CreepCast - Smiling Ones On Space Station Mir | CreepCast

Episode Date: November 9, 2025

After being presumed dead in 1957, Aleksei Ledovsky radios in and asks to be brought aboard. He also might not be alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Conditions and exclusions apply. Get no frills delivered. Shop the same in-store prices online and enjoy unlimited delivery with PC Express Pass. Get your first year for $2.50 a month. Learn more at pceexpress.ca.ca. Welcome back to Creepcast. Today we're The Smiling Ones on Space Station. Mear. Would you like to tell us about the author?

I have to finish cheering my mitt. The author of this story is someone named Darius Pilgrim. And I think that's his act. actual name. He is the author of this story, which you can get as an e-book on Amazon. He also has another published story that Nick's iPad is once again crashed

for the 13th time today. It's going to make me lose my mind. He's also the author of Wrong Road's scary stories from coast to coast, or at least he was one of the contributors to the anthology book of it. So he's got a couple of things published out. This story comes highly recommended.

As a matter of fact, we're going to be reading it on Darius's website, Darius Pilgris. dot com that will be linked in the description so you can keep up with the stuff there uh harry says this is a good one i've never read it before um people have recommended this to us in uh the subreddit a couple times so hopefully it's cool sounds like it's cool uh we haven't done a space story since mr floppy yeah yeah that was that one the other astronaut on this trip died garius pilgrim wordpress.com slash the smiling dash

the dash smiling dash ones dash on dash space station dash mirror uh forward slash and it will be in the link as well but if you want to type it out which I like to do

I thought that I would just put that you've never done that before Darius pilgrim dot wordpress.com forward slash before before we we went and got ice cream right before this and children

like children we do so we got ice cream before we got ice cream before it is before we went to a scary story we went to ice cream and while we were getting ice cream Allison referred to me as Hunter's friend and he quickly corrected her and said co-worker yeah well

there's no jest there's no joke to his tone he hasn't shown any humor in that statement since then so the uh we got ice cream though pretty good do you like space stories I feel like they are very hit or miss

I guess they never miss huh okay I feel like they can do some really cool stuff like I forgot about him He just really flashed him there Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

come on man wait the dumbest I mean just like the chip the big cheese smile with the little the tiny So the smiling ones on space station mirror. Well, what I was saying is like a lot of them are either really good. You can do cool stuff with them like the themes of the comment going through space and stuff that we saw in the writing during the other astronaut on this mission died six weeks ago. And I'm trying to think of,

I know there's some space stuff I've read that's kind of lame. I think I read one about like a bug on a spaceship when I was younger. was kind of just like lacklesser. The setting's very creepy, but you got to do something with it. Do you like the name of the story? Yeah, I think. The smiling ones. I mean, similar to the other astronaut died,

it's like, why would there be smiling ones in the middle of space, right? What is that just a stack of? drawings? Well, some drawings I've done. What all's in there? We saw that one. Everyone saw that one.

Why does he always draw my neck so long? The five seconds before we started recording. He said, he asked, who's your favorite superhero? I was probably Batman. Just had that ready to go. That's really good. Whoa, what's that?

Oh my gosh. It's like a skull coming out of a hand. I don't know. Hold up. Can you, can you get that one and smile dog out? Just, you just hold them both up to the camera at the same time. No, that's not the one. I asked you to get out

I need you All right, let's read this story Okay, smiling ones on space station mirror Can I be controversial off the top? I think the title is a bit of a flop for me. You don't like it? Is that where you're asking me why I felt about it?

Yeah, I felt about it. What would you rather it be cold? I don't know I need to read the story first to make a title name I just don't like smiling ones you don't like smiling ones just a bit try hard

and then also mirror isn't that what they gave Jesus that's myr spelled M-Y-R-R it's different what's this like shifty little you're in a mood right now

you're like a goblin part one March 19th 2001, the Russian space station, Mir, disappeared from low Earth orbit. There's no collision or explosion. One minute it was there and the next it wasn't. For 24 panicked hours, a select group of scientists, intelligence agents, and government officials worked tirelessly to simultaneously figure out what had happened, and prevent the general

public from discovering that anything had occurred at all. Exactly one day later, Mir reappeared in the precise location it had last been observed. It appeared relatively unchanged, but for one major exception, a space station, which had been unoccupied for months in preparation of deorbiting, was now inhabited. The fact that you've never heard of this proves the cover-up was successful. Figuring out what caused this anomaly and what happened during the 24 hours mirror was missing is an entirely different matter. I know this because I was there. In Ross Cosmo's mission control, on that day in March, so long as long as, go. Never told

single soul this story. I'm an old man now. I don't have long left to live. Mandy needs to hear the truth where there's no one left alive to tell it. Were you about to say something? I don't want to be negative. You already don't like it?

No, it's not that. It just reminds me a lot like a Twilight Zone episode. Okay. Is that... called the parallel. You watched that one? Oh, a specific one?

No, I don't think so. What happens? While he's on the parallel, an astronaut's going up into outer space, and then he, all of a sudden,

he just, like, blacks out, and the people on Earth are like, where did the spacecraft go? And he wakes up in basically an alternate reality, and then he has to basically go back out into space, whatever, but it was like going into space,

it put him into an alternate timeline, or an alternative reality where when he landed, he was on, like, a different version of Earth. But this whole idea of, like, going up, blip, gone. I see. What?

Hello? Why'd you point at Nick when he walked by? How you doing, Nick? Good. You're going to hang out with us? No, I just came to make sure that I click the floor. He's been, he's been in a weird. Did you get, did you get nervous?

Yeah, I always get a little nervous. You want to hang out for a second and listen to the next paragraph for this? What is he on? What did you on right now? What? He's in a strong. range movie. He's been weird. You didn't even do the, thank you patrons for watching. Thank you to audio listening. None of that. You can say it now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to people listening on

audio platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to give us a rating over there. We really appreciate it. It means a lot. And of course, thank you to our lovely patrons. You support the show. With your harder in cash, it means the world. Extra content over there for you if you're interested. And there might be, I can't, I honestly have no idea if there will be merch when this episode's up, but there might be that too. Creepcast. Shop store. Creepcast.

No one else noticed it, but when we were pulling it in my driveway, the person behind me ran over a turtle. No, it didn't. Is that what's been bothering you? Kind of.

Where? On the road? Yeah. Or was the turtle? It was the middle of the road. You weren't in a weird mood until we started recording. It's been,

step is when you were fine talking to that other guy you're fine talking to Allison I ask you question he's like got family annihilator eyes all of a sudden all right just whatever in the days leading up to the anomaly there had been a distinct

sense of gloom hanging over the mission control room. Every one of us there had dedicated... What are you doing? In the days leading up to the anomaly, there had been a distinct sense of gloom hanging over the mission control room. Every one of us there had dedicated our lives to the space station, and now it was all about to end. Mir was launched into orbit by the Soviet Union in 1986 for what was supposed to be a five-year

mission. Now, 15 years later, the Plucky Space Station that had survived the end of the Cold War and collapse of the USSR was showing its age. It was cluttered, dirty, worn, and rapidly deteriorating when the Russian government decided to finally divert all funds and manpower to the newly built international space station. Yet it still held a special place in the heart of every Russian who had ever looked up to the stars and dreamed of what was out there.

Multiple attempts were made by various private organizations, and individuals to fund the continued existence of the station, or even buy it outright. One company even tried to purchase MIR and turn it into a permanent orbital movie and television studio. In the end, it proved too expensive to be feasible, leaving us, a skeleton crew of scientists, astronauts, and engineers to despondently monitor the last few days of the station's existence. It was like watching a beloved family member wither away in hospice care. I was a member of the Communications Division of Mere Mission Control Once a 25-person department

Now dwindled down to six essential personnel I was home in bed when I received an urgent call at 4 in the morning The call stating that an emergency had occurred And requiring me to report to mission control immediately I arrived to find the normally tranquil control room In a frenzy of activity that verged on panic My head was spinning as I was briefed on the same situation. How could this be true? Something as big as a space station doesn't disappear without a

trace. It seemed impossible. We all did our best, but there wasn't a whole lot anyone could actually do. All of our trafficking systems seemed to indicate that the station had simply ceased to exist. Visual inspection of the station's normal trajectory confirmed this. Washington had also been discreetly contacted and vehemently denied involvement. Beyond that, what could be done. We activated every radio telescope we could get access to, hoping for a miracle. We even convinced the Americans to clandestinely use the Hubble telescope to aid in a visual search, but it was like looking for one particular grain of sand on all the world's beaches, and we all knew it. The next 24 hours passed in a haze of coffee, cigarettes, and sleep deprivation.

then 24 hours to the second after went missing mere suddenly and inexplicably reappeared as we've reappeared as if we had collectively wished it back into existence the monitor showed the station there intact and seemingly whole where a moment before there had been nothing but empty space and distant stars stunned silence engulfed the room stretching out for what felt like hours then the radio crackled to life and i jumped in my seat breaking the trance We were receiving a radio transmission from an unmanned space station that had just reappeared as if by magic. It made no logical sense. The voice that came over the mission control speakers was breathless and panicked. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday. This is Kozman, known to Alaskilovsky, attending the contact Soviet space program in Moscow.

Please, does anyone read me? Over. Can you imagine if I'm just gone? Where you go? Pop, it's back. That's what happened to the mirror, right? Huh? That's what happened with Mir. Is that not what happened?

That's exactly what happened. Oh, it's freaking. It's fucking scary. What? It's scary. Why are you laughing? For a moment, no one reacted. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

My mind was reeling, trying desperately to maintain a grip on reality in this world of sudden insanity. Ladowski, Alexei Ladofsky, the name registered with me. I'd heard it somewhere before, but I couldn't remember where. We looked at one another in confusion. no one wanting to take responsibility for the situation, no one knowing how to proceed. Finally, the director made his way to the communication station to take command of the situation. This is your helicopter. General director of the Russian Space Agency.

The soft hiss of static filled the room as we waited for a reply. Russian Space Agency? I do not recall. I, I'm sorry, I do not recognize your name, Mr. Koptiv. is chief designer Sergei Korlov with you. I would very much like to speak with him. In exchange a confused look with the operator in the terminal next mind, a small bespeckled man named Yakovlev. Chief designer Sergei Korolev was a legend, the founding father of the entire Soviet space program,

and arguably the founder of the modern astronomy as a whole. He had also been dead for over 30 years. Director Koptev somehow kept his cool, I'm missing a beat. I'm sorry, Cosmonaut Ladlowski. The chief designer is not here at the moment. Might there be of assistance to you?

He replied with a barely detectable quiver in his voice. The only other sign betraying his trepidation was his hand gripping the transmitter so tightly that the knuckles turned a ghostly white. Yes, comrade. You can tell me how to get off this damn thing and back to Earth. I could see it through the portals. Please, you have to help me.

I want to go home. F. Armand of Comus Cosmonaut. We're starting to work on it as we speak. In the meantime, it's very important that you stay calm and try to answer one questions as best you can. I'm going to turn the radio over to my colleague, Yokoilev, who will ask a few basic questions and take your biometric information and preparation.

Said Kov. Then, whispering to Yokoilev, get him to take his heart rate, blood pressure, tip of churn, anything else you can think of. Just keep him talking. Keep him distracted and listen for everything, and listen for anything unnatural going on up there. This whole thing is unnatural, sir. Replied Jakov.

Rector Koptiv glared at him in motion for him to put on his headphones. He then turned to the rest of the room and raised his voice. The rest of you, I need prepared for a briefing up in front in exactly 30 minutes. In the meantime, no phone calls or communications with anyone outside this room. The wives, parents, children, or anybody else were going completely. completely silent. Failure to observe this protocol resulted in immediate termination and incarceration. He walked briskly into his office a motion for the other senior department heads to follow. Half hour later, we had gathered in front of the mission control room under the large central screen.

Director Koptev stood facing us, his countenous and emotionless mask. The sound of Yakov-Liv, quietly speaking into the radio, drifted up from the back of the otherwise silent room. Kopp Dev cleared his throat and began. As you all know, Russia. predecessors said the USSR was responsible for a great number of milestones in space exploration. One of the most important of these accomplishments was putting the first human into outer space, Yuri Gargan, who completed an orbit around Earth on April 12, 1961. A black and white picture of Gagarin, dressed heroically and covered in metals, appeared on the screen.

What most of you do not know is that Yori Gagarin was actually one of the first humans to survive spaceflight. Four attempts were made previous to go. to Gagarin, each ending in tragedy. As the Soviet Union was at the time in the midst of a space race with the United States, any possible failures were deemed poor for morale. As such, each attempt went unannounced and was shrouded in secrecy. Gargan succeeded and was paraded as hero for the world to see. The failures were covered up, and the details remain classified to this day.

The first of these secret attempts was made in 1957, a few months after the success of Sputnik, by a cosmonaut traveling what amounted to a modified intercontinental ballistic missile Instruments tracked his progress to a height of 186 miles at which point the transmission suddenly interrupted. The rocket

seemingly disappeared and cosmonaut was never heard from again. That man's name was Aleski Ladowski. This is based on the lost cosmonaut conspiracy. Have you heard of it before? So basically what he said that before

Russia's successful attempts, the United States monitored that they had several missile launches or like station or satellite launches into space that historically there was never anyone on. They're like, no, they did do stuff. There were animals that were sent like,

you know, like of the dog and stuff. But right between like the animals and people, they just sent stuff up there. So the conspiracy is they were sending people up and every time they died, it was covered up until eventually Gagarin lived and then they publicized him as the first. So the idea being they send a bunch of people into space to just die.

So it's working off that. A series of gas rose from the small crowd. I can feel my heartbeat thumping away in my temple. None of this made sense. Now I hope to God that the voice coming through those speakers really is Ladovsky and that we can bring him back to earth with a hero's welcome. But all my instincts as well as the intel we've managed to gather are telling me otherwise. Well, there are some obvious similarities between the disappearance of Ladovsky in 1950.

and yesterday's disappearance of MIR, we all know that correlation does not imply causation. We must all try to keep level-headed, remain rational, and rely on scientific training in trying to unravel this mystery. I cannot call in any more assistance, as that would only open the door to more leaks of information. So, people you see around you here in this room

are going to have to be the ones to figure this out. Pause for a moment as we each looked around the room. It was only half as full as it had once been at the height of the program. My mouth fell very dry as Coptiff continued. To solve this puzzle, I'm going to need 100% effort and dedication from every single one of you, and it will not be easy. As far as I'm concerned, the events of the last 24 hours represent a total paradigm shift to all the previous understanding of physics and astronomy.

Sir, I want you to toss Aukon's razor out the window, because the premises of which we base reality have changed. As such, all possible explanation are on the table, even the seemingly improbable. No hypothesis should be discarded without thorough examination. This is a scientific discovery as it's purest. This is what the Russians were born for. It goes without saying that a lot more than the fate of one Cosamot is at stake.

Odd silence filled the room as the gravity of the situation settled on each of us. My chest felt heavy and my throat tight. Director Koptiv took a seat in Markov, the head of tracking and communications, took his place under stage. Central screen changed to the familiar image of the MIR space station. This is the highest resolution image of MIR we have from before the anomaly. Captured about 15 minutes prior to disappearance. He said in a hoarse smoker's voice. And here is an image of MIR currently.

The picture changed over to one that looked superficially similar if something was clearly off. A few moments later, the screen switched again, now showing both images side by side. After only a few seconds of studying, the difference quickly became apparent. In the newer image, the coloration of the space station was far darker, almost as if coated in a layer of soot. Scratches and dents covered its surface where there had been few previously. Many of the solar arrays were broken and twisted, and some of the module shalt cracks and other signs of wear, a few were even missing. this was clearly a very changed space station from the one that had disappeared the day before the other thing that stuck out to me were the windows clear and reflective in the first image

completely darkened in the second as if someone had taped black construction paper to the inside of each of them markov continued on to introduce another of the many mysteries confronting us after reappearing the station's internal clock seemed to be malfunctioning The time was still correct, but the date now read March 20th, 2045, 44 years into the future, and the exact same length of time from Ladevsky's disappearance in 1957 to today. Would that possibly be a coincidence? Perhaps, but the sinking feeling in my gut told me that it was not. Either the computer was malfunctioning,

or Mere had really been somewhere else for 44 years. years, while only 24 hours had passed here. Thought 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 in operating when Mere reappeared. Something else up there was breathing, be it Ladovsky or something else. Furthermore, if the man on Mere 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 a computer system and navigate the complicated process to manually engage life support. Secondly, 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 communication,

team. After this, Markov took a seat and Nikovov, 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 Aleski-Lodovsky. He is coherent, rational, and articulate, though he seems just as confused about this situation as we all do. It 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 then 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. Each 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 secession before speaking.

He paused again, wiping his glasses on his shirt. I soon recognized this is Morse code, and well, here is what was transmitted. Screen above him changed to a white background with 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 It's the end of part one What's the end of part one? Are you just looking What? It's freaky What? And I would eat my work

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 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 far. No, you're not. This is a very much. when you enjoy things when you enjoy things you said over there and you're like this rules yeah this is sick yeah it's not you're not like

no it 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 are 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

university he's able to talk with this 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 to 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 between the kids being back in school in the days getting shorter your routine is getting busy plus the holidays are upon us and all that makes it hard to stay on top of your heating habits thankfully factor has got you

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After your purchase, they'll ask where you heard about them, 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 fell till. 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 a incarceration. Been 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 Copteb's office. An uneasy, quiet, it 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, or 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

Yakovliv, hugging his elbows to his chest and staring vacantly into space. His 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 a strike. What did I miss? Yeah, snapping him from his trance.

He looked over at me through cloudy eyes. No more more scott so far. but Ladovsky has been pleading for rescue non-stop. It was really starting to get to me. I told them 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, like, maybe themselves. Yeah, or even his transmission, maybe. 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? like they're probably just freaking him out he's probably just incessantly being like okay come get me yeah give me that guy thing yeah the door to copdev'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 coptive sat calmly at his desk hands clasped in front of him so is this what do you think they're discussing in there How to get Lodoski 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 Lodoski is safely back on solid ground.

This guy who's been up there 40 years? That's a hero. Are they even questioned, like, shouldn't he be, like, super old? Mm-hmm. Hmm. that's where I'd say shouldn't you be like a hundred 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 but 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 US Now, close to retirement, he had been skipped for the job of director in favor of the younger and more level-headed Koptiv. Ivanov bitterly resented this fact. He must have seen this as an opportunity to upstage Kopt-dev and as a possible propaganda victory. In Ivanov's mind, rescuing Ladovsky would open the door to the mysteries of the universe, and Russia would be

the first to step through the vanguard into the unknown. I take it that Markov has other ideas. 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've never, 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. He's asked cop-deb to cut off all communication with MIR and proceed with D'Oberding as planned. He wants to let the station burn with Ludovsky still on? Still on it? Cover this up like nothing. happened? I asked. Nikovov gave a solemn nod. And what about Koptiv? 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 Koptiv believes Ladovsky has gone mad. Conversation was interrupted by Koftev poking his head out of his office. He spoke loudly so the entire room could hear. I want all personnel except communications department to put the hold on their current task. Spend the next half hour researching the smiling ones.

Scar government records, historical archives, the internet, and anywhere else you can think up. 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 there. I will expect reports in 30 minutes. Shut the door in the arguing inside resumed.

Kovlev and I made eye contact for a fleeting moment and then returned to our terminals and got to work. Half 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 in O and then period and the hashtag pound sign. Everyone got to Bing, turn safe search off.

Type in Smiling One if not that print out newest image. You know what I mean. You don't know what I mean. coptev 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 can 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 so dude cheer went up in the room i waited for it to receive

and then leaned over and pressed a button on my terminal. The main display at the front of the room changed into a black screen separated by criss-cross 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.

Copped Evan 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. We 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'd been going over the data for the life support systems and I'm running into some inconsistencies. first, though the station's internal clocks as 44 years have passed, it appears that the life support system remained deactivated the entire time.

In fact, they were only reactivated at a moment of mere 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 Voltgouf carbon dioxide scrubbers. They basically aren't doing anything. There is no carbon dioxide in the air, only oxygen. Either there is either a malfunction in the Vodkov, 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. Ted Ivanov. You're like an old provincial peasant woman making the sign of the evil eye. 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. It is our duty to rescue him.

It must be our first priority. Updev'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 Roscomus. It appears we have reached an impasse. None of us have any idea of what happened to Mir or how Ladovsky got aboard. I will not risk bringing this man back to Earth without first understanding what that what has happened to him.

So, we have but one option left. We must speak to the dofsy again, and we must ask him directly. Who are the smiling 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 smiling ones? And he just gets like, eviscerated. It's like, 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 guy's on me? Seriously, my bad.

He 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. Yokoav, 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 Lidovsky. This is Roscosmos, Michigan, 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. Koptev, Markov, Ivanov,

and the other directors were huddled behind his chair. I read loud and clear, Roskimos. 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 Ludovsky.

It's quite complicated process and will take some time to organize. In the meantime, there are a few questions I'll have to ask you. There was no response but dead static. Kovlev looked to Koptiv, who nodded for him to continue. Kuzmanat, I need you to tell me where you have been for the last 44 years. Voski 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. I don't see any camera. I like how the explanation's like, oh, you know me, I'm a boomer. You should not have put so many flashing lights.

Like all the cameras are visibly taped up. Yeah. He'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. The Kovlev looked again to the director, who nodded form to continue. The Kovlev took a deep breath and keyed the might. Cosmon of Ludovsky, who are the smiling ones? Instantly, the mission control room was filled with a shrill inhuman screech, impossibly loud and high-pitched. It 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. What? 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 to identify the source of that noise. Sedgeikovov, he 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, Lodovsky. There's nothing to be afraid of. We are trying to help you. We receive the more scot you sent.

You need to help us understand what your message meant. so that we can help you. I'm fucking dumbass. What was the secret message you tried to send? The 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. That was weird.

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. Comrade, I'm winking. When Yakovilov 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 heard it. I have no idea what they're talking about. Please, you have to believe me. Now he was groaning. Oh, no.

The line went dead for several minutes. The directors looked around the room in silence, avoiding eye contact. Finally, Yakovov 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. Is it just me or did it sound like he was talking to someone else? Wow. Incredible detective work from the computer.

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, no. Someone's that with him on the space station? Before anyone could answer, the radio clicked on, and he was back. Mission control, Wadovsky here. I wish I could help you, but I have no idea what you're talking about. 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. They got their hand up him right now. Just talking about it's funny is we never see it, which I will say the smiling ones at the beginning were kind of like, I see a lot of smiling faces that could be kind of cheesy. But the fact we don't see anything is fine. Makes it more inventive. But we don't see what's happening.

And he's like, no, no, I don't know. Please no more. We don't see it. So for all we know, it could be like, they've like got a little T. bar and they're making him like dance like they pull

this is what's on the space station with Ladovsky that's just behind him at the chair that 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 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 Kopp Dev grabbed his wrist and stopped him. The static was interrupted by a series of long and short clicks. I grabbed from 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 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. Everyone 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, the blackness of space. Ladovsky was screaming. Ladovsky tries to say something like, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. Yeah, just decimated.

Yeah. That's the end of part two. Now on to part three. I woke with the 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, the beep boys, free my soul. I want to get lost in your rock and roll and drift away. To 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 Ross Cosmos operators and engineers coming to similar predicaments. Some wiping vomit from their mouse 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. Scattered confirmations echoed throughout the room. I was about to attest my own well-being when I happened to glance over at Yakovlev and stop short.

his forehead resting on the keyboard in front of him and the headphones he'd been wearing to communicate with Ladovsky 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

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 and charcoal-colored suits They lifted Yakovlev 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, but Koptiv was having none of it.

I'm sorry, Markov. I admire your tenacity, but we each have our own, have our roles to play. and as a department head, your role is supervising our department members and providing advisement to the director. When Markov continued grubbling, Koptov turned to me. Will you serve your country and completely assigned task 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? No, I suppose I cannot.

Rasked Markov. Speaking of Koptev, but locking eyes with me. He turned to follow Kaptev. I swallowed hard and placed the headphones over my ears, but Markov turned back and snatched them off my head. No more headphones. Said to Koptov. He can hear with the rest of us here on the overhead speakers well enough. And I won't lose another man in my department to whatever is up there.

Kopt-dev nodded his approval and added. added. Cut the audio feeds as well. I don't want to hear that noise or anything else from the Cursed 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. Could have 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. He's smiling now. Yeah.

Well, he's has a humorless grand It almost feels like its face is just stretched. Yeah, like it's been pulled rather than... It's kind of the... You're actually frowning when you do it that way. Because the top of your mouse going down. That's closer. What if it was like the ABGN mouth?

I love that. You just can't see any of his teeth ever, so he's just like... 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 would do movie reviews, but like it would always be gags about like he get really mad over like minute details and stuff like that and it was like more comedy. Was he the one with the red tie? Yeah. Oh yeah. That's him. Doug Walker.

He's also, well, like about him is like he's still around um and a lot of those older guys have got like real but heard about not being like as popular as they thought they win stuff but every time i see dog he's just like he has a good humor about it like on an episode of sponge bob 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 dug 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 sponsored by Tushy Tushy's luxury bidet that your bathroom has been missing over two million butts love Tushy and yours will too

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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. If this is true, he 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. Yet 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, but the fate of the human race may depend on it. Room was silent. The atmosphere gravied with the seriousness of the task in hand. I would the communications team to focus on analyzing that sound. but do not listen to the 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. So, 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 in outer space. We worked for hours, all for not. 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 soundwave.

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. Denial 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 moments mere 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. The image showed nothing directly behind Murr 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 various 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 to separate points of space-time, though congruent with Einstein's general theory of relativity, had remained purely hypothetical. Now, here we sat an entire room of physicist and scientist, staring at possible evidence of an actual wormhole, excitement and terror, bundled together into a peculiar nod of emotion. There are a few different theories on wormholes. Some believe they connect together to 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. Though 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 since emerged reappearance. There was one little problem with our wormhole theory, however. Unlike a black hole in which the event horizon, 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. Peering 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. Or 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 is 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 or not even light exists this is at 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 that 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? But I also don't know if models of the wormholes were that in tune in 1957. Maybe, yeah, it would be because Einstein was around and he theorized it.

He also theorized that like black holes would be like a bending of light, like 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 100, almost 100 years later, they're like, yeah, yeah, he was right. Damn. Yeah, that guy, nobody was talking about. He was smart. That guy must have been an Einstein or so. Oh. Oh, okay.

It real convenient that Einstein guy. He had no idea what that came from. It matched the name. Yeah. It's like that scene from the Sopranos when, uh, Chris is like, isn't it crazy that Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig's

disease? That'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. Thank you. The new revelation had produced an atmosphere of excitement in the mission control room, and in director Koptiv 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, Koptiv had thoroughly convinced himself, and in turn all of us, that we had encountered a newly discovered life form, extraterrestrial, extra-dimensional, or otherwise. We couldn't help it 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 director's 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! yelled assistant director Ivanov, brown eyes bulging. To step out from under the shadow of the United States

and take our rifle place as premier among the nations. His face was flush and beads of sweats, 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 Ladovsky. 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. We 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 like getting the guy back and stuff like that. And I understand that's kind of what's motivating what he's saying 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 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. All right. 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 Ladovsky's from the 1957, but this space crew,

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 all eyes turned to marcov 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 captive yes director i still think you should be destroyed. Do you over at the space station with Ladowski 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. Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent. Immediately. We've been gone for 44 years, man. We ain't missing you. Yeah. Sorry. I mean, it is. According to the records, you never died up there. You don't even exist. Thank you for your assistance, comrade.

Beep. Yep. 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. Markov, you could not be serious. But I am.

People have already suffered right here in this room. While whatever is out there still over two miles above our heads, I think we've only seen a minuscure portion of the damage it might be possible. How many more people might be hurt, or worse, if we bring this thing back to Earth, we understand nothing about it, sir. Nothing. I haven't know of maybe right, and by capturing it, it may open a door to a whole new world to discovery. But once a door is open, who knows what Mike walked through from the other side? The risk is too great.

We may well be signing the desertificate 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 Coptevin 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 Who knows what other repercussions there might be Markov led out a frustrated grunt crossed his arms. Kopt-Dev continued. Besides,

Ludowski 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 planet 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, but I believe I have a plan. The grin on Ivanov's face twisted into his sneer as he turned back to Koptev. And what might that be? We contact Ladovsky again, but this time we bluff. We tell him we have a Soyuz capsule prepared to launch. We tell him rescues on its way. Then we see how he reacts. I feel the color draining from my face.

Kopptev turned to me. Think you can handle that? Forced myself to nod. this is good I like the decision here there's a so I'm liking the 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 ones use is one of the story's biggest faults yeah like just because it it's too cheesy it's too cheesy it it completely cheapens the story yeah it cheapens the story yeah i think i think you could have just literally been like like you could have just called it like they they're

It could have with them, or it could have just been like, I don't know, the, uh, the forgotten space station. Like, just anything that was just like something that's just, or it could just become a mirror. Yeah, well, I mean like, in the story, like have the guy in there, like, they are in here. I don't think you refer to him as anything. I think it's just a thing of 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're, like when we, uh, had the interview with, uh, Dathan, we kind of talked about. Patreon exclusive. Patreon exclusive. The author of Pinpal. It's on, it's on Patreon. It's on Patreon. It's on Patreon. Let's know us to interview 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. Because 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.

but my point is like if that could have been like a strategic move yeah being like oh oh i see what you're saying where he's like well that's just that that's the hot thing right that'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 because if you take that out it's a good story yeah it's great yeah 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 or whatever. Yeah. That's fun. And also like how Ivanov is kind of set up is like he's desperate for something to happen. So he wants to bring this guy back. 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 also 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 oh uh was supposed to know sleep to one best original monster, 2018. Okay. And then in 2020, he expanded it into a novelette. So, like, kind of a novella-length e-book. Okay. 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, because 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, I will be merciful to you. Oh, thank you, Master Isaiah. Thank you. You're welcome, Darius. No problem, Darius. Darius Pilgrim.

I said it Yakovliff's former console with the radio transmitter in hand, stealing myself against the task which lay before me. Someone had cleaned up the blood stains, 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. 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 Roskimos mission control Attending to reach Cosmonad Ludovsky Do you copy? Over Nothing Static I repeat

This is Roscommon's mission control for Cosmonaut Lodovsky Do you read me, comrade More static or nothing Turned a coptive Kittrain He has to be there unless the Smiley once stopped torturing him and finally decided to kill him. But Markov bitterly.

Koptev opened his mouth to reply, the radio crackled alive. Affirmative, I read you loud and clear mission control. It has been quite a while. Welcome back. Your voice is different. What happened to Yolkov Lev? 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 launch pad They've got the Sawyer's rocket all lined up I ready to go Should be headed your way within T-minus 60 minutes 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 What do you say are ready to come home The hits of silence returned There was no reply I bet they're talking to him telling him how to respond

Yeah, maybe But 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 Madovsky's voice returned They want to know

Transmission cut out momentarily Copped Evan Markov Exchange a glance I mean I want to know how long before the capsule arrives All set 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. Oh, 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, and two. Soft sound of static purring from the speakers. Then it roared back to life. This time, Ladovsky was shouting. that the transmission was quieter and muffled, as if he was turned away from the receiver.

No, you can't do this. I want to 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. Oh, by complete silence. No static this time.

Ladovsky was still keying the mic. I could hear the quiet hum of Mir's oxygen generators in the background. It went on for about 15 seconds, then Ladovsky's voice returned, louder and agitated with an edge of dark humor. Oh, yeah? That's what you'd think? There's no 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 sit it. Leave me here. You can not let them, you can not let them get you heard. And then the sound began again, impossibly loud now, impossibly harsh. white-hot drill in my head turned back on, and it was screeching, piercing, burning, scrambling my brains to pace. I 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 Koptov 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. They 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. We were somehow and continued.

Markov grabbed me by the shoulder. Take a mine away. Don't let them hurt anyone else. Don't let them come to earth. Not let them come to earth. Markov grabbed me by the shoulder and shook violently. Cut the feed. Cut the goddamn feed. No. Held Koptov pushing Markov away. Not yet. We need more. Just a little more. He keyed the mic again. What do they look like, Ladovsky? What did they look like? God damn it, I have to know! What the fuck do they look like?

But Ladovsky had no words left. He was crying, screaming, howling, and 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 a 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 Melstrom 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. 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 Ladovsky or is this something else that's like in the form of Ladovsky these things are puppeting to make him try to, so they can invade another planet

or something. I 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

just being like, fuck it, I'm already dead. He's, I'm dead. Yeah, they're going to kill me regardless. I'm not going to take more people with me. That was a fun surprise I didn't expect. That was good. And then him not, him like with his final moments ripping off the tape. That's fine.

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. He was young, blonde, and probably handsome once. Now his face was distorted, like a newspaper ink image, stretched across silly putty. Black tindril swarmed around the edges of his face, sticking to the skin. tugging at his ears, wrapping around strands of hair and pulling him backwards into the dark

mask behind. He tried to speak, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish, but the invading tindril 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. As 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 till it floated freely in the microgravity of the space station. Piersing 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 Ladovsky's

arms submerge in darkness. So Ladovsky used his last minute 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 iris is filled with grim determination one moment speakable horror the next and suddenly dead in glassy as he finally let go and surrendered to the void lodovsky 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 the space lodovsky had occupied just a moment ago was now filled with a grotesque and face 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 at the station's microgravity. All 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. With a jerk, their attention seemed to snap to the camera and 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. Ross Cosmos 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, then stretching and twisting each of the holes transformed into a shape I recognized all too well. 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. It felt like the two

hemispheres of my brain were being torn apart. I could smell burning electrical wires and taste copper in my mouth. My peripheral vision, I saw a flurry of movement. The men and women around me, the pride of the Ross Cosmos 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 chattered mouse. Some picked up pins and pencils and violently stabbed themselves deep in the air canal, then pounded them further in with the palms of their hands. Others gouged their eyes or sawed at their wrist with any sharp object they could find. Then 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 or 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 likes okay they're switching forms i would say the implications that lodovsky wasn't but no he saved him at the end so anyway now four giant bipedal lizards appeared on screen oozing dark green slime like sweat black venom drip from the their jaws, the reptilian eyes stared in 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 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 nailing for, forest filled with a swirling fog of green and gold. Through the mist emerged four giant mushrooms. 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. Black curtain fell once more, leaving me in darkness, eternal darkness. Infinite, perfect, timeless, eageless, 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 Ross Cosmos 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, I could see their countenances. young, attractive, proud, full of vigor, smiling warmly. I recognize each face. I'm calling the pictures of the so-called lost cosmonauts

that our recent research turned up. Is that a bear trap for me? Because I said this is based on lost cosmonauts, but it's kind of just based on them. I would give it to you. Cards, they're holding it up. I feel a special award. They were Andre Mitko.

Sergei Shiboran, 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 a bit of my power, I think I would have. Then I watched 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 skin.

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 snapped simultaneously and the smiles engulfed their entire face, flipping them inside out. I 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, tentacle 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. 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 in my head, but coming from a little ways behind me. It was the strong, clear voice of director, Koptiv, 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 mirror. It cinched closer, closer. Then it wrapped around a pin laying on the desk. Press the button extending the tip, turned it towards me. Washington whore 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, then 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. The main screen went blank. The piercing screech and wobbling base 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 was stood next to him. Why does it ghost? Ivan Avlai dead at his feet in a pool of blood, his throat torn out by his own fingernails. Markov 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, then he straightened and turned to Koptiv. Now will you believe me, director? Now will you heed my advice? Koptev nodded, sadly, his eyes watering. I'm sorry, Markov.

I should have listened. We shall proceed with your first idea. We de-orbit 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. March 23rd, 2001, the world watched and wonders, the space station mirror re-entered the Earth's atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and disintegrated over the South Pacific Ocean.

An official statement from Ross Cosmos 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. Nothing came of it.

Amir 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 deorbit 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, 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 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 it's just kill you versus a thing of like is there something of like I don't know even like 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 just

something weird which that's a bad idea too i'm just saying that i don't we've 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 yeah 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 I think at the end of part three it was at its strongest when Likovsky was on the other end and he was like don't do it yeah yeah but then like starting it and it's like oh there's about black tendrils and he gets pulled in I 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 would have to give 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 a 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 also makes it when you have a satisfying creature, it makes it that much better because 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. To me, it's 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. Yeah. Simple dynamic. You have like,

all the, you know, people back and forth. You have a bit of a power struggle thing. the idea of like a guy from the 40s and now you have this like 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. We always have been. But even like the let us in kind of thing, like even the high-pitched screech thing to me is scarier. Then 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. I thought the implication was like the face, like the skins being pulled back and 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 or, you know, 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 black, 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. Well, what's, I thought that it was other stuff. It's like, no. We have no idea what's being the, like, it could have been like a reflective dome or something. Yeah.

Like, to me, that, like, that's a more interesting thing of like, just like making you question these kind of things. Not that you'd ever really, well, that's bullshit. But it's just the idea of being like, what if that was the case? And it's not, it's less about, and I, you know, 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 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 handsome this is good but then it just immediately I was like oh there it is it was like kind of like

this is a diaper and you're like no this is like a chippold a Bertoa. Fuck, it's pretty good. In the opening, you're like, no, that's shit. This was actually a diaper. I don't know why I thought this was a Chiplea burrito 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 something I 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 and it's like he's existing in this world and it like freaks him out so much that he's like, I want to go back up. I want you to fly back up. And like the world that he's in, they're not like evil, but they're like, well, why? It's just like it's a little different. It's very like him just being like, I, like, I mentally cannot stand being

here kind of thing. Like, it's just, this is not where I'm supposed to be. Very unsettling. I don't know. It's just very, it's, 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. Because 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 like and they smile at you if it just would have been that just focus on the space station thing and don't include the other stuff I think it would

have been awesome and conversations between and that being said and stuff was very cool yeah enjoyed that right 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 obviously people like it a lot very highly acclaimed when doing these things at least

for me here because I mean I guess pretty I guess 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 rugpole 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? Ladovsky being at the control panel and, like, talking to them and they can't see anything, that was awesome. I really enjoyed that. Yeah, 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, their entire, they're, the smartest beings that have existed in, like, whatever. They don't understand Morse code, but they understand 500 other alien languages, word. And they're all, and like, 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, right? Yeah, definitely.

It's just, it's like, they've conquested galaxies. and then it's like We're the only species We're sending We're definitely sending ships up And they're like Okay good, no tell him to the Yeah

To me that it's just Don't even go there Because you just 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 like astronauts gone wrong Then 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. The 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, yep, 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 horrible. horrifying idea. You don't need the floating tentacle monster to make it scary

before. What if what if the entire thing was Ladovsky on the other end or someone who thinks they're Ladovsky or ever? I mean the what 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

or 2002, whatever it was. And he is just there and he's lost his mind. And he's just alone and there being like okay they say they want. I mean I say 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 yeah whatever and then it's just a thing of like let's say they do send oh my god we'll send us up somebody to help you he's up there it takes two days to get up there he docs

it comes back they're like hey just seeing how it's going and it's just lodovsky who answers and you're like oh yeah yeah what that kind of thing where 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 the 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 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 out. There's like a giant shape, like almost like a cracking 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 being 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've ever seen in my life. I'm not even joking.

Like, legitimately, I cried after I saw when I was a kid. At the end of Men in Black, when the Milky Way is in a fucking marble thing. Yeah. And you know how much that fuck me up? And I'm like, you could do something like that where it's like a puppet master thing. Yeah. You know, like that within itself, that's fucking horrifying. Yeah.

And it's like, I don't, it's just the trope. It's just as soon as you do, creepy smile. The tendrils The smile killed it for me When it's said the shape Smile that's when I was like It's floating around They come around

And they're smiling I'm like You know what I would done I would have Whipped out my fucking beat off on the screen I would have All over the fucking screen

And like eat it This is the reaction That's actually the scariest That actually fucking scared The shit I did not see him walk up And that scared me so bad He has a fucking like

Red blanket around He looks like a little like He looks like a little Italian woman Station with him That was a little yeah yeah yeah That, like, this is the ending, by the way, that you started by saying, eh, now 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, I, fuck, this is the, these are the stories that piss me off the most because it's done so well. Yeah. 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 himself.

Yeah. It's just at the point where it says all this creativity. to the point to where it's, I don't, simple things can be just so much more effective. And like actually just like, oh, God damn, that nerve the fuck with me. Like I said, even the fucking men and black guy of like an alien with a marble, that like legitimately scared the fuck it. I mean, when I was younger. So I don't know. All and all, you know, I, it's just, if I mean, not to be a dick, better let down.

Everything you said then to be a little bit of a letdown. To be fair, I did sit with my d' out 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 up by her? Even if I was floating in the void. What are you going to do to a guy who's just like, I'm my dick?

Floating there. Lodoski, everyone. Yeah, Lodoski. never thought to do this shit, did he? Got a little lotion bottle. Okay. I like. I like. Oh!

I mean, what would the aliens do? All right, let us in. You come and get me. I'm covered. I am Waffle House hash browns. I am smothered and covered, dude. Seriously, onions and cheese all over.

That's what I am. I also like the idea that like maybe... Or shit yourself. I also like the idea that maybe like all the dead All the lost cosmonauts went into the wormhole And then when Mere 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 And he lost 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 like

Piss or shit yourself And it's like what would they have done What they have pursued you? Let us in. And it's like, just diarrhea all in your fans. I mean, I don't think they had the idea to stab themselves. It's like they're being forced to by that. 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 dad my dick off, I just shove things up my ass. They're like, okay. What do I do now? That's crazy. I have you say, what is the, what is the end game?

That's like the one thing. It's like the, 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 Earth? It's gone. There's zombies on a desert planet. That's like what it's like, we're inter-galactic 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 weren't. You seem to be doing pretty fucking good. They 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 they were going to die and the other half are going to be like, they raise a point. We should go get them. Take a metal rod, put it in your piss 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, you're like, I like this. what would they do

it's like you're like oh well I think it's supposed to make you kill your like it compels you to kill yourself I don't think they're doing it to relieve the pressure it's like no no I thought that it was I thought they did the street something because it was like torturous no no no because remember

he's reaching to turn it off and his hand grabs a pin and he's like resisting it so fuck I put a big pin in my eye with my gun it off the point the point is I'm just like can you imagine the alien being like he's stab me his eye but he's still off okay the point is

the point is they their plan didn't make a lot of sense whatever I don't I was about to say I don't want to go too hard at the ending but we have gone so hard on the ending the reason I'm fired up is because it was good and I wasn't satisfied by the way then

yeah there's never there's never any point Isaiah that I should come to the conclusion that you beat the monster by B. Okay so there Darius I feel like you've raised that as a potential strategy in multiple stories we've read I don't think I don't think I've ever said stick a metal rod up you know you guys in that exact combination of words by the idea like you you pushing some kind of like you then that's a flaw of the story if my conclusion comes that i can beat your

system you like you you will you present some sexually adverse scenario at the end of a story then that's a then that's an issue because stories i do like that you couldn't beat it that way okay my point is i that there was good stuff here from the author uh there there there was like a lot of good writing pros. I would be interested to see what they do with other stories. Because like, if that ending had like kind of ended at part three, stellar.

I really liked it. But. Yeah. It didn't. So, thanks for listening. If you're listed on the audio platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts, hope he gave us a good rating. I'm sure we deserved it on this one.

And then the and also a patron. You also forgot to do an intro. Oh, yeah, that's right. That's 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. It looks like he smelled his own fart over there. Thanks to you, patrons. We appreciate you. And also, if you haven't sent up to the patron yet, we do have an interview with Dathan Arbock coming out soon. I think it'll be out by the time.

So it might already be out. but it is the author of pen pal author of pen pal what just everything

you're saying is wrong in some way and just in little ways something your saying is incorrect every time

we have an interview with them it was fun it was much cleaner than this if you're in your car right now listen to this and you're still just have you both hands

in the steering wheel I want you to really wonder why didn't you click off turn it down or turn it off even now as you still don't click off why oh do you need to click off click off You know, I'm going to be able to

I don't know. . I don't know. So, I don't know I don't know. . You know,

I'm going to I'm I don't know. I'm going to be. I'm going to be. I'm going to. And... ...you know.

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