Chapter Text
Grace frantically slammed his hand down on the button for the night-vision camera, squinting his eyes against the flash as he tried to make out the shape of the monster on the screen.
It was gone.
Had he hallucinated it the first time? It had seemed so real.
[Collision Warning.]
What in the-?!
He gritted his teeth, biting back panic, and pressed the button again.
On the cracked screen, a grainy picture was displayed.
One of the monsters must have wrapped itself around the back of the Hail Mary. Something was partially covering the camera; it almost looked like large, clawed hand, but with only three fingers and made of some kind of stone.
In the distance, a second creature was approaching, mouth open to show layers and layers of teeth. This one was clearly of the same kind, but it was larger than the first. While the other was pentagonal in shape, this one was much taller, almost a rhombus, and seemed to have swirly patterns of a lighter shade winding up its legs.
Grace would have found the patterns beautiful if they didn’t belong to something that was trying to kill him.
Two sets of eerie, discordant notes filled his ears. The monster that was wrapped around the Hail Mary must have been producing one set, as the entire sub vibrated.
[Hull Breach.]
Crap.
The sharp smell of ammonia, accompanied by an unbearable chill, began to seep into the sub. Grace felt tears starting to stream down his face. He was going to die.
[Hull Breach.]
The freezing cold liquid started pooling on the floor of the sub as it poured in through the broken hull. Grace clambered onto the single chair, not willing to take any chances with touching something at that low of a temperature.
[Hull Breach.]
As he tried to climb higher, to escape the liquid death that flowed into the Hail Mary if only for a few fleeting moments, the second monster slammed into the sub with such force that he was immediately thrown to the side.
[Hull Breach.]
As he scrambled to get back to higher ground, Grace realized his leg was trapped; the thick cable that powered the camera had somehow gotten tightly wrapped around his knee.
[Hull Breach.]
He desperately pulled as hard as he could, praying to whoever would listen to free him, even if it would only prolong his life by a minute at most.
[Hull Breach.]
He screamed as the dangerously cold liquid seeped through his clothes. His skin felt like it was burning.
[Hu-fzzt-ea-each.]
He could see his extremities turning an almost burnt black. With a final reckless tug, he was freed from the cable-
His stomach lurched as he pried open his eyes, tears freezing to his face.
He had torn off his leg.
He screamed again, but could barely manage any noise; it sounded more like a pathetic whimper.
Black spots started to cover his vision as the liquid enveloped him, and he could have sworn he saw a flash of light. And then, there was nothing.