“I’ll make both digital and physical copies,” she replied. The front section of the tank had four eighteen-inch holes. Two were located on the bottom of the tank and two were located on the top. It looked as if someone had taken a large screwdriver and thrust it into the tank. Between the set of large holes were six smaller four-inch holes. A puzzled look formed on Max’s face. “What?” Ashly asked.
“The layout of the creature’s teeth is not what I was expecting at all,” Max replied in a confused voice.
“What’s so unusual about it?”
“One second,” Max answered. He reached into his tool drawer once again and pulled out a magnifier headband. He put it on and looked at the area behind the larger holes. “This makes no sense,” he said to no one in particular.
“What?” Ashly asked. Max did not answer. He just intently stared at the marks on the tank. “Um, you okay?” Ashly asked, getting a little impatient he was ignoring her.
“Sorry,” Max replied, coming back to reality. “These teeth marks disprove our Nothosaurus theory.”
“What makes you say that?” she wondered. Everyone seemed to agree they were hunting a marine reptile, and it sounded like a good theory to her. She did not know what Max was seeing, but whatever it was seemed to worry him. He also had disregarded the Nothosaurus theory. A theory he had come up with.
“Ashly, can you pull up a picture of a Nothosaurus on the tablet?” Ashly laid the tablet next to the diving tank. A picture of a Nothosaurus skeleton and a CGI image of a Nothosaurus were side by side. “See what’s wrong with the theory?” Max asked. Ashly examined the pictures and the marking. A feeling of frustration started to come over her because she was still not seeing what Max was seeing.
“Honestly, no,” she replied. Max zoomed in on the Nothosaurus’s teeth.
“See the rows and rows of jagged serrated teeth?” Ashly shook her head yes. “Okay, now look at the diving tank. Does the marking on the tank match the Nothosaurus tooth pattern?” A light bulb went off in Ashly’s head. Now she understood what he was seeing.
“You’re right; they don’t match at all.” She now looked as confused as he did. “Do you happen to know what type of dinosaur had teeth like this?”
“None that I’m aware of. These teeth patterns more closely resemble a mammalian species.”
“Okay. What made you jump to that conclusion?” Ashly asked. She was beginning to feel like a student who continually needed to ask the teacher for guidance. Max closed the picture of the CGI Nothosaurus and pulled up a diagram of cat teeth.
“See, there are four canine teeth.” Max pointed to the diagram and then to the marks on the tank. “Between the canines are six smaller teeth called incisors.” Like before, Max pointed to the diagram and then to the sets of smaller holes. A hint of dread filled Ashly’s body. Max was right: things were not making any sense. She was no wildlife expert, but she knew there were no aquatic cats swimming through the ocean. Max stared at the diving tank like it was some type of unsolvable puzzle. His thoughts were racing, trying to figure what type of creature could have done this. The tank was supposed to help solve the mystery, but it was only adding to it. Completely stumped, he hoped that Samuel would have some idea of what type of cryptid they were dealing with.
“Could the creature be some type of giant unknown seal?” Ashly suggested. That was Max’s first thought when he saw the teeth, but again the evidence they had gathered on the creature went against the theory.
“That would be a good guess, but the creature we’re hunting has four feet. Seals have flippers. The only known animal I can even think of comparing this creature to would be the otter, and that has me more than a little worried.” Ashly raised an eyebrow.
“You think dealing with a giant otter is worse than a living dinosaur?”
“Yes,” Max answered in a voice that showed he was not joking with her. “All known aquatic mammals have flippers, while semiaquatic mammals like otters and beavers have webbed feet.” A chill ran down Ashly’s spine.
“You don’t mean.”
“Yes, it’s possible this thing could come on land.”
“This is a strong building, right?” Ashly asked in an uneasy voice, trying not to imagine herself walking outside and getting eaten by the creature.
“Don’t worry, Ashly. We have a fence, and attack dolphins, and guns.” Hearing that made Ashly feel a little better.
“So, what’s next?”
“Let’s pack this stuff up and report our finding to the rest of the team.” A few minutes later everyone was gathered in the living room. Okada and Liz sat on the couch while the others sat in the easy chairs. The furniture was arranged in a circle with a small coffee table in the middle.
“Did your exanimation of the diving suit revile anything new?” Okada asked.
“Actually, it only brought up more questions,” Max replied. “Turns out I was wrong. We’re not dealing with a Nothosaurus.”
“What? I thought you said we were hunting a Nothosaurus,” Liz said, surprised. Max went on to explain his finding in the lab. When he finished, everyone seemed confused. Everyone looked towards Samuel, expecting him to provide an answer.
“I’m afraid I have to admit I’m just as stumped as everyone. The only relevant cryptids I can think of are the Bunyip, the Ahuitzotl, and the Dobhar-chú, but I am convinced none of them are our creature.”
“Care to explain why?” Ashly asked. Without looking at a reference link, Samuel easily stated facts about the cryptids.
“The Bunyip is an Australian cryptid often seen in swampy areas. I believe it to be a prehistoric marsupial. Which means it would not be swimming around in the ocean. There has not been a sighting of the Ahuitzotl since the fifteen-hundreds. The creature is also reported to be the size of a large dog so it would not be destroying boats. The Dobhar-chú is a large otter that hunts in packs.” A feeling of concern started to creep into everyone’s body.
“Samuel, are you telling us we are dealing with a pack of creatures?” Okada asked.
“No, I don’t believe so. The Dobhar-chú is said to live in fresh water lakes and rivers, not salt water oceans. The Dobhar-chú also appears to be an ambush predator, attacking prey near the shorelines. All attacks by our mystery monster have been at sea, and let’s examine our only surviving witness, Mya Kendig.”
“Max will enjoy this,” Liz teased. He and Okada both shot her a glare. Samuel continued.
“I strongly believe that if this creature were a pack hunter, she would have been killed along with her sister.”
“I agree with Samuel’s conclusion,” Max said. Okada had a blank expression—the one he made when he was thinking or about to make a difficult decision.
“We are going to need to conduct a reconnaissance mission to get an accurate idea of what we are dealing with,” Okada said. He hated having to send members of his team out hunting for something that was unknown. He could very well be sending lambs to the slaughter, but this was the price a commander had to pay. Having the responsibility and duty of sending his people out on missions he knew they may never return from.
“Um, do we even have a boat?” Ashly asked. She figured they must, but no one had mentioned anything about it.
“It’s tied at the dock in the dolphin training area,” Max said.
“And it’s not a good one,” Liz added.
“I have to see this for myself,” Ashly said. After walking a short distance, Ashly stared down at the dock. “Um, what is that?” she asked, looking at an orange twenty-two-foot inflatable raft.
“That’s the boat we use for dolphin training and fence repairs,” Max replied.
“Guys, am I the only one who thinks we need something larger and with more firepower if were hunting a sea monster?” Ashly questioned.
“Now that you mention it, I think we are going to need a bigger boat,” Liz said. Ashly pretended to laugh.
“Okay, Liz, can you hook me up with some of your military contacts?” Ash
ly asked.
“Sure,” Liz answered.
“Great. By tomorrow I can have a proper boat here.”
“What did you have in mind?” Max asked. Ashly just smiled.
“It’s going to be my surprise for the team.”
Chapter 23
7:33 AM 04/15/2021 HST
“Alright, everyone. The new boat is here. Please follow me to the dock,” Ashly said. She had just returned from inspecting the new boat and was anxious for her teammates to see it. Everyone stopped what they were doing and followed Ashly. Each of them was looking forward to seeing what type of vessel she had found in such a short period of time. Ashly had spent yesterday evening in her room talking to the contact Liz had given her. The boat had arrived from Oahu earlier that day. The early morning sun was covered by clouds, and a gentle breeze moved across the ocean. When they neared the dock area, Ashly stopped and spoke in a proud voice.
“Alright, everyone, I would like to introduce you to the team’s personal monster-hunting vehicle. A forty-foot-long interceptor craft I’ve named the Barracuda!”
“Nice,” Liz said. Everyone walked up to the boat. The front of the Barracuda had a V shape to it, which connected to a rectangular-shaped hull. A safety rail surrounded the main deck. A hatch was located at the front of the boat. At the back of the boat two light machine guns were mounted on the left and right side. A large cable spool was welded between the guns. The sun came out for a moment, allowing the black paint to sparkle. Several of the dolphins swam around it, wondering what the new object was. Seafin broke the surface and started making clicking noises.
“Nicer than the last one, right?” Max said as he touched the dolphin on the head. “We’re going to start training soon. So, you and the others be ready.” He then gave the command for the dolphin to go back under the water.
“Okay, everyone, climb aboard. I’ll give you the grand tour.” Ashly was proud she managed to acquire the boat for the team. Secretly, she felt like an outsider that had not contributed much to the team’s efforts. Max, Liz, and Okada had worked together for years, and Samuel’s website and knowledge of cryptids had been a great resource for the team. She was the only member who had not made an impact for the team, but getting the boat made her feel like she had finally done something productive. After a tour of the main deck, everyone walked into the cockpit. Three chairs sat in a vertical line to the left of cabin, and two chairs were located at the right of the cabin. The three back chairs had tray tables in front of them with small monitors welded to them. Between the rows of chairs was a small hall that led to a set of stairs. Ashly sat in the driver’s seat, which was the first chair on the right side. In front of her was the control panel, and a monitor was mounted on the right wall. “This baby can reach a top speed of sixty knots. More than fast enough to outrun any sea monster.” She looked at Max for clarification. “Right?”
“I’d say yes, but we are dealing with an unknown species,” he replied. Ashly gave him a look that said thanks for the doom and gloom answer, then got back on topic.
“The Barracuda also comes with state-of-the-art sonar, advanced radar, and GPS system. Each monitor has touch screen technology and is wirelessly hooked up to the internet.” Samuel started to sit down. “No, don’t sit down yet!” Ashly commanded. “I have assigned seats for everyone. Okada, you get the seat behind the driver’s seat. It’s the captain’s seat. Plus, it has the most leg room. Max and Samuel, you get the seats located behind the shotgun seat. Liz, you get shotgun. Liz sat down. Her area was different from the others. It had a much larger monitor and a set of joysticks on the right and left sides.
“Is this for the torpedo launcher?” Liz asked jokingly.
“Unfortunately, no. That controls this.” Ashly turned on the monitor and hit a button on the left joystick. A hatch at the front of the boat opened, revealing twin 12.7mm. heavy machine guns. Ashly moved the right joystick and the machine guns spun around. “The monitor is linked to a camera on the guns. Now to demonstrate how accurate it can fire.” Ashly pointed the gun at the old raft sitting at the dock next to the Barracuda. A yellow square surrounded the vessel. Ashly squeezed the trigger on the left joystick and fired. The sound of gunfire was soon followed by a brief hissing sound.
“Ashly, our dolphins are nearby!” Max yelled.
“Like I said, the computer firing system is nearly one hundred percent accurate. Once the computer locks on to a target, it’s nearly impossible to miss.” Ashly pointed towards the stairs. “Those lead to a small storage area, which we can use to store tools and ammo. Right above the stairs are three gun racks that, Liz, you can fill with whatever you want.” Liz cracked her knuckles. She liked her new toy.
“You created a new monster,” Max said. Liz turned towards him and made a fist. Max made one of his own and banged hers.
“Oh, and I almost forgot to mention: in the event the creature manages to tip the boat, the design of the Barracuda allows it to self-right.”
“What’s this super cool boat made out of?” Liz asked.
“Carbon fiber,” Ashly replied.
“Very impressive,” Okada complimented. He was sitting in his chair, exploring the ship’s systems. Hearing that made Ashly’s day, because she knew Okada did not give compliments unless he meant them.
“Thank you, but I’m not done. I still have one more thing to show you.” On the main deck, Ashly walked over to a smaller hatch located right in front of the main gun hatch. She pulled it opened and dragged out a small robot.
“Good pick, Ashly. I’ve used this model on an expedition in college,” Max said.
“It’s just a robot. What’s it for? Cleaning the ship?” Samuel said, unimpressed.
“Just a robot? Samuel, I present to you, our Marine Surveillance Robot, or MSR-2 for short.” The robot was three feet long and triangular in shape. The body frame of the robot was yellow. The front area that held the camera and the two propellers in the back were blue. “It comes with a built-in 4k camera, 3D scanner, has five hours of battery life, two dimmable lumen lights, and a rescue light for locating it in dark waters. It’s top speed is four knots and has a max depth of three hundred and twenty-six feet.”
“Okay, I have to ask: what happens if it runs out of batteries or gets stuck?” Liz asked.
“That’s what the cable spoil in the back is for. You connect the MSR-2 to the cable, then toss it in the water. If any mechanical issues occur, you reel it in or follow the cable and bring it up manually. I can’t wait to test this baby out!” Ashly said giddily. “Oh, and I almost forgot I made some special modification so it can hold a sonar system, and two light drones to try to lure the creature in.”
“That’s a smart move,” Max complimented.
“Now that we have a boat, we are ready to begin operations. I will contact Tokyo and the Hawaiian Governor to locate an acceptable location to lay our mine trap. Max, Liz. I want the two of you to start training the dolphins for the hypodermic lance plan. In case the mines fail to stop the creature, I want a secondary plan in place. Ashly, Samuel. At dusk you will take the boat and try to locate the creature. Try to collect as much information as you can.” A feeling of dread came over Ashly. Not because she was hunting the monster, but who she was going to be on the boat with.
“Can’t I go with someone I actually get along with?” Ashly begged.
“For once, I agree with Ashly. I don’t know if I trust her driving skills. Plus. I don’t do field work,” Samuel added.
“I know how to drive a boat,” Ashly countered.
“Yes, darling, anyone can drive a boat. The question is can you do it well?”
“Enough,” Okada said. “Ashly, you know that boat and its functions better than anyone. Once the creature is spotted, Samuel will be the best one to determine what it is and what type of behavior to expect from it.”
“Fine,” Ashly said reluctantly. “I’m going to go start planning for the operation.” She jumped on to the dock and headed for the hou
se.
“That is actually a good idea,” Samuel said in agreement. Once Ashly and Samuel were gone, Liz put her elbow on Okada’s shoulder.
“Why did you really put them together?” Liz asked. She knew Okada well enough to know he had other motives in his decision.
“I already explained it,” Okada replied.
“Yes, I know, but I also know you had other reasons.”
“Ashly and Samuel are the only two members of the team that do not get along. Forcing them to work together in a somewhat dangerous situation is the best way to build trust and a team bond.”
“True, but they could also completely turn on each other,” Liz pointed out.
“In that event, they will die.”
“I hope not. I rather enjoy our new boat,” Liz said, kissing him on the cheek.”
Okada smirked a little. Liz, you are too much sometimes, he thought.
Chapter 24
12:14 PM 04/15/2021 HST
Mya was tense and nervous while waiting for Riley to arrive. She had suggested they have lunch before Riley left for her submarine tour, an invitation Riley happily accepted. She was putting the finishing touches on the sandwiches when she heard a tapping at the door.
“It’s unlocked, Riley.”
“Heyyyy, girl!” Riley said in an excited voice. She walked over and hugged Mya. “Only two more hours until I’m in the submarine.” She jumped slightly in excitement. “Thanks for inviting me to lunch, by the way.”
“Hey, I wanted to give you a gourmet meal before your big adventure.” Mya stared down at the food. “Even if it is only turkey sandwiches, fruit, photo chips, and coffee.”
“A girl could not ask for better food,” Riley said, dipping a banana slice in chocolate sauce. “Hey, let’s get a pre-trip picture before we eat.” Riley pulled out her cell phone and placed her arm around Mya’s neck and shoulder. Mya normally made the peace sign and stuck out her tongue playfully for photos, but this time she couldn’t. The situation was hauntingly familiar. She only managed to smile. “Perfect,” Riley said, snapping the photo. Mya picked up a plate.
Depths of Paradise Page 13