The first expedition of Dr Emil Bathurst.

At 7:41, three days into the Ursa constellation, the year 3097, the population of Castelli watched Mizar, the brightest star in the sky, implode. In actually, the star had collapsed over a stellar year before, but that was the moment the shockwave finally hit. The electromagnetic radiation destroyed 99% of the surface technology, and the ionising radiation killed 90% of all surface life. 1

The collapse of Mizar had long been foreseen, and the authorities had not stood idly by, though the coming cataclysm had been kept secret for as long as possible. Construction had secretly begun on vast interstellar ships tethered in orbit, and also on large underground bunkers that were hoped would protect a significant proportion of the populace. 2

Some members of the council had argued that the people should be told, that the threat of destruction would lead the masses to an otherwise unattainable unity. Others had argued that faced with almost certain death, society would collapse and the population run riot. Unfortunately, the latter camp was proved right. 3

Such monumental endeavours could not be kept secret indefinitely, and the result of the eventual disclosure was widespread panic. The government shelters were swamped; the unfinished ones were inevitably destroyed in the subsequent riots. Others were damaged in there external capacities and became tombs. 4

The completed ships left, and took with them the rulers and the rich elite. All civilisation broke down and numerous independent factions emerged for their brief moment in the sun. In rural areas, communities banded together and pooled their resources s to create rudimentary shelters. 5

That was 17 years ago. 6

Pre cataclysm, Gruinard Island was a research station for contagious diseases. Much of the facility was already located beneath ground, and had been built to withstand a military exchange, so it took little effort to transform it into a survival shelter. The island was isolated and long shunned by the populace and so escaped the year zero collapse of society unscathed. For 17 years we have been confined, but now our food stores are running low, and so we must at last leave this place and retake the surface, and see the effects first hand. 7

The external monitors were destroyed by the radiation. No outside communications have been received, it remains to be seen if any form of government survived.8


The World in AC 17. 9

In pre cataclysm times, the night sky was dominated by the star Mizar. Now it is dominated by the refractive lens of a black hole. The stellar constellations I spent so many hours memorising as a child have been so twisted and distorted they are now unrecognisable. Radiation levels are no longer at deadly levels. The effect of exotic matter and undetectable particles cannot be guessed, and the first foray into the outside world will make us part of a survival experiment. 10

Gruinard Island was always sparse of vegetation and remains so now. The most noticeable ecological change has been the dramatic drop in sea level, which has turned Gruinard Island into a peninsula and as also a prominent peak, now surrounded by a sea of rancid sludge. 11

The headland was dominated by a fishing village named Ross. The shells of fishing vessels sit in the stinking mud and most of the houses are now derelict. However, sporadic fires can be seen burning which would suggest some inhabitants still remain.12

The rafts we planned to use in crossing to the headland have been made redundant by the lack of water. However, the exposed spur of bedrock will provide a land bridge we will attempt to cross at first light. 13

I would swear the sun is smaller than I remember, but I know in reality the effect is psychosomatic, and that not enough time has yet elapsed to produce a noticeable effect. Still, with each passing year the planet slips further from its orbit about sun. The planet will eventually freeze, and then be swallowed by the event horizon. It is a planet that stares at the sky each night and sees its doom. 14

Our expedition followed the route of the peninsula to the mainland. There is a noticeable lack of insects and birdlife, and with the loss of the sea the island is eerily quiet. I almost miss the familiar whir of air circulators. There is a silver glimmer on the far horizon, which viewed through optics, proves to be the remnants of the sea. The water table has dropped by at least 5 metres. 15


First Contact.16

One of the now-smouldering fires leads us to the derelict remains of an old house. The occupant is an elderly male and sits on his porch, staring out towards what was once the sea. He wears waders which would suggest he forages for food in the mud flats. Beside him rests the carcass of a dog, preserved with some crude form of taxidermy. He does not stir as we approach.17

“Well look at you, mister fancy pants.”18

“Greetings sir, I am Dr Emil Bathurst, and we are from Gruinard Island Research facility.”19

“Ha. Monsters from plague island? And you scared a catching something from me?”20

“Are there other survivors?”21

“Nah, they ain’t. The lasher blooms scared them all off, ones that didn’t get killed anyway.”22

“Lasher blooms?”23

“Don’t rightly know what the fancy name is. Lived in the sea I reckon, back when the sea was still here. Now they live in the mud, deep down usually, but they come to the surface to breed or whatever passes for breeding. Thousands, maybe millions of ‘em, they do their thing and then they dies. Dies and goes rank, get all bloated up and swollen up with the gasses, and then the wind catches ‘em, takes ‘em along for a ride. They all trail long tentacles, but even though they dead they can still sting, maybe sting worse when they dead. 24

“Sometimes we get lucky and they blown out to sea, sometimes we don’t and they get blown inland. The last time they came up so thick we couldn’t get out for weeks. Fellow next door called Quin, the hungers got him so bad to tried to creep out, tried to keep the Lashers away with a stick, I watched him through a crack in the wall. 25

“Was doing ok, till he wasn’t. Got caught on the leg and he couldn’t walk after that, leg must a swollen up to twice its size. He starts screaming for help, but we could do nothing for him. Tries to keep ‘em poked away, but he keeps getting stung over and over, and keeps swelling up till he was fit to burst. Three days he was out there screaming for someone to help him, but we didn’t do nothing. 26

“You might have some fancy medicine, but if I get stung I’ll do myself quick. Seen fellows get stung, swell up till they couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but cry and scream. Days it takes to die. I’ll not go that way, not me, ill cut my own neck before that. The hungers though, they drives you mad. Buster been with me since he was a pup, was my best friend in the world. We would go hunting crabs and shellfish and he never once complained or growled at me, even when we was starving. And after a week trapped I got so hungry I cut his neck and ate him, my best friend in the whole world, and I ate him. Everyone’s gone away now, everyone but me and Buster. ”27

By that point he had become teary eyed and absently patted the taxidermied dog.