Note: This work was submitted as part of an informal monthly competition at the writing site that I frequent. It won that month’s competition! Further, I’m already working on an outline for a full MS centered around Aiko and Fletcher. 

The Octavius Job (995 words) – written 7/27/2016

Adjusting the suit’s headlamp, Aiko peered into the dark. Particles of sedimentation clouded the water, shifted through the current like flecks of snow. Frustrated, she closed her eyes.

“Aiko?” It was Fletcher. “You alright?”

“Fine. Can’t see shit.”

“Ten miles underwater…of course you can’t.” She could tell he was smiling. “Any sign of the Octavius?”

Aiko stifled an irritated growl and tapped a button on her wrist. A wave of light spread across her visor – a simulation of the ocean floor projected in front of her. It was uneven, but free of debris. “No. You sure it’s here?”

“Report says it is.”

Aiko spun. “They sure? There’s nothing down here.”

Fletcher chuckled. “That’s why they called us. We’ll find it.”

Aiko nodded. “Which way?”

“North.” She could hear Fletcher tapping on his ancient keyboard. “There’s another drop nearby – five more miles.”

“Geez.”

Aiko trudged through ankle deep silt, relying on the sonar projection. Ahead, the ground disappeared.

“Found the drop.”

“You know the drill.”

Aiko approached the edge and stepped into nothing.

She never got used to falling – especially under water. Instinct screamed for her to reach out, grab hold of something, but there was only darkness. Instead, eyes closed, Aiko relaxed, surrendered to the fall.

She quickly reached the bottom – another silt covered wasteland.

A ping from the suit’s sonar painted a massive blue silhouette on her visor.

“Found the Octavius.”

“Great.” Fletcher sighed. “Intact?”

“Mostly. She’s sticking out of the ocean floor at a 45 degree angle.”

Another hundred paces brought the hulk into view. Walking along the base of the vessel, Aiko looked at where the hull met the silt. Instead of crumpling, it seemed to have passed through, the fine silt puckered where it met metal.

“Ship seems to have buried itself.”

“You sure?” Fletcher sounded skeptical. “Silt should only be about a foot deep.”

Aiko put a boot on the puckered section and watched it sink to the knee. She pulled back, stepped away. “Pretty sure.”

Walking to the front of the ship, she climbed on the canted hull. Halfway up the spine was a hatch. Kneeling, she touched a keypad next to it. A red light blinked twice and the hatch slid open.

When Aiko entered, the light blinked again, water drained away.

Inside, the main cabin looked intact, but cramped. She would have to continue without the suit.

I hate this part. Gritting her teeth, Aiko broke the seals on her suit. Warm air wafted across her back as it opened. Stretching, she took a deep breath. The air had a strange smell to it – earthy, sweet.

Frowning, she scanned the cabin. “Fletcher. I’m inside.”

“And?”

“The ship seems intact.” She sniffed the air again. “But it smells strange.”

“Strange?”

She shook her head. “Not like anything I’ve smelled before.”

Gingerly, Aiko worked her way to the bridge. The rooms she passed were pristine, deserted. As she continued, the smell became more pronounced, the air hot. Wrinkling her nose, Aiko took shallow breaths through her mouth, tried to ignore the unpleasant aroma.

The bridge was sealed. “Keypad’s smashed.”

“Hmmm. How about the manual release?”

It was behind a panel next to the door – a single lever that flipped easily. Hydraulic cylinders forced the door open and a blast of steam filled the hall. Aiko winced as the vapor seared her cheeks, coughed at the acrid stench that filled her lungs.

Squinting, she looked past the doors.

The glass view screen was gone. And beyond was open space. Shit.

“Fletcher.” Aiko braced herself against the door frame. “You aren’t going to believe this.”

“What?”

“The Octavius broke into a cavern of some sort. It’s pressurized – breathable atmosphere.”

“Can you see what’s in the cavern?”

Aiko leaned forward, squinted into the dark. “No.”

“Could the crew have gone down there?”

Fletchers unasked question was clear: Can you get a closer look?

Cursing, Aiko slid to the front of the bridge. Inching forward, she peered through the window, into darkness. From her belt, she removed a flashlight and pointed it at the Octavius’ nose. It was covered in silt, the pristine white metal smeared with gray streaks. But neat circles of the stuff were missing as if wiped clean.

Frowning, Aiko slid the light further down the nose of the craft, to the cavern floor. “Fletcher-“

At the bottom of the cavern something was moving. And it didn’t like the light.

Aiko cursed as a wail filled the bridge. Scrambling backwards, she crawled to the door of the bridge. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see shadows shifting in the darkness – and something large reaching towards the nose of the craft.

Fletcher was yelling at her.

She sprinted up the sloped bulkhead, through empty rooms. Vaulting back through the hatch, she climbed inside her suit, sealed it. The ship shifted, threw Aiko against the wall. Her head hit the back of the helmet and light exploded across her vision. Cursing, she blinked back tears, struggled out of the cramped cylinder. The ship shuddered and Aiko slipped to her knees. Planting both feet against the hull, she jumped free of theOctavius . She landed feet from the hull, boots sinking deep into the silt. Aiko scrambled for purchase, crawling as fast as she could away from the shifting metal hulk.

Fifty paces from the vessel she turned.

The Octavius twisted as it slid deeper into the silt. Large shadows rose from the ocean floor, wrapped around the wrecked vessel, squeezed until it cracked. By the time the bubbles cleared, the ship was gone, a cloud of silt left in its wake.

“Fletcher…”

“Aiko!” He sounded frantic. “What the hell just happened?”

She slumped to the ocean floor, stared at the slowly settling cloud of silt. “The Octavius is gone.”

“Gone?”

Aiko took a deep breath. “Yeah…”

“How?”

She ignored the question. “Are we still getting paid?”

“What? I guess. Why?”

“Because I need a vacation – someplace without any fucking water.”