by Greig Beck
Rhino looked at each of them, trying to detect someone stifling a laugh. He turned his attention to Hagel. “What the fuck happened to it?”
Hagel waved him away. “I was scouting and didn’t see nothin’. When did you last have it – the caves? Betting that’s where it still is.”
“No, asshole, I had it right here.” Rhino pointed at the ground.
Blake also spun one way and the next. “Holy shit, where’s mine?”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Casey marched over, and looked from Blake to Rhino, and then to Hagel. “You were on watch, what the hell happened?”
“Like I said,” Hagel spoke slowly. “I saw nothin’.” He shrugged. “I just went to scout for a few minutes, is all. But there was no sound, no movement – nuuu-thing.”
Aimee pointed at the lichen matting behind Rhino. “Look.”
There was a small, flattened path in the plants. Its edges glistened like a snail trial, and Aimee bent closer and sniffed.
“Ammonia.” She straightened. “We had a visit.”
“What?” Casey’s eyes bulged. “Here? It came in here?”
“Bullshit,” said Blake. “Why didn’t it grab us all, when we were out cold?” He pointed with his thumb. “And all while this jackass was off the reservation.”
Aimee wrapped her arms around herself, thinking. “Because it didn’t want to.”
“Huh?” Blake’s lip curled in confusion.
“It didn’t want to.” She looked up. “It’s having too much fun. You asked me what I meant by us educating it. Well, it learned real quick that these things,” – she pointed at the HAWCs’ remaining guns – “cause it pain.”
“So, it’s taking them from us,” Ben Jackson said, running a hand through his hair.
She grimaced, looking around. “It’s here, somewhere, probably watching us right now.”
The silence stretched as they turned, looking over their shoulders. Soong instinctively edged in closer to the group.
“That’s bullshit,” Casey finally said, her face red and furious.
“Nah, it’s not.” Hagel had his gun now cradled in his arms. “It’s what I was trying to tell you, Franks. You better come take a look at this.” He turned and waved them on, heading into the jungle.
“Gear up, we’re out of here,” Casey said, following.
*
“Remember our young scout who did the high-dive?” Hagel looked slightly amused.
“You found Dawkins?” Casey’s brows shot up.
“Maybe.” Hagel shrugged, a touch of a sneer in his smile. “You be the judge.”
He came to a fallen bough and crouched behind it. Casey did the same beside him. Hagel looked to Casey, grinning. “Ten o’clock, five up.”
She turned to the small clearing ahead. In among the twisted branches and oversized vines, there was a tree stump as thick as her waist. Five feet up, its top was near flat, creating a small tabletop. On it there was a smaller object. From the distance, it gleamed wetly.
She put a scope to her eye. “Jesus Christ.” Her teeth came together, and her lips curled in a snarl.
It was a skull, wet, streaked red, and also white where bone showed through the last vestiges of flesh.
Casey quickly turned to speak over her shoulder. “Keep ’em back, Rhino.”
The big HAWC held out massive arms to push the remaining McMurdo soldiers, plus Soong and Aimee back a pace.
Casey turned towards the grisly trophy and grimaced. The skull had a chipped front tooth.
“Could be Dawkins; got that same boyish smile.” Hagel sniggered. “I’m not thinking the fall did that to him … what do you think?”
“That’s him.” Casey tried to keep her breathing calm, but a range of emotions washed over her. Anger gave way to frustration, and then settled in as confusion. Who or whatever it was, it was dogging them, one step ahead all the time. She had never felt more out of her depth. Fuck that Dempsey, she thought. Getting himself killed, he was supposed to be making the decisions. She licked dry lips. What would Alex or Sam do? she wondered.
“Hey, you still here?” Hagel whispered.
“Yeah,” she said, and knew exactly what Alex would say. He’d tell her to fight her adversary at a time and place of her choosing, not its. She pulled back. In the caves, Rhino had been right about one thing – someone or something sure was fucking with them.
“You think it’s the Chinese, or like the Doc says, it’s that fucking monster thing playing with us?” He leaned closer. “What do you think? Can’t fight what we can’t see.”
“What I think, is from now on, we need eyes in the back of our heads.” She got to her feet, staying low. “We detour around it, and keep permanent watch. You’re still on point.”
“Nice time to be losing weapons, huh, boss?” Hagel grinned as he pulled back.
CHAPTER 42
Time: 12 hours 05 minutes 12 seconds until fleet convergence
Sam Reid slowed as he topped the rise, gazing down onto the Ellsworth base. It was much like he expected – a few prefabricated igloos joined by some boxes. Not much shelter for the coming cold, but the occupants were here to do science, not enjoy a winter holiday, he guessed.
Just out to the side, there stood the mini-submersible’s launch silo, snow covered and empty now. Sam shook his head. Only Alex Hunter would try something so crazy, he thought.
He powered down the slope, heading for the main building. Just as he reached for the handle it was pulled inward by a small bearded man. He first looked straight ahead, directly into Sam’s armored chest, then his eyes moved slowly up, towards Sam’s head. Sam telescoped the facial shielding back into his collar and leaned forward.
“You ordered pizza? Hey …” The man’s eyes rolled and he fell back. Sam shot out an arm to grab him. “I gotcha.” He helped him upright again. “I’m Sam Reid, and I’m here to help.”
The still speechless man led him inside, and at the main room, Sam had to duck down and turn sideways to enter. The Ellsworth group of scientists sat in a circle, their backs to multiple consoles and control panels. They all sat mute with folded arms, or tugging at straggly beards. For the most part, their gazes were firmly fixed on the ground, each man lost in his own thoughts. The sudden appearance of Sam had every mouth dropping open. They seemed in shock.
Only one man stayed at his console with his back turned as he typed away. He was furiously shaking his head. “I told you, I told all of you, that letting that Yank hijack our probe would crash Orca.” He banged at more keys, continuing to mutter.
“Uh, Bentley?” One of the team members still had his eyes on Sam, but reached out an arm to tug the mutterer’s sleeve. The man ignored it, and kept up his cursing complaints.
“Did anyone back me up? No-ooo.” Bentley straightened in his seat. “I’m not one to say, I told you so … but, I bleedin’ well told you so.” He threw his hands up, and spun. “Worst – day – of my – fucking life.” He froze, staring.
Sam in the MECH suit probably stood close to seven feet tall. In the warmth of the cabin the snow had melted on him, and the liquid runoff on his external armor carried with it some blood.
One of the scientists cleared his throat. “Hello. We are from earth. Please don’t kill us.”
Sam grinned and held up one huge hand. “Me too. I’m First Lieutenant Samuel Reid, Special Forces. I’m here to help and for your protection.”
“No thanks,” Bentley said, wiping a long, thin nose. “We’re not a military base … and certainly not a US one. We’re not obligated to work with you.”
Sam smiled, knowing that their major funder, GBR, was owned by the US military. He’d hold that revelation back for now. “You already did, by sending one of our operatives under the ice.” He pointed over his shoulder with a thumb. “From out there. I’m here for an update.”
The man who had led him in edged around in front of him. “I’m Dr. Sulley, and from left to right, are doctors Timms, Schmidt, and Bentley.”
Sulley scoffed. “Give it a rest, Bent. You’re still young, I’m sure you’ll have plenty worse days to come.” He chuckled softly, but held up a hand when Bentley shot a volcanic glare on him.
Bentley turned back to Sam, folding his arms. “I’d introduce you to our team leader, but the Yank, your friend, took her down in the probe.”
Sam’s brows rose near imperceptibly. He doubted this would have been Alex’s choice. “Where are they now?”
Schmidt frowned. “Wait a minute, Lieutenant, what did you mean you were here for our protection? What does that mean?”
Sam hesitated for only a second. “Look, time is short, and what I tell you now is classified. Less than an hour ago, the McMurdo base was attacked by Chinese Special Forces. We successfully … subdued them. There is also a Chinese destroyer off the Antarctic coast, and more warships on the way – theirs and ours.” He looked at each man. “There is a possibility they may come here next. Gentlemen, things are getting real hot down on the ice.”
“What? Why?” Timms got to his feet. “What did we miss?”
“Actually, it was what you didn’t miss that started all this.” Sam smiled, and tried to radiate calm to the men. “That tiny signal you first detected coming from under the ice, well, it’s a missing submarine – ours. The Chinese want it. But we don’t intend to let them get it.”
Timms scoffed. “Oh fuck off, that underlying signal we thought was just a background distortion? Are you’re telling us it was a submarine, under the ice?” He put his hands to his temples. “Boom, head explosion.”
Sulley’s lips had been pressed tight. “Hey, Lieutenant Reid, ah, why would the Chinese come here?”
Sam grinned and pointed to the wall in front of the probe launcher. “Seems we are now in a partnership to get down there first.” He laughed at the looks they gave each other.
Bentley rubbed his hands up through his hair and muttered curses.
“So, where are they now?” Sam asked. “We don’t have much time.”
Bentley sat back and then turned around to his console. “Dead, most likely.”
Sam felt the first flame of anger, but swallowed it down. “That’s not what I asked you.”
Sulley grimaced. “Sorry, but it’s probably true, Lieutenant. Orca, the probe, was never designed to carry passengers. Our data showed us that the drop to the water’s surface was 220 feet. The impact force would have been like a car crash. Orca survived and launched, but we doubt anything biological would have survived.”
Sam titled his head. “But the probe survived … and was sending you signals?”
“Sure, signals, environmental and visual data,” Sulley said.
“Show me. Show me everything.” Sam came closer.
“Sure.” Sulley spun, his hands flying over the keyboards, twisting dials and then retrieving video and other data from the submersible’s short voyage.
“Orca was designed to see, hear, and taste the subterranean environment.” Sulley spoke over his shoulder as he called up the probe’s images. “You know, he has the same amount of inbuilt capabilities as an orbiting satellite – probably more.” He turned and grinned. “We did that.”
Sam nodded. “And the probe was undamaged?”
“Well, mostly,” Sulley said. “It didn’t operate as expected, maneuverability went a bit wonky, and then we lost it at the end.” He sighed. “Lost it, or had it taken, more like it. There was something else down there, something very big and very pissed off.”
He reran the footage and Sam watched closely. The film started in near total blackness as the probe launched into the subterranean sea. The resolution was adjusted, and then improved, to show specks of light floating around them. At the periphery, Sam could see larger shapes pass in and out of the cone of light.
“Goes on like this for a while.” Sulley sped it up, the duration counter at the bottom of the screen spinning numbers. “Here.” He slowed it to normal speed again.
In another second or two, the submersible seemed to slide sideways in the water.
“And this is where it gets freaky,” Timms said, standing behind Sulley.
Orca suddenly changed direction, nose up, rushing to the surface. It breached, and Sam’s brows went up. The cavern was enormous and bathed in a soft blue twilight. Sulley leaned around in front of him, pointing to the floor at their feet.
“That’s 2.55 miles right below us. Incredible, huh?”
“Incredible,” Sam repeated, his eyes glued to the small screen.
“A-aaand, enter the leviathan,” Bentley said ominously.
A few dozen feet out from Orca, a striped island appeared and then glided closer. The underwater shot showed a massive head turning side-on, and a gigantic round eye that studied them intently for a second or two, before the thing glided off to the right.
“Holy shit.” Sam leaned back. “What the hell was that?”
“Don’t know,” Bentley said. “Big predator. Our computer estimated it to be about sixty feet in length.” He chuckled. “Guess you just can’t plan for everything.”
The probe then dived, sharply, suddenly speeding up and continuing on down into the dark depths, until a darker cave, lined with conical teeth, rushed up to meet it. The film blacked out.
“Jesus.” Sam exhaled. “That’s it?”
“Yes and no. Orca is pretty tough, and he’s still operational. But we think it’s busted up pretty bad, and maybe, just maybe, it has beached itself somewhere. My instincts tell me that Orca can hear us, but doesn’t have the power to respond.” Bentley eased back in his chair.
Sam sat staring at the dark screen for several more seconds. “Sulley, show me the thing again … where it came to the surface.”
Sulley’s fingers rippled over the keyboard as he rapidly skipped the footage backwards, until the twilight blue surface was in frame. “Here we go.”
“Slow it down.” Sam leaned in close, watching as the thing glided in front of the camera. Its huge orb of an eye hung in-frame. “Freeze that.” He squinted. “Can you increase magnification, and tidy it up?”
“Sure.” Sulley enlarged the image. The eye filled the screen, but was now blurry. The scientist then tapped keys, using a resolution algorithm in the software to sharpen the focus. His mouth dropped open.
“Oh my god.” He leaned back. “Hey, you guys check this out.”
Sam folded his arms. “What’s a mere 220 foot drop to a HAWC?” He grinned at the screen.
In the center of the massive eye, in its soulless black pupil, was a reflection. It showed the glow of Orca’s nose-cone light, and just visible behind it were two diver-masked heads, one looking directly at them, and another facing away.
“They’re alive.” Timms clapped his hands. “Hey, Bentley, best day of your life, right?” He whooped.
Bentley gave him a brief, tight-lipped smile. “That doesn’t really mean anything … now. Orca was wrecked by that thing. If Cate and the Yank were hanging onto it, what do you think happened to them?”
“You’re not really a glass half full kinda guy, are you?” Sam got to his feet, filling the room. He hated hearing Bentley’s snide tone, but hated even more that the man was probably right. Whatever that thing was, being in the water with it was a death sentence – even for someone like the Arcadian. He drew in a deep breath and pushed the morbid thoughts away, staring down at the man.
“You know who one of my favorite military leaders is, Dr. Bentley? It’s this funny looking little Brit guy called Winston Churchill. Gave a rousing little speech one day about never surrendering.”
Timms saluted, and put on a mock voice. “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
Sam leaned forward, Bentley shrinking back. “I’d like to see a little of
that fighting spirit now.” He straightened. “Alex Hunter wouldn’t surrender, doesn’t know how. It’s not in his DNA. To him, it’s fight or die.” His eyes bored into Bentley’s. “Tell me, why can’t that probe operate?”
“Maybe it can, in parts,” Schmidt answered quickly. “Probably busted up real bad, and the battery is at only ten percent strength – that’s bad. But we still have contact, so that’s good.”
Sam folded massive arms, thinking. He began to pace for a moment, the floor creaking underneath him. He stopped and turned. “You’re running all of the applications and processes concurrently, aren’t you?”
Sulley nodded. “Yeah, most of them. Some we rest, but others are constant background apps. We need them to be that way, so …”
“Shut them down,” Sam said evenly.
There were confused looks and Schmidt sat stroking his beard for a second or two. He suddenly spun to do some quick calculations on his screen. He turned back, eyebrows raised.
“You know, we haven’t tried that. I mean, chemical analysis alone used about ten percent of the battery. Shutting down all non-essentials, might, just might, give us enough kick to get vision back and also pull us into the water.”
Nods and murmurs from Timms and Sulley.
Bentley folded his arms tight. “Great, if we can shut down anything of scientific value we just might have the world’s most expensive underwater camera.”
“Better than nothing. What have you got now?” Sam waited.
Schmidt looked across to Timms. “Do it.”
Timms nodded, his fingers dancing over his console. “Shutting down magnetic resonance imaging, shutting down gyroscope,” – panels went from green to red on his screen – “shutting down environmental sampling, biological sampling, chemical analysis, depth telemetry, sonar …”
“No, leave that one for now,” Schmidt said. “We’ll also need ears once we’re in the water.” He shrugged. “Got to see and hear what’s coming.”
Timms continued switching off applications for a few more seconds before sitting back. “Batteries now up at forty percent – good as it’s going to get.”