Can we all agree that the villains needed BETTER dialogue?
The 'CCG' is the Haijing or the Chinese Coast Guard.
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"Jess!" Mac yelled over the rail into Mana One's observation deck. The first place that had been suggested as a tourist attraction... and they'd been holding off the idea ever since. An odd thought to attack Suyin's mind as Mac took Jaxx's weight from her. He carried Jaxx down the stairs, heartrate rising with each step. "Radio everyone to their rooms NOW! Lock it down!"
Suyin shoved the door closed, getting both its steel bolts in place. Their clicks only relieved her slightly. DJ's were the first eyes she met as she reached the floor. "Do I wanna know? I probably don't- but I'm gonna have to ask, aren't I."
"Put a distress call out immediately!" Suyin followed Mac with Jaxx, flying for the locked box with the first aid kit. "Several species have escaped the trench- some are already on Mana One."
"Several?" DJ backed up to his deck, placing his backpack on top. "It's NOT just sharks this time!"
Jess brought up the cameras, the images drawing everyone's attention. Their eyes grew wide at the view of the lower decks, swarming with heavy-armored animals. Suyin harkened them to lizards- the size of pumas! Along with something else- a liken to crabs?
"WHY land?" DJ continued to freak, glasses off then on again. "They ain't seen land in 50 million years!"
"I recognize them from the logs, far back as Sector 4." Jess stood slowly, edging closer to the encompassing glass walls. "But- these..."
The water quivered with the approaching eels- one ramming the glass straight on! That seemed to deter the others and Suyin was able to fully evaluate their mass and length. Sides rippling in light-blue voltage, them fanned out... searching for a way in?
"Suyin!" Mac motioned for the kit, propping Jaxx's leg up. Her face remained pinched, sneaking a look at her leg. "DJ... tell the CCG-"
"Don't bother." Jess broke in, eyes never faltering from the glass. "There's a chopper. 10 minutes out."
"10 minutes out?" Suyin repeated, confused from her current task. Mac shared this and even Jaxx was distracted from her injury. Jess slid around, her prim features contemplative; if not grim. "I contacted them as soon as losing contact with Jiuming and Jonas."
Everyone stared at her, her calmness causing an unnerved glance between Mac and Suyin. Jaxx adjusted her leg. "The rescue DSV's fine by the way."
Rattled back to reality, Suyin moved to cut Jaxx's pantleg. Mac stood, eyeing Jess carefully. Keeping his contact, Jess mellowed back to her worksite. "We have intel that they made it to the station. Should they make it back up, it'd be best we're all on the same page, right?"
"You know they're alive!" DJ showed the first sign of annoyance. Jess held up a finger. "I'll let Driscoll explain."
Entering a quick code, Hillary's face filled the center screen. Her eyes assessed the room, minus her usual encouraging smile. "What do you have, Jess?"
"Dive 1 and Dive 2 encountered megs." was Jess' automatic answer, glasses folded. "The subs collided in their escape, causing a breach. Most of the crew didn't survive, including Jonas Taylor-"
Suyin had to remind herself about Jaxx's leg while her stomach churned with dread- and rage.
"Are you serious?" Mac half-laughed. Hillary sighed, adjusting the screen as she sat down. "We knew you'd find the station eventually... and I know all the arguments you're going to make. Ones I admire."
Jess gave a prominent nod toward Suyin. Are you listening?
How could she with the affirmation her husband as dead?
"Bottom line," Hillary took a drink, as though it gave them time to think. "the institute is nearly out of debt. Thanks to me, Singer..."
Mac's eyes narrowed now. "That doesn't give you the right-"
"Where would Zhang Oceanic be if we hadn't convinced the public to believe in you?" Hillary stopped him. "You needed us, we needed you. And, alright there's been some damage; to an ecosystem that should've been extinct forever ago. No one beside professors and pasty science nerds would care if it vanished."
"Sometimes you lose a forest through the trees." Suyin recited, certain Hillary would remember the conversation it stemmed from. The same where she'd admitted to feeling humbled amidst the broad strokes of their work. But no; rather, Jess smirked. "We know, everything's connected. Only, money connects everything up here, Suyin."
"Same thing keeping your new nose intact?" Jaxx quipped, only to grimace. Suyin inspected the skin, hiding her trepidation at the abnormal coloring. Tourniquet. She pulled the elastic ring out, forcing her mind to stay in the moment. Hillary cleared her throat to redirect the conversation. "We continue to get money because we do share one belief. Progress. Thanks to your father's discovery of the trench- and now, Jiuming's suits- we're procuring the resources that make it possible."
"And tax deductible." DJ pitted, shouldering his pack. "Only you're the reason people can't go swimming this time."
Hillary wagged a finger. "That's a pocket we all share. Jess and I, however, have the power to spin it anyway we like... that's the situation, people."
Suyin had Jaxx brace as she applied pressure. Mac stepped up, drawing on his height as he faced Hillary. "And we go along with it or become part of your tragic cover story."
Hillary shrugged. Jess copied her. "That's what he'd prefer. I rather like all of you. Your efforts should be rewarded."
"We're not about rewards." Suyin jerked her head up, coming full froth. Jess came around Mac, face fully cocky now, "Aren't you though? Aren't you riding the reward of your dad's memory?"
Suyin's slap landed before she fully stood. Jess faltered, cheek going pink. Hillary sighed, running a finger along her forehead. "You're really limiting my options here."
"Allow us to cut them off completely." Mac switched Hillary's call off. In the same instant DJ sprung on Jess, landing a taser on her side. "Sorry!"
Jess crumpled to the floor, giving a moment for them to fully realize their situation. Jaxx raised a brow. "Where did that come from?!"
"Where do you think?" DJ angled his backpack at her. "I've been telling you, this ain't just for show."
Mac broke his showcase off, rushing to bring up the helipad's cameras. "We need to go."
"Where?" DJ hiked Jaxx up with Suyin.
"That chopper's gonna be full of guns on Driscoll's payroll." Mac hurried to DJ's site, but it promptly beeped a denial.
"Let me guess," Jaxx blew her breath out, tourniquet locked in on her thigh. "Jess used malware to block any channels of communication."
"Which we could counter." Suyin suggested; right as the helicopter appeared descending on the helipad. There was no time. Mac massaged his forehead, straining for a solution. "They'll be ordered here first, since they can't reach Jess... satellite phone in my bunk!"
"Can we make it undetected?" Suyin kept the first aid kit close.
"Better chance than staying here." Mac sighed out, sizing Jaxx's leg up. Any move they'd make would be slow, but Suyin pulled their focus off of it. "Let's not waste time."
With her good foot, Jaxx prodded at the unconscious Jess as they passed. "I wanted to do that."
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"Odd sneaking onto one's own ship." Jiuming stated as the sub broke the surface. He had argued, but Jonas won out to ascend on the docks behind Mana One's observation deck. Jonas glided it in gently, already unsettled by the lack of crew hands to greet them. Mana One employed over twenty people, minus them. A literal handful of those he trusted right now.
Jiuming hovered over the two exterior cameras. "Just what is our objective?"
"Find Mom." Meiying piped up, waiting eagerly by the ladder to the hatch. Jonas agreed heartily. Kill anyone who gets in the way.
"Get that lone solider look out of your eye." Jiuming scolded at him like a kid. "We work here."
"So does whoever ordered illegal mining at 25,000 feet." Jonas pointed out, standing to test his balance. Not perfect, but he'd gone on less. He joined Meiying at the ladder, trying to formulate a plan while eyeing the hatch. They should've been able to contact Mana One past the thermal cline, but it seemed the station had gone dark. Despite his insistence, Mana One didn't have a weapons locker... they had wrenches and the last loads of their spear guns- minus Jiuming's.
"There's the red line by the rescue DSV." Meiying suggested. She meant the phone line that connected every deck on Mana One. They'd be exposed, but enough calls and someone was bound to pick up and give them a sense of direction. He eyed Jiuming and Rigas. Rigas only nodded when she'd elbowed past him to the ladder. She smiled, hands firmly on the rungs. "Ladies first. I owe you that."
Jonas speculated but didn't argue. Jiuming joined them, sharing a serious moment with Meiying. "What's the plan?"
"On your hip at all times." She recited, holding back sarcasm for once. "Duck if there's trouble, and meet at the rafts if separated."
Jonas and Jiuming nodded, satisfied. Meiying beamed.
"Clear." Rigas called down. Quietly, they joined her. There were deep breaths all around, at last feeling air and wind again. The sea rolled beneath the grate as Rigas encouraged them up the few steps to where the rescue DSV lounged. That's where they caught the sight and sound of a helicopter disappearing to the top of Mana One. He peered at Jiuming. "Not one of ours."
Jiuming, however, was studying something else. Meiying craned over the side, alerting them to the water frothing at all edges. Black, oily bodies blinked between the waves, knocking into each other. Meiying looked back at him, worried. "That's- what attacked Lance."
Jonas pulled her closer to the rescue DSV. "Focus on-"
"Jiuming!" Rigas warned as Jiuming hopped onto the platform. He dared a close observation to a leech sprawled out, unmoving. "Can't seem to survive this new climate."
"Best news all day-"
"Jonas!" Meiying yelled out past his shoulder. He jerked his gun up before realizing what leapt at him. The spear- his last- hit the sea lizard between the eyes. It fell at his feet and Jonas happily kicked it under the bars into the ocean. His eyes darted down the gangway, searching for friends.
"They've adjusted." Meiying observed.
"Wh-" Rigas swallowed. "And, them?"
Jonas followed her gaze up the columns keeping Mana One afloat. His jaw clenched at the movement of several, dog-sized crabs above them. Long, spiked legs suspended out of jagged, mud-brown shells. Rigas pulled Jiuming back up from the platform and they crept along, closer and closer to the door that led inside. They could pass through the halls, make it to the red line at the cathead.
Jonas risked a glance up; his stomach dropped at the same time a crab did. He pushed Meiying forward. "Go!"
However, the claws were as long as its legs and Jonas immediately felt the bugger on his heels. He spun, ramming the gun against its head. Meiying was at the door, but Rigas and Jiuming needed to make it past the crabs. They were crawling over each other now, all eager for a bite. Rigas rained down on them with the butt of her gun, Jonas going from the front. He felt a hot pinch draw blood from his thigh. Twisting to get some distance, Meiying moved for him.
"Hey!" Jiuming was suddenly yelling past Rigas- and swinging! With the enormous, carnivorous leech from the dock! Like a crazy man, Jiuming banged in from one side to the other. The distraction took, as the crabs released for the easier meat... rolling themselves and their meal over the side. Jonas watched them flail into the water, then collapsed against the wall. "You seriously used it as a battle axe?"
"It was dead." Jiuming reasoned.
"I wouldn't have touched it." Rigas shuttered, checking both ways of the walk again. "Mac would've ordered lockdown with creatures onboard."
"Possible." Jiuming agreed, opening the box for the red line. Meiying helped Jonas up as he dialed- bullets being the only answer. "Don't move!"
Rigas aimed up while Jonas kept their heads down. He shoved Meiying through the door, Jiuming and Rigas tumbling in after.
"I'm out." Rigas hissed, slamming the door behind them. "I saw 3, but there might be more."
"A helicopter would bring 9." Meiying figured, eyed on Jonas' leg. He swatted her off. "I'm fine... they gotta be making their way deck by deck."
"We need to find Mac and Suyin." Jiuming tapped his knees with his thumbs, thinking.
"They'll make for the rafts, too." Rigas fought the worry hanging overall. Jonas stared at the ceiling, wanting to tear through it to find Suyin. "Rigas- we get their guns, can you keep them from the DSV?"
Rigas cocked a brow, touched by the trust. "You bet."
"I can ready the rafts." Meiying insisted.
"No!" Jonas and Jiuming told her. Meiying's eyes challenged them. "So, I go with you to get the weapons?"
Jonas huffed, rubbing at his exhausted eyes.
"Rigas would have my back." Meiying pulled at his arm. "I have to; Mom might show up."
How did he argue that?
"They've reached the deck." Rigas slinked back from the window. Jonas worked his jaw. He motioned Jiuming to farther down the corridor. "Care to distract?"
"Rènzhēn de?" Jiuming rolled his eyes, sneaking under the view of the windows. Jonas and Rigas flanked the door, Jiuming's loud voice their signal. Jonas bolted out first, reaming the head merc into the rail. with 3 on 3, it didn't take long for the mercs to lie on the ground. Jonas motioned for Meiying to step out, catching his breath.
"You okay?" Jiuming waved from his side. Jonas glared. "I'm fine; Rigas?"
"Zip ties." Rigas indicated, but he spotted the blood on her shirt. He caught the ties she threw him, daring him to say something. "Put 'em to use."
