A strong wind whipped up over the seas and onto the platform as Bill opened the door. Breathing heavily, Bill stepped outside as the wind lashed his face with a spray of sea salt. "Selena, Veronica, come on, we'll wait outside. They could send a rescue any moment, we need to be ready."
Stepping outside, Veronica and Selena felt the same stinging wind hit their bare faces. Selena was still shaking a little. "Dad, what were those things?"
Leaning down, Bill took his daughter in both his hands, replying, "I don't know Selena, but I'm not going to wait around to see what else is under that water."
Veronica stepped over to the edge of the platform and stared into the waters. The streaming colored lights were getting brighter and larger. "Uh, Bill, those lights are getting closer."
Bill shouted against the wind. "Veronica, get back from the edge! Let's stay in the centre." As Veronica ran back, Bill wondered to himself what the hell he would do if the large pink fleshy tentacle came for them. He had no weapon, not even a knife, nothing. A thought crossed Bill's mind about the first aid station in the topside room. "Wait here," he said as he scrambled back to the door.
"Bill," Veronica yelled, "where are you going?"
Bill opened the door and begun rummaging through the first aid room. Picking up a small pair of scissors he quickly discarded them, thinking of how ineffectual they would be. Pulling away a few more boxes of medical gear, he finally found what he was looking for. Grabbing the fire extinguisher canister, Bill exited back out the door to be with Selena and Veronica. Bill thought of the effect that the water changes had upon the microorganisms when they first dug the cork hole, and how it destroyed them. He figured that the chemicals in the fire hydrant might affect anything bigger. It was a thought at least.
Huddled together on the windswept platform, they waited, as a giant whirring sound surrounded them. Bubbling water began to rise at the edges of the platform like a hot spring as the bright lights began to shine upwards to the sky. The squealing noises and bright coloured lights intensified as the waters surrounding the platform spun around in the same motion as a whirlpool.
Selena gripped her father tighter, imploring him with fearful eyes, "Dad, are we going to be okay?"
Bill hugged his girl tightly replying, "Sit tight honey, a rescue team will be here soon."
As Bill finished speaking, a deep rumbling shook the platform. The sound of jet fighter planes surrounded them as the waters pushed upwards. As the spray of water washed over them, a column of blazing iridescent blue light rose up from the circumference of the platform. The light was pulsing like a heartbeat in blue ribbons of patterned electricity. Towering high above them, the light column finally ceased moving upwards as the pulsing blue ribbons continued to move within; spinning, jumping, dancing, and circling.
"What on earth?" Veronica yelled loudly, but her voice was drowned out as the rhythmic heartbeat pulsing electrified their bodies, making them tingle. Panic started to engulf Selena, veronica and Bill as the rhythmic acoustics pulsed in time with their rushing blood. Bill looked down at his arm and was taken to a new level of alarm as he noticed his skin glowing blue. As Selena noticed her skin changing she started to scream fearfully, "Dad, DAD!"
Suddenly halting from its rising, the deep pulsing sound abated to a steady hum as the glowing on their skin dimmed. The dancing blue ribbons continued to flow around the column as Bill stared at the spectacle in awe. Drawing his attention back to his daughter, he tried to calm her down, looking into her eyes as he spoke, "Selena, Selena look at me. Look at me, listen, it's going to be okay. We're sticking together, I won't let you go." Selena nodded in acknowledgement as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Uh, Bill, what's that?" Veronica pointed to the edge of the platform as a pair of bulging eyes; the outer part being pitch black and the inner part pearl white, stared at them. Bill just sat with his mouth wide open, unable to respond as the creature climbed onto the platform revealing its hideous form. Looking like a prehistoric fish that had morphed with skeletor, it had a large horn on its head and multiple rows of nasty barb like spiked teeth. Selena shrieked at the fearsome site. Amidst the constant humming column, a cacophony of scurrying and whirring noises signalled around them. Tentacles and more fanged creatures began climbing onto the platform, inside the pulsing light column.
Twenty four jelly like beings flopped onto the deck. As they moved closely towards them, Bill could see the pulsating reflections of neon transparent lights along their elongated spheres. The colors were like a rainbow's, and it rippled in pulsing harmony along the jelly globe spheres. Getting closer, they positioned themselves evenly around Bill, Selena and Veronica; forming a perfect circle. Remaining stationary, their pulsing lights continued. All the other strange creatures behind them ceased moving too. Selena, though scared out of her wits, was captivated by the pulsing rainbow lights.
Bill slowly started to rise to his feet, carefully holding the extinguisher within his jacket. A Sharp hissing noise emitted from the fanged beasts, along with shrieking noises from the surrounding waters. As two large tentacles came towards Bill, he thought it prudent to sit down again, waiting for a better moment to strike. He hoped to hold them off till a rescue arrived. A thought crossed his mind as to whether or not these creatures actually had intelligence within them. Surely not?
Veronica's composure began to crumble as water began to bubble at the sides of the platform, causing the water to react as it would if a drain; or bucket was overflowing. Three large objects began to emerge out of the water with a low vibrating sound. With the pulsing rainbow lights directly in front of them on the jelly beings, it was hard to make out the appearance of the new creatures emerging from the waters. Stepping out from the water onto the platform, they seemed to be around a metre tall. Along with the continuous low vibrating noise they unfurled themselves to about 2.5 metres tall. Selena buried her face into Bill's chest as he wrapped his arms around her firmly.
A head became visible on the three large creatures. With a shape resembling a turtle head, it had two large eyes like pearls. It's long, almost skeletal form was highlighted by bright blue lights connected with streams of pulsating whites, occasionally intersected with cross sections of green. The three creatures opened their mouths in unison with a deafening shrieking sound. The sets of pointed teeth made their mouths look like vipers as thick jelly like saliva dripped between the teeth. The pairs of pearl eyes changed to electric neon blue.
As the creatures stood still, a white mist came out from their mouths as they breathed. Bill was about to say something when he heard a low guttural noise from one of the standing creatures. It was speaking!
"Yourrrr time has come...."
Bill and Veronica sat still like stunned mullets as Selena slowly turned her face to see the encounter.
The creature repeated itself with a hissing noise, "Yourrr time has come. Earth has served its purpossssse."
Bill decided to ask the obvious question, stuttering "Wh- wha - what are you?"
The creature gasped in what seemed to be laughter before responding, "Whyyy do you humansss always asssk that? Long before humans inhabited earthhhhh, we came here."
Bill spoke up again, "How do you speak our language? Are you-are you aliens?"
The large creature moved its toothed mouth together to form a sort of smile before speaking again. "You have seen ussss many timessss, thinking we were docile creatures of the deep." The saliva continued to drip from the creatures fangs as it spoke. "Yessss, we are what you call alienssss, though you seem more alien to usssss. You creaturesss have no idea about this world."
"What do you want?" Bill asked, but was cut off sharply by the immense creature.
"Enough! Tell me now; have you come to try to stop usssss, after all this time we have waited?"
Bill was confused, "What do you mean stop you? Stop you from what?"
The creature leaned down with its glowing neon blue pearl shaped eyes meeting Bill's, pausing before speaking again. "From destroying humanssss!"
Veronica looked over to Bill, saying in a loud panicky voice, "Bill, do something!" The other two large creatures shrieked and hissed as they stood guard.
Bill stepped closer to the alien as he opened his jacket and knocked out the pin to the fire extinguisher. Furious at the alien creature's intentions, he spoke loudly, "extinguish THIS!"
Stepping backwards, a hideous noise came from the alien creature as Bill noticed a glowing blue light grew brighter on its wrist. Bill only had enough time to throw the extinguisher about a metre from his body as the pulsing boom and blue light caused it to explode violently. The forceful explosion sent Bill flying across the platform where he landed heavily, knocking the wind right out of him. In the background, Bill could hear the piercing shrieks of the creature, mixed with cries of concern from Veronica and Selena.
"Bill!" Veronica shouted.
"Daddy," cried Selena.
Bill huddled into a ball as he felt a retching pain in his stomach, mixed with a burning feeling along his arms and facial area. He coughed hard as the mixture of chemicals from the explosion entered his lungs without permission. Through his watery eyes, he looked back across the platform to view the huge creature stooping over his daughter.
Veronica stood in between the creature and Selena. She could smell the stench from its mouth as is screeched in her face. Undeterred, Veronica shouted strongly, "Stay away from her!" Stepping sideways, Veronica tried to lure the creature away. "Come on, you want me? Come and get me."
Veronica heard a hissing sound behind her. Glancing to her left, she saw the fanged prehistoric looking skeletor fish. The distraction was enough for the large creature to thrust its arm like extension into Veronica's body, at the same time Bill was crying out to her. It was too late for words as the impact sent Veronica crashing to the ground.
Bill got on his hands and knees as he tried to regain his composure, and his breath. A loud scream from Selena sent his adrenaline skyrocketing. Lifting his head up from the ground, he saw the large creature leaning in over Selena. Rushing to his feet, Bill found extraordinary strength as his body hurtled towards his daughter. There was no way he could let anything happen to her. He had promised to protect her, the one he cared about more than all others, his precious and only daughter. "Get away from her you freak!"
The alien opened its viper like mouth with a hiss as it produced an embryonic like shape, formed from bright blue lights and plasma, giving it an appearance not too dissimilar from the column around them. Selena screamed with fear as the lighted sac surrounded her; the alien closely huddled over her.
Bill launched himself into the air without thinking too much about what he was going to do, his intention being to grab onto the creature. Long octopus tentacles quickly suctioned onto Bill's legs, capturing him in mid air. The powerful restraints pulled him back to the deck of the platform as Bill's hands missed his target by a mere inches.
Bill laid stomach down on the deck with the strong tentacles keeping him at bay. The large alien creature hissed again as it lit up the glowing blue light on its wrist. A beam of blue light emitted as the creature aimed to the platform deck. Cutting straight through the platform like a plasma cutter, it made a circle around itself and Selena. Selena was screaming and banging her fist against the embryonic surround, but Bill could not hear her voice.
Veronica cried out, trying to get to Selena, but found herself in the same position as Bill, as another set of long tentacles wrapped around her.
As the cutting finished a full circle the platform section gave way, letting the alien drop down with Selena. Bill watched, as if in slow motion; his daughter in the blue lighted embryonic sac pass through the platform floor. Her palms up against it, her mouth wide open, her eyes looking desperately for her father to save her. Pleading as her body descended slowly past Bill's vision. Bill screamed with all his capacity, his arms stretched long, trying with all his might to save her. Tears flowed from both their eyes. "Selena-my baby!" cried Bill, and although he couldn't hear the words, he could see his daughter cry, "Daddy, save me," as she disappeared out of sight.
If Bill had not been restrained in a horizontal position he would have buckled at the knees. Sorrow soon turned to vehement anger as Bill slammed his fist into the platform, "NOOOO, you bastards! I'm going to kill you all!"
Veronica wiped away her tears as she turned to Bill. "What are we going to do?"
Bill's anger coursed through his body, "I'm going to kill every one of these freaks until I get my daughter back." Looking up though, he felt his chances dim as hundreds of the prehistoric fanged sea creatures with their pointed horns crawled towards their faces. More tentacles wrapped around their arms, holding them fast for the execution. Bill thought of his daughter, wondering what awful experience she might be going to undergo as he lay there helpless. Every parent's worst nightmare was upon him. Veronica prepared mentally for her horrible fate.
The lighted blue column surrounding them started to lose its consistent hum, as large chunky metallic noises invaded its harmony. The attacking creatures around them stopped and looked around. The dancing blue ribbons within the column as turned into vertical lines and dropped quickly into the watery depths. As the column dropped, Bill looked into the sky to see the rotating blades of the black hawk above them.
Captain Mark shouted to Trey and Ethan as they manned the guns on either side. "Eliminate those hostiles and free those civilians." The sound of reigning bullets whistled through the air as they met their targets, pummelling the bodies of the green fanged alien fish. Veronica and Bill covered their faces as a flurry of bullets and flying fish flesh flew around them. "Ha Ha, take that you fish heads," shouted Trey. "This one's for Will, suckers!" cried Ethan. Their captain commended them as he gave the orders for the pilot to circle around again. The aliens shrieked and hissed as they made their retreat back into the water.
The platform cleared enough for the helicopter to land, with only a few flailing creatures left flopping on the deck. Bill and Veronica go to their feet as the strong wind from the blades pushed their bodies. The helicopter touched down and Mark jumped out with Ellen and Tony beside him, aiming their guns towards the water. Bill stepped up to Mark, beginning his emotional plea.
"My daughter, my daughter, they've taken her. She's down there; we have to get her now!"
Mark held his hands up in front of him, "Whoa, slow down. Who are you? What to do you mean, 'they' took your daughter?"
Bill clutched the front of Mark's shirt in his fists, shouting demandingly, 'There is no time to waste; we have to follow them now! Every second counts. I can't lose her!"
Mark removed Bill's hands as he got a concerned look from Ellen and Tony. Mark gave them a return gaze to indicate that no intervention was necessary. Obviously this person had gone through a very emotional situation. Mark and his Marines had seen it many times in rescue operations. Veronica had stepped up by this stage and was able to level headedly give Captain Mark the information he needed. They were all still in a dangerous situation, so she kept it brief and informative, almost bullet point.
"I'm Veronica, this is Bill. We lost a co-worker while doing underwater research for sea life. These strange sea creatures attacked the facility. One of them spoke to us and took Bill's daughter underwater." Tears Welled in Bill's eyes again as a look of disbelief came upon Mark's face.
"Whoa, back up a minute, did you just say one of them spoke to you?"
"Yes they..." Veronica's speech was cut short as ghost like whirring sounds were heard, and more of the blue cockroach creatures with crab like claws, the same as the marines had encountered on the 'Infinity', crawled onto the platform.
"Let's go, NOW!" shouted Captain Mark. As he went to walk back towards the Black Hawk, Mark was surprised to feel himself being held by the shirt. Turning around he saw Bill, gripping his shirt with his fists again. "What are you doing?" Mark questioned.
"We can't go, I have to save Selena." Bill's eyes widened as his expression took the form of a madman.
Bill felt the hard thud from the butt of the CCG gun as it struck his head. Buckling at his knees, Ellen and Tony caught him by his arms and dragged him to the helicopter. Mark assisted Veronica on board as she wept as she thought of Selena and at the sight of Bill unconscious.
Climbing on board the blue armoured bugs scampered towards them. The marines fired off their CCG's, sending them rolling off the platform as the Black Hawk ascended high.
The sight from above was similar to the view when they departed from the 'Infinity'; broiling waters, flashing bright lights, and creatures everywhere. The only exception was the large pink fleshy sucker tentacle that emerged from the centre of the platform. It reached up high, trying to capture the Black Hawk, as a hail of bullets and CCG blasts fired into its mouth. A rocket launched from the helicopters side, landing directly into the fleshy tentacle. The explosion caused its entrance to explode into pieces, making it wriggle back to its origin. Lumps of pink tentacle flesh landed into the ocean as the helicopter headed north.