Dan Krieger sat at a video console on the operations deck of The Ghost. The screen was filled with feeds from various media outlets, each reporting on the subject of a natural disaster impacting miles of the Chilean coast. He watched Hansen enter the deck with an all-too-familiar look of dread and anticipation.
In his years as the U.N. Advisor to the G.W.G., Krieger had been front-and-center for all of Durontus’ “events,” as they were officially called. He fully understood the potential magnitude of what was unfolding before his eyes. Sudden or unexplainable environmental changes nearly always acted as a prelude to an event and from what he had seen so far, this latest disaster seemed to fit that criteria.
“What’s happened, Dan?”
“Massive tidal wave destroyed nearly thirty percent of the Chilean coast. Thousands reported dead, billions in damages.” Krieger’s even, matter-of-fact tone made the news sound routine, a trait of his that always bothered Hansen when it came to human cost of the Gargantua and their Darwinian existence.
“What’s the report from the Pacific Weather Survey?” Hansen asked as he sat in front of his own video console to begin checking all the usual atmospheric monitoring services.
“Nothing substantial, only some far-flung theories related to El Nino, the lunar cycle and such.”
Hansen slowly scratched at his neatly-trimmed beard. “Seismic?” he asked.
“No readings from World Geo Lab, so we can rule out earthquake,” responded Dan. “They’re sending out a field team to pin-point an origin site, though.”
“I think that may be a poor idea…” said Hansen quietly.
“Why’s that?”
“Because,” said Hansen flatly.
He stood, pointing a pen-sized remote control at a large, digital wall monitor. A real-time satellite scan of Durontus blinked to life on the monitor. The creature’s vitals, location, speed, projected course and a host of other information filled the corners of the screen. “The old boy submerged not ten minutes ago, headed out to deeper waters. His speed has already increased twenty knots.”
Krieger let out a reserved sigh. “I’m going to move us to condition yellow and rouse the crew.”
Being former Special Forces, preparedness was ingrained in Dan. As the U.N. Advisor, his duties required him to be as hands-on during events as possible in order to gather vital intel on how to combat Gargantua, Durontus included. Should the world need to defend itself from its presumptive defender, Dan Krieger was the first line of Earth’s defense.
“I’ll set tracking coordinates and chart a following-course,” said Hansen. “Looks like we’re headed around the Horn.”
As Dan went below deck to set the crew in motion, Falk watched footage of the tidal wave disaster scroll across the monitors. He sat quietly for a few moments, holding on to the last minutes of silence he would experience for the foreseeable future.