Quick update- I wish we could put music with the fanfiction, I was playing the Stingray Soundtrack while writing this and the next chapter and it made it a lot more fun. Oh well, enjoy. Thank you for reading so far and please do drop me a review if it needs improvements or fixing.
"It's been fastened on to the rocks." Troy muttered both to himself and into the mic as, with the help of Stingrays mini-cam, he examined the contraption, a haphazard design that looked to several things stripped of useful parts and put together sideways before being welded and bolted the van sized weed encrusted boulder. The light that been blinked on off continuously it turned out wasn't flashing some ancient marine life version of semaphore- it was simply on the blink. Troy could even see sparks inside the waterproof casing around the bulb.
"Phones are you getting this?"
"Yes Captain." On board the sub, Phones stood at camera's one to one relay board, watching the on the screen intently and setting it to record their findings. "They've had some cowboys in whatever it is. I don't think it's been built to last."
"Do you think it's deliberately like that?"
"Well if it is, then it's suspicious. Keep an eye out Troy I still think-"
"Stingray from tower. Stingray from Tower" The on board radio chirruped interrupting him. "Come in please."
"Atlanta, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Phones grinned. The sound of another voice down here other than his own and Troy's was a comfort to him.
"Aside from your sighting report that's just come in you mean? It says Troy's outside taking a closer look, is he already outside?" the Lieutenant's voice didn't sound impressed and Phones wondered if her father had gotten on her case as well as his and the captains. He wished Marina had been with them. It would have saved the hassle this morning and knowing he had another pair of eyes looking out for trouble while he'd handled the protocols would have put him at ease.
"Sorry Atlanta You've just missed him but we've recorded our findings and will submit them with our final report at debrief. I can see him now; he's just reached the rig, visual throughout." Phones replied, his eyes wandering down the slackened steel cable that snaked from the air lock to Troy's harness, reassured it hadn't broken or fraid.
"Well I'd advise you to call him to pull back, you've no clearance yet to approach any craft."
"The commander didn't grant permission?"
"He's not here to do so, I radioed in to let you know."
"Oh." Phones wondered where the workaholic Shore must have gone. "Still, it's not moving. I agree with you Atlanta we should have waited but in our book that's a fixed point so Captain Tempest pulled rank. No need to have radioed in."
"I was going to anyway I've some news for you both-"
But before she could continue Phones cut in with a yell, one not directed at her.
"Captain! Troy, look out! Get out of there!" Diving for the controls, Phones jammed on his listening gear while cursing himself for letting his guard slip and leaving a bemused Atlanta in the lurch. levers were pulled buttons, where pressed and Stingrays engine fired up to life, her propellers whirring away and with another couple of switches flipped, the safety winch began to recoil at full speed.
Because out of the corner of the porthole, Phones had spotted danger.
Tempest had been debating whether to head back to Stingray or continue his investigation when he heard his named being yelled over the radio and his line gave a sharp tug backward. Looking up he saw why. From left, right and up ahead of him three menacing shapes looming up and heading straight for him. Aquaphibians; three of them coming from different directions but all ugly and armed, not five hundred metres away, closer to him then he was to Stingray.
"Phones was right," He thought. "The lighting rig was a trap."
It was his last coherent thought before the device exploded.