Operation M.I.A: Missing in Action (IN NEED OF REVISING)

Chapter XV

Skylar takes notice of a glass wall protecting scuba gear, with a mask, outfit, reel, and everything. "There's a scuba suit here. Maybe one of us should go down with it and get a better view?" she suggests.

"I'll do it," I volunteer, raising my hand.

-

If you ever asked me before if I ever imagined myself exploring the big blue fully decked out in scuba gear, I probably would've given you a funny look. So it's a bit of a surprise to be able to say that right now, I'm exploring the big blue fully decked out in scuba gear.

Well, sort of. I'm not necessarily exploring on my own. A reel line keeps me attached to the hovercraft, which is basically dragging me along. I have a camera in my hands, taking pictures of everything I can. This scuba gear really has everything to go with is: A mask that I can use for oxygen, gloves, and even those cool flipper-shoes. I've always had a thing for mermaids, and I'm pretty sure this is the closest I'll ever get to feeling like one.

And let me just say, if the view before was incredible, this one is spectacular. Now that I'm able to see more clearly, I can more easily take in all the bright colors and wildlife. I keep having to remind myself to focus on what I was assigned to do: Search for any signs of a place where the trafficking center could've set up camp, like a submarine or some other underwater hideout.

"Got anything?" Sam's voice asks through the earmic I was given.

"Nope. Just a bunch of water and plants," I reply. "I'll keep my eyes as open as possible, though."

From there, things are pretty much smooth sailing. The hovercraft is travelling at a comfortable enough speed to where I don't feel like I'm hanging on for dear life, and I've got plenty of oxygen to keep me going for the rest of my exploration. "This is really a once-in-a-lifetime experience," I whisper to myself, smiling.

But this feeling of pleasure and comfort doesn't last long, for I find myself slightly lurched forward by the hovercraft coming to a sudden halt in the water.

A halt that only could've been caused by the hovercraft running into something.

SAM

Music: I'm Eliza from Gokujou Parodius

So, imagine you're in the same position I'm in. You're exploring the big, wide ocean in a submarine, and then all of a sudden, you get a giant face full of octopus.

And this octopus looks like a pretty menacing one. It's rather large and has a dark purplish skin. It appears to have been sleeping before we ran into it, and the collision seems to have waken it up. Its eyes look nothing like a human's eyes. Instead, the pupils look like a big, dark, vertical line that goes the entire length of the eye.

And while I don't know what a pissed-off octopus looks like, I can guarantee that this is definitely not a happy octopus.

"Shanna, hang on," I say into my microphone. "We've got a turnaround to make." I turn the hovercraft around as quickly as I can, then start moving us in the opposite direction.

"Sam, what's going on?" Shanna asks. I can tell she's starting to panic, so I try to calm her down. "Shanna, we just ran into an octopus. Nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, except it's following us," Luke says. I take a quick glance behind me, and sure enough, Luke's right. The octopus is trailing behind us. It's not very close to us, but it continues to make strides (or whatever it's called for underwater creatures) toward us.

"This might be a problem," Sean mutters.

"How so?" Avery asks, clearly not agreeing with him.