Monday, July 23, 2018

That is not dead which can eternally lie ... (Part One: RV Sally Ride)

"To Federated Boeing, the land and mineral rights to the volcanic island that will erupt 301 kilometers due west of Petrolia on October 3, 2060." Dunkelzahn's Will

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October 2nd, 2060
2217 hours, operational area local time


The ship before us was dark on the water.  The only sounds were waves slapping against her hull and a bubbling noise raising out of the unusually warm waters of the Pacific. The sea was bubbling as gases escaped the surging seafloor below. I swam along the surface, my eyes on the floating ship before me.

Two years prior I had woven several spells into myself.  I had a spell continuously running (via a self-sustaining mana loop, what some magical scholars call 'quickening') which oxygenated my blood and allowed me to effectively breath underwater; a spell that allowed me to see underwater (though it worked by removing the water from my vision so I saw things as if they were floating in air); spells that enhanced my physical strength, speed, and toughness; as well as spells that detected ghouls, vampires, and other less than friendly creatures.  Ahead of me the ship RV Sally Ride, formerly a commissioned vessel of the old U.S. Navy, floated amid algae and a curious school of jellyfish.  When the Navy had been divided between the UCAS and the CAS, RV Sally Ride was sold off to private interests and eventually ended up in the hands of Federated Boeing.

"Machine, I've got no wireless signal from the float.  Sonar is picking up a rapidly rising sea floor and an increase in biological signals in the area." Simon's voice was soft in my ear.  He was whispering in spite of himself being half a kilometer away in the mini-sub.  "Sea floor has movement all over the place.  Likely its the shifting tectonics moving debris along."

I looked down and saw schools of fish, jellyfish and shifting darkness as the sea floor was below the range of my spell enhanced senses.  The water was deep here, and many people had scoffed at the note in Dunkelzahn's will concerning an island he claimed would appear tomorrow.  The sea floor had been charted at 1400 meters a year prior and was measured by sonar sounding at 800 meters just two days ago.  We were there to snoop, collect information, and basically just see what the hell was happening with this island that was rising from the deep right on time for the Big D's prophesy.

"Simon, are you getting any cell signals from the crew?  Or any sub-surface contact for divers or hydrophone?" I was whispering because I was less than fifty meters from the ship and wanted to make certain I wasn't overheard by a surveillance drone or security sensor.  Nothing appeared to be moving on the deck.

"Diving at night isn't too smart unless you've got something to hide." Jazz offered up.

"Nothing.  No engine noise from the Sally Ride.  Her EM signature is almost zero.  I'd be surprised if a toaster were plugged in over there."  Simon sounded certain and the decker had been solid so far.  I would have felt better if Angel had been the one relaying the news but Simon hadn't earned that level of confidence yet.  He was good, there was no doubt about that, but he wasn't in her league.

"Okay, Zero surface and lets get an uplink to Control for this.  Everyone fall back to the mini."  I dove down to about five meters under the surface and kicked my way toward the sub.  Around me the weapon specialists wore thermal dampening wet suits and scuba rigs.  Creep was in the mini-sub as he couldn't swim.

"Copy that.  Surface in two minutes, uplink one minute after that." Zero replied.

"I've got zero surface contacts, nothing subsurface beyond the biologicals and the seafloor churning." Simon called out.

The weapon specialists called out in sequence. All accounted for and no one saw anything other than sea life.  We made contact with the mini sub as it surfaced, taking hand holds to stay together. I took a hand hold next to Taz and waited.

"Uplink is good, strong signal." Simon reported.

"Control this is Machine." I started. "We are on site and have suspiciously little activity.  Vessel appears to have had some form of system failure, no crew have been observed on deck, no signal from vessel.  Sea floor is rising steadily. No sign of other actors. Please advise."

"Please confirm. You say you have no visual on crew?" Samantha Goode's voice was as controlled as ever.  The hint of a question in her voice gave away nothing.

"Affirmative. No contact.  Simon, report sensor results." I replied.

"Uploading last thirty minutes of sensor logs now." Simon answered.

Samantha's voice came back over the comm a moment. "We're receiving your data.  Signal the Sally Ride, see if they need assistance.  If you don't get a reply, board the ship and determine what's going on."

"Received and understood. Simon, give me a channel they can hear."  In the mini-sub Simon was busying himself with sensors and communications while Zero controlled the small vessel.  Creep would be standing by for astral defense and to counter any awakened wildlife we might run afoul of.  I didn't have to wait long.

"Machine, your on Channel 6 at 156.3 megahertz.  Go for broadcast." Simon whispered.

"Sally Ride, Sally Ride this is Captain Charles Thomas of the submarine 'Peanut' do you require assistance?"  I tried to sound as professional as possible but had no idea how sailors communicated to each other.  Beside me Taz shrugged his shoulders and fiddled with his respirator.

Silence greeted me over the channel.

"Sally Ride, Sally Ride this is Captain Charles Thomas of the submarine 'Peanut' do you require assistance?"  I repeated my call and was again greeted by silence.  I muted the channel and switched back to the uplink with Control. "No response from Sally Ride."

"Board vessel, determine what is happening.  Provide assistance as needed, force is authorized for self-defense only." Samantha's reply was reassuring. We were here to snoop, not bloody people up.

"Confirmed.  Simon feed comm to the uplink. Taz, you're with me.  Everyone else, give us one hundred meters of lead then follow in pairs.  Jazz, you're drag."  Taz and I swam out toward the research vessel.  Two hundred thirty-eight feet of ship loomed darkly before us.  Taz and I came within fifty meters and I called out at the top of my lungs. "SALLY RIDE, CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?"

The only response was the sound of water slapping against her hull.

"I don't think they're home." Taz offered.

"We're going up. Don't freak out." I told him.  The water elemental rose from beneath us, lifting us in a column of sea water.  We were five meters above the surface and could see the deck at the bow of the ship. "Sally Ride, permission to come aboard?"  When no one replied I had the elemental deposit Taz and I onto the ship.

"Control, we're on board.  No contact."  I moved up toward the aft end of the ship in the darkness.  No one challenged us.  "ANYONE HERE?" I called out.   Again I was greeted with silence.

The Sally Ride suddenly pitched to starboard and I was thrown off my feet to crash down to the deck.  I saw sea foam splash as the ship righted and smelled a rotten fishy smell mingled with the stench of rotten eggs.

"Machine, the sea floor just buckled up another five meters.  Water temp is up two degrees locally.  I'm seeing a LOT of motion on the sea floor."  Simon sounded surprise.

"Damnit! This ship is right over the hot spot.  Machine, she needs to move." Taz said urgently.

"Machine, this is Control.  Proceed to the bridge, see if you can get her underway."  Samantha's voice was as calm as always. "Be advised, we've notified the CFS Coast Guard and are awaiting their response."

"Understood. Team is still boarding the vessel, we'll see if we can get her moving." I replied.  It took me almost two minutes to reach the bridge.  The exterior door was locked and the plexiglass encompassing the bridge was a mess of impact fractures and cracks.  "Control, are you seeing this?"

"I see it Machine. Proceed with caution." She replied.

"No drek." I thought to myself.  Over the comm I said, "Taz, I need a hand.  Get this door open." I cast my gaze about in the darkness, my spell enhanced sight showed me a barren deck and my team climbing up on the aft diving deck.

Taz put his shoulder to the door, and the door held. "What the hell?" Taz exclaimed.

"Cut it, we don't have time to wonder."  I told him.

Taz took the monomolecular knife from his belt and forced it into the seem of the door.  He sawed against the frame and I heard something snap.  "It's no good Machine. This door is fixed tight." Taz showed me the broken blade of his knife, a look of consternation on his face.

I opened my astral sight and looked at the door. Magic hummed through the door and the surrounding walls.  I saw astral echoes of long tentacles that wrapped around the bridge and struggled against the bulkhead.  The plexi had cracked and splintered under the force but it hadn't failed completely.  The magic on the door was reinforcing the bridge and door and its lock were strong enough to keep us out.

"Control, I'm seeing signs here.  Astral after images of what looks like an attack by a paracritter.  Magic is reinforcing the bulkhead and door. I'm going to crack it now." I raised my hands and began the counterspell.  "Implicata magicae.  Arese ditri su." I watched as the mana woven along the bulkhead and door unraveled.  The plexiglass windows of the bridge collapsed in small shards exposing the control center of the ship.

Taz moved onto the bridge like a shadow. His feet somehow avoiding the fragments of plexiglass that now littered the floor. "Bodies." Taz announced.

"Eyes up and weapons out." Jazz's voice came over the comm instantly.

I followed Taz inside, my boots crunching loudly on the shattered plexi. Taz turned and gave me a questioning look.  "Sorry." I whispered.

There were three bodies on the floor.  One corpse, a woman wearing a Federated Boeing Maritime security force uniform, was bloated and swollen.  Her skin a strange blue green color.  Small puncture wounds were evident on her leg, arm, and face.  Her uniform bore a triangle in gold on her lapels.  Dried blood was caked over her eyes and down her cheeks like old bloody tears.  The other two bodies were ork men, both of whom showed similar injuries.  They were older and had the look of hard working types.

"Control, I've got three deceased on the bridge.  What's the status on Coast Guard?" I watched the corpses carefully, long experience telling me to be mindful of the dead.  Taz stalked around to a terminal station and hit a pair of keys.

"Machine, no update on Coast Guard.  Proceed with caution and search for survivors." Samantha replied.

"No response from the helm." Taz reported.

"Okay, let's link up with the team and see if we can't find someone to clue us in." I waved Taz out ahead of me, keeping my eyes on the corpses as he ghosted out onto the deck.  "Simon, I need intel on this FBM officer, see what you can dig up."

"On it." Simon called back quickly.

Zero's voice joined the conversation. "Machine, the sea floor is rising steadily. I think around dawn or shortly before we'll see rock breaking the surface."

"Understood.  How do we get this ship out of the area and keep it off the rock?  Taz says controls here are offline." I followed Taz down to the next lower deck, my astral sight catching flashes of terror imprinted on the old research ship.  I heard phantom screams and saw after images of the ship shuddering from impacts on its hull.

"Don't know.  Would have to see what was wrong with it." Zero replied.

"Can we tow it?" I asked.

"Not with this mini-sub. Coast guard ship would be able to though." Zero's answer sounded certain. I trusted his judgement and kept my senses open as I scanned the deck.

Bright imprints of terror, currents of hunger and rage, and the echoes of dying men clung to the ship.  I shuddered in spite of myself.  The Sally Ride lurched again though this time I managed to keep my feet.  Sea foam sprayed and the ship rocked perilously.  I grabbed the railing and fixed myself to the deck.  Over the side I saw fish flitting by and jelly fishing pulsing themselves to get away from the stinking bubbles that were rapidly breaking the surface.  A large dark mass was rising, but I couldn't yet make out details.

The Sally Ride shook in the sea like a horse finding its footing but the old ship stayed afloat. I found Jazz stepping through the astral haze and noticed a spot clear of astral echoes.  I walked toward Jazz who opened his mouth to speak but I raised my hand to silence him.  I fixed my senses on the blank spot in the astral, a place free of the undercurrent of fear and violence.  Something or someone had carefully wiped away an impression in the astral.

"Jazz, we may not be alone." I looked him in the eyes and saw grim determination.  "I'll take Taz and see if we can get the helm to respond so we can move the ship.  Split the men into two teams and search for survivors. Don't take any chances though, if they look sick fall back from them and call me."

Jazz and the rest of the team scoured the ship while Taz and I tried to get the power on.  Simon guided us through a series of steps to bring the ship's generator to life and after ten tense minutes we had power.  I heard pumps engage in the lower portion of the ship and prayed we weren't sinking.

"Machine, CFS Coast Guard says they don't have any assets nearby.  Best estimate is three hours for a helicopter flyby and five hours for rescue vessel." Samantha said suddenly. "What is your situation?"

"We have power now.  We've found the three dead in the bridge but none since.  We're searching the vessel as we speak.  Astral echoes lead me to believe that some sort of tentacled para-animal, maybe a giant squid of sorts, attacked the ship." I looked out over the churning sea around me. "One thing stands out though, I've found places around the ship where the astral signatures have been wiped.  Someone didn't want to leave evidence behind."

There was a pregnant pause.  "Understood, Machine. Complete the search of the ship, we're watching your feed.  Call out if you see anything in the astral."

"Understood."  I replied. I watched as Taz worked under Simon's instructions to get the ship's systems booted up.  The ship had an eerie empty feeling to it and the horrific astral impressions clinging to it only reinforced the sensation.

It took twenty minutes for the team to search the ship. "No more bodies. No survivors." Jazz reported.  "Pumps are running as there is a small break just at the waterline.  The crew sealed that section and left the pumps running."

"Keep everyone on deck. Close the hatches going below and lets be ready to jump ship if this gets any worse."  Jazz was moving before my next sentence left my mouth. "Taz, how are we on getting this old girl moving?"

"It's coming along. Maybe ten more minutes if Simon is right."  Taz sounded tense, focused.

"Copy that. Take your time, we've got you covered." I replied. "Creep, get topside and get over here.  If that critter shows up I want more firepower on deck."

"Ugh, okay Machine. I'm on my way."  The slimy little fragger sounded sick.

I watched as Creep floated out from the mini-sub and began to drift toward the ship.  Below I saw the tips of rock formations rising and fish scattering away.  My ear piece clicked and Simon's voice came through.

"I've got a bit on that FBM officer. Darlene Cortez, formerly lieutenant Darlene Cortez of the Confederated American States Navy special weapons unit.  Full magician, classified training I can't get to without a lot more work and divine intervention, big periods of redacted mission time, action on the Aztlan border.  Special weapons and tactics with the Atlanta police until she got a better offer from Federated Boeing.  Basically, she's a badass combat mage with a lot of time in the field."  Simon's information did not fill me with confidence.  The lieutenant was dead, sealed away on the bridge of an empty ship alongside dead shipmates.

"Thanks, Simon. Control, did you get that." My reply sounded somber, even to me.

"Loud and clear, Machine." Samantha replied.


2315 hours, operational area local time

Creep touched down on the deck as the Sally Ride's engines began to come to life.  He looked sea-sick green and swore with every roll of the deck.  "I hate boats." he complained.

"It's a ship, not a boat." I replied.

"What's the difference?"

"I have no idea." I smiled at him as the ship rocked and heaved beneath us.

"I'm really not liking this, Machine." Creep wagged his finger at me for moment, then bent double and vomited across the deck.

The Sally Ride jerked as her engine caught and she began to move under her own power.  I grabbed the rail and watched as the jagged stone became more clearly visible.  Two hundred meters down, strange shapes moved along the rising sea floor.

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(Continued in Part two)

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