Frank Schatzing - The Swarm

He hurried along the passageway and down the stairs to the deck. Fierce vibrations rocked the ship, making it hard to stay upright. He pushed his way unsteadily to the hatch, and was hit by the stench. All of a sudden Lukas Bauer knew what was wrong.

Struggling to the rail, he looked out. The water was seething with bubbles.

There was no swell. No sign of a storm. Just thousands of giant bubbles, surging to the surface.

The boat plummeted again and Bauer toppled over, crashing face first on to the deck. Pain exploded in his skull. When he raised his head, his glasses were broken. Without them he was blind, but he didn't need lenses to know what happened next. The sea rose up and closed over the vessel.

Oh, God, he thought. Oh, dear God, no.

Vancouver Island, Canada

The night was resplendent in deep shades of green. It was a while since Anawak had first started to fall through the shadowy universe, but now a rush of euphoria swept through him, and he stretched out his arms, plummeting downwards like an Icarus of the depths, weightless and elated. He sank deeper and deeper. Something shimmered in the distance below him, a frozen white landscape, and all at once the sombre ocean became a dark night sky.

He was standing at the edge of an icefield, gazing at the deep, still water, with a wealth of stars above him.

He was at peace.

How wonderful it felt to be standing there. In time, an ice floe would form, detaching itself from the frozen water and drifting through the seas, carrying him north to a place where he would be free from the burden of questions. Anawak's chest swelled with longing and tears came into his eyes, dazzling him. He shook his head, dispersing the drops, which scattered over the sea, lighting up its darkness. Something rose towards him from the depths, and the towering water became a figure. It waited for him at a distance, too far for him to follow. Shiny and motionless it stood there, starlight trapped within its surface.

I found them, it said.

The figure had no face and no mouth, but the voice was familiar. He took a step towards it, but he was at the water's edge. A vast and terrifying presence lurked beneath him in the darkness.

What did you find? he asked.

The sound of his voice made him start. The words dropped heavily from his mouth. What the figure had said or maybe thought had sounded noiseless; now his voice shattered the silence that had filled the landscape of ice. Biting cold took hold of him. He looked for the thing in the water, but it was gone.

Surely you don't need to ask? a voice said beside him.

He turned his head and saw the delicate figure of Samantha Crowe, the SETI researcher.

You sound awful, she said. You're fine at everything else, but you need to practise talking.

Sorry, he stammered.

I've found my aliens. Do you remember? We finally made contact. Isn't that great?

Anawak shivered. It didn't seem great to him; in fact, without knowing why, he felt clammy with fear at the thought of Crowe's aliens.

So… who are they? What are they?

The SETI researcher gestured towards the dark water beyond the ice. They're out there, she said. And I think they want to meet you. They like making contact. But you'll have to go and find them.

I can't, said Anawak.

Why ever not?

Anawak stared at the dark, powerful bodies ploughing through the water. There were dozens of them, maybe hundreds. He knew they were there because of him, and realised all at once that they were feeding on his fear.

I-I just can't.

Don't be a coward. Just take a step, Crowe teased him. It's the easiest thing in the world. Think how hard it was for us. We searched the universe to find them.

Anawak's shivering redoubled. He walked up to the edge and looked out. On the horizon, where the black water embraced the sky, a light shone in the distance.

Just go, said Crowe.

I flew here, thought Anawak, through a dark green ocean full of life, and I wasn't afraid. Nothing can happen to me now. The water will bear my weight like solid ground, and I'll reach the light on the strength of my will. Sam's right. It's easy. There's no need to be afraid.

An enormous creature plunged through the water in front of him, and a colossal two-pronged tail tilted up to the stars.

No need to be afraid.

But he had hesitated a moment too long, and he faltered again at the sight of the tail. His will couldn't carry him, and the power of dreams gave way to the force of gravity. Stepping forward, he sank into the sea. Water washed over his head, engulfing him in darkness. He tried to cry out and his mouth filled with water, rushing painfully into his lungs. It pulled him under, although he fought it. His heart was heating wildly, and there was a noise in his head, a droning or hammering…

Anawak sat up and hanged his head against the ceiling. 'Damn.' He groaned.

The hanging was there again. No droning this time, just a gentle tapping, like knuckles on wood. He rolled on to his side and saw Alicia Delaware. She was stooping, peering into his berth. 'Sorry,' she said. 'I didn't know you'd shoot up like that.'

Anawak stared at her. Delaware?

Slowly the memory came back. He knew where he was. Clutching his head, he slumped back on to the bed.

'What time is it?'

'Nine thirty.'

'Shit.'

'You look terrible. Were you having a nightmare?'

'Forget it.'

'How about some coffee?'

'Good idea.' He fingered the spot where he'd hit his head and winced. 'Where's the alarm? I set it for seven.'

'You slept through it – and no wonder, after everything that's happened.' She went through to the kitchenette. 'Where's the-'

'Cupboard on the wall. Left-hand side. Coffee, filter paper, milk and sugar.'

'Are you hungry? I do a great breakfast.'

'No.'

She filled the percolator with water. Anawak dragged himself out of his bunk. 'Don't look round. I've got to get changed.'

'Chill, Leon. I've seen it all before.'

Grimacing, he glanced around for his jeans. They were screwed up in a heap on the bench by the table. Putting them on wasn't easy. He felt dizzy, and his injured leg hurt when he bent it.

'Did John Ford call?' he asked.

'Yeah. A while ago.'

'Oh, for crying out loud…'

'What now?'

'A pensioner could get dressed faster than I can. And why the hell didn't I hear the alarm? I wanted to-'

'Leon, you're a jerk. The day before yesterday you and I were in a plane crash. Your knee's swollen, my brain took a hammering, but so what? We were lucky as hell. We could have been killed, like Danny and the pilot. And all you can do is moan about your stupid alarm. Now, are you ready?'

Anawak dropped down on to the bench. 'Fine. Point taken. What did John have to say?'

'All the data's there, and he's taken a look at the video.'

'It just gets better. And?'

'That's all he said. You're supposed to draw your own conclusions.' She heaped coffee into the filter, slotted it on to the jug and started the machine. After a few seconds the room was filled with slurping sounds. 'I told him you were asleep,' she went on, 'and he said not to wake you.'

'He said what?'

'He said you needed to get better. And he's right.'

'I am better,' said Anawak stubbornly.

But he wasn't sure of it. The DHC-2 had lost its right wing when it collided with the breaching whale. Danny had probably died on the spot – the Whistler hadn't retrieved his body but there was no real doubt. He hadn't got inside in time, which meant the side door had been open when the plane hit the water. That was what had saved Anawak. He'd been thrown out of the cabin on impact. After that his mind was blank. He couldn't even remember what had happened to his knee. He'd come round on the Whistler , brought back to life by the throbbing.