Chapter XVII: Ruins
Vice Admiral Jacob Walsh stares out of the port window of his cabin and into the distance. The magnificent ruins of a sunken city were steadily rising out of the ocean about one nautical mile away. An impressive Flotilla of battle ships, carriers and surveillance craft from many different nations had assembled in an encircling perimeter around the imposing edifices. As he continues to stare off into the distance, the ringing of his satellite phone near his bed, brings him back to reality.
"Admiral Walsh." he says answering the device.
"We've experienced some complications on our end Admiral, the rendezvous has to be postponed." says Emmett on the other end.
"What kind of complications Father?"
"He got loose." responds Emmett with dead seriousness.
"What, how?" asks Walsh in disbelief.
"Because we underestimated him Admiral, that's how."
"Father, I have a deck officers meeting in a half hour with several of the delegated nations. The U.N. has been pressing for at least a scouting mission on the ruins and I can't stall them for much longer!"
"We're handling the situation as we speak Admiral. I'm confident we can re-apprehend Colonel Morales within a few days."
"I don't have a few more days Father! The Secretary of the U.N. has been breathing down my neck. They're demanding some kind of action."
"Than give them what they want."
"What do you mean?"
"Simply assemble a team of your most disposable assets. It'll obviously be a suicide mission, but it should buy us more time."
"Are you so sure that whoever we send out there, won't make it back?" asks Walsh.
"Come now Admiral, you know as well as I do that without the protection of the Necronomicon, whoever sets foot on the shores of Ryleh is as good as dead. No doubt the city will be infested with the Star Spawn, most likely left to guard the central pyramids by great Cthulhu."
"What if some of the Flotilla decide to fire on the city? The Star Spawn will start attacking the ships, I'd be eviscerated along with everyone else! "
"Well than if you value your life, you'd better find some way to keep your little naval blockade in check, at least until we find Morales and meet you out on the site as originally planned. Is there anything else Admiral?" asks Emmett condescendingly.
Walsh sighs heavily "No Father."
"Good, keep me apprised. Have faith Admiral, once we bring The Eldritch Prophet before great Cthulhu, The Church of the Sinking City shall rule at his side. Praise be to The Old Ones." says Emmett just before hanging up.
"Praise be to The Old Ones." says Walsh lowering the phone.
The Deck Planning Room was alive with several sailors and personnel of different national militaries carefully monitoring the rising ruins. About fifteen high ranking naval officers, again of differing countries, stand around a large grid mapping table with Walsh in the center.
"Alright, so, what's the plan here Admiral." says one Edward Case, official liaison for The United Nations.
"Well first things first Case, what's the situation on the web? Gotta be sure none of this is getting out." says Walsh.
"All social media is being closely monitored, algorithms, search engines, blog sites, even fringe sites on the Deep Web. Nothings been detected as of yet." says one officer.
"What about news stations?" asks Walsh.
"A total media blackout has been ordered and officially sanctioned. The situation won't be on any news broadcasts." says Case.
"…and the blockade?" asks Walsh.
"In addition to the eight nautical mile perimeter we've set up around the ruins, we have a lookout and recon squad ships patrolling a further three miles out that'll turn away any vessel that gets too close. A strict no fly zone has been imposed as well. Official cover story is that there a pending underwater eruption in the region." says another officer.
"So our secret's safe for the time being." says Walsh as he looks towards Case "So what's the word from the U.N.?"
"Delegates are requesting at least a scouting mission to be sent out. They want some kind of feedback as to what exactly we're dealing with out there." says Case.
"Any word on the two Coast Guard guys that sent out the S.O.S.?" asks Walsh.
"No sir, we've had no further contact with Commander Humphries or Lieutenant Hilton. On an initial flyby of the site, we may have picked up a visual of their chopper on a derelict that might be a missing freighter by the name of the Viagem , but it hasn't been confirmed. They're presumed dead at this time along with the crew of that ship." says a female French officer standing to Walsh's left.
Walsh wipes his face "We have any updates on the seismic activity?"
"Nothing that would indicate a city that size to spontaneously pop out of the waves like that. Some of our researchers have suggested some kind anomalous tectonic rift in the ocean floor causing a swell, but there's nothing really in marine geology to explain this." says a young Norwegian officer named Bergan.
"Your stalling here Admiral. Are you going to order that a team be sent out or not?" asks Case impatiently.
"Under one condition. It'll be strictly scout and observe and I have full supervision of the team." says Walsh.
"That's not the deal we have with the Delegates." says Case.
"Not according to Washington. Now when this Flotilla was assembled and sent out, it was explicitly stated that I had governing control over this armada."
"Your governing control isn't absolute Admiral. I have administrative say over the actions taken by this Flotilla." says Case.
"If you wanna try and countermand the President's direct orders Mr. Case, be my guest. But I don't think your gonna get very far."
Case crosses his arms and narrows his eyes "Tell me Admiral, do you have any theories of what exactly that thing is out there?"
"I haven't the slightest goddamned clue Mr. Case. Who knows, maybe it's fucking Atlantis."
"Atlantis wasn't in the Pacific sir." says a voice coming from behind.
Walsh turns around and smirks "Well please enlighten us Ensign Sharp." he says rather sarcastically.
Sharp smiles nervously "Well it could be a number of things Admiral. There are several legends that tell of Mu, a lost continent supposedly located somewhere near the Eastern Trenches. Or ancient Lemuria, a lost kingdom spoken of in a book called the Secret Doctrine. Or even…" says Sharp before abruptly stopping.
"Or even what Ensign?" asks Walsh intently.
"Well sir, in some cuneiform texts of the ancient Hyksos, they speak of a lost city that sank beneath the waves eons ago named Ryleh. The city was swallowed by the ocean after one of the old gods lost a great war with an opposing supernatural race called the Elder Breed." says Sharp as everyone looks at him with fixed expressions "I'm just really into this kinda stuff sir."
"Right well, I'll get the recon team on upper deck ready to deploy. Dismissed for now." says Walsh.
Case gives Walsh a probing eye as both he and the other officers disperse back to their duty stations. The Admiral walks over to Sharp and gives him a pat on the shoulder.
"You seem to know your ancient legends Ensign."
"My apologies sir, this stuff has just been a passion of mine since I was young." says Sharp.
"I like that kind of enthusiasm. How about I make you a part of the recon squad? Your trained for scout missions aren't you?" says Walsh.
"Eye sir." says Sharp, his smile going from ear to ear.
"Good, suit up with all your gear and meet the rest on upper decks in an hour."
"Eye sir!" says Sharp as he exuberantly rushes off to his cabin.
The small six man team, including Ensign Troy Sharp, pilot a small landing craft that inches ever closer to the mysterious ruins. It takes them about twenty minutes to reach what they unanimously decide is the closest thing to a shore on the city's east side. The landing craft run aground on a giant stone platform with enough dry ground to walk on.
"Alright we've come up on some kind of walking stone square. A lot of it is still underwater, but there's some little islands that have broken the surface." says one Captain Craig Hodges, over a walkie talkie.
"What else do you see Captain?" says Walsh over the radio.
"It's incredible Admiral, like nothing I've ever seen." says Hodges as the team disembark from the landing craft. All of them marvel at the tall spires, half submerged pyramid like structures and black obsidian likes temples "It's definitely a city of some kind. Some of the buildings remind me of something you'd see in Egypt . A lot of the masonry is jet black, some of it shiny like Obsidian I think. Sea weed and dead fish everywhere." he says as the team cautiously walk along further down a semi submerged causeway.
"Remember, your only there to observe and report. You think things are getting to hot, you get your asses outta there, that's an order." says Walsh.
"Eye sir."
"This is like something outta fucking Neptune's revenge." says Sears, another officer with the team, as he holds his assault rifle out in front of him.
"Alright steady people. Doesn't look like we're gonna make it to far down this causeway. Everything is still pretty soggy." says Hodges.
"Captain, check this out." says Sharp as he points to a far temple like structure "Part of that entrance looks like it's above water."
Hodges looks over "Ok let's check it out. Everybody stay together and be ready to blast any creepy crawly that comes out of that hole."
The team slowly make their way over to the partial entrance, their own bodies waist deep in inky black liquid, and find that only the top half is above water. Hodges retrieves a small flashlight and shines into the dark interior "I'm getting nothing, can't see a thing."
"Well let's go in Captain. We've got some diving helmets on the boat." says Sears as he wades closer to the entrance.
"To risky Sears." says Hodges.
"Come on Captain, maybe there's something inside valuable, ya never know." says Sears with a greedy glint in his eyes.
"We're here to observe and report Sears, this isn't a fucking treasure hunt." says Hodges.
"Oh c'mon Captain, I promise I'll…" starts to say Sears when a slithering black tentacle splashes out of the water and wraps itself around the man, pulling him under and out of sight in the blink of an eye.
"Sears!" yells Hodges as he frantically feels under the water with his hands.
"Holy shit, what happened?" screams Sharp.
"I'm going in!" says Hodges as he gets his body halfway through the opening before being stopped by Petty Officer First Class Jenkins, another recon team member.
"Captain wait, you don't know what's in there! Whatever that was could grab you too!" says Jenkins.
Suddenly the inky black water just in front begins to bubble up violently and something floats to the surface in the commotion. Jenkins instinctively reaches for the object and pulls it up only to find that he's holding Sears severed and mutilated head. Sears' eyes pop open and bright green fluid shoots out of them, quickly enveloping Jenkins. He screams in horror as the fluid begins to solidify into a viscous mass, faceless heads as well as anthropomorphic arms start to materialize in the green sludge around Jenkins body as he yells in absolute terror.
"Get back to the fucking boat!" yells Hodges as the rest of the team slosh their way through the black waters in a panic trying to make it back to the landing craft "Command come in, we've been attacked by something in the water! It already got Sears and Jenkins, we're attempting to recover!" Hodges yells over the radio as another officer, Petty Officer Sarah Sanders is violently pulled under the water by a large snake like creature.
Ensign Sharp begins to fire off his rifle blindly into the water where Sanders was taken "Sanders!"
A moment later, disemboweled organs float to the surface, surrounded by a pool of crimson.
"Hodges, what the hell is going on! Report goddamit!" yells Walsh over the radio.
"Just send out a pick up crew Admiral! We're being picked off by the second!" responds Hodges.
Before to long, both Hodges and Sharp reach the landing craft and scramble onboard. Hodges looks around "Wait a minute, where's Wallace?"
"Wasn't he right behind us?" asks Sharp, his voice trembling.
"Wallace! Where are you?!" yells out Hodges.
"Wallace, c'mon man!" screams Sharp as he looks over the rail of the landing craft. Than without warning, the bloody and shredded body of Seaman Joseph Wallace lunges out of the water and lands right on top of Sharp.
Wallace's eyes are nothing but empty sockets and a horrific crab like monstrosity is clawing it's way out of a gaping and gory hole in his throat. Sharp screams as he struggles to push the mutilated cadaver off of him, all the while the crab like creature is barreling it's way out of Wallace's neck and ever closer to Sharp's face. Hodges takes aim with his rifle and blasts the creature, causing it to literally explode into several pieces, it's liquefied remains oozing all over Sharp's face. Hodges runs over and kicks Wallace's body off of Sharp as the two remaining men start to steer the landing craft away from the ruins and back out to sea.
"What happened back there?" asks Sharp, tears in his eyes.
"Just keep your eyes front Sailor, that's an order! Our only objective now is to get back to the Carrier!" says Hodges.
Sharp wipes the tears from his eyes, when the landing craft slams into a submerged sand bar. The two officers are flipped over and splash into the water. After struggling a bit, Sharp resurfaces, gasping for air. He is grabbed from behind and yelps in fear only to see Hodges behind him.
"It's only me Ensign, relax."
"Oh Captain, thank God. What did we hit?" asks Sharp.
"I dunno, maybe another submerged building coming up, maybe a sand bar…" he says before stopping.
"Captain?" asks Sharp.
Hodges begins to gurgle up blood as Sharp recoils in horror as another crab like creature starts to burrow out of Hodges' mouth.
"Captain, no!" screams Sharp as another slimy tentacle wraps around Hodges and swiftly pulls him below "Oh God no, please! Somebody help, help me!" yells Sharp.
In terror, Sharp looks beneath him, his eyes filling with fear as he notices a gargantuan shadow emerging from the deep waters below…