Behemoth

by Michael Cole

  Napier had grown tired of the overwhelming feeling of anticipation he was feeling from being on his own damaged vessel in the worst waters in Mako’s Ridge, trapped with mercenaries who hated his guts and possibly had intentions of offing him at the earliest opportunity. Worse than that, his daughter was trapped in this same horror on the same boat, with an extremely aggressive creature in tow. With his daughter in mind, he climbed down the ladder from the upper deck down to the main, where he then went down the hatch. Red and Roketto stood silently on the deck, both armed with their automatic weapons, watching the creature carefully. Napier entered the storage room, where he saw only Jane sitting on the starboard side bench. She looked back at her dad and cracked a smile. While the situation hasn’t gotten any better, it was comforting for Napier to see an increase in his daughter’s spirits.

  “Where’s Greg?” He asked.

  “He’s in the bathroom,” Jane answered, pointing to the door on the portside. “He’s not used to being on boats. Which is funny, because before all this, he had gotten his own boat and was acting like some hotshot captain.”

  “Well seasickness is usually something everyone has to deal with when they’re starting out,” Napier said as he took a seat next to Jane. “So, how long have you guys been going out?”

  “We’re out here with a crazy scientist and a bunch of psychopaths, and you want to lecture me about my relationship?” Jane said, still maintaining a grin.

  “No, no,” Napier said. “It’s an honest question. I’m not gonna lecture, I promise.” He cracked a smile of his own.

  “Three months,” she answered. “Pretty much every time I said I was hanging out with Amanda, I was really…”

  “Yeah, I figured that part,” her dad said. “Well, after all this, hopefully I can get to know him better.”

  “You’ve had him in your class when you were a teacher,” she commented.

  “Yeah, well back then he was a little jerk,” he said. “But I’d like to try again.” Jane smiled and gave her father a tight hug, which he returned.

  “I love you daddy,” she said. Her voice wasn’t tearful, it was genuinely happy, as if nothing was wrong in their world right now.

  “I love you too, baby,” he said. After several moments, they ended their hug when a pale faced Greg exited the bathroom. “You need your sea legs,” he said.

  “I guess so,” Greg said, still looking green around the gills.

  Napier got up from his seat on the bench. “I’m gonna have to go back up now. We’re hopefully gonna be out of here soon.” Not too soon. The Coast Guard better hurry the hell up. “Try to relax, and Greg…please don’t puke on my daughter.” The ill teenager managed a chuckle while Napier climbed back up the ladder and onto the main deck. As soon as he had stepped on the wooden surface, Morgan’s head emerged from the water behind the stern of the vessel, alerting the attention of Red and Roketto, who quickly rushed to the edge of the vessel. Napier was quick to join them.

  “What’s the word?” Red was the first to speak.

  “There’s a big crack along the center of the belly,” Morgan said, spitting up water as he tried to brief his superior. “There’s a bit of an indent where the boat hit the rock, and that’s where we’re taking in a little water. Goliath has his underwater welder and is trying to fuse a piece of metal over it to cover it up.”

  “That’s not a proper fix,” Napier said.

  “Well, what the hell do you want, Captain Nemo?” Red said to him, in his usual raspy voice. “We’re trapped out in the middle of nowhere, with that thing in tow,” he pointed to the creature, “it’s the middle of the night, and we don’t have the equipment for a ‘proper fix’!” He looked back to Morgan. “How much longer?”

  “Maybe ten minutes,” Morgan answered.

  “Make if five,” Red demanded. “I want to get the hell out of here.” Morgan gave a wave before inserting his mouth piece into his mouth and diving under the water. Napier was quick to distance himself from Red once the briefing was over to avoid any more name calling or threats of physical harm. As he walked away, he saw Doctor Wallack standing on the upper deck looking down upon them like a king.

  “A word?” he said to Napier. Rick climbed the ladder to meet with him.

  “What now?” he asked.

  “I’ve been quite impressed with you during this trip. Your knowledge of the sea. Your ability to predict certain characteristics of my creation. Your dedication to the ones you love.”

  “Is there a point to this?” Napier didn’t have much patience for the crazed scientist’s monologues.

  “I thought that when this mission is over, and Architeuthis Brachyura is secured in my facility, that perhaps I could offer you a job.” Napier stood silent. Wallack made a small grin. “You may have never finished your doctorate, but you definitely possess knowledge and skills I could definitely use once I regain my funding from the government.”

  “What makes you so sure you’ll get your funding?” Napier asked.

  “The government has invested countless dollars into these experiments,” he said. “Ultimately they won’t want to see those dollars wasted.”

  “Well I’ll contribute to that,” Napier said. “I won’t have them waste any on me.” Wallack’s grin transformed to a straight face.

  “I figured a man in your financial situation would be fast to jump on such an opportunity. A high-paying opportunity.”

  “I get by,” Napier said. “And I sleep well at night.”

  ********

  Goliath struggled to keep in place as he attempted to cheaply weld the sheet of metal over the damaged area of the Catcher’s belly. Because of the flash of the waterproof welder, he was forced to use regular goggles instead of the night vision. It was very difficult to see in the pitch black water, nearly causing the unbalanced mercenary to burn himself. In addition, he was as impatient as the rest of his comrades to leave. Morgan had helped to keep the sheet in place while the brute fused it to the metal belly, but now it was holding on its own. At this point, Goliath was working on once more edge before getting back on board the vessel. It was a makeshift job, and that was all they needed.

  ********

  Unknown to everything in existence, including the creature itself was that its metabolic rate had changed from having spent a massive increase in energy during the past few days. Its body was now quick to process any chemicals introduced into its system. Electrical impulses had been shooting through its body, starting with a tiny one every several minutes that would possibly lead to a twitch in the tip of a tentacle. Now the impulses were stronger, and more rapid.

  Blood pulsed through its vessels, breathing life into its joints. Its vision slowly returned, unveiling like a bedside curtain. It had no memory of losing consciousness. Rather, all it remembered were the events leading up to its sudden slumber. The massive inedible enemy, the small creatures that crawled on it, with a few snapshot memories of the little creatures invading its habitat. It felt the constrictions of a binding object, also inedible, that had coiled around its body. The creature’s brain went on alert, believing it was under attack, possibly to be ingested by the large life form floating nearby.

  ********

  Morgan tapped on Goliath’s shoulder to get his attention. He pointed to himself, and then pointed up to indicate he was getting back on deck. After a nod from the large merc, who was just finishing up his duties, Morgan swam up to the surface of the water, popping his head and shoulders clear. That’s when he noticed a bizarre current stirring in the water. He looked to the sky and scanned the weather. There was hardly any wind, and the Catcher was anchored in place. But despite there seemingly being no cause, the water was beginning to rage all of a sudden. The phenomenon also drew the attention of the mercenaries on deck.

  Morgan looked to the port side, and saw it. The enormous mass that had been trapped in a slumber was now moving. Viciously. Like a huge boulder on a steep hill, it rolled itself over and over, twisting the cables
and the netting in the process.

  “SHIT!” Morgan yelled out loud. Instinctively he swam for the ladder. Better to be on the boat than stuck in the water with that thing. His thoughts had briefly gone over the idea of going down to get Goliath, but the sudden intense burst of adrenaline caused his natural sense of self preservation to take over. And like a madman, he paddled through the water to the ladder. “RED!”

  Red was standing on deck, and could hear the splashing of the water, which drew his and Roketto’s attention to port. Once there, they beheld the sight that brought their worst fears to fruition. The creature that they had put into a slumber had suddenly woken from its anesthesia, and was clearly pissed!

  “The hell with this!” Red yelled. He rushed to the second winch at the stern and pulled the lever, reeling in the anchor. At this time, Morgan had arrived on deck, running in his wetsuit to a bag to collect a weapon.

  “Hey!” Wallack yelled from the upper deck. “What the hell are you doing?!”

  “We’re getting the hell out of here!” Red yelled back. “If you have a problem with that, well then you can stay here and go swimming for all I care!” His eyes turned to Napier. “Get on the throttle and be ready to haul ass!” For the first time, Red had barked an order that Napier was actually happy to comply with. He opened the door to enter the cabin, only to be blocked by Wallack who thrust his body in the way.

  “We’re not leaving yet!” he ordered. His eyes were wide open and his expression was flared like that of a madman.

  “You’ve lost it,” Napier yelled at him. Wallack ignored the comment.

  “Red!” he yelled. “Just fire another harpoon and sedate it again!” His fiery expression suddenly showed a bit of surprise when he realized the mercenary leader had already begun loading the large weapon.

  “I plan on it!” Red said. “But I’m also cutting it loose!” The activity in the water was getting worse, and the creature had begun to release several deafening screams into the air.

  “No you will not!” Wallack commanded. Suddenly Red dropped the harpoon gun and drew his semi-automatic pistol with the speed of a John Wayne character, pointing it directly at Wallack’s head. For one of the first times in his life, the scientist realized he was not in control. Seeing where the deadly weapon was aimed, Napier moved as far to the end of the deck as he could to be out of the way.

  “Don’t tempt me!” Red snarled. Wallack said nothing, which signaled his reluctant compliance. Red holstered his weapon. Napier looked at the writhing activity in the water near his large vessel. Large waves were crashing into the side, as well as into the several surrounding rocks. His whole body tensed when he realized what the beast was now doing.

  “Look!” He yelled to everyone. Their eyes turned to the creature and together they witnessed its two huge pincers clipping through the binds of the net like scissors to string. With each cut, the net pulled apart, uncovering the massive bulk. The tentacles expanded, peeling the cables off of its body. And without any hesitation, the tentacles lunged to the Catcher all at once.

  Everyone fell to the deck as the large vessel suddenly tilted left from the weight of the creature, which had grabbed a hold of it and pulled itself closer for its attack. It did not have any intention of eating now. Just massacring.

  ********

  Goliath heard the vibrations caused by the rising of the anchor, which caused him to wrap up. He noticed the strange currents in the water, but the darkness and disorientation made it difficult for him to realize what was happening. But just as he pulled away from the boat’s underbelly he was suddenly knocked about by a force that was clearly rocking the Catcher. He dropped his gear and quickly swam to the surface. In seconds he broke the surface, and then he saw it. And it saw him!

  Before he could do anything, he felt his ribs and waist constrict. Looking down, he saw the slimy tentacle twist around him just under his arms. Following instantly was pressure. Intense pressure! And lots of pain, all from the tightening of the tentacle, the cracking of his ribs and hipbones, and the piercing of the barbs that were inserted from the suckers. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as the tentacle lifted him from the water and high into the air.

  Several tentacles slammed into the portside, tearing the guardrail away. Wood splintered from the deck while the snake-like arms slapped the vessel wildly and uncontrollably. Water splashed in waves so high the upper deck of the vessel was getting soaked and slippery, causing Wallack and Napier to fall to the floor. On the main deck, Red managed to keep his balance and grabbed for his harpoon gun. As he took aim, he saw his comrade, Goliath, held up high over their heads by one of the long tentacles, and was dumbfounded as he watched it sail him through the air like a kite guided by a string. The brute flailed his arms in a wild panic, screaming continuously. Red concentrated his attention and looked down the sight of his harpoon gun, lining his index finger over the trigger, and he squeezed.

  At this moment, one of the beast’s enormous pincers impacted the rear of the boat with a boxer-like punch. The tremendous impact sent a shockwave through the vessel and caused it to turn, facing Red away from his target. Just as he had pulled the trigger. The harpoon whizzed from the gun, flying high into the darkness, gone forever. Now the creature was along the bow, although its tentacles were still thrashing about on the port and starboard sides. In a crazed frenzy, the creature jabbed the jagged points of its pincers into the bow, rupturing the hull. Smoke and steam erupted from the wounds of the vessel.

  On the starboard side, Morgan took a post with his assault rifle and begun firing wildly at the flailing tentacles. The overwhelming adrenaline shook his aim, making it even more difficult to hit any target. Being focused on the tentacles slamming into that side of the vessel, tearing up fragments of the Catcher in the process, he was unaware of one particular tentacle that had coiled just under the surface. It had winded up like a rattlesnake, and as if it had a mind of its own, it was focused on him. It finished winding, and with the speed of a 500 magnum bullet, it sprung directly at him.

  Morgan never realized what hit him. All he felt was the shockwave throughout his body from the impact, after the tentacle speared right through his chest like a spear, coming out between his shoulder blades. It then rose up into the air, lifting its skewered prey off the deck like a shish kabob. The gun dropped from his hands and his arms and legs went limp as life slipped away from him.

  Despite losing all air in his lungs, Goliath screamed while flailing his arms helplessly as he soared through the air crazily by the vicious tentacle. Blood begun oozing from his waist area, seeping between the tentacle’s coils. The wind rushed through his hair, and he could feel the vapor from the thrashing water beneath him. He looked ahead of him and yelled one final terrified scream when he realized he was heading right for the bow. His arms flailed and his legs kicked, all before exploding from his body after the tentacle crashed him through the exterior of the hull. Upon impact, his head ruptured like a ripe melon, spilling the contents inside.

  Napier struggled to get to his feet due to the constant battering of his vessel. As he lifted himself to his knees, he watched one of the huge pincers rip off the tip of the vessel, sending shards of metal spilling into the water. Looking down to the hatch on the main deck, he knew he needed to get to his daughter. He turned around, and instead of using the ladder, he jumped from the upper deck, landing on his feet down on the main deck.

  “Shit!” he cried out from the painful impact. Before he could open the hatch, one of the slithery arms sliced through the air toward his head like a whip. He fell flat to his stomach, causing the leathery appendage to barely miss him. He got to his knees, driven back down by another massive impact to the portside. He looked up toward the shredded left side of the deck, seeing that one of the tentacles had breached the side completely.

  ********

  “Oh my God!” Jane cried out. A portion of the portside wall had practically exploded as if a cannonball had burst through it. The force of the impact
sent shards of debris across the room, also breaking apart the bench on that side of the room. From the massive hole in the wall slithered in a slimy tentacle.

  “Oh shit!” Greg yelled from the floor, driven there by the force of the impact. The tentacle slid from the wall, reaching from left to right as if actually searching for them. Fragments of wall broke apart from the hole as it continued reaching in. Increasing speed, it headed straight for Jane. She backed all the way to the starboard side, pressing her back against the wall as the snake-like tentacle reached for her.

  Suddenly Greg jumped in the way, holding a long piece of the broken bench in his hands. He drew it back like a baseball bat and repeatedly slapped it into the leathery smelly arm. Each impact made a large crackling sound, but did not appear to faze it. Greg drew back the piece of bench as far back as he could, and with all his might he swung it at the tentacle. The bench shattered, with bits of wood sent flying across the room. As if in retaliation, the tentacle snapped across the room in a whipping motion, striking Greg in the chest and knocking him to the floor, gagging and coughing.

  “GREG!” Jane cried out, rushing to her boyfriend from behind. She put her hands beneath his arms and pulled him to his feet. Suddenly the hatch above flung open, and Jane looked up to see her father peering down on them.