Deadly Whiteness

As such there are more than enough means of immersion to big depths in the world. Only this is purely research technology. They are very heavy because of the thickness of their body meant to sustain big pressures, slow and unable to maneuver, but the main thing is that they cannot surmount large ocean spaces independently. More so with armaments on board, which can aim exactly from under water at a modern fast fighter plane. But where could this slow moving vessel go? And that taking into account that the enemy has no military bases nearby. As to fighting submarines, their depth limit is a little over half a mile.

He reported everything to Navy headquarters. There they were also perplexed and confirmed: there are no large ships of the enemy which could be the means of transporting the deep-water submarine in the radius of several hundred miles from here. They asked what help was required.

He did not know it himself.

A ship and a deck fighter have been lost. Just like that, without any signs of the enemy.

Mark also told some terrible things about six hundred feet squid. Does it mean that its length it just a little less than that of the cruiser?.. It is difficult to believe, though its weight ought to be a hundred times less than the cruiser’s, anyway.

His brother is simply in panics, no doubt. It is clear, their small military ship became the victim of the same aggressor as the airplane. Military ships are always battened down safely. And no squid can drag such a ship under water. Because the resistance here is caused not by weight but by the tonnage. But anyway, there is too much ubnormal in everything happening.

Pete Tuccert looked at the photo of his father, as though expecting help. It is strange… sometimes it seems to him that father looks from the photo kindly and even caringly, and sometimes like now, like in their childhood, when he and his brother happened to be guilty of something.

Only one thing is consoling: now it is only eight o’clock in the morning, in seven and a half hours they will be at the place, and there will still be enough daylight to look into the things.

He got a report that the catapulted pilot had already been found and the hydroplane which had picked him up was on the way back.

In half an hour the pilot was brought.

The general knew already that he was an experienced pilot who had flown a lot, and actually there were no novices on the cruiser.

– Sit down, Captain. How are you?

– Quite normal.

– There is no “quite normal” after catapulting. You will go to the doctors all the same, but first tell me everything in order.

– During flying around, as I reported, nothing was found, except a small ship that was moving towards the coastline. But I was warned that it was known about it.

– Yes, a research ship.

– Having got a command to return I turned around and flew back.

– Where were you at the moment of the attack?

– Approximately at the place where these arched for ship was to be according to the coordinates.

– Go on.

– I felt a side blow and spontaneous bank to the left. I looked at the right wing. There were two lacerated holes at the distance of a foot from each other. It looked as though I had been attacked by a large-caliber machine-gun.

– From below or from up?

– Definitely from below. It could be seen by the bank of the machine, and by the metal characteristically damaged in the places of the attack.

– They could not fire from water, Captain, could they? The fighter has too high a speed to attack it from a machine-gun, and that at the height of two miles.

– Very unlikely, Sir.

– Then it could only be another plane which attacked you somewhere from below, from the side of the fuselage.

– Will you allow me to speak out my opinion, Sir.

– Yes, I am listening.

– It could only be invisible stealth, otherwise my radar would have discovered it.

– Certainly.

– I can’t understand, Sir, then he would have completely destroyed my wing. I know the technical data of the enemy’s planes and their shooting equipment. Simple machine guns have long gone into the past being not effective enough. During the last ten years they have not been used either by the Russians or by the Chinese. They have been preserved only at the old models which can’t be modern “stealth”.

The general nodded in agreement.

– And one more consideration, Sir, – said the pilot somewhat hesitantly. – If the holes had been made by splinters of a missile “air-to-air”…

– I know, Captain, your board radar would not have recorded “stealth” itself, but would have certainly recorded a rocket launched by it.

– Just so, Sir.

– We’ll find out what it is! – encouraging himself more than the pilot said Tuccert. – Soon your fighter will be lifted, and the expertise will show what kind of holes there are in the wing.

In an hour the general, having thought over everything again, ordered to connect him to his brother.

– Where are you?

– In the bay, – professor called a small island. – I am standing near the pier moored.

– And I am going back. To the place where our ship disappeared, where our fighter was shot by someone unknown and where, in addition to all that, as you claim, there lives some fantastic animal. You must not sail to the ocean on your old tub, Marc, that’s why I invite you to be a guest on my cruiser, and I will soon deal with all submarine villains at once.

– With pleasure, Pete. Moreover, I would like to share some ideas with you, but I would not like to do it in the air.

– That’s all right, I’ll soon send a hydroplane for you.

It is Still “Far till Evening”

– Listen, Chris, the lads will have to be sent home. And you will wait for me here and look after the ship. I request you not to sail into the ocean.

– Marc, why shouldn’t I work in shallow waters? I could do something alone according to our research plan.

– It is dangerous, think yourself. That whom we think to be a squid is too strong.

– Listen, but judging by the words of your brother it is already clear that the military ship perished as a result of somebody’s diversion and not because of a sea beast.

– And what about the tentacle which you saw?

– But it did not attack the ship, it selected a man.

– Is it not enough for you? Besides, I suspect that this giant is able to act in shallow waters. That skeleton, Chris. We have not found a clear explanation for it.

– Though the skeleton is lying in shallow waters, but just at the edge of a hollow. Most probably, the giant, having digested the food, threw it out somewhere not far away to the surface. You know, there is a strong current to the shore, and before the skeleton sunk it was brought into shallow waters.

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