"The Thing in the Vault" is a short story by British author David Hambling.
Synopsis[]
Prohibition-era private detective Edward Jones is hired by a wealthy man to investigate the progress of a venture in which he has invested: a new form of filter to produce higher-quality liquor. In this task, he is joined by the representatives of three powerful crime syndicates who also have a monetary interest.
Travelling to the man's underground complex, they find that he has indeed developed a revolutionary technology, with the aid of a mysterious group who may not be entirely human.
When the group attempt to leave the complex, the man's associates refuse to allow them egress, and are revealed to be alien abominations. Most of the representatives are killed, but Jones succeeds in escaping with a sample of the filter, which he returns to his employer. Two of the representatives also survive, although one of them is caught by the aliens and his still-living brain is placed in a tank, leaving him trapped forever as part of the aliens' "brain bank".
Characters[]
- Edward Jones, a Chicago private investigator.
- Dr. K, a talented chemist.
- Wilson, an experienced hustler and con-artist
- James Moran, a Chicago mob enforcer.
- Phil Ricca, a street thug.
- Louie Cristillo, Ricca's muscle.
- Spencer Wade, a wealthy businessman with a shady heritage.
- Estelle, the representative of an which appears to oppose the dark forces at work in the world.
- Pretski, a small-town bed-and-breakfast owner.
Publication History[]
"The Thing in the Vault" was published in the 2013 collection of Hambling's own works Shadows from Norwood. It has also since received a digital chapbook release.
Behind the Mythos[]
Although containing no direct references to either the works of H. P. Lovecraft or the Cthulhu Mythos, the chapbook's tagline for the story - A Hard-Boiled Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos - indicates the authors intention that it should be taken as part of that universe. Additionally, the creatures encountered by the Chicagoans, described as insectoid/crustacean beings with a fungal biology who are capable of transferring a human brain into a life-support cylinder, are clearly intended to be Mi-Go.
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