by Michael Cole
“Get out of there!” he yelled. He didn’t need to say it twice. They were climbing up the ladder as fast as squirrels up a tree.
********
Red and Roketto stood back to back at the center of the deck, firing their assault rifles in an attempt to fend off the onslaught. Red looked over the sights of his weapon, firing at two tentacles that wiggled over the port side toward him. The tips of the fibrous worm-like appendages erupted into pools of blood, creating a stench that even made Red want to hurl. He could see the creature itself. It was moving from the bow to the stern along the portside. Two more tentacles rose over his head, about to whip in his direction. He pointed his weapon and fired two short controlled bursts, one at each tentacle. Blood exploded from the center mass of each one, spraying onto the deck. Roketto looked over his shoulder, seeing the results of his superior’s work.
“Nice shooting, boss,” he said in his thick Asian accent, cracking a macho smile. Suddenly, his smile went away as he felt a sudden intense pain along his leg. He looked down, only to see that one of the tentacles had wrapped itself around his left ankle. He aimed his gun to fire, but before he could squeeze the trigger, the tentacle tugged away, pulling his foot out from under him. He fell to the deck on his back, losing his grip on his firearm in the process. Just as his brain began to register the pain from the impact, he suddenly felt weightless. The tentacle had lifted him into the air, holding him upside down by his foot.
“Oh fuck,” Red said as he witnessed Roketto elevated twenty feet into the air. As quickly as it lifted him, the tentacle whipped down in a hammer-like motion, slamming the mercenary down to the deck. Blood blasted from his mouth like a fountain. He was alive just long enough to know that every internal organ had been ruptured in some way from the impact. His life ended just as the tentacle effortlessly dragged his sprung out body over the stern. Red gritted his teeth as he fired his gun madly at the creature’s bulk. The bullets were crushed against the shell, having no effect, except to drive it into a deeper rage.
The kids crawled free of the hatch just in time to witness Roketto’s gruesome death. The event had left them paralyzed with fear and shock.
“Climb!” Napier yelled at them, snapping them back to reality.
“Go first!” Jane yelled to Greg. His first instinct was to make her go first, but he quickly realized this was no time to argue. He began to make his way up the ladder.
At this time, Red’s automatic rifle had run dry. Every word to come out of his mouth was a curse word, each louder than the previous. He drew his Smith&Wesson, blowing holes in three already wounded tentacles. The hollow point bullets created large exit wounds, tearing up muscles and tendons in the soft appendages.
The creature eyeballed him with its bulb-like antenna eyes, retracting all of its tentacles. Red looked into the face of the leviathan, watching the mandibles unfold and the birdlike beak shriek. He emptied his magazine, sending his last few rounds into the face of the beast, not sure if he was doing any damage. Red dropped the gun and drew his double-edged knife from its sheath.
“Come on!” he challenged the beast. As if in response, the creature suddenly raised its body out of the water in a jump-like action, revealing its underbelly. Its tremendous weight drew it back down, right onto the stern of the vessel. The vessel’s bow reeled upward in a catapult like motion, shooting Red several feet up over the deck. He landed flat on his back, hitting the back of his head, sending him into a daze. His knife was flung from his hand, landing on the tip of its blade onto the deck several feet away from him, balancing perfectly in the wood.
The swift upward tipping of the vessel also threw Jane to the floor. She shrieked as she felt herself starting to slide toward the stern, where the creature waited. Napier clutched the bottom ladder bar with his right hand and lunged out toward her with his left, barely managing to clutch her wrist but stopping her descent.
After his vision cleared, Red looked down at the beast. Its two pincers were held in front of its face, snapping repeatedly in very fast motions, as if taunting him. And as he looked toward his impending doom, he felt gravity begin to do its work.
“No! NO!” he yelled as he helplessly slid down the slope of the deck. He rolled to his stomach and clawed his fingers into the wooden deck beneath him, hoping to grasp anything to cling on to. But he may as well have been sliding down a slab of ice. “Fuck you!” he cursed the creature as he slid down into the fatal butchery created by the huge pincers. Within a few quick moments, his body was diced into countless unrecognizable pieces. The creature slipped back down underneath the water, leaving nothing behind on the deck except a large pool of red.
Blood red.
The Catcher leveled out, relieved of the unbearable weight that the giant put on the stern. Jane got to her feet and quickly climbed the ladder up to the upper deck, followed closely by her father. As he climbed, Napier saw that the creature was now near the starboard side bow, almost appearing to be watching them. He stepped up onto the deck, which had suffered considerably less damage than the lower area. Standing near them was Doctor Wallack, who simply stared at the creature, appearing mesmerized by it.
“Get in the cabin!” Napier ordered everyone, including the doctor. The teenagers quickly followed the instructions, while Wallack simply stood motionless. He smiled while looking past his captive, fascinated by the destruction and brutality of Architeuthis Brachyura.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it!” he shouted over the loud splashing created by the monster.
“Are you insane?” Napier yelled. “Hurry up and get in there!” The scientist just stood in place, watching his creation. Napier wondered if he was in a state of shock.
“It’s more powerful than anything else on the planet! And I created it!” he shouted, as if to a large audience. Napier didn’t have any more time to waste. He grabbed the doctor by the shoulders, attempting to force him into the cabin. However, the mad scientist struggled against him, resisting the fisherman’s attempts to save his life. A slithery noise, followed by that of wood cracking caused Napier to look over his left shoulder. A bloody, fleshy tentacle, riddled with bullet holes had crept up the vessel and was poised behind him. Instantaneously he fell to the deck, just as the tentacle lashed out, passing just over him. However, it had another target. It twisted around Dr. Wallack, pinning his arms to his sides. Wallack inhaled sharply, and then shouted out in pain after his arms snapped at the elbows from the rapid tightening. The barbs were inserted into his chest, penetrating the flesh, breastbone, and one into his spine. It lifted him off of the deck and swung him over the starboard side. Gagging for every breath, he looked down at the enormous horror he had created, which was getting closer with every millisecond.
The last thing he saw: the mandibles unveiled, and the beak pry open. The last thing he felt: the crushing pressure of his insides being turned to mush after the beak chomped down on his body.
Napier closed his eyes after witnessing the doctor’s gruesome death. He looked into the cabin at the two teenagers he was trying to protect. They were huddled on the floor, Jane in Greg’s arms. She was shivering with fear. He was too, but spending most of his energy trying to hide it. The Catcher had sustained considerable, irreparable damage and was now taking in water. There was no lifeboat, and swimming would be a suicide decision. And staying was almost just as much of a suicide decision. He no longer felt fear, or the rush of adrenaline. What he was feeling right now was that of failure. He swore to protect these kids, and now he was right to believe he could not save them. I’m going to die a failure to my daughter…
Or maybe not…
From the dark night sky shined a light aimed right at him. He looked up, just as his ears processed the whirring sound of the helicopter. He held his hand over his eyes, looking at the white aircraft hovering down above him, lowering its altitude. The side door opened, and upon seeing who was behind it, Napier’s feelings of failure were now replaced with sudden relief.
“Lisa!” he cal
led up to her. She was in a blue jumpsuit with a helmet and headset on.
“Rick!” She called down. “Get on this ladder and climb up here!” She threw a suspended ladder out the door. It unrolled like a rug down a wedding aisle, stopping right at the upper deck. Napier grabbed a hold of it and looked to the kids.
“Come on!” he called to them. Greg and Jane rushed out of the cabin to the ladder held in place by Napier.
“You go first this time,” Greg said to Jane. Instead of arguing, she grabbed the bars and begun climbing her way up to the safety of the Coast Guard helicopter.
“Go!” Napier ordered Greg as soon as Jane made space for him. He began climbing, staying a couple steps behind his girlfriend. Napier prepared to make his climb…just as a thick tentacle lunged for the ladder. Without regard for himself, he threw his body on the slithery limb, knocking it off course.
“Oh shit! Pull up!” Thompson ordered the pilot. The helicopter pulled away out of the creature’s reach, allowing the teenagers to be able to climb aboard safely. She then held her ear to the microphone on her headset. “Commander! Do you have a visual?”
********
“Holy shit! Yes I do!” Commander Tracy said, standing in the command room of the Coast Guard Cutter Ryback, which was now drifting a quarter mile from the Catcher’s position. He held binoculars to his eyes, watching the fury of a beast he thought could only be real in the minds of fantasy writers. Standing beside him was Chief Bondy, who also watched through a pair of binoculars. Several crewmembers in the control room had to hide their astonishment upon seeing the enormous living thing.
“Position the Bofors 57 mm gun! One-point-zero-two degrees! Prepare to fire!” he demanded.
“Wait!” Thompson’s voice called over the radio. “Rick Napier’s still on that boat! Let me get him off first!”
“Hurry up!” Tracy said.
********
Napier sprung to his feet after landing on his side, lucky not to end up coiled in the creature’s grasp. Architeuthis Brachyura repositioned itself in front of the bow, crashing its pincers into the hull once more. Metal crunched as the monster ripped chunks from the engine, creating a heavy cloud of smoke. At this moment, Napier looked past the shelled beast, seeing a large rocky structure slightly smaller than the animal itself.
“You hungry?...” Napier taunted it as he hurried into the cabin, taking position at the wheel. “…Eat this!” He grabbed the throttle, shoving the Catcher into full speed. The vessel’s engine grinded and protested, and smoke billowed heavily from the several holes made by the beast. The propellers spun to their maximum speed, rocketing the vessel forward. Napier braced himself, and felt his body ripple as the Catcher collided with the creature. It let out a massive screech as it absorbed the impact, which sandwiched it between the vessel, which was still propelling forward, and the large stationary rock. The creature was pinned. The bow was almost completely crushed, and the engine was making several grinding mechanical noises that definitely informed Napier that he needed to get to the chopper. He looked through the windshield, seeing the chopper starting to come back towards him. Excellent, now I just need to get out of here and…LOOKOUT! He ducked once again, just as a tentacle swung across the upper deck of the Catcher, tearing right through the cabin. Glass, wood, metal, and other debris exploded over the deck, some of which pricked Napier’s arms and the back of his neck. He stood to his feet, the four walls of the cabin completely gone, along with the desk, throttle, and wheel. The creature hissed as it tried to wrestle the vessel away from it, but the propellers were still spinning at top speed, forcing the vessel into the beast.
“Hurry!” Thompson called down to him. The chopper lowered its altitude, dangling the ladder in front of Napier’s face. And once again, another tentacle lunged for it, forcing the pilot to naturally draw the chopper up. Napier had no time. It was do or die…literally. He leapt over the side of the vessel after the ladder. He closed his fingers, grasping the bottom handle. Thompson and Jane looked down out the door, seeing him dangling by the bar, hovering above the flailing creature. “Tracy!” She called on her radio to the Commander. “You’ve got the go ahead!”
********
“Received!” Tracy replied on the radio. He looked to other personnel in the command post. “Is the Bofors in position?!”
“Yes sir!”
“FIRE!” The commander demanded.
A shockwave rippled through the vessel and the heavy gun began blasting away, creating a deafening sound that could nearly destroy a person’s eardrums.
********
It unleashed its fury at the intruding beast, successfully killing most of the smaller intruders. And now, the large opponent seemed to be dying as well. It followed its instincts, which had led it to what it perceived to be victory over the enemy. It had learned to hunt for itself after years of being fed. It managed to establish a habitat, and its instincts developed so viciously that it was taking on invasive enemies. Now it had dominated a creature its own size. For the first time, the creature truly felt something outside of the basic need of rest, hunger, and territory. It felt pleasure. This was a new feeling for its small brain. Something it never felt before, and would never feel again.
********
Napier clung tightly to the handlebar, dangling freely in midair. Through the air he heard a light whistling sound, gradually getting louder and louder. He looked down at the beast beneath him. In that moment, it was proceeding to tear into his sinking vessel. And in the next moment, there was a fiery blast that illuminated the entire coast of Mako’s Edge. A series of vociferous booms shook the air, creating a shockwave that even reduced some of the thick nearby rocks to granite. Thousands of gallons of water erupted into the air, spraying his dangling feet. In a instant the creature was suddenly reduced to several smoldering chunks of flesh and shell. Bits of rubbery tentacle splattered in every direction possible, while fragments of shell pelted the rocky structures nearby. The two main arms remained fully intact, each separated from the main body, which no longer existed as a whole. The blast also annihilated what was left of the Catcher. After raining throughout the air from the explosion, its many fragments proceeded to sink with the remains of Architeuthis Brachyura. After watching the intense event, Napier looked back up the ladder. He groaned as he reached for the next bar, only able to use his hands to pull until he could get a foot up. To assist, Thompson began reeling up the ladder, bringing him up into the doorway.
He fell to the floor, and Thompson quickly slid the door shut. Jane rushed to her father’s side, giving him yet another tight hug.
“Are you alright, Dad?” She asked.
“I’ll be a little sore,” he joked. Lisa took a seat next to him, and he looked at her. “Interested in a seafood dinner?” The group laughed in unison. The radio buzzed, prompting Lisa to check her headset.
“Traffic for me, Commander?”
“Hey, it’s Bondy. Just wanted to confirm you got my buddy on board,” the Chief’s voice sounded over the radio.
“Hey Bondy,” Napier called, holding back a chuckle, “Since I’ve done you so many favors, I’d say it’d be time for you to do me one and get me a new boat!”
“Ha! Ha!” The Chief laughed. “Even though I know you’re kidding, I’m pretty sure I can work something out with our dumbass mayor! See you when you land!” His voice faded out.
“Thanks, Chief,” Napier said. He looked at Thompson, who tore her headset off. “So, since it’s safe to assume you’re not gonna get kicked out of the Coast Guard, you might not be sticking around long.” Lisa smiled and stroked her hand through his hair.
“Actually, they owe me a favor,” she said. “It’s likely…very, very likely, that I can remain posted in Mako’s Ridge. But I’ll need someone to show me around.” She smiled at him, and he back at her.
“I know someone who can do that,” he said, pressing his lips to hers, their kiss followed by a loving hug. On the most intense night of his life, Rick Napier
felt more at peace than ever.
EPILOGUE
Dressed in a white buttoned shirt and grey dress pants, Jeb Keith stood in the main laboratory of the Atlantic Warren Laboratory. The government had ordered that the facility be cleared out, and all experiments destroyed due to a tragic event that took place on a nearby island chain. The laboratory would be recycled for other uses for the government, but genetic hybrid experimentation was confirmed to be a no-go subject for research. With a radio in one hand, Jeb Keith communicated with the underwater welding crews who were busy repairing the outside damage done during the escape of Architeuthis Brachyura.
“Gentlemen, we have nice weather today,” he spoke into the radio. “I’m hoping you can have section five repaired by the end of today.”
“That’s a large area,” a voice commented through the radio. “We’ll do our best.” Keith looked over the inventory list on his clipboard as several large crates passed by, each pulled by cart vehicles. With each passing crate, he checked a box on the clipboard indicating that the correct number of each ‘species’ was documented as leaving the facility.
“Hold up!” he called, stopping one line of vehicles, each containing a ten-by-twelve-foot crate. “These crates are for Isurus Palinuridae. There’s supposed to be six.” He counted the crates. “Why are there only five?” A driver, dressed in dirty jeans and flannel shirt, with a handlebar mustache shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
“Hey man, we’re just paid to collect these things,” he said. “We’re not told there’s how many of what. There were only five of these things when we got here, and there’s five leaving.” He hit the accelerator of his vehicle and pulled away, followed by the other vehicles towing crates, taking them to a freighter that would transport these creatures to an undisclosed location.
