He picked her up, wrapping her in a blanket. As he cooed she quieted down. Before leaving he looked around the penthouse. Clearly nobody was home. He would have to put his people on this. Why would Shantigra leave the baby unattended?
* * *
The Seahawk radioed for emergency landing permission from the International Tokyo Airport.
The flight crew of the Seahawk had repeatedly attempted to contact the Yamayuki, but to no avail. The navy destroyer was lost at sea.
The surviving SAT officers had restrained Nesbitt in handcuffs. She sat placidly, the various aspects of the mission little more than a blur in her memory. But that wasn't her primary concern. Nesbitt was happy now. The Whisperer had vacated her mind.
* * *
The Whisperer of the Deep
The Whisperer fully awoke in its inky blackness. Like the womb, it was surrounded by water. It moved, shambled, swam, shifted beneath the ocean and through the eons-old submarine city. Its weird geometry and non-Euclidean angles no challenge for it to navigate. No longer would it sleep.
Krulgh had slept and waited over three millennia. What would be another decade? But it had plans! It had information to glean – extract – feed upon.
Krulgh would begin with The Yamayuki while it waited for Her.
Chapter 18: Aftermath
The United Nation's Headquarters,
New York City,
January 17th, 1995
Commander Dr. Francisco Velazquez was furious as he exited the taxi. He had been summoned before the UN Covalent Global Security Conclave. What kind of authority did they believe they had to summon him to them? He knew what this would be about. This was a power play to intimidate him. Chastise him and keep them in the loop. He was appalled. He was the one who made all the difficult decisions, the ones nobody wanted to make.
He stormed into the UN Headquarters.
* * *
Velazquez was somewhat surprised that this meeting was being held in one of the larger main chambers. The prevalent theme with the UNCGSC had been its secrecy.
Sitting before him were only three. Dr. Navid Ramakrishna of India, the Russian Professor Theodore Cherninski, and a third member he had never seen before. An older man. He couldn't put an age on him. Balding, tall, thin, with piercing tiny eyes.
Please take a seat Dr. Velazquez,” Dr. Ramakrishna opened.
“It's Commander, and I'd prefer to stand.”
Ramakrishna smiled her bleach-white smile but there was nothing friendly or warm in it. “Very well. Suit yourself.”
“Is this a formal or informal debriefing... or is this an unnecessary update -” Velazquez began before the Russian cut him off.
“-It is none of the above.” Professor Cherninski opened a file folder. “The CSIS-SAT-RCMP Joint Task Force is being disbanded. Command is being rescinded and you are being stripped of rank, title and all associated privileges and authority.”
“What?!” Velazquez roared. “How do you expect -”
Again he was cut off, this time by Dr. Ramakrishna. “Termination of primary target – a Lorne S. Gibbons – has failed. Reports indicate due to an insubordinate agent – an RCMP ERT Chief Superintendent Michelle Nesbitt.”
Velazquez pulled an indifferent face. “I cannot be expected to control these rogue elements when-”
“Actually, that was exactly what you were expected to do. Please, Dr. Velazquez, do not interrupt.
“Secondary target – a Marie Gibbons – was confirmed terminated.
“Tertiary target – a newborn Tamara Takahara – who, according to the mission's mandate, was to be captured unharmed, was fired upon with lethal intent; a severe deviation from mission's perimeters. Also, this mission failed, as Tamara Takahara has gone missing with no trace. Although we believe she is in the custody of her uncle, Hiromitsu Takahara, we have exhausted any possible legal avenues of pursuit.
“Top Secret information – namely the electronic recording of the music of Lorne S. Gibbons, which we were given verbal assurances from you personally of its security, has gone missing.”
“There was a Tsunami!” interjected Velazquez, but Ramakrishna continued.
“The Japanese destroyer, The Yamayuki, is missing in action and presumed lost – and for some strange reason neither its wreckage or debris can be found. Its entire crew of 203 men, as well as CSIS's James Leaman, are all missing in action and presumed dead. Five of the ten man assault team are also dead.
“But worse of all, Dr. Velazquez, due to insubordination of your team, not only did the mission fail to terminate Lorne S. Gibbons, he has been rendered untraceable. We are worse off than when this debacle began and in more danger!” Dr. Ramakrishna stopped when she realized she was standing and leaning forward as she spoke.
Professor Cherninski calmly continued, “The CSIS-SAT-RCMP JTF has been disbanded. Your last action of Command will be to order your entire remaining team, official and/or unofficial, to arrest and desist any and all investigations in these matters directly or indirectly. All files on all persons of interest are to be closed and all material surrendered to the UNCGSC immediately.” And with that Professor Cherninski closed the file folder in front of him.
Velazquez stood silently. Dr. Ramakrishna looked up from her notes. “You're dismissed,” she finished.
A pair of security guards walked up to Velazquez to escort him out. Dr. Ramakrishna waited until Velazquez exited the chamber before continuing.
“Now, we need to move onto our second agenda. We need to initiate some sort of contingency plan. We need to begin global monitoring of the next GEOP Event.
“Doctor Genevieve Cadeaux has provided us with a theory that will allow us to begin watching and monitoring for these GEOP-events. I submit to you the Centinel Project.”
Epilogue: The Zero-Event
The Red Sea, Egypt,
circa 1242 BCE
(3,237 years ago)
Even for a Nubian, Pharaoh Nyarlathotep was dark skinned, near the colour of pitch - the whites of his eyes and his sharpened teeth shone forth like beacons of light! The gold he wore on his wrists, ankles, neck, and headpiece seemingly shone brighter still contrasted to his ebony skin. His hands held out by his sides, palms down, mimicking a pushing or holding motion.
“You have sided with the slaves?” Pharaoh's voice boomed in Egyptian, as he stood atop the hill.
“I have sided with Life!” Moshe shouted back in Hebrew. He had the low ground. He stood in the dried bed of the sea, attempting to buy his fleeing people more time. He leaned upon his staff, slouched. His face and eyes concealed beneath his hood. They were nearly through the portal.
“You speak the language of the slaves now?!” Pharaoh asked incredulously. “Is that your great ambition, to become one?” he spat the final words out, sardonically.
“No more than you have father,” Moshe mumbled through clenched teeth. Then, out loud, “You will not, you cannot release Cthulhu!”
“Do not tell me you have not heard the call. Do not tell me you have not dreamed of the priest Krulgh! Do not tell me He hasn't whispered to you!” the Black Pharaoh shouted to his son! “You know it cannot be stopped! You know it is inevitable! You know it is unavoidable!”
Moshe removed his hood. The sunlight caused the green and golden flecks in his hazel eyes to sparkle as he spoke in clear fluent Egyptian for the Pharaoh's men to hear.
“The Reign of Pharaoh Nyarlathotep has come to an end. The name of Nefren-Kha will be struck and erased from the pages of history. You will simply disappear!” Moshe stood straighter still. He raised his staff above his head with a upward pushing motion, his eyes glowing golden. The dried seabed turned to mud. Moshe's feet were submerged in seconds.
Pharaoh raged and screamed and shouted! His eyes flared with alien magic as he attempted to counter the Hebrew's spell... but still the water rose!
It gushed. It exploded. Across the horizon a tidal wave was visible racing towards them. Moshe levitated off the ground, his eyes b
linding beacons of light now. He spoke in High Egyptian to the Pharaoh's men and soldiers.
“Now is your time! Reclaim your freedom! End the slaughter and debauchery!” Moshe's voice became like thunder, “Crush Pharaoh Nyarlathotep!” The screaming crescendo coincided with the arrival of the tidal wave. The entire desert environment exploded with water!
Strange alien energies coursed through Pharaoh Nyarlathotep's body. It spilt out of his hands and glowed green in his eyes. Pushing his alien reserves to their limit, he attempted to hold back and push down the raging waters! But these weren't natural waters! They were artificially driven and forced by the Symbiot-hybrid, Moshe.
The waters cleaved, split by Pharaoh's powers and roared and screamed past him, but he could not stop them!
Pharaoh bellowed his denial and frustration as the last of his energy became depleted. The water engulfed him and carried him away.
* * *
... and at its geographical antipodal point - on the other side of the world, south-central Pacific Ocean...
The entire horizon of encircling ocean seemed to rise for a moment. The ocean rose and appeared to hover, like the walls of a massive crater one moment... then the next it came racing in!
The alien monstrosity that was the priest Krulgh's scream was shrill as its failure became apparent.
The catastrophic tsunamis hammered through the outer perimeter of the eons-old city from all sides! The outer most ancient monolithic stones and towers and tombs shattering and falling like Cyclopean dominoes, tumbling down at the strangest angles! Their collapse deafening, drowning out Krulgh's screeching wails of denial, frustration and anguish.
The multiple tsunamis slammed into one another like an aquatic hydrogen bomb, its final explosion sending jets of water miles high!
And in the aftermath, as the residue water rained down, the waters rose to swallow the city R'lyeh beneath the waves.
Look for Necropolis
the exciting finale to
The Symbiot trilogy
Woven throughout this entire literary piece are the stories of characters forgotten about from the original novella, The Symbiot. Written as three separate pieces, following 6 story lines set in 3 different ages, Necropolis is intricate storytelling!
The first piece tells the story of the fall and demise of the ancient Egyptian man-god, Pharaoh Nyarlathotep.
The second brings us back to the characters we left in the previous book, ten years later. The promises hinted at in The Hunt: Symbiosys do not disappoint and come to fruition in Necropolis with full blown Lovecraftian-mythos monsters!
It's Modern Tech versus forgotten aeons-old evil, with a reminiscent flavouring similar to Grandma Death's fictitious book (Donnie Darko, 2001)!
It has been a decade since The Hunt and the Gibbons' children are humanity's last hope!
The conclusion of The Symbiot Series spans three millennia - from Pharaoh Nyarlathotep's genesis and demise, to the discovery of the derelict Japanese Destroyer, the Yamayuki, to the world shattering rising of R'lyeh!
The world is at its end!
R'lyeh has risen!
Cthulhu's high priest has awaken!
Iä! Iä! Cthulhu Fhtagn!
Afterward
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The Hunt: Symbiosys Page 13
