Chapter II: Sunken Horrors
The ocean waves dance and sparkle as sheets of sunlight blaze across their tops. The singing of seagulls can be heard above as nearby, a small vessel bobs up and down gently on the waves as four people mill about the deck unpacking various items of diving gear and high-tech equipment. Calvin Jeffries, a tall black man, smiles at his three younger charges, Tommy, Jenny and her boyfriend Zach. The three college students take pride in being Jeffries top scuba diving pupils and as a reward for their hard work, he has taken them out on a special little expedition.
"Thanks for bringing us along Professor." says Jenny as she smiles warmly.
"You three have only yourselves to thank for this and I make it point to always incentivize hard work." says Jeffries as he smiles back.
"Why did you pick this spot Professor?" asks Tommy.
"Recent scans in the area have picked up some very unusual formations a few fathoms down. I've seen the print outs, a lot of it doesn't look very natural to me if you know what I mean."
"Your thinking artificial monuments?" asks Tommy.
"Well I didn't quite say that, but I'm keeping an open mind." responds Jeffries with a wink.
"Has anybody seen any of those news reports? A bunch of divers have reported a lot of weird shit not to far from here. They say that in some spots, there's just massive carpets of dead and rotting fish on the ocean floor. No one can explain it." says Zach.
"I have indeed, Mr. Zach. The fact that those incidents are on a trajectory near where these side sonar scans were taken, got my interest more than a little piqued. Not to mention if we do find something, it could be a massive boost for the university's oceanography program." says Jeffries.
"You think there's a connection?" asks Jenny.
"You never know. Depends on whatever we find down there. You two ready to take a dip?" asks Jeffries grinning from ear to ear.
"You got it Professor." says Zach as he a Jenny finish donning their diving gear and plunge into the water.
Still smiling out of the corner of his mouth, Jeffries looks at Tommy "Tom, do me a favor and check the anchor and secure any rigging that might be loose. I'm gonna do one last check on the radios, I don't wanna miss a thing."
"Yes sir." says Tommy as he diligently walks off to the far end of the boat to carry out the tasks.
Jeffries looks back and narrows his eyes ever so slightly before he retreats into the cabin. Once there he makes sure to see if Tommy is still hard at work and not watching him. He turns a few dials on a nearby radio console and flips a switch.
"Father Emmett, this is brother Jeffries aboard Cascade One. I'm in position Father."
Only a few seconds later, a crackling response sounds over the speaker "Very good Brother Jeffries. Keep me apprised."
"Yes Father." says Jeffries as he flips on several monitors inside the cabin all displaying detailed sonar maps from various angles of the ocean floor "Hey Tom, we're online! Come and take a look." he shouts.
Tommy comes rushing in as he glues his eyes to the monitors. His face lights up with a smile as he pours over the wealth of detail "That's incredible."
"It most certainly is, but look at those ridges and high peaks on the far plain. They just appear to be far to angled for natural formations." says Jeffries as he points to some detail on the screen.
Meanwhile Zach and Jenny continue their decent into the depths. About half an hour into their dive, the pair come across a large underwater platform, it's surface obscured by seaweed, coral and anemones. The platform is surrounded by other, misshapen structures.
On the surface, the radio in the cabin crackles to life as Zach's voice echoes through the speakers "Come in Professor. We've definitely got something here."
Jeffries and Tommy immediately rush over to the radio "Talk to us Mr. Zach, what have you found?" asks Jeffries.
"Honestly I'm not quite sure. Looks to be a raised platform of some kind. I don't wanna be presumptuous but the we've got what looks like walls surrounding it." says Zach.
Tommy giggles almost like a school girl as he looks gleefully at Jeffries "This is fantastic Professor, you know what this could mean!" he says as he chimes into the radio "Hey Zach, you think we got our very own Atlantis down there?"
"Well I don't wanna jump the gun here. This could just as easily be a bunch of weird beach rock. Nature is capable of doing some pretty weird shit on her own. We don't wanna say it's man made until absolutely confirmed." says Zach his voice slightly breaking up over the air waves.
Jeffries nods his head "He's right. We don't wanna go running to the papers until we're sure. We've got the university's reputation to worry about. Zach, you and Jen keep going, see if you can find anything else."
"Roger that Professor." says Zach.
At that moment, Jenny tugs on her boyfriend's arm as she spots something on the far end of the submerged platform. They both swim over and discover a medium sized black statue of a grotesque creature with bat wings and tentacles coming out of it face. The edifice is partially obscured by massive growths of anemones on it's base and head. They hurriedly scrape off the growths to reveal the full hideous visage of the monolith.
"Come in Professor, we may have something here. Some kind of fucked up looking statue." says Jenny over the radio.
"What kind of statue, describe it to me." responds Jeffries intently.
"Well it's really ugly. Looks like it's got wings, like a bat. Buncha shit coming out of it's face. Feelers or tentacles or something. Anything ringing a bell here?" says Jenny.
A look of pure euphoria washes over Jeffries' face as he takes a relieved breath.
"What is it Professor, you recognize what that thing is?" asks Tommy.
Without answering, Jeffries jumps back onto the radio "Can you and Zach haul it up?"
"Um, I think so. Doesn't look too heavy." Jenny replies.
"Good, secure the statue and we'll see you topside." says Jeffries.
"Professor what's going on? What's the statue?" asks Tommy.
"Tommy I've got make a few notes here. Double check the buoys and the rigging on the starboard for when they surface. But I may know what we're dealing with here. Once I see the statue for myself, I'll confirm my theory. Got it."
"Yes sir." says Tommy as he rushes out of the cabin to check the boat's starboard side.
Once out of sight, Jeffries switches frequencies of the radio and again speaks into the microphone "Father, come in."
"Have you found something Brother?" asks the voice on the other end.
"I think so Father. Sonar scans seem to indicate a massive underwater complex. Divers have discovered a statue that fits the description of great Cthulhu. This could be it Father, the conformation that Ryleh is indeed ready to rise again. I'll know for sure as soon as they bring the statue up."
"If it is indeed great Cthulhu, have you prepared an adequate sacrifice?" asks Father Emmett.
"I have." says Jeffries as a sinister grin crosses his lips.
"Excellent, I await your next update than."
A few minutes later both Zach and Jen emerge from the water with the medium sized statue in tow.
"Professor, they've got it!" yells Tommy.
Jeffries rushes out as both he and Tommy help the two young divers haul their catch on deck. The Professor drags the strange artifact near the center of the deck as Zach and Jen lift themselves out of the water.
"What the hell is that thing Professor?" asks Tommy.
Jeffries suddenly grows wild eyed as he let's out a satisfied chuckle "It's what we've been waiting for." he says in a whisper.
"How's that?" asks a confused Tommy.
"I'll be right back. I'm gonna grab the camera, I've gotta get this on film!" exclaims Jeffries as he hurries back into the cabin, leaving the young trio to gawk at the grotesque antique.
Once back inside, Jeffries retrieves a gun hidden in one of the bags. He than begins to chant in a strange sounding language as he calmly walks back out on the deck, points the weapon at Zach and fires. The teen falls back and Jenny screams, only to be met with more gunfire as the professor cold bloodily shoots her.
"My God, what the fuck are you doing?!" screams Tommy as he looks on, grief stricken horror plastered on his face.
"Nothing personal kids. But a proper sacrifice must be made to the great Old Ones." says Jeffries with an insane glint on his eyes.
He starts to chant once again and shoots Tommy, who slumps over, his body landing right beside his friends, their blood pooling onto the deck of the boat.
The murderous professor drags the bodies of his three victims to the center of the deck and at the very foot of the statue. He dips his hands into the blood of each body and mingles them together in his palms. Going over to the statue, he smears the gore across the face of Cthulhu, kneels and begins chanting aloud towards the sky.
"Please accept this blood sacrifice my lord Cthulhu. To you and the rest of the Great Old Ones." he says as thunder and lightning rip across the heavens followed by an unexpected torrential downpour "Thank you for your acceptance my lords. We await with great anticipation the coming of Ryleh."