An Atlantean Triumvirate

by C. Craig R. McNeil

  The captain sat behind his desk in his usual high backed leather chair in the middle of the bridge. A quiet murmur of voices formed a background to the setting as the night shift of fifty officers and ratings performed their daily duties, scrutinising dials and gauges, running checks and evaluations and generally maintaining the health of the submarine dreadnaught.

  “Good evening, captain,” said Jane as the captain looked up from his paperwork.

  His bearded face broke into a broad smile as he saw her.

  “Good evening Miss Archer! A pleasure to see you again! You’ll be wanting something from me again?”

  Jane smiled at the jest. It was unfortunate that every time she had seen the captain it had only been to relay a series of requirements she had. She sat down on the proffered chair.

  “Unfortunately, yes, but this time it’s a small thing. I need to send a message to London at once. I’ll need access to one of the encryption machines so I can input the required codes.”

  “Ah, that’s a problem just now, Miss Archer. Our external radio buoy has been lost and we don’t have a spare. How urgent is it? Can it wait until we head back to New Atlantis for a replacement?”

  Jane bit her lip as she considered this. New Atlantis was over an hours travelling and docking away. Then she would have to come back to hear the Nucleus’ answer. Damn. Things had to be awkward. It wasn’t a good day today.

  “No it can’t wait. We’ll have to surface. This is too important to delay.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that Miss Archer. It’s against standard operating practice exposing a submarine dreadnaught to surface detection. You know as well as I do that on the surface the Renown is as clumsy as a beached whale and too vulnerable to risk. The guns the dreadnaught carries are a waste of space and we prefer to attack with torpedoes. I’ll face a court martial.”

  “Captain, it’s not a request. Surface the dreadnaught immediately. If anyone would like to discuss this procedure with you then please direct them to me. I’m authorising you to surface the dreadnaught.”

  The Captain pitied the idiot that decided to argue with Miss Archer. She was a fine looking young woman, very pleasant most of the time, but by God! sometimes she could be cooler than a cold day in the Arctic.

  “Certainly Miss Archer. The Admiralty will blow a gasket over this, so I’ll need you to sign the necessary paperwork.”

  “Of course. Now, can we please surface.”

  The Captain turned in his seat.

  “Mr Brown! Sound the alert. Prepare to surface.”

  Jane caught the quizzical look Mr Brown gave the Captain but he passed on the orders and klaxons blared out through the ship as the alert was sounded.

  “Thank you Captain. I’ll prepare the message to send. Once it’s sent we have to come straight back here immediately.”

  “Certainly. I’ll send the sailing plan to New Atlantis at once.”

  Jane smiled at the Captain and gave her thanks before walking over to a spare encryption terminal. The encryption machine was like a very large typewriter with various cables leading out the back of it disappearing into the wall where they led to the hefty room sized analytical engine located below the bridge.

  Fishing out the days encryption code, Jane tapped it into the machine which whirred noisily. A red light appeared next to the send button which meant she could now continue by typing in her message.

  Jane heard the hull of the dreadnaught creaking as it slowly rose up from the Atlantic bottom to the surface. She had plenty of time to write the full report that the situation merited. The machine hummed quietly to itself as Jane tapped away.

  10 Pointless Battles

  The analytical engine finished encrypting Jane’s message at the moment the Renown breached the surface of the Atlantic. For a change it was a calm evening with gentle swells rolling over the blue-grey surface of the ocean causing even the dreadnaught to rock slightly. Even man’s mightiest machines paled against the forces of nature.

  On the Renown, Jane rocked back on her seat while waiting for a radio link to be established with the nearest radio transmitter. Her report had been succinct and straight to the point as they all were. She just hoped that the usual layers of bureaucracy wouldn’t delay the message too much. It had to reach Professor Miller Hayre, head of MI7, as soon as possible because only he was intelligent enough to understand the threat that both the Nucleus and the Core could represent. Only the Professor could persuade the War Secretary that steps should be taken. So many ‘ifs’ though. Jane didn’t like ‘ifs’. She preferred to deal in certainties which is why she would never dream of moving into politics. Too much back stabbing and self interest even compared to Military Intelligence.

  “Miss Archer. You can send your message as soon as you’re ready,” said the Captain as he reached her encryption terminal.

  She nodded as she pressed the send button next to the terminal. A light next to it went from red to green indicating the message had been sent.

  “Right you are,” said Jane. “That’s it gone.”

  Noting the Captain’s nervousness, she added “We can dive again, Captain. It’s only been a few minutes.”

  “You forget Miss Archer, that it takes a while for the buoyancy tanks to refill. We’ll be able to dive in about ten minutes. I just hope we don’t get seen. I’ve got spotters out on the front and rear conning towers. So far so go-…” An alarm blared through out the ship.

  The Captain didn’t say anything but the look he gave Jane caused her to raise her eyebrows. Getting to her feet, she followed the Captain as he went over to one of the radio bays. Clicking it on he spoke into it.

  “Davids, what have we got?”

  “Cap’n, we can see aeroplane contrails overhead and can hear the planes quite clearly. They don’t have any identification lights on so they must be military.”

  “Could be smugglers, Davids. Get a grip man.”

  “No sir, they don’t sound like smuggler planes. The engines are too powerful, more of a military standard. And there’s an awful lot of them.”

  The Captain turned off the radio and turned to Jane. “The Azores?” he said. “They're only about thirty miles away.”

  “No… Why would the Azores be attacked? They’re not exactly a convenient staging point for a beachhead anywhere.”

  “Who knows these days. Reason and logic have been on holiday ever since we found that Nucleus thing down there.”

  Before Jane could reply the radio crackled into life again.

  “Captain, there’s something in the water. We’ve seen splashes fore and aft, followed by outboard motors. We can see covered motorboats heading towards the Renown.”

  “Grief. How can they see us? It's getting pretty dark out there and we've no lights on.”

  The Captain called across to an engineer studying a panel of lights.

  “Michaels, how long till we can dive?”

  “Five minutes, sir. We’re running flat out to fill the tanks.”

  “Damn. Watkins! Get a squad of Marines up on the conning towers. Get the floodlights on and the AA guns operational. I don’t want any damn foreign Johnny putting hand or foot on the Renown. Do you understand me?”

  Jane felt a muted rumble as the anti aircraft guns rose up from their hidden housings up onto the deck.

  The Captain dragged on a heavy black waterproof jacket and checked his Webley revolver.

  “Watkins, come with me. We’re going to see what the situation is up there. Michaels! As soon as we can dive, sound the alert and dive. Don’t muck about.”

  Jane found herself alone and ignored in the control room as the Captain and Watkins went topside. Typical men - off to play war leaving her to her knitting or whatever it was they thought she was meant to do. Just as well she didn’t take it personally, she sniffed.

  Jane pulled on a waterproof jacket similar to the Captain’s which totally swamped her. Peevishly she wished they would at least provide a few things in her size for a change. R
olling up the sleeves she ordered a nonplussed crewman to procure her a sidearm, which he produced after some humming and hawing followed by one of Jane’s steely glares. Stowing some extra ammunition in the copious pockets of the waterproof, she took the lift up to the aft conning tower.

  The noise was deafening. Piercing howling screams cut through the air. Anti aircraft cannon shot shell after shell into the rapidly darkening sky that was criss crossed by the bright stabbing beams of searchlights shining from the fore and aft conning towers. Marines stood around the top of the conning tower firing shot after shot from their Lee Enfield rifles at unseen targets. Overhead, aeroplanes could be heard circling. Jane thought there were maybe three or four but it was difficult to tell over the noise. What was that screeching?

  She spied the Captain in the middle of a line of Marines taking aim with his pistol. She ignored him as he would only berate her for putting herself in danger. One of the marines to her right screamed and fell over the guard rail surround the conning tower. Jane rushed over to fill the gap, revolver at the ready.

  Temporarily dazzled by the bright searchlights, Jane could barely make out the dark bulk of the Renown stretched out in front of her. Her vision cleared and she could see shadows and dark hints of unknown creatures scuttling over the metal plating. Was that….? A flash from an AA gun destroyed her night vision again but she had a clear picture of what she was seeing. Khadrae. And lots of them.

  Jane felt a tightness in her chest, a hint of fear that she wasn’t used to feeling. It was one thing dissecting a dead Khadrae, talking about them with the Nucleus, discussing them matter of factly. It was a whole other thing to see them in the flesh.

  Aiming the gun blindly she fired off round after round emptying the chambers of her revolver hoping that she would hit something. As she fired off her last round, Jane felt a breath of wind on the back of her hand and gasped with horror as she saw the blind head of a Khadrae reach up mouth agape, teeth shining in the light, strings of saliva beading between its jaws. She shouted a warning but by the time she’d finished it, the marine standing next to her had disappeared over the edge pulled down by his arms, screaming as he went.

  Stepping back to reload the revolver, she found the Captain doing the same.

  “Captain,” she shouted above the din, “Get the Marines off the deck. We’re wasting their lives! Seal the hatches and dive. The Khadrae…”

  “The what?” shouted back the Captain.

  “Those creatures! They won’t be able to get into the dreadnaught. Retreat and seal the hatches!”

  “Don’t be silly woman! We’ve got to repel the boarders! We’re doing well! Give the men some action and let them let off some steam!”

  Good grief, thought Jane. Men are dying and it’s called letting off steam!

  “Have you notified the Azores that we’re being attacked?” yelled Jane

  “What? The Azores? No! Be a good fellow and make sure we get something off to them.” And with that the Captain finished loading his revolver and went back to the fire fight.

  The AA guns must have finally zeroed in on their targets because they were now silent and Jane thought she could see burning wreckage floating out on the rolling sea.

  The fire fight was as intense as it was loud, with rifle fire cracking all around, men shouting warnings to each other but above all the screeching and calling of the Khadrae.

  Realising there was little she could do to aid the marines, Jane ran to the lift cage planning on at least warning the Azores Naval Base and its garrison what to expect.

  The gunfire sounded panicked, shots being fired far too quickly to have been aimed with any precision. If only the Captain would seal the hatches and wait to dive! Letting off steam indeed.

  She saw it at the corner of her eye, leaping above the parapet, cruel steel curves pointing forward. A blur of blue metal flashed down and a marine fell to the deck his skull spliced open from forehead to the nape of the neck. And then it was in amongst them. A Khadrae. A killing machine in black, metal talons flashing in the harsh arc lights.

  Desperately, the two marines on either side of the fallen soldier twisted round, Lee Enfield rifles flailing in the air as they tried to get the Khadrae in their sights. And then they fell as the Khadrae whipped itself around in a whirlwind, screeching in exultation as it gutted the two unfortunate soldiers.

  The Khadrae had created the gap necessary for its fellows to leap up onto the conning tower and they were quick to exploit the weakness. As the marines on deck finally reacted and fired shot after shot into the lone Khadrae, two more leapt up onto the parapet, hissing menacingly before attacking the hapless marines. The marines, battle hardened as they were, had no chance. Jane had never seen anything move so fast. Metal claws scythed through flesh and bone as if it were paper. Jaws sliced and twisted limbs off causing blood, black in the light, to spurt in torrents. More and more Khadrae joined in the slaughter. Jane saw the Captain and Watkins go down, the Captain with no throat and his intestines hanging down his uniform, his eyes blank, dead before he knew what was happening to him.

  It was all over in seconds. Jane had no time to react, no time to help, no time to call for reinforcements. She slammed the lift cage closed, stabbing at the ‘down’ button.

  The cage rattled as a Khadrae slammed into it causing the thick metal bars to bend and creak alarmingly as the animal slavered over the bars, metal screeching against metal as its teeth slithered over the slick posts. The cage shuddered as the Khadrae kicked out, the middle claw on its left leg slicing almost half way through one of the bars on the gate.

  Raising her gun, Jane calmly shot the creature twice in the face. It squealed as it fell down before being silenced by the heavy watertight lift door finally sliding shut crushing the now delicate looking body in a rapid succession of cracking and snapping bones.

  Jane staggered against the back of the lift. The Captain was gone. Who was in charge now? Hawkins? Damn! This was such as mess now. Why the hell did that idiot decide to repel the Khadrae? Bloody fool! Why can’t everyone be sensible?

  The lift opened and she hurried to the control deck. Lieutenant Hawkins looked up as she walked in through the double doors.

  “Lieutenant Hawkins, the Captain and Watkins are dead. Order the marines on the fore conning tower to fall back into the Renown.” If they're still alive she silently added. “Send a medical team to the fore conning tower immediately and order the hospital to prepare for casualties. Retract the AA guns and dive as soon as all operations have been complete.”

  To his credit, Hawkins took the information on board with barely a flicker, accepting Jane’s command without question. He relayed the orders to the relevant personnel before turning to Jane.

  “Ma’am, do we have any survivors from the aft conning tower?”

  “Me. That’s it.”

  He nodded. “Is there anything else?”

  “Damn, yes. Send an emergency message to the Azores warning them that they may be the target of an attack by unknown forces. Extreme caution and lethal force to be exercised at all times.”

  Watkins nodded again, despatching the message as Jane unwrapped herself from the waterproof jacket. She noticed her hands were shaking. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing but the comedown was a dashed nuisance.

  Before she could compose herself, the klaxons blared once again and the Renown gracefully sank beneath the waves, washing itself clean of the blood and gore that stained its iron hull, slipping down back in to the dark cold depths of its home, the Atlantic.

  “Mr Hawkins, will there be a problem with me assuming command of the Renown?” asked Jane.

  “Well, ma’am –…”

  “You misunderstand me, Mr Hawkins. I expect you to say ‘No’ and deal with any problems that arise. In turn, I will deal with inconveniences that the Whitehall bureaucrats will cause for you. Do you understand me now?”

  “Certainly, ma’am,” Hawkins was obviously uncomfortable, but that’s just too bad, Jane thoug
ht.

  “Excellent Hawkins. Take the Renown back down to Atlantis and dock at the archaeological site I was last at. Could I also have a casualty report as soon as possible plus a full report of the fight topside at the fore conning tower. I'll add the details of that damnable massacre at the aft conning tower.”

  Sitting down at the dead Captain’s luxurious desk, Jane tidied up the various reports that were scattered about before filing them in the bottom drawer. She pushed her brown hair back out of her eyes, rearranging the band holding her ponytail. She hoped the Nucleus would agree to help because this attack on the Renown and probably the Azores was a sharp escalation in the unofficial hostilities between the United States and Britain. She prayed it was American planes that had attacked them because at least America was a known quantity.

  She worried about the Core though. It was a totally unknown quantity. She had no idea how it thought, what its capabilities were, its resources, nothing. From what the Nucleus had said the Core only existed as an information depositary with the Khadrae thrown in for good measure. But what information did it hold? What was it telling the Americans? As for the Nucleus... Jane wondered how distinct it was from the Core. The Nucleus was an artificial creation after all and they only information they had about it was what it itself had told them. Her gut feeling was that despite the unexpected killing of her bodyguards the Nucleus was not evil and that furthermore it was incapable of distinguishing between good and evil, relying on pure logic to make it's decisions. She couldn't see the logic in murdering those soldiers though. Jane’s head began to throb. Maybe it was the stress, maybe it was the pressure making itself felt as the submarine descended the hundreds of fathoms to the bottom of the sea. Either way Jane didn’t feel good. And dash it all, she hadn’t asked Hawkins for a cup of Earl Grey.