Chapter Two: The Eye of Horus "Worlds Colliding" 2009-2015 C. Runyon

The Eye of Horus

Ice cracked and broke with crushing force, revealing the ice blue color and something else; black and foreboding lurking beneath and rising to replace the ominous and pervasive white. Fresh water hydrolyzed around the swirling mass of gigantic fissures in the ice creating thunderous gurgling and sucking sounds.

Deafening moans heard droning through the breaking ice, which was crushing and rubbing against the steel hull of the underwater vessel as it surfaced.

These cyclical sounds heard reverberating and echoing throughout the boat by the crew members as the American submarine laboriously broke through the ice and hoarfrost.

Like some bereaved and beached leviathan, the ominous black mass of seventeen thousand tons surfaced next to the center of the opening in Antarctica with its dive plane’ fused seventy degrees in the ‘surface’ position.

The enormous opening, that recently materialized in Antarctica; a crevasse of sorts, was some eight hundred miles in length. The chasm elongated, protruding above the ice. Observed from the plane of the elliptic it looked like the upper part of an open eyelid. It stood out from space like a hideous steaming gash in the otherwise pristine Antarctic expanse.

At their present location, the ceiling of the eyelid-like opening was nearly seventy five hundred feet to its apex.

However, the upper part of the opening receded some three hundred miles and as a result the opening perceived—, by the people on the sub or aircraft above— that, the gash, in the Antarctic ice, appeared to be more of a gigantic crescent-shaped hole rather that of an oblique opening into the earth’s interior. The light emitting from this slanted opening had a strange opal essence glow revealing some alien new world within. The slant was gradual and nearly followed the spherical arch of the earth—, revealing a vast underworld.

It had been a quick and steep ascent for the nuclear sub; the USS Patriot. The men aboard had already been dazed by the intensity from the rapid surfacing of the sub.

“Captain, Sir! We are at zero pressure, ambient temperature outside is minus fifteen degrees centigrade, radio interference continues.” First officer James Duffield informs Captain Jeremy Scottsdale.

“Is there any movement aboard the Chinese Sub?” The Captain asks his first officer.

“Nothing has been heard on sonar, sir.” The first officer answers the Captain in an even and professional tone “Damn, what about the Russian sub?” Nothing further to report sir, music is still playing.”

“I don’t like it, Duffy, something is wrong here.” The Captain of the advanced tactical nuclear sub walked over to the science station and approached the science officer.

“Give me eyes, son.” “Yes sir!” The young ensign says;

“I am switching eyes on—, static port one and two—, switching static eyes on starboard—, switching eyes on, static fore and aft—, switching static eyes on center static port and starboard—, cameras on now, sir.”

Twelve camera views popped up on the two HUD displays in front of the captain and the science officer. There were six external camera positions on the sub.

Each position had two different cameras or cameras one and two in each position— respectively. One of the cameras in each position was a camera with a fifteen hundred, power zoom and the other was a camera that could examine a postage stamp several miles away. Conversely, all screens were now completely white.

“White out sir— switching to infrared.” Now the other two submarines came into view and what appeared to be dark specks littered the ice.

“Are those bodies sir?” The young communications officer asks with a look of horror now written upon his face.

“I am afraid so ensign —, no doubt the boats were evacuated and probably scuttled.”

The Captain answers looking more worried now.

“Give me your radio, son” The ensign hands the Captain the microphone at the station. “Major Calloway; I want you to report to the science station—on the devil!” The Captain speaks into the ships intercom.

First Officer Duffy is behind the Captain at the science station.

“Major Calloway is off duty— I believe he is sleeping sir.”

“Well than wake him— now!” the Captain ordered,

“Yes sir!” The first officer responds and then adding as a forethought—;

“Would you like me to prepare a landing party, sir— perhaps the seals?”

The Captain looked at the commander as if he was a lunatic, then he said,

“Are you kidding— and have happen to our men what has happened to them out there.”

As he spoke to his first officer Captain Scottsdale pointed to a zoomed in view— on one of the HUD monitors— of one of the specks out on the ice and with the new zoomed in view it was easy to tell, that indeed it was a body of a dead Chinese officer—;

“I will get Calloway sir.” “Thank you Commander.”

“Ensign— pan starboard number two camera—zoom in on the hatch area on the Chinese sub— check to see if the hatch is in the closed position.”

Using a tiny joy stick Ensign Peter’s— after switching a number of lighted switches on a small consul— manipulated number two camera— starboard-static— to zoom in on the hatch area. “I can’t see it sir.” The ensign answers in a dubious voice,

“What?” The Captain asks, “—Out of range sir— I can render a 3d environment, if you like”.

The ensign replies.

“No not reliable enough— give me eyes in the sky.” “Sir?” The ensign is astonished.

“Do it now, ensign!” “Ensign—, I want weapons in the sky hot— be sure you activate them when you launch.”

“Yes sir!” The submarine carried three military satellites of weapons grade—, they were able to log into the star wars grid of laser satellites already in orbit.

The laser cannons that would become available to the USS Patriot could destroy, from space, an object as small as a cell phone and as large as a small town in seconds.

The Captain walked over to the communications station. “Ensign McCaffrey; are we still in that cloud of static?” The young ensign was in a heightened state of awareness at this moment because of overhearing the conversation with his crewmate at the science station, deploying satellites meant business.

Normally, they would wait for a satellite already in orbit to become available; in fact, there were two available at this time.

By deploying their own satellite, there was now no-margin for error, and a foreign government could not intercept a satellite immediately launched.

The enemy would have to track a satellite for at least one complete orbit around the earth to be able to destroy it.

As well the satellite that they were about to launch settled into an orbit much lower than all other satellites, which made it nearly impossible to take it out.

“McCaffrey there will be a patriot satellite in orbit in five minutes I want you to tie into the laser communications to retrieve our ears, I believe that our communications is being blocked by hostile’s.”

“Yes sir, will do, Captain.”

The radio officer would track the satellite; they just launched. Then lock onto it with a small laser to re-establish communication. Once the signal locked, he could amplify their signal and break through the outside interference. If it were cloudy, then he would not be able to make the laser contact, fortunately he only had to make the contact with the satellite for a few seconds, after initial contact was made he would no longer need the ‘laser-light’ tether.

“Commander Duffy, as soon as communications are established and our satellite is in orbit I want you to dive the ship but stay in the vicinity.”

“Sir, if I may ask, what is going on here?” The first officer looked worried, he had not read the ‘eyes only’ dossier; the one that informed the Captain that diplomacy had broken down with the alliance.

“I am not at liberty to give you all the details Duffy, I can only tell you that this is big and this area is going to get hot—, prepare for the worst. Round up petty officer McCowlisky, political officer Ramirez, and get me that scientist—what’s his name?”

“Do you mean Dr. Ahearn—the one sent by the pentagon?” The younger officer asks his superior.

“Yes the very same— gather them all together and along with yourself and that Air Force Major— Calloway—we will meet in the briefing room pronto.”

“Yes sir”

“Sonar—live contact! We have company at zero, zero, one, four, zero, nine-er’—, and twelve—I say twelve nautical miles out—, now entering fresh water cavern in ninety eight—ninety seven… possible bogey with hostile intent—they are ‘silent-running’, sir—.”

The sonar officer referring to the contact protocol book manipulated switches on the panel in front of him and announced; “Switching over to pulse beep, now”. Sonar officer Peter’s actions announced via ships intercom.

Immediately, the loud beep of the boats sonar now heard through the ships intercom. This was standard procedure for unknown contacts to go live upon contact.

The Captain continued towards the briefing room in the center of the boat.

“Oh! What the hell, already?” The Captain says to himself and then the Captain says to First Officer Duffy,

“Commander—, I want you to follow my orders— get me those swinging-dicks and have them meet me in the briefing room— give the command to the chief—I want to see you in the brief too.”

“Yes Captain, Chief you have the con.” Chief Riley saluted the first officer.

“Aye―, aye, sir” The chief made his way to the sonar station “Identification ensign?” he asked the sonar officer for the ID on the approaching target.

“Chinese— phantom class, sir.”

“Set ping at 100 meters than ten meters at one mile out.”

The chief ordered the sonar officer. “Yes sir—! Aye-aye, skipper Sir—!” The chief then rose from where he was bent over at the sonar station and moving toward the comm. He said; “Radio—do we have ears?” “Yes chief— we are locked onto the patriot satellite now.

Transmitted signal boost at ten thousand watts we have re-acquired all bands.” The Radio officer answered the Chief. “Switch to spark gap transmitter and hail contact on all frequencies—in all languages.” The sonar officer switched to protocol pre-recorded hail.

“This is the USS Patriot. We are on a peaceful scientific mission—, vessel― in range— identify yourself and your intentions. If you do not answer this hail, your intentions will be deemed hostile— appropriate actions will then be executed without further notice.”

This message will repeat as long as your vessel is in safe range… This is the USS Patriot. We are on a peaceful…”

Major Jake Callaway was not a member of the crew of the USS Patriot. He had been assigned to the sub only fifteen days prior to the incident in Antarctica.

Major Jake Calloway was an Air Force Intelligence Officer who assigned to special ops. Group formed to deal with the ‘alien’ presence headed up by the N.S.A.

“You are wanted in the briefing room— Major, Captains orders.”

The first officer looked concerned as he approached the half-awake Major. The subdued Calloway looks questionably at the first officer.

“We have a situation— Major. The Captain wants you in the briefing room.” Calloway looks concerned.

“What situation?”

The half-awake Calloway now looks at the Commander with confusion and alarm.

“Major we are weapons hot— a patriot satellite has been launched and is now in orbit. Come— Captains waiting, you will be briefed there.”

The Commander turned to lead the Major amidships where the briefing room and the Captain awaited them.

In the briefing room the Captain sat at the table with the file marked ‘eyes only’ opened in front of him upon the desk. Dr. Ahearn had a file open as well. He now seated opposite the Captain. Petty officer Leon McCowlisky of Naval intelligence and political officer John Ramirez sat at the table with dossiers in front of them as well.

They were all looking at each other nervously.

“Dr. Exactly what are we dealing with biologically speaking?”

The Captain now asks Dr. Ahearn. “Well Captain— ‘biologically speaking they are not much different than us, other than their skin is scaled, lizard like—much tougher than a humans and they are much more vulnerable to cold than we are—not unlike other reptilians… they are, uh cold blooded however. I have a scientific profile of their anatomy here—including autopsy reports.” With that, the Doctor produced several pages from his file and handed them to the Captain.

As he was handing the papers from the file to the Captain, the Commander and Major Calloway entered the briefing room. “Commander―, Major— please —sit.”

The commander was nervous—everyone else seemed to have some idea of what was going on— however he did not have a clue.

“Major Calloway.” The Captain addressed the Air Force intelligence officer.

“How long have you been aware of this alien presence?” Major Calloway appears all too smug to the Captain—, “I don’t think I like this man.” Captain Scottsdale thought to himself.

“We have been in contact with the race that has been living underneath the crust of the earth for decades now Captain— as to whether they are alien or not, we are not sure.”

The Captain is shocked. “Decades you say?”

“We have been aware of their existence since the late forties, Captain.” The intelligent officer answers. The Commander does not believe his ears.

“Did they say aliens?

There are Chinese and Russian submarines; Scuttled in Antarctica. We just launched a patriot war satellite into orbit, there are dead Chinese and Russians all over the ice, and there is a strange continent size gash in the ice that just appeared in the last few days.”

The Commander puts the pieces together in his head and he is now puzzled and anxious. “This sounds like some fantastic science fiction movie.” He thinks to himself.

The Captain sensing the puzzlement in his first officer now addresses him;

“Commander Duffy, This will not be easy but let me try to bring you up to speed”.

The Commander is not sure that he really wants to hear what his Captain is about to say but he answers anyway; “Ah, please do Captain”.

The Captain addresses his Commander.

“Commander Duffield, it is possible that we will be at war in the next few moments—not with the Chinese or any other government known to you— but with a race that has lived beneath the crust of the earth for thousands of years.”

The Captain continues;

“Apparently we have been in diplomatic relations with them for a long time and they have been sharing their technology with us. We have—” he was cut-off, when suddenly the boats alarm sounded through the intercom system— to break in on the briefing. The Captain now hails the Chief on the intercom.

“What is it Chief?” The Chief answers in an un-steady voice, “Sir—I have multiple aerial contacts—coming in on radar—twenty miles out”.

The Captain looks at his First mate.

“Commander—I want you to go to the bridge— dive the boat—switch to tactical— have eyes on and weapons hot when I arrive— I will be along shortly.”

The Commander then salutes his Captain,

“aye―, aye―, sir—!”

The commander departs for the bridge. The remaining assemblage of four officers all look at each other with dire looks of concern. The Captain says,

“So this is it Gentlemen— to your post.”

He orders the men but pulls Calloway aside— to address him specifically,

“Calloway I have orders to off load you and your crack team on the ice— but I will not do so until I know what killed those Chinese and Russian soldiers— understand?”

Major Jake Calloway hesitates for a moment— looking as if he was about to protest but answers,

“Of course Captain, at your discretion”.

“Commander we have incoming!” The radar operator said frantically.

The lights in the sub began to flicker.

“Set dive planes at eighty five percent—! I want a full emergency dive now—! Dive now!” Commander Duffield yelled