The Aquatic Bourne

By Phillip Buchanon

Marine Biologist Maggie Sunderland had always thought her father's belief in the aquatic creatures he called Bourne, a group of marine humanoids, was mere fantasy. But after a disastrous naval sonar test injures and strands two of the mysterious creatures, Maggie is quick to rescue them. But her father isn't the only person seeking the aquatic Bourne. The Navy is closing in on them, wanting to uncover the truth of their technology. But the Bourne have other plans. Centuries of ocean pollution and overfishing have led one of their powerful factions to believe humans should be taken out entirely, and they will stop at nothing to ensure their own survival and the future of the oceans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hillcrest Media Group
• Release date: Oct 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781634138727

Phillip Buchanon

Procedente de Fort Myers (Florida), Phillip Buchanon es un ex esquinero y ex jugador profesional de fútbol de la Universidad de Miami, que fue seleccionado en la primera ronda por los Oakland Raiders en el Draft de la NFL del año 2002. Después de volver a la Universidad de Miami para acabar su grado en el año 2012, Phillip se embarcó en la búsqueda de sus intereses por el entretenimiento, con la vista puesta en la producción de la industria de la televisión y en cine. Phillip ha asistido a varias clases y seminarios en la Escuela de Negocios Wharton de la Universidad de Pensilvania, en la Escuela de Negocios de Harvard y en la Escuela de Gestión Kellogg de Northwestern. Además, Phillip es un ángel inversionista activo que constantemente busca oportunidades para mejorar su cartera. Actualmente, Phillip está trabajando en varios guiones, tratamientos, novelas, libros para niños, juegos de mesa y cómics, así como en aplicaciones digitales de computadora (app). En los próximos meses, Phillip estrenará Nuevo Dinero (New Money), una guía de autoayuda para el sostenimiento de la riqueza basado en las experiencias de primera mano de Phil como atleta profesional; el Experimento de Supernal, un thriller de ciencia ficción sobre un doctor que ayuda a niños nacidos con defectos de nacimiento a vivir una vida normal después de obtener súper poderes; y Los chicos del equipo, un relato hilarante acerca de las experiencias entre bastidores de un hombre como gerente profesional de un equipo.

Book preview

Epilogue

CHAPTER ONE

Tongue of the Ocean

Twelve nautical miles east of Andros Island

Caribbean Sea

The ship rose on the swells, making Jonah Shattuck feel a little sick. He stood on the deck of the U.S.S. Hammerstrike just outside the bridge, hands gripping the cold metal of the railing while the spray collected in droplets on fleece jacket. He’d tried to remain inside the cabin, but the seasickness hit him worse there.

Lieutenant Commander Phillip Brightwell walked up next to him, not seeming to notice the swaying of the boat at all. Two decades at sea would do that. You feeling okay? he asked Shattuck.

Shattuck swallowed back a sour taste in his throat. Fine, fine.

Never met a NOAA guy who got sick on the ocean, Brightwell said, smiling.

Shattuck brushed him off. Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. Normally I work a lot closer to shore.

Brightwell clapped Shattuck on the back. Well, we’re almost in position, then we’ll slow down and it won’t be so choppy.

A young officer called out from the bridge. We’re at the specified location, sir!

Brightwell nodded and Shattuck watched him return to the bridge and Captain Michael Starkwether, who stood inside looking grim. He’d only met Starkwether a handful of times, all on land, and this is the first time he saw the usually gregarious man in command. He was all jokes in the bar, but out here, a smile didn’t even crack the surface of his tanned face.

The boat slowed, and Shattuck’s stomach slowed with it. He heard the thrum of the engines go silent and soon they just drifted.

Ready the equipment! Starkwether called.

Aye, aye, sir! came the brisk response.

Shattuck heard a thrumming noise as the high frequency sonar equipment came on line. He looked out over the choppy white caps curling on the blue surface of the sea. Then leaning over the railing, he tried to peer into the depths. Only the glint of sun off the water met his eyes.

Ready sir!

Commence test!

Aye, aye, sir!

Shattuck found himself gritting his teeth. It was the first time he’d been out with them to test this equipment. They’d put a unmanned submarine in the water a few nautical miles back, and they hoped to detect it with the blast of sonar.

He’d been tasked with an environmental impact survey on the Navy’s undertakings, and the Navy hadn’t been too happy to have him along. But they all worked for Uncle Sam in the end, so they tolerated him. At least Brightwell had joined him for this one. He’d known the man for years after meeting him at a conference on national security issues.

He heard a loud blast, but it sounded almost like it was in the air. Confused, he looked out of the port window, but then heard the high intensity sonar go off, a powerful blast muffled by the water, but unmistakable. It sounded as loud as the rocket he’d seen blast off at Cape Canaveral a few years ago.

Test complete, sir! said the technician.

Shattuck waited, the ship quiet.

Did you find the sub? asked the captain.

Negative, sir, said the technician. But I’m getting a strange energy signature.

Shattuck turned from his perch and gazed through the bridge’s door. He saw the captain leaning over the technician’s screen. What kind of energy signature? Is it the sub?

The tech shook his head. Definitely not, sir. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s almost at a microwave frequency.

The captain leaned closer. Let me take a look at it. Shattuck watched as the tech gave up his seat for the officer. What in the...it’s all over the place...low frequency electromagnetic radiation...coming from where?

Somewhere far below us, sir, at least nine-hundred fathoms.

A deep rumbling roared up beneath the ship. Shattuck gazed out at the water as it began to seethe, the blue turning completely white, bubbles rising from somewhere far below. Stepping back from the rail, he stared out as the sea began to boil, bubbles turning to froth at the surface. Another deep rumbling sounded from below the ship.

Brightwell! he shouted. Come look at this!

The captain and Brightwell rushed out on deck, the captain’s mouth gaping at the sight. All around them for as far as Shattuck could see, the sea had turned to foam and raging bubbles. In front of him, a fish flopped to the surface, then another and another, and then he saw a beaked whale rise up on its side, bleeding from its eyes and ears.

I’m reading a massive earthquake on the seabed, sir! the tech called.

Brightwell looked at the captain. Could the test have done this?

Caused an earthquake? the captain answered. I don’t see how!

Another beaked whale rolled up on its side, blood trailing behind it in the water.

Well, it certainly did that part! Brightwell shouted above the rumbling, pointing to the whales.

Then something else surfaced between them, only visible for an instant. Shattuck narrowed his eyes, staring more closely. An arm, yes, then a leg. Then he saw a head pop out of the water, bleeding from its ears and eyes just like the whales.

But it wasn’t human. Something was wrong with it. The skin was almost bluish purple, the eyes glistening and dark, the ears set into the head like a seal’s ears.

Brightwell joined them at the rail.

The captain pointed just as it sank again. Did you see that?

Brightwell leaned out. See what?

I don’t know...a person?

A second earthquake, sir! shouted the technician.

Another arm flailed up out of the water, again with bluish purple skin. Shattuck saw part of a head emerge, blood staining the frothing white water a deep red.

There! the captain shouted.

Brightwell strained over the railing. Damn it! Bright-well cursed, pounding a fist on the metal.

For the briefest instant, Shattuck met the creature’s gaze, blood pooling in its eyes and a look of agony on its twisted face. Then it sank down again with the whales, into the churning sea.

What the hell was that? Starkwether shouted.

Earthquake subsiding, sir!

The sea began to calm a little, the froth turning back into boiling, the boiling subsiding into turbulence. Then Shattuck spotted it, far out in front of them. The earthquake had caused a massive wave to form. It sped toward them, building as it came, towering higher and higher.

All hands below! shouted the captain.

Shattuck took a last look at the massive wall of water heading toward them, dwarfing the ship, and raced toward the nearest hatch.

He made it through and a seaman secured it behind him. Then the wave hit. Shattuck slammed against a wall, striking his head on a fire extinguisher.

Hold on! somebody yelled. The ship surged upward so fast that Shattuck collapsed to the floor, losing his balance. It rose up and up and up, listing heavily to one side. He tried to see out of one of the portholes, but blood trickled down into his left eye. Still they surged upward, making Shattuck feel like he weighed three hundred pounds, pressing him to the floor. And then they were screaming down the other side, listing suddenly the other way, dangerously close to capsizing.

He reached out and gripped a doorframe as equipment and men slid toward him down the hallway. The roar of the sea boomed overhead, and for a second Shattuck thought he was going to lose his lunch. But he swallowed hard, fighting back the urge.

Down they rushed. He heard someone cry out in pain and someone else saying the Hail Mary. Then the surge slowed, and the ship righted itself. He heard the captain bark an order from somewhere farther inside. Get on the horn and radio the island. They’re going to get hit with this thing and won’t have much time to prepare.

Aye, aye, captain! someone answered, and Shattuck heard footsteps hurriedly leaving the hallway.

He tried to stand up, but immediately crumpled back to the floor, dizzy from the knock on his head.

Then he felt a hand under his arm. You okay?

Shattuck blinked up into Brightwell’s face.

Just dandy. And you?

Loving every minute.

When Shattuck had gotten his bearings a little better, he managed to stand, leaning on the doorframe.

Brightwell, what the hell did we see out there?

Brightwell looked away, pensive, then met Shattuck’s eyes. I have no idea, Jonah.

Shattuck heard the technician’s voice cut through the din of confused talking. Captain! Sir! I just picked up another earthquake deep below us.

The captain stood up quickly. Get us out of here, helmsman! he barked to one of the seamen.

Aye, aye, sir! she responded.

Shattuck felt his stomach flop over and he braced himself for another impact.

CHAPTER TWO

Tongue of the Ocean

Fifteen nautical miles east of Andros Island

Caribbean Sea

The Naval sonar test had completely blasted Dr. Maggie Sunderland’s hydrophones. She rushed to shut off her equipment before it could be damaged, horrified to read the staggering decibel level of the blast at two hundred and thirty one decibels. The Gervais’ beaked whales she’d been following would be devastated. She rushed to the edge of the boat’s railing, peering over. She wanted to turn the hydrophones on again, see if the whales were still down there, but if the Navy did another test, her equipment could get fried. Instead she rushed to the deck of the boat, peering out over the railing.

Then suddenly the sea started to churn and boil. The blue tropical water turned frothy white, bubbles exploding to the surface. She saw one of the whales, flopped over on its side, its fin above the water, and then it sank. Then she saw another and another, blood staining the white froth.

She understood why’d they’d be bleeding, but why was the sea foaming like this? That couldn’t be a result of the test.

She called for her assistant. Zoe! Are you seeing this?

Zoe Mackenzie came up from below decks, where she’d been plotting the course for their next stop. Her bronze hair flashed in the sunlight, her green eyes staggered at the sight around her. She saw the chaotic churning of the water and breathed in sharply. What the hell?

The sea continued to froth, and now Maggie saw another shape moving through the foam. A man, she realized, towing another person under the crook of his arm. What were two swimmers doing way the hell out here? Had their tour boat forgotten them? This was the Tongue of the Ocean, a massively deep trench reaching depths of more than six thousand feet. You couldn’t snorkel out here, or dive down to the bottom. It was deep, open water.

Hey! she called. Over here! The man looked over his shoulder at her, and instantly she saw that he wasn’t a man at all. His eyes were dark and solid-colored with no whites, his ears not human ears but indentations in the side of skull. And his neck... She gasped, taking a step back. Folds of flesh opened and closed there like breathing vents.

She brought a hand to her mouth, suddenly frozen. The man continued to swim through the churning mass of waves, towing the unconscious person. He bled from his eyes and ears, just liked the whales.

Help us! he managed to say when he got close enough, water filling his bluish mouth.

She suddenly felt Zoe next to her, pressed against her. What... her assistant breathed.

Then Maggie came to life. She grabbed the life preserver off its hook on the railing and threw it out to them, holding onto the rope. He grabbed it, a strong bluish-purple hand gripping it tightly. When his arm was laced through it, he looked up at her and said, We’re ready.

Maggie started reeling them in. She guided the rope along the side of the boat where the outside ladder stood. She saw now that he towed a woman with him, bluish purple like him, with long dark hair. Blood streamed freely from her eyes and ears. She’s unconscious, the man said as they made it to the bottom of the ladder.

He reached up and grabbed the metal rungs, and she saw webbing between his fingers. Then he hefted his companion up out of the water, slung her over his shoulder, and started climbing. His arms and legs trembled, and once he almost lost grip. Without thinking, Maggie reached out and grabbed his arm before he plunged back into the sea. His skin felt cold and clammy, smooth like a shark’s skin. It translucent blue skin was pale next to her own mocha complexion.

Thank you, he said as he regained his balance and climbed the rest of the way. He stepped over the side of the boat and now Maggie saw all of him. He was tall, at least six foot two, strong and young. On the lower half of his body, he wore a strange woven garment, brown and thick with shells sewn into it. The woman wore a dress-like garment of the same material. Gently he placed her down on the deck, her hair spilling away from her face. Blood smeared her skin there, and her blue lips were parted. On her neck, flaps of skin opened and closed, struggling to breathe.

We need help, he said.

For a minute Maggie couldn’t talk. My god, she thought. My father was right after all. Then she found her voice. You mean, take you to a hospital?

No, please no. You can’t take us there. They’d...experiment on us. You understand?

Maggie bit her lip and nodded.

We’ve seen you out here, your work with whales. You have tanks? At your lab?

Maggie nodded. I have access to some. They’re private.

Please, he said. Take us to those. We just need some time to heal, and then we can return here.

Maggie stared at him, the alien quality of his dark eyes. Okay, she heard herself say.

Thank you, he said, and then he collapsed.

CHAPTER THREE

Zoe stared down at the two beings on the deck of the ship. What do we do now? Maggie felt numb, stunned. We do as he asks. Pull up the hydrophones.

Zoe stared a moment longer then hurried to pull the equipment up from the water. The sea around them had grown calm. Maggie stared out onto the ocean, wondering if she was in sight of the Navy vessel that had conducted the sonar test. If they saw what she’d pulled out of the water... She scanned the horizon, but saw no ship. The horizon looked strange, though, not even and flat, but...bulging. For a second she wondered if she were hallucinating from too much sun or too much weird stuff for a single day. But then her brain registered what she was looking at. A monstrous wave, heading their way.

Zoe! she shouted. Help me get them below!

Zoe looked over her shoulder, puzzled. What is it? Maggie pointed off the stern at the huge wave. Zoe’s eyes widened. Holy hell, her assistant breathed.

Quickly she ran to the two strange creatures. For a second Maggie didn’t think Zoe was willing to touch them. She stood frozen, a look of mild aversion on her face. But then she bent down and grabbed the woman’s shoulders while Maggie grabbed her feet. They hurried her down the stairs into the galley and then returned for the male. They hefted him between them again, making the stairs a few seconds later. Maggie’s heart thumped in her chest as she sped toward the boat’s control