Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Chapter 5: The Ambush
One Week Later – Deep Sea near the mid-oceanic ridge of the Atlantic Ocean
Third Person POV
Bridge of the Seatender Leviathon
The admiral walked into the control room instantly the bridge crew stood at attention.
"Admiral on the bridge." The young lieutenant said. The admiral smiled at the young officer.
"You're relieved Lieutenant, go get some rest." The Admiral ordered. The young officer nodded and left the bridge.
The admiral waited on the bride sitting in the command chair. The crew looked anxious, they all knew that their target was out there and they would soon initiate their plan.
"Contact three miles away off the port bow, Admiral." The radar operator said. The admiral stood from the command chair and approached the radar screen. He looked over the shoulder of the operator and stared at the flashing lights.
"That's it." The admiral said. "Navigator set an intercept course, ahead full."
"Aye sir" The navigator said. The ship lurched a little to the port and then a rush of power could be felt as the engines powered to full and the large vessel surged through the water.
"Once we are within two miles of the target match their course and speed." The admiral ordered.
"Aye sir." The navigator confirmed.
"Communications, contact the Master, I'm sure he would like to watch from the bridge." The admiral commanded.
"Yes, sir." The communications officer acknowledged. A few moments later a large hulking figure walked onto the bridge. All of the bridge crew and the admiral rose as the large man approached. The man walked into the light and the Master was revealed as the titan Atlas.
"Master would you like to take the command chair, sir." The admiral asked. Atlas viewed the chair, but he waved it off as he sat at a chair next to the Admiral.
"Admiral I wouldn't dream of it, this is your show." Atlas said. "My only concern is that Jackson isn't harmed, I need him alive for now."
"Aye sir." The admiral said. "Communications raise the Cetus and let them know to initiate the plan."
"Aye sir." The communications officer responded. After several minutes of communication with the submarine the TS Cetus the officer addressed the admiral. "Sir, they are on their way with backup from the TS Scylla."
"Good, keep me posted on communications." The admiral ordered.
"Aye sir." The communications officer confirmed.
"Keep me informed of any unknown contacts from radar or sonar." The admiral said.
"One sonar contact sir, it is very small moving at slow speed. Its depth is over four thousand feet it must be a submersible sir." The sonar operator stated.
"So they're running a submersible at night, this may give us another advantage. Most of the ship's crew will be preoccupied. Inform the Cetus." The admiral ordered.
"Aye sir." The communications officer confirmed.
Onboard the submersible Albany
Percy's POV
Chris and I were onboard the Albany with Doctor Williams. We were currently at a depth of four thousand feet. We had been descending for over an hour as we dove for the sea floor near the mid-oceanic ridge. Usually we would avoid a night time cruise, but Doctor Williams was adamant that we explore our first day on location.
"Percy you're doing a great job piloting the sub." Dr. Williams said.
"Thank you sir, it maneuvers like a dream." I said confidently.
"Chris, how are you doing with your controls?" Dr. Williams asked.
"Life support, external lights, ballast, communications, sonar, robotic arm, sensors, cameras and energy levels all within the norm, sir." Chris said. Chris really knew what he was doing when it came to the systems on the Albany.
"Good, we won't need the lights until we get within twenty or thirty feet of the sea floor, so we'll leave them off to save the energy." Dr. Williams said.
I looked out the pilot window it was roughly three feet in diameter it gave you a much better view than the older submersibles with a window barely a foot in width. The water outside was pitch black at this depth and the water temperature would cause hypothermia in a human in about ten minutes tops. I kept the dive planes down as we continued to descend into the deep until we reached a depth of four thousand eight hundred feet.
"Good job gentlemen." Dr. Williams said as he patted me and Chris both on the back. "Chris hit the lights."
"Yes, sir." Chris said as he flipped the switch and suddenly the water around the sub was illuminated. I could see probably twenty feet in front of the sub. "We are twenty feet from the ocean floor, sir."
"Good, Percy take us down another ten feet and then stop." Dr. Williams asked. The sub descended slowly until we could see the sea floor below us. The sea floor was composed of fine silt that clung to any surface that touched it. I remembered being in a similar location last year where I actually touched the silt. It was a very sticky substance almost like liquid concrete. "Percy ahead two knots, port nine degrees."
"Aye sir." I said. The sub moved forward slowly until the lights in front of me illuminated the lower portion of the mid-oceanic ridge. The rocks were exactly the way I remembered them dark and rough.
"Percy follow the ridge toward the north at three knots." Dr. Williams ordered.
"Aye, sir." The sub moved effortlessly under my control and we were propelled toward the north portion of the ridge until we spotted a faint orange-red glow. The glow increased as we continued to approach. After what seemed like an hour we reached the source of the glow. About thirty feet from the sub a small flow of lava seeped out of the top of the ridge.
"Ascend thirty feet and position us over the lava flow." Dr. Williams ordered.
"Aye, sir." I said. I raised the dive planes and the sub ascended until we were perched over the lava flow.
"Good job Percy." Dr. Williams said. "Chris position the underwater video camera so we are looking directly below the sub." I heard the motor of the video camera move as Chris positioned it, then the three video screens turned on and we watched as the lava slowly seeped out of the ridge. "What is the temperature reading outside of the sub?"
"One hundred twenty degrees, sir." Chris said. I saw Dr. Willliams thinking about something.
"That's within safety limits can you take a projected reading for the temperature of the water around the lava flow?" Dr. Williams asked.
"Yes, sir, it's over four hundred degrees." Chris said. Wow, to think I swam around in that water last year. I do remember it being hot, but I didn't imagine it was that bad.
"Percy guide us south along the ridge. I want to see the extent of the lava flow." Dr. Williams ordered. The sub moved slowly along the ridge as we video taped the extent of the lava flow. The lava flow extended about a half mile to the south of the ridge and based on calculations that Chris and Dr. Williams developed we estimated that the eruption had occurred about four days ago. Chris used the onboard sensors to take seismic readings and we also used the robotic arm to take a careful sample of a cooled portion of the lava flow. We would take this information back to the ship for detailed analysis. We worked for two hours before we had to return to the surface. I carefully released our ballast tanks and we slowly ascended. The ascent would take two hours and then we would head back to the ship.
"You both did a great job today. I know both of you are going to be very successful in your fields." Dr. Williams said. Besides Chiron and Theseus, Dr. Williams was the best teacher I ever had. He was an older man in his fifties with white hair and a salt and pepper beard. He made learning so much fun and he was one of the best researchers in Marine Geology in the world as well as a respected Oceanographer. Chris and I both felt fortunate to be his students.
"Thank you, sir." Chris and I said at the same time.
Dr. Williams laughed and said, "If I didn't know better I would say that the two of you were related." That made Chris and I both laugh because Dr. Williams wasn't the first person to say that to us.
For the next hour and a half the three of us talked about our fascination with the sea and all the things we loved about it. It felt incredible to talk to others with the same feelings for the ocean and its creatures. I loved camp, but no one there not even Annabeth loved the ocean like me, but here I was with two mortals who loved the sea as much as I did. It was a rather incredible feeling and made me really want to work in this field with people like this. I wanted to help people understand the sea and to protect it. We finally approached close to the surface and I guided the sub towards our ship. Our research ship the Empire State had a moon pool under the ship that was directly open to the sea to allow for easy accessibility for submersibles. We approached the moon pool and I saw the technicians within the ship lower the cable with the magnetic capture device on the end. A diver attached the magnetic clamp to the top of our sub and slowly we were lifted out of the water. The crane operator carefully lowered the sub onto the deck of the ship. Chris and I turned off all the controls and Dr. Williams opened the hatch. We climbed out and headed to greet one of the technicians. We turned around the corner of the sub to see the three technicians standing with their hands in the air. As I looked around them I froze there were five men dressed all in black and they were holding assault rifles. The three of us were about to back up when someone spoke from behind us.
"Where do you think you're going?" The man said. We turned to see two men dressed in black with assault rifles.
"Who are you? How dare you assault an educational research ship?" Dr. Williams said, but before anyone could answer our teacher one of the men opened fire and filled Dr. Williams with a hail of bullets. He collapsed to the deck dead. I felt anger surge within me and I could tell that Chris was as mad as me. Before we could do anything two more men came from behind us and poked their guns in our backs. Even with my ability to strengthen my skin and bones it would not help against bullets especially from an assault rifle at close range. My armor on the other hand could, but I dared not touch my wrist band as they might shoot Chris and the others.
"Take them to the holding area." A man I guess he was the leader ordered three of the other men. The three men pushed us forward until we reached a large storage room that was used to store dive equipment. The door opened and we were forcibly thrown into the room and the door sealed. We looked around until someone ran forward and engulfed Chris in a big hug, it was Terra.
"I thought you both were dead." Terra said with tears in her eyes.
"Honey, we're fine, but those bastards killed Dr. Williams." Chris said I could see the hate in his eyes.
"Chris keep it together I'm as mad as you, but getting ourselves killed want solve anything." I said calmly. I could see the anger fade from his eyes as he held onto Terra tightly. "Can anybody tell me what happened?"
AN: The TS in the name TS Cetus stands for the Titan Ship Cetus. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Yes, we will find out next chapter how the ship was taken and hopefully what Atlas has in store for them.