Chapter Ten:
To Davy Jones' Locker
The Asylus moved through the depths of the deep blue, its sonar pinging every few seconds. It had been three months since it was deployed into the active service of the Mushroom Kingdom navy. Three months, it had been patrolling the bay area near the coastline, and it was well-armed with hundreds of torpedoes in the event of a major battle.
For months, the only action it had seen was patrol action. Helmed by Captain Makashi of the Mushroom Royal Guard, the Asylus was crewed by four toads and five humans with three Koopas assisting them.
Captain Makashi, a middle-aged man with years of service behind him, exited his quarters and stepped onto the bridge, observing the crew's activities. A Koopa saluted, a short human male playing cards at a table nodded respectfully to the uniformed veteran. Makashi nodded and saluted back, then he stopped by the periscope as Mr. Shrobert operated it.
"Anything to report?" Makashi asked in a thick accent.
"The anomaly came up again half an hour ago." Shrobert replied, "We could hardly glimpse it."
"Been happening for weeks." One of the sailors remarked, "Whatever it is that we've been trying to catch, whenever our radar picks up an indication of it, it's trying to avoid our sights. It's out there, but it's hiding."
"It could be a flock of whales." Makashi suggested, "Or perhaps the sonar is just malfunctioning."
PING-PING-PING!
"Captain!" A Toad named Tomo Arad yelled, he was seated in front of the sonar equipment, "It just came up again, but much clearer, and it's coming in our direction..."
"...And we just started having a massive Geiger reading!" Kenchino added, gesturing to the Geiger monitor, "Radiation levels are in flux, but peaking, and there weren't any nuclear tests in this area as of recent."
Makashi frowned, "What the heck is it?"
"We don't know, sir. But it's not a whale." One sailor remarked.
An officer tapped Makashi on the shoulder and looked at him urgently. "Sir, do you think we could be dealing with one of Bowser's secret weapons?" The man asked, "I think we may have just found one of his subs."
"Doubtful, but a suggestion we should take into consideration." Makashi replied.
"IT JUST GOT CLOSER!" Tomo exclaimed, the volume of the pinging had increased, "And... my gosh, it's as tall as a tower. And... ITS COMING TOWARDS US!"
Makashi looked to his crew. "Prepare to take action." He ordered, "Man battle stations now."
"Captain, it's above us!"
The captain and his crew looked at each other, all filled with dread. Seconds later, the Asylus was rocked and alarms screamed. An explosion shook the submarine and water filled the room, Captain Makashi and the others howled in terror, knowing the Asylus was going down.
Explosions consumed the submarine, and the very last thing the crew heard before the end was a monstrous roar...