Brights

An angel!

— Dr. Burrows in Freefall

Brights are giant mothlike creatures native to the void Smoking Jean in the lower Deeps. According to Martha, even after they've been wounded, they will fight until every last drop of blood is gone. Aniseed Fire is the only natural thing that will keep them away. DEET (a pesticide) will completely melt them. Will, Martha, and the group come upon Brights while staying on the submarine. One follows Martha and Chester to the surface, showing how strong they are.

Appearance[]

Brights are somewhat humanoid in appearance, having a abdomen, body, and head. They are mothlike and have massive wings. They are white. Bright faces look very much like a human's, but they have a probiscis where the mouth should be. They also have insectlike arms and legs. On their heads are a light-emitting body part (much like an anglerfish's). A confused person could easily mistake a Bright for an angel, as they are humanoid and have what looks like a halo.

In the series[]

Freefall:[]

When traveling to the Russian submarine, Will, Chester, and Elliott are told by Martha to be cautious because the Brights nest near the void (Smoking Jean). After successfully making it on top of the sub, Will sees a Bright for the first time. He is shocked by its speed and appearance. When exiting the sub days later, they are told to be quiet so the Brights won't attack. During the confrontaton with Dr. Burrows and the Rebeccas, Martha cuts her arm and lets the blood smell attract the Brights. One comes down and kills a Limiter on the sub.

Later on, Drake gives Will the DEET pesticide to use against the Brights. When Will and Dr. Burrows head back underground, the two come across a Bright. Will uses DEET on it, causing it to froth up and fall apart.

Closer:[]

When Chester and Martha reach the surface after sailing from the underground harbor, Martha acts paranoid. She claims that a Bright followed them up to the surface, which Chester does not believe. Throughout the book Martha insists that a Bright is following them. After Drake and Eddie free Chester from Martha's house, they realize that a Bright really did follow them up. However, it tries to kill Martha as she runs. When Eddie offers to kill Martha, Chester declines, saying that "she's more afraid of Brights than anything else… I want her to die really slowly." The Bright then attacks and presumably kills Martha.

Terminal[]

In this book, Martha is revealed to have somehow survived the Bright attack, and she has even tamed the Bright that was chasing her in Closer. The creature turned out to be pregnant, which explains how it was unable to kill Martha. Its offspring are bred by the woman, who uses them to destroy an Armagi that threatens Chester. The Brights later carry Martha away at the ending.

Trivia[]

It is implied that the flying creature that attacks Dr. Burrows in Deeper is a Bright, but this is never confirmed.