Stealth Journeys with the Steam Mapper

Chapter 79: Suspicious Behavior & a Harrowing Tale

On subsequent dives from the research vessel, the submersible team produced some more specimens of bacterium inside smokers and the crew was having a field day recording data.  MYKA had a dive with VLAD and StLF had one with MAHA.   And once again, the older scientists both displayed uneasiness during the dives even with the hydrothermal vents in abundance.   They seemed more concerned in watching for creatures gliding through.  MYKA and StLF did see them in conference with two other older scientists, who were seldom seen whenever the crew met for instructions on deck.   Who were they?    What was their role for being on this expedition?   StLF and MYKA decided it was time to do some sleuthing but hesitated about when it could be done undetected.  They would stay on deck the next day.  Neither of them would be participating in dives.   "We'll do it tomorrow.  Tomorrow is another day."

During the night, a commotion on deck aroused the crew, including MYKA and StLF.   Senior scientists had been on deck for a moonlight stroll and private conference, when a huge creature had risen up to the side of the research vessel.   The research vessel was sizeable, just over 280 feet in length, chosen to carry several submersibles and motorized rafts to take some of the crew ashore for supplies.  The size was needed for such a long voyage across the largest ocean with a large research crew.  Everyone had taken great comfort in its size and construction and cutting edge equipment, promising safety regardless of weather conditions.

The weather was clear and calm, but people were shouting about seeing something more than half the length of the ship, coming right up to the starboard side.   It had a glistening appearance and moved about with ease.    Were they imagining it?   Could it be a whale?   That didn't seem plausible. The largest known Blue Whale was a female measuring 94 feet in length.    Could anything have appendages that extended out 150 feet?   It would be monster sized.   Perhaps there was a pod of whales mistaken for one enormous animal.   Everyone agreed that seemed like the best, most logical explanation.

One would think that the cluster of senior scientists would have been terrified to even think of the possibility of a monster squid.   Instead, they began sending out reports of a sighting.   Where the reports were being sent was anyone's guess, but it seemed to MYKA and StLF that contingency plans had already been put in place.   Their location had been kept secret, but MYKA overheard someone reporting they had been somewhere near Deception Island in the Antarctic, before moving farther north to find the "bacterium smokers".

MYKA recalled that Deception Island was the location being reported years back for supposedly showing proof of a 120 meter long squid.   One hundred twenty meters is almost 394 feet!

As MYKA had previously shared with StLF, giant squid creatures were the ones most often associated with the "Kraken".   Their dives all week had taken them to depths of 20,000 feet, about 3.8 miles deep.  Had their dives and ripping out of hydrothermal vents caused a disturbance that awakened the "Kraken"?   Had the deep trenches held some special abundant food source that this monster-sized squid intended to protect?   Did it see the hull of the ship as some kind of competing predator?   Stories and videos showed that the males of some species of squid would engage in violent battles, vying for the female of the species.   Maybe this instinctual violence had spread to other protectionist behavior.

A trembling Dr. MAHA approached StLF and MYKA.   "Just as whales and Great White Sharks have long migrations to satisfy their food and mating requirements, so do many species of squid.   This creature has been encountered in the Sea of Japan, and in the North Pacific Ocean.   I was part of a team using submersibles and the creature became entangled in our craft.    When it became clear that we could not free ourselves by moving swiftly, we were forced to release the sphere from its frame, and shoot to the surface.    The sphere was netted and brought on board our research vessel.  We were immediately taken to sick bay.   My dive mate and I were later shown some of the suckers that had been ripped from the monster's tentacles.   They were the size of truck tire inner tubes.  Thank goodness for the safety release working and releasing our titanium bubble.  We were fearful that the monster would pull the entire submersible beneath a cave ledge.   We would run out of battery power and oxygen and heat before a rescue could be attempted.  The tentacles were strong enough to pull us far away from the research vessel and carry us many miles away.   Even with signals from our submersible leading a rescue team to us, if we remained submerged, we were doomed."

The details of this harrowing episode made a sobering impact on everyone listening to Dr. Hayashi.   All were thinking of the safety of the titanium sphere and wondering if a monstrous squid would be capable of loosening its hatch.   Everyone had seen videos of other mollusks unscrewing jars and opening latches to get to a treat inside.   Would human passengers be seen as treats?   Knowing this menacing creature was in their waters, how could they proceed with their hydrothermal research?   If it was as big as reportedly seen in the moonlight, would anyone be safe on the research vessel?  Could the vessel be overturned by something this large?   How large is it?  How strong is it?  Harpoons and high- powered AKAs appeared on deck.  "Can't be too careful", explained VLAD.

Dr. MAHA was being questioned by the two senior scientists that MYKA and StLF had yet to meet.   The two junior scientists, sauntered closer to hear what was being said.  They gathered this much information: the bearded one was from Iceland and had joined the team because of mysterious disappearances of Icelandic fishing fleets; and, the Asian man with thick lenses, used a translator, to express concern about needing to gather tissue from these creatures.   His translator made some mention of testing for radiation exposure that might have caused enhanced mutations in growth patterns.

The word "radiation" set off an angry exchange between the man with thick lenses and his translator.   Dr. MAHA was also very upset by the mention of radiation, and said it was her worst fears that somehow Japan's nuclear reactor disaster could be blamed for unexplained rapid, unchecked growth of these creatures.

StLF and MYKA could hardly believe the turn of events that had just happened in the course of two hours.   Small clusters of scientists and their assigned technicians were deep in discussions, using hushed tones, at different doorways around the perimeter of the vessel.   No one wanted to venture over to the railings to peer into the dark waters.