Crush Depth
Flash Fiction February (Day 20)
On August 27th, 2045, global scientific organizations measured a marked decrease in sea levels. This was in direct opposition to projected changes related to climate change and polar ice cap analysis. The oceans weren’t rising…
They were falling.
Deep sea scans and preliminary exploration revealed a new breach in the ocean floor. One even deeper than the Mariana Trench. Initial scans revealed radiation levels beyond anything ever measured on Earth.
Underwater life was dying, and global sea levels continued to fall. An emergency expedition was chartered, using the latest in Hadal Zone exploration technology.
The expedition was classified above top secret and commenced on December 3rd, 2045.
What follows are audio transcripts augmented and processed by advanced software designed to provide enhanced awareness and context…
Cameron: Is this thing working? I can’t tell if it’s recording.
Allen: Yeah, it’s working. It should all be automatic from here.
Cameron: So, it listens and transcribes everything we say?
Allen: Exactly! Pretty nifty, right? Once we’re back, the neural network will summarize the audio and use the transcripts to compile our report.
Cameron: I’m never going to get used to this AI stuff, man.
Allen: Well, I hate writing reports. So, as far as I’m concerned, this thing can have ‘em.
DEPTH UPDATE: 5,000 feet…
SYSTEMS…
NOMINAL.
Cameron: When did you find out?
Allen: About what?
Cameron: About the ocean levels dropping. Did they tell you before it hit the mainstream news?
Allen: Ha, are you kidding? They don’t tell me anything. You?
Cameron: Well, I’ve got government clearance, so I saw the scans before anyone else.
Allen: Wow, humble, aren’t you?
Cameron: Shut up, haha.
Allen: When you found out, what did you think it was?
Cameron: I just figured it was climate change. Didn’t have a hole to another dimension on the ocean floor anywhere on my scientist’s bingo card.
The two men laugh.
Allen: What’s this thing rated for anyway?
Cameron: The Tritonia? This model is theoretically rated for any depth, though I’m not sure what will happen when we reach the edge of the breach.
Allen: What if we didn’t stop at the breach?
Cameron: What do you mean?
Allen: What if we went through to the other side?
Cameron: No…
Allen: Come on, think about it. What’s on the other side? Water? Sky? Some form of matter we’ve never discovered?
DEPTH UPDATE: 10,000 FEET
SYSTEMS…
NOMINAL.
Cameron: Well, the fact of the matter is that we have no idea.
Allen: Exactly! Don’t you want to know?
Cameron: Of course I want to know. It could be dangerous though. We may not live long enough to see what’s on the other side.
Allen: Yeah, but you wouldn’t mind that, would you?
Cameron: What the hell do you mean?
Allen: Come on, Cameron. This software might be listening, but no one else can hear you. You can be honest with me.
Cameron: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Impact detected on the interior hull.
Allen: Quit bullshitting me! Your wife left you. Your kids don’t speak to you. Hell, the bitch took your dog in the divorce. You’ve got nothing, Cameron. NOTHING!
Cameron: How do you know all that?
Allen: I like to know at least a little about the guy I’m stuck in a submarine with for nearly twelve hours! Besides, you should have had access to my file, too.
Cameron: I didn’t look.
Allen: Well, who’s fault is that?
DEPTH UPDATE: 20,000 FEET
SYSTEMS…
NOMINAL.
Cameron: Maybe we should just focus on the data collection…
Allen: Hey, listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such an asshole.
Cameron: It’s fine.
Allen: I’ve just been through a lot too, you know?
Cameron: Yeah…it’s not like my file was wrong.
Allen: I guess I kinda felt like this mission was a chance to start over. Or, at the very least, end it.
Cameron: What do you mean?
Allen: Well, think about it. This world has chewed me up and spat me back out again. What if I could go somewhere else? Try again.
Cameron: There’s no guarantee…
Allen: Yeah, you mentioned that. Still, I’ve got nothing left for me here. One last adventure sounds pretty good, you know?
Cameron: I mean, yeah. I get where you’re coming from.
DEPTH UPDATE: 30,000 FEET
SYSTEMS…
NOMINAL.
Allen: So, whaddya say?
Cameron: To what?
Allen: To going all the way? Come on man, don’t make me spell it out!
Cameron: You’re not seriously suggesting we go through the breach?
Allen: That’s exactly what I’m saying!
Cameron: Aren’t you scared of dying?
Allen: Are you? Come on, ask yourself, what’s left up there?
Cameron: I…
Allen: Nothing! FUCKING NOTHING!
Impact detected on inner hull.
Allen: This world’s got nothing left for us! Let’s try again, huh? Somewhere else?
DEPTH UPDATE: 35,000 FEET
SYSTEMS…
UNSTABLE…
ANOMALY…
DETECTED…
Cameron: Well, I’ve got a family that would miss me. A brother. He and his wife—
Allen: THEY DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU!
Cameron: No! you’re wrong!
Audio indicates the two men are experiencing an altercation.
Cameron: GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!
Allen: You know I’m right, just ADMIT IT!
Cameron: I can’t breathe!
VITAL SIGNS CRITICAL…
DEPTH UPDATE…
00000000000000000…
END OF LOG.
Sheila Baxter clutched a stack of papers in her shaking hands as she threw open the doors to her director’s office. He was sitting at an ornate wooden desk. A small headset sat perched upon his ear.
“Yes, I understand that! Of course, I know how serious the situation is, why do you think I sent the damn expedition in the first place?” he shouted.
He spun around, his face pale as he spotted Sheila standing in front of his desk with the transcript.
“I need to call you back,” he said, tapping the headset on his ear.
He took off the headset and put it on the desk before sitting down in his overpriced office chair.
Sheila set the papers down gently on his desk and slid them over.
“I’m guessing we haven’t made contact?” he asked.
Sheila shook her head. “No sir, but our neural network just finished processing the audio.” She couldn’t mask the shaking in her voice.
“What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said.
Sheila cleared her throat. “It’s um, it’s the transcript sir.”
He picked up the papers.
“There are two voices, sir,” Sheila said.
He flipped through the papers frantically. “No. No, that’s not possible. Surely the AI made a mistake!”
“I already spoke with IT, sir. This algorithm has an almost perfect accuracy rating. Nearly one hundred percent after millions of hours of audio testing.”
He threw the papers down. “What the fuck are you saying, Sheila?”
“We believe it could be a property of the energies surrounding the breach.”
He laughed. “Don’t feed me that bullshit. The Tritonia 4300 isn’t big enough.”
Sheila nodded. “I understand sir, but—”
He slammed his fists on the desk. “THERE WAS ONLY ONE PERSON ON BOARD THAT SUBMARINE!”
Thank You for Reading! Here’s Your Musical Pairing
Listen to this after reading. Alone. Unless, of course, you’re not…
Maannnn you've done it again! I knew I hated Allen the first I read their convo!! Also I haven't met an Allen that I liked so... to say this was great is an understatement, the dialogue was set so naturally that it made the thing believable like it's something that could happen. The twist was an extra punch I didnt need. Wel done as always 👏👏👏👏
Omg!!! I loved this Bradley, but who was actually on board? Allen or Cameron? I need more info!!! Okay maybe it was only Cameron on board, since Cameron didn't seem to know much about Allen? I need answers!!