Test Site Horror

by Gustavo Bondoni

  He watched it lift its head slightly, then extend its jaws. It needed water, but received nothing but useless air. It was pissed-off and panicking.

  “Jesus. Hurry up and get it across!” he shouted.

  On the surface platform, Olivia was backing up in shock. Even she had not anticipated that her creation would awaken after just a few minutes. She had instructed her crew to prepare pumps into its mouth upon arrival, which would last at least an hour. But by the looks of it, it wouldn’t need them.

  She thought of its feeding patterns and its increased metabolism. That had to be the cause. Either way, it wouldn’t matter as long as they got it secured in the pen.

  Scar awoke with a vengeance. Now, it was thrashing its entire body like a bass on a fishing line. Only, this fish had enough power in a single swing of its tail to cave in a car.

  The crane whined, the arm juddering uncontrollably. The operator pressed the levers to get the damn thing in. With a massive twist, the shark threw its body downward. Everyone on board the ship and surface platform heard the metal cling of a clip breaking loose. The strap around the shark’s neck fell free.

  With greater range of motion, it swung its upper body. It bit at the air, its gums as red as its eyes. The arm lowered, the hydraulics squealing under the pressure of combined weight and ferocity.

  They heard the snapping of tether and metal, which led to the center strap falling free. It took minimal effort for the third to give way. Scar smashed down onto the pad, its head and tail whipping every which way. Screams filled the air as its caudal fin smacked one of the lab assistants with the report of a gunshot. The impact launched the man right into the hull of the boat, where his skull imploded into red mush.

  The shark could taste the mist of nearby saltwater. It needed to swim as urgently as it needed to feed. Luckily, both were in the same direction. It flapped its body toward the edge, its jaws finding the fallen corpse of the lab tech. Even while suffocating, it didn’t hesitate to sink its teeth into his body.

  “Shut the gate!” Olivia screamed.

  “We can’t!” the operator yelled. “The ship is in the way. We won’t be able to close it.”

  “Captain! Back your ship up!”

  But it was too late. The shark wiggled its body like a snake, then fell head-first over the side. A tremendous splash swept the platform, turning red as it mixed with the assistant’s blood. Olivia never even gave it a glance. She dashed to the edge, just in time to see Scar darting beneath the surface.

  For the first time since she entered the bio-tech lab at nineteen, she was flabbergasted. Back then, she had lost her sponsorship due to a disagreement with a fellow student which, due to bad judgement, turned physical. Only with the grace of another sponsor, was she able to get back into the program.

  This time, her judgement had failed her on predicting the ease of transferring the fish. She had assured the CEO that it would be a simple process, and that his company would thrive based on the research she would present to the board of directors. Now, she may as well have brought him a tub of minnows. She had nothing.

  The crew of both the station and ship stood in stunned silence. All at once, they absorbed the reality of what they had just witnessed.

  Scar had escaped, and was free to roam the ocean—and kill at his leisure!

  SCAR: A Deep Sea Thriller is available from Amazon here!

  Or find more great creature features at www.severedpress.com