Perhaps this is what O’Kane and the fragmenting minds of his crew would have imagined. That their submarine had somehow been transported to a distant world, and the horrifying unearthly being attacking them was a denizen of that world.
She drew in a deep breath. “This next is the last entry.”
Log Entry 115. Date 25-Oct-2008. 1800 hours.
Ten days sealed in now. Morale low, but first sign of hope has presented itself. There are people out there. Can see them moving in the shadows. The creature is gone, for now. Maybe they have scared it off. We’re going out to try and talk to them — we’ll leave the hatch open in case we need to run for it. Maybe the people can help us. Our distress beacon is still active. Can anyone hear us? God help us all. Commander Clint O’Kane, USS Sea Shadow.
End Log Entry 115.
Aimee flipped a few more pages, shaking her head. Her eyes were blurred, wet. “That’s it. They went outside, and then that’s it.”
The room fell silent. O’Kane had been given a devil’s choice — stay inside and starve slowly, or leave the metal coffin they were in, and die quickly. Aimee knew it was the same coffin they were all in now. She shut the log.
“So, going out to meet the people probably wasn’t a great idea,” Casey said at last.
“And if we stay, that’ll eventually happen to us,” Cate said.
“Then we get out,” Aimee said. “This lake, in here, must join up with the outside sea, somewhere, somehow.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Alex looked up from the instruments. “Maybe during king tides, or during quakes it opens and shuts, makes another vortex like the one we encountered in the sea. This thing slips out, grabs some more toys, and then comes home where it’s nice and warm, so it can play and eat in peace.”
“This is its home, we are the intruders,” Soong added. “It has all the time on its side, and we have limited food, water, and breathable air.” She licked dry lips. “We cannot wait for an earthquake, or for the monster to return and pry us out of here.”
The group was silent, but most nodded, agreeing with the Chinese scientist’s bleak assessment.
Alex rubbed his stubbled chin. “Soong’s right.” He stopped in front of Aimee. “Aimee, anything we can use? Cate, c’mon, what can we use?”
Aimee frowned, her eyes on the floor, remembering her experiences and research. “Cephalopods are learning creatures,” she said. “Every encounter with mankind it has had, it has learned more about us, what we are more or less likely to do, how we will react.” She looked up into Alex’s eyes. “Those boats out there, some are hundreds of years old. That means it, or its ancestors, has been doing this for centuries. It knows us, but all we know is that it’s voracious, aggressive, and smart. In the wild, this thing’s smaller cousins have all those characteristics, and are very territorial. This is its turf. Maybe if we can move it off its turf…” She shrugged, knowing it wasn’t much.
“That’s right,” Cate said. “Orthocones were the alpha predator for millions of years. When most life in the oceans was tiny, these things were already thirty feet long. It can outrun us, outwait us, and certainly outlive us. We’re only alive because it doesn’t want us just yet.”
“That fucker has got us right where it wants us,” Casey said, fists balled.
“Then let’s get the hell out of here, or die trying.” Alex turned, opening the comm. to the torpedo room. “Rhino, load tubes one and two. Blake, it’s crash or crash through time. This lake is separated from the main sea by some sort of sea wall, and the creature has got to be using an opening in it. We need to find it.”
“Excuse me.” Shenjung’s voice was almost apologetic. “But we could bring this entire place down on top of us. We have already seen that this type of rock is subject to fracturing.”
Alex gave the Chinese scientist a flat smile. “And if we stay, we get eaten alive. Which is better?”
“No, no, I agree, we must leave. But we may be able to use the fracturing to our advantage.”
“Selective collapse of the geologic substructure,” Aimee said.
Alex nodded. “Okay, good. Franks, anything outside?”
“All clear on the scope.” Casey pulled her face back an inch. “What’s the plan, boss?”
“Once we’re out, we find that sea vortex, and ride it out. If it’s within the depth capability of this submarine, we may just pop up outside. If not, we’re a crushed can on the bottom of a cold ocean.”
“Maybe not,” Soong said. “If there is a vortex causing the water column to be in agitation, then the pressure might be bearable.” She turned to Shenjung. “I think this might work.”
Shenjung nodded. “Yes, I see. We have observed that the properties of water molecules remain disparate the more the water is moving. Also warm water will be much less dense than the outside deeper, cold water.”
“As long as we stay within the vortex column,” Cate said, “then pressure could be more benign… at least until it dissipates as the water slows.”
“We stay in the vortex, we can make it. Best news I heard all day.” Casey grinned. “Nobody, but nobody back home is going to be able to top this.” She put her face back to the periscope visor once again, and her eyes went wide. “Oh fuck — incoming!”
Alex pushed her aside and looked through the periscope. His expression became grim. “It’s on us.”
The submarine groaned, and then rocked. The slight angle the vessel was resting at suddenly was righted. The group stared straight ahead, arms out for balance, faces pale, waiting and listening. Alex grabbed a railing, looking up, sensing the monstrous weight bearing down on them.
There came a horrendous scraping sound as the hull was drawn along rock — they were being moved, sideways.
“Hang on!” Alex shouted. Someone screamed as metal popped and groaned around them. The submarine was designed to withstand enormous pressure, but pressure evenly distributed along its hull, and not pressing down in any one spot. It could buckle, or worse, split open.
The torpedo room comm. came to life. “Standing by, boss. Just say the word,” Rhino yelled.
“Water’s too shallow. We’ll just blow ourselves up,” Alex yelled back.
The submarine scraped again, a painful, metallic, nails-on-chalkboard sound magnified a thousand times.
“Fuck it.” Franks stepped back from the scope, the thing only half up. “It’s jammed.”
Alex bared his teeth as more scraping sounded along the hull. “Can’t let it damage the props.” He held out his hand to Casey Franks. “Rifle.”
“What?” Aimee looked momentarily horrified, but then she slumped, seeming to understand what he had to do. She nodded to him. “Save us.”
Franks shook her head. “Boss, let me, sir. I’m dispensable.”
“That’s an order!” Alex’s voice boomed in the small room.
Franks looked like she was about to say more, but Aimee pulled on her brawny arm. “Let him go. Only he can do it; you know that.”
Casey looked torn, but after another second ripped the rifle from her shoulder, her face furious. “Three rounds left.”
Alex took it. “Seal the hatch after I’m gone, and be ready.” He half smiled. “If I get… separated, then do your best to get the hell out.”
“Yeah,” Franks said. “Count on it. I’ll help you up.”