Cordula made sure her camera was on condition before she placed it in her mini bag as the Heat Seeker steadily moved to where the unknown transmission was. She had gotten an assignment in her Xenobiology class to take pictures of unusual alien sightings.
If she ever need a picture, it was today. Some would rather copy and paste but she would rather get her own photo from the real thing.
"According to the sonar we are nearing the Hazard Abyss"
Monique said from the wheel with Nick beside her as he placed the binoculars in front of his eyes "Are we still receiving the signal?" Nick asked as he looked at Mendel who was monitoring the transmission.
"Are we ever?! And we're closing in on the source" Mendel said "I don't see what's the big deal" Randy said from behind Elsie "Tacky on Transmissions?" Mendel asked.
Randy merely gave him a blink and Mendel let out a sigh if annoyance "It's far too complicated to explain" Mendel answered "Faster than light radio waves? What's so complicated?" Elsie asked and Randy looked at Mendel in shock.
"For human science maybe" Mendel said. Cordula clapped her hands "Nice work on that Mendel. Maybe you might just be the man to change society" That made Randy snort.
"What are you saying? Little green men exists?" Randy asked. Mendel gave him a raised brow look "I'm not ruling it out" Cordula raised her hand up "If mutations exists, what's the possibility of alien life forms?" Randy stayed silent after that.
"But then...why is the signal coming from the ocean floor and not like, the Planet Vulcan?" Randy asked again but was left unanswered when Nick called out.
"We've got company!"
Everyone stood in the front to see a ship in the distance "That's Alexander Prelauren's ship" There was an awed gasp coming out of Mendel's mouth.
"Preloran? The Xenobiologist?" Elsie asked in disbelief. Randy simply gave the two a confused look "A Xena-What?" Mendel gave him a brief answer of definition.
"Xenobiologist, a conceptual science. The kid's a genius"
"If Mendel praises the guy as if he were a god of science then I believe he is" Cordula said "In fact, his work on heuristic algorithms profoundly influenced my development of N.I.G.E.L" Mendel explained.
"You rip them off" Randy said as he stood beside Mendel who glared at him "Have you ever considered a career as a 'brain in a jar'?" Mendel asked to which Randy responded by blowing him a kiss.
Cordula, Mendel, Elsie and Nick headed up the front deck when the Heat Seeker got closer to the ship "So what brings him here?" Elsie asked, wondering why a Xenobiologist would be here in the middle of the ocean.
"Clearly he detected the same signal we did" Nick answered Elsie's question "We? It was my discovery" Mendel said to Nick with a frown on his face.
The Heat Seeker docked and immediately they were surrounded by men. Cordula placed the sling around her neck and her camera dangled.
Time for introductions.
***
The captain of the ship briefly explained of what had happened to The Professor and his colleagues.
"They've been down there for three days, far beyond capacity" The captain said solemnly "And you haven't sent a rescue party?!" The incredulous look Nick gave to the captain made the man narrow his eyes.
"Under no circumstances are you to come down after us. Those were Dr. Preloran's exact orders" The captain answered before they all heard the sound of men murmuring and sometimes yelling with fear in their tone.
They all headed to the side of the ship to see whales breaching and moving out of the way from something. The unmistakably roar of Godzilla made Cordula pause as she watched as his dorsal spikes appeared before his whole upper body appeared.
"What's he doing here?" The shock and confusion was noticeable in Elsie's tone "How do I know? Cordula, you got any ideas?" Cordula shrugged "Maybe he senses danger like he always does whenever we're involved" Cordula explained from past experience.
Noises of fear were beginning to get louder the longer Godzilla stayed on the surface "Relax people, there's no reason to panic. He only looks dangerous!" Nick called out to the people "He is actually a sweetheart!" Cordula helpfully added earning looks from her friends.
All of a sudden, Godzilla began to swim towards them at full speed "No! Back!" Nick screamed in a desperate attempt for Godzilla to not crash through the ship. Everyone screamed and began dispersing away from the beast before Godzilla resurfaced again.
Cordula gasped when cold saltwater splashed through her entire body. Mendel gulped as he stared at the closeness he had with Godzilla "Mommy..." He held back a following whimper.
Godzilla raised his snout in the air and began to sniff around, barely noticing his father and his female staring at him in shock as he dived down without even giving them so much as a glance.
"Sonar!"
***
"Passing Twenty-Thousand, Twenty-Five"
All eyes stared at the location of Godzilla as he continued to dive deeper and deeper "The creature's out of range" The captain said when he saw that he could no longer give a reading to where the creature was.
"Heading straight to the bottom of the ocean" Mendel said "I'll bet he thought that we were the source of the tachyon signals and now he's following them down" Nick explained.
"Tachyons are high density electromagnetic particles. A living creature can't detect them" Mendel said "Unless that creature is mutated" Cordula answered with a grim look on her face.
"Indeed, it is almost as laughable a notion as one breathing atomic fire" Monique added. Nick turned to the captain "Captain I'd like to borrow your secondary submersible" Nick said and the captain's eyes narrowed.
"Negative, Dr. Preloran issued direct orders" The Captain declined. Cordula glowered "Well, he didn't give us direct orders" The Captain held back a sigh as he closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry I cannot authorize" The Captain responded when Monique walked up to him and showed him her gun. Nick gave Monique a small glare and she gave him a smug one.
***
It didn't take long for them to gain access to the secondary submersible thanks to Monique's...unique talent in letting others do her bidding.
"Mudskipper we are free of umbilical and styling. Beginning the decent"
Nick said through the radio as he and Monique piloted the sub down "Roger that log diver 2. You will remain here for 72 hours, beyond that you're on your own" The Captain said through the small TV before his figure fizzled out.
"About that little stunt you pulled back there. I don't care if it was just a flare gun"
Nick said with an accusatory tone in his voice "Ugh...always the moral debate" Monique said "Anyone got a deck of cards? This is gonna be one, long fall" Mendel said as he tweaked N.I.G.E.L for a bit.
Cordula flashed her camera to the open water while Randy was sweating beside her with his face slowly paling with nervousness.
***
Cordula woke up with a small yawn and turned her head only to find nothing but water and they were still descending.
"How long has it been?" Elsie asked beside Mendel who checked his watch "Two hours and Thirty-five minutes. Halfway there" He answered with a small hint of a quip.
"Thank goodness" Cordula sighed with relief "Um...guys, this is...uh...far enough, don't you think?" Randy asked, more paler than before and wringing his hands together in nervousness.
"Chill out Randy, sure this thing's tiny but it's made of state-of-the-art acrylic graphite titanium-alloy plating" Mendel said and he made a demonstration by banging the walls of the sub.
"Th-that's good right?"
Randy asked with a small gulp in his tone "Absolutely" Mendel said with ease "I mean the spray from a hairline crack would slice you in half. But we're only a couple miles down, mere hours from the surface" Cordula looked back at the increasingly worried Randy and a calm Mendel.
"Mendel..."
"I think we should go home now, okay?!" Randy suddenly stood up abruptly that he almost knocked down Cordula's camera from her grasp "Randy?!" Cordula screeched.
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go! Come on! Come on! Come on!"
Randy was in full blown panic as he charged towards Nick and Monique. Nick instinctively grasped Randy's arm as Monique turned her attention to Randy.
"Randy! Randy!, listen to my voice. The deeper we go, the safer we are, the safer we are, the calmer you are"
Monique soothed and it made the others raise their eyebrows at the sudden affectionate move on the French Spy.
"Relax, enjoy the ride"
Monique calmly and Randy stood up with his face suddenly flush and less pale than before. He clasped his hands together with a small grin "So, charades?" He asked casually.
"How did you do that?"
Mendel asked with a stunned look on his face upon which Monique replied only with a smug look on her face. Cordula spotted a school of fish swim by and didn't hesitate to take a quick snap of the photo.
She frowned when she checked the picture when she saw a dark and shadowy figure in the background "Uh...guys...I think we might-" Her sentence was cut short when something big rammed into the sub causing everyone to lose their balance and tense up.
Nick felt chills reach up his spine when something dark swam above them "What is it? Godzilla?!" Elsie asked as she steadied herself before heading up to Nick.
"You're the paleontologist, you tell me" Nick said as the creature swam back "It looks like a Cryptocledius but they died out in the Cretaceous Period 65 million years ago" Cordula grunted as she stood up.
"You might wanna have to recheck that detail later"
"And guess what? It's back" Nick said gravely. The Cryptocledius let out an underwater call similar to that of the whales as it swam directly to the headlights of the sub.
Monique quickly pulled the sub back and narrowly avoided being chomped down. Cordula let out a small shriek when the Cryptocledius suddenly appeared again in front the everyone expected to end up like Pinocchio until the heard the angry roar of Godzilla.
"Yeah!"
Randy cheered from behind Nick "The calvary's arrived!" Randy added to which Nick gave him a smile of relief as Godzilla roared and charged at the Cryptocledius.
Everyone held on when something swam pass by and hit the sub again "I'm gonna be sick" Mendel moaned as he shut his eyes and felt hus stomach do a roll.
"Out the window compadre" Randy commented, not wanting the sub to smell of Mendel vomit even if it means filling the sub with water.
"Blow the tanks!" Nick ordered and Monique quickly let lose an amount of air to steady the sub "We're just bailing on Godzilla?" Randy gave Nick an incredulous look.
"We're in no position to help. I suspect he'll do just fine without us"
Nick explained "And if he should perish?" Monique asked as Elsie walked up right to her "You better hope Cryptocledius don't like french fries" Elsie said as they continued heading down.
***
A few more hours later, Mendel had taken over Nick's position in the co-pilot seat of the sub as Nick rested in the small cabin crew.
"Sonars picking up something big"
Mendel said and Cordula immediately yawned and stretched her worn out muscles for having to sit so long and decided to wake Nick up.
The two headed up to see a large technological machine that glowed thousands of yellow and bright line lights. Cordula eyed the lights that were heading to at least a certain direction and couldn't help but shudder at how much it sounded like this technology had a pulse.
"What is that thing?" Elsie asked in wonder and awe "Guessing it's the source of Craven's mysterious tachyon signals" Nick explained to her.
"It looks like some sort of alien ship" Mendel said "Really? What made you say that? The obviously high advance technology or the fact that this ship had lights that almost looks like a heart pulse?" Cordula gulped.
"Should we call Scully and Mulder?"
Randy whispered to her ear "You want to test that out now? In front of a ship that might pick up unknown signals?" Cordula shuddered and rubbed her arms to hide the goosebumps slowly appearing.
"How are we suppose to dock?"
Mendel questioned before four green tubes emerged beside the first sub the professor and his cohorts took "Ask a stupid question" Elsie answered as Monique directed the sub to where the tubes hang and they soon found themselves in the docking bay of the alien ship.
Elsie poked her head out first once they secured that the entrance was not filled with water "Well, no welcome wagon" She said as she looked around.
"You say that like it's a bad thing..."
Randy said as he was the second one to follow after her "Can you guys hurry up! I can't wait to see what's up there!" Cordula's impatient voice echoed in the long hallway.
***
With N.I.G.E.L on the lead, the gang slowly made their way around the alien ship "Facinating, N.I.G.E.L indicates the air is suddenly readjusted to better meet our needs" Mendel said with awe as he looked at N.I.G.E.L's scanner.
"Automated?"
Nick asked from behind "Either that or we are being watched" Monique replied simply and Cordula shuddered as she took pictures "I already feel being watched" She mumbled close to Randy.
"You mean the aliens might still be down here?"
Randy asked as he scooted close to Elsie before a screech from behind them made Cordula scream and for Monique to aim her weapon in the darkness.
Out came two mutated animals that looked a lot like an updated version of the mutated rats that invaded Manhattan. Monique did not hesitate to fire at them as she screamed in French for them to run with her behind them.
"Which way?!" Elsie asked when they realised they have reached the place the road split in opposite ends "Left!" Nick shouted as they turned and continued to run with the creatures after them.
They froze when they really did stop at a dead end "Behind you!" Cordula screamed to the others when the creatures slowly began to approach them.
Nick took a step back and gasped when the wall behind him suddenly dissolved into a space fit for a human to enter. He began to enter before he was pulled back by Elsie "Whoa wait! We don't know what's in there!" She said.
"Could it be worse than what is out here?!"
Monique sharply answered back "Everybody Inside!" Cordula screamed as they all piled in with Monique the last the enter and they continued to move for fear those creatures would come back.
N.I.G.E.L made a sudden stop when the wall in front dissolved and Mendel poked his head out and gasped when he saw the missing doctor on top of what appeared to be a control center.
"I don't know who you are or how you got here but I hope you have good reason for intruding"
"Dr. Preloran, this is a great honor sir" Mendel said with awe and adoration as he took a step forward "You must leave here, immediately" The doctor said coldly, blatantly ignoring Mendel.
Cordula narrowed her eyes at the doctor's tone "But...we came to rescue you" Mendel stuttered "This is a very delicate first contact situation" The doctor said as he walked down the stairs.
"You're trying to establish contact with those...animals back there?!"
Elsie asked the doctor with slight apprehension "Don't be ridiculous, those are merely...guard dogs. Bred from ancient dinosaurs, our hosts are evolved far beyond that and us" Cordula blinked.
"Did you say hosts?! Who are they?"
The doctor ignored her as he continued to walk "They preserve dinosaurs?! How long have they been down here?" Elsie asked, referring to the aliens.
Dr. Preloran pressed a button and images appeared "This ship crashed near the end of the Cretaceous Period, 65 millions years ago" The gang watched in awe.
"And they've been stuck down here ever since?" Randy asked in shock "They've spent most of their time in stasis of course, broadcasting an automated distress beacon" Dr. Prelauren explained.
"The tachyon signal!" Mendel gasped as he stepped forward "Human technology had to reach a level advance enough to detect it" Nick eyed the doctor suspiciously.
"How do you know all this doctor?"
"They told me" the doctor said simply "What do we know about this specie's intention towards our world?" Monique asked and Cordula back her up.
"Monique raises a good question doctor" Nick schooled his features as he stared the doctor down "I'd like to speak to our hosts" The doctor took a few steps away from them.
"Well, I'm afraid I can't allow that"
"Can't or won't!" Cordula called as the doctor pressed a button and the wall beside him dissolved and he quickly entered and the wall was sealed off before Nick and the others could get to him.
"I really don't trust the guy" Cordula muttered to Monique "Something we both can agree on" She said "Anybody seen which controls he used?!" Nick asked.
Mendel looked over at the controls with a pondering look "N.I.G.E.L" Mendel calles out and the robot obediently went to Mendel and randomly pressed a button and the walls opposite from where they were dissolved.
Monique quickly checked to see if the coast on the other side of the wall is clear before she motioned Nick and the others to follow.
***
"What makes you think old yellow here can find Preloran?"
Elsie asked Mendel "I've got him tracking the tachyon signals. If we locate the source, we just might locate Prelauren too" Mendel explained as the continued on before stopping when the wall in front of them dissolve to another chamber room as soon as Nick touched it.
"Whoa..." Randy said as the entered the place. They all looked around before their gazes fell onto the two men suspended on air.
"What are they doing to those men?" Mendel asked "Looks to me like their channel surfing through their minds" Randy answered. Cordula's gaze landed on a screen flickering with images on humane objects and places.
"Looks more like downloading" Cordula said as she pointed at the screen "A crude assessment but essentially corrrect" a robotic voice said from above and they all looked up to see an alien descending down towards them.
"Dr. Hoffman and Sopler are providing us with vital knowledge regarding your species"
Elsie looked at the alien with a small glare "Did you maybe consider...I don't know...Asking!" Elsie emphasized the last part with a yell "They viewed us with suspicion unlike your Dr. Preloran" Nick looked at the doctor to what was close to betrayal.
"How could you be a party to this?"
"What would you have me do?" The Doctor asked "Leave this place as soon as you can. You know as well as I am far concerned that what they are doing is wrong!" Cordula shot back earning a slight glare from the doctor.
"Our technology is clearly inferior to yours. What could you hope to learn?" Monique asked "Simply the transcivilization is ready to be assimilated. Your city's machines infrastructure will serve my people well" Cordula crossed her arms as she called out.
"The way you say it makes me feel like your making the humans race as slaves"
Randy leaned in to whisper in Nick's ear "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss only with the big shiny head and glowing eyes" Nick gave Randy a look.
The gang watched as the alien along with Preloran stood in front of the control system "Those who cooperate will find the new order satisfying even...stimulating" The alien said as yellow electricity swept over him.
"And those who do not?" Monique questioned before she was suddenly flung towards the nearest wall by an unkniwn force and taking Cordula with her who was blocking the way.
"Monique! Cordula!" Randy shouted as they went to their aid. Cordula sat up before she felt ber feet leave the ground when a circle of electric field carried the gang with the exception of Mendel up.
Mendel looked up at his friends then back at Prelauren and the alien beside him "We sense you are conflicted but that you enjoy a great devotion to Preloran. We now offer you an opportunity to join him and us" Cordula gasped and shouted "No!" But it went unheard.
"Ready to take your place in history Dr. Craven?" Preloran asked with a small grin that spoke volumes of what will happen. Mendel froze for a moment, it had always been his dream to work with the Dr. Preloran but by doing so...
"Don't listen to them!" Nick screamed in an effort to try and dissuade Mendel from accepting the offer. Mendel lowered his head before he walked up to Preloran and shook his hand.
"Let us make history together, Dr. Preloran"
"CRAVEN!"
"DON'T DO THIS!"
The gang's screams where useless before they were soon floated towards the center of the room "The variety of knowledge that you possess will now be extracted" The alien said and Cordula gasped when she felt something probe through her mind without permission and it brought pain as she tried to fight it back.
She and the others could barely hear what Mendel and Preloran were talking about before she saw him walk up to N.I.G.E.L "NO!" Nick screamed from beside her with his eyes barely open before Cordula gasped when she felt gravity take effect and landed on her backside.
Shaking herself, she stood up to help N.I.G.E.L into destroying the controls surrounding the room "Craven stop that thing! Someone stop her!" Preloran screamed.
"Bad N.I.G.E.L, stop" Mendel said casually but the bot continued to destroy the controls and soon enough, Nick felt himself fall and landed on his feet.
Nick gave Mendel a small grateful smile before Cordula shouted from across the room "Nick! I need a hand here!" Nick quickly ran to where she was and they both smashed the controls being protected by the glass as soon as they were cornered by more aliens.
The rest of the gang fell with groans of pain.
Nick's eyes went wide when the aliens were still advancing on them when the yellow electricity went through them. N.I.G.E.L beeped and made a mad dash to the center and into the big hole and there was a huge explosion that knocked Cordula to her feet when N.I.G.E.L's head landed on her.
"I've been a bad....boy..." Was all N.I.G.E.L said before he shut down. The gang watched in amazement as the aliens went down one by one.
Preloran made an angry shout before he broke into a run "Preloran wait!" Mendel called out and the gang turned their heads to see Mendel's disappearing form as the walls behind him closed the entrance.
"Mendel!" Cordula called out before she was pulled up on her feet by Nick "He'll be fine, we've got to get out of here first" Nick said and with N.I.G.E.L's head underneath her arms, Cordula and the others ran to wherever the subs were.
It wasn't long before they saw Mendel squeeze his way out and landed on his backside. Randy quickly helped him up just as the ground shook beneath them and the rush of water wasn't deaf in their ears.
"The whole place is coming apart!" Nick shouted "Follow me! Hurry!" Dr. Preloran said as he led the way with Nick after him "Can we trust him?" Elsie asked Mendel.
"Alternatives?"
***
They ran through the falling debris of the ship as Preloran led them to where the escape pods lay. Cordula looked around to see at least dozens of blue sponge like blobs.
"Escape pods" Prelauren explained to the gang's confusion "They automatically accommodate whatever species climbs inside" Preloran continued as he touched a part of the escape pod and the wall in front of it dissolved, leading inside.
The gang quickly got in with the two unconscious doctors as Preloran pressed random buttons "Well?" Nick looked at Prelauren who had hesitated before he made a dash outside but was stopped by Mendel.
"Where' you going?"
Mendel called out "I'll have to launch it from out here" Preloran said before Mendel held him back "But how will you escape?" Preloran held onto Mendel's hand before he dropped it.
"No time to argue" Preloran said sternly and Mendel hesitated before Preloran made a gesture with his hand "Get in" Cordula pulled Mendel inside as the wall appeared again, sealing them off from the destruction outside.
Mendel watched through a window as Preloran made his way to the controls of the escape pods before they all felt the escape pod take off and out they were to the sea.
Everyone closed their eyes as the pod rumbled from the blast outside before it steadied and everyone let out a relieved sigh. Elsie turned her face to the window and her eyes went wide with fear.
"Guys...Incoming!" She screamed when the familiar call of the Cryptocledius echoed throughout the ocean and the creature was heading straight towards them.
"Where's Godzilla?" Randy asked as Nick went to the only window of the pod and looked at the Cryptocledius swimming towards them.
Scratch that, he looked at the two Cryptocledius that were swimming towards them.
"This...is a nightmare..." Nick said with his face paling and wondered if this was the end for them. Before any of the Cryptocledius could get to them, Godzilla's screeching roar could be heard as he pushed one that was closer to the pod, making the other one back away.
"Woohoo G-man! I'm sorry I ever doubted you buddy!"
Randy called out though Cordula doubted Godzilla could hear them. They watched as he was chased by two Cryptocledius.
"Hey! Double teaming!" Randy called out as the continued to watch the fight. As soon as Godzilla managed to defeat them through cornering them by the rocks, his gaze went straight to the pod.
He let out an angered growl before swimming up to them "Man, we're sushi!" Randy gulped when Godzilla glare down at them.
"What's he mad at us for?!" Came Mendel's panicked and confused tone as he turned his question to Nick "He doesn't recognize the pod, you have to let him know you and Cordula are inside" Elsie said to Nick as she nudged him to act.
"How? I can't make heads or tails of this thing" Nick said. Cordula saw one of the doctors press a button above him and he gestured to Nick in a weak voice.
"Speak..."
Monique and Mendel let out gasps when Godzilla began to open his jaw to chomp them down "Godzilla!" Cordula and Nick screamed and they all sighed when Godzilla immediately shut his jaw back.
"Remember us? That's it, back away! Back away!"
Godzilla let out a soft croon before he quickly swam away. Nick leaned his frame against the pod and Elsie grinned up at him.
"Oh nice Nicky, someone hasn't lost his touch"
Cordula wiped an invisible sweat in her brow and sighed with relief.
***
The pod emerged from the surface and the whole gang weren't so surprised to see that the sun was already setting.
Randy and Mendel were the first two to get out "Oh man, doesn't the thay sun feel good?" Randy questioned with a big grin, finally happy that he wasn't constantly surrounded by water top to bottom.
Mendel was less than enthusiastic.
"Preloran didn't make it" Mendel mumbled as Randy made an effort to console him "Hey, he was a brilliant guy. If anybody could have found a way to survive, it would be him" Randy said before the head of N.I.G.E.L came up before Cordula.
"Hey Mendel, I got you this" Mendel smiled as he grasped whatever was left of N.I.G.E.L and thanked Cordula and Randy too.
"Well we better call Hicks, see what he can salvage from down there" Elsie said before Monique let out a sharp "No" for an answer.
"It is too dangerous" She added and Nick nodded to her in agreement "She's right, humanity will only be safe as long as the aliens and their technology remain at the bottom of the ocean" Nick said to Elsie.
The gang were entirely oblivious when the two doctors they rescued looked at each other before their eyes turned red.