The tension raises as I go up the stairs towards the upper deck of the ship. The sounds of laughter and conversations echo through the empty corridors below. It seems that the evening party has already begun. The starlit sky embraces the scene as the crowd cheers and celebrates with another toast. I look around searching for my brother who should be somewhere around as he went ahead quite some time ago. As I make my way around the deck I notice just how ecstatic everyone seems to be, even more than usual. I wonder if it has anything to do with the falling stars that are supposed to be visible tonight, though I don't know how many of the guests are going to be sober enough to really appreciate them. I don't particulary like those parties but the view is quite remarkable. The ocean is very calm today so the stars shimmer soothingly on the surface of the water. The commotion somehow helps to appreciate the beauty on display. I don't see my brother anywhere, maybe he went downstairs at some point? I fumble around trying to get a better look over the crowd but to no avail. My search is interrupted by the sudden appearance of an elderly gentleman.

"About time you show up." Jeremy is looking particulary lively today. "Where is Patrick?"

"I take it you haven't seen him? I've been looking for him too."

"I thought he was still in his room. You here for the shooting stars? Or are you finally ready to join in with the rest?" The look on his face... I think I'll never get used to his demeanor. Jeremy loves parties like this. Not for the actual fun of it, or what some consider fun to be - he is just fond of being in places where people can forget the drudgeries of their everyday life. I'm pretty sure he lives off of that.

"I was hoping to get some inspiration. I haven't been able to get any work done recently. Those damn headaches won't leave me alone." The book I'm writing is long overdue. If it wasn't for what happened three months ago I would have probably been done with it already. As cliché as it gets I came here to get away and regain my focus. It was a partially successful endeavour. I've made some minor progress but nowhere near as much as I should have and the light at the end of the tunnel keeps getting dimmer.

"The last one was really good. I read it all the way through and I guess that says a lot, haha. Been wondering what's gonna happen next. Anyway, I'll be on my way, kiddo. Hopefully your brother is gonna show up soon. There's something I wanted to talk about with him."

"I'll let him know whenever I find him. Have a good one, Jeremy." We parted ways and I decided to take a stroll on the side of the ship.

The thin walkway stretches before me with the ocean whimpering silently on my right. Aside from a few people it's almost empty and I can enjoy the solitude during my little walk. While mostly uneventful I did notice that the vibe around here was quite different from the rest of the ship. The slow, uncomfortable murmurs and complaints coming seemingly out of nowhere made it feel like it was an entirely different place. I couldn't hear what those people were saying but their unamusement was enough to create an atmosphere of apathy and disappointment. This far from the main portion of the deck the light is pretty dim which only enhances this feeling. Where the hell is Patrick? He must have holed himself up somewhere with his documents. He did seem pretty unnerved after receiving a message earlier today, perhaps his team has found something again. Recently he...

"...ridiculous. Captain's underestimating the risk. I can't..."

I think that's Patrick's voice. Where is it coming from? I walk slowly trying to pinpoint the source.

"...before. There's no reason for undue alarm. The reports from nearby vessels do not indicate any problems with..."

I don't recognize the second person, it must be one of the crew members.

"...the sonar. This part over here. It's not right..."

I stop near a window with a faint glow coming out of it. The conversation sounds pretty tense. Patrick is not one to overreact. I inhale slowly and keep listening.

"...just an anomaly. There's another one just like that over here..."

A bunch of drunk passengers pass me by, singing an off-key song as loudly as they can. I can't hear anything that's going on in the cabin. As soon as they disappear I take a step towards the window again but the door flings open and my brother bolts out of the room. He looks exasperated and it takes him a moment to notice me.

"Patrick!"

"What? What are you doing here Michael?" He breathes heavily as if he is about to collapse. "No matter, come with me, I've got to speak to the Captain."

"What's going on? Wait!"

I grab his arm and he looks me in the eyes. I've never seen him like that. The dread is seeping out of him, ready to explode into a full blown panic. He keeps looking at me intensely as if trying to find the words right at the edge of his mind. He takes a deep breath.

"We have to go. I think there's still time to..."

His eyes slowly veered off towards the dark horizon. I turn trying to see what caught his attention - the ocean looks just as calm as before. I can't see anything except the glistening stars. I focus as hard as possible when suddenly a brief flash at the corner of my vision manifests itself. Then another one. They're very dim, hard to see, but they're definitely there.

"...What is it? A shooting star?"

Patrick remains silent but I can hear footsteps and chatter in the distance. I notice people coming over to the side of the ship. The flashes continue, becoming brighter and more frequent. I keep looking at the sky trying to see what causes those reflections on the water until the unsettling realization comes to me that they're not reflections at all. The lights come from down below.