Chapter Text
The Sea at night was a treacherous lady, cloaked in darkness and ready to devour a ship at a moment's notice. Despite her terrors, Seb reveled in her grace and beauty, standing above her waves as they crashed against the ship's bow. He'd been a sailor since the moment he could board a boat, salty ocean coursing through his veins. That had been decades ago and still she held his soul. Never was there a time he would choose any other vessel to carry him across the sea.
Tonight, however, his lady seemed unusually still, save for the occasional rise and fall that barely sent a spray over the side. The captain would see it as luck, granted by their mistress herself, but the lad was young. Young enough to miss the way the ocean appeared to fall away into a starless void; not even a reflection over her surface.
Seb saw it - should have questioned it - but his love was a mysterious woman. Who was he to assume he knew everything about her?
When they hit, there had been no need for alarm, the water slowing them to a crawl as it swirled around the hull. Seb had felt it, though, keen to the ship's changes. Still, he didn't see cause for alarm. The boat wasn't rocking, the wind and waves weren't threatening to send him overboard.
The silence - that alone set his nerves on edge, the hairs prickling on his neck. His hand reached for the comm, pressing the button.
The Sea erupted.
In an instant, the ship rocked to the side, sending him grasping for the rails as he screamed into the receiver. The crew that had been sleeping would now be awake, scrambling for their own holds and wanting answers.
Seb didn't have any. Even as he watched the black wave rise from the ocean, impossibly high and blocking out the moon, he didn't know what he could say. Didn't know how to explain what was about to happen. All that fell from his dry throat was a strangled "help" just before the ocean crashed down, sucking him, the crew, the ship, all of them down into its murky depths.
As the darkness encompassed him, Seb fought for the surface, desperate for air, but each stroke offered no sign of light. Even the waterproof lighting of the ship was gone. Old eyes grew wide with understanding - the Sea was taking what she wanted. There would be no returning to his world. Nothing could save him.
And as a hiss, filled with anger vibrated through his head, Seb stopped fighting. He lived for the Sea - seemed only right he died by her.
OoOoOoO
The klaxon sounded just as he stepped into the pool, Gordon's displeasure evident as he kicked at the perfectly tempered liquid. The irritation didn't last long once John appeared over the lounge, his expression grim with news of the new situation. The aquanaut listened to the cry for help from a crewman, followed by the request for assistance by the ship's home port. It had gone under, but all systems appeared to be functioning. A few lifesigns were present within, but the port authorities had no way of getting to them in time.
"I'm here," a yawn accompanied the greeting as Virgil stepped into the lounge, boxers and t-shirt still wrinkled from sleep.
"We'll fill you in on the way," Gordon knocked his co-pilot's shoulder as he moved past, heading for his launch tube. "Looks like I'll need the big green taxi for this one." He chuckled at the growl from the barely awake bear, pleased to see the man shuffle to his own launch platform. Nothing woke Virgil up faster than a good, blood boiling anger - except maybe coffee, but that would take far too long. Gordon was happy to offer a substitute.
The launch into Thunderbird 4 made up for his missed swim, though short as it was, and he climbed inside, already prepping emergency respirators for anyone he needed to transport from the ship. His movements were fluid, adjusting with the transition of his 'bird into Module 4 and then Thunderbird 2. Everything was set by the time the clamps locked in and Gordon quickly made his way to the platform that would take him to the cockpit.
Only, the platform was still up.
"Virg, you're forgetting something," a teasing smile as a grumble came back in reply.
Followed by, "Passengers ride in the back. Fare is due when we get home." Oh, yes, the bear was definitely grumpy.
"Aw, c'mon, Virgil, it was a joke," Gordon tried and failed as the large cargo ship began to make her way towards the cave entrance. Point taken, he hurried back into the submarine and buckled up. Launching from the middle of Thunderbird 2 meant more G's in the turn and Gordon wasn't in the mood to be pancaked before breakfast.
As expected, payback wasn't worth the tease in the lounge and the blonde protested loudly through the comms once Virgil had straightened out, "That was so much worse than what I did."
"Eye of the beholder, Fish-face," Virgil gave a dark laugh as he adjusted course. "Get comfortable. I'll be dropping you off in fifteen minutes."
With a sigh, he leaned back in his seat, "FAB." No point trying to convince his brother to let him up top if their ETA was so short. He smiled as he accessed his snack compartment and pulled out a few treats Virgil had banned from the cockpit. Being a nuisance came with its perks.
Virgil eventually announced their arrival, but not in a way Gordon expected, his brother sounding confused through the comm, "Uh, coming up on the ship's location, but...Thunderbird 5, are you certain they went under?"
"According to their last communication, yes," John answered, his own level of confusion apparent from the questioning of his report.
"What is it?" The aquanaut felt his own frustration increasing with the lack of a window out into the danger zone.
"It's on the surface," before anyone could argue that it was entirely possible for a ship to float if air pockets remained intact - though any occupants might find themselves on the ceiling - Virgil clarified, "She's right side up."
Now, that was something. He'd seen the effort it had taken to roll a ship. There was no way one could do so on its own. Activating the rear hatch, Gordon stepped out of Thunderbird 4, "Open the module and lemme see."
Holding onto the wall as the container lowered, he waited with a newfound curiosity that didn't quite match the severity of the situation, but until he had eyes on the ship, it couldn't be helped. The hatch lowered and Gordon peered over the edge as salty ocean air whipped through his hair. Just below them, the vessel bobbed on the waves, morning sun reflecting off her hull. There was no one in clear view, however.
"Any lifesigns?" Virgil asked what Gordon was thinking.
"Yes, sending you their locations," a hologram of the ship appeared over Gordon's arm, followed by a scattering of icons.
Jaw set, he quickly put on his helmet, "Virgil, I'm rappelling down. I'll bring them to the upper decks for retrieval."
"FAB, I'll have the chair lift ready," the mechanical arms were already in motion to collect the equipment.
Attaching a line to himself, Gordon leapt from the module and slid smoothly down to the main deck. Water puddled over the wood, his only evidence that any amount of moisture had made it over her sides. It was quiet. Eerily so.
Finding the closest door that would lead to one of the survivors, he opened it - and stopped. Gordon wanted to report, but his brain didn't appear to be communicating between his eyes and his mouth.
"What's going on, Thunderbird 4?" Virgil's voice shocked him back into the moment.
"The ship's full of water."
"What do you mean?" His older brother's voice held an edge of concern.
"I'm looking at a stairwell with no stairs. They're covered with water," and she was still afloat?
"That's not supposed to happen, right?" Virgil was relying on the aquanaut's expertise, recognizing his own limitations. It was a trait his big brother willingly admitted to and Gordon was grateful for it. It reduced the amount of arguments at times.
"Thunderbird 5, can you get a reading on their pump room and see if it's functional? It should've kicked on when it flooded," though, it would do little to no good if the ship was fully submerged.
"The systems appear intact, but they're not operating like they were designed to. I can't activate them remotely either," John sent a new schematic to the holoprojection over Gordon's arm. "If you follow that path, it should take you to the manual access point."
"Thanks, Johnnie," the splash of the water around his feet as he hit the first step drowned out the groan of disapproval. Two brothers successfully messed with, Gordon knew he should stop while he was ahead, but a good jab never hurt. Plus, it helped take the edge off of how dark the water was as he slid into it, his helmet lamps doing little to cut through the murk. "Virgil, I think something leaked into the water. Visibility is next to none."
"Think it's flammable?" Man, he hoped not.
"Too hard to tell," Gordon found a wall and let his hand slide over it while using the holomap for guidance. "Maybe grab a sample, just in case?"
"Up to you, Gordon," Virgil didn't seem too keen on the idea, "I'm for getting everyone out as quickly as possible. You can grab a sample when we're done."
"Right," he smiled, finding comfort in his brother's sense of priority. "Heading for the pump room now."
It wasn't a large ship by any sense of the word, but it wasn't small either. Even with a clearly mapped out path, the murky water was making for a slow progression, Gordon's hand slipping into a void as the wall ended and a new hallway presented itself. He hoped starting the pumps would clear the obstacle and extraction would be made infinitely easier.
When he finally made it to the doorway of his destination, it became clear why the pumps hadn't done their job, "Guys, the room's not been flooded." Through the circular window, Gordon could easily make out the consoles and the large pumps, not a drop of moisture on the floor.
"Can you get the door open?" He could imagine Virgil, arms crossed in his seat as he waited.
"That should flood the room and activate the pumps,"John added, probably watching the ship's systems as Gordon moved through the lower deck.
"Let's find out," the blonde found the handle holding the hatch closed, assessing the amount of pressure that was hitting it and would likely send him crashing into the room with the influx of liquid. It'd be fun.
Pulling at the manual lock, the door flew away and Gordon found himself sucked into the room and flung across the floor. It only took a few seconds for the displaced water to fill the space, machinery whirring to life as sensors finally acknowledged the problem.
"Pumps are active," the astronaut informed him as he stood in the middle of the churning waters. "Good work, Thunderbird 4."
"I've got visual," Virgil confirmed. "Water's being removed. Sending down the chair lift now. Let's get those people outta there."
With pleasure, Gordon made his way back out to the hall, the water level already down to his hip. The first door he came to opened with some effort, but he was grateful to find a crew member, very much alive, on the other side. With the man in tow, John began calling out through the ship's intercom for the rest to calmly head for the main deck for evacuation. At the instruction, more doors could be heard opening, shaken figures stepping out into ankle deep water.
"I'm gonna do a room sweep and make sure we didn't miss anyone," the idea that those he found would likely be dead was pushed aside for the hope that he might get lucky. His brother's Thunderbird could be wrong, which hadn't really happened yet, but he wasn't going to take the chance.
To his surprise, Gordon had almost completed his search without finding a single body. A new thought regarding how many might've been swept overboard didn't settle well. When he made it to the final door, the captain's quarters, he hoped it would be empty.
It wasn't.
Inside, a man lay slumped against the corner, chin resting against his chest. The moisture on the floor was a telltale sign of what had happened, but as Gordon looked at the slack face, he noticed a dark smudge running from the man's cheek to his ear. It was odd, but nothing he needed to look into. The body was here and his loved ones would have someone to bury. That was all that needed to matter for the dead man.
"Any more lifesigns, John?" Turning away from the room, Gordon began heading towards the exit.
"All clear," the astronaut offered and the holomap disappeared, no longer needed. "Virgil's got a few more waiting to get in the lift."
"FAB, I'll keep'em calm," bounding up the previously submerged stairs, he was greeted by the sun and the green of his brother's 'bird, along with the frantic faces of six stragglers waiting for the rest to load into the module. Gordon found the closest, a warm smile easy to conjure with the quickly approaching end of a rescue, "Everyone alright?"
The man he'd sidled up to jumped, eyes wide with nerves on edge. He calmed a second later after realizing Gordon was one of his rescuers, "No injuries. Just ready to hit dry land."
"Completely understand," smile growing with relief that the rest of the group seemed willing to stay calm, his eyes turned upwards. He could see Virgil ushering people towards the safer sections of the module. The lift would return within the minute and they'd be heading home after a quick drop off. His brother would be expecting an entire pot of coffee upon arrival if not before. The small unit in Two could make up for the tease, moods lifted for the remainder of the day.
Turning to regard the ocean around them, it was peaceful, void of any indication as to why this ship had gone under, muchless surfaced again. If it hadn't been for the flooding, Gordon would have questioned one of the survivors. They had enough trauma to deal with at the moment. No need dredging up the experience.
"Incoming," Virgil called and he looked up to see the chair lift beginning its descent.
"Alright, everyone step ba-" the ship rocked violently, sending the group to the deck with cries of terror. Gordon rolled into a crouch, comm connecting to his brothers, "What the hell was that?"
"I don't see anything," Virgil called back, "John?"
"Scanning now," a beat of silence as Gordon watched the lift slowly lowering. He wished it would drop faster. "The ocean's clear. Scans aren't showing anything."
"Virg, any way you could speed up the extraction?" He tried to sound calm as he helped one of the men up.
"Dropping Two remotely, watch yourselves," there were only a few seconds to clear before the sound of the VTOL grew deeper, the 'bird inching down until the seats hit the deck.
"Everyone in!" It was an unnecessary order, but it still managed to send the men scurrying over the deck, each desperate to get secure. Gordon urged the man beside him to run, but as their boots hit a puddle, the ship rocked again, sending them both flying as the others clung to the lift.
They hit, Gordon twisting to catch his charge as they collided with the railing. Without hesitating, he dragged the man to his feet and pushed him towards the chairs once more. He couldn't worry about what was causing the disturbances. They needed to get off the ship.
Movement in the doorway leading to the lower decks caught Gordon's attention and his eyes widened. The captain, leaning heavily on the frame, was alive. Regret and fear waged for control as the ship shivered and he made the decision, pushing his charge towards the chairs, "Get in! Virgil, I've got one more survivor by the stairs! I'm going for him!"
"Hurry up," Virgil didn't need to tell him twice.
Boots pounding over the wood, the aquanaut made it to the captain in seconds, catching the man's arm and throwing it over his shoulder, "I've got ya, c'mon."
There was no response as they stumbled across the deck, Gordon pleased to see everyone in their seats.
"What the… Gordon!" Virgil's exclamation hit him just as the shadow enveloped the ship. He didn't want to turn. He wanted to get to the seats. He wanted this rescue to be over, but the looks on the victims' faces told him it wouldn't be that simple. A few uncoordinated steps with the captain in tow and the wave hit.
He only knew it was a wave by the way it slapped the ship and spread, the water slamming into his legs and sweeping him off his feet. Gordon held tight to his charge, reaching for a cable attaching the deck to an upper structure. His body jerked as he caught it and the full weight of the captain before they could go over, jaw tight with effort. A second passed, but the water didn't recede and with growing concern, Gordon looked down to find the deck covered in the black sludge he'd noticed upon arrival.
"Virgil! Where's this stuff coming from?" His call came out high pitched with untempered distress, but it was all he could do to keep from losing his grip. The thick liquid pulled at him, the captain dead weight in his hold.
Virgil didn't respond.
With a frantic kick, Gordon wrenched his head around to find Thunderbird 2 still in the air. She was swaying, the cries of the crew in the chairlift ringing out over the rush of the sea as they were whipped - away from a wave. The dark water rose unnaturally over the edge of the ship, spiraling up towards the green hull. A waterspout immediately came to mind, but they weren't in the middle of a storm. The sun was still shining, yet the ocean was climbing into the air.
One shuddering breath and Gordon watched it come down, almost clawing at his brother's 'bird. Two shot to the side, barely dodging and with her belly turned away from the attack, the blonde could see Virgil frantically trying to maneuver with the remote control.
"Gordon!" It was strained through adrenaline clenched teeth, but Gordon knew the intent. Get the hell off this ship before whatever was happening took them both out.
"Get the lift up! I'll grapple!" Which meant turning loose his only hold, but it seemed a better option than waiting for the wave to return. Not even sure his charge was conscious, Gordon called out, "Hang onto me!" and let go.
They rushed towards the edge of the ship with the flow of the liquid, Gordon pulling out his grapple gun. Loading it was difficult as he clung to the man who offered little assistance in the task. As the charge clicked into place, the blonde swung around once more, searching for Thunderbird 2. She was rising, the crew out of the way of the churning darkness that continued to swell around the ship. He raised the gun -
Arms wrapped around him, knocking their only chance of reaching Two out of his hands. With a hiss, Gordon jerked in the hold, "What are you doing?! Let go!"
The face that met him was void of expression, eyes dark as the man's mouth gaped wordlessly. His fingers wrapped into the tubing of his rebreather and panic sent Gordon's fist into the captain's face. Better a busted nose than the loss of his air supply. It didn't phase the man, however and he only held on tighter.
"Virg -" was cut off as they hit the railing, the dark water carrying them over the edge and into the ocean below.
