08-20-2020, 01:02 PM
The ocean is an untold expanse – one which hides its secrets with a veil of obscurity. Perhaps that is why humans are so entranced by it. They are drawn in, much like a fish to a lure, by the possibility of discovering an untold secret or hidden mystery that has been veiled by darkness deep in the watery depths. In many ways, the ocean is much like the vacuum of space. It is just as alien and just as dangerous.
Just like space, it is a place where no one can hear a desperate soul scream.
"I want progress, Issac, not updates about idiots that didn't follow safety protocol."
"But Maurice, you don't understand. They did follow--"
"Enough."
As the balding man turned away from large glass panel he had been staring out of, Issac hastily averted his own gaze. Maurice's eyes were a piercing blue – a shade that caught the faint light of the room and seemed to burn like two bright fires in the dark depths of his skull. Despite the fact that the abyssal world that pressed against the thick glass panels of the room was almost pitch black aside from the dim mechanical lights in the distance, Issac had suddenly become very interested in trying to pick out the tiny shapes of fish flitting about in the inky darkness.
"Issac," a tiny smile touched Maurice's lips, and Issac suddenly felt very much like he was a fish that had just been hooked. "If the situation really bothers you, I'm sure that wonderful mind of yours can find a solution. A new cage design perhaps. Regardless, Nautilus is expected to be completed and ready for full habitation by the year's end."
Issac felt Maurice's vice-like hand tighten on one of his shoulders, and the engineer quickly disengaged himself from his superior's grip.
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Good. So lets not let a few little shark attacks get in the way of that, hm? I'm counting on you, Issac. You're dismissed."
Issac remained where he was as Maurice's heavy footsteps retreated towards the large oaken desk that claimed the majority of the far wall. Only after his superior was seated did the younger engineer turn to make his leave, though out of the corner of his eye Issac glimpsed a flash of blue in one of Maurice's thick hands before the door slid closed behind him.
"If he cared about our well fare as much as he did about his little trinkets, we wouldn't have an issue," Issac said sourly.
The large complex he was in was a thing of architectural wonder. The administration portions of Nautilus had been finished for some time, and the investors had not wasted any expense when it came to ensuring only the best was available. The central room was massive and made up up three levels that individually rose closer to the glass ceiling overhead – which had caused some stir as an elusive wailord had been seen coasting above their very ceiling a few days prior.
The courtyard down below, which Issac had quickly made his way to, consisted of a large, ornately decorated pool that rose into an ornate fountain at the center. Eventually, once Nautilus was completed, Issac had heard that the pool would house mantine, but for now it was merely an empty decoration piece.
In truth, despite the fact he was part of the team that had brought the administration building – and the rest of Nautilus – to life, Issac felt incredibly out of place amidst the ornate decorations and rows of floors dotted by offices. It was all too flashy for his tastes. The buildings they were working on completing, which would be the residential apartments, were much more to his tastes. They would be attractive and examples of great design in themselves, but the flair was toned down considerably.
A circular door slid open as he approached, which revealed one of the long tunnels that stretched to Nautilus's other hubs. The straight pathway was lined on either side by large glass panels that allowed citizens that were traversing from place to place to see out into the mysterious depths that Nautilus had made its home. The corridors had been one of Issac's own ideas. They separated the large complexes that made up the underwater city's habitation quarters and provided a means to block off specific sections in the event of a breach, but they were just as much attractive décor on their own.
During the day, when the surroundings could actually be seen in the sunlight trickling down from the surface, the view outside far surpassed anything the human-made sections of Nautilus could hope to have. Issac didn't hide the fact that he took his time passing from hub to hub during the day. Even at night, when nothing could really be seen, the small fish that would occasionally flit near enough to be caught in the ambient light from the tunnel captivated him. It was enough to keep him loitering about halfway as his eyes trailed over the subtle details in the iron and brass trim and the dim waters beyond the glass.
Then came the loud, squelching thump.
Issac jerked his head in the direction of the sound, and his dark eyes widened in horror as his temporary fantasy was shattered . The green water was quickly darkening to a murky brown in the dull yellow light of the work lights, but he wasn't focused on the murky shadow that had started to blanket his view of the unfinished sections of Nautilus. Rather, his gaze was fixed on the grotesque form that was spewing the morbid haze into the water.
A human torso was drifting down the length of the panel. The lower body had been ripped off entirely and had left a plume of blood billowing out in its wake. An arm was also missing, though the bleeding stump had been partially obscured by the shredded remains of the worker's diving suit. However, the identity of the worker was completely obscured by the large, round helmet that had been crushed around the engineer's skull.
Issac fell to his knees, his legs suddenly unable to support his body weight as he fought to keep bile from forcing its way up his throat. Another attack, another victim, though this had been the first one Issac had seen before the body had a chance to be patched up in the med bay.
Amidst the confused flurry of his panicked and sickened thoughts, one question stood out: How could one of the aggressive sharpedo crush an entire helmet?
The floor beneath him shuddered and the chorus of bolts straining against their fixtures filled the corridor. Issac scrambled back to his feet as another tremor ran through the complex , and his hands clawed at the panel is his attempts to keep himself steady.
"What the bloody hell!" he shouted.
It took him only a moment to conclude that the tremors were only the heralds of disaster. The complex itself seemed to scream in protest of some unseen force, and as Issac peered out into the blood- stained depths he had mere seconds to realize that some sort of flickering, lighted object had been hurled
through through the water.
"Shit!"
With the sound of spidering glass, a large work light connected with one of the glass panels and sent a swarm of cracks shooting over its surface. Issac had jumped away from the impact zone and thrown himself to the floor on the other side of the corridor, though the rush of icy water never came. Instead, the expected noise was replaced by a shrill, screeching siren that chilled his blood almost as effectively as the hall was suddenly lit by flashing red lights.
"Shit fucking no! No! No! No!"
In a heartbeat, Issac was back on his feet. The window crackled as the pressure of the water pressed against the glass, but the engineer was focused sprinting towards one of the heavy iron doors that were sliding quickly into place at either end of the sprawling corridor.
One of the safety mechanisms frequently found on ships to prevent against a breached hall, one of the safeguards that he himself had been so adamant about including in all the long corridors that stretched between the main living complexes of Nautilus, had just resulted in his tomb. A tomb in the form of a sealed off glass tunnel on the bottom of the sea.
His fists pounded against the iron, but the sounds of the impact were overshadowed by the wailing of the emergency alarms and the sickening cracks of the splintering glass. Issac's barrage slowed in defeat as he turned away from the door and looked out the cracked panel.
A blue light glimmered in the distance. It faded out of existence one moment only to pierce the blood-stained water more brightly with every passing second. It was a beautifully entrancing, yet terrifying display, and Issac was hypnotized by the light. Despite his peril, the engineer couldn't help but feel a
moment of strange calm.
The light traced a shadow in the dark that slowly materialized as it sped towards the sealed corridor. The form rapidly increased in size as the long, serpentine shadow slithered through the water and seemed to coil itself across the entire length of the tunnel. Blue lights highlighted the forms of its body, though Issac saw very little of the full form.
His eyes were fixed on the large head and the gaping mouth that had stretched open to reveal row after row of predatory teeth.
Issac's scream got lost in his throat as the leviathan suddenly lurched its body at the splintered glass. In an instant, the panel collapsed in on itself in a cascade of dark water and splinters of glass which created a dazzling display of color between the flashing, blood-red emergency lights and the bio-luminescent glow of the creature. Issac was thrown back by the force of the water and slammed against the far side of the hall. The air was forced from his lungs and his vision was blinded by the roiling boil of the water that quickly enveloped him and dulled all other sounds.
The creature loomed before him, but Issac saw it for only a moment before he slammed his eyes shut.
A stream of bubbles burst from his mouth as a silenced scream streamed wordlessly towards the surface he would never see again.
Only Maurice's words rang, tauntingly, through his head: lets not let a few little shark attacks get in the way of that, hm? I'm counting on you.
No cage could have kept that creature out.
Just like space, it is a place where no one can hear a desperate soul scream.
‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
"I want progress, Issac, not updates about idiots that didn't follow safety protocol."
"But Maurice, you don't understand. They did follow--"
"Enough."
As the balding man turned away from large glass panel he had been staring out of, Issac hastily averted his own gaze. Maurice's eyes were a piercing blue – a shade that caught the faint light of the room and seemed to burn like two bright fires in the dark depths of his skull. Despite the fact that the abyssal world that pressed against the thick glass panels of the room was almost pitch black aside from the dim mechanical lights in the distance, Issac had suddenly become very interested in trying to pick out the tiny shapes of fish flitting about in the inky darkness.
"Issac," a tiny smile touched Maurice's lips, and Issac suddenly felt very much like he was a fish that had just been hooked. "If the situation really bothers you, I'm sure that wonderful mind of yours can find a solution. A new cage design perhaps. Regardless, Nautilus is expected to be completed and ready for full habitation by the year's end."
Issac felt Maurice's vice-like hand tighten on one of his shoulders, and the engineer quickly disengaged himself from his superior's grip.
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Good. So lets not let a few little shark attacks get in the way of that, hm? I'm counting on you, Issac. You're dismissed."
Issac remained where he was as Maurice's heavy footsteps retreated towards the large oaken desk that claimed the majority of the far wall. Only after his superior was seated did the younger engineer turn to make his leave, though out of the corner of his eye Issac glimpsed a flash of blue in one of Maurice's thick hands before the door slid closed behind him.
"If he cared about our well fare as much as he did about his little trinkets, we wouldn't have an issue," Issac said sourly.
The large complex he was in was a thing of architectural wonder. The administration portions of Nautilus had been finished for some time, and the investors had not wasted any expense when it came to ensuring only the best was available. The central room was massive and made up up three levels that individually rose closer to the glass ceiling overhead – which had caused some stir as an elusive wailord had been seen coasting above their very ceiling a few days prior.
The courtyard down below, which Issac had quickly made his way to, consisted of a large, ornately decorated pool that rose into an ornate fountain at the center. Eventually, once Nautilus was completed, Issac had heard that the pool would house mantine, but for now it was merely an empty decoration piece.
In truth, despite the fact he was part of the team that had brought the administration building – and the rest of Nautilus – to life, Issac felt incredibly out of place amidst the ornate decorations and rows of floors dotted by offices. It was all too flashy for his tastes. The buildings they were working on completing, which would be the residential apartments, were much more to his tastes. They would be attractive and examples of great design in themselves, but the flair was toned down considerably.
A circular door slid open as he approached, which revealed one of the long tunnels that stretched to Nautilus's other hubs. The straight pathway was lined on either side by large glass panels that allowed citizens that were traversing from place to place to see out into the mysterious depths that Nautilus had made its home. The corridors had been one of Issac's own ideas. They separated the large complexes that made up the underwater city's habitation quarters and provided a means to block off specific sections in the event of a breach, but they were just as much attractive décor on their own.
During the day, when the surroundings could actually be seen in the sunlight trickling down from the surface, the view outside far surpassed anything the human-made sections of Nautilus could hope to have. Issac didn't hide the fact that he took his time passing from hub to hub during the day. Even at night, when nothing could really be seen, the small fish that would occasionally flit near enough to be caught in the ambient light from the tunnel captivated him. It was enough to keep him loitering about halfway as his eyes trailed over the subtle details in the iron and brass trim and the dim waters beyond the glass.
Then came the loud, squelching thump.
Issac jerked his head in the direction of the sound, and his dark eyes widened in horror as his temporary fantasy was shattered . The green water was quickly darkening to a murky brown in the dull yellow light of the work lights, but he wasn't focused on the murky shadow that had started to blanket his view of the unfinished sections of Nautilus. Rather, his gaze was fixed on the grotesque form that was spewing the morbid haze into the water.
A human torso was drifting down the length of the panel. The lower body had been ripped off entirely and had left a plume of blood billowing out in its wake. An arm was also missing, though the bleeding stump had been partially obscured by the shredded remains of the worker's diving suit. However, the identity of the worker was completely obscured by the large, round helmet that had been crushed around the engineer's skull.
Issac fell to his knees, his legs suddenly unable to support his body weight as he fought to keep bile from forcing its way up his throat. Another attack, another victim, though this had been the first one Issac had seen before the body had a chance to be patched up in the med bay.
Amidst the confused flurry of his panicked and sickened thoughts, one question stood out: How could one of the aggressive sharpedo crush an entire helmet?
The floor beneath him shuddered and the chorus of bolts straining against their fixtures filled the corridor. Issac scrambled back to his feet as another tremor ran through the complex , and his hands clawed at the panel is his attempts to keep himself steady.
"What the bloody hell!" he shouted.
It took him only a moment to conclude that the tremors were only the heralds of disaster. The complex itself seemed to scream in protest of some unseen force, and as Issac peered out into the blood- stained depths he had mere seconds to realize that some sort of flickering, lighted object had been hurled
through through the water.
"Shit!"
With the sound of spidering glass, a large work light connected with one of the glass panels and sent a swarm of cracks shooting over its surface. Issac had jumped away from the impact zone and thrown himself to the floor on the other side of the corridor, though the rush of icy water never came. Instead, the expected noise was replaced by a shrill, screeching siren that chilled his blood almost as effectively as the hall was suddenly lit by flashing red lights.
"Shit fucking no! No! No! No!"
In a heartbeat, Issac was back on his feet. The window crackled as the pressure of the water pressed against the glass, but the engineer was focused sprinting towards one of the heavy iron doors that were sliding quickly into place at either end of the sprawling corridor.
One of the safety mechanisms frequently found on ships to prevent against a breached hall, one of the safeguards that he himself had been so adamant about including in all the long corridors that stretched between the main living complexes of Nautilus, had just resulted in his tomb. A tomb in the form of a sealed off glass tunnel on the bottom of the sea.
His fists pounded against the iron, but the sounds of the impact were overshadowed by the wailing of the emergency alarms and the sickening cracks of the splintering glass. Issac's barrage slowed in defeat as he turned away from the door and looked out the cracked panel.
A blue light glimmered in the distance. It faded out of existence one moment only to pierce the blood-stained water more brightly with every passing second. It was a beautifully entrancing, yet terrifying display, and Issac was hypnotized by the light. Despite his peril, the engineer couldn't help but feel a
moment of strange calm.
The light traced a shadow in the dark that slowly materialized as it sped towards the sealed corridor. The form rapidly increased in size as the long, serpentine shadow slithered through the water and seemed to coil itself across the entire length of the tunnel. Blue lights highlighted the forms of its body, though Issac saw very little of the full form.
His eyes were fixed on the large head and the gaping mouth that had stretched open to reveal row after row of predatory teeth.
Issac's scream got lost in his throat as the leviathan suddenly lurched its body at the splintered glass. In an instant, the panel collapsed in on itself in a cascade of dark water and splinters of glass which created a dazzling display of color between the flashing, blood-red emergency lights and the bio-luminescent glow of the creature. Issac was thrown back by the force of the water and slammed against the far side of the hall. The air was forced from his lungs and his vision was blinded by the roiling boil of the water that quickly enveloped him and dulled all other sounds.
The creature loomed before him, but Issac saw it for only a moment before he slammed his eyes shut.
A stream of bubbles burst from his mouth as a silenced scream streamed wordlessly towards the surface he would never see again.
Only Maurice's words rang, tauntingly, through his head: lets not let a few little shark attacks get in the way of that, hm? I'm counting on you.
No cage could have kept that creature out.