Larson eyed the other woman. “And who are you?”
“My name is Dr. Heather Bailey. I was one of the platform’s scientific staff,” the woman answered.
“We’re all that’s left,” Riggs said before Larson could ask. “Those things got all the others.”
“Yeah, exactly what are those things?” Hawks asked.
“We don’t know, not really,” Bailey answered.
“Some of our crew was exploring a vast trench on the ocean floor when their submersible was attacked by the creatures. We know they came from that trench, but as to what they are… evolutionary throwbacks? Mutations? Really it’s anybody’s guess at this point,” Cheryl said.
“Why was any of your crew even in the trench?” Chuck blurted out.
Larson and Hawks both glared at him for the idiotic question.
“It was their job,” Riggs said firmly. “That’s why this platform exists.”
“To be more specific,” Bailey cut in, “they were investigating something we picked up on our equipment. We had reason to believe that there was a lifeform in the trench. Something that mankind had never encountered before.”
“The kind of discovery careers are made by,” Hawks commented.
Bailey nodded, not trying to deny it. “Yes. Only we didn’t have a clue that those things were down there. All our data pointed to a single, massive lifeform.”
Larson raised an eyebrow. “And what happened to the lifeform you were searching for?”
Bailey shrugged. “As far as we know, the submersible was attacked before it was discovered.”
“So whatever you first picked up could be out there too? I mean in addition to these … whatever they are, squid creatures,” Hawks pressed her.
“No question about it,” Bailey confirmed. “Whatever it is, it’s still there. Whether it’s awake or not, that we have no means of knowing.”
“Awake?” Larson frowned.
“We suspect that the massive lifeform is or must have been in some kind of dormant state, a type of hibernation if you will,” Bailey explained.
“You guys just woke it up,” Chuck growled. “And those things out there too.”
Bailey looked as if she had just had an epiphany, “Yes!” she exclaimed, turning to Cheryl and Riggs “That’s it. What if the squid creatures are the protectors of whatever the massive lifeform down there in the depths is? They have to be connected to it in some way and this man’s assertion makes sense.”
“Could be,” Cheryl agreed. “Perhaps they were dormant too, but when the X-29 got to close to them in the trench, something about it woke them up and they sprang to the defense of the massive lifeform like white blood cells protecting a human body.”
“Then that means this big thing down there that you were after, it’s awake now too?” Larson asked.
Bailey shook her head. “Not necessarily.”
“We better hope not.” Larson raised his rifle. “These squid things are enough to deal with on their own. Any idea how many of them there might be?”
Neither Bailey nor Cheryl had an answer to his question.
“Uh huh,” Larson said, scowling. “That figures. Well, I think the first thing we need to do is get the frag out of here and back onboard the Braxton.”
“The Braxton?” Riggs asked. “That’s your ship?”
Hawks nodded. “She’s a battleship. We were on maneuvers when your distress call came in. Thankfully for you, Captain Weaver decided to respond to it.”
Bailey looked like she wanted to ask what he meant by that last bit. Civilians often didn’t get that sometimes the military had bigger things to deal with than playing search and rescue. Cheryl put a hand on the shorter woman’s shoulder though, stopping her. Hawks could see that Cheryl knew exactly what he had meant.
“It’s not going to be easy getting out of here,” Riggs warned. “Those things are everywhere inside the platform. We barely made it here and got the doors sealed when everything started.”
“Riggs, these men are professionals,” Cheryl told him. “Clearly, they fought their way in and they can fight their way out too.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, lady,” Larson snorted. “We are professionals, but that don’t mean it’s going to be easy. We lost a man on the way in and that was without having all of you to watch out for.”
“What Larson is trying to say is that we are going to need all of you to do exactly as you are told, no hesitation or arguing if you want to stay alive,” Hawks said, doing his best take some of the demoralizing edge off Larson’s way of putting things.
Larson extended his hand towards Cheryl, reaching for the shotgun she held. “Hand it over, lady,” he ordered her. “I don’t want to get shot in the back while I am trying to save your sorry butts.”
Cheryl stared at him as if he were stark raving mad.
“She’s keeping her weapon, sir.” Riggs stepped over to the two of them. “And in fact, I want one too.”
Larson looked like he was about to lose his cool. Hawks knew Larson didn’t like being told what to do, despite it being a part of his job. He was used to be in complete command in the field at least of his own squad. Hawks moved to Larson’s side. “Let her keep the gun. I’ll watch out for her.”
Larson shot him a sideways glance. “That lady almost blew your head off, buddy. You’re crazy, you know that right?”
“Which means she won’t be so quick to make that mistake again, right?” Hawks looked over at Cheryl.
“Right,” she said, picking up on the fact that Hawks wanted her to agree with him and it was true. The incident with him had put the fear of God into her.
“See?” Hawks argued. “She’ll be just fine.”
“Fine,” Larson grumbled. “She’s your problem, Hawks. If she shoots you from behind, don’t come crying to me.”
“And what about me?” Riggs demanded.
Larson drew his sidearm, flipping it over in his hand, to offer it to Riggs.
“Thanks,” Riggs said, accepting the weapon and readying it like a pro.
“Now if we’re done here …” Larson gestured towards the door.
“Oh crap,” Larson muttered as he peered around the bend of the corridor leading to the platform’s primary exterior exit.
“How many?” Hawks asked, already knowing what Larson must have seen waiting on them.
“At least two dozen,” Larson said. “They’re not just blocking the door; they’re on the ceiling of the corridor too.”
“Is there another way out?” Larson asked Riggs and Cheryl.
“Sure,” Riggs said, frowning. “If you want to take your chances, either heading down to the lower levels and swim up or make your way back all the way we just came.”
“We have to go through them,” Hawks replied. “It’s the only way.”
“And who knows how many more of those things are waiting for us out on the deck if we do fight our way out?” Hyatt argued. “The fighting will surely draw any of those things left on the platform to it.”
“Actually, according to the last report from the Braxton,” Robbie chimed in, “the main deck out there is pretty clear.”
“Pretty clear?” Larson asked.
Robbie didn’t answer. Instead, he just gave a shrug.
“Your call,” Hawks said to Larson.
“We go through,” Larson said firmly. “Anybody carrying a grenade?”
“I am,” Chuck spoke up.
“Then let’s get this show on the road,” Larson ordered him.
Chuck removed the grenade from one of the pockets of his vest, pulled its pin, and lobbed it into the corridor where the squid creatures were waiting on them.