by Michael Todd
Lucifer snickered. “Excellent.”
The sounds echoing around them were louder than Katie would have thought possible inside of a submarine. The feeling was strange, as if she were in a hollow and empty well. The front of the sub was made of glass and they could see all around them, yet it still felt stuffy and cramped. Katie’s legs were propped up on the side of the control panel, and Juntto had his knees pulled up to his chin.
Pandora was not happy about any of it. You think it’s any better in here? Curled up inside your tight ass? I think not.
She growled and leapt out, landing in the seat beside Juntto. Ashton dropped his head forward, having been kicked as Katie flew back in her seat. Juntto groaned, tilting his head back. “As if this wasn’t cramped enough. Now you want to add another body to it? And one with gigantic boobs and a huge ass?”
Pandora narrowed her eyes. “I think that’s the first time in history a man has complained about that. Then again, you’re not a man. You’re an alien, so I guess I shouldn’t take offense.”
Juntto rolled his eyes. “Alien or not, you are cramping the space.”
Katie leaned forward, staring out the window. “Look, guys. That’s so beautiful.”
A pod of whales was swimming next to them, the singing echoing in the submarine. Pandora looked over Ashton’s shoulder and smiled. “Look at those huge bastards, free to swim in the wide ocean. Almost makes me want to get out there and stretch my legs.”
Juntto grumbled. “I can make that happen. Don’t know if you’ll have enough oxygen, but it seems worth the risk to me.”
Pandora patted Juntto on the head, ignoring his grumpy attitude. “You have been all over this world since you came here, but I bet you have never dived into the ocean like this. You should think of it as a new adventure—something that you are experiencing for the very first time.”
Juntto tapped Katie on the shoulder. “I think she is losing it from the pressure in here. It might be best if one of us knocks her out for the time being.”
Katie smiled at Juntto. “Please don’t try. There isn’t enough room in here for a fight.”
Juntto sighed and hung his head. “No fun.”
Pandora continued, oblivious to the conversations going on around her. She waved her hand at the window. “Just look at it. It’s absolutely beautiful with the fish and the water and the darkness.”
Katie wrinkled her nose. “Beautiful, sure, but it’s also a bit freaky.”
Juntto laughed. “I feel like that would be most people’s explanation of Pandora. Beautiful…yeah. Freaky as hell? Absolutely.”
Pandora pursed her lips and sat in her chair. “You really are full of jokes there tonight, blue man. You should be a comedian, or just shut the fuck up and deal with it.”
Juntto grunted at Pandora and Katie turned around. “Don’t make me pull this submarine over. I’ll have him do it. Don’t fucking test me, assholes.”
Juntto pouted and Pandora leaned forward, rubbing Ashton’s head. “I needed a little good luck. Thanks for that.”
Ashton furrowed his brow. “Oh yeah, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard that joke… Not. You could be at least a little bit original if you’re going to intrude on my personal space while I am driving this tin can deeper into the ocean.”
Katie smirked, liking Ashton’s style. He wasn’t putting up with shit. Juntto shifted again, this time letting out a loud roar. “I was not meant to be confined like this. I was meant to stretch wide, run, be mobile. I was not created to be stuck in a can and sent to the bottom of the ocean. I just want to stretch my kneeeeesss.”
Pandora tapped him on the shoulder. “You do know that you are a Leviathan who can change form, right? As in, you don’t have to stay that fucking big the entire trip. I don’t think you are going to have to lay a smackdown on anyone in the sub anytime soon.”
Juntto blinked his eyes at Pandora. “Don’t be so sure of that. But you have a point. I don’t need to torture myself for the entire trip.”
Juntto took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His body began to shrink, turning into that of a skinny teenager. He stretched his arms and legs and smiled, giving a whole lot more room to everyone in the sub. Ashton nodded. “I don’t know what you just did, but I appreciate it. I can get my elbow out of something I’d rather not think about.”
Katie smirked and looked over her shoulder at Pandora. “Come on, Pandora, get back inside. You are still making the space in here cramped. It was meant for the three of us with you inside me. We didn’t arrange for you to be out and flopping around in here during the trip.”
Pandora narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “No. Uh-uh. I am staying out here where I can play with Ashton and his beautifully shiny scalp. If you want space, let out the hot air in your head.”
Katie stuck her tongue out at Pandora. “No need to be a catty bitch. This is most definitely a catty-bitch-free zone.”
Ashton took a deep breath and raised his hand. “So, I have a question. What exactly is this thing that we are looking for? They told me his name is Baylahn, and he will be at or around whatever point the charts said, but no one told me exactly what I am looking for. I am assuming that might be important information for the one driving the submarine.”
Pandora leaned forward, circling her finger around the top of his head. “Well, I guess I should admit that the thing we’re looking for is very dangerous. It’s very, very big and very dangerous, but it’s vital that we get there. I’m sorry you were left out of the details.”
Ashton shrugged. “Usually am. I merely drive the sub according to coordinates and never know what I am doing there or what happened while I was there. Right now, we’re just following the charts.”
A few seconds of silence went by, and Ashton looked at Katie. “Wait, if Baylahn is so big, then what is the chart leading us to? Why didn’t we just get general coordinates? Something that big should be extremely easy to point out once you’ve got it in your field of vision.”
Pandora chuckled. “I am assuming the chart is leading to his mouth, or at least that would be my guess. Can’t really talk to him if you can’t find his face or his mouth, right?”
Everybody went quiet. Juntto gripped the sides of his seat and Katie slowly turned her head, looking at Pandora with a death glare. “Maybe you should be quiet. We would like to keep Ashton driving.”
8
Timothy stepped back, putting one hand on his hip and tilting his head to the side. He reached up and moved the picture slightly to the right. Looking again, he nodded and twirled around, scanning the room. He was remodeling his computer lair so that Sean could wheel around easier. He was tired of him bumping his custom furniture, and he could see that Sean was getting more frustrated by it every day.
Besides, remodeling for Sean’s sake was an excuse to redecorate. It was the only room he had besides his bedroom, and he spent more time in the computer lair than anywhere else. He had gone right out when he decided to do it and bought some new pictures, a new rug, and spruced the place up to make it more comfortable and inviting.
Sean wasn’t quite as excited about the process, but he was thankful that Timothy was taking the time to do it. He wheeled himself down the corridor, heading for the computer lair. He had loaded his lap with a ton of stuff that Timothy had bought for the room. From decorative pieces to new, higher tech equipment, his lap was a hodgepodge of boxes and bags. He turned the corner into the room, almost losing one of the boxes. Timothy swooped down quickly and caught it.
He hissed. “Boy, that is a four hundred and fifty dollar crystal frog that I had to have when I was in town.”
Sean twisted his nose. “What do you need with a four hundred and fifty dollar crystal frog?”
Timothy looked at Sean as if he were hurt by his words. “What do you not need a crystal frog for? It is sparkly and cute, and it looks at you with adoration as you type, type, type away. Besides, it was a guest design by Marc Jacobs, who is my shoe and handbag idol.”
Sean chuckled, putting the things down on the floor. Timothy placed the frog on a small shelf on the wall and smiled. “Well, there we go. We have created a beautifully-put-together, stylish, and functional two-person lair. I have to admit, at first I was not happy about sharing my space, but you grew on me.”
Sean grinned at him. “Told you I wasn’t that bad.”
Timothy pursed his lips and flipped his hand. “I wouldn’t go that far. I mean, grew on me like moss grows on trees…or fungus. Maybe mold. You know, when you leave something out on the counter too long?”
Sean shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I like you too, Timothy.”
Timothy smiled as he whipped a throw in the air and let it settle on one of the chairs. “I’m going to have to call Angie and thank her. This whole Hygge thing really is calming. I feel like I could lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fire in here.”
Sean tapped his fingers on the wheelchair. “I really hope that is an exaggeration. If not, remind me to always knock before entering.”
Timothy laughed. “I’m just glad we’ve developed a rhythm. We will be able to monitor everything from in here and not be right on top of each other. Usually, I wouldn’t complain about something like that, but let’s face it—you’re not my type.”
Sean lifted his eyebrows. “The feeling is mutual.”
Timothy giggled and plopped down in his rolling office chair. Sean set the brakes on his wheelchair and stretched his arms up. Timothy looked at the television mounted on the wall. “So, we had some arguments at the beginning about the whole music thing. I figure now that we have a television in here, we could head that off by discussing it beforehand. That way neither of us is sitting here listening to Antiques Roadshow, falling asleep in our own drool.”
Sean smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t watch Antiques Roadshow.”
Timothy let out a dramatic sigh. “Thank you, baby Jesus. I was really hoping so, but these days you just never know with people. One minute you think they are relatively normal, and the next minute they are lowering down a basket telling you to put lotion on the skin.”
Sean smirked. “I generally like sports, especially basketball.”
Timothy wrinkled his nose. “I guess that’s not too terrible. At least it’s not bocce or something. Personally, I am a sucker for reality TV.”
Sean groaned. “But it’s so not realistic. It’s supposed to be, but you know damn well people don’t act like that. If they do, I just lost all hope for mankind. And then I have always lived an incredibly boring life.”
Timothy waved his hands. “Nobody cares if it’s realistic. We just like to see those housewife bitches bickering back and forth while their Botox hangs onto their lips for dear life. I swear, sometimes I watch it because I know one day one of those fake tits is going to explode on national television. That, or their collagen-injected lips are going to have a blowout like a fucking tire.”
Timothy laughed loudly, fanning himself. Sean couldn’t help but chuckle along with him. Timothy let out a deep growl. “Boy, I tell you what. There is absolutely no drama in this little office. I get my drama wherever I can, sister. If it means watching The Bachelor and those crazy bitches, so be it.”
Sean tapped his finger against his chin. “I do have one guilty pleasure television show.”
Timothy clapped his hands. “Oooh, spill it.”
Sean smiled. “The Great British Baking Show. I have watched a bunch of episodes since I was on the base.”
Timothy leaned his head back. “I love that show. Seriously, it is the feel-good show of the fucking year. You literally just sink your little heart into watching happy little Brits making cookies.”
Sean shook his finger at Timothy. “That is exactly right. I mean, I love food. I love to watch all kinds of cooking shows. When I was at home, before the service, I would go into the kitchen and make all kinds of dishes. Of course, I never told the guys and my mom kept my secret, but I was pretty fucking good at it. If I hadn’t gone into the military, I would have gone to cooking school.”
Timothy nodded. “I love those shows too, and it is never too late. You can always go to cooking school when this whole war thing is over. For now, though, we will love our little Great British Baking Show. Paul Hollywood, one of the judges—oh, my God, boy, he has the dreamiest blue eyes. Mmhmm. Put that ass on my cookie and I will be a happy girl.”
There was a beeping sound that almost drove Pandora crazy inside the sub. It was the sonar, sending out signals and catching them again to make sure they weren’t lowering themselves into any cliffs or sharp rocks. It was incredibly dark, and only got darker the farther they descended. The sub was sinking to new depths, deeper than it had gone in training.
Pandora could feel the cold coming from the metal sides of the sub and she shivered. “I don’t think I like this whole ‘exploring new worlds’ thing. I like the surface better.”
The hull of the submarine groaned and moaned like an old man. The pressure was squeezing all sides, and everyone inside the sub could feel it. Even with the pressurization of the vessel and the protection their suits gave them, everyone felt the heaviness in their heads and shoulders.
Juntto took a deep breath and pulled at his suit. “This is like being buried alive.”
Katie looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “You know that feeling?”
Juntto sighed. “Unfortunately, I do. It was back on my home planet. Very stressful, to say the least.”
The submarine whined again and Juntto gripped his seat, looking back and forth. “Are you sure we are supposed to be this deep? I mean, how do we know the other sub went this way? It’s not like we can track its footsteps. We are in a giant tank of heavy water.”
Katie patted his leg. “Take a deep breath, Juntto. Ashton knows what he’s doing. As far as how we know we are on the right track? Well, we’re following the same charts. I think. I hope.”
Ashton put his hand on one of the levers and looked at the chart. “We are going the right way. I am just not sure how far we are supposed to go. It is impossible to see anything farther than where our lights shine.”
Katie looked into the darkness at the small flecks floating in front of the lights. “I’m sure we’re fine. Everything is good and steady.”
Suddenly a bright red light began to flash on the dashboard. Ashton reached up quickly and pushed a button. He narrowed his eyes and looked forward at the lines and data flashing across the screen. Katie had no idea what it was telling them. “What’s going on?”
Ashton sniffed and looked at Katie. “Something is moving below us. It could be seismic activity, but I can’t get a true reading on what is going on down there. I didn’t think we were close to the floor of the ocean here, so it’s either strong enough to send waves all the way up here, or there is something else below us.”
Katie narrowed her eyes. “Or someone else.”
She turned to the rest of the team. “This is why we’re out here—to find the Leviathan and track down Wilson. What do you say?”
Pandora shrugged. “Downward ho!”
Juntto cringed and nodded. “Whatever we need to do.”
Katie smiled and looked at Ashton. “What do you think is going on down there?”
Ashton shook his head. “It’s hard to say. I can’t see anything from here; it’s too dark. All I can do is note the readings I am getting. It could be an earthquake, or it could be something under the water. It is up to you. You are the leader. All I can do is tell you if it is safe to proceed.”
Katie bit the inside of her cheek. “Is it? Safe to proceed?”
Ashton looked at the readings. “Looks good to me.”
Katie gave him a swift nod and swallowed hard. “Then let’s do it. Let’s go investigate whatever this is. I don’t want to miss it because we are nervous or scared.”
Ashton puffed air from his cheeks and pushed down on the steering lever in his hands. Slowly the submarine tilted forward, and they began to dive
deeper into the ocean. Katie leaned forward, putting her hand on the cold glass in front of her. Her eyes shifted back and forth, trying to pick up any movement in the darkness as they dove. She couldn’t stand the fact that she couldn’t see what was below them. One thing about the demons she was used to dealing with—they made themselves known. There was no guessing, and there were usually not any creepy dives deep into the ocean to find them.
Katie furrowed her brow. “I can’t see a damn thing. How are those readings?”
Ashton looked at the screen. “Staying steady with movement. It’s definitely not a seismic event unless we are right over the top of some volcano. This area isn’t known to have those, though. Whatever is registering is in constant movement. Subtle, then stronger, then subtle again, but always there.”
Katie had a bad feeling about that, but she wasn’t going to admit it out loud to her team. Not with Juntto clinging to the seat behind her. Suddenly bubbles began to float up from beneath them, moving across the window and beyond. Katie sat back, shocked at what she was seeing.
Ashton pulled on the lever, trying to level the sub out. Katie shook her head. “What the fuck is that from?”
Ashton let out a deep breath, controlling the sub as best he could. Whatever was moving was forcing the current up and around the sub. It was enough to set them rocking, like driving over a bridge in high winds. They could feel the pressure of the water as it slammed into the sides of the sub.
As he steadied it, the lights flashed across something solid. Juntto put his hand out and cringed. “There are giant boulders tumbling down on all sides of us!”
Katie’s eyes opened wide and she looked out the window, seeing the large masses closing in from all around them. The darkness seemed to be swallowing them whole, and she could barely hear the voices around her above the creaking and whining of the sub. She put her hands out to steady herself and looked up as the flash from the lights scanned across the masses above them.
She grabbed Ashton’s arm. “Watch out! We’ll be crushed by those rocks!”
