Nnedi Okorafor - Lagoon

“What did it say?” Adaora asked, glad to focus on something other than removing her scales. She peeled away a large swatch. It left a patch of fishy-smelling slime on her skin.

“It spoke like a member of that group Greenpeace!”

Adaora laughed, her body aching. “Was it enormous? With spines coming out of its back?”

Hawra nodded.

“That swordfish hates us,” Adaora said.

There was an extra army uniform in a compartment on the boat. After Adaora had slipped into the garments, Hawra helped her to her feet. She was shaky. Air didn’t hold her the way water did.

The President was talking on Femi’s mobile phone. “Have the set ready for when we arrive,” he said. “And make sure I have a change of clothes.”

“Us too,” one of the guards added.

The President nodded. “And, and, bring two army uniforms. Pressed. Crisp. I’m not having these two guys leave my side, even while I am on camera. These guys have kept me alive, o!”

Still leaning on Hawra, Adaora stepped up to Agu, Anthony and Ayodele. They’d been quietly discussing something but she didn’t want to know what. “Is there a plan?” she asked instead.

“We’re going to Tin Can Island,” Agu said. “Trust me, it’s the easiest, safest port to use to get ourselves, and the President, back to land. We need a place that’s safe from the monsters.”

Tin Can Island, a mostly industrial area and one of Lagos’s main cargo ports, took its name from the biscuit tins used to transport mail to and from the island by strong swimmers, who would ferry them to and from passing ships. Vessels couldn’t dock at the island as it had no natural harbor or wharf – only a small creek, whose waters were far shallower than the open waters where the alien ship rested. And because of that, Agu reasoned, if there were beasts there, they wouldn’t be nearly as huge as the ones in the deep.

They heard the gunshots long before they arrived at the island. A mobile phone in Femi’s pocket went off. “Your phone, Mr President,” Femi said, frowning and handing it to the President. The President grabbed it. “What is going on?” he shouted.

He listened and frowned.

He turned to his guards with wide eyes, and then to Agu. “Ssss, sss!” he said, waving a hand at Agu. “Stop the boat! Femi, give me your camera.”

Agu brought them to a halt, as Femi handed it to the President. The President continued to hold the phone to his ear as he fumbled with the camera. “There’s something—”

More gunshots rang out from the island.

“What’s going on?” Adaora shouted. She squinted, barely able to make out a large group of men waiting at the dock. Bang bang bang! She could see a man firing. At the water. Beside the shooter, several men seemed to be trying to drag something out of the water. No , Adaora realized. Some one .

“Please,” Adaora said to the President. “Give me the camera!”

“Why?” the President asked, frowning as he continued fiddling with it. “What do you—”

“Just let me have it!” She snatched it from him and held it up to Femi. “Make it zoom in.”

When he handed it back to her, she held it up. She focused on the men. There was something in the water… and it was trying to drag a man under. Then two red tentacles shot out of the water. One smashed a window of the black car behind them and the other slapped at one of the men. He fell back. Adaora could have sworn she saw blood spatter. More men began shooting into the water.

“Shit!” she screamed, nearly dropping the camera.

The President grabbed it from her just as Femi’s phone buzzed.

“What is going on?” the President shouted into the phone.

“There’s something in the water, attacking them,” Adaora said.

“Oh Jesu Christi,” one of the guards moaned. “Will we never get out of this infested water?”

“We will, cousin, we will,” the other guard said.

“Are you people stupid? Stay away from the water!” the President shouted into his phone. There were tears in his wild eyes.

“I think it’s some sort of octopus or squid, “Adaora said.

“ Chale , those things are smart,” Anthony said. Adaora had been thinking the same thing. Cephalopods were the smartest invertebrates on earth. One that was alien-enhanced… those men didn’t stand a chance.

“Ten men? You let it… oh my God.” The President sat down on the floor of the boat, the phone pressed to his ear. “Oh my God. OK… yes, save them.”

The boat started moving. The President turned to Agu. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m not letting more soldiers die,” Agu said. “I’m getting us close enough for me to swim to them.”

“Why’d they station themselves right in front of the water?” the President moaned. Hawra sat beside him, her arm around his shoulder. “It got ten of them before they realized what was happening.”

“I will go, too,” Anthony said.

Adaora hesitated. Agu had super strength, Anthony had his rhythm. But she could levitate, walk on water and protect herself with a force field. If she got into the water, would she grow her fin back?

“It will kill you both,” Ayodele said. “I will go.”

Again, she jumped into the water before anyone could protest. Agu pushed the boat faster. He had a bad feeling about what was about to happen. When no one argued, it was clear that he wasn’t the only one who felt it.

Finally they were close enough that they could see what was happening perfectly. There was a body floating in the water. Some soldiers were behind a black car, firing wildly. Others were standing on the dock at the edge of the creek, screaming and shooting. As they drew into view, some yelled at them; a few frantically waved them away.

When the boat was less than ten yards away from the island, a deep moan came from beneath the water. And then it surfaced. The monster was a bundle of slimy red tentacles, ridged with horrible black, bony spokes. The tentacle ball tumbled and rolled on the surface of the water and then parted to reveal an enormous, gaping, pink, parrot-like beak. Adaora had to tense every part of her body to keep herself from screaming. The creature’s beak snapped opened and shut. And then it plunged back beneath the water and disappeared.

All was silent as they stared at where the monster had been and now was not. They waited, but it didn’t return. The water rippled gently, and then was still. The soldiers on land slowly stood back from the edge of the dock. The others emerged from behind the car.

Adaora leaned over the side of the boat. “What did she… ?”

“Ayodele!” Agu called.

The boat bumped softly against the dock and everyone jumped off except Adaora, Anthony and Agu. They leaned over the side, looking into the water. Femi jogged toward the soldiers, who were also watching the water. He was taking pictures as he approached, saying, “Gentlemen! Hello! Excuse me, can I ask you some questions? I am with the press…”

“This way, Mr President,” one of the soldiers said, leading the President to the black car. “Sorry about the window.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the President said, clasping Hawra’s hand as they walked. “We saw everything.”

“What of the others?” Hawra said, looking back.

“They’re coming,” the President replied.

“No, they’re not.” Hawra pulled her hand away.

Adaora knew the creature was gone. Had it eaten Ayodele and thus been satisfied? Adaora whipped around, her head pounding. Too much. Too fast. There she was. Ayodele was pulling herself onto the far side of the dock, a hundred feet away. Right in front of the soldiers. Adaora felt relief flood her body. Then she saw one of the soldiers roughly grab Ayodele by the arm and yank her onto the concrete, bring his huge booted foot back and, with all his might, kick her squarely in the side.