8.Feb.09
Summer Waters
Chapter
Two:
Awakening
Dr. Paterson leaned over the bloated side of the panga and grabbed the camera that was pushed up and traded it for another one. The Divemaster gave the okay sign, not bothering to take out his regulator before going back under where other three divers were.
“Okay lets see what they’ve done.” The doctor said drying off the housing before taking out the video camera and swapping the battery. Once the tape was rewound he, the Captain and a few others gathered around, trying not to fall in the water to watch the tiny screen. Dr. Paterson played the tape, sometimes he fast forward but they could see the careful progress of the improvised excavation team expose the long, wide and deep metal pod.
The pod was nothing like anyone on the Big P had seen. It was primarily black, but the some of what seemed to be the lid was silver and there were some glimpses of red.
It was half uncovered be the looks of it and already over ten feet long!
“This thing is huge!” Dr. Sarah Long said, the marine botanist was a little squished in between the Caption and Dr. Paterson but she didn’t seen to notice as she tilted the camera screen to get a better look. “Good, the divers are being very careful with the moved coral. Where are they going to put the coral after this?”
“I told them that we’re putting it right back where it was frond,” Dr. Paterson said and tapped the tiny screen where the pod was seen at a wide angle, “With proper support of course.”
“Good.”
……………………………………………………………………………
“Incoming!”
Alaina grabbed the line that was dropped from the now open deck gate and the woman dove under the massive, almost twenty five plus foot long pod to the other side. She fearlessly pushed herself up on top of it since it was a few feet below the surface to secure the first of the lines that would help haul the pod up to the deck where the sub normally.
At the moment the submarines them selves were floating on the surface of the water, tied to both hauls and one line leaded up to the aft of the deck far above. They were to stay there for the time being until the deck could be rearranged properly to fit everything. Some thought that the pangas would have to be deflated though.
“Strap it down good ‘Laina!” The Caption called down from where he was helping his crew on deck proper.
“Got it covered Skipper!” Alaina yelled up with out looking away from synching up the line tight before grabbing the next and repeating the dive under the pod and back up. She did that four times and then weaved another rope between those four main lines so that just in case one slipped, it wouldn’t go far.
“How is it coming?” a deck hand called down after a minute.
“Okay!” Alaina waved up to those above, circling her hand in a ‘wind’ motion. She pulled her mask up off her neck where it had been and back into place before letting herself slide off the pod and back into the water.
The woman swam away, out of range just in case her work somehow came undone and decided to come back down to the water that it had been trapped in for an unknown amount of years. Alaina grasped one of the ropes on the side a panga, one that was for divers and snorkelers to grab onto when waiting to their turn to get in.
The young woman eyed the massive pod as it slowly started to raise. Far above the two main cranes and several modified wenches cranked and whined with the effort. For a moment Alaina, and several others, feared that maybe the pod should have been lifted up the back ramp instead of the twin submarines’ grates.
The giant pod forced the water up into a bulging bubble before bursting. Water rushed off it before trickling to smaller streams. When it clear of the surface and hung in the air, showing that it could be supported many let out a cheer. It quickly faded as the watchers held there breath and locked their eyes on the pod as it started to sway.
“Steady it!” Caption Richard roared from above to both the crew on deck and those on the and in the water under the 350 foot long catamaran. He did not want that thing damaging his vessel.
The cranes stopped for five minutes and there was a flurry of action for crew and dive masters. Ropes where tossed, hocked, grabbed and those in the panga braced themselves in small boats, at least one other person helping. Four main lines trail down and helped guide the giant pod correctly and as steadily as they could.
Alaina craned her neck up as she treaded water. Her left hand lightly holding the rope on the panga and her right swaying in the water in time with her fin covered feet. Her movements were more automatic, not from a need to keep her head up, the BCD that was inflated on her back did that for the girl.
The young woman was far from the only one to sigh in relief when the pod cleared the grating. The guiding ropes were switched so those on deck could now coax the pod to a stronger part of the deck. For the next few hours the crew, dive masters included would take over the deck, the researchers banished to below decks or up in the raised lookout section on the bow side of the wide deck.
It took the rest of the afternoon and everything to get the deck of the Big P sorted out. The pod, the newly raised submarines and all assorted equipment all had to be rearranged so the ship would be balanced in the water.
By the time the Sun was setting, most of the crew had descended on the ship’s galley. Almost all had skipped both lunch and dinner. The two cooks had made a thick broth filled with two kinds of fish and an assortment of veggies.
Full, Alaina was sprawled with two others on a life board out of the way of the flood of researchers. The two dive masters and deck hand watched the controlled frenzy with clear amusement.
“All we need is popcorn.” Rico, a tall, broad shouldered man with near imposable green eyes said as he shifted his feet so his ankles were crossed and resting on the edge of the life boat.
“That would be nice,” Willem blew his almost too long, blond bangs out of his face. His blue eyes ticked to one side and another, trying to fallow a woman in a lab coat as she rushed to different places. He had absolutely no idea what she was doing but thought it was immensely funny.
“MmmMmm…” Alaina muttered softly, eyes more than half lidded. The young woman sighed deeply leaning against Rico’s side, under his right arm. Finally out of her swimsuit and wetsuit she was happily in her pajamas early, it felt good to be dry. After the overly exiting day plus a full stomach, Alaina was more than content to fall asleep were she was.
Rico drummed his fingers on the woman’s back and shifted slightly, “Ya know dat I can’t stay ‘ere all night ‘Lane?”
Alaina snorted at the nickname but didn’t feel like putting up more of a protest then that. She snuggled down closer to the New Yorker’s side and closed her eyes.
“You know she’s gonna want to sleep outside right?” Willem asked, having turned his attention to the two beside him.
“Ya,” Rico shrugged his left shoulder, “I don’t think she’s sleeps in her bunk half da’ time anyways.”
“Don’t blame her,” The other young man grinned, “With a roomy like Doc Connors?” The taller deck hand grinned in response to that.
Alain was fast asleep at this point and she remained asleep for another two hours. Stirring only to rearrange herself comfortably when Rico and Willem left, made a happy sound when someone dropped a light blanket on her. The dive master was partially dead to the world, having been swimming all afternoon and evening. The night before hadn’t helped either.
Around one AM, everyone had gotten the buzzing energy out of their collective systems. By two AM, only a skeleton crew was on duty. At three AM, when those on the deck proper of the catamaran had gone under to get some leftovers and, more importantly, the extremely rich and caffeine filled coffee.
It was now, in the early hour that a slot in the pod cracked open and slid back. A thin poll like device slipped out and extended to the stare filled sky. When it clicked softly into place the end unfolded into the shape of a double-bladed battle axe of old. The ‘blades’ glowed a bright red before the glow extended off the device in a barley seen, translucent red ‘screen.’ The screen extended out and down through the ship before rotating counter clockwise, scanning ever scrap of data from the aria around the pod. Including the Big P, those inside (who were oblivious) and the countless fish, invertebrates…and one giant, great manta ray that pasted under the vessel.
The red screen snapped off, the device collapsed into itself and folded back in its compartment and the panel shut after.
Seven minutes ticked by, but not in the near complete silence like before. Hums and soft whurrs came from inside of the pod until all at once it stopped. Another minute passed and a crack! sounded when the lid of the pod broke the encrusting layer of old coral and barnacles.
Three large, silver colored and metal digits forced their way threw the slight opening and the figure inside heaved. The warmth of the air, as well as the freedom to extend two new and massive ‘wings’ was welcomed with dimmed red optics.
The catamaran shifted in the water, waking several people, including a groggy Alaina. The young woman sat up, blinked, pulled the blanket off her head as the Big P rose in the water at the same time an immense splash was heard to the aft of the ship, where the lowered ramp was.
Dark eyes snapped open at the sound and movement as the woman suddenly became wide wake, a good part of the reason was also because of the sight of now gaping open pod.
Alaina tripped in her rush to get out of the life boat and over to the pod, her hands hovered over but not touching the metal. Movement in her side of her vision made her spin around, “Get the Skipper!” She yelled at the two men coming up from below deck, her eyes wide.
“Calm down! CALM DOWN!” Alaina yelled trying to pull the panicked people aside. Not to see the empty pod for she was the one that discovered it that way, but to give the Skipper room to breath and talk. Most of the other Divemasters and ship’s crew on deck were also trying to get some form of order back.
Alaina really should have seen what was about to happen and maybe in the back of her mind she did know what was coming. But all her attention was focusing on what was in front of her. Not behind her where the still open gate, forgotten in the excitement of when the pod had been pulled up on the great vessel, and the rope ladder to the sea level was still there as well.
All it took was one shove, an elbow in the gut and Alaina stumbled to get her breath back before tying again to yank the researcher away. Her foot slipped on the edge of the slick deck and kept on going down. Dark brown eyes became wide as Alaina frantically tried to both straightened up and grab the nearest rail.
The Divemaster’s fingers brushed the metal of the rail as gravity took over. Alaina had one last look at Willem, her friend’s expiration turning to panic as he realized what was happening.
Time snapped back into place and Alaina let out a short scream before sucking in air and twisting at the same time so when she plunged into the dark waters it was feet first. She knifed down rather deeply thanks to the almost thirty foot drop from the deck above.
The water was colder then Alain was use to, more so scenes she was still in her pajamas, shorts and a tank top, not a wet suit. It was as she was orientating herself that some instinct or something subconscious, but Alaina opened her eyes. The saltwater stung like a hundred tiny pinpricks but she couldn’t close them.
Alaina was transfixed with a mixture of disbelief, awe and terror. Everything in her mind seemed to have shutdown, the automatic motion of her hands treading the water stilled and she stopped mid-kick.
Twin, blood red oval shaped…eyes? They glowed brightly in the darkness of the night time waters like gems… they were not even ten feet away and staring straight into Alaina’s own eyes.
Even in the dark, the woman could see the general shape of the creature. With exception of the glowing eyes it seemed even darker then the back drop of reef behind it. It was humanoid in shade, massive triangle like ‘wings’ on the back and a wiping tail could also briefly be seen. Over all it was remarkably streamlined and almost radiated barley contained power.
It was still looking right at Alaina, giving off the impression of mild interest as she drifted closer.
Wait
a minute!
The currant…it was starting up again from slack and bringing her with in even closer reach of the monster!
Reality came crashing back into place with that frightening realization in the form of a burning need for air. Panic came as she clawed the water to get back to the surface as she felt cold, smooth metal wrapped around her furiously kicking legs.
Alaina couldn’t help the involuntary yelp, letting precious air escape as she struggled for freedom. She honestly thought she was going to be dragged back down deeper as reruns of old cheesy movies with water monsters replaying in the back of her mind. Alaina didn’t expect to be shoved upwards.
She broke the surface and gasped in air as she fought to keep herself up and find the boat. Or preferably one of the pangas that were still in the water. People were yelling down at her but she ignored them in favor of holding her breath again so she could look back underwater, searching for those glowing red eyes of the metal monster.
They were still looking back at her, almost right under her!
Alaina yelped out right and jerked up. She heard someone yell at her to swim and Alaina didn’t give it a second thought, fallowing the order with vigor. The swim though, was strangely harder then earlier that day, or was it the day before at this point?
“Aw crap…” The Divemaster almost whined, the ocean current! It was picking up faster then she could swim. A life preserver with a rope tied to it splashed down a meter in front and slightly to her right. Alaina put another surge of energy into her kicks and storks to get to it.
It seemed like all she could do was to stay a mere foot away from the float now. Alaina’s energy reserves and oxygen was starting to run low as her endurance started to ebb away. She was oblivious to the second splash as one of the other Divemasters plunged in, another rope tied to his middle.
Willem’s sudden appearance surprised Alaina enough that she stopped swimming for a moment, but it cost her another foot and a half. She tried to regain it back as Willem reached out, on hand grasping the float the other stretched out.
“Alaina grab on!”
What does it look like I’m trying to do?! The woman thought indigently as she started to slow down again. Panic was rising again born of fear from both the increasing current and the reality that that monster was still right below them. It was shoved to the side for the moment as Alaina struggled to get within grasping range of hand or…or…!
“Swing your legs out!” Alaina gasped out at the same time the cool metal from before slide around her hips and she found herself under water again, but only a couple of inches.
Those glowing red eyes from before were there again, but not solely fixed on Alaina anymore. The monster was in mid water, powerful thrusters on its back coming to life to keep it there. Alaina could feel the vibrations more then she heard them, a deep thrumming in her chest that would have made her heart speed up if it hadn’t already been frantically trying to keep up with her.
As Willem twisted franticly in the water, thinking his friend had gone under for an entirely different reason, Alaina found her self pushed forward again. She saw the leg and latched onto it, trying to pull herself up again. The other Divemaster did that for her, hefting her up to his shoulders and unknowingly pulling her out of the now loose grasp of the creature below.
A panga swung in along side of the two as they were being pulled back to the ship. Hands reached out and pulled the two Divemasters in. Questions of if they were alright were fired off in English, Spanish and German.
Willem nodded as he inhaled deeply. “Si, I’m okay…’Laina?” he looked the woman that was sprawled on the floor of the panga, one of the German deck hands was trying to help her back up. His hands held her shoulders firmly, holding the woman up as she gave up on doing that for herself, too busy sucking in air to do more then lightly thump the bottom of the panga and make a week, yet clear ‘okay’ sign.
“Rico,” Alaina tugged on the shirt of the man who hadn’t stop supporting her, even now as they were back on the ship.
“Vat?” He looked down, unfazed with carrying the shorter young woman to medical, where she’d be looked over.
“I need to talk with the Skipper,” Alaina looked up, her face a mix of emotions. She was shaking too, from both the aftermath of an adrenaline high as well as left over fear that had nothing to do with the current she had been fighting against.