The three survivors sat in the bridge listening in complete terror to the noises outside their watertight door. What had started as the same eerie noises they had heard from Ian and Jim had transformed into a chorus. The voices were smaller—like tree frogs. But like tree frogs, when there are hundreds of them, the chorus fills the air with sound.
“What is that?” screamed Jessica when it began.
“There must be hundreds of them,” whispered Theresa in a tiny voice that gave away her abject horror.
Tony walked to the door and squatted with his ear against the wall. “Jesus,” was all he could muster. Tony’s face and head had three days of razor stubble on it, and the usually clean-shaven sailor looked more like a bar bouncer than a naval chief petty officer.
Occasionally, a loud shrieking sound that had to be Jim would fill the ship and all other sound would stop. But then, a few moments later, the chorus would begin again. It happened repeatedly, and each time the things outside sounding like they were getting closer.
Theresa looked at Tony with an ashen face. “He’s communicating with more of them. There’s more on this ship. And he’s bringing them up here.”
Jessica covered her face with her hands.
Tony strained to listen. It was impossible to determine how many were out there—but it sure as hell was a lot more than just Jim.
“Where did they come from?” asked Jessica.
Tony looked at Theresa, hoping maybe she had a clue what was happening.
“It sounds like a million of ’em out there,” she answered.
“But how?” Jessica screamed. She had so bravely suggested sinking to their death only a moment ago—but that hadn’t been thought all the way through. In her mind, they would drown painlessly in an instant. Listening to the things outside created images of being eaten by legions of horrifying creatures, and that ended any attempts at being valiant. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut.
Tony leaned against the wall feeling completely helpless. He could hear the creatures’ disgusting noises over the ship’s speakers—their suction cups making that wet slurping sound as they moved. He walked over to the all-call button and turned it off. The bridge went quieter, although they could still hear faint noises and the occasional bellowing of what must have been Jim. Tony walked around the bridge, scanning everywhere.
“What are you looking for?” asked Theresa.
He shrugged. “I don’t even know. But if they get through that door, I want something in my hands.”
“Oh my God,” said Theresa. “Can they get in here?”
“You’re asking me? You’re the worm expert. If that thing has Jim’s memory, then yeah, why not? He walks over and spins the lock on the watertight door, and he and I wrestle against the door to see who’s stronger. That locks opens from both sides, Theresa. Those things are fast and strong. What happens if I can’t keep it locked?”
Jessica was rocking back and forth with her hands over her ears like a hysterical child. Tony didn’t have time to console her; he continued walking the bridge, looking for something—anything—that might help them. “We gotta think!” he screamed at no one in particular. “We’re smarter than some fucking fish!”
Theresa walked over and hugged Jessica, who hugged her back and started crying.
“MMMMmmmmmooaaaaaachhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa!” reverberated through the ship, followed by the chorus again. Tony felt himself shiver at the noise.
“We still have some alcohol,” said Theresa.
“Yeah—that’s something,” said Tony. He rifled through the garbage bags that contained the food and water but found nothing that offered any hope. “We have any more plastic bags to make alcohol grenades again?”
“We used them all,” she said quietly, still holding Jessica.
“We’ll fill the juice and water bottles. Just leave enough water to last three days. By then, the DSRV will be here, right?” He forced a fake smile.
“Absolutely,” she answered, not believing it.
“Not much else up here. The gaffing hook, I, uh—I left it downstairs.”
“That’s it. That must be it. That’s where all these things came from,” said Theresa. “We injured those things, maybe even knocked them to pieces. But they regenerate. We didn’t kill them. We just made more of ’em.”
He looked at her with a pained expression.
“Yeah. Great, huh?” she asked.
He shook his head. “You really think that’s what happened? Like cuttin’ a worm in half and making two worms?”
“Yeah. Only thing I can think of. Which means we still have to figure out how to kill those things. The alcohol just pissed them off.”
“I dunno—that one I hit in the head. It looked dead.”
“Wanna go downstairs and check?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said.
The things outside shrieked again. It made Jessica scream, which made Theresa and Tony jump.
“This is gonna be the longest sixty hours of our lives,” he said quietly, staring at the door. Tears ran down Jessica’s face and dripped off her chin.
“I just hope it isn’t the last sixty,” replied Theresa.