:19:33I dropped the transmitter to cover my ears, but it seemed to have no effect. Suddenly, a hand shot out and snatched the transmitter from my desk, and the coptev was shouting into it, screaming over the alien shrink and deep resonance of the base. Who are they, Ladovsky? Who are the smiling ones? And Ladovsky screamed back through a wall of suffering. He screamed to be heard, but also to overcome the agony he was in. His words were quick and panicked. No, not who. What? They're parasites. They're the opposite of life. The absence of life. They come from this other place. From the horrible other place.

1:20:13They want what we have. They've already taken it from so many. So, so many. And now they want ours. His voice was fading and gurgling, growing thick as if someone was pouring motor oil down his throat. He struggled through somehow and continued. Take, get. Take them, Arthur. Take them my way. Don't let them hurt anyone else. Don't let them come to Earth. Don't let them come to Earth. Markov grabbed me by the shoulder and shook violently. Cut the feed! Cut the goddamn feed! No! Howled Koptev, pushing Markov away. Not yet! We need more! Just a little more! He keyed the mic again. What do they look like, Ladovsky?

1:20:58What do they look like, goddammit, I have to know! What the fuck do they look like? But Ladovsky had no words left. He was crying, screaming, howling in pain. the piercing screech grew higher the base lower and the drill in my brain went into overdrive it felt like my head was about to rip into two right in the middle of my face then ladovsky answered without saying a thing the blackness of the main screen at the front of the room was substituted for a maelstrom of color as the tape covering the camera was ripped away revealing the most abhorrent scene my cursed eyes would ever fall upon all right so for one you're an excellent voice actor that was very cool good job um also that was a very cool segment yeah of them screaming and him like trying to get through and that little like they've taken it from so many like it says a lot but not too much i think especially when the guys like they've taken it from me and it's like okay is that saying lodovsky or is this something else that's like in the form of lodovsky these things are make are puppeting to make him try to so they can invade another planet or something.

1:22:07I feel like a lot of people would have done something like everything's totally fine why don't you just come up here and help me already. You know like getting like really low and creepy like ooh that's creepy you know that seems weird. I like that they kind of took the route of him like just being like fuck it I'm already dead I'm dead. Yeah they're gonna kill me regardless I'm not gonna take more people with me That was a fun surprise I didn't expect. That was good and then him not like with his final moments ripping off the tape that's been covering up that's sick The first thing I noticed was Ladovsky's face, the only familiar feature in the bizarre scene before me.

1:22:41He was young, blonde, and probably handsome once. Now his face was distorted, like a newspaper ink image stretched across Silly Putty. Black tendrils swarmed around the edges of his face, sticking to the skin, tugging at his ears, wrapping around strands of hair and pulling them backwards into the dark mass behind. He tried to speak, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish, but the invading tendrils squirmed around his lips and snaked down his throat, and all that came out was a sickening gurgle. One orange-clad arm also protruded from the dark writhing mass, and his gloved hand gripped the radio transmitter.

1:23:19As I watched, a dozen black vines wormed their way around his wrist and hand, creeping like spilled liquid before tightening like sinew, peeling his fingers from the microphone off one by one until it floated freely in the microgravity of the space station. piercing sound cut off abruptly the hot drill in my brain shut off and the mission control room was bathed in a terrible silence as we watched lodovsky's arms submerge in darkness so lodovsky used his last minutes to unplug the mic that's hard unplug the mic and reveal what the thing was yeah that goes hard what a g his shifting eyes were the last thing i saw bulging brown irises filled with grim determination one moment speakable horror the next and then suddenly dead and glassy as he finally let go and surrendered to the void.

1:24:06Ladovsky disappeared, absorbed into the squirming darkness behind him. Nothing human left to hold my focus. I had no choice but to turn my attention to the rest of that macabre scene. The space Ladovsky had occupied just a moment ago was now filled with a grotesque and faceless monstrosity. It looked like a floating ball of liquid mercury, three feet wide and three feet tall, but blacker than the darkest night. Its surface seemed to constantly squirm and shift, and it shimmered with rainbow iridescence, like an oil slick on a rain puddle. At least eight thick, tentacle-like appendages extended from its central mass, each wrapped around computer terminals, door handles, ceiling hooks, and other equipment to keep itself in place in the station's microgravity.

1:24:50All over its surface, smaller tendrils appeared and disappeared, wiggling and curling in on themselves. Behind the creature that had once been Ladovsky, loomed three exact duplicates, each devoid of any discernible face. The background was a tangled mess of floating tentacles, weaving through one another and twisting around each other like spaghetti noodles, some attached to equipment in the room, others gripping the first creature, as if laying hands upon the shoulders of a troubled friend. Suddenly, all four creatures moved as one, squirming squid-like around one another and spreading into a line across the capsule.

1:25:27With a jerk, their attention seemed to snap to the camera in the terminal. Though without faces, it was hard to tell for sure. The scene froze like that for a horrifying moment, and I peeled my eyes from the screen. The Roscosmos mission control room was still in silent, each person petrified in place like a statue, slack-jawed, with eyes locked on the main screen. I turned my attention back to the video feed, and now the core of each creature was bubbling, boiling, churning like the waters of a maelstrom. The center of each opened into a tiny white hole which quickly grew in size, expanding to cover most of the creature's bodies.

1:26:05Then stretching and twisting, each of the holes transformed into a shape I recognized all too well. A smile. No eyes, no ears, no nose, no face, just enormous, empty, inhuman smiles. Then the noise was back. This time, I wasn't hearing it, I was feeling it It was inside of me, inside my head, and it was coming from them From their smiles, it was coming from the smiling ones I tried to look away, but I couldn't My body felt completely paralyzed Their smiles were growing, sound was rising Screeching in my head like the billion swarming wings of a demonic locust plague The drill in my head switched back on but now the torque was turned up to the highest setting and was joined by the thrum of a jackhammer breaking concrete.

1:26:52It felt like the two hemispheres of my brain were being torn apart. I could smell burning electrical wires and taste copper in my mouth. In my peripheral vision, I saw a flurry of movement. The men and women around me, the pride of the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities, were hurting themselves. Some slammed their faces into their desk over and over again until blood poured from broken noses and shattered mouths. Some picked up pens and pencils and violently stabbed themselves deep in the ear canal, then pounded them further in with the palms of their hands. Others gouged their eyes or sawed at their wrists with any sharp object they could find.

1:27:28Then everything faded away until my entire world was a white-hot ball of pain and I lost consciousness. My eyes snapped back open and I stared at the screen. Smiley ones were gone And in their place were four small gray humanoid aliens With buggy black eyes My head I heard four distinct voices speaking together Let us in My vision went dark and I was gone Then I was back Four giant bipedal lizards appeared on screen Oozing dark green slime like Okay, they're switching forms I would say The implications that Ladovsky wasn't But no, he saved them at the end Now four giant bipedal lizards appeared on screen, oozing dark green slime like sweat, black venom dripped from their jaws.

1:28:09Their reptilian eyes stared into my soul and their voices shrieked in my mind. Let us in. The tenebrous veil of an unconsciousness folded around me once again. Then I was back. Now four angelic beings floated on the screen, drains loose and but gleaming like the sun around the edges and draped in flowing gowns of a million impossible hues. Their beautiful voices sang a harmony in my head. Let us in. A scream of shadow fell upon me once more and I was gone. Then I was back. Now the inside of the space station was an alien forest filled with a swirling fog of green and gold. Through the mist emerged four giant mushrooms.

1:28:44The rubbery skin was a constantly shifting kaleidoscope of psychedelic color explosions. Each swayed and shivered in a primeval dance, followed to the beat of their own secret music. Four spongy voices sprouted in my brain. Let us in. The black curtain fell once more, leaving me in darkness, eternal darkness. infinite perfect timeless egoless uncaring darkness this was the void this was their home the universe if nothing had ever existed i'd always be here i'd always be here then i was back but not to roscosmos mission control i was on space station mirror the noise was gone the molten javelin of pain in my head had disappeared four human figures stood before me three men and one woman dressed head to toe in the bright orange spacesuits of the early Soviet space program through their clear bubble helmets.

1:29:37I could see their countenances young, attractive, proud, full of vigor, smiling warmly. I recognize each face calling the pictures of the so-called lost cosmonauts that our recent research had turned up. Is that a bear trap for me? Cause I said this, this is based on lost cosmonauts, but it's kind of just based on them. I would give it to you. Garts there, hold it up I feel special award They were Andrei Mitkov Sergei Shiborin Maria Gromova And the last, of course, was Alexei Ladovsky Smiles on their faces remained Their lips did not move And I could hear their voices in my head Kind and composed Let us in, please, let us in If it had been in my power I think I would have then I watched as their smiles grew larger and larger contorting their faces into massive inhuman grimaces skin of their lips and cheeks began to rip and tear away revealing toothy skeletal grins their hair fell out their skin dripped away worms crawled from their empty eye sockets the glass of their helmets shattered their spacesuits deteriorated and fell away and the smiles just kept growing I tried to scream but my body was still paralyzed I heard the bones in their jaws snap simultaneously and the smiles engulfed their entire face, flipping them inside out.

1:31:01I closed my eyes and in my mind I again heard their voices, now desperate and horrid, chanting, Let us in. Let us in. Let us in. Rising into a horrible crescendo. When I opened my eyes, I was back in Roscosmos Mission Control. The writhing, tentacled abomination still filled the main screen. my mind was filled with a horrible cacophony as the four voices morphed into four million screaming in a hundred alien languages but somehow all saying the same thing let us in let us in people around me seemed to be in some kind of hysterical religious ecstasy some laughing some weeping some howling like wolves and tearing their flesh to shreds with their teeth others seizuring violently in their chairs let us in let us in then i heard another voice this one nodded my head, but coming from a little ways behind me.

1:31:51It was the strong, clear voice of Director Coptive crying out. Cut the feed! Cut the feed for the love of Mother Russia! And everyone you hold sacred, cut the goddamn feed! And I tried. My hand reached out for the button on the terminal, which would cut all contact with Mir. It cinched closer, closer, closer. Then it wrapped around a pin laying on the desk, pressed the button extending the tip, turned it towards me. I watched it in horror as my hand brought the pin slowly towards my face, aiming directly for my eyeball. I was powerless to stop it. My hand felt like it was under someone else's complete control, and it moved closer, closer, closer, until it was almost touching my cornea, feeling my entire field of vision.

1:32:36Then something hit me hard in the side of the head. Stars danced and exploded before my eyes, and I was falling to the floor in slow motion. somewhere far above me Markov had pounded the button on the terminal which cut the video feed then he had an officer chair in his hand smashing the computer terminal to pieces main screen went blank the piercing screech and wobbling bass disappeared replaced by the weeping and wailing of the injured and dying begging for help Markov stood hunched breathing heavily still holding the office chair Koptev stood next to him white as a ghost Ivanov lay dead at his feet in a pool of blood, his throat torn out by his own fingernails.

1:33:15Markov grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. I blinked to my eyes and surveyed the room. I was met by a scene of bloody carnage that looked more like a battlefield than a mission control room. Forgive me for hitting you, Markov whispered, and he straightened and turned to Koptiv. Now will you believe me, Director? Now will you heed my advice? Koptiv nodded, sadly, his eyes watering. I'm sorry, Markov. I should have listened. We shall proceed with your first idea. We deorbit Mir as originally planned, and the world knows nothing. We burn them. We burn them all, and pray that is enough. And God help us if it isn't.

1:33:54March 23rd, 2001, the world watched in wonder as the space station Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere near Naughty Fiji and disintegrated over the South Pacific Ocean. An official statement from Roscosmos announced that Mir ceased to exist at 559 GMT. At the time, Mir was the largest spacecraft ever deorbited, and there were concerns that sizable pieces of debris, particularly from the docking assembly, gyrodines, and external structure, could survive re-entry. Officials in New Zealand issued warnings to ships and aircraft in the South Pacific, and the Japanese government warned its residents to stay indoors during the 40-minute period when debris would most likely fall.

1:34:35Nothing came of it. Mir is thought to have burned up completely during atmospheric re-entry. Though rumors and speculation abound, no significant debris of the wreckage of Mir were ever recovered. At least, not officially. And that is the end of the story. And that's the end of the story. What a cool, so it's based on a, like, why did Russia de-orbit an actual space station? That's really cool. That is cool. That is really sick. I like that. It's a good detail. Okay, so, what did you think of the ending? eh yeah yeah yeah i feel kind of i don't really like the whole smiling motif i think the whole like going crazy thing i just like i don't know the idea of it i mean i like that you swing for the fences and you have this big thing i just like wonder if there's just ever any way to ever approach these monsters in a different way that isn't just like we all go crazy and we rip out our eyes and we're ripping out we're ripping out our throat like can the horror of just like can the horror of just like the inevitable i guess just like something i don't know so i mean like i it's lovecraftian it's just like the horror of the unknown is that enough of this thing of like instead of having it be like these floating things that are smiling and now i see this alien forest and i can hear all these alien languages i just wonder is it more is it always they always just kill you yeah and it's just kill you versus a thing of like is there something of like Like, I don't know.

1:35:59Even like mixing like science with spiritual stuff of like taking your soul. Like, oh, shit. Like, it's just like doing something that's different of like these weird aliens that exist out there are actually there because they collect souls. And this is like how we perceive angels. Or just something weird, which that's a bad idea. I'm just saying that I don't. I've seen that. We've seen that are in Event Horizon, the movie, that kind of thing. like to me I was honestly just more freaked out by the idea of like I guess like government officials making irrational decisions based off like pride and that kind of thing and then also just the mystery of being like I don't know what is on there what is on there you know what I mean I think at the end of part 3 it was at its strongest when Lugdowski was on the other end and he was like don't do it but then like starting it and it's like oh there's black tendrils and he gets pulled in.

1:36:56I think after he pulls the tape, it loses me. Yeah, I almost wish it would have been a thing where it's like I pulled it. And I don't think that like... What if he starts to pull it but then stops? I like the idea of him pulling it. I mean, like for my subjective, like my own opinion, it is always so much more effective in these scenarios to just be like he pulled the tape and like what I saw was something crazy. And you just like leave it to where it's like, oh my God. Like the more you describe something, the more you're talking yourself out of interest, which, which also makes it when you have a satisfying creature, it makes it that much better.

1:37:36Cause you're like, that was awesome. But if you don't have that strong basis for something that just like, I mean, really fits that scene. It, to me, it just like, man, like we were going straight up and immediately in my mind, I was just like, and there it goes. Yeah. You know? And I think everything before that, great. Simple dynamic. You have all the people back and forth. You have a bit of a power struggle thing. The idea of a guy from the 40s, and now you have this rose-colored kind of goggle guy being like, oh, my God, that's like a nation's hero or something. I think all that's cool. I'm glad they didn't go into the thing of like, we're up here.

1:38:11We always have been. But even like the let us in kind of thing, like even the high-pitched screech thing to me is scarier than just having, like instead of having, them say like, let us in, let us in. Just having like an ear piercing screech where it's like, I don't know what that is, but it's just like, you can kind of sense it and it's fucking just disturbing. I don't know. I kind of had the idea. I like the direction when the guy next to him at mission control died and it says his face was in a joyless smile. And I thought the implication was like the face, like the skin's being pulled back.

1:38:51And I'm like, oh, that's kind of clever because it's not actually a smile. It just looks kind of like a smile because of like the stretching that happens. Like it's changing biology. So then I had the idea, what if the smiling ones that he's seen up there are like the other dead cosmonauts? Like their bodies have been possessed by something. And even if that's the case, I don't want to see it. But that's just a cool idea I have. Yeah, I mean, it's okay. I just, I guess it's just, I don't, like to me, even something scary would be like when you fly a certain height in the air, you like you go in like that black void you go into like like there is no like the space the moon landing is all fake whatever yeah yeah and it's like if you go certain high up you like enter you're gone what well what's i thought that it was other stuff it's like no we have no idea what's being like it could have been like a reflective dome or something roof or something yeah like to me that like that's an that's a more interesting thing of like just like making you question these kind of things.

1:39:48Not that you'd ever be like, well, that's bullshit, but it's just the idea of being like, what if that was the case? And it's less about, and I love, body horror is my favorite thing ever, but in situations like this, just you don't need, I don't think you need that. To me, I was like totally hooked with everything. I started off the podcast being a bit goofy and stuff, but I did get, I mean, I was bought in over time. And it was unfortunate too, because at first I was sitting there and I, like while we're reading it and it was really good i was like oh god people are gonna make me eat my words with this fucking beginning thing of the smiling ones and stuff because i was like this is good but then it just immediately i was like oh there it is it was like kind of like being like this is a diaper and you're like no this is like a chipotle burrito fuck it's pretty good in the opener you're like no that's shit this is actually a diaper i don't know why i thought this was a or whatever well it's like like the reason i bring up me thinking about the that lost cosmonauts is in my head I'm like that's a cool idea but then the story's like no no no this is what it is and this is what it is and this is what it is and it kept describing it's like okay sorry I thought of I've had fun with you know the beginning of the episode I talked about that Twilight Zone episode the parallel awesome like if you guys were interested in this story too I would really recommend watching that episode it's fucking great literally the guy goes up and when he lands on earth it's like a different world I forgot the whole hook to it but basically it's just a thing where it's just off.

1:41:11And it's like he's existing in this world and it freaks him out so much that he's like, I want to go back up. I want you to fly back up. And the world that he's in, they're not evil, but they're like, well, why? It's just a little different. It's very like him just being like, I mentally cannot stand being here kind of thing. It's just this is not where I'm supposed to be. Very unsettling. I don't know. It's just something with everything that we ever say and I always say, you know, simplicity is the king. And it is. Like, the more you can just simplify something into just, like, a simple idea and you don't try to skew it out.

1:41:49Because that's another problem with this is that you have the cool thing of, like, well, that's weird. Why did it reenter? And then it's, like, and then also there's, like, monsters. And they, like, make you do existential. And they smile at you. If it just would have been that, just focus on the space station thing and don't include other stuff, I think it would have been awesome. And conversations between the commanders and stuff was very cool. Yeah. I enjoyed that. And it was very well written. And that being said, it's not like this is a total flop or anything. No, no, it was good. I mean, obviously people like it a lot.

1:42:17It's just very highly acclaimed. When doing these things, at least for me here, because I'm being, I guess, pretty hard on it, but I would say that it's just you get done reading it, you're into it, and then it's just that rug pull moment just feels so unsatisfying. Like, it's just kind of a bummer. Versus a lot of the stuff, I think that, like, I'll think about it in a positive light, whatever, but is it something where I'm like, oh, I'd want to like revisit afterwards? Lodovsky being at the control panel and like talking to them and they can't see anything. That was awesome. I really enjoyed that.

1:42:46Yeah, like the tape and everything is just weird, but it's also, but then it's like, okay, so then the weird holographic rainbow balls were like, cover up the camera. Put the electrical tape over the camera. You know, like it's just like that, or they don't, they're entire, they're the smartest beings that have existed in like whatever, or they don't understand Morse code, but they understand 500 other alien languages, word. And they're so smart that they, he says, they are the land without time. They're forever in it. But I assume at the end when they were transforming every time he woke up, it's like all the different species they've overtaken.

1:43:21Yeah, definitely. So it's like they've conquested galaxies. And then it's like. We're the only species to. We're definitely sending ships up. And they're like, okay, good. Now tell him to. Yeah. To me, it's just don't even go there. That's the problem with a lot of sci-fi horror stuff that I don't like. And I'm not a huge sci-fi guy in general. But it's like even that movie Apollo 18. You ever see that movie Apollo 18? I fucking hate that movie. Such a cool setup of astronauts gone wrong and they went missing. Whatever. Horrifying. To be like, oh, yeah, it was the 60s or whatever. And now we're going up there and these are guys who just didn't make it.

1:44:00The idea of even just being on a spaceship that's like, you're going to crash and die is insane. But then it's like, yeah, there's moon rock aliens. Yeah, the little bug thing. Yeah, we can't let you come back to Earth. And it's like, oh, yeah, the government blew it up. It's just like, can it not just be a thing of them going there and, you know, maybe you do see something. I guess I'm just saying, like, the aliens and stuff, this is already such a horrifying idea. You don't need the floating tentacle monster to make it scary. It was scary enough beforehand. What if, what if the entire thing was Ladovsky on the other end or someone who thinks they're Ladovsky or ever?

1:44:34I mean, the, I thought where it was going for a bit, once it set up the wormholes of space in time, Ladovsky just passed through a wormhole from 1957, 2001, 2002, whenever it was. And he is just there and he's lost his mind and he's just alone in there being like, okay, they say they want. I mean, I say I want, and I thought to myself, like, that'd be crazy if this is just an isolated guy. If you just have a crazed man, whatever, and then it's just a thing of like, let's say they do send, oh my God, we'll send this up to somebody to help you. He's up there. It takes two days to get there. He docks.

1:45:07He comes back. They're like, hey, just seeing how it's going. And it's just Ladofsky who answers. And you're like, where's the other guy? Yeah, yeah. That kind of thing. That'd be cool, yeah. Or even something of like a human body shit. He's sick. And now it's like, okay, well, if we go, like you can't go into, you'll get sick and you can't bring it back down to earth. So it's like this moral thing of him being like, please I don't feel good like I think just simplify it well I mean even simple even the scene where like they said that the Americans saw the ship go up and there was something that covered the stars right for a second I'm like oh maybe whatever's that there's like a giant shape like almost like a kraken in space like some even then it'd be an alien so I wouldn't like it as much but the idea of something like a ship floating through space or like a beam the size of a ship that's like consuming things like I think there could have been all kinds of stuff one of the scariest things I have ever seen in my life.

1:45:56I'm not even joking. Legitimately, I cried after I saw one as a kid. At the end of Men in Black, when the Milky Way is in a fucking marble thing, you know how much that fucked me up? I'm like, you could do something like that where it's like a puppet master thing. That within itself, that's fucking horrifying. It's just the trope. It's just as soon as you do, creepy smile. The smile killed it for me When it said the shape smiled It's floating around and they come around And they're smiling I'm like you know what I would have done I would have whipped out my c*** and beat off on the screen I would have B***ed all over the f***ing screen And been like eat it This is the reaction That's actually the scariest That actually f***ing scared the s*** I did not see him walk up And that scared me so bad He has a f***ing like red blanket around him He looks like a little like He looks like a little Italian woman That's what was on the space station with him That was the little Yeah yeah yeah But like, this is the ending, by the way, that you started by saying, eh.

1:46:55Now you're like, you know what I would have done? I would have whipped up. I've got you fired up talking about it. I don't know. I mean, like all in all, it's just, these are the stories that piss me off the most because it's done so well. And then all of a sudden the guy was like, I have this awesome story. What if it was like a flying like tendril guy and they're smiling? And then they say, let me in. And everyone dies. Everyone kills themselves. Yeah, it's just at the point where there's all this creativity to the point to where it's, I don't, simple things can be just so much more effective.

1:47:30And, like, actually just, like, God damn, that didn't nerve the fuck with me. Like I said, even the fucking men in black guy, like an alien with a marble, that, like, legitimately scared the fuck out of me when I was younger. So I don't know. All in all, you know, it's just, if I, I mean, not to be a dick, better let down. everything you said to be fair to be fair i did said with my down on the screen that's pretty rough if you sat there though and the guy was like trying to get in your head to let us in they're like floating around like this are you freaked out by our even if i was floating in the void what are you gonna do to a guy who's just like i'm My dick.

1:48:17Floating there. LaDos, you never thought to do this shit, did he? Got a little lotion bottle. Okay. I like. I like. Oh! Oh! I mean, what would the aliens do? Let us in. You come and get me. I'm covered. I like. I am Waffle House Hash Browns. I am smothered and covered, dude. I seriously onions and cheese all over. That's what I am. I also like the idea that like, maybe the shit yourself. I also like the idea that maybe like all the debt, all the lost cosmonauts went into the wormhole. And then when mirror went in, they all found their way to it at like the same point in time. So like maybe Ladovsky was the only one living up there with all the dead bodies of the other lost cosmonauts.

1:49:07And he lost it. There's so many cool elements here. And I just wasn't satisfied by the payoff. The more that I think about it, the more I'm like, you just could have pissed or shit yourself. And it's like, what would they have done? Would they have pursued you? Let us in. And it's like, just diarrhea all in your pants. I mean, I don't think they had the idea to stab themselves. It's like they're being forced to. Imagine, what did they gain out of that? Why don't you tear at your throat? That's my point. If I sat there and I was just like, my dick, and I had my rip my dick off, I just shoved things up my ass.

1:49:37I'm like, okay. What do I do now? That's crazy. I have to say what is the end game? that's like the one thing it reminds me of this in Resident Evil 3 Extinction one of the dumbest movies of all time the world is a desert planet and yet Umbrella is underground being like how do we control the world it's gone there's zombies on a desert planet that's like what it's like we're intergalactic beings and we exist in a place and he's like no they exist in a time where there is no life. What do you mean? You've came across how many thousands of aliens? Yeah, they clearly... You seem to be doing pretty fucking good.

1:50:21They exist. You know what else? That's how all the alien species, it's like one. You know what else? Apparently, this alien species that has conquered galaxies, nebulas of people, creatures, need this one astronaut to convince them to send a shuttle up. They can't just go down to the planet themselves. And also, even if that is the case, why then start screeching and making everyone on the shit on the mission control center, kill themselves. How does that help them sending a shuttle up? Like they're going to scream half that were going to die. And the other half are going to be like, they raise a point.

1:51:02We should go get them. Take a metal rod, put it in your pants. Every time they screech, you're sounding. Maybe that's what the lettuce in is. It's like, oh, we'll stop. if you send a ship up. But if they're super smart, they can't do that if they all stab themselves in the eye. If you just looked at me and you're like, I like this, what would they do? It's like, eee! You're like, oh, mmm. Well, I think it's supposed to make you kill yourself. Like, it compels you to kill yourself. I don't think they were doing it to relieve the pressure. No, no, I thought they did the screeching thing because it was, like, torturous.

1:51:33No, no, no, because remember, he's reaching to turn it off and his hand grabs a pin. And he's, like, resisting it. I don't give a fuck. I'd put a Bic pen in my eye. Whip my gun. Bid it off. The point is... I'm just saying, can you imagine the alien being like, he's stabbing his eye, but he's still bitten off. Okay, the point is, their plan didn't make a lot of sense. Whatever. I was about to say, I don't want to go too hard on the ending, but we have gone so hard on the ending. It is what it is. The reason I'm fired up is because it was good, and I wasn't satisfied by the way it is. Yeah. There's never any point, Isaiah, that I should come to the conclusion that you beat the monster by being your dog.

1:52:10Okay, so Darius, I feel like you've raised that as a potential strategy in multiple stories we've read. I don't think I've ever said stick a metal rod up your pants when they do the high pitch thing you're sounding. No, you haven't said that exact combination of words by the idea like you pushing some kind of like. And that's a flaw. Then that's a flaw of the story. If my conclusion comes to I can beat your system by being my dog. No, you present some sexually adverse scenario at the end of a story quite often. Then that's an issue. because stories I do like, you couldn't beat it that way. Okay.

1:52:41My point is there was good stuff here from the author. There was a lot of good writing prose. I would be interested to see what they do with other stories because if that ending had kind of ended at part three, stellar. I really liked it, but yeah. It didn't. It didn't. so thanks for listening if you're listening on the audio platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts hope you gave us a good rating I'm sure we deserved it on this one and then also a patron thanks you also forgot to do an intro that's a long weekend long week man long fucking week can I at least get a long week break on that one long week Nick's not giving me anything looks like he smelled his own fart over there uh thanks you patrons we appreciate you and also uh if you haven't signed up to the patron yet we do have an interview with dathan arbok coming out soon uh i think it'll be out by the time so it might already be out but it is uh the author of the pen pal author of pen pal what just just everything you're saying is wrong in some way and just in little ways something you're saying is incorrect every time.

1:54:06We have an interview with him. It was fun. It was much cleaner than this. If you're in your car right now listening to this and you're still just having both hands on the steering wheel, I want you to really wonder why didn't you click off or turn it down or turn it off? Even now, as you still don't click off, why do you need to click off? Click off!

1:55:06Thank you.

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