On Saturday June 8, 1998, Rover team Zulu leader Collins received a message from his
friend in the government. Message reads “Collins about 2 hours ago the defense department lost
all contact with a secret under water base.  We don’t have a team ready for this kind of mission so
we turn to you.  We sent you a transmission on all the info you need.”  The time is 3:20 am and
the team is awakened over the load speaker, “attention, attention, all rovers please report to the
briefing room repeat all rovers please report to the briefing room.” About 5-6 minutes later rover
team Zulu stumbles into the briefing room. Collins stands in front of a view screen and tells his
team to take a seat.
Lady: What’s going on Collins?
Collins: Ok its early and your, were is Vince?
Bregail: He’s on his way.
Vince stumbles in and asks what fool needs us now?
Collins: take a seat and I’ll tell you, yes it is early in the morning but this is important, 10 minutes
ago I received a message from a friend in the pentagon.  According to him the defense department
working with all nations in the UN built an under water base to help strengthen the relation ship
of all the nations. All was going well till the base could no longer be reached by communication.
Vince: Maybe the radio equipment is out.
Collins: That’s what I thought but the nations have a new device to tell if any of the systems are
down or not. If you all will look on the screen here all systems are operating normally. The UN
has requested that we go to the base and investigate.
Molleen: How fare under the water is the base?
Vince: Yah how far?
Collins: Well that’s one of the problems, the base was supposed to be only at 1,400 feet under the
water, but for reasons unknown the base is now at 2,220 feet and may still be falling so we have
to move fast.
Brigail: What happens if we get to the base, are inside looking around and the base is still sinking? What do we do then?
Collins: The UN will have ships waiting for use there that have teams working to fit cables to the
base to try to keep it from sinking any further so hopefully we won’t have to worry about that.
Vince: You said that was one of the problems, what are the other ones?
Collins: Yes well one of them is that a tropical storm is forming 22 miles east of the location
weather advisory doesn’t think it will pose a problem but there not 100% sure. A another problem
is that the UN got a faint transmission from the base before all contact was lost they said it
sounded like screaming but weren’t sure ether so.
Vince: and the other thing?
Collins: Some of the nations in the UN accuse other nations in the UN of sabotage and are
threatening with war so we have only about 67 hours to find out what happened. So get your gear
ready were off.
    At 4:15 am rover team Zulu took off from there base and landed at Wright Paterson Air
Force Base at 7:58 am, from there they took off for the USS Enterprise whating for them along
with the rest of the fleet above the under water base. At 11:27 am the team landed on the carrier
and got further information on their mission from the captain.
Captain: Collins, we have more info for you.
Collins: Yes.
Captain: We got the security cameras working for a moment and sough something but we could
not identify it, the other ships sough it to and did not now what it was.
Vince: Did you record it?
Captain: Yes if you’ll look this way.
    The team looks at the screen and sees just a shadow of a creature not like any other they have
seen before. The thing was too tall for a human and had what looked like spiked tentacles. The
image was not clear so the team could not get a good look at it but it was down there. The caption
then directed them to a mini sub that would take them to the base and the caption had a navy seals
team standing by to help the rover team if needed. The hatch of the mini sub is closed and sealed.
Mini sub: Mini sub to control all systems go, all rovers buckled in, ready to go.
Control: Roger that mini sub, good luck rovers from the fleet and the UN nations, control out.
Collins: Thanks control.
    It is now 1:30 p.m. the sub reaches the base with no problems. The sub driver lines up to dock
with the base when a large object pushes up agent the sub to nock it off course, the sub driver
tells the rover team to get ready the things coming back, and with another violent push the sub
rolls. The sub driver notifies the fleet that something is attacking them and they need help.
Control tells the sub that the fleet is sending down depth charges so hang on. The charges rattle
the sub as the creature hits it again. The sub continues to shack and then a load explosion and then
all is quite, the sub has stopped shacking and then the radio blurts out “control to sub come in
repeat control to sub come in”. The sub answers and tells the fleet that the creature has stopped its
attack and that they are slowly moving to the docking hatch. The sub lines up ounce more to the
dock and the docking clamps secure the sub to the base.
Sub driver: Pressurizing bay. Ok guys you’re clear to go, good luck, if you need me I’ll be back
on the surface so just call.
    The team moves into the docking bay, Vince closes the hatch to the sub as the sub driver gets the
word that the team is safely in the bay and he is good to go.
Sub driver: Roger that rovers docking clamps released I’m on my way back, good luck.
 The rovers lay out their gear and suit up for action.
Collins: Ok team here’s a new gun for us to play with meet the BUSHMASTER XM15 E2S
assault rifle. You each have 200 extra rounds with 30 round magazines, also you each have a
tracking and location devise incase you get lost just stay were you are and radio in that your lost
someone will get you. Now remember we don’t now if there are any people here or not so keep
the safety on, but if you run into the thing on the camera don’t hesitate to shoot, the walls of this
base are thick enough so if you miss no problem, and the windows are bullet proof so no problem
there alright. Now Vince you check out the A1 area, Brigail you check out the infirmary and A2
floor, Molleen you check out security and A3 floor, Lady you check out supply and cargo, and
I’ll take operations and A4. After you check the area, go to operations and wait for the others and
if they need help give it to them. Good luck.
Vince: Good luck.
Molleen: Good luck.
Lady: Good luck.
Brigail: Good luck.
    The team splits up and went to the areas assigned to them. Vince coususly enters area A1
the power is down and emergency lights are on. The red lighting makes it difficult to see but
Vince presses on. He checks room by room not finding any signs of life; till he gets to a large
area were the door has been demolished. He finds only eight bodies, he checks them for life but
they are dead. He looks around the room and sees that they tried to barricade the door, there were
bullet holes and shells all over the places, there were hand guns on the floor some covered in a
clear slimy goo.
Vince: Collins, Vince here I found eight crewmen how many are there supposed to be here?
Collins: 208, are the eight alive?
Vince: No there dead, but from the looks of things here they tried to barricade the door from the
inside but it didn’t hold, they had weapons, and there was gun fire but there is no sign that they
got anything.
Collins: Ok stay sharp and stay alert.
Vince: No problem.
    As Vince turns to leave the room he here’s a creaky groaning noise, he turns his eyes looking for
the source of the noise; when he is head is hit with a small bit of water. He wipes the water off of
his face and smells his hand “salt water, but this place is air tight” he says looking up at the
ceiling, “no water up there” he mumbles looking to the wall as a little trical of water turns into a
semi-fast flowing stream. “Ah oh” he mutters as he watch’s the little crack get bigger and bigger
then the wall bursts open as Vince is thrown up against the far wall by a big gush of water he
stumbles to his feet heading for the door yelling over the radio “hull breach we have a hull
breach!” Vince runs through the corridor trying to reach the next level. He climbs stairs trying to
close the doors at the top of the stairs but rushing water knocks him down. He makes it to area A2
trying to close the door he sees the creature from the security camera. The creature uses the water
to get to the door faster. The creature shoots out one of its tentacles at Vince knocking him down.
Vince feels the tentacle wrap around his leg as he reach’s for his knife when BAM BAM BAM.
Vince turns his head to see his wife Brigail shooting at the creature; as the tentacle lets go of his
leg Vince gets up and starts pushing the door closed, Brigail stops firing and helps with the door.
With a load clank the door is closed, locked, and sealed to stop the creature and the water from
entering area A2. “Vince, Vince” the radio blurts.
Vince: Vince here.
Collins: What happened?
Vince: Well the room I was in is now under water along with the rest of area A1.
Collins: I heard gunfire.
Brigail: Yah that was me, we had a run in with the thing on the security camera at the entry way
to area A1, but the thing left before we could say hi.
Vince: Yah I think it caused the breach, me and Brigail managed to close the main door that leads
into area A1, the water and the creature are stopped momentarily.
Collins: Ok, if area A2 is clear close it off and meet Molleen in area A3, but leave a way to get to
the infirmary from operations if you can.
Vince, Brigail: right.
    As Vince and Brigail go off to finish looking through area A2 and close it off; Molleen
walks into the security area and notices that some of the people are here. She checks to see if they
are breathing but they are dead. She radio’s in “more people in security.” “How many?” she’s
asked “10,10 dead body’s.” she says. She turns to the security computer equipment to see if it is
still working, but there is no power. “Collins dear can you try to get power to the security area?”
she gracefully asks. “Yah I’m working on that now, you should have power in a few seconds” he
muttered. The lights flicker as they turn on, as the security monitors turn on Molleen sees her
husband Collins on his hands and knees working on a power grid. “Nice butt” she mutter’s to her
self as she boots up the main security computer. The computer boots up to the security password
screen. “Nuts we need a password for the computers” she says, “try the fleet maybe they have the
password.” Vince says. Molleen turns around with great speed and a startled expression on her
face.
Vince: Wow didn’t mean to startle you there.
Molleen: Next time nock.
Vince: Ok ok.
Molleen radios to the fleet as Vince and Brigail cover the bodies.
Molleen: fleet this is Molleen of rover team Zulu, do you now the password to the security
computers?
Fleet: Yah XJ2Y7 will get you access to all the computers on the base.
Molleen: Thank you.
    As Molleen types in the password a load thud could be heard from the next room. Vince and
Brigail go to check it out, as Molleen access’s the log entries. Brigail goes to one side of the door
as Vince stains in front of it, Brigail push’s the door open when BAM. Molleen turns to the room
with her eye peering down the sight of her gun “Vince” Brigail yells looking at her husband on
the floor. A man slowly walks out of the room “put your hands up and drop the weapon.” Yells
Molleen. Another man peeps his head out the door “you shoot one of the people sent here to save
us you dolt” he says looking at the other man. “Sorry I thought that you were that thing,” he says
“That’s ok just help me up and apologies to my arm” says Vince in pain. “You’re not dead,”
Brigail says with relief “what’s going on?” yells Molleen “we have survivors,” Brigail says
helping Vince into the room with the survivors. Molleen slings her rifle and goes back to the
computers as Brigail bandages Vince’s arm. “What happened I heard more gun fire?” Collins
says over the radio “we found survivors” Vince says “how many and are they ok?” “7, and yes
they seem to be ok well enough to shoot me in the arm even” Vince says “are you ok?” says
Collins “yah I’m fine.” “Ok, Molleen if you can transfer the data from the security area to
operations.” Collins says
    “Already have” mutter’s Molleen. As the survivors lead Molleen, Vince, and Brigail to area A4
they here the muffled sounds of an assault rifle then a scream. “Now what?” Collins blurts over
the radio “its not use” says Brigail “Lady, Lady must be in trouble” says Vince as the group runs
to area A4. The group stops to seal off area A3 then they causally proceed forward “Lady, Lady
come in” Vince says “Lady here if you lads aren’t to busy would you come to the cargo bay and
help kill this thing” Lady whispers over the radio “what’s it doing” asks Molleen “well it came in
while I was looking around and tried to jump me but I heard it and started shooting leaping
behind a crate, it must of lost track of me when I was shooting at it. Now it’s doing something on
the far wall.” Lady whispers over the radio  “can you see what its doing” asks Collins over the
radio “yah, what oh my god it just ripped a hole in some kind off cocoon type thing behind some
crates and out came what looks to be the rest of the crew. All dead.” Lady whispers over the radio
“Lady get ready to run were out side the cargo bay doors and can see the creature. Were going
through in some grenades, when they go off run to the doors. Molleen is ready to close the doors
as you run out. Ready.” Vince whispers “ready” whispers Lady “GO” yells Vince. The creature
turns to see the grenades explode in front of him. Lady runs with great speed out the cargo bay
doors, Molleen closes the doors and the group runs to the operations area to seal off area A4. The
group reaches the operations area and seals of the access way to area A4. After sealing off the
area they look for Collins only to find him under a conceal fiddling with some wires. The base
starts to shack then the group can fell the base go into a vertical position “hang on” shouts Collins
as he and the others are tossed up agenst the wall of computers. “Fleet to rover team Zulu, fleet to
rover team Zulu the base is sinking agein hang on” can be heard over the radio. Collins asks one
of the survivors if there is a docking area in the operations area?  “No, but there is one 200 feet
from the entry way of area A4” the survivor says “right, Collins to Enterprise send down the mini
sub repeat send down the mini sub to the docking bay on the east side.” “Enterprise here, roger
that sub on its way e.t.a. 50 minutes” “roger that” Collins says. As the team goes to the entryway
one of the survivors asks “what about the creature?” “Vince break out the C4.” Collins says. As
Collins and Vince set up the C4; the rest of the group head to the docking bay. Vince and
work fast to get the explosives ready when they here a noise from behind them. The creature
creeps up to them and nocks their guns out of their hands when they turn around; it wraps one of
its tentacles around Collins throat and lifts him of the ground. As Collins struggles to get
Vince ramie’s his knife into what he thinks is the creatures chest; the creature whips Collins
around and throws him up against the wall. The creature in pain nocks Vince down and stabs
Collins in the leg with the knife from its chest. Vince grabs his gun and starts to fire at the
creature till it drops Collins and breaks through the wall into another room. Vince helps Collins to
his feet and helps him run to the docking bay. They can here the creature howling in pain as they
climb into the sub. “Hurry up and get going we have less then 5 minutes to get to a safe distance
so punch it.” Yells Collins to the sub driver “right, hang on” the driver says as the sub detaches
from the base and speeds to reach a safe distance. The creature moves up to the C4 and looks at
the timer count down, 10-9-8-7-6-5. The creature starts moving fast towards the docking bay. 4-
3-2-1 beep, the base explodes sending a giant shock wave in all directions the sub is thrown
around under the water buy the shock wave. The fleet sees a large gust of water rise into the air;
as the fleet tries to make radio contact with the sub all they get is fuzz. The caption of the
Enterprise tells the fleet as well as the UN that the sub containg the survivors and rover team Zulu
has been destroyed “look” shouts an ensign. The caption tells the fleet and the UN to hang on
something’s going on. He looks out at the water were the explosion was and sees bubbles
followed by the top of the mini sub. “The sub is ok, repeat the sub is ok” the caption shouts. As
the sub is lifted aboard the Enterprise the survivors climb out followed by the rover team. Waiting
for the medical people to arrive Collins and Vince receive kisses from their wives. The two
heroes are walked of to the infirmary and patched up, when asked by the UN why they destroyed
the base the two simply answered “only way to kill it.” “Kill what” asks the UN “we don’t know”
answer the two. The fleet disperses as the heroic team climbs into their plain and takes off into
the sun set.
 

         Story by:
          Brendan E. McCann