The Guillotine

by Lucas Pederson

  “But your grandpa—”

  “Told me stories of mutations and monsters in the sea. I’ve read about them. Saw reports on the news. But I’ve never actually seen one. The closest I came to one before that…thing, was whatever hit us on our way to the east coast.”

  He hunkers down in front of her, a hand on her knee. “Same here. This is my first time.”

  “How are you dealing so well, dude?”

  He chuckles. “I’m not. Inside I’m a ball of knots. I want to call the job off and get transported back to the surface and onto land.”

  “Then why don’t you?”

  Ash stands, rubs the back of his sore neck. “Because this job is it. This is the last one we do professionally, if Murdock pays the agreed amount.”

  Julia rolls her eyes. “That’s a big if, dude.”

  He smiles. Julia is coming back to herself. “We signed contracts. I have copies. If he tries to back out, we take him to court.”

  Still, Julia shakes her head. “I have a really bad feeling about this, Ash.”

  “There’s nothing big enough to damage this facility, not even that mutation. We’re safe in here.”

  Julia slams a fist on her knee. “Yeah. In here, not out there where you want to go!”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  She makes a pshhh sound and glowers at him. “Just like you thought you’d be fine diving for a fucking clam?”

  “They’re taking precautions now. Scans and a sweep. Plus, I’ll be with a group of professional divers. I’ll be okay out there.”

  Julia, shaking her head, turns away from him. “I’d take being on an island oozing with lava than here. At least there we knew what the threat was.”

  He walks to the scans Quinn had set-up. They blink on a monitor set in the wall. Almost eyelevel.

  “The scans of the lake came back. Nothing larger than a sturgeon out there now.” He faces her. “That thing floating in the Moon Pool, it was an accident. It’s not a part of the lake. Must’ve swam all the way up the Mississippi for whatever reason. Like those bull sharks about twenty years back.”

  “That was Lake Michigan,” Julia says, though she sighs. “Okay. Fine. Go out and play. Whatever. Just promise me, as soon as you’re back, we get out of here. Okay?”

  Ash nods. “Promise.”

  Although, the other part of the job is to figure out the deaths of the dinosaurs, he agrees. He’ll deal with her when the time comes for that.

  For now…

  “Okay,” Quinn says hurrying into the office. “It’s black, but I brought a packet of cream and sugar.”

  Julia takes the cup of coffee from Quinn, smiles. “Thanks.”

  Quinn smiles back, though her gaze pings on the monitor behind Ash. The scan results. Obviously noticing the lack of rare lifeforms, Quinn returns her attention to Julia. “Are you hungry?”

  Ash leaves the office, finding Kayla glaring at the edge of the Moon Pool.

  “It shouldn’t have been here,” she says as he approaches.

  “Accidents happen,” he says, frowning at the dead creature in the Moon Pool.

  “Yeah, but there’s not supposed to be any accidents here. This is a relatively controlled environment. It’s supposed to be as safe as possible. Someone was sleeping at their post, apparently, if they didn’t catch this thing on any scans.”

  “Well,” Ash says. “Maybe it just recently entered the lake?”

  “Maybe,” Kayla says, glaring at the dead creature. “Might’ve been planted too.”

  Ash turns to her. “Planted? By who?”

  Without looking at him, she says, “Murdock. Who do you think?”

  “Murdock?” He moves closer to Kayla. “What makes you think it’s him?”

  She laughs. Its tone is clipped and length short. “Because he’s a sadistic asshole.”

  He’s heard some things, sure, but…

  “Why would he put his own people in jeopardy with god knows how many millions he’s put into this facility?”

  Kayla flashes a grin at him. “Because he’s a sadistic asshole.”

  Ash stares at the dead creature, not sure what else to say.

  She turns away from the Pool. “You know he was behind the tragedy on that old rig in the south Pacific years ago, right? I met the guy who survived. Bracken. Good man. His daughter is expanding his mech business into finding water. Anyway, he told me all about how there was a botched drop off of gear. How a mutated Mosasaurus infected his crew. How they had two monsters to deal with and then everyone just…” Kayla shakes her head.

  “I’ve heard the stories,” he says after a moment.

  “Right. So, you understand what I’m worried about.”

  Ash peels off his vest. “No. But I think at the end of the day we all get paid.”

  “What if I told you,” Kayla says, “We’re never getting paid.”

  He pauses, sends his sight to her. “What do you mean?”

  She blows out a long, heavy breath. “We’ve been down here for almost a year and my bank account is still zero. So is everyone else’s, as far as I know.”

  Ash frowns, not sure what to say.

  “The longer we’re here, the more I’m beginning to believe we’ll die here. The only ones who are allowed to go to the surface are Green and her team. And it’s very rare they get the clearance at all. I think it’s been at least two months until you arrived since they’ve been topside. Maybe longer.”

  He shakes his head. “No vacations or time off?”

  “None.”

  Ash glances at the dead creature. “That’s a long time for so many people to be cooped up like this. I mean, after a while, people go—”

  “Insane,” Kayla finishes for him, nodding. “Green had to put a couple down about a week ago. Cabin fever got to them. Those guys, they were going from room to room killing and eating people.”

  “Jesus…”

  She nods gravely. “Yeah. It was pretty bad, but I’m seeing declines, even in my dive team now. Periods of being…off. Hell, even I get this really low feeling from time to time and being shut in for long periods usually never bothers me.” She turns toward the office. “Even Quinn is showing signs. For one, she’s never gotten anyone coffee before. She’s the boss in this department, not me.”

  Ash stares at the dead creature as it slowly begins to sink, as most sharks do. He’s actually a little surprised it floated at all. “So, you think Murdock is purposely keeping everyone locked in here for…what? Why would he do that? Why risk such an expensive investment and operation?”

  A short pause, then, “Maybe we’re an experiment.”

  He turns, face furrowing in a deep frown, toward her. “An experiment? For what?”

  She shakes her head, still staring at the office. “I don’t know, but every day I spend down here the closer I feel to my death. Maybe it amuses him to see us scurrying around like rats in glass tubes. See how long it takes before we break.” She faces him. “All the data gets leaked out to him every other month, so he could cut us off from everything at any time without losing anything vital. Hell, for all I know, he has bombs set-up everywhere and all he needs to do is push a button.”

  Again, he’s struck silent for a moment. What does one say to that kind of theory? And that’s exactly what it is. A theory. Even if he can almost imagine Murdock setting this all up as some sadistic rattrap, it just doesn’t make sense to Ash’s brain. There has to be millions dropped into the facility and crew, not to mention all the tech.

  Doors at the other end of the Moon Pool room crash open. Master Chief Green and her team of six march in, faces utterly blank, armed and geared in black from head to toe. Each of them carry black flippers and air tanks slung over their shoulders.

  Kayla faces Green as the Master Chief approaches. She gives Green a respectful nod. Green nods back, eyes shifting toward the Moon Pool.

  “What are the scans showing?”

  “All clear,” Ash says, though shrugs. “But who knows
.”

  “Scans didn’t pick this thing up until it attacked Ash,” Kayla says. She smiles at him. “Who would have thought he’d save me, but he did. Blew the thing’s head off.”

  Green gives Ash a firm nod, though her face remains stony. “Good. What are we dealing with, if you know?”

  “Mutant,” Ash spouts. “A shark with human-like arms and hands.”

  Finally, Green’s face softens, though just barely. “A mutant? Here?”

  Both Kayla and Ash blink in unison.

  “Must’ve traveled all the way up the Mississippi,” Ash says.

  After some thought, Green shakes her head. “It’s possible, of course, but all this time, there have never been reports of mutants in the Mississippi.”

  “So,” Kayla says, “how do you think it got here?”

  “Planted.” Green steps closer to the edge of the Moon Pool, grimacing at the dead thing a few feet below the scarlet surface now. “Someone is trying to jeopardize the operation.”

  Ash blinks. “But who? Murdock?”

  “No,” Green says. “It’d make sense, but no. Could be our competitors from the Government.”

  “Roskie’s group?” Kayla asks.

  “The very same.” She faces Kayla and Ash. “They want this lake. They’ve tried to get it before. What better way than to plant a few mutants in the lake to scare off the competition?”

  It makes sense to Ash, but…

  “Seems kind of extreme, don’t you think?”

  Green favors Ash with a weary smile. “Yes. They tried pushing us out a couple months ago. It didn’t work. So, I assume, they decided to take extreme measures.”

  Ash nods, though watches Green carefully. What if, after being down here so long, despite being able to go topside from time to time, she’s beginning to go a bit bonkers? Maybe even delusional?

  Even so, he can see how some competitors might go the extreme route.

  And yet…why, unless they know about the cache of dinosaur bones?

  “We’ll dispose of this thing,” Green says, “and do an eighty-meter sweep. Keep the scanners running and keep in contact. You see anything, let me know right away.” She gives her team a nod and they strap on their tanks.

  “Why aren’t they using the Sharks?” Ash asks Kayla.

  “Because,” Green answers, “I don’t want my shit clogging up on me every ten minutes.”

  “Master Chief Green doesn’t like the Sharks,” Kayla says.

  “Didn’t I just say that?”

  Kayla smiles at Green. “You did.”

  Both women exchange a warm glance, then Green sits near the Pool and pulls on her flippers. The rest of her team follow suit. She tests her oxygen through the mouthpiece, fits in an earpiece, and slips down her goggles. “Be back soon. Keep those scanners running and keep me informed.”

  With this, she enters the pool. Her team follows.

  Ash watches them pull the dead mutation toward the bottom of the Moon Pool.

  “We better get on those scans,” Kayla says and hurries to the office.

  Ash lingers, sight fixing on the disrupted scarlet water of the Moon Pool.

  Never in his life has he felt so trapped.

  Never has he felt a true pang of terror.

  Until now…

  ELEVEN

  It takes over two hours before Green and her team gives up and returns to Infinity Moon.

  Nothing on the scans indicates a threat.

  Exiting the pool, Green announces an all clear. She doesn’t even wait for conversation. Instead she storms out of the Moon Pool room, her six-member team quickly in tow.

  “She’s never been one for conversation,” Kayla says.

  “She’s an asshole,” Quinn adds.

  Kayla snorts, nods. “She’s that too. But without her we’d be in trouble.”

  “Whatever,” Quinn says in a low voice, nearly a whisper.

  Kayla appears to ignore her and looks at Ash. “My dive team will be here in about five minutes. Suit up, if you’re still joining us.”

  Ash blinks. “Wait, I passed?”

  “You saved my life. Yes, you passed.”

  He doesn’t waste time and snugs on a Shark vest.

  “Remember,” Kayla says. “Try to stay out of our way and keep your intakes clear. Keep your back away from the stirring silt and sand as we dig.”

  Ash nods. “Okay.” He buckles the vest tight.

  Kayla smiles, gives him a thumbs-up, and begins gearing up. A minute or so later, ten men and women stroll into the Moon Pool room.

  To Ash, they all look tired. Faces haggard, bags hanging under their eyes. Their movements are slow while they suit up for the dive.

  Julia steps in front of Ash, checking the buckles of his vest. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

  “Yes. I do.”

  She frowns. “You know, I’m supposed to be the stubborn one, right?”

  “You still are,” he says. “If I can help these people in any way, I’m going to at least try.”

  “I know. Just be damn careful down there, okay?” She rolls her eyes. “Christ, I sound like a damn nagging wife.”

  He chuckles and places a hand on her shoulder. “I love you too, dear.”

  Julia mocks gagging and shrugs his hand off. “Do you want to see a girl puke? Because this is how you see a girl puke.”

  Kayla and her team sit around the Moon Pool. Humming sounds lead to the clawed mini-sub lowering.

  “Bryce,” Kayla says. “Man the sub. Dig to where we need to be. Everything should be uploaded to the sub’s computer.”

  A younger man stands, nods and waits for the mini-sub to lower a few more feet before climbing on and getting inside.

  The mini-sub sinks into the pool in a flurry of bubbles, then disappears.

  Once the bubbling is over, Kayla says, “Okay, team. Let’s uncover some history.” She looks at Ash as he makes his way closer to the Pool. “You ready?”

  “Yeah,” he says, siting beside her on the edge of the Moon Pool. His heart is a hammering mess, but he tries to ignore it. He smells the remnants of Julia’s coffee. Coffee would be amazing right about now.

  Her team jumps into the Pool as Kayla and Ash secure their helmets.

  In his ear, Kayla says. “Just stay close to me.”

  Before he can respond, she slips into the Pool and dives.

  Ash sighs, pushes off into the Pool and follows Kayla down to the bottom. The dig site isn’t far from the Moon Pool, as he noted from the scans. In fact, it’s the ragged, rocky hill he noticed before the mutation attacked.

  The mini-sub, using a large drill Ash hadn’t really noticed before, digs through the rock and sand of Lake Superior. All kinds of debris spews everywhere, clouding the water black. Ash drifts back up into the Moon Pool to avoid clogging the intakes. How the others are faring, he’s not sure. Somehow, though, they seem to be doing just fine. Maybe he’s just being too paranoid.

  Suck it up, jackass.

  He takes a breath and returns to Kayla’s side.

  A storm of debris and dirt storm into them.

  “Just keep breathing,” Kayla says. “Slow and easy to keep those intakes working.”

  “And if they clog?”

  “Do like I told you. Go to the Moon Pool.”

  Ash sighs and forces himself to regulate his breathing until it’s slow and steady. In front of him there’s nothing but a moving, black wall.

  “Fulk,” Kayla says. “Clear some of this debris, will ya?”

  “On it,” a gruff voice replies.

  There’s a wavery, muffled whirring sound, and in a few seconds the black, stormy cloud of filth dissipates. Or rather, is blown out of the way. A smaller man swims by, a wide nozzle attached to a squat, black cylinder object that reminds Ash of a small Shop-Vac. He swims back and forth, blowing the debris and sand away from the team as the mini-sub continues digging.

  “It’s only fifty or so feet,” Ash says.

  “I
know.”

  “Probably ease up around forty-five feet just in case it caves.”

  “Ash,” Kayla says. “Relax. We’ve been doing this a while.”

  “For almost a year, I know.” He watches the mini-sub disappear into the foot of the hill. “But I have years of experience and—”

  “For shit sake,” Kayla says. “Stop. Bryce was drilling underwater with his dad long before he joined this operation. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Relax.”

  But he can’t relax. If there’s a thin crust layer before the opening where all the bones are…everything around could collapse, further burying and destroying the trove.

  He wants to tell her this, but decides to let whatever happens, happen. He has no control here, and it’s driving him nuts, but he also needs to learn to trust others more. Trust has been a difficult thing all his life. Especially after Ky’s murder.

  Ky…

  No. He shakes his head, trying to clear all the bombarding memories before they manifest before his mind’s eye. Memories of pushing her on the swings at the park. Memories of laughter and love. Even older memories of holding her for the first time while his wife lay dying on a hospital bed. Cruel memories. He—

  “We’re through,” a man’s voice says. “Stay clear as I back out. You guys need to see this.”

  “Thank you, Bryce,” Kayla says.

  The rest of the team swim back a few more feet as the mini-sub emerges from the hole and anchors into the lake floor. Less than a minute later, a hatch on the side opens and Bryce swims out. The hatch shuts behind him.

  “Won’t we need the sub for the heavy lifting?” Ash asks.

  “Not until we see what we really have here,” Kayla replies. “Might not be as big as the scans show. Happens a lot.”

  “It does?”

  “Yep. Now, come on. Stay close. Let’s see what there is to see.”

  She swims off to the large hole made by the min-sub and Ash follows. They’re the first ones into the drill passage. Here, there’s no flow or current or a man named Fulk to clear the water. It’s murky. Bits of rocky debris obscure his vision and the stir Kayla’s flippers make creates a disorientating stew.

  It’s not long before Kayla whispers, “Holy…shit…”

  “What?” Ash tries to see through all the murk, but it’s hopeless.