Deadly Whiteness

Everything was empty.

They covered another mile. Then they circled around looking into the water… And strange though it was they have never felt danger for themselves.

– You know, Marc, I just cannot digest what has happened. I am all the time catching myself at the thought that nothing happened in reality. My mind does not want to accept it as reality. It seems to me we shall soon come back, and our lad will be there, among other fellows…

Professor looked in the face of his assistant, and he did not like something in it.

– Go to my cabin, Chris, there is a bottle of brandy in the cupboard there.

– I don’t want brandy.

– Neither do I, but still go there.

He came back to the deck cabin and, having launched the engine at full speed, got to the reverse motion.

– This is good brandy! – When the bottle appeared Tuccert said in a voice which was not to be contradicted. – Pour out half a glass at once for you and me.

– I don’t know why, I cannot feel the taste, – announced Christian, having drunk his portion.

– You understand yourself, my dear, what the switching off of taste receptors means.

– Stress?

– Strong stress. And in order to overcome it you should not allow what you saw to hide in your subconscious, otherwise it will transform into a nightmare. Think about what has happened as a reality. If possible, try to remember the details in cold blood.

– It looks, headache has gone, – said the assistant in five minutes. – And as to the details… Yes, white colour, I would even say, milky-white. And something else, there were no suckers there.

– You might not have paid attention.

– Might have… though not likely. I think they were not there.

– You are saying there were no signs of the body near the surface?

– Nothing at all.

– Then how could the squid direct his tentacle? Of course he saw our ship from below, but how could he direct it at the man? You are saying it shot upwards vertically?

– Just so.

– It means the creature was down and not somewhere at the side. Maybe it was by chance? The squid was simply circling around with his tentacle?

– It was not circling around. I swear to you, Mark, it swooped at the lad like a hawk who is flying at his aim.

– It is strange… Squids are rather dumb, and his tentacles have only rough sensitivity to mechanical irritants.

– Look here, we have not paid attention, – the assistant pointed his finger at the ship journal. – It is opened at the page with the coordinates of the military ship. That’s why we happened to be so far from shallow waters.

– Did he bring the ship here while we were asleep?

– According to this, this was just that.

– Then why did not we see these military fellows? Everything around is empty up to horizon.

Suddenly radio started working. Tuccert responded and at once heard a polite voice. The officer on duty of the cruiser was speaking.

– Good morning, Sir. Have you met our ship for refueling? They are not answering our call sign, and you seem to be somewhere near?

Professor was silent for a while, thinking over the best answer.

– You see, we appeared at the same place, but we have not found your ship. Besides, something happened here, and I would like to talk to Pete.

– Excuse me, Sir?

– Yes, with General Tuccert, of course.

It looked his interlocutor hesitated.

– Night duty is finishing only in twenty minutes. Excuse me, Sir, but I cannot wake up the commander of the squadron without sufficient reason.

– Well, O.K. But report to him about me as soon as he wakes up.

– In twenty minutes exactly, Sir.

– Their ship, Christian, is not answering the call sign.

– The things are lousy, Marc. How much can a six hundred feet squid weigh?

Professor thought for a while and frowned his eyebrows somberly.

– Yes, at least more than a light ship.

In twenty two minutes he heard his brother’s voice.

– What’s happened, Marc? And haven’t you really found our ship yet according to the coordinates?

– I would not like to upset you, but it’s quite possible that it had the same fate as one of my crew members.

– That is?

– An attack of a six hundred feet squid, Pete.

– Isn’t it a slip of the tongue?

– Unfortunately, no. My assistant managed to see only one of his tentacles. The rest is the matter of simple calculations.

His brother was silent for a while…

– Where are you now, Marc?