Eric Brown - The Kraken Rises

Captain Weaver left the Braxton ’s bridge, taking the shortest path to the medical bay where the two women were waiting on him. They had both checked out as being fine but had remained there anyway helping Dr. Hall with the ship’s wounded as best they could. Though neither of them was truly a medical doctor, both were biologists, and Captain Weaver was sure that Dr. Hall was grateful for their help.

As soon as he entered the medical bay, they came running up to him.

“Is there somewhere we can talk in private?” Cheryl asked.

Captain Weaver motioned them into Dr. Hall’s office and shut the door behind them.

“What’s so urgent?” he demanded.

“Do you want to tell him?” Cheryl asked Dr. Bailey.

Dr. Bailey nodded and then dove into it. “We’ve been going over the reports your crew has filled in the ship’s computer system about the Braxton and DESRON 2’s engagements with the Kraken.”

“And?” Captain Weaver pressed.

“We’ve come to the conclusion that the lesser squid creatures are indeed the Kraken’s spawn and not just a symbiotic-like species acting in its defense,” Cheryl told him.

“I don’t see how that matters?” Captain Weaver shrugged, growing frustrated as he felt his time would be better spent on the Braxton ’s bridge, monitoring the current situation and preparing to face the Kraken again. He had no delusion that Captain Nicholson, however capable the man was, had been able to destroy the monster alone. The Kraken would be coming from them next soon enough.

Dr. Bailey cleared her throat. “Captain Weaver, we believe that the Kraken is a female.”

Captain Weaver was afraid he knew where Dr. Bailey was going and he was right.

“It’s going to reproduce,” Cheryl said.

“If it hasn’t already,” Dr. Bailey added.

“When it does, the number of eggs…” Cheryl paused. “They’ll be enough to change the ecosystem of the Earth’s oceans.”

“One batch of eggs could do that?” Captain Weaver asked.

“When you’re talking about thousands of creatures who will become the top of the food chain with no natural predator to stop their continued growth, yes,” Dr. Bailey assured him.

“I see,” Captain Weaver said, nodding. “And you’re telling me this because?”

“Because you and this ship may be the only thing standing between that monster and utter dominance of the Earth’s oceans,” Cheryl stated.

“Look,” Captain Weaver said, his voice hard, “I understand what you’re saying, but battling sea monsters isn’t my job right now. That thing just wiped out an entire DESRON. And DESRON 2 may have been labeled a DESRON, but she wasn’t a real one. The ships she was composed of weren’t destroyers. They were top-of-the-line battleships. The Kraken ripped through them so easily…”

“We’re not saying it’ll be easy,” Cheryl pointed out. “But if we, you, don’t stop the Kraken, and soon, we’re talking about the fate of the planet here, Captain!”

“She’s right, Captain Weaver,” Dr. Bailey pleaded. “Can you imagine a world where the oceans are no longer mankind’s? And worse, you’ve seen that the lesser squids are amphibious. There’s nothing to prevent them from raiding or even claiming the coastal areas of the continents as their own. If this Kraken spawns a new generation of those lesser creatures, they alone will wreak havoc on this planet like nothing the human race has ever experienced before.”

“And it’s likely among the Kraken’s eggs that there will be offspring that grow to like it as well. Surely, at least one, and that one, in turn, will spawn more until the creatures are multiplying a rate that even with all the technology and weapons the human race won’t have a prayer of stopping them,” Cheryl added.

Captain Weaver ran his fingers through his hair. He was still trying to process everything the two doctors had still told him when Dr. Hall decided to put in his two cents. Dr. Hall had been listening outside the door and opened it now to join them.

“You heard the ladies, Captain,” Dr. Hall said. “No matter the cost, you don’t have a choice. You have to stop this Kraken thing and stop it now.”

“I don’t suppose you brainiacs want to tell me how?” Captain Weaver snarled.

“You’re the warrior, Captain Weaver.” Dr. Bailey spread her hands wide in a show that she deferred to his experience in such matters.

“You should know that we believe the Kraken regenerates like a lizard that can grow back a cut off tail, only at a much accelerated rate,” Cheryl told him. “We’ve been watching what we could of its fight with DESRON 2 through your ship’s systems thanks to Dr. Hall. That’s why the thing is still alive despite all the firepower that has been poured into it.”

“Anything else?” Captain Weaver rasped.

“We think that in order to kill it, whatever you do is going need do so in a single strike. Due to its healing factor, just wounding it won’t work. Instead of bleeding out like a normal animal would, it will simply heal itself,” Dr. Bailey said.

“Great.” Captain Weaver shot them a wry grin, his tone sarcastic. “I’ll get right on figuring out how to kill that thing with a single hit. I imagine a tactical nuke would do the job nicely. Don’t suppose you brought one onboard with you?”

The two women clearly didn’t appreciate his dark humor.

“This is nothing to joke about, Captain,” Cheryl told him. “The fate of the very world perhaps is in your hands.”

“No pressure,” Captain Weaver chuckled darkly. “No pressure at all.”

“You’d best be getting back to the bridge.” Dr. Hall laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’ve got to kill this thing, Captain. You’re the only one who can in time and you know it.”

“Right then.” Captain Weaver nodded and gently removed Dr. Hall’s hand. “Ladies,” he said in parting and left the medical bay. As he walked along the corridor towards the lift that would take him to the bridge, his mind reeled at the staggering magnitude of the task ahead of him. He hoped Ennis would have an idea as for how to kill the Kraken in a single hit because he sure as Hades didn’t.

Captain Weaver stepped onto the bridge, looking around at his crew as he did so.

“Captain on the bridge!” Mr. Smith snapped as he entered.

Ennis leaped out of his command chair, surrendering it to him.

Captain Weaver plopped in the chair and sighed.

“Sir?” Ennis asked. “Is everything okay?”

“No.” Captain Weaver shook his head. He knew his crew was one of the best in the fleet. He trusted them with his life on a daily basis. It just made sense to fill them all in on what lay ahead of them and he did so in short order. When he was done, Ennis was staring at him.

“Killing that thing in a single hit is a pretty dang tall order, sir,” Ennis said, echoing his own thoughts.

“I know,” Captain Weaver replied, “but it sounds like it’s up to us to do it. Even if the long-range comms were working, it’s unlikely any help would arrive in time. If we don’t find a means of stopping this thing, it’s game over for us all.” He said the last part in his best Bill Paxton voice.

“Don’t you think that’s a touch dramatic?” Ennis said.

“You’ve seen those things move about out of the water,” Captain Weaver reminded his XO. “Can you imagine the effect creatures like that will have on fishing, shipping, small coastal towns? My God, man, we’re really talking about the end of the world as we know it if that thing and its spawn aren’t stopped.”

Ennis stared at him in silence. It was Smith who spoke up.

“I think I have an idea, sir,” Smith said, getting up from the weapons station, “but you’re not going to like it.”