The Terror from the Depths Read online

and uncertain, but passable.

  I remained with the party taking the most direct route to theunfortunate _Kabit_, while Correy and Hendricks led the parties to myleft and right, respectively. We kept in constant touch with each otherby means of our menores.

  "I believe," emanated Correy, "that the beast sees us. I had a good viewof him a few seconds back, and his head was elevated and pointed thisway."

  "It's possible," I replied. "Be careful, however, to do nothing to alarmor excite him. All men must keep under cover, and proceed with as littlenoise and commotion as possible. I'm going to see, now, if I can get intouch with anyone on the _Kabit_; with full power, communication mightbe possible even through the _Kabit's_ grounded hull."

  "It's worth trying," agreed Hendricks. "These new menores are powerful."

  I adjusted the little atomic generator to maximum, and replaced theinstrument on my head.

  "On board the _Kabit_!" I emanated, trying by sheer mental effort todrive the thought over that stinking waste, and through the massivedouble hull of the liner. "Ahoy the _Kabit_!"

  "This is Captain Gole," flashed back the answer instantly. "Captain Goleof the passenger liner _Kabit_. You are from the _Ertak_?"

  "Commander Hanson of the _Ertak_ emanating. How are conditions on the_Kabit_?"

  "Ghastly!" I could sense the feeling in the word, faintly as it smoteupon my consciousness. "My officers are keeping the crew under some sortof control, but the passengers are unmanageable. They arefrantic--insane with terror. Two or three have already gone mad. I am onthe verge of insanity myself. Have you seen the thing that has ustrapped?"

  "Yes. We are coming to your aid. Tell your passengers to calmthemselves. We'll find a way out of this somehow. You know the motto ofour Service."

  "Yes: '_Nothing Less Than Complete Success!_' I have already issued abulletin to the effect that I am in contact with your ship. I think ithas had a good effect. The clamor is quieting somewhat; you don't knowwhat a terrible strain this has been, sir!"

  I could well imagine his mental state. The captain of the _Kabit_ was aZenian, and the Zenians are too high-strung to stand up under a severestrain.

  "It may help us if you'll tell us, very briefly, the history of yourexperience here," I suggested. "We're going up against something we knownothing about. Perhaps you can give us some valuable information."

  "I doubt it, for there's very little to tell. Undoubtedly, you have thereport which I managed to get through to Arpan before our radioemanation plates were put out of commission.

  "Against my better judgment, we set down here upon the insistence of thepassengers. The television instruments revealed nothing more dangerousthan the small life in the marine growths left stranded by the recedingwater.

  "I unsealed one of the exit ports, and a small party of the more curiouspassengers, under the escort of my second officer and six men, venturedforth on a little tour of exploration. A goodly portion of the remainingpassengers huddled close to the ship, contenting themselves withsouvenir-hunting close by.

  "Suddenly there was a great sound of shouting from the exploring party.Not knowing the danger, but realizing that something was wrong, thepassengers rushed into the ship. Helplessly, for we are utterlydefenseless, I watched the fleeing party of explorers.

  "For a moment, I could not see why they fled; I could only see themscrambling desperately toward the ship, and casting frightened glancesbehind them. Then I saw the thing's head rear itself from the slimytangle of vegetation, and behind it the wilting growths were lashed toshreds.

  "The head drove forward. My second officer, courageously bringing up therear, was the first victim. Perhaps his bright uniform attracted thebeast's attention. I don't know.

  "They were close now; very close. I knew that we were in danger, and yetI could not bear to seal the port in the faces of those helpless menracing towards the ship.

  "I waited. Twice more the terrible head shot out and both times a manwas picked from the fleeing ranks. It was terrible--ghastly.

  "The rest of them reached the ship, and as the last man came reelingthrough the port, the door swung shut and began spinning upon itsthreads. Almost instantly I gave the order for vertical ascent atemergency speed, but before the order could be obeyed, the ship lurchedsuddenly, rolled half over, and swung back with a jolt. As the power wasapplied, the ship rose at a crazy angle, hung there trembling for amoment, and then sank back to the ground. The load was too great. I knewthen that we were in the power of the thing that had come wriggling outof that sea of rotting weeds.

  "I got the message off to Arpan before our radio emanation plates weregrounded or destroyed by the coils of the monster. At intervals, I havetried to pull away, but each time the thing tightens its coils angrily,until the fabric of the ship groans under the strain. We have heard youcalling us, faintly and faultily. I have been waiting for you to reachme with the menore. You have come at last, and I am at your orders. Ifyou cannot help us, we are lost, for we shall all go mad."

  "We'll have you in the clear very soon," I assured him with a confidenceI did not feel. "Stand by for further communications, and--are yourgenerators working?"

  "Yes. They're in perfect order. If only the beast would uncoilhimself--"

  "We'll see to that very shortly. Stand by."

  * * * * *

  I reduced power and asked Correy and Hendricks if they had both followedthe conversation. They had, and had now reduced power, as I had done. Weall realized that our counsels might not be reassuring to Captain Gole.

  "As I see it, gentlemen, the first thing we must do is to induce thebeast to leave the _Kabit_. And the only way that can be accomplished isby--bait."

  "Exactly!" snapped Correy. "He's hungry. He knows there's food in the_Kabit_. If we can get him to leave the liner and come after us, theproblem's solved."

  "But he can run faster than we. I can hardly crawl over this slimymess," objected Hendricks. "I'm ready to try everything, but rememberthat we've got to lead him away far enough to make him release the_Kabit_."

  "I've got it!" emanated Correy suddenly, his enthusiasm making thevibrations from the menore fairly hammer into my brain. "I'll cut along, narrow swath with one of the portable disintegrator rays; longenough to take him far away from the _Kabit_, and just wide enough topass a man. I'll run along this deep groove, just below the reach of themonster. I can make good time; the serpent'll have to slash and wrigglehis way over or through this slimy growth. How's that for an idea?"

  It was daring enough to have some hope of success, but its dangers wereobvious.

  "What happens when you reach the end of the path the ray cuts?" I askedgrimly.

  "You and Hendricks, with your men, will be on both sides of the path,not opposite each other. When he passes, you'll let go yourdisintegrator rays and the atomic bombs. He'll be in a dozen piecesbefore we reach the end of the path."

  * * * * *

  Spread out here before me, in all its wordy detail, it would seem that along time must have elapsed while Captain Gole related his story, and myofficers and myself laid our plans. As a matter of fact, communicatingas we were by menore, it was only a minute or so since Correy hademanated his first comment: "I believe the beast sees us. His head waselevated and pointed this way."

  And now Hendricks, who was peering over the ruffled edge of anundulating, rubbery leaf of seaweed, turned and waved both arms.Disobeying my strictest orders, he fairly screamed his frantic warning:

  "He sees us! He sees us! He's coming!"

  I ran up the twisted, concave surface of a giant stem of some kind. Tomy left, I could hear the shrill whine of Correy's disintegrator raygenerator, already in action, and protesting against a maximum load. Tothe right, Hendricks and his men were scrambling into position. Beforeme was the enemy.

  Slowly, deliberately, as though he did not doubt his terrible ability,he unwrapped his coils from the _Kabit_. His head, with its gracefulantennae searching the air, and
the tentacles around his mouth writhinghungrily, reared itself ten times a man's height from the ground. Hissmall red eyes flashed like precious stones. Beyond, the mighty greenishcoils slashed the rotting weed as he unwrapped them from the _Kabit_.

  I snatched off my menore and adjusted it again for maximum power.

  "Captain Gole!"

  "Yes. What's happening? Tell me! We're rolling and pitching."

  "In a moment you'll be free. When I signal 'Rise!' ascend as quickly aspossible to a safe distance. Stand by!"

  "Hendricks! Be ready to follow Correy's plan. It's our only chance. In