Eric Brown: The Kraken Rises

“I thought you said they were squids,” Riggs spoke up.

“No,” Cheryl answered. “We said they looked like squids. They’re not though. There’s not a squid alive today that could do that kind of damage to the X-29.”

“But we’re not really talking about today, are we?” Dixon reminded her.

“Whatever these things might be, Chief Dixon, they’re not what Thomas was after in the trench,” Cheryl said firmly.

“I know,” Dixon said, scowling. “Doesn’t make me feel any better. In fact, it worries the holy hell out of me.”

“I can tell you think these squid creatures and what Thomas was after are connected somehow, but I’m not sure that’s a leap we can make without more evidence,” Cheryl argued.

“I don’t suppose it matters.” Dixon sighed. “What does matter is how we’re going deal with this mess. We have less than two days to pick up and then we’re out of here. Two days can be a long time though. There’s no reason to think those creatures won’t come after this platform next.”

“There’s no reason to think that will either.” Cheryl looked out at the water in the direction of the trench. “Most likely, they’re territorial and were protecting their home. It’s unlikely that they will leave the area surrounding the trench. We’ve been out here for nearly six months and haven’t experienced a single encounter with them until now.”

“Yeah, well, you said that whatever Thomas was after was, how did you put it, asleep. Why couldn’t these things have been asleep too?” Dixon asked.

“And you believe the X-29’s intrusion into the trench woke them up?” Cheryl shot back at him. “You’re not an expert on sea life, Chief Dixon. Don’t pretend to be one.”

“I’m a guy who listens to his gut, ma’am, and right now, it’s telling me we’re in a world of trouble.” Dixon looked to Hank for support. Hank was the only other security officer on the platform and the two of them had worked together for a long time. They had been through some scary, messed-up, and dangerous crap before but nothing like what they could be facing with the squids out there.

“I understand the need for caution, Chief Dixon,” Cheryl said. “I really do. I think you’re overreacting, however. As long as we don’t send anyone else to the trench and keep out of the water, I just don’t honestly see how those creatures could be a real threat to us.”

“I hope you’re right,” Dixon told her. “We need to play this safe though, and that means Hank and I will be staying armed at all times. I want Gary and Rita armed as well. Wouldn’t hurt to hand out weapons to Brandon and Nathan too. All of them can handle themselves and have at least some training.”

“That’s a lot of armed people, Dixon.” Cheryl’s voice was tense and Dixon knew he was on the edge of pushing her too far.

“We’ll establish rotating watch up here,” Dixon continued. “And whoever is on comm. duty inside will need to keep an eye out with the platform’s sensors too.”

Seeing Cheryl was on the verge of exploding at him, Dixon tried to head it off. “Look, ma’am, having a few people armed and exercising some caution isn’t going to hurt anything. If I am wrong, doing that much doesn’t cost us anything. It won’t even look bad in your reports. If I am right though, that those things could be a threat to this platform, the things I am suggesting just might save all our lives.”

“Fine,” Cheryl consented. “I still think you’re overreacting though. We’ll have a briefing tonight so that everyone knows what’s happening with this situation and how we’re dealing with it.”

“I think that’s a fantastic idea, ma’am.” Dixon smiled. “Hank can take the first watch alone since he’s already in the ‘know.’ Gary and Rita can relieve him after the meeting.”

The called briefing took place at shortly after 5 PM. The crew of the Alpha One Platform gathered in its mess hall. Brandon and Nathan kept to the rear of the large room with Louis. Cheryl and Dixon stood at its front. Riggs sat with Bailey, McCloud, and Rita, while Gary sat alone, nursing a steaming mug of coffee at a table near theirs. Only Hank and Peterson were absent. Someone had to remain on duty at the platform’s comm. station and Peterson had volunteered for the job. He was already better informed about what was happening than most of the others.

Before Dixon and Cheryl could get started, Bailey called out, “Is it true then? Are Thomas and Pitts really dead?”

At her question, the others in the mess hall all fell silent, listening, and waiting to hear Dixon’s response.

“We have to assume so,” Dixon answered. “The X-29 was empty when Louis and the rescue team brought it home.”

“There was no sign of them in the water,” Louis chimed in to confirm what he was saying.

“What happened out there?” Bailey asked. “Thomas was so sure that he had found something truly special in that trench. Did he?”

“We don’t know,” Cheryl answered, taking the question herself. “You know as well as I do, Bailey, that the creatures we all just watched in the video Dixon played weren’t what he was after.”

Bailey was a marine biologist like Cheryl and Thomas. She and Thomas had grown to be close friends during their time together on the Alpha One Platform. Her eyes were red from tears at the news of Thomas’ fate but those tears must have been shed earlier because right now she was as professional as ever. “I saw the creatures, Cheryl. I know that they weren’t what he was after, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t find it. Something I don’t get though is why you’re so ready to dismiss these creatures as being unconnected to the lifeform that Thomas went into that trench after.”

“Thomas showed you the data had on the thing in the trench, Bailey. I know he did. The lifeform he was hunting had to be enormous and ancient. Those things that attacked the X-29 don’t appear to be either,” Cheryl pointed out.

Bailey shook her head. “You have no evidence as to their age or where they came from. Did you ever stop to think that maybe they’re this lifeform’s offspring, or that maybe they’re a part of how it defends itself while in its dormant state?”

Dixon saw Cheryl blink. It looked as if Bailey had brought up something Cheryl hadn’t considered or didn’t want to consider.

“Doctors!” Dixon cut in, overpowering the two of them with his booming voice that echoed in the mess hall. “There’s no reason for us to be at each other’s throats over this. What we need to be focusing on is how to keep this platform safe if those squid things are a threat.”

“Tell him,” Bailey suddenly demanded. “I know you saw it too.”

“Saw what?” Dixon asked, confused.

“The tentacles on those things,” Gary jumped into the conversation. Gary shot a glance at Bailey and said, “I saw them too.”

“Great.” Dixon clinched his fists at his sides trying to keep his temper under control. “Anyone want to clue me in?”

“They’re not normal,” Gary said. “They look to be the biological version of weapons, but even more than that, based on what little we can tell from the video, they have features that indicate they could be used as either arms or legs as needed.”

“I don’t understand,” Dixon admitted. “What does that mean, blast it?”

It was Cheryl who answered. “It means they appear as if they could be used to walk on land or perhaps even climb with.”

Cheryl’s words hit him like a blow to the stomach and left his mind reeling. Dixon was silent for a moment while he processed them.

“But that’s all just speculation,” Cheryl blurted out. “The images on that video are badly distorted and appearance of something isn’t definitive that it really does serve the purpose it appears to.”