BONUS!!! BIG RASCALS WRITING CHALLENGE - Alien Encounter

Come join us as we put our writing skills to the test! Big Rascals Writing Challenge is a new BONUS segment that we will be doing monthly along with our Book Club Podcast. 

We are all aspiring writers and need all the practice and help we can get. Please let us know what you think. Leave a comment and give us feedback. 

Feel free to join the challenge with your own short story as well. Send it to bigrascals.podcast@gmail.com and we will pick one to read for our next episode.

Transcript

SPEAKER_09 0:11

Hey, what's up? This is Big Rascals. This is our little bonus segment that we're doing where we're doing our writing exercises. We're exposing ourselves. Yep. We don't have a literacy way. Besides just our bonus segment, but this time around, we all have written a little short story on an alien encounter. So yeah, let's uh let's just get right into it. Derek volunteered to go first. Yep.

SPEAKER_06 0:45

I was I was afraid that I was gonna have to get through this.

SPEAKER_07 0:48

No, I'll I'll fall on that sword this time because uh yeah, I with all the sciences that we talked about, I felt so not smart enough to come and say I was like, oh no, I don't know what they have on the International Space Station to use. I gotta do more research. So I have done a few drafts that I've scrapped, and um I may be at living near the end here because I had an end in mind. Hopefully we get to it. But the prompt, the prompt that we had for this one, an emphasis on short story. We had to try and contain it somewhat to a page or two or three. And the prompt that we had is an alien encounter, whether it be with an individual or a couple individuals. And I'll start. Um I try to just jump into mine, so okay, that here I go. Let's do this. One usually always talks of space with wonder in their eyes. Not Neil Harrison, not this time at least. Right now was the first time in his life he didn't want to be an astronaut. He had come to the International Space Station in a hurry with two other astronauts, Julia Bornstein and Larry Levy Levy, to investigate the disappearance of the previous astronauts. They were gone without a word to HQ and their communication equipment badly damaged. Luckily, the International Space Station with all its automation could function properly without in their absence for quite some time, but this was a mystery that needed to be cracked. Whatever happened did not want to be dis Whatever happened up there did not want to be discovered by someone or something. Julia and Laria were now gone as well uh were gone as well, and Neil was left in the silence of space, not knowing what happened. Glistening with sweat, shivering from chill and fear, Neil dug deep within himself to muster a modicum of courage and logic. Um Should I do I look for a weapon or a clue? he frantically thought. Just then, an ethereal vision vision in the like an ethereal vision in the fabric of reality, a soft bluish light appeared before him and came apart like a zipper to reveal a being unlike anything he had seen. It looked to have a human-like head, but seemingly covered in a featureless bone-like plate. From where its cheeks from ah sorry, from where the cheeks would be where where the cheeks would be came rigid protrusions like oblong-shaped tusks. It had long arms and fingers, seven of them. That's that somewhat resembled the geck a gecko's foot. But the str strangest part was the lower torso, where four feet each with two claws spread out evenly in each direction from its waist. Like a like a horrifying amalgamated centaur. Weapon, definitely get a weapon, thought Neil, and he grabbed the first thing in his hand his hands could find. Turned out to be the a component from the damage communication equipment. He smashed it right into the alien the alien being smooth head and touching its skin and realizing Hm, no damage by touching it gave giving Neil an idea. Like rip then then suddenly like ripples, light began flowing over its body. First red, then an in between of yellow to blue and yellow again. It was quite mesmerizing, like the bioluminescence of deep sea life. It then put up its hands and slowly flapped like a slow motion albatross, all the while blue lights pulsating across its body in a in a comb like manner. I don't care if you know magic, Neil said, and he seized its arms and began this where I'm at living and began to try and harm the creature, to which it backed again with with amazing speed that he did not expect, and began doing the same ritual. And then he seized it once again, but this time he noticed that like um like a probe going into his very psyche, he felt feelings of confusion and fear and longing to stop, as if a thing was uh emitting its feelings into his very being. He was confused. What? And then he felt he felt a feeling of please don't hurt me, a pleading feeling probe into his mind once again. I'm not feeling this, said Neil. This is its feelings, it must be. He he hypothesized, and then he got an approval, not from his own brain, but from the alien, it seemed. You're talking to me? Lights pulsated like a deep sea squid over its body, in warm, gentle colors, greens and yellows, as if nodding. Is this how you talk? Neil asked. Once again, approval seared through his very being. Where are my friends? Like chromatophores on a squid, on the face of the alien, showed the face of Julia, and then changing once again to the face of Larry. You know them! Neil said, Where are they? Fear once again pulsed through Neil, but not his fear, the alien's fear. And then the pleading feeling probed into his very fibers again. Please come with me. I need you, was what it was saying. Why? To which um to which uh let's see, this is the part I'm having a hard time trying to write. Uh how do basically what I'm trying to get at with this story is the aliens on a quest because they were in a war with their own, with another race, but they got the upper hand and won and eradicated that, so they became basically the top predators on their planet. And a subset of these aliens, this one in particular, realized that you know, there's too many of us, we're gonna eat up all the food, and we're all gonna die. And so they set on a quest to find a predator to hunt them, and humans were the perfect predator, basically asking them, be our saviors by coming to hunt us. And ah, I didn't know how to write that and end it up, but it was supposed to be this great twist of like, you're not here to capture me, you're here to have me come and kill your kin to save your kin, and that's where all his friends were and everything. But and yeah, it's a revealed that it had wormhole technology to get in there, but ah yeah, but I would love some feedback on how I could how I can improve that and how you would do it as well. But I would love to hear what you guys got.

SPEAKER_09 7:47

That's uh that's super creative, man. I like that.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

You do you do amazing visuals?

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Like I I could see everything you were describing. Oh, perfect. Just fantastic with that. Thanks. Did you imagine uh Ulamog's head?

SPEAKER_06 8:03

Because that's what I was envisioning was Ulamog's head. Yeah, Magic the Gathering, one of the Eldrazi Titans.

SPEAKER_09 8:09

No, I love how like the alien seemed like just a big threat, but that was almost like a twist in itself that he wasn't able to harm.

SPEAKER_07 8:19

I didn't play too much, I couldn't fully flesh out its communication because it basically communicates its feelings through touch, but their long distance communications is like the bioluminescence of deep sea squid where they just flash and it ripples across them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

No, that was super-libbing. On the spot. Uh-huh. Way to go.

SPEAKER_06 8:44

I'm glad to have that on the chest.

SPEAKER_03 8:50

All right, now our segment's done. Let's go.

SPEAKER_09 8:54

Your guys' works. Okay, so am I next? Am I going? Sure. You want to finish it? Okay, sounds good. I started the last one, so I guess yeah. And then this one. Alrighty. Um, I think I did just prepare yourself. I went a little different than um kind of probably what you guys went.

SPEAKER_06 9:23

Oh, that's fine. So that's okay. That's totally okay. All right, all right.

SPEAKER_09 9:29

Let's get into character here. Okay. I haven't slept for weeks. I didn't I haven't slept good for weeks, I said, rubbing my eyes. And when I do sleep, I have this re-occurring dream. It's unsettling. I can't get it out of my head. I've read that hypnosis can help people forget certain things. That's why I'm here. I want to stop having this dream. What is this dream about? the doctor said, writing something down on her notepad. I take a deep breath. I can't really remember everything that happens in the dream. I do remember as I'm just about to fall asleep, or I could be asleep in dreaming already, it's hard to say. I get this feeling of the room closing in on me and I can't move. It just keeps closing in slowly. Then my memory goes fuzzy. The next thing that happens is the most vivid, though. I see an owl. Interesting. An owl can symbolize wisdom or hidden knowledge. What does the owl do? Nothing. It just stares at me with its big black eyes. A cold shiver runs down my spine. Look, I raise my arm to show the doctor the goosebumps appearing. The doctor writes on her notepad once again. Do you remember anything else about the dream? I put my face in my hands, just helplessness and this feeling of being squeezed into this small space. It compl it's completely dark. It also feels warm, well, actually kind of hot. And there's the sound like a pulsating rumble, like a wom, wom wom. I can see how that can be unsettling. Well, the dream itself isn't that bad. It's the fact that it keeps happening every night. The doctor puts down her notepad and stands up. I think I can help you. Hypnosis has seemed to work for many of my patients. I will say though, that hypnosis doesn't always make people forget. Oftentimes it helps people remember. Past traumas, foreign or forgotten memories, etc. I can't really control the outcome of the hypnosis. Oftentimes, confronting the problem can help. Do you wish me to continue? I nod and the doctor directs me to the Freed Freudian couch and hands me a sleep mask. Lie down and try to relax. Clear your mind. I lay down on the couch and put the mask on. A sound machine clicks on and the dull white noise drowns out the silence. I try to clear my head and just focus on my breathing. In. Out. In out. Good, she said softly. Just keep breathing deep and slow. In, out, in, out. I lay there focusing on my breathing, and I lose track of time. It could have been five minutes, or it could have been an hour for all I know. I become extremely relaxed, and I can tell that sleep is creeping in. A distant faint noise, a faint voice that breaks the silence. I want you to keep breathing in and out slowly. And with every breath, I want you to go deeper into your relaxed state, in and deeper, out and deeper. Every breath brings me deeper and deeper, and the room starts to close in on me. The voice comes back, even more distant, even more faint. I'm going to count down from five. With every number, you will become more relaxed, and when I get to number one, you will reach the most relaxed state you have ever been in. Once I reach zero, you will remember the dream. I go deeper. I can't even feel my body. Those big black eyes. What is that? It's not an owl. What is it? There's more than one. No. What are they doing to me? It hurts. Holy shit, it hurts. I can't move. Why can't I move? Please stop. No. No, no. Please make it stop. Wake up. Who is that? Please help me. You need to wake up. Please. I will count down from three and when I say zero, you will wake up. Three. Those eyes. Two. Kill me! I want it to be over. One. Kill me now, please. Zero, you are now awake. I wrench my eyes open, bolt upright. My heart is beating out of my chest and I am drenched in sweat. It's okay, the doctor said. You are safe. I start to hyperventilate. What are you talking about? No one is safe. What do you mean? I look at the doctor, straight in her eyes. She looks back, and I can see the truth. And she looks back and can see the truth and horror behind mine. I remember everything. We are not alone.

unknown 15:17

The end.

SPEAKER_06 15:18

Hey, that was great. Spooky. Yeah, you really had good intensity there.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

Oh man. Great dialogue. You just that was really fantastic. That was good dialogue. Oh man.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

And oh good flow to it just between the two.

SPEAKER_07 15:38

Good job using describing the aliens as little as possible.

SPEAKER_09 15:42

Yeah, I kind of went with like what our conversation was last time with like less information, the better and less scorier.

SPEAKER_06 15:53

That was good. I don't know. Nice. I was getting a little scared with all those eyes.

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Just oh spooky. Very reminiscent of the fourth kind.

SPEAKER_09 16:03

Yeah. I did pull from the fourth kind, but also like personal experiences with uh my night terrors.

SPEAKER_08 16:11

So yeah, those are pretty scary to witness.

SPEAKER_09 16:19

So yeah. I had fun. I had fun right now. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_05 16:22

That was that was fun to listen to.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

Oh, good. Good job to get into it. Now, how does Bigfoot fit into this? It wasn't Bigfoot. Bigfoot the whole time. No, that was great.

SPEAKER_06 16:39

We gotta keep this at a limit.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

I'm sorry. All right.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Awesome job, man.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

Thanks. Great job now. All right. Let's see if we can do this. Now, I just I I picked the most complicated names in the world for me to pronounce.

SPEAKER_06 17:02

I went with such generic names. I'm sure you guys saw the inspiration of the power of one with some of them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:11

I went with no names. Good on you. Even clever. Even more clever. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Um, I I I'm pretty proud of the thought I put into this. I really went to deep surp some deep research of modern like stuff that's going on with modern space stuff, modern space activity and space science, and then um referencing a lot of historical characters as well, or or certain names have a lot of meaning. So, some for the viewers, see what you can catch. Let me know if you catch these things. It'd be really cool to see uh what people notice in this. But all right, let's begin. Uh I can't see my text. All right. Boosters adjusted, prepare to orient for melt. With all the switches flipped and the AI taking over, Cousteau braced himself, feeling the G force increase as the Europa Challenger, the EC, changed orientation from its orbit to a vertical descent onto the surface of Jupiter's ice moon, Europa. The ship descended until the exhaust from the boosters began to melt the ice surface of the moon. The rotating detonation rocket engine, the RDRE, superheated the ice, instant instantly vaporized steam, shooting high into the into Europa's thin atmosphere. The water vapor then immediately crystallized. Cousteau thought to himself this would have been a hot chocolate worthy moment as he watched the feed, if it were possible to have a drink on the alien ice moon's surface. The EC balanced over the melt zone, with the AI system monitoring the position using a triangulation between the Europa Clipper satellite and the Europa space station in geostationary orbit around the moon. A voice sounded through the ship. Cousteau, everything seems to be good on our end. Ten more minutes and the ice layer will be breached. Commander Chimu called over the radio. Cousteau, what is your status? Are you holding up? Cousteau pressed his communication button. All's well on my end. The EC is holding together, and James has the EC triangulation and balance. A robotic voice reminiscent of Hal three thousand sounded through the ship. Yes, Cousteau, what can I help you with? James Cameron, the mission's AI, responded. I am talking I'm talking about you, not to you, James, piped down. Okay, I can be better about only responding when you both Chimu and Cousteau shouted, James, shut up at the same time. Chimu's voice sounded through the ship again. In five minutes in five minutes I will give give you the go ahead for further descent. The EC's outer door depressurized, and Cousteau in the specialized Europa dive suit, became the first human to set foot on the moon's icy surface. I'm on the surface, Cousteau called out. He could hear the Europa crepa crew shering from the other end of the communicator. Chimu's voice sounded over the cheering. We are glad you are on you you are not Jack Frost, Cousteau. After I have given the mission briefing for the broadcast, you will describe your surroundings. Chimu's voice went from commanding to bright and kind in an instant. We are landing on the surface of the moon to confirm and research the findings of the Europa Clipper satellite that was sent here back in 2024. The satellite proceeded to make scans of Europa's subsurface just beneath the ice as it made passes around Jupiter. The findings indicated high probability of lifeform activity underneath the ice barrier. We have just created a hole in the ice and our brave diver pilot, Jack Cousteau, will now perform the first dive on an alien world to mount sensors which will give us more data in hopes of finding alien life. Cousteau, can you hear me? Please describe what you are seeing on Europa's surface. A three hundred sixty degree mounted camera mounted to his suit gave an expansive, complete view of the landscape. Cousteau took in a breath and said Earth, here's one small step for a man. Upon taking that step, Cousteau found himself flat on his back. With a groan he rose and continued, and one giant slip for mankind. Cousteau took shuffling steps as he progressed towards the hole. The surface is beautiful. There are blues and greens mixed through the ice. There are still crystals falling from the sky from all the steam generated by the ship's boosters. I'm approaching the hole and upon reaching it will place anchors along the edge. The ship has a winch which will assist it with my descent into the ice to mount sensors and will pull me back out when needed. Cousteau controlled his breathing as he sat along the edge, looking into the mild detail. Pole. A light at the anchor of the equipment line lit up. Europa station, I am go for plunge. Equipment has reached the bottom. Chimu responded. Go for plunge. We will reestablish communication when you plant the extender at the bottom. You hear that, James? Let's drop. You ready to take a dip? I can begin your descent, if that is what you want. I am ready to go, James said. The line loosened, allowing Cousteau to slide into the hole and begin lowering. As soon as Cousteau could see the water, he gave the signal for James to slow the descent. Alright, James, ease it up. We're getting close to the stop point, Cousteau called out. He could see the black water sloshing beneath him. All of his Arctic test dives built to this. Getting ready to stop, James said. The line tightened and Cousteau bounced as he slowed down. He mounted the communication extender just above the water line on the ice wall. His next task consisted of mounting weighted sensors from all around circ all around the circular ice wall, each sensor dropping into the water and extending to different depths. Before turning on the equipment, Cousteau took pause to look at the water. His light barely penetrated the surface. He smiled, turned on the extender. Europa station, sensors and extender are connected and functional. Let's find them, whoever they are. Hearing you loud and clear, Cousteau, Chimu said. Well done. Connection is established with sense with the sensors, and data collection has begun. Begin your ascent, wait at the EC until you get until we get the data processed. We'll do, Cousteau said, staring into the water again. He muted his communication to the Europa station. James, how about it? Want to take a dip? Cousteau, your initial mission is to plant the sensors and ascend to wait on the surface. I am not to lower you any further, James said. Activate emergency program code, emergency exception. Cousteau's communicator sounded up. Chimuse souted over the line. Cousteau, is everything okay? You just activated your emergency bypass for James. Cousteau cursed and unmuted his communicator. Yeah, I'm fine. The line was just stuck. I I just needed James to extend the line a bit. Okay, check in when you're halfway up the hole, Chimus said. James responded, How far do how far do you need the line extended? Cousteau muted the line again and said, About five meters should do it. Extending five meters. As Cousteau drew closer to the water, he could not help himself but take a big breath and hold it as he plunged into the water. He did not hold his breath long as he began to breathe much faster. He had just entered into an alien realm. The cold water surrounded his suit, the state of art internal climate controlled system maintained the temperature, but goosebumps appeared up his arms. In the water, his light only lit up twenty meters around him. He could see the first few sensors that were sunk to the higher water levels. He knew Shimu would be furious with the risk he's taking, but she would not have she would not have known who they were send or but she should have known who they were sending down here. Just as Cousteau was about to have James raise him up, a shadow flickered at the edge of his light. A stream of curses spewed from his mouth as another shadow appeared at the edge of the light and stopped floating. The shape floated closer to Cousteau. He could make out more of the creature's features. It looked like a cross between an octopus and a stingray. Its central body was wide and flat, around a foot in circumference, with six tentacles, tentacle like appendages extending at equal intervals around the body. The tentacles extended another two feet away from the body. The creature slowly approached Cousteau, propelling itself forward in the water by rippling its body and swinging its tentacles to change direction. Once it was five meters away, he could see three black bulbous hemisphere hemisphere hemispheres in between the tentacles on what looked like the front of the body. Cousteau held out his hand, beckoning as he would to a dog. Come here, just a little closer. This is totally worth a reprimand. The creature swam just inches away from Cousteau's outstretched ham. We come in the creature darted around Cousteau, circling his chest and swimming behind his head. Cousteau flailed his arm, spinning around. James, take me up quick. Cousteau shouted, his voice high and shaking, his arm still flailing. He could barely see the creature swimming around him just beyond the view, blocked by his helmet. How high do you want me to take you up? I can only raise and lower you at a constant consistent. James, shut up. Up twenty meters, thirty meters. Go, go, go. Once Cousteau breached the water and finished his last flail, he looked around himself, then back at the water. He could see he can make out the silhouette of the creature just below the surface. Cousteau let a few more curses drop from his mouth as he ascended his way to the surface, reaching the midpoint he called to the Europa station, and needless to say, they were astonished and ang angry, and there was astonishment and anger surrounding the story. Chimu was rightfully furious with him, but relieved he was unharmed. Cousteau, if you do anything like that again, I will personally come down to the moon, pack you up, and send you back to Earth immediately. You understand? Yes, commander. Cousteau reached the airlock of the EC and began disassembling himself from his dive suit. Once he was free, he reached down to pick up the suit. When his hand felt something that was not the suit's material, then Cousteau thought to himself that he did see two silhouettes. The creature was just as fast in the water as out. Tentacles wrapped around Cousteau's arm and pulled the body up towards its face. No amount of arm flailing would dislodge the creature. Cousteau tried to pull the creature off with his other hand, but he could not grip the slimy surface. The breathing quickened as he continued to claw at the creature that was now wrapping around his head, the black hemispheres pressing against Cousteau's face. A scream escaped his mouth, was muffled by the creature's body. An overwhelming sense of calm rushed over Cousteau, his arms dropped with confusion, knowing there was still an alien creature on his face. The images started flooding his brain, pictures of an underwater world he had seen before filled with life and all kinds of strange nautical creatures. Then he heard a voice in his head. It was his own voice, as if he was thinking aloud his thoughts, but these were not his current thoughts. His current thoughts would have involved more cursing. This is your language? Heath his thoughts said. Oh, there we go. I seem to have found it. You have incredible head waves. No, brain waves would be a better word. His thoughts continued on their own. I could sense your exceptional brain waves. Could not reach your body. Initially to make contact. This is this is the creature in my head. Now that was his own thought. Yes. Is that what you would call us? Creature? I seem to have elicited a fear response. Is that how you creatures communicate with your kind?

SPEAKER_04 29:13

That's bad. Definitely a long one.

SPEAKER_08 29:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 29:19

A little as similar to Derek's. I I always enjoyed the use of galassophobia because oh man, the deep sea is just full of aliens, man.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

I had a sense. I'm like, I feel like Derek's gonna get this. Oh yeah. Because yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_07 29:36

The communication with the deep sea squid with mine, because that just creeps me out. But you actually had the terror of getting dragged down in the depths. And that's that that surprised me that, like, you know, getting in there to the brain to understand the brain waves and stuff like that. I liked that because I I did have an idea for a species in one of my stories. I call them mind stealers, where they had tentacles, they'd climb up on humans, just stick it, stick it in their ears, but they weren't that intelligent. They would just then take over their body and walk around like zombies and become an NPC to be defeated. But so you had it way more fleshed out and interesting. That was good. And uh uh you mentioned how you had way too complicated names, which kudos for thinking about those names, but I was laughing here in James Cameron as an alien.

SPEAKER_02 30:31

That makes sense, you know, challenger depth or the challenger dive. James Cameron's famous for doing the the the challenger deep and then the abyss Europa Challenger is the one.

SPEAKER_07 30:40

Yeah, and he and he made the movie the he did the movie The Abyss of H. G. Wells' novel where they find aliens in the sea.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

I'm pretty proud of some of those references.

SPEAKER_07 30:50

Yeah, good job.

SPEAKER_06 30:52

Yeah, good job.

SPEAKER_08 30:53

That was great. Thanks.

SPEAKER_09 30:57

Good job, everybody. That was a great experience.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

Great fun stuff.

SPEAKER_08 31:03

Practice.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 31:04

Um Jeff and Derek, you guys have uh similar minds. Similar fears. Yeah. Yeah, no doubt.

SPEAKER_09 31:14

But they both both turned out to be nice aliens.

SPEAKER_05 31:18

Well, that's what I loved about Project Hail Mary. It it definitely inspired. Yeah. Yeah. It definitely just went with the trope of, yeah, we're used to thinking of aliens wanting to conquer. No, we can be friends.

SPEAKER_02 31:32

Yeah, yeah, I I kind of had the same thought. Yeah, it was like kind of like I wanted to do almost, yeah, a flip of expectation, kind of what the movie was doing with Rocky.

SPEAKER_04 31:41

My wife was terrified. She was like, This isn't gonna be a bad alien, is it? Tell me it's not gonna be a bad alien. Like, just wait, just wait.

SPEAKER_09 31:55

Yeah. Awesome. Well, cool. Don't really know. We don't have an outro for this or anything, but it is fun. Let us know how we did. Give us some feedback.

SPEAKER_07 32:06

Tell us how you would write an alien encounter. We would love this to be just a melting pot of ideas. Oh, yeah. Creativity is sparse in the professional Hollywood world, but it can be thriving here.

SPEAKER_03 32:19

Yep. And if you take any of our stories and use them, just you know, credit us. Let us know. Give us a little bit of a shout-out. Throw us a little bone.

SPEAKER_08 32:28

Yeah. Cool. Sweet. All right. Thanks for joining us. Keep right next time. See ya.