Deadly Whiteness

Êîãäà-òî òðèëëåð "Ñìåðòåëüíàÿ áåëèçíà" áûë ïåðåâåäåí ïðîôåññèîíàëîì íà àíãëèéñêèé ÿçûê. Êà÷åñòâî îöåíèòü íå ìîãó - ìîé óðîâåíü íåäîñòàòî÷åí.
Ìîæåò áûòü, êîìó-òî ýòîò âàðèàíò ïðèãîäèòñÿ.


A Happy Morning
It happened just as it had to happen, but still he got excited. Though he was so sure in advance that without being frightened to endanger his success he bought two crates of champagne before sailing.
Today it will be drunk for his and their common success.
Tuccert thought once again about the champagne which should be sufficient for the officers of the flag-cruiser and for those who will arrive from three other ships. Two dozen for thirty people will certainly be enough.
According to the sea tradition he was first congratulated by the radio-operator. Only after this did he read the order of the Minister of Defense and his congratulations on becoming General.
Let anybody say whatever he likes, pretend to be a modest employee, but he will not pretend, moreover before himself. To enter the ranks of elite officers of a great power with the greatest navy in the world is a tremendous honor. And it is not given for nothing.
He gave twenty five years to the ocean.
As one gives oneself to a friend. Because ocean had always helped him. All victories, all joys were here and not in the studies and research centers. The final results were summed up by the ocean.
So yesterday he summed up the results of long work of Tuccert and his team, scientists, technologists and those on the top of the Navy who did not believe in the project and tried to slow down its movement.
They have won again – he and his ocean.

A happy coincidence – his brother happened to be near on his research ship. Just about a hundred miles from here.
“A happy coincidence is God’s praise deserved by the man”, – their late father used to say.
It is strange that inspite of his experience and education he always feels tiny before the image of his father, a simple hard-working farmer in far-away rural province, preserved in his memory. He had been very religious and hardly read anything besides canonical books, he had not watched films and had watched TV quite rarely. But Tuccert was sure, not only in his childhood, but at present, that father knew everything. Knew not quantitively, but qualitatively, to the very depth. As the ocean knows everything and about everything.

Tomorrow the squadron will go back, leaving here for remaining final touches of work a little ship. And already in the middle of the day they will cross with Marc, his elder brother.
Five years difference in their childhood had never been an obstacle between them. One of the reasons was that Marc who went through his mother’s death at the age of six thought that his junior brother suffered most of all the members of his family. He was doomed not to know the real childhood at all.
The two village children had a wonderful fate.
They had always been crazy about the ocean. They saw it in the cinema, in the pictures, on TV. But until Pete was seven and Marc twelve the living ocean was the main attraction for them.
By that time their father could afford to leave his work for a week and take them to Atlantic coast. They came to the hotel late in the evening, that’s why they had to wait till morning. But just at the dawn Mark woke up small Pete and both of them, nearly trembling, went to the long-expected meeting.
In the skylight, still without sunshine, the ocean was incredibly enormous and quiet.
Pete suddenly saw, at the distance of half a mile from the shore, a lonely and motionless navy ship with a high deck, exquisitely curved towards water from the bow and the stern. They saw the masts with technical gadgets the function of which was ununderstandable. They also saw the above-mast ovals of fire complexes.
Elegant ant fearless master of the ocean was standing peacefully before them. It was as noble as its own silhouette.
He wanted to point out the ship to his brother, but the latter was looking fascinatedly into transparent water spread at their feet: at the stalks of seaweeds, at small fish gliding among them, at the gentle semisphere of a jellyfish, which seemed to breathe, enjoying the quietness near the shore.
It was then that they made their life choice – he and Marc, who has become a very well-known specialist in ocean fauna.











An Uncomrehensible Find
- Marc, something happened with the lads!
Professor heard the engine of their high-speed boat rattling overboard their ship and, having rushed to the deck saw it breaking away and rushing, leaving a foamy tail.
- Sharks?
- Most probably. – His permanent assistant in expeditions Christian pointed in the direction of the boat. - The fellows sailed up far away from the ship and began calling for help.
- Hell, can there be tiger sharks again?! Haven’t I said, one should not go up sharply in such cases!
- Don’t get nervous, the boat is already in its place.
- The leg may be out of place, Chris! You know it very well yourself. Where is the binocular?!
- Wait, I can see without the binocular... both of them are loading into the boat. Look there, their flippers are flickering in the air.
The boat made a semi-circle and reassured them by returning at low speed.
- Don’t scold them too much, Marc, they are just unexperienced students.
The boat approached and has just switched off its engine to come close to the ship and the divers – to open their mouths to make explanations when professor Tuccert snatching at the side of the ship with his hands was shouting:
- I’ve told you ten times, no, I’ve told you twenty times! You can escape the sharks only moving along the bottom. With the frame held vertically. Until you are under the bottom of the ship. There there is a cage. Get into it, and you will be lifted. Isn’t it clear? I’ve told you twenty times, should I tell one hundred and twenty?!
- There aren’t any sharks there, Professor, - said one of the divers while he was taking in the air.
Marc Tuccert froze staring at them from up and then asked in a quiet and quite calm voice:
- Why all this circus then?
- If you were in our place, Professor, - said the other diver in an offended tone.
- Thanks a lot, but I would rather stay on mine.
- There is a terrible skeleton at the bottom, - said the first one again, – you will shout if you see such a one in your dream.
- The skeleton of a pirate who is guarding a chest with gold?.. Speak clearly at last!
- We couldn’t understand clearly, that’s why we decided to sail up. The skeleton belongs to a creature if gigantic size. You should just see its jaw!
- A very clear explanation. Try to preserve this wonderful style up to your future examinations.
Tuccert looked at the smiling Christian.
- Get our aqualungs and camera! You must have remembered at what distance from the ship they rose to the surface?
One may not have asked. He had long ago stopped to be surprised at the fantastic eyesight and ability of his assistant to judge by eye.

They came back after quite some time.
When the boat moored to the ship the faces of both of them expressed deliberation.
- First of all, - announced the professor climbing up the deck, - I congratulate you on not having recognized the skeleton of a cachalot.
But the reproach, not like usual, did not sound aggressive at all.
- And, secondly, the case is very funny in itself. That’s why I am inviting everybody to the crew’s quarters.

In a few minutes, when the four students were sitting around in polite expectation, Tuccert, having exchanged glances with his assistant, instead of words scratched his bushy wiry beard.
- Well, - after some silence he began at last, - haven’t I said already that the case is quite unusual?
- No, - answered the little trouble-maker who had already tried to be rude in the boat.
- And what have I said?
- Just: “A sort of a cachalot and you are simply making fun!”
- Yes, thank you for being exact. – He again scratched his beard. – Really, it is very funny, because I and Christian don’t understand at all what happened to this gigantic cachalot.
- Gigantic?
- Not less than twenty meters long, – said the assistant. – It is a huge, and that means a very strong male.
- He died of old age and has been lying here for many years? - supposed someone.
- No. – Professor let go of his beard and spoke quickly and energetically. - The skeleton has been picked, and picked, as they say, to bone. This in itself is amazing, and I am going to tell you why. But now about something else: we have examined cartilage chords and interbone ligaments. I can bet that the cachalot was alive at least thirty six hours ago. And besides, cartilages and ligaments show that this animal was in the prime of life.
- What of that? Somebody treated himself to him, - the little rebel interfered again and looked at his watch. – We should also get food regularly. It’s time for lunch, by the way.
- Treated oneself? And won’t you tell me who is capable of treating himself to cachalots?
- From your impressive lectures I remembered, respected Professor, that cachalots mainly hunt squids, and very large squids can resist and wound a cachalot mortally.
- You are a clever guy, - Chris smiled approvingly. – Only when I was a student of our Professor I remembered also the jaw structure and digestion characteristics of squids.
- Not you alone! I also know that the powerful hook of the squid has the same strong jaw apparatus with which it beats and tears its victim at the same time. And of course it devoured not the whole cachalot but a small part. The rest was eaten by sharks, and what remained on bones – by other fish.
- And all this within one day? – somebody else interfered.
- What of that, I eat my beefsteak in five minutes.
- Well, if a hundred gluttons like you worked there...
- Be quiet, be quiet! Let us better speak about the sizes, and many things will become clear. Sizes are the main thing here.
- Excuse me, Professor, - one of the students politely asked for a word. – You were yourself telling that judging by the two feet traces of squid’s suckers which could be found on the bodies of cachalots in the depths supersquids of the size of two hundred feet are sure to live. Two thirds of this are tentacles. Why couldn’t such a giant win over the cachalot?
- It could, moreover we have all the reasons to believe that there are squids in the ocean even of larger sizes. But recollect, where do such giants live? In the depths. Even not the largest specimen forty-fifty feet length rarely come to shallow waters. That’s why cachalots hunt them even at the depth of three quarters of a mile. And there he can really himself become the victim of the supergiant.
Professor cast a look at the young people and continued:
- My friends, you have missed the main thing: the fight which takes place in this case. A seventy-tons cachalote is very mobile, and gigantic super-squid – still more so. Their deadly fight lasts not for a minute. During it they move up and down for hundreds of feet. It is especially important for the victory of the squid.
- And our skeleton is lying just at two hundred, - finished Christian, in the tone which is used with small children, - now you understand, don’t you? Such a squid simply has no place for movement here.
- That’s clear! – the little rebel cast a contemptuous glance at him and gave the same glance to the professor as well. – It means I am alone among you who remembers the oceanic map of the place. Not far from here there is a two-mile hollow. Isn’it so? It is there that the fight of the cachalot and the squid took place. Then the deadly wounded cachalot dragged his ass here and kicked the bucket for the joy of sharks... Haven’t I deserved my beefsteak, Professor?
- You may even take half of mine.
The happy young people rushed to the deck and somebody asked the clever impudent fellow:
- And what will you do if the squid attacks our ship?
- I will spit in its eyes, that’s what I will do!

- Marc, do his words seem truthful to you?
- About spitting in his eyes? I don’t doubt. And the cachalot could have really sailed here after the fight, but only in case he himself had wounded the squid very seriously. In other case it would not have let it go. But the skeleton, Chris...
- It’s too clean, isn’t it? I also can’t understand it. Of course the sharks would have come together and teared off the meat in two or three hours but small remnants on the bones are not for their teeth. So small fish could be feeding here for another week.
- That is what is strange!

In the middle of the day they saw the flag cruiser.
Even at the distance of many miles from here, just when the eye could take in its contour, one could understand that something big and very powerful was moving. There is no, and there can be no obstacle in the ocean to this movement, and that even the strongest storm waves will break and disperse in small drops colliding with its sharply curved front.
And in another half-an-hour Professor, having climbed a ladder put just near water, was in the arms of his junior brother.
- My congratulations again, my boy! Very happy for you!
Then he shook hands with a dozen of handsome sun-tanned officers in such elegant and perfectly ironed uniform that one could think that they were getting ready to take part in an expensive television show. And the cruiser itself over which they had a half-an-hour excursion appeared to be a fantastic work of technology.
His brother was showing and explaining...
Invisible under the middle of the stern part defense rocket complex was ready to destroy anything flying in the air in the radius of a few hundred miles.
- Two such cruisers can close the access from air on all Atlantic or Pacific coast of the country, - said Pete contentedly.
- And how many such cruisers are there all in all?
- At present one, but soon there will be more.
The attacking complex distributed in several parts of the great ship.
- It can destroy completely all strategic objects, well, for example, of Iraq and Syria, altogether. Not only military: electric power stations, bridges – it is sufficient for all this as well.
- Pete, once you already hit an air-raid shelter with children in Iraq.
- And this became a very serious reason for further perfection of exactness. Not a single rocket launched from here will decline from its aim. Don’t think, Marc, please, that military men have some different blood flowing in their veins. - The general took his brother’s arm and, lowering his voice, said very contentedly: - I will disclose to you a secret. Now after tests which we held not far from here the cruiser has another unique kind of armament. Not a single enemy’s submarine can approach to attack us. It will have been discovered in advance, but the main thing, it will be destroyed by a special manned rocket. And that with hundred percent probability, that is for sure.
- Have rockets learned not only to fly but to sail under water?
- They could do it before. But now the submarine cannot escape them.
- Will it be exploded?
- No. Directed attack of the crew with gamma-rays. Techniques will not suffer, and the people will perish almost immediately.
- As a biologist I am quite pleased to hear this.
- But any submariner, whether Russian or Chinese, would have reacted differently.
- Would he be happy, Pete?
- Don’t get excited. Yes, he would be happy, can you imagine it? Death in water is much more terrible that death on land. And it is still more terrible under water. Because in case of a usual defeat the submarine does not perish all at once. The tragedy is that it will not be able to get out of the deep. In many compartments people remain who are alive. I could tell you what those who inspect the raised lost-submarine see, but I won’t.
Professor thoughtfully tucked at his beard.
- It is difficult for me to judge, my dear brother, but listening to you one gets an impression that Pentagon will soon get a Noble Prize for humanism and love for mankind. - Suddenly, having thought about something, he raised his head, and his eyes were dark with anger. - And what about the ocean? You were just testing some awful things!
- Don’t worry, please. Yes, in the radius of half a mile your fishes have been severely irradiated. But this is much less than a drop in a glass of water. Besides, just remember, your colleagues in the laboratory pitilessly cut up mice and rabbits for experiment . Others doom kind and meek dolphins to captivity in oceanariums. And so on.
- We do it for the sake of... eh...
- Ha! Now let’s go to my place. We do our job for the same purpose, I can assure you.
- All right, - said the Professor in a reconciliating tone. – So everything is superb here?
- Decidedly everything! This ship is more expensive and more modern than any space program of NASA.

Cabin-saloon of the general also appeared to be superb.
- They could have saved tax-payers’ money here, - grumbled the Professor, having examined this “de luxe’.
- Even our sailors have comfortable lodging. Believe me, Marc, in reality there is nothing extra here. People must live in the ocean for months on end. And work with extremely complicated and very dangerous technology. We cannot afford even the slightest psychological tiredness, and moreover, irritation over daily discomforts. - The general pressed some button, and less than in a minute the steward rolled in a cart covered with napkins with plates and champagne in a silver bucket in the middle. - Let us now drink for us. No, - he looked at the photo on the wall, - first, for our father.

Time, it is always short for everything good.
It is already time to part.
- Pete, can’t I fill up my ship here. Then I would not, have to drop to some local island port in a week.
- I’ve got plenty of fuel, but it is not comfortable to pump it from the cruiser. Just twenty miles from here is our small ship. It’s continuing some experiments. I’ll give an order, they will supply you with fuel.

Then professor waived to his brother from the boat, going back to their modest ship. He started feeling sad.
In his childhood he had never had this feeling. Maybe because he had to help his father all the time, to take care of his younger brother, to study as well as he could to enter the University. And there he had to be among the first, not bothering, due to his scholarship, his already elderly parent.
When did this uncomprehensible sadness start to appear? After his father’s death?..
No, if old people go away like this, with clear consciousness, quiet, already prepared for the other world, their death causes quite a different feeling in those around them. Different... something which one sometimes experiences here, in the ocean. It suddenly pierces one with a feeling that life cannot disappear. That the real world is much larger than the one people live in because of habit, clutching at the small pieces of  the fleeting, and thus limit themselves foolishly and hopelessly. He also notices such things in himself, and with age this mess of the great and the petty is beginning to bring sadness.

- You are all the time thinking about something, Marc, - noted Christian when they were finishing their tea in the crew’s headquarters. - About this strange skeleton?
- About this too.
- I can’t get it out of my head. Do you remember how two years ago we were dragging back to the ocean a female blue whale?
- The one which threw herself to the shore?
- Yes. We dragged her, but then she started dying on approximately the same depth. Sharks ate it up very quickly, but then we could watch for six days different small fish which sailed there. And how many new data we got, what wonderful specimen we managed to catch.
- Add here, Chris, that the female was much smaller than the cachalot, - added the professor rather absent-mindedly. - And it would be interesting to see the squid who could manage to kill it.
His assistant shrugged his shoulders not very happily:
- No, Mark, you are still thinking about something else.

















Deadly Whiteness
Night is not the best time for moving in the ocean on a ship like theirs, that’s why Tuccert  decided to move further tomorrow. And first of all – to approach the military ship which will complete filling them with fuel.
But the impudent fellow who was on night duty decided in his own way. At dawn, when everybody will be still sleeping he will himself lead the ship according to the coordinates marked in the journal. This is a good chance to have practice. Let them get angry and shout afterwards. It is always pleasant to watch people get back before his cool-headedness. And this crank of a Professor first of all.
That’s why just when the night darkness began to disappear he started the noiseless engine and stood at the wheel.
He calculated that it was a little more than an hour’s way to the military ship. It means, people will not get awakened by that time. He wondered if he would be able to find the exact place according to the coordinates pointed out.
Less than in an hour the young man was nearly enraptured with joy – in the light, pre-morning ocean the ship could be seen straight ahead. Wasn’t it great! Now it was just about fifteen minutes’ way to it...
The ship appeared to be so-so; its sides were higher, but the size – not much bigger than their own.
When there were some three hundred feet left a sailor appeared at the deck of the military ship and waived his arms in greeting. And when the distance was twice smaller he could be seen already quite clearly and made a sign to moor to their closest side.
The impudent young man was a little at a loss, because he had never moored, moreover, not to the pier, but straight in the ocean.
But, having reduced the speed to the minimum, he decided that he would try anyway. And having turned the steering-wheel to move side by side came out to the deck to prepare the mooring end.
He had already bent to the rope folded in the figure of eight, but suddenly everything raised, and the site at which he was heeled sharply upwards. The impudent fellow lost his balance and fell on his back, having hurt his shoulder painfully.
- What the hell is this?! - he just said but felt at once that the deck returned to the correct position.
Having stood up he again was quite perplexed.
It seemed that the wave which had hit their ship, was holding them, because the end of the mast of the navy ship appeared at the same level with his eyes.
No... the mast has just disappeared and their light ship was dragged by the stern towards a large screw-shaped crater...
Professor was not too frightened by the wave which had shaken their ship because everything got stabilized again. Such things happen, solitary waves sometimes appear from nowhere. But the wave was not important, at least not squally.
The morning light could be seen in the porthole and he wanted to look at the clock when a heart-rending shriek was heard at the deck.
In two seconds professor, who had rushed to the deck, collided with Christian. The latter moved him from the way and rushed to the deck cabin. And almost at once the engine started working with all its power.
All the rest also appeared on the deck, almost naked.
- What happened, Professor? What?
- I don’t understand myself! - he went into the deck-house where Christian was already standing at the steering-wheel.
- Can you explain to me what is happening?
- Let us get away from here, Marc! To the shallow waters! Order everybody to get to crew’s quarters! At once!
Tuccert, still not understanding, ordered the fellows not to come out of the crew’s quarters and only now noticed that there were three of them, not four.
- And where is our watchman, Chris? - having fully awakened from his sleep and ununderstandable mess he asked. - And whom are we running from? My God, what’s happened to you? Your face looks like white paper.
His assistant made an effort, overcoming a lump in his throat, and than spoke in an unnaturally distinct voice:
- Marc, the lad is already dead.
- What have you said?!
- An albino squid. A giant tentacle... raised over the ship and licked him like a speck of dust.
- Are you in your right mind?
- Almost. Though one can get crazy of such horror. Our ship is like a grain for such a creature.
- Get away from the wheel!
- What?
- Get away from the wheel at once!
- Marc, if we do not move to shallow waters as soon as possible...
- Get to the boat with the lads and rush there at full speed.
- Listen, it is impossible to save him! I can bet, he perished in the moment when the tentacle got him.
- And I bet I will kill you if you do not obey my order!

When the boat rattled Tuccert had already replaced the steering-wheel and turned the ship in the opposite direction. “That’s good, - he thought, - at such speed they will soon get not only to shallow waters but to the nearest islands. I wish I had learned more from Chris. A giant squid? What was it actually?”
The door of the deck cabin was suddenly opened.
- Everything is all right, Marc. I’ve sent them.
- Chris! What the... Why have you stayed?
The latter looked at the panel with the clock and compass.
- Take a little to the right... In four minutes we’ll be in the place again.
Tuccert suddenly felt burning shame. How could he let himself speak in such a tone with his best and most devoted student in his life a few minutes ago? In reality he insulted him accusing him of cowardice. Insulted the man devoted to him, with whom, if one remembered the fifteen years of their joint work, they went through a lot of difficulties. He reproached him with faint-heartedness for the attempt to save the rest of the crew.
- You, well – said the professor in a low voice, - tell me, please, what could you notice?
- It was just a second and a half, Marc. I rushed out just a little earlier than you. The lad was standing at the fodder as though looking into the water. And at once...in about eighty feet from the fodder the ocean foamed up in a stream as though a huge geyser started working and then a huge white tentacle rose in the air. Of fantastic size, Marc.
- Try to remember the size.
- Diameter near water... not less than ten feet.
Professor shuddered.
- And that end which rushed from the height and seized the lad was about four feet. It squeezed him across his body, so only his head and legs could be seen. It again arched up, and all this disappeared under water with an unnatural speed.
- Chris, if the tentacle has ten feet in diameter, the whole length of the squid must be not less than six hundred feet. This follows from its anatomical structure, - professor shook his head. – I can’t imagine anything like that.
- Though it is you who are the author of the theory about gigantic marine invertebrates which are hidden from us.
- But I haven’t prepared myself for a meeting with one, as you can see.
- I don’t want to frighten both of us, Marc, but I didn’t mean that the tentacle’s diameter was ten feet at its basis.
- I don’t understand, what do you mean?
- The basis is the body. But nothing like that appeared near water. It seemed that the tentacle was coming out somewhere from the depth.
- It means that it is just its intermediary length?
- It looks so. Put out the engine, we are at the place.
- Whatever will be, will be! - Professor took his binoculars out of the case and went out to the deck. - One should see everything, Chris, and I pray God that he should help our boy.
Low sloping waves were opening the vast expanse of the ocean’s surface...
Everything was empty.
They covered another mile. Then they circled around looking into the water... And strange though it was they have never felt danger for themselves.
- You know, Marc, I just cannot digest what has happened. I am all the time catching myself at the thought that nothing happened in reality. My mind does not want to accept it as reality. It seems to me we shall soon come back, and our lad will be there, among other fellows...
Professor looked in the face of his assistant, and he did not like something in it.
- Go to my cabin, Chris, there is a bottle of brandy in the cupboard there.
- I don’t want brandy.
- Neither do I, but still go there.
He came back to the deck cabin and, having launched the engine at full speed, got to the reverse motion.
- This is good brandy! - When the bottle appeared Tuccert said in a voice which was not to be contradicted. - Pour out half a glass at once for you and me.
- I don’t know why, I cannot feel the taste, - announced Christian, having drunk his portion.
- You understand yourself, my dear, what the switching off of taste receptors means.
- Stress?
- Strong stress. And in order to overcome it you should not allow what you saw to hide in your subconscious, otherwise it will transform into a nightmare. Think about what has happened as a reality. If possible, try to remember the details in cold blood.

- It looks, headache has gone, - said the assistant in five minutes. - And as to the details... Yes, white colour, I would even say, milky-white. And something else, there were no suckers there.
- You might not have paid attention.
- Might have... though not likely. I think they were not there.
- You are saying there were no signs of the body near the surface?
- Nothing at all.
- Then how could the squid direct his tentacle? Of course he saw our ship from below, but how could he direct it at the man? You are saying it shot upwards vertically?
- Just so.
- It means the creature was down and not somewhere at the side. Maybe it was by chance? The squid was simply circling around with his tentacle?
- It was not circling around. I swear to you, Mark, it swooped at the lad like a hawk who is flying at his aim.
- It is strange... Squids are rather dumb, and his tentacles have only rough sensitivity to mechanical irritants.
- Look here, we have not paid attention, - the assistant pointed his finger at the ship journal. – It is opened at the page with the coordinates of the military ship. That’s why we happened to be so far from shallow waters.
- Did he bring the ship here while we were asleep?
- According to this, this was just that.
- Then why did not we see these military fellows? Everything around is empty up to horizon.
Suddenly radio started working. Tuccert responded and at once heard a polite voice. The officer on duty of the cruiser was speaking.
- Good morning, Sir. Have you met our ship for refueling? They are not answering our call sign, and you seem to be somewhere near?
Professor was silent for a while, thinking over the best answer.
- You see, we appeared at the same place, but we have not found your ship. Besides, something happened here, and I would like to talk to Pete.
- Excuse me, Sir?
- Yes, with General Tuccert, of course.
It looked his interlocutor hesitated.
- Night duty is finishing only in twenty minutes. Excuse me, Sir, but I cannot wake up the commander of the squadron without sufficient reason.
- Well, O.K. But report to him about me as soon as he wakes up.
- In twenty minutes exactly, Sir.
- Their ship, Christian, is not answering the call sign.
- The things are lousy, Marc. How much can a six hundred feet squid weigh?
Professor thought for a while and frowned his eyebrows somberly.
- Yes, at least more than a light ship.

In twenty two minutes he heard his brother’s voice.
- What’s happened, Marc? And haven’t you really found our ship yet according to the coordinates?
- I would not like to upset you, but it’s quite possible that it had the same fate as one of my crew members.
- That is?
- An attack of a six hundred feet squid, Pete.
- Isn’t it a slip of the tongue?
- Unfortunately, no. My assistant managed to see only one of his tentacles. The rest is the matter of simple calculations.
His brother was silent for a while...
- Where are you now, Marc?
- I’ll be in shallow waters soon. Don’t worry, it is safe there.
- A reconnaisance fighter will fly to your region soon. It will be there in fifteen minutes. It means, I will soon get the information of the inspection from air and will communicate with you again.
- Please, let it better not fly low.
- Will two miles height be all right?
- Quite.




An Unexpected Turn
The general ordered to transfer the connection with the pilot to the main command post and took his place there himself in fifteen minutes, having had enough time to shave.
- Came out to the sector. – It could be heard by communication. - Beginning to fly around.
Later the pilot reported the situation every thirty or forty seconds, as it was supposed to be.
The situation was sad. There ship was no to be found. Alongside with it, the borders of the sector were selected in such a way that the ship could not cross them in the time passed after the latest communication, even if it had put forward such a foolish task.

- Flying round is finished, - it was heard ultimately in the end, and it was something which one did not want to hear at all.
- Let him return, - ordered the general somberly.
He sat for another minute in the armchair and when he wanted to get up he heard the excited voice of the pilot:
- I’ve been attacked! Attacked, but I do not see the enemy. Two holes in the wing!
Pete Tuccert reacted at once:
- Get back to the coastal line!! - he shouted in such a voice that the officer on duty did not have to repeat it in the air.
- Yes, Sir, to the coastal line.
The general himself got connected to the pilot.
- Fire on board?
- No fire. But the wing is becoming bare.
This term, maybe funny for the civilians, means a very fast approaching disaster. The damaged metal on the frame is becoming to get torn by the air streams. The rest, according to the type of the aircraft, is a matter of a minute or ten seconds.
- Is it tearing strongly?
- Middling...now, already strongly.
- Catapult!
- Can hold on for a while.
- At once!
He knew what every second could bring with it. Pilots get nervous and miss the moment when the aircraft, losing at once its aerodynamics, starts flying down, circling and whirling. And the catapult saves rarely in these cases: the pilot dies having hit his own wing, or he is covered by the machine falling from up.
But thank God! The signal of the working catapult has already sounded.

The rest of the orders took no more than a minute. He had only, having declared the general alarm, to call the number of commands known to each subdivision.

Two fighters on battle duty flew into the air in ten seconds, and in one and a half minutes four other battle machines followed them. These six were to block the sector from the air and, having discovered the enemy, hit the target. Straight after them a rescue hydroplane followed to pick up the catapulted pilot. These were standard measures. And now their innovation – launching a rocket from the side of a ship. It will reach the given coordinates already in two minutes and in the middle of the sector at the height of five miles a parachute with a minilocator station will hang down. The parachute will not lower down, because the station has a vertical motor unit. It will start to transmit everything here, looking not only through air, but water, at the depth of a mile, that is the depth lower than which modern submarines cannot go. The one who attacked the aircraft, thus, is sure to be found. He will have no time to leave the sector.
The cruiser and three other ships already turned in the opposite direction and were sailing at full speed.
But who could, who could dare to to attack a fighter of the US navy? What kind of weapon was it? Hit at the height of two miles... The pilot did not record an explosion of an antiaircraft missile the splinters of which could do it. Then what? And where from? The pilot would have seen any ship when flying around. It means, from a submarine. And the volley has been made from under water. Whose submarine? The Chinese, the Russians’?
North Atlantic allies were warned about the tests in this region, his own people – more so. What follows is that it was not a chance mistaken volley.
The general gave one more command, having ordered the fastest of the three ships to follow the coordinates of the downfall of the aircraft. They were lucky, it fell down near the coastal line. It will not be difficult to lift it.









Quiet Shallow Waters
They managed to find the boat with the lads quite soon. Because they have taken the only correct decision: at the place of the unique find, where the day before yesterday the skeleton of a cachalot was discovered, a buoy was set up, and they guesses that it was the best to loiter around that place.
The news about the terrible death of their comrade shocked all the three.
- In the present conditions I am obliged to stop our research work and get you at once to the nearest port, - Marc Tuccert announced to them. - You must not stay in such a dangerous neighbourhood.
- And you, Professor, can you?
- I do not know still what I shall do myself, but judging by the unusual size of the squid it will not be difficult for it to overturn and drown a ship like ours.
- But why has it not done it but just attacked a man?
- Maybe because he was busy with other catch under water.
- With a military ship, - explained Christian, - which was to be in that very place.
- And before this the squid finished up the cachalot?
Professor thought for a long time. Everyone became silent watching his fingers tuck at his wiry beard too nervously.
- Everything is too unclear, - he said at last. - Too much! Even for me it is too difficult to believe in such gigantic size of the squid.
- If he is an albino it means that it lived at a very great depth, - one of his students dared to suppose. - But something drove it away from there.
- This is not the point! - Tuccert frowned, irritated. - I don’t understand, first of all, how such tentacles could let go of the cachalot from the depth. For them it is just a toy. But the main thing is something else. The jaw hook of this giant must be no less than thirty feet, and its blows can be compared to the force of an enormous industrial press. But the skeleton is intact. Not a single broken bone, not a single dislocated part due to fantastic squeezing by the tentacles. - Professor let go of his beard and spread his hands almost angrily. - I don’t understand!
- Besides, - Christian reminded, - I have not seen the suckers on the tentacle.
- Why can’it be some unknown deep water species, Professor?
- Because everything which acquires quite specific qualities not characteristic of other individuals is already not species! - he kept silent for some time and added gloomily: - It is another animal.
- Do you want to say that it is not a squid at all? - asked the assistant.
- Yes, one can’t exclude it.

In half an hour they entered the bay of a small resort island and tied up at the pier.
It was strange that with all this nightmare having happened he was feeling hungry. But of course, they did not have breakfast, plus the brandy...
But nobody mentioned breakfast, and the lads were looking at him as though awaiting new explanations.
They sat down in gloomy silence under the bow tent into folding cloth chairs.
- We have examined everything there, - said Tuccert guiltily, - only water was around...
- Do not torture yourself, Professor, - said one of the students consoling him, - you are not to blame.
- Besides, he took the ship to the ocean himself, - supported someone else, - what did he need it for?
- “When a man suddenly perishes in the world”, my father used to say, “it means there is something wrong with this world”, - he answered sadly.
And, after a short silence, spoke again:
- I don’t know if I have the right to let out the information known to me... in any way, I did not sign up anything. Well, just recently in this region military men conducted experiments: gamma-irradiation at the depth. And I suspect that by this they troubled and brought in an aggressive state someone who would never think of sailing to the surface.
- May I ask a question, Professor?
Tuccert nodded.
- It is known that gamma-irradiation is deadly for man, but can cause growth and mutations of primitive organisms.
- They can, but not in such short time. If we were speaking about plants or microorganisms, then yes, the effects can be seen quickly there. But squids are not primitive at all, this is the first point. Secondly, if we mean the mutation mentioned, its basis is the following. - Suddenly he stopped and looked at his assistant. - Christian, you know all this very well, that’s why look after breakfast. We haven’t eaten anything yet.
Three pairs of eyes stared at him in expectation.
- Well, colleagues, mutation is often equaled to regeneration of cells and structures consisting of them. It is only partly so, because one should be very attentive and cautious towards the word ‘regeneration”. It means transformation from one state to another. Do you understand me? One should at once make a conclusion that another state is in principle made possible by nature for the given species of animals. In other words, the natural potential of any organism is much wider than what has been concretely formed. Why? Because in the process of evolution all living beings tried to get the maximum safety margin. Otherwise there would have been no evolution. – Professor raised his finger. - This is the most important point, and I will explain it now. Imagine that a man has ideally tuned himself to one and only situation. What, I am asking you, does that mean?
- Well... - there was an indefinite answer.
- It means - he subjugated all his resources to it rigidly, - said Christian, going towards crew’s quarters. - And he won’t be able to adapt himself if the situation changes a little.
- Thank you, but do not get distracted from cooking.
- The stomach is like the one of a hungry shark, - a pitiful voice supported the professor.
- But the blood does not flow from the head, - he consoled. - Well, friends, listen attentively further. Primitive theory of evolution thinks this way: the one conquers in nature who is adapted to today’s circumstances better than the rest. It is nonsense. It means he would be the first to perish during their frequent changes. And hence follows, accordingly, that it is not profitable to adjust as much as possible to concrete circumstances, that is, to give all the strength to this task. But what is then profitable?.. Two things: proceeding from the given conditions of life to percept its main contents, and not the details, directing maximum strength at the answer to all possible changes of the details. In other words, only the minimum strength is directed to the necessary present moment survival and maximum for the readiness for the changes of the situation. The one who follows this principle preserves himself the best in the animal world.
- Excuse me, Professor, can we say like this: nature makes the living being give away its resources for the programming of the situations, making stronger the one who looks aside?
- Not just can, but must say like that.
- But you have mentioned some second point...
- Yes. And you will not find it in Darwin’s works, moreover in the works of his not too intelligent followers. The second point is the collectivity of survival of any definite species. Even the man - a very young creature compared to any species of oceanic fauna - is guided first of all by collective motives of survival. All wars which have ever taken place were caused by ethnic or macrogroup social interests. And if a “middling man” did not put them subconsciously higher than personal ones no war would have taken place. But the man, as I hope you understand, has not quite proved his evolutional stability yet. It is not clear whether we shall exist in thirty or forty thousand years, but it is clear that in this very ocean the same squids, sea-urchins, jellyfish will exist... What do we know at present about their program potential and collective methods of survival stored in them?.. Now, going back to mutation: this is just switching over to one of other programs which corresponds to new conditions better. But however did the Colorado bug, for instance, mutate, he still remains a bug, and you can be sure, he will not get transformed into a rain worm.
- But why can’t we suppose that the mutation of the squid has led to its losing his hook and jaw apparatus and acquired instead of that a huge sucking hole.
- You mean that now he can swallow the food alive and digest it till only skeleton remains? I am not against most fantastic suppositions, and the same thought, I confess, came to my head too. But it was not difficult to make some calculations in my mind. We cannot go beyond the main and fundamental biological laws. For example, the speed of certain chemical reactions. It has its limiting constants. The same, in their own way, as the speed of light. The military men conducted their first radiation here just eight days ago. Transformation of living structures could have begun at once. But even according to boldest calculations it is a funny term for the squid to change its supersolid and superfirm jaw apparatus and the chemical complex of digestion system. These are not those wonders in which one should believe.
- Maybe my question is not very competent, - began one of the students cautiously, - but was the difference noticed between one organism subject to radiation and a group of them? I am asking it in connection with your words about collective survival.
- A wonderful question, my boy! Unfortunately, it has been studied very little still. But the problem you formulated is one of the most important. Imagine that a man appeared alone in a burning house. What will he do? Simply save himself, run away. Everyone will have this program working in him. And if there is a big group of healthy strong men in the house? They will undertake quite different actions: begin to extinguish fire, save the belongings. Moreover, interacting they will launch several different programs: somebody will bring water, somebody will take the fire away from curtains, take away the furniture which has not caught fire yet, and so on. That is, the program of escape will not work at all, and instead of it there will be a complex of several functional links. Something like that may happen with a big group of similar organisms. But the difficulty is that the unexpected laboratory conditions should really put into action one of potential programs of collective action. What experiment and in regard of what organisms is it better to conduct? Alas, it is very difficult to plan such investigations.
- If one follows the suggested logic, Professor, squids are very old creatures on the planet. They used to exist in the epoch of ichthyosaurs. Nature has changed since then, but the squids stood it. It means they have a great inner potential. Why could it not respond to stiff gamma-rays?
Professor nodded, agreeing reluctantly:
- I do not state categorically that the squid failed to transform. But then we should make a conclusion that we know almost nothing about the genuine speeds of biological reactions.
- And why - not? Einstein’s theory of relativity is also doubted by some scientists.
- Let it be so. But we know very little about sea depths. Who could be preserved there besides the squid?
- I’ve got everything ready, - declared Christian putting his head out of crew’s quarters.









The Search for the Enemy
Already in the first minutes of its work the location system established with the help of missile launching signaled the sector. Zero! No objects!
General Tuccert did not expect this at all.
And, strictly speaking, he had to make only two conclusions: the fighter was attacked not from water but from air. And the plane which had attacked it was invisible of “stealth” type because radar installation on the fighter controlling surrounding space did not respond. And the second: the enemy submarine could go down at the depth of more than a mile. But there have never been any data in the intelligent services of the country about the existence of such military technology and even of their projects in Russia or in China.
As such there are more than enough means of immersion to big depths in the world. Only this is purely research technology. They are very heavy because of the thickness of their body meant to sustain big pressures, slow and unable to maneuver, but the main thing is that they cannot surmount large ocean spaces independently. More so with armaments on board, which can aim exactly from under water at a modern fast fighter plane. But where could this slow moving vessel go? And that taking into account that the enemy has no military bases nearby. As to fighting submarines, their depth limit is a little over half a mile.
He reported everything to Navy headquarters. There they were also perplexed and confirmed: there are no large ships of the enemy which could be the means of transporting the deep-water submarine in the radius of several hundred miles from here. They asked what help was required.
He did not know it himself.
A ship and a deck fighter have been lost. Just like that, without any signs of the enemy.
Mark also told some terrible things about six hundred feet squid. Does it mean that its length it just a little less than that of the cruiser?.. It is difficult to believe, though its weight ought to be a hundred times less than the cruiser’s, anyway.
His brother is simply in panics, no doubt. It is clear, their small military ship became the victim of the same aggressor as the airplane. Military ships are always  battened down safely. And no squid can drag such a ship under water. Because the resistance here is caused not by weight but by the tonnage. But anyway, there is too much ubnormal in everything happening.
Pete Tuccert looked at the photo of his father, as though expecting help. It is strange... sometimes it seems to him that father looks from the photo kindly and even caringly, and sometimes like now,  like in their childhood, when he and his brother happened to be guilty of something.
Only one thing is consoling: now it is only eight o’clock in the morning, in seven and a half hours they will be at the place, and there will still be enough daylight to look into the things.
He got a report that the catapulted pilot had already been found and the hydroplane which had picked him up was on the way back.
In half an hour the pilot was brought.
The general knew already that he was an experienced pilot who had flown a lot, and actually there were no novices on the cruiser.
- Sit down, Captain. How are you?
- Quite normal.
- There is no “quite normal” after catapulting. You will go to the doctors all the same, but first tell me everything in order.
- During flying around, as I reported, nothing was found, except a small ship that was moving towards the coastline. But I was warned that it was known about it.
- Yes, a research ship.
- Having got a command to return I turned around and flew back.
- Where were you at the moment of the attack?
- Approximately at the place where these arched for ship was to be according to the coordinates.
- Go on.
- I felt a side blow and spontaneous bank to the left. I looked at the right wing. There were two lacerated holes at the distance of a foot from each other. It looked as though I had been attacked by a large-caliber machine-gun.
- From below or from up?
- Definitely from below. It could be seen by the bank of the machine, and by the metal characteristically damaged in the places of the attack.
- They could not fire from water, Captain, could they? The fighter has too high a speed to attack it from a machine-gun, and that at the height of two miles.
- Very unlikely, Sir.
- Then it could only be another plane which attacked you somewhere from below, from the side of the fuselage.
- Will you allow me to speak out my opinion, Sir.
- Yes, I am listening.
- It could only be invisible stealth, otherwise my radar would have discovered it.
- Certainly.
- I can’t understand, Sir, then he would have completely destroyed my wing. I know the technical data of the enemy’s planes and their shooting equipment. Simple machine guns have long gone into the past being not effective enough. During the last ten years they have not been used either by the Russians or by the Chinese. They have been preserved only at the old models which can’t be modern “stealth”.
The general nodded in agreement.
- And one more consideration, Sir, - said the pilot somewhat hesitantly. - If the holes had been made by splinters of a missile “air-to-air”...
- I know, Captain, your board radar would not have recorded “stealth” itself, but would have certainly recorded a rocket launched by it.
- Just so, Sir.
- We’ll find out what it is! - encouraging himself more than the pilot said Tuccert. - Soon your fighter will be lifted, and the expertise will show what kind of holes there are in the wing.

In an hour the general, having thought over everything again, ordered to connect him to his brother.
- Where are you?
- In the bay, - professor called a small island. - I am standing near the pier moored.
- And I am going back. To the place where our ship disappeared, where our fighter was shot by someone unknown and where, in addition to all that, as you claim, there lives some fantastic animal. You must not sail to the ocean on your old tub, Marc, that’s why I invite you to be a guest on my cruiser, and I will soon deal with all submarine villains at once.
- With pleasure, Pete. Moreover, I would like to share some ideas with you, but I would not like to do it in the air.
- That’s all right, I’ll soon send a hydroplane for you.

















It is Still “Far till Evening”
- Listen, Chris, the lads will have to be sent home. And you will wait for me here and look after the ship. I request you not to sail into the ocean.
- Marc, why shouldn’t I work in shallow waters? I could do something alone according to our research plan.
- It is dangerous, think yourself. That whom we think to be a squid is too strong.
- Listen, but judging by the words of your brother it is already clear that the military ship perished as a result of somebody’s diversion and not because of a sea beast.
- And what about the tentacle which you saw?
- But it did not attack the ship, it selected a man.
- Is it not enough for you? Besides, I suspect that this giant is able to act in shallow waters. That skeleton, Chris. We have not found a clear explanation for it.
- Though the skeleton is lying in shallow waters, but just at the edge of a hollow. Most probably, the giant, having digested the food, threw it out somewhere not far away to the surface. You know, there is a strong current to the shore, and before the skeleton sunk it was brought into shallow waters.
- This is too free an explanation!
- But it is natural, more so because there is not any other.
- All right, let us act in another way. I forbid you to leave the pier. Do you hear me?! Forbid!

Still in another hour a two-engine hydroplane landed in the bay of a pleasant tourist island. Professor said goodbye to everybody warmly and flew away.
- Cris, what the hell?! - the three students crowded round him and began, as he had expected, their offensive. - Why must we go away from here?
- Because professor is worried for you, for your safety.
- We could simply live on the ship and have a little rest on this wonderful island.
- Yes, we have no rich parents to pay for such rest.
- And what shall we do in the city in the middle of summer? It is no our fault that the expedition has failed.
Honestly speaking he had already thought about it himself. Marc is worried for them, it is clear. But why shouldn’t the lads have rest in this luxurous tourist place. They have a lot of food on the ship, and it would be unjust to drive the boys away from here.
- But I’ve promised to the professor... - he tried to defend himself.
- You have not promised anything. You have just listened to him in silence.
- You have not said “Yes”. Is it so? We have not heard it.
- U-u, cunning fellows. All right, but you should obey me in everything.

Marc Tuccert arrived at the cruiser just in time for lunch, and the general ordered lunch into his cabin.
- What considerations do you have, Marc, about which you did not want to speak in the open air?
- Some interrelated ones.
- Tell me, if it will not interfere with your food.
- It will not. - But the professor first surveyed attentively the dishes which had been brought. – I must warn you, Pete, that too much food with your non-active way of life...
- We have an excellent sport complex here with a swimming pool, and my physical data are much better than those of a middling marine.
- Oh, really?.. But still try to reduce eating meat at the expense of vegetables and light fats. Do not go in for raw vegetables too...
- Marc, by God! We have a special dietologist here.
- Y-yes, swimming pool, dietologist... I understand now why it is so difficult for me always to get old research equipment changed.
- I don’t want to upset you, that’s why I do not tell you everything about our life here. But do not forget that there are such forces in the world which will have no pity either on you or on your fishes. And somebody has already attacked my ship and destroyed a modern deck fighter.
Professor shook his head guiltily.
- Yes, sorry.
- It’s all right. So, what did you want to tell me?
- First of all, - professor intended to tuck at his beard as was his habit, but understood that he should not do it at such a table in a de luxe cabin. - First of all I came to the conclusion that by your gamma rays you drove from the depth some animal of incredible size. And this is not necessarily a squid. Secondly, I have almost no doubt, that inspite of its size this creature can act in shallow waters too, to be more exact, where the depth is two or even one and a half hundred feet. And thirdly, you should warn about the danger the authorities of all nearby islands. There are many tourists there now, and some of them do not limit themselves to the beaches but go to some distance from the shore for under-water swimming with aqualungs. If the warning proceeds from me, I am afraid it will not be taken too seriously.
- I am afraid my warning will not be of much use either. There is great business here. But it will be worse if it has effect. Imagine what will happen if panics starts at the islands: tourists will fly away from here, and new ones will simply not appear. I have no right to make statements without proofs. Besides, it is not my sphere and not my competence.
- You are reasoning too cold-bloodedly, Pete! If I may notice, father would not have approved of it.
- And you are reasoning too lightly. I have a military aggressor nearby. The commanding authorities have given me emergency powers and demand immediate actions. Just think what I will look like if I start dealing with an unknown animal instead and frighten a huge tourist zone with it. Do you know what will happen? I will be called back. - The general glanced sidewards at the portrait on the wall. - It was easy for father. In quiet rural province...
- Do not say like this, please, it was never easy for him!
Both of them kept silent and for some minutes were eating in silence, without raising their eyes from their plates.
- All right, I have an idea, - said Tuccert Junior somewhat nervously at last.
- I have never doubted your abilities, my boy.
- Stop being witty. Better tell me, if this monster which had sailed from the depth, is very huge, which water level should be too shallow for it? To be sure?
- Well, it will not manage at eighty feet. Plus, there should be a free zone of five hundred feet towards the shore.
- So that it should not reach with its tentacle?
- Just so.
The general was sketching something in his note-book for some time. Then he gave what he had written to the officer who entered.
Professor was looking at the photo all this time.
Why does he do it so rarely? And why hasn’t he put up the same photo at his place?.. The feeling of the meeting with this face is so joyous. And it looks father wants to smile to both of them now.
The general looked at his brother with assumed sternness:
- By the way, I have just committed a malfeasance in office. And you pushed me to it.
- Of course, like in our childhood. When you got into an old well or could not get down from a high tree. What have you done this time?
- I have sent my opinion to the Navy headquarters according to which the enemy can act in shallow waters as well. Up to that very safety strip pointed by you. Now they will warn the authorities of the islands themselves so that nobody should poke in there.
- Thank you!
- “Thank you” is not enough. Explain to me now from where can ununderstandable gigantic monsters appear in seas? Haven’t the depths been studied enough?
Tuccert Senior suddenly burst out laughing childishly.
- What’s happened?
- You see, my dear, people think that if they learned to send to the Moon big metal tins and kill each other at the distance of thousands of miles, everything else is much more understandable and simple. Well, it is like that, ocean depth have not nearly been studied at all.
- I don’t understand, even in the computer system of the cruiser there are detailed oceanographic maps of all world seas and oceans.
- Relief maps, yes. Here a lot has been done. But, looking at the relief map of dry land, do you get any idea about the living beings on it?.. You have never been to the mountains, have you?
- Just skied on the slopes.
- And the real mountains - the Tibetian mountains, the Caucasus, the Cordilleras - it is an enormous and completely special world. Unlike the planes, it is founded on three dimensions. And the life was forming there in the conditions when there was always something over it and something below it. Or somebody. Now imagine that such mountain chains are turned upside down. Depths are not empty spaces of water going towards bottom. It is unending multitude of crevices and folds, of different levels changing one another. Besides, there are different pressures there. In the mountains pressure and rarefication of air are changed very little in comparison to those differences which formed life in the depths of the ocean. And, at last, temperatures. Do you know that at the depths of some miles there are stable underwater currents with the temperature of equatorial beaches?
- And there specific organisms could emerge?
- Not could emerge but did emerge. And cave systems about which we can only guess? On dry land they have not been studied sufficiently and take up spaces of many dozens of miles. And besides: the Earth has undergone global changes several times, harmful, if not deadly for all living beings. But ocean depths were touched but little. That’s why such things could be preserved there which have nothing to do with the modern stage of life on the Earth.
- But why is this depth world not being studied?
- And how do you imagine it?.. Yes, in some separate place a bathyscaph is lowered. And what can it do there and what can people or automatic cameras placed in it record – space for one and a half to two hundred feet around?.. Well, samples of water, seaweeds, small-sized fauna. And nobody will lower the bathyscaph where the inner relief is complicated, where there are crevices, sharply changing levels. This is too dangerous. But it is in such places that the depths’ life is mainly concentrated. Weeds which contain the whole chemical table, and those who feeds on them, and the next, who feeds already on the latter, and so on.
The general became thoughtful, and the pleased professor at last thrust his hand into his stiff beard.
- And put this together, little brother. Fantastic ocean depths and let there be a thousand lowerings of  bathyscaphs into them, and I don’t think there were more than that. It is so little as if... - Tuccert-senior thought for a while looking for a comparison, - as if you look at the starry sky in the telescope for just two or three seconds. Minimal chances to notice anything at all, my dear.
- It means, scientists did not come across anything?
- They did, nevertheless. For example, at the depth of three miles they managed to take a photo of very distinct traces of the stomach of a giant snake on the ground. It means that the full diameter of the snake’s body was no less than five feet. How do you like it? Any man could be swallowed by it without a scratch.
- What muck! - said the general making a wry face and at once turned his head to the officer who came in to report.
- Sir, the destroyer arrived to the place of the fall of the plane. They say there will be no special difficulties in lifting it. They will manage to do it in two-three hours, Sir.
- Inquire from the headquarters. Let them immediately send to the destroyer specialists for the expertise of the damage of the wing of the plane.
He again turned to his brother.
- But we have got many centuries’ history, Marc. People have been sailing in oceans for five hundred years.
- Oh, yes! Here we have a lot of evidence about most improbable and fantastic sized monsters who could be seen not by one man but by the whole crew of the ship. The evidence was given by very serious people: well-known captains, priests, who usually were present at large ships. But all this happened in the times of sail fleet.
- Are monsters afraid of modern ships?
- Any animal, if it is not enraged, is afraid of what is unknown to it. I think, not of ships themselves, but of what emanates from them. They must completely fail to understand wave vibration created by a powerful engine, radiowaves and so on. Do not forget that the basis of their own life is first of all location, which, in its sensitivity, surpasses many times what has been invented by man. - A somber wrinkle appeared on the professor’s face. - And our poor boy perished under extremely strange circumstances. The giant tentacle, having risen above the ship, attacked him as though it had eyes.
These words made the general become alert and return in his thoughts to everything that had happened – his disappeared ship and people...
- As though it had eyes, you say?
- Yes, my assistant who saw what had happened has great visual reactions. He also says that there were no suckers on the tentacle.
- An artificial tentacle, ruled synthetic fiber, that’s what it looks like.
- You think so? Well, it never came to my head.
The general narrowed his eyes angrily and spoke threateningly:
- Well, we ...shall...find out. In three hours we shall be at the place. And you will see how my submarine modules work.
- And what is this?
- Small governed submarines, which can do a lot: attack an object under water including. But what is more important now,  they are very mobile reconnaissance. And everything they see we shall also watch, here, on the screens.




A Risky Idea
The time was approaching four. Two and a half hours on the beach seemed enough to everyone. Then their interests divided. Christian decided to go back to the ship, and the three young men wanted to have some beer in a cafe under palm-trees.
- Think about dinner, Chris.
- You are trying to live off me, - he answered without getting angry.
And had he just gone away from them when one of the students whispered excitedly to his comrades:
- I’ve had a brilliant idea for a whole hour. It just does not let me live. Let’s go, I’ll tell you at the table.
They sat at the side table and gulped from cold bottles simultaneously.
- Well?
- And why were you afraid to speak in the presence of Christian?
- You will understand everything now.
They made another gulp.
- So, - said the instigator, - Chris would never allow us to do it, and that’s what I’ve thought about. The skeleton of the cachalot is lying just near the precipice into a deep water hollow. I was under water and saw it myself. It means the monster must be somewhere there, nearby.
- Why?
- Well, what do you think, did he sail there specially to spit out the bones?
- That’s right!
- And he likes not fish, but meat, this rascal. Again you will ask, why?.. Because there is plenty of fish around, and he, having eaten the cachalot, did not mind attacking our comrade.
- That’s so, he wants meat.
- It means he will walk into our trap.
- What trap?
- Well, let us have another bottle of beer, our talk is going to be quite serious.
They counted change, and when one of them fetched new nice bottles the mood became quite good.
- Do you want to lure it by something?
- You guessed right. We’ll take a couple of pigs in the nearest village. I know, local people make small cages for them from twigs. And we’ll place the pigs on a small raft. And further: on our motor boat we’ll tow the raft to that place and ourselves stay three hundred feet nearer to the shore. When the monster appears we’ll shoot great scenes by our camera.
- That’s great! We’ll earn plenty of bucks.
- That’s what I am telling you.
- Wait, and how much will pigs cost us? We have very little money.
- Nothing. We have the identification cards of National Oceanic Society. We’ll take the pigs on credit. Local population is accustomed to rich public and trusts everybody. And then we’ll pay not for two pigs, but for a dozen.
- Yes, and if the monster does not appear, we’ll simply give them back. Only mind one thing, boys. Christian is our good friend and he left us here having disobeyed the order of the professor. We should give him his share when we earn money.
- Of course we will, we are decent people.
- And what about professor?
- Nothing to him! First of all, what for? Secondly, he earns quite a lot anyway.
- And he writes a book a year.
- That’s right, professor will manage all right.

When the cruiser came to the location the sun was still high above the horizon.
Marc Tuccert, in order not to interfere with his brother, wanted to stroll on the deck, but he was not allowed, they explained to him that the regime on the ship was in full accordance with military atmosphere. He had to sit in the bar, where they served juice and coffee free, and where, inspite of the “military atmosphere”, several officers were resting. But soon they remembered about him, and he was taken into a spacious hall with arched command panel at which four officers were already working, and with a dozen of armchairs, situated between the panel and four big screens on the opposite wall. The screens were placed in a square – two over each other.
The general and his assistants were already sitting in the armchairs talking to each other about something.
Marc Tuccert also sat down in an armchair left free for him near his brother.
- Another minute and the submarines will be launched, - explained Pete.
- You said they were quite small?
- Twenty feet long. Very mobile and fast moving. But you will not see them on the screen, only if one appears to be in the field of vision of another.
- It will be almost dark at the depth, Pete.
- Don’t worry, they have very powerful lightning equipment. Besides, submarines have “long arms”, as we call them. They are capable of throwing out supple directed cables with transferring cameras on the ends or with a robot which can cut metals, carry out different mechanical actions and so on.
- You also said, submarines were armed?
- Yes, with small torpedos of strong explosive action. And there, - the general pointed his thumb behind his back, - at the panel every submarine has its own operator. They have difficult job, Marc, they are people with high qualification.
Tuccert Senior nodded his head with respect.
Suddenly loud voices pronounced the command – “Ready”, and this at once reminded the professor that he was not in a comfortable viewing hall, but at a navy ship, and that in the conditions of possible military actions.
- Start! - commanded the general.
And at once the screens opposite them lighted up.
There was no image as such, only some shifting mass was lighted.
- Now they are simply moving very fast, - said Pete, - along complicated but coordinated trajectories.
- Then how shall we see...
- They have radars. As soon as the operator finds out something, he will slow down the speed of the boat and direct it to the object.
For ten minutes nothing was happening besides curt voices from behind informing the data about the depths and something else not still quite clear.
Suddenly... professor, having relaxed a little, did not understand it at once, some other voices sounded from the panel and the general in answer to them ordered something. Tuccert-senior, trying to cope up with the events, began looking into the four screens at once.
They darkened... nearly dark-blue... But now it could be seen quite well that it was water and that some movement was going on there... Not quick, there were no fleeting movements.
- The object is trying to escape, - a voice sounded from behind, - the speed is changing.
And then some numbers:... distance to the object...the size of the object...
Professor did not know these military units of measurement, and that’s why tried, squinting his eyes, to understand something from his brother’s face.
Nothing came out of it. He looked absolutely calm.
- Come twice as near and switch on the lightning.
He ordered something else but it seemed to do with other boats.
The upper screen to the right suddenly became bright and nearly black-and-white...
- What is this stretched out cone? - asked someone, surprised. - It is moving very fast...
- Shall we attack, Sir?
- In no case, - answered the professor for his brother assuredly, - it is a squid. – He turned his head back to the operator. – How much did you say was his length in feet?
- About eighty.
Now all the rest also noticed how the creature, sometimes drawing in, sometimes stretching its tentacles, was moving in long jerks, trying in vain to escape the bright frightening light.
- Yes... just a squid, - said the general disappointedly and ordered to continue the work, returning to the violated scheme.
Professor was thoughtful for a while and then became alert, having understood that he again missed what had happened.
What stern face Pete had. And the commands – abrupt, loud, angry... The screens are not showing anything yet... Now it looks the light from all the submarines was directed towards bottom...
A ship there down! First it appeared on one screen then in three other foreshortenings – on the rest.
People around started speaking excitedly, called the name for some times. Professor understood – it was that very military ship.
- Be quiet! - ordered the general stopping everybody.
Tuccert Senior shuddered. He never saw his brother like that. How terribly his cheek-bones squeezed and the eyes narrowed.
“Show me who has done it! – was written on his face. – You just show him!”
The pause lasted for a long time. It was like mourning, before the grave.
And the quiet hanging among the people did not allow to violate itself. First it was tense, like a string stretched to its extreme...Then it was let off and lost its tense stiffness. And then  it drooped freezing sadly.
Marc Tuccert understood that he was standing like everybody else... Then he heard his brother’s voice nearby, low and husky:
- Continue working.
One submarine went down to examine the ship, the others were ordered to check the bottom in the radius of a mile around.

The submarine approached very close.
The ship’s keel was just a little submerged in the ground and it was a little slanting, so both sides could be seen quite well.
The submarine circled the ship slowly and then showed in details the deck part which had not been damaged anywhere.
- Scan the body, - ordered the general.

- The body is not damaged anywhere, Sir.
- The deck part too, - reminded politely someone sitting nearby.
- Go round inner premises.
Almost at once hoses thrown out from the submarine glittered. The operator must have switched off the image to their end transmitting camera and it sailed along the deck...
Brother put his hand on his shoulder:
- Marc, please, go and have a walk. Anything can be there, in the inside premises. One should not look in the face of death extra time.
- Remember father’s words, Pete: “The face of death is simply the last expression of our own face.” And he also said: “Prepare yourself so that it should not become awful”.
- This is rather out of place, Marc, my poor sailors were taken unawares. See, the doors have not been battened down. It means there was not even “Alarm” command. - He shook his head in amazement and pronounced loudly, addressing everybody: - But this is very strange! The ship is not battened down, even the deck hatch is opened.
- It means the ship sunk in less than ten seconds, - concluded one of the officers. - But, Sir, it is only possible due to an explosion at the direct attack of a torpedo.
- I know, - reacted the general, displeased, and turned his head a little backwards. - Examine the deck cabin first of all.
The camera floated slowly into the empty door space, and Tuccert Senior got a little tense, expecting to see the most horrible, but suddenly he heard excited voice of another operator:
- I am asking for your attention, Sir, the fourth monitor!
Nobody was following other screens, where other submarines, moving in circles, were examining the bottom.
Professor, alongside the others, directed his glance there. Yes, this is the one, the fourth...
He understood what he actually saw, together with loud words pronounced by someone:
- Oh, my God! A skeleton!
A skeleton of a man... As though someone had taken it out from dissecting room and put here, on dark brown bottom without any sea weeds, under the brilliant light of the projector.
- There is the scull!... And another skeleton!
- Lift the boat a little and give more general survey!

Maybe because too terrible is not terrible any more people felt perplexion rather than fear.
On a comparatively small space and sometimes just near each other human skeletons were lying. Many... Impressing by shining whiteness of bones and skulls’ eyeholes looking into nowhere.
Two more submarines joined the fourth one, and on the other screens there also appeared the details of fantastic underwater cemetery.
- How far is it from the sunken ship?
- Just half a mile, Sir.
- Count the remains.

- Twenty three skeletons, Sir! - it was reported in a few minutes from the panel.
- You are mistaken by one. There were twenty two people on the ship.
Professor shook his head sadly and corrected his brother:
- They are not mistaken, Pete. The twenty third is our poor boy snatched by the tentacle.
The general rose sharply from his armchair and, putting his hands behind his back, walked several times between the screen and the people.
Then he turned to them and, moving from heels to toes, asked everybody at once:
- Well, who shot the fighter then? At the height of two miles? Was the underwater giant throwing stones?
- May I speak, Sir? - one of the officers rose from his chair. - No doubt, we are dealing with two enemy objects: some monster which came out of the depths and a Russian or a Chinese submarine which can sail at very big depths. The latter came here because the enemy got interested in our recent tests.
- Thank you, but neither Russians, nor the Chinese have any bases nearby. It means that your proposal shows that the enemy had known in advance about our tests. It is a very serious accusation to our General headquarters.
- It is not our problem but that of our counter-espionage, Sir.
- They do not like such problems. And they will ask: “what for?” What for should the enemy detect himself shooting at our plane? - The general, thinking, again rocked forward and backwards. - Something is wrong. Common sense is missing.
- And if it is just an attempt to frighten and create panic? - inquired another officer.
- What do you mean?
- Maybe it will sound strange, Sir, but it is possible that there is not any monster. What if the enemy just imitates it? That very tentacle that had attacked the young man is a manned construction. Then there was a point in attacking the plane two divert our attention to two discoordinated events.
- One could accept it at a stretch. And even suppose that the corpses had been treated with acid. But what about the skeleton of the cachalote which was found in shallow waters? How much does such a cachalote weigh, Marc?
- About seventy tons.
- How do you imagine that giant vessel in which the whale was treated with such good quality? And why should the Russians or the Chinese perform such comicses?
- What shall we do then, Sir?
- Now we have to lift the remains of our dead comrades. Then we shall search: everything which is hiding or left its trace in these damned waters.



















An Insidious Morning
Christian woke up at sunrise, as usual.
Judging by light blue cloudless sky the day was to be very hot.
Against his expectations in the cabin where the boys were sleeping there was some stirring and three yawning faces dragged themselves to the deck.
- What’s happened to you? - he asked. - Yesterday you went to sleep after midnight, and suddenly - up at sunrise.
- It is not we but our consciousness that woke up, - said one of the faces, yawning through the words.
- Y-y-es, - confirmed another. - We’ll prepare the breakfast now, y-e-a...
And they really did, and so well that Chris asked them with suspicion:
- Are you in a hurry somewhere?.. No? Well-well.
They washed the dishes very quickly too.
He went out to the deck and saw a small dark-skinned boy hurrying along the pier. He ran up just to their ladder, but without climbing it stopped and shouted:
- Telegram, a telegram for you!
- Have you brought a telegram? Well, give it!
- It is at the post-office!
Having said this the bare-footed child rushed away.
- What happened there, Chris?
- It is strange, we have got some telegram. I’ll go to the post-office.
- Do go, maybe it is from the professor.

First one had to get away from the main pier and there, near the very edge of the bay, take from a small fishing mooring the raft with pigs in a basket prepared in the evening. It took just a few minutes. And in another twenty minutes a fast-moving boat, passing warning signs already put up for tourists, brought them to their destination. They simply tied the raft to the anchor buoy at the place where the cachalot was lying under water.

- No, mister, no telegram came either to your name or to the name of your ship.
- Are you sure? Please, check once again.
- This is too simple, Mister. This is registration book. Only three telegrams today morning, and all to female names.
- But the courrier boy told us...
The man at the desk raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked something from the second clerk.
- No, we have not sent any boy to you.
- Excuse me.
He went outside, and it was just enough time to put two and two together and understand. Chris walked quickly to the pier and then started running.

The boat was standing at completely quiet water in three hundred feet from the raft.
Even from here it could be well heard how the pigs were grunting with displeasure deliberating about their unclear situation.
It was decided to keep the camera ready, just near the eyes. So that the hands should not get tired they had to change every few minutes.
- I wonder if Chris has already understood that we cheated him?
- If he came back to the ship of course he did. The motor boat is missing.
- Do you think he will rush here?
- It’s not simple to rush at our old tub. Anyway, he will not be here in another half an hour.

About twenty minutes passed, and their enthusiasm began to wane.
They started keeping the camera not near their eyes but just in hands.
- No, guys, one should work with bait not for one morning, but several times running, - said one of the students passing his shift.
- Chris will find us out in any way, - said the fellow who had received the camera rather timidly. - He may send us away home.
The sun, though still not high, was striking in the eyes. And all of them were screwing up their eyes towards the cage with the animals.
A small wave moved the raft... The second, which appeared from somewhere, raised it higher... Raised but did not let go, and trembling strangely, moved around!
- Take the picture! - shouted one of the guys pushing his comrade. - That’s it!
But he was looking aside flabbergasted. And what about the raft?! It disappeared in a moment!
- The-e-re! – pronounced the fellow with the camera in a thin voice, and the two others saw how a trembling water crest of human height was rolling in about a hundred feet of them, trying to circle around the boat.
- And from the other side! - shouted the fellow sitting at the steering wheel snatching at the ignition.
The crests started circling the boat from both sides, and they still had to turn it with its bow to the shore.
The motor boat rushed, having made a steep turn, to the seashore zone. And at once the lads who were nearly thrown out to the shore saw quite near their own ship moving towards them.
The crests moved towards each other, trying to close down the trap, but... suddenly thought better of it and continued their movement.
First Chris thought that the motor boat raised at the steep turn wanted to escape him and the lads were simply behaving like hooligans. Then he noticed strange steep water crests  running from two sides. “Just like alive”, - glimpsed in his head. He again looked at the motor boat which was rushing towards him, and the lads in it were shouting something desperately. In three seconds the boat rushed past the board, and there... from another side trembling evil crests were already circling the ship...

All the night submarines were examining the bottom, and the cruiser with two assisting ships was moving further and further into the spaces of the Atlantic. They had passed already more than a hundred miles from the beginning of the hollow and examined the larger part of the deep waters of the region: there was neither an enemy’s submarine nor any traces of the monster.
Pete almost did not sleep at night but now, at breakfast, he looked not at all tired, though very angry.
- In the end, a deep water submarine could not have moved from here further to the ocean, - professor tried to express his opinion.
- It could not have gone far. And either we shall get it at the other edge of the hollow, or... – he twisted his cup in his hands, looking at the remnants of coffee as though something could be hidden there. - Either, Marc, it simply does not exist.
- Are you saying it because you have made the calculations?
- Right. Moreover, we have modeled the situation in detail. The correlation of our and its speed cannot be less than four to one.
- Then by the middle of this day you are sure to get it.
- I am almost sure I won’t.
- But why?
- The enemy can count too. And if they had known about our tests here it means they had known the time when the cruiser left this region. That is, that by the moment of the attack of the fighter it was somewhere near. What did their commander hope for?
He wanted to add something else, but the officer who appeared asked for the permission to report.
- The results of the expertise of the fighter, Sir.
- Yes, what is there?
- Specialists came to the conclusion that the through holes on the wing are most likely to have been made from an anti-aircraft machine-gun. - The officer handed a small sheet. - Here are the likely brands and characteristics.
The general started reading, and Tuccert Senior suddenly noticed his brother’s eyebrows move upwards with the naive and known from childhood face expression which was usually followed by a clumsy and equally naive question:
- They have eaten something spoilt there, haven’t they?
- What do you mean, Sir?
- These brands and types of anti-aircraft armament were used around fifty years ago. During the Second World War.
The officer moved his shoulders indeterminately. And when he went out the general explained to his brother:
- Can you imagine, old gun which simply made holes in the planes, and if it did not hit the engine or petrol tank those primitive fighters often reached their aerodromes safely.
- Why did not a modern fighter sustain the attack of such a gun?
- Other speeds. Because of them the plane “got undressed”. But how could they hit it at such height? And from where was the shot made if the pilot and the radar of his plane did not register anything at the surface of water and in the air, and the location station – nothing at the depth of up to one mile?

The situation around was under control now, and the people at the cruiser were allowed to move freely on the deck.
Professor did not hesitate to take this opportunity. He walked with pleasure looking  far into blue ocean. And then he stopped near the ship’s forepart and leaning on the side started looking at the water moving far below.
The speed of the cruiser was rather high judging by the fast movement along the side of stirring caps of semi-transparent jellyfish. Though... Professor thought for a while, then looked at the sun and at the compass with a clock. He touched his beard in perplexion, looked once again at the sun then again at the compass...
- Has anything worried you, Sir?
Tuccert turned his head and saw a sturdy blond sailor with a stripe on his sleeve just two steps away from him.
- Yes, my friend, something seems strange to me.
- A lot of things may seem strange on our ship to a civilian.
- It is not the ship that matters. Please, look here. Do you see jellyfish?
- Yes. There had been a lot of them on our way since morning.
- It should be so in this season. There is always a lot of jelly-fish in these places, and they are slowly moving southwards.
- You don’t like it for some reason, Sir, do you?
- Pay attention where their caps are turned by their outer side.
- Opposite our direction, Sir.
- But aren’t we sailing to the south?
- Yes, nearly strictly.
- It means, jellyfish are sailing to the North.
- Let them, Sir. Is it bad?
- They are migrating to the opposite direction, do you understand?
The sailor smiled showing all of his white teeth.
- If I were a jellyfish I would also sail wherever I liked.
- No, my dear, you are very much mistaken. You would obey orders not less than here, on the ship.
- You are joking, Sir. What orders can a jellyfish obey?
- Oh! Everybody is obeying orders in the ocean. Or it would me more correct to say – laws. I will not take you in by some complicated things, but just for example I will tell you that life here is more complicated than in a modern huge city. And there nobody moves as one likes. There are a lot of limitations and rules around – otherwise the city would have simply perished. And in the ocean, like in the city, everything goes according to schedules and cycles. Imagine that drivers on one of the streets decided to change the direction of traffic, what would happen at the nearest traffic lights?
- You want to say, Sir, that jellyfishes are doing something similar?
- Maybe, and possibly not only they, - the professor nodded to the pleasant lad and, moving away, said to himself: - Yes, it looks you have created a lot of problems in this district.
Thoughtfully he moved along the side of the ship and was already approaching the stern when he was troubled by an orderly.
- I must see you to the general, Sir!
- Marc, I do not want to upset you, but something happened at your ship. And quite possible we have missed the monster, - said Pete in an alarmed voice. – I cannot stop the search here, so you have to fly.

Tuccert recognized that very bay from air, when the plane was lowering down in circles, but of course he could not see their ship among others at the pier. But he saw the motor boat with the boys through the porthole covered with splashes of water at once when the hydroplane stopped its movement on water surface.
Hardly had he opened the side door the professor began in his tone usual in such cases:
- Why do I see you here?! Where is Christian?!
He began and stopped abruptly...
Two fellows in the boat were standing with lowered heads, and the third one, looking at him, started crying...

He himself remembered very well where that place was, that’s why he did not take any of the boys to the hydroplane.
- Shall we go down on water there? – the pilot asked.
- We won’t. Tell me, shall we be able to see the sunken ship from air?
- And at what depth?
- No more than two hundred feet.
- For sure. If it is there.

In half an hour the hydroplane came back to the bay.
- I will not stop here for long, - warned the professor, climbing into the boat. - Then we shall fly back.
- As you say, Sir, - nodded the military pilot, - we are at your disposal.

In a minute the motorboat arrived at that very free place at the pier where their ship was to stand, the ship, which – he saw its dark contours with his own eyes – found its peace at the bottom. And it was silly to think of miracles. But it was also horrifying to think about what was actually lying at the bottom, somewhere not far from the ship.

- So, there are no signs of the animal itself?
They continued sitting in the motorboat because the thought of going to some near shore caffee, to jolly and careless atmosphere of tourists seemed completely out of place.
- No, Professor. And when we got out from the trap...
- We did not turn back at once, Professor, because the boat was rushing too quickly and we had to hold very tightly not to fall out.
- And when we turned there was nothing at all. Neither this terrible water fence, nor our ship...
Marc Tuccert thought at once that submarines starting from yesterday evening examined this very near coast part of the hollow very accurately. How could the improbable giant hide from them if they had registered a large, but all in all average, squid that wanted to escape them? The speed of submarines is great, and broadening the zone of reconnaissance they were moving in such a way that nobody could hide and then return back to the checked territory. Maybe the monster was hiding near the coastline, in shallow waters? No, its size was too huge, this is the first. And, secondly, ‘the living fence’ which ran across the water, was the tentacles let out for snatching the prey just because the beast itself could not get out in shallow waters.
And Pete and his officers were wrong to think that the tentacles could be artificial, because the beast bit the bait put by the lads. What for does an enemy submarine need some pigs? These are two different stories- it, the fighter shot by it and a very terrible animal which rose from the depths.
Not only did Pete fail to find the enemy, he could not understand the logics of his behaviour. And now he could not understand where the monster was hiding.
- Have you thought about something, Professor?
- No. If we had at least one clue...
Somebody greeted them loudly from the pier upwards and, having raised their heads they saw a very elderly neatly dressed mulatto bending on a beautiful wooden stick.
- May I ask you, gentlemen, - he addressed them in good English, - do you know where the ship is which is attached to this place?
- What do you need it for? - asked Tuccert not too politely.
- I was in the office of the port and they told me that the place of mooring was exactly here.
- Here, - confirmed the professor, remembering his brother’s warning that one should avoid creating panic. - This is our ship, but it is not here at present.
The elderly mulatto looked at them from up and introduced himself.
Professor had nothing else to do but call his name.
The man looked at them attentively once again and spoke very politely:
- I do not dare to interfere in your affairs, gentlemen, that’s why I’ll be brief. I am the local meteorologist. And I always get on air with weather forecasts in the region of our island. Today in the morning a very strange piece of information got on the waves near mine. Your ship was called and the words:”To all who can hear me”...
Professor rose to his feet so abruptly that the boat swayed.
- And what else was there?!
- Unfortunately, then it was too brief, just one unfinished phrase:
“Improbable, but this creature is just...”
- Who?!
- Alas, then there was interference, and in a second there was clear air.
The professor lowered his head and stood like that for some time.
- Is it important? Or have I disappointed you?
- Thank you a lot in any case.
The elderly man made a farewell bow and lifted his stick but then, having thought about something, returned to the former position.
- I’ve just thought about something: many radio amateurs switch on their tape recorders when they come on air. These were short waves. It means the information from your ship could be heard by different people and even far away from here. You should address their international community.
The professor nodded reluctantly.
- Thank you. No doubt, we believe you.
- No, you did not understand me, - he smiled indulgently. – Interferences can be cleared up by special apparatus, and in one second a man can pronounce two or three words.

In a few minutes Tuccert communicated with his brother over the hydroplane’s transmitter.
- I will put all of them on the alert, Marc! And if any of radio amateurs has made a recording, it will not be too difficult for us to clear up the interferences. I’ve got a complete radioelectronic complex on the ship.
- Have you finished checking the hollow?
- Yes, and we have not found any enemy’s submarine. We are going back. It will take us around ten hours to make two hundred fifty miles. I think you had better wait on the island.
- So, you’ve given up the thought that an alien submarine was acting in this region.
- Vice versa. We came to the conclusion that we have to do with “stels”. Not with a plane, but with a submarine. And it is active not on big but on medium and even small depths. But it is not taken in by radar stations of the ship and the location station put up by us. Excuse me, Marc, soon we shall speak more in detail.

The hydroplane went back to the squadron. And they decided to have dinner somewhere on the embankment before the lads went to the neighbouring larger island to the local airport.

The dinner was not a dinner but just something...
Nobody hardly ate anything, and the guilt which the boys felt for all that had happened was so strong that Tuccert bought sedatives in the medicine store before saying good bye and told each of them to take them.






















Without a Premonition of Danger
It is strange that a man’s life can finish just like that.
He and Chris for these years that joined them together risked several times in the ocean. They lived through treacherous storms when every new wave approaching the ship threatens to become the last. They had been in a terrible surrounding of spotted tiger sharks attacking even if they are full and there is plenty of small and large fish around. An aqualangist never knows what this damned creature will do. And it does not know it either until a fatal spark is born in its tiny brain understanding only murder.
It was frightening, but every time they knew what they were dealing with, and without losing cold-bloodedness, they fought for their life. After all, the risk was a forced and conscious side of their profession.
“Improbable, but this creature is just...”, - Cristian had the time to utter.
He had a great capacity for observation and quick reaction.
“Just”... This was to mean that it was something quite known.
And why did Christian say “Improbable”?..
Professor stopped and looked aside. Where did he come lost in his thoughts?.. To the suburb of the town, it looks. That is not bad. He was tired of the ocean. And it was better to sit here in a caffee with local people than there among the tourists on the embankment.
“Improbable, but very simple”. Should he understand the last words of his unfortunate friend like this?
Tuccert suddenly shuddered from a terrible thought that the ocean monster may not kill people at once but send them to his terrible digestion cavity.
“No, - he tried to calm himself down hastily, - in any way a man must get suffocated there at once. Stop it! - a call-inner voice checked him. - You know very well that a man can keep himself up with the stock of oxygen in the lungs for a minute or even more.”
- Give me something to drink, - he asked a dark-skinned waiter sitting down hastily.
- What exactly, Mister?
- Well, give me brandy and coffee.
What the hell can it be?! “Improbable but simple”. Nothing came to his head, to the specialist in ocean fauna known all over the world.
Because it was “improbable”?
Tuccert drank his portion of brandy in a gulp and made himself stop for some time to begin to think more quietly.

Among geneticians the thought is growing stronger that reconstruction material of any living organisms possesses unbelievably great resources. And a significant part of gene information is connected not with what exists but with what could exist.
And what could exist? And with what living oceanic organisms could it be connected?
It seemed it was already possible to answer what the origin of all this was.
It was that very gamma-irradiation of oceanic waters.
Military men always think about the consequences when they have already done something wrong. Yes, even his students know that gamma-rays are capable of strengthening some agricultural products. Cereals, for example. To fortify means to strengthen.
But what has happened here, in the ocean?
Though... he might be thinking in a wrong direction.
A supersubmarine invisible for radars about which his brother was talking... Defensive fence which was built up in a ring... And that giant tentacle which could see? A synthetic manipulator launched from a giant ship. And did the observation capacity of Chris allow him to notice it?
This could not be excluded. Military-industrial complexes exist on both sides of the ocean. Besides one should not forget the recent past. For example the fact that the Russians were the first to come out into space and kept leadership there for a long time.
And what about the skeletons of people?.. A criminal and unscrupulous plan to deceive and frighten the enemy?
Yes, military men of all countries have similar and quite specific attitude to life. To somebody else’s life, first of all...
He remembered that when Pete declared to his father that he firmly decided to enter the navy officers’ school, father asked: “And do you understand that you will have to obey any order, my son?” - “I am sure that Motherland will never order me to do anything dishonest!” - Pete blurted out. “Now I will pray for it every day”, - was the answer. And Marc never doubted that father did that.
Oh, if only parents’ prayers could influence children’s deeds.
- Are you having rest, Professor? - Tuccert raised his head from the already empty coffee cup and saw the mulatto whose acquaintance he made today at the pier. - May I sit down?
- Yes, please. Would you like to have a drink?
- Thank you, not now. Have you managed to ask for information on air today?
- My brother is dealing with it. He commands a squadron which is not far and in the morning will approach the island.
- Really? - the elderly man’s eyebrows raised a little. - Something is wrong around us in the ocean, isn’t it? - but he smiled politely at once showing that he dismissed this problem possibly unpleasant for his interlocutor. And said himself: - But something is really wrong.
- If you mean the disappearance of our ship… - started Tuccert somewhat lost, not knowing how to behave further.
- No-no. I would not alarm you now by my interference. It is something else... You know, I’ve worked here for very many years. In half a year I will retire. I know everything here: nature, ocean, I will differentiate every small breeze. Watching the same thing for many years one begins to feel every small thing.
- And what are you feeling now?
- Different things... Take the birds, for example, sea-gulls, cormorants, suddenly the all shifted to the side opposite to the bay and the open ocean. - He pointed with his hand. - There, where my meteostation stands on a stony precipice. Local people are surprised and even worried because four days ago tuna and other large fish started leaving our waters. Old fishermen are feeling something wrong. They are simple people, they believe in spirits and different sea devils, that’s why some people went yesterday to a neighbouring island to a well-known witch. You know what he told them?
- What?
- Do not return back. Yes. And tonight many local people will take part in special rituals. I am a Christian and do not know well what they do there. But I guess that these people, thinking themselves to be the children of the ocean, possess deep feeling unknown to science yet. Or is it just empty mystic from your scientific point of view?
- I’ve never studied mystic but I know that a shark is able to react to blood in water long before even a single molecule reaches the shark’s nostrils or gills. You are right, we know almost nothing about complicated information chains, especially in the ocean. - Tuccert got animated feeling the familiar ground. - Or another example. Seaweeds, a colony of red seaweeds. It is not linked by a unitary root system. These are separately growing plants. I conducted an experiment in my own time. - Professor suddenly got worried. - Is it interesting for you?
- Very much, - nodded the other man sincerely.
- Fine! So, twenty percent of the weeds of the colony were cut down to the level when a separate branch can hardly resurrect.
- An extreme case for survival?
- Quite right. But in order not to perish the plant in these conditions must emanate certain chemical components on which I will not dwell. The most interesting comes next: the untouched sea weeds of the colony started almost at once growing these very elements in their composition.
- That is, preparing that the same thing will be done to them?
- Yes, but pay attention: not only did they find out in an ununderstandable way what had happened to their relatives, but they launched warning actions in response. What a powerful organism of collective survival!
- And these are just plants.
Warning notes could be heard in the man’s voice.
- Birds, you are saying? Tuna fish? – remembered Tuccert at once.
Suddenly the waiter who had been moving around somewhere nearby addressed him:
- Excuse me, mister, you were talking loudly and I heard something.
- It’s all right, my friend. Was it of interest for you?
- About the ocean and everything connected with it. And the main thing, my old dog.
- What’s happened to her?
- She used to go for a walk early in the morning near water. Where there is no tourists’ beach. You know these animals, gentlemen, no matter how you feed them they will always go and eat something somewhere. So she hunted or made fun of it in water where it was knee deep. But now she has not gone to the ocean for the second day. And even standing in the doors she growls towards it.
The mulatto looked at Tuccert very attentively, having added what had been said to the saving-box of his own fears.
- What about, - he suddenly suggested, - going to my station? It is quite near. The breadth of the island is only two miles. And I shall treat you to such rum which they will not serve you in the local places.
- Smuggled?
- Just so.
Tuccert agreed and looked at his watch. The time was already approaching evening. And when they were sitting down into a small open jeep of the meteorologist in order to go to the Western side of the island, the sun was already approaching the horizon. It means, it will dive there in half an hour, and the day, as it is usual in these lattitudes, will be followed by night, without any dusk.









An Attack
The general ordered the services of submarine location at his cruiser and on other ships to concentrate their attention on listening. Thanks God, in addition to supermodern radar systems he can use these acoustic methods, rather out-of-date, but very reliable.
There are no noiseless engines. So if the enemy appears somewhere near no stealth-defense will help him. And the jokes were over. To sink at once. There were no their own ships in this region. He specially rejected the services of two submarines which could come here quickly to act for sure.
He will get at the enemy and teach him a lesson!
One more important order was given. The noise of the engines is often masked by directing to its sound the sound of a moving large fish shoal. Most often, the sounds of herrings because there is a lot of it in Atlantic waters.
Well, there will be a little less.
“Hit at any source of the sound of fish shoals! - ordered the general. - We’ll see what’s what later”.
He went down to his saloon to change his uniform which had lost its freshness during the day.
There he felt some tiredness, and Pete, without changing, sat at the edge of the armchair for some minutes, trying not to think of anything at this time.

But he could not do it. He felt some vague sadness...
The farm was theirs, and father and Mark were working in the garden, putting the earth under apple trees. And he was quite small and had not seen the ocean as yet, but knew about it already, about that main thing for which he lived, for which he was standing on the porch. Over the head was the evening sky, but he did not want to go there, like other boys wanted to become pilots. His brother said something to father, both of them looked at him and burst out laughing. And he was deep in his thoughts and did not hear them but smiled in response. “You are the little lord of the oceans, yes?!” – asked his brother again. And he, having understood, happily waved his hands, and he loved them so much at the moment...
The general roused himself and got up. These childhood dreams were out of place. And he on his cruiser was not that little child in the garden. What strange thing came over him. He is the master! Of everything that is around! And the life of those who has been successfully hiding from him is still in his hands. It does not matter that they have hidden, it is just a little hitch. The blood that rushed to his face heated his forehead and cheeks, and the clenched fist went up on itself.
- Will you allow me, Sir? - his aide-de-camp asked for the permission to enter. - Information from headquarters: a radio amateur has been found who recorded the signals from your brother’s ship. The recording has already been transmitted, will you order the specialists to start working?
- Yes, at once. How long do they think will it take them?
- Some hours. And something else, Sir. Destroyers have hit fish shoals already thrice, they say whole fields of them are sailing their stomachs up.
- And what?
- Shall we not do something wrong here?
- We shall, - the general has already taken off his coat and started changing his shirt, - if it is necessary I will make fish soup in this damned place, like in a common saucepan.

The Western part of the island was rocky and elevated, uncomfortable for tourist beaches. As Marc noticed, there were no houses of local people there either, at least near the meteorological station, which was situated on a small rocky projection.
- The view is wonderful from here. Let’s be quick, until sun lightens the island and the bay.
Having surmounted two dozen steps they found themselves on a smooth stone observation ground which was at the same time a ground before a cozy one-storied white house.
- Look, - the host smiled and pointed with his hand at the bay and the town, surrounding it and going inside with its five or six blocks of buildings.
The sun behind their backs, as if reluctant to leave this piece of paradise, was putting its gentleness into warm reddish rays. And from here, from the distance of just two miles, blue still water could be seen in the bay and yellow-golden edges of beaches, small and larger bodies of white ships, and nearer to their side – red thatched roofs cut through with threads of greenery. Then there was a long and nearly straight main asphalt road along the island, and still nearer - about a mile of somewhat stony but covered with grass and bushes land, where some sheep were grazing.
- I’ve been looking at this blessed land for several dozen of years, Professor, but still every time I am looking with pleasure.
- Are you thinking of staying here when you retire?
- I would like to... – the host pronounced it as though some doubt glimpsed inside. – But the sun is setting, let us go inside the house.

- Real rum, Professor, is equal to all other drinks taken together. But unfortunately, only people of distant past understood it. Those who landed here from ships with sails.
- Oh, yes! This is great rum, - Marc Tuccert was enraptured already after the first sip.
- And you know, what is its another charm? It does not leave as a consequence those harmful products of alcohol disintegration which emerge from grapes’ alcohol or from whiskey. And by the way, I can tell you with what Fidel Castro has been treating his cancer for many years already: with this very rum which is on the table now.
- What are you saying?
- Yes, I’ve got information from the same channels with rum. I myself escaped from Cuba in my youth.
- Were you afraid of communism? That time many people still believed in it.
- Not of communism, but of herd instinct. It is easier to survive in a herd, but impossible to live. And still people are driven to it in the first place. Actually, the success of modern industrial civilization is also due to human herd feeling, don’t you think so?
- Standards of life, of consumption, of fashion? In the end result, standard motivation looking individual, do you mean this?
- Just this. But people, thank God, have critical reason. And the animals don’t have it, do they?
- You are again pushing me towards the thought of which I cannot get rid. About great mobilizing forces of the living ocean, about the fact that our science has always underestimated the resources of oceanic life. Recently in laboratory works I managed to solve one small riddle, though I have not published the results yet.
- Then don’t tell me, - suggested the host politely just in case.
- No, I’ll do it with great pleasure...- started Tuccert, but was interrupted by the host who offered him with a gesture to have some more rum first.

- M-m, wonderful! - the professor took a large very juicy strawberry with the drink, and the flavour of this wonderful combination made him forget everything for a second... but suddenly he noticed that his host, without drinking, was stiff with the glass in his hand and listened to something tensely.
Tuccert looked at the dark night window perplexed, then again at his host and... himself heard strange distant sounds sounding like blows and gnashing.
Both the men, without  arranging, hastened outside. And having run out to the observation ground, froze up simultaneously!
Giant white rays were moving, it seemed to the professor, over the sky lightened up by white moon. No, not rays, they were too large and uneven, trembling in all their parts, bending...
- There! - shouted the host in a hoarse voice, pointing towards the bay.
But there where he showed, behind a strap of lights on the embankment there was not any bay. Tuccert saw some white substance moving in the moonlight. And the town, down in front, was not a town any more. Covered and seized by a number of white bands it was just showing glimpses of light through their stirring snake-like tangle. Rattling noise coming from there became stronger and before all fires went out Tuccert saw the white tangle squeeze the town and drag it to the embankment.
He understood that something else was happening. The monstrous white tentacle walking across the sky suddenly shifted from the height towards them. And nearly at that moment something like sharp drum tapping sounded around. The man nearby fell down. Tuccert suddenly understood everything at once and to the end, and he also understood that the last moment of his own life was coming.






The Terrible Dawn
The general went to sleep at two o’clock at night, having ordered to be woken up at half past five. At six they were to approach the island where Marc was waiting for him.
But the general was woken up an hour earlier.
He had a disgusting feeling as though he did not sleep at all and could only close his eyes to open them again.
- Sir! We managed to take off the interference’s from the radio station.
- What is there?
- Only one additional word.
- Which?
- “A jellyfish”.
- A jellyfish?… I do not understand anything. Read the whole phrase.
The aide looked into the paper and pronounced very slowly, reading nearly every syllable:
- “It is improbable but this creature is just a jellyfish”.
“What nonsense... Or was his head not working yet? A jellyfish dragged two ships to the bottom? No matter how large it was it is just porous amorphous substance. What can it do at all?.. One should act, though, and not stand in the middle of the cabin in underwears only.”
- Immediately get connected to the radioservice of the island. Let them find my brother in the local hotels. And send a hydroplane for him there at once.

The woman was looking tensely in the contours of the night coastline half mile from the yacht...Was this the island or not? It was dark, there was no fire anywhere. She seemed to be sailing all the night rightly according to the compass. She might have been mistaken of course. Though this was not likely because she kept psychological control and did not afford drinking whiskey often.
This idiot was to finish badly sometimes. How much she was sick and tired of him in these six years of marriage. And but for the money...Though she was already thinking of sending everything to hell. God has rewarded her patience. Because her conscience was clear, because she asked her husband not to leave the yacht and go into water. But could one explain anything to this total fool?
Again everything glimpsed in her mind like a bright visual band.

Very beautiful peaceful ocean under low and already not hot sun. The yacht is slowly moving in autoregime, and she is sitting in the armchair on the deck without thinking of anything...
Her husband’s voice is always unpleasant to her, and what did he need over there on the bow? “I am coming! – she is shouting, displeased. – What do you want? Can’t I sit quietly for a while?”
First she was astounded by the beauty which she saw. A huge white transparent cap of a jellyfish and tentacles going in garlands under water, gently marble with changing blue play of colours. In the diameter the cupola was about two human heights. “Twelve feet as minimum, - her husband says and hurries to stop the yacht. – This is a phenomenon! I read that the known size of jellyfish cap is not more than eight feet”.
It looks, the jellyfish is also not against new acquaintances. As though understanding her beauty it sways and moves its cupola...
She did not like it at once when her husband snatched underwater camera and began putting on his flippers. “This is dangerous, don’t you understand? Jellyfish can cause serious burns.” – “Nonsense, I won’t sail nearby. But I do have to shoot its underwater part. Unique cadres, I will enter history with them!” – “Listen to my advice once in your life! Do not approach this...viper”, - she said not knowing why.
The jellyfish stopped quite near, at the distance of eighty feet, but when the man went down into water it made a movement towards him. Having noticed this, she wanted to shout a warning...but the flippers, dragging her husband under water, already threw up some splashes into the air. One could only watch. But if she knew what she would see at once!
The white transparent cap waited for some time, then easily and almost at once went to its side, showing elastic tentacles which were thick like a lantern post near their basis, with invisible ends going under water. The cap took them in and pushed away resiliently. There, where her husband has just disappeared under water. For two or three seconds the jellyfish remained in the side position and then went back to the former vertical one, only the cap was moving on the water swiftly, with shivering edges, as though troubled by something down.
First she thought that the damned creature was beginning to change its colour because everything began to darken in the middle of the transparent cap. Then she felt the ends of her hair become cold and only then did she understand that she saw a man in convulsions inside the cap.
She tried to save him. She rushed to the deck house and, launching the engine, directed the bow of the yacht straight to the jelly fish to cut up the viper! And reached it almost at once...
But it made a jerk, changed its place at the last moment and sailed past the side of the yacht. Having rushed to the deck and looking from above she saw the twisting body inside the jelly-like cap and the arms moving in an attempt to do something.

The woman reached for the bottle standing near, poured a little to the glass and drank... It is strange, is this the island where they sailed from two days ago or not? One should sail around once again and have a look.
The sky near the horizon was brightened up by a shining thin stripe of sun ready to appear.

The general spent disgusting, though not very long time till sunrise. He was alarmed most of all not even by the island’s silence, but by the information from the hydroplane. The pilot could not come down in the bay because he could not see in the darkness not only the lighthouse and coordinate fires, but any light down at all.

Only now it came to her head: who will believe in such unusual death of her husband?.. The problem was serious. Now it will be difficult to prove anything at court. The surely will not look for that damned jellyfish.
Two people at the yacht... What if one of them simply pushed the other into water?
The sun started moving from behind the horizon and the light embraced everything around very quickly.
No doubt, it is the same island. The familiar strap of sand beach, it means a little further was the entrance to the bay.
And in daylight she noticed that all around was full of small jelly fish. The yacht was virtually moving in them. What disgusting creatures with which one had to meet so often?! It is good they were small at least. The woman came out to the deck and looked over the side carefully. Yes, they were small and almost the same. They were also moving, only in the opposite direction, to the open ocean, working with their caps, turning to their side and spreading out their small harmless sprouts.
Yes, it was decided! If she tells what happened in reality, her words will be considered a lie. And that means she will be suspected of her husband’s murder. She might not have seen that jelly fish. That’s why it is better simply to point out the coordinates where her husband was doing underwater shooting and did not return from under water.
Once again she looked overboard to the flood of jelly fish sliding around and past and suddenly, narrowing her eyes, started looking attentively... Then she sprang back and wiped off the sweat which had appeared on her forehead. She should take some more whiskey. Because of sleepless night and everything she went through she started having disgusting visions: in semi-transparent caps of jelly-fish she seemed to see bright red specks of blood.
The Name of the Enemy...
The search for the people who possibly stayed alive went on for the whole day.
- All the same, look and look! - insisted Pete Tuccert.
Rescue forces came from other islands and were brought from the continent by planes. But soon it became nearly clear that in the place of the former town they will have to deal only with smashed and pressed in the ground dead bodies. And there were quite few of them due to some reason.
By midday there were so many rescuers on the island that it was possible to call back his own sailors and engage in another search.
And he had a very unpleasant talk in this connection an hour ago with the Minister.
- Do you seriously believe, General, that it was done by a jellyfish? - the voice in the air was too dry.
- I have no other hypothesis, Sir. And I am sure that there were no explosions in the town. The character of destructions is purely mechanical.
- But the jellyfish could not attack the plane?
- It could not, Sir. We are continuing to work in two directions.
- What must its size be?
- Several hundred yards in diameter.
- Your squadron was moving in unfolded order, wasn’t it? It means, radar systems blocked the exit from this part of the ocean?
- Exactly, Sir.
- This is rather solid and very large body if it can sweep away lodgings. But you did not find it. Where has it disappeared then? I can say at once that it did not come to us to the North. Large maneuvers are going on to the North of you, they would have surely noticed.
What was said sounded like a frank reproach, though why it was made was not clear, that’s why Pete Tuccert simply kept silent.
The minister felt the tension which he had created, and finished less strictly:
- Well, continue, General. We have no doubts in you.
In the military language it meant just: “We are waiting for the results”.
He could not stop thinking about his brother. And he could not think about him. Only when the body is found the man is buried finally, and he shuddered at every new piece of information about the work at the island.
It was already clear that the gigantic monster had dragged into water many hundreds of people. Now it was not even clear how many exactly. And those who perished smashed by the ruins were much less.
And the Minister was right, where has the jellyfish itself disappeared? Everything has been examined at the distance of dozens of miles...
To be honest, he felt perplexed. And he should ask for help to encircle all this region.
Two hours ago he ordered his aid to get into Internet and find out all the main information about jelly fish there. The main thing which he has always been taught was to get as much information as possible about the enemy.

And suddenly he heard what he was expecting and afraid to hear.
- Sir, your brother has been found!
Tuccert stood up and froze for a moment...
- How could you recognize him? - he asked in a low voice looking ahead of him to the floor.
- By the card which was attached to his shirt. But they said he was alive, Sir. Though his condition is very grave.
- Alive?! - the general swaged and, having looked for the armchair behind, he slowly sank into it.
- On the other side of the island, where they had not searched yet. There there is a meteostation shattered as if from gun attack, a man’s body, and under a rocky precipice below...
- What’s happened to him?!
- Scull-brain injury, fractures. He must have jumped from the precipice, they think. Then for a long tome he was lying without help.
- Sir, we can send our medical team by hydroplane, - prompted someone nearby.
- There is no necessity, - interfered the reporting officer. - A neurosurgeon has already arrived at the island among others. They say they will start operating in a few minutes.
Pete Tuccert regained control. His brother is only one of a great number of victims. A wonderful smile of luck. For himself, but not for many others.
- One more piece of information, Sir. An order from Headquarters.
- Which?
- To provide security of a tourist liner which started an hour ago from Caracas and tomorrow morning will be crossing the region under our control.
“What a present”, - thought Tuccert and ordered to direct one of the destroyers to guard the liner.

An Offensive
An old worn out fishing trawler has been fishing in the waters of Central Atlantics for half a year already. Its flag was Polish, and the crew was mixed, consisting of Lithuanians, Ukrainians and Poles. They sold fish in the ports of Central America and the earnings were not bad at all, taking into consideration nearly beggarly life in their own countries. That’s why after selling the next catch they drank a lot.
And in order not to do some mischief being drunk and not to find themselves in local police station (at first such a thing happened to them) they drank on their ship. They got some crates of strong alcohol and, having sailed to the ocean, they heaved to drift. Usually they drank everything in two days and on the third they began to get sober and start working.
Young sailors quickly returned to the normal condition after that but the problem was the captain. His age and too large alcohol experience showed, and the captain subsided headache on the morning of the third day with huge doses of analgin, and by the middle of the day shifted from sick condition to nervous with aggressive tinge. Everybody was accustomed to it, as well as to the fact that the captain got out at that time with a carbine to the bow and shot at sea gulls calling them “psya krev” – dog’s blood. Nobody knew why seagulls had dog’s blood, neither was anyone interested in it.

Maybe this time hangover was more than usual, or he was unlucky, but today the captain was all the time missing the target, and because of this getting more and more furious.
The team was meanwhile sitting at the stern, smoking and sorting out the nets tying up lose or torn holes. It was a peaceful occupation for sailors, almost rest.
- Jellyfish, psya krev! – they heard from the bow invisible from the deck house.
And two shots were fired almost simultaneously after these words.
- The old devil started firing at jellyfish, - said one of the sailors lazily.
- Still better than at seagulls, - answered another, - it was considered before that drowned sailor’s souls live in them.
Some mouths were opened to voice their enlightened opinion about it but a strange ringing sound shortly sang in the air and straight after that the captain shouted something incoherently and hoarsely.
- He seems to have hit the deck, - it seemed to one of the sailors. - Has he fallen down there?
- Even if he has he will get up anyway.
But the quiet on the bow, without cursing and shots, soon alarmed them.
Some more minutes passed, and the motor-mechanic who was the closest to the deck house stood up reluctantly to go and see.
- Our cap will drink himself to white fever, - offered his opinion one of the sailors.
- N-no, he is a strong devil still, - objected another.
But the discussion was not to take place, because there was a voice calling everybody from the bow part.
- He must have hit his head, - concluded the skeptical sailor, and, lazily standing up from their seats, the other seven did not argue with him.
The captain was really lying flat on his back holding the carbine in his half-opened hand. Only one could notice at once that this hand was looking quite dead...
- Has he died...
- Open your eyes! – suggested the motor-mechanic.
And everybody saw that the body of the captain was covered with some black spots.
At once some people were willing to see nearer and even to touch.
- It is pricking! - one of the sailors took away his hand and put his finger in his mouth.
- It looks like small needles, - agreed another and everybody again paid attention to the motor mechanic.
- Look what is overboard!
The people raised their heads.
Just along the bow of the ship about a hundred feet in front on the water there was lying... a jelly fish. But of such size which no one has ever seen even in their dreams.
- The cap is around sixty feet diameter, isn’t it?
- If not more.
The ship with the engine not working was still, and the jellyfish too. It was moving its huge round rim rhythmically up and down and seemed to be waiting for something.
But jellyfish was a jellyfish, and the corpse covered with strange black needles was a corpse.
People stared at it again, astounded. And the motor mechanic who was standing at the very bow also wanted to turn his head, but the eyes did not obey the man and kept looking at the water surface.
From transparent ocean depth from left and right side of the jellyfish something was moving. Two or three seconds, and... near the giant beauty two similar ones appeared.
- Holly Virgin! - exclaimed the Pole loudly, inviting Virgin Mary to join his surprise.
Maybe he was heard in the Heavens, but he was not heard behind, where the noise around the body had already started.
The jellyfishes moved having formed a triangle by their white spheres on the blue transparent background and at once seemed to have started breathing in unitary rhythm, trying to approach each other still closer.
The man saw the water space in the middle of the great triangle start shrinking, diminishing, and its outside rounded lines straighten. He was about to open his mouth to call his comrades, but instead of this froze in new surprise.
Now the water in the middle of the triangle has completely disappeared, and it began jerking and shaking its edges transforming into one single semi-transparent body...

The man suddenly felt by all his skin covered with small cold that the colossus which had been formed was much larger than their immobile and helpless ship, and the body of the captain was just the beginning of something much more terrible. He even did not shout because he rushed back as fast as he could, pushing away his comrades on the way. Their, down, to the motor compartment, to the engine!
Fear is the best guide to fast action, and it dictates its own considerations.
The motor mechanic for some reason slammed the deck metal door with small dirty porthole, and, having rushed down the short steps began to start the resting engine.
It took five or six seconds to do the business usual for his hands, and his breath seemed to have stopped for that time. Here, the ignition went on, the engine started rattling and in the same moment with the man breathing already calmly valves and pistons started working.
The motor mechanic shifted the clutch lever to the back movement and wanted to put engine at full regime when the ship sharply slanted aside and he himself fell on the floor and hit himself on the partition. The pistons were working now not before him but above him, it means, his mind dictated to him at once, the ship is slanting by ninety degrees. It is the end. Because the water must have rushed to the holds!
The man tried to stand up on his feet and he managed to, but again everything started moving God knows where... And then it became clear that the ship returned to its former position, but the deck was unlikely to be over water, because in all the cracks of the iron door from up and from sides water was gushing with great strength.
“Death! – it glimpsed in his head. – The door can’t be opened outside now, and one can’t get out of here!”.
“Why and for what – so suddenly? – it sounded sadly in his mind. – There, in their poor town, there were his wife and small daughter, and old mother...”
His feet were in water already up to the ankles, and it was increasing rapidly. How long can he breathe?! Breathe... Something in his head clutched at this word and started prompting something. Breathe... Yes, he will be able to breathe! In this old metal box there was a rubber suit with an aqualung. The one which was meant for a special case, for underwater repair of the bottom or the screw. Only the water was already reaching his knees. Quicker, until it reached the doors of the box, then it will be impossible to open it! Five steps, and the foam has already reached the doors. The man, falling, caught at the handle of the door and pushed it towards him. Thank God, it has opened. The suit was on the hanger, and even opened in all its length. How should he put it on?
He understood at once – he should climb into the box and get himself in the rubber cover there itself.
The water was gushing upwards, and the moments of life were counted. But what luck! He at once got with his right leg to the rubber groove. Now he should turn his back and insert his left leg... He hesitated a little but still managed to do it and put the zip up just when the water approached his groin. He won some important seconds to throw out the hanger from under his back, put his arms in the rubber groves and zip from the middle of his stomach to the neck... Again he managed! They must be praying for him in his small town. He was not afraid of water seething near his chest, now he will pull on the hood and it will attach the rubber on the neck by adhesive tape.
It was ready! And the air started entering his lungs through the valve which he had opened...
The man, calming down, inhaled and exhaled several times, and water for this short time had already covered his head, leaving just a small layer of air above. But it also disappeared in two-three minutes.
Now he could get out, the pressure inside and outside has become equal and the door to the deck should open easily.
And he should be in a hurry. Nobody knows how deep the ship had sunk.
The man opened the door without much effort and at once was calmed down because water was quite light and visibility in it was excellent. It means the depth was no more than one hundred fifty feet.
“What now? – there appeared a question which had not come up before due to understandable reasons. – Where to swim? It was more than ten miles to the shore, and there were sharks in the ocean. And somewhere above was the damned monstrous jellyfish!”
It was fortunate that there was a panel with fire-prevention equipment. He must certainly take an axe.
The man unfastened a small sharp axe and thought that it was the best to swim meanwhile on this depth to get away from the jellyfish. He thought... and lost all guidelines in the whirling watery silence. Then he felt that he was firmly seized across his body and was moving.
Up, he understood, and this saved him from freight. The axe was also with him, firmly clutched in his hand. The sunlight was somewhere very near, it means the surface was almost overhead... But what is this? The force possessing his body moved him further not up, but sidewards and he found himself in a strange whitish forest. As though on a small space between slimy trees which closed above him their shivering crowns.
The spectacle was in its own way so wonderful that it again saved him and closed the road to fear.
Then he was slowly dragged up, and the man understood what actually was happening.
“The jellyfish! Going to devour me”.
Presence of mind is a great thing and it allowed him to evaluate the situation soberly.
“I’ll go out from your behind like from a devil’s!” – said the man to himself, squeezing the axe tighter.
It’s true, it was uncomfortable to hit the tentacles by the axe in water, and it had a lot of other tentacles.
“Why fight them in vain? – decided the sailor for his future actions. – I’ll get out through the roof!”
Trying to think now only of keeping the axe, the man did not understand at once that his body had been let off, and he himself was already not in water but somewhere else...
In transparent but sticky substance. It took some effort to exhale, and to move as well.
In order to find one’s way better he should move around. He turned almost by  hundred and eighty degrees and... let go of his axe. Just near him was an immobile body oozing with blood. The sailors uniform which was saturated with it, wide open arms with just some remnants of skin and awful, though still preserving its features, face. And just near, a little aside, was frozen another of his former comrades, hunching and drawing in his legs.
“The axe?!” – he remembered in panic but saw it at once, near his feet.
He had to get it, but when he did it, bending, the transparent substance started moving and sucking in another body from down. It was alive! It was jerking and trying to clutch at something with its hands. One second at it will be near him, will clutch at him...
The man started moving with all his strength sideward, where there were no awful corpses. Sidewards and up.
The sun and air were almost above his head, he saw the open water surface as if through a turbid glass. But his head touched solid elastic membrane. “About two feet thick, - decided the man. – And at the edge it will be thinner. There it is easier to cut through.”
He moved around ten feet to the side, but stopped: straight in front of his eyes a round bluish tube going to the left and to the right with its rim was sparkling. “About eight inches in diameter”, – he calculated and at once justly thought that it was not just like that but some organ of the damned monster.
He used his axe.
From the first blow the man slightly recoiled – the tube glittered inside and threw out blue sparks at the injured place. “Eh, you seem to be electric, - he decided. – Doesn’t matter, my axe has a wooden handle”.



What and Where From?
The materials for General Tuccert.
Life on Earth from simple unicellular forms transformed to complicated multicellular more than 500 million years ago. The first complex multicellular became polyps – organisms which acquired outer (surface) and inner digestion area, plus feelers or branches meant for seizing food. Mouth opening of the polyp is in its upper elongated part surrounded by tentacles-feelers.
Polyps are in their essence predators. And their first food were unicellular organisms. A very important feature of the polyps is that they are capable of forming large colonies with unitary collateral system (of root type) allowing to use the food digested by separate polyps for the life of all members of the colony.
Polyps were formed as creatures attached to water surface but alongside with that they acquired the capacity to produce out of themselves a floating polyp – protomedusa. This is something like a polyp turned with its mouth opening down.
This is the most common version about the origin of medusas.
Alongside with it there is a competing theory the author of which is a well-known scientist Marc Tuccert.
He also proceeds from the fact that complex multicellular forms emerged in primary oceanic bacterial “broth”. But he thinks that the primary forms were not polyps but medusas. Oceanic broth was overfilled with microorganisms and this process was sure to result in inner aggressive struggle with each other. It was the, before appearance of complex multicellular forms, that the collective form of survival started developing. Bacterial systems of one and the same species started joining and throwing out clots of their protoplazma substance, containing products bearing poison for the more  dangerous rival. For active work of these clots there was a necessity in a mechanism sucking in and letting out water (pumping), the most primitive form of which is a cap with a mouth opening.
Clots of such defensive protoplasma shaped as “cups” turned up with their mouth opening and attached to underwater surface were the first colonies of complex forms, but not of multicellular but jelly-like substances. Colonies of joined individuals with common system nourishing them. Hard multicellular polyps were formed later on their pattern. But millions of years before that jelly-like structure, continuing its fight in the ocean, had to adjust to its deepening (at first ocean spaces were very shallow) and got the capacity to gemmate the protomedusa.
This early prehistory did not awake much interest in the general, because it did not tell him with what he was dealing now.

When Marc Tuccert regained consciousness he at once understood where he was, judging by the white smocks surrounding him.
- Do you hear us, Professor? Answer only by your eyelids, do not try to talk now.
He closed and again opened his eyes.
- Fine, - one of the doctors lowered his voice and asked again: - And can you hear me now?
“They are checking the degree of brain’s injury”, - he understood, again answering only with his eyelids.
Three doctors smiled contentedly. Then the one who was asking made some steps backwards and showed him two fingers.
- Show with your eyelids how many fingers you saw.
Professor did it and they liked it even more.
- Well, wonderful! Recovering will take a lot of time, though. But we can calm you down – you do not have any too serious injuries dangerous for life.
“It means I’ve got some significant ones”, - thought Tuccert. But he was feeling his hands... and feet too. Maybe he could even move them a bit, but either he did not have the strength or simply did not want.
His mind... the head was working. Limply, sleepily, but he understood everything, and, the main thing, remembered.
He did not remember though what had happened to him when there, on the ground, the man whom he was visiting fell down suddenly... But all the rest, the attack of the medusa on the city... Yes, it was just a medusa, a jellyfish. “Jellyfish” – that very last word that poor Christian had no time to pronounce. Cyclope-like, of great size. How could it penetrate into the bay unnoticed? And generally, penetrate with its enormous body through a very narrow passage? How could it stay unnoticed in the ocean for Pete with his great machinery catching everything?.. Yes, that time on the observation ground he understood it all and now he will remember something else...
But suddenly he felt very sleepy.

The materials for General Tuccert.
The structure of the medusa.
Being  one of the most ancient representatives of the animal world, medusa is still very complicated. First of all one should note that it possesses both hearing and sight.
The general shuddered from such unexpected information and continued reading with greater interest.
The medusa has a complicated multichannel nervous system, consisting of the rim ring in the cupola and at least eight radial (vertically situated in the same place) channels, communicating with each other through the above mentioned ring.
From the cupola, in the place where the channel, joining the ring, forms a knot, there goes a Tentacle-feeler (Ropaly) with the continuation of the nervous channel, which, almost near its end, has a special complex: a crystalline lens, nervous stimulating cells, pygmentation cells. In other words, it is the main and sufficient elemental base of the organ of vision, analogous to that of highly developed animals and the man. Until recently it was considered that with the help of tentacle eyes the medusa can see only light or dark shades. But in the last few years more and more scientists insist that it can see (and maybe very well) contours and the main colours.
Hearing apparatus of the medusa (more often called organs of balance) also structurally resemble the ear but it has no been studied so far to what extent these apparatus percept noises.
Medusa is a predatory creature. It devours everything starting from sea-weed to small fish and shrimps. Digestion cavity of the medusa is in the cap, taking its whole inner space. Hard remnants of food are spat out by it through that very mouth cavity. In order to feed itself a medium-sized medusa pumps daily 2,5-3 tons of sea water.
There is a great number of varieties of medusas. Not all of them live in the Atlantic.
The most dangerous medusa in the world is the so-called “Wasp”. It is transparent, very beautiful, with solid cable-like feelers. The diameter of its cap is not more than one foot. But its poison is ten times more dangerous than that of the cobra or rattle-snake. It can be found on Australian coast. There are dozens of cases when the bathers were burned by it and perished even if they were standing waste deep near the shore. The white medusa mostly spread in Atlantics is much less poisonous if it is not of a very large size.
The largest medusas registered by science so far were about eight feet in the diameter of the cupola and had tentacles one hundred fifty feet long. In other words, the relation of tentacles to the cap is 20 to 1, though sometimes it is much less.
The general stopped reading and thought it over...
If the cap of the giant medusa was three hundred yards in diameter... Well, let it be not twenty, but ten to one. It means that the length of the tentacle can reach one and a half mile. A charming result, nothing to say!



The Best Rest is Rest at Sea
Tourist liner “Sea Star” has already left Caracas and just leaving the port the captain got a telegram from his company in which it was told about a strange destroyer which was to accompany them on the route for some reason.
- What the devil? - he said worried after reading the message, looking at his mate. - Are we in danger? In this case immediately ask for information about the measures of defending people.

The answer came in twenty minutes, but instead of clearing up the picture it strengthened the embarrassment.
It was suggested not to make the tourists nervous in any case and just to inform them that maneuvers were conducted in this region, and the destroyer would just follow the parallel course for some time.
- I wonder at what distance this monster armed to its teeth is going to follow? – the captain, enraged even more, commented. - I hope, not close? People are not idiots, they will start guessing that something is wrong!

By the evening General Tuccert had a very difficult conversation with his subordinate – captain of the destroyer.
- I am six miles away from “Sea Star”, - he reported. - I am asking for detailed instructions as to further actions.
This was the main difficulty for the general which he has not overcome as yet.
- Keep at this distance from the liner and control the space around. Attack any large biological object if you find any for total destruction. The appearance of a gigantic medusa is not excluded. Quite possibly, not from the surface of the ocean but from the depth. That’s why put in action submarine location. - And he finished the communication abruptly: - It is all for the present!
All, but not all. There were a lot of things he did not like at all in what he has already read about medusas.
Ah, if Marc could give help. But the doctors say that after the operation he will be recovering gradually and for a very long time. But it was his brother who created some peculiar theory which is impossible to understand by short Internet information.
There is something in it, in this primary existence of medusas among all the animal world of the planet. Such immensely huge world...
His father once said to him: “The man is insignificant when he does not understand the enormous”. Pete took his words as an unclear metaphor then. And now he suddenly started understanding that the hugeness of the world is concentrated not only in its nearly endless separate varieties, and not in the mysteries seen by religious vision, which are important but only spiritual eye, but also in real vastness of nature forces. Forces – that is what finally determines the face of this world. And, one should admit to oneself, he has lived for many years in this insignificant human category believing lovingly in exclusive and nearly unique military force...

A young man with somewhat coffee like colour of his skin sailed from the shore on a small oar boat. He threw an old anchor, which was fastened with an elastic roap through a ring, from the bow, threw off his shirt tied at the stomach and remained in his swimming trunks. Then he took off an inexpensive watch from his hand and looked at the time. There were a little ove two hours till his waiter’s shift in a local restaurant. It means he could spend one hour diving, as was his habit, for rock lobsters. And he did no need more time, because tiredness before work was not good.
Many people did this business in between other occupations, and sometimes with good profit for themselves. They were diving simply, without flippers, only with glasses and the net for the captives tied at the waist. One could not have a big catch that way, but if one was lucky it was possible to catch about one and a half dozen. Small ones – for himself, and large, so-called “a la carte” were taken with pleasure in all small restaurants for two and a half dollars. So, if one was lucky, it was possible to earn twenty dollars, and if not it was still enough for a couple of cans of beer.
It was not difficult to dive here, the depth was about fifteen feet, hardly twenty.
And it was very pleasant to go under water from heat. The bottom was sandy, with scattered smooth small stones. The sun, penetrating easily from above, was playing with its rays about them, and one should just look where a rock lobster was hiding, giving itself away by long feelers. And sometimes it was just moving along the bottom swaying its tail. It was better, of course, when there were several of them at once.
Sharks, large and dangerous for man, appeared here rarely, and the experience stored up by every diver from his childhood, allowed to know their still invisible proximity. For example by the sharp turn of fish shoals in one direction. And the main thing was to look around all the time, unconsciously, because of acquired habit. Though, of course, all kinds of things happen to the divers. But nothing has ever happened to him.
The lad dived two times without any result, and for the third time pulled out by its feelers a small rock crab. So, having got onto his boat and thought a little he threw it back overboard. Let it grow up, it will not get away in any case.
Then he decided that this was an unlucky place and rowed two hundred feet further.
Here he was lucky from the very beginning. He pulled out a large one and noticed where another one was hiding. Then the business went jolly well: he caught three, not very big, but not too small, good enough to take home. It appeared to be a good place, because in ten minutes he caught two more large ones.
He had a little rest on the boat, screwing up his eyes in the sun.
And then he was again lucky with such a large one, almost a giant. He thought that twelve and a half bucks were already in his pocket.
He looked at his watch with pity – he had just ten minutes left, but decided to dive a couple of times more by all means.
The depth here was about twenty five feet and from the edge of the area around which he had dived the bottom was lowering. He should look there now.
There were no rock crabs and he already went up to have a little rest and a new portion of oxygen when he saw aside and a little down from him a grand almost immobile jellyfish, about four feet in diameter. But his sharp trained eyesight caught something else besides its pale gentle transparency. And a sudden and very interesting thought came to his head.
Such strong jellyfish feed on shrimps just near bottom and can suck in all kinds of things. And recently there was a storm which always disturbs underwater ground. How many interesting things were there which had sunken in five hundred years! Up to the present treasure hunters come here, and local people find old Spanish golden coins.
Something dark stirred over there, in the cap of the jellyfish.
He slanted the side of the boat and took out a rather large folding knife from a cloth bag. Then he took in air and again went under water.
The jellyfish was swaying in the same place and from up, at the distance of some feet, it was well seen that the cap was really filled with something.
He opened his knife and, having come nearer, hit the further edge, to cut the cap through the middle.
The knife easily went through the jelly-like cover but the medusa did not like it – it stirred, moved threatening with an attack of burning tentacles, that’s why without understanding what was it that his hand had clutched at he sharply went up, squinting the distance to the bottom of the boat seen above.
Something rather hefty was dragging there, on the other end of the tow which his hand had caught.
In happy expectation he swam out just near the boat and snatching at it with his empty hand he got his catch inside. The object hit the wood and... looked at him. With huge eyes without eyelids in the skinless, as if scalded face. And in eaten away places of lips beautiful white teeth were trying to smile to him. The face was female because long black hair having coiled around his hand did not let it go...
He started breathing curtly and began jerking his hand trying to set it free. The head was hitting the bottom jumping without taking its eyes away from it, and the man screamed because the eyes, getting more and more angry because of such treatment, hated him and the teeth started greedily looking for the moment to bite into him.
The scream helped, or something else – he did not remember, he was swimming, having pushed away from the boat, to the shore, swimming and screaming in order to let out the horror, from which his brain wanted to escape and get lost in the darkness.

The materials for General Tuccert.
Medusas have the so called stinging  cells (nematosyfts) which are contained in great quantity in their tentacles. The stinging  cell is a complex construction, and it is very surprising and uncomprehensible how it could emerge in the very beginning of the Earth multicellular life. There is an opinion that it is a structural macrosimilarity to a virus.
About its structure.
The stinging cell is a small capsule with a core and a spiral tightly wound round it. The spiral is meant for destroying the enemy towards which the capsules are thrown out. It untwines, straightening stiffly and acquiring the dynamics of propeller bullet and stings into the victim. The liquid composition of the capsule is highly toxic (to a different degree in different kinds of medusas). It has burning or nervous-paralitic action and paralyses respiratory tract. Sometimes, as in case of famous Australian “Wasp” all these toxic agents are present simultaneously.
In short, the stinging  cell can be likened to a mechanism throwing out a very stiff poisonous arrow. That is why an unfortunate encounter of a man with a medusa can become mortal, and with the medusas of highly toxic types it always ends like that.
Fortunately such tragic contacts are rare.
The general put the materials aside thinking at once that one should speak about “rare encounters” in the past tense.
But the most important thing of what he had read was something else.
“Let us imagine, - he said to himself,  a medusa that is hundred times more than its usual representatives. What will these small spirals in its stinging cells be like?.. A pivot straightening in the air having the diameter of a large-caliber bullet. That is what it is like, most probably. There has never been any enemy submarine in this region. The fighter was attacked by a medusa which is capable of momentous throwing out its tentacle at big height and attacking the plane. And the locator only had time to show the interference to which the pilot who had been holed, did not pay attention.”
He demanded to connect him with the commander of the destroyer.

Liner “Sea Star” started enjoying itself after supper.
The sun in its usual manner sharply fell behind the horizon but gloriously beautiful southern night sky came to change it. The stars were of the freshest silvery purity. Near the equator the stars are seen much better and the unpolluted atmosphere over the ocean opens them like precious stones cleaned by the jeweler, as though wishing every time to surprise by its treasure.
People were admiring it all, walking along brightly lit decks and even those who were attracted by bars and games of chance were not in a hurry to leave. There were not numerous lovers of night bathing but they stood at a distance from each other near the huge swimming pool with sea water. The pool had an advantage of imitating underwater landscape: small seaweeds, little harmless crabs, fishes of queer shapes, some small, very neat jellyfish... But it did not prevent them from throwing all this overboard transforming all in a purely sportive swimming pool, and the next day they again caught all this small fish and filled the swimming pool with it.
There was another fun at the liner. In the lowest bow part of the ship there was the so-called “underwater bar” – the pride of the owners of the ship, invented in the very process of designing the vessel. Though the idea was not very complicated from the point of view of construction: the underwater bow part had shutters gliding along the body, and behind them was another body made of absolutely transparent glass. That very glass which is used on space “Shuttles”. The public who came to the bar for the first time and did not know this trick appeared suddenly sitting inside water.
Of course there were extraordinary occurrences. But the biggest thing which had happened was with an exquisite young lady who spilled her cocktail straight in her bra and, being nervous, slapped a gentleman who wanted to help her with a napkin. Otherwise there were just small things. Then the public went to this bar with pleasure because sailors all the time baited curious dolphins or, throwing out a net with fresh meat,- sharks. All in all, it was never boring there, even at night, because projectors lighted up dark water around and the effect of movement in it created a very special impression.

- Well, Captain, - Tuccert began, having heard first the obligatory in such cases report of the destroyer about the situation over there, - if you see any sign of a large body in the ocean take away all people from the deck and do not be surprised if you are attacked from something like automatic arms. It will not be a military opponent but the arrows of a medusa.
- Excuse me, Sir?
- Don’t you hear me well?
- Sorry, Sir.
- Immediately connect with the captain of the liner and give him my categorical requirement to be ready to clear the decks from people if there is a signal for it.
- Yes, Sir.
Having finished this conversation, Tuccert caught a rather surprised glance of one of his mates.
- Do you want to say anything?
- I thought, Sir, if it would not be better if you gave such command yourself, personally, to the captain of the liner. It would be more authoritative.
- Not better. Because he will get an opportunity to ask me about the reasons of what’s happening, and even argue. And like this there will be an impression that the order has been issued at the highest level along the executive links, and there is nobody to appeal to.
- Psychologically it is very correct, Sir, - agreed his mate smiling.
Tuccert again returned to the unpleasant thought that he understood the probable actions of the medusa very badly... What actions? It was not clear up to now where this monster was hiding and from where the hell it can appear.
- Two messages, Sir! - addressed him some of the officers.
- What’s in them? Do not read but say the main idea.
- Speaking in short, Sir, in the first one it is said that fishermen picked up a sailor from a Polish trailer. The fellow was swimming for several hours, and besides he speaks English very badly. But the people understood that his boat had been either by a jellyfish or by several of them. And only he remained alive.
- Where did it happen?
- Very far from here. Approximately near the northern ending of Brazilian coast.
- Geography is expanding, - commented the general somberly. - What about the second message?
- Very unpleasant in its contents, Sir. And it is not far from us, in the island part here.
- Well-well?
- A local lad was diving not far from the shore for rock crabs. He saw a large jellyfish – with a four-five feet diameter cap...
- Is it “large”?
- Sir?
- It’s all right, continue.
- The cap, it seemed to him, was filled with something. He hit the jellyfish with his knife and took out what was inside. It appeared to be half digested female head with long hair.
Dead silence came over the central deck house, such that ticking of one of the appliances could be heard. People stopped and stood still. And the one who reported froze looking at the general...
- Your gadget is ticking, - he said after a long pause, out of place. - Don’t you hear? If it is ticking it means it is not regulated to the end.
Someone moved to the appliances panel, but the rest were waiting in silence.
- What do we have, Sir, - one of them dared to speak timidly. - Did a usual jellyfish bite off a girl’s head?
But the general was looking ahead of him without any reaction, and the question remained hanging in the air...
Suddenly he screwed up his eyes tensely and moved his eyebrows together. Then he snapped his fingers in the air irritantly:
- It glimpsed, I was somewhere near. This second case prompted me something in connection with what I have read about medusas. The foolish gadget interfered... - He turned in his armchair and nearly clutched at his papers. - I request you not to address me in the nearest future without any special necessity!















Evil Expectations
The captain of “Sea Star” cursed several times, than sat at the table and for some minutes was concentratedly writing his address to the public.
The meaning of it was simple: weather forecast was informing that there might be a storm near their route. In these circumstances it was not dangerous, but if its edge touches the route of the ship the passengers will be warned by a siren. In this case everybody was requested to go to their cabins and not to appear before the all-clear signal on the deck.
The captain, having cleared his throat, pronounced it all in the microphone and, having switched it off, addressed his first mate:
- I don’t believe these military men. They surely know something but do not tell. And we here are responsible for the life and health of every person. Reduce the number of the resting crew to the minimum, check the readiness of rescue appliances and fire extinguishing so that the passengers should not notice it. And look into the ocean, look!
- What will you see there at night, Cap? - objected the firs assistant. - The appliances here, and moreover on the destroyer, will show everything in any case.
- I feel that is not usual business. So look out!
He himself started walking along the decks, politely greeting the passengers, according to regulations, and sometimes looking overboard at the water well lighted by the liner’s lights.
It took him about half an hour to go around such a huge ship. He saw the crew unperceptibly fulfill his instructions, and the ocean was pleasantly quiet. This calmed him down. Only white jellyfish caps in the dark water overboard seemed to have increased.

The general started reading the materials in the reverse order, in pieces, from lower texts to the higher. It was easier for the less ‘rubbed out’ vision to find something like that. And there were two important circumstances: the medusa which had attacked the Polish trailer was too far from here. It could not be “that very” one. And the second: let the cap of the medusa be not four but even five feet. All the same, no girl could be placed in its inner cavity which was less about a foot in its diameter. “Bit off the head”, - as one of his subordinates said? Of course, not. Now he could imagine medusa’s structure well.
In five minutes the general put away five pages more... No, not here, not in connection with this a very simple decision glimpsed in his head.

Ten o’clock at night was the peak of merry-making on the liner, and the captain changed his though beautiful but dark watch suit to a snow-white one.
His first mate also changed as he also had to take part in evening entertainments.
And the captain was to play bridge today. That’s why both of them had only a short conversation on the deck, in order to go to their directions to the passengers.
- Everything is in order, Cap, and there is nothing to look at in the ocean besides some jellyfish.
Both of them looked overboard. And really, the white caps increased and they were beautifully swinging here and there under the light thrown by the liner.
The captain still went around the upper deck. He went round the swimming pool and went in the opposite direction when he saw a group of passengers who were enjoying themselves. He wished them good evening and was invited to see the spectacle. There were already no bathers in swimming pool except one sportive looking girl who standing with water up to her chest was entertaining everybody by jokingly fighting some small jellyfish.
- These tiny creatures do not like her for some reason, - somebody explained. – Look at these small aggressors attacking.
Really, what was happening was funny and unusual. Small jellyfishes were moving around with strange, uncharacteristic of them mobility, as though they wanted to surround and attack the girl. And she laughingly threw them away, pushing the water in front of her and trying to catch some of them by the cap.
- Hm, I’ve never seen them move so fast, - the captain was genuinely surprised, - but still you should not do it, Madam, they may cause small burns.
The girl herself decided that it was enough and started swimming in crawl stroke to the other edge of the swimming pool The spectators also went away after the captain...
She swam up to the ladder to go out to the side, splashed some water on her face and started going up when she noticed a jellyfish moving fast with its cap towards her. Not very large but more than medium size.
- And where did you get here from? - she asked in surprise.
The jellyfish was apparently in a hurry and by the moment when the girl’s feet were already stepping on the side of the pool it turned its tentacles to her and one of them spread out and hit the water near her.
- You, rotten creature! - the girl was still more surprised. - I will tell the servicemen to throw you out overboard tomorrow.

Captain’s partner in bridge was an elderly and very influential in New York newspaper circles lady, and the couple opposite them was a diplomat and a young but already distinguished physicist. All the three were first class players, that’s why the captain needed great attention and concentration to be at a level with them. More so because bridge, according to the opinion of many specialists was on the second place after chess among intellectual games.
For an hour the captain forgot about everything else and, it seems, played quite well. This was also due to the fact that the game was not too complicated. The combinations of cards have not made that complicated puzzle when the partners stop understanding each other or drive themselves to declaring the quantity of tricks seriously exceeding their opportunities.
The captain was not an ace of bridge and that’s why he sighed with relief when the game was over.
Everybody thanked each other, and the opponents who have lost offered to cover their insignificant debt by visiting the “Underwater Bar”.
In order to get there one had to go to the elevator. Somebody else, entering it, greeted the captain and said merrily:
- It is very interesting down there. We’ve got into a jellyfish flood, Sir.
- Into a jellyfish flood? – the captain raised his eyebrows, surprised. - Well, it happens sometimes. In the ocean something appears suddenly, and then disappears as unexpectedly.
Downstairs in the transparent underwater oval it was crowded and noisy. A free table appeared at once for the captain with his company. In the most convenient place – on that small spot which ended the sides of the ship closing on the sharp dow line.
The outside light of the projectors penetrated water not only from all sides, but under them.
- It looks the water is just near – said the diplomat shivering a little. - I came here only in the day-time before. Now, I must confess, the impression is less relaxing.
- And I like it, - said the newspaper lady, sitting down in an armchair which was moved to her. - And look, how many jellyfishes. I think I should bring my camera.
- Don’t bother, Madam. Tomorrow I’ll give you a dozen wonderful pictures, - he made a sign to the steward and the latter nodded his head in comprehension.
- Thank you, Captain, but if there is a camera here I, being a professional, would like to take pictures myself.
The captain bowed his head obediently, and in a moment the lady got an excellent camera in her disposal.
There was really plenty of jellyfishes. They seemed to be flying in chaotic flood straight into people, circling at the last moment round the invisible obstacle and sliding over it to different sides. And in the same quick flood, not in one but in several rows they were moving at the distance of just one foot under the feet.
The spectacle was like some fairy-tale white snow drift and charmed the public.
The captain was charmed least of all. And he, preferring rum to all other drinks in the bar, took part in common talk politely, not forgetting though that he was at work and not at rest. That’s why, taking little interest in the underwater carnival of jellyfish he was looking to the hall: at the work of the staff, the faces of relaxing passengers, details of the interior, which might need improving.
- What is the depth underneath, Captain? - asked the physicist.
He answered.
- And the speed of the ship?
- Now it is not big. About fifteen miles an hour.
The captain answered some more questions, then laughed sincerely at a story told by the diplomat about an occurrence that had happened in the political circles of one near eastern state. And he wanted to tell some funny story about the sea life when again the young physicist asked a question:
- And now the speed of the ship has increased considerably, hasn’t it?
The captain smiled and shook his head negatively:
- This is out of question. We are moving strictly according to the schedule and will not change the speed till six o’clock in the morning.
- Allow me to disagree with you, the speed has changed, it is seen from simple observations. Look, jellyfishes are not sliding by any more but sticking to the glass.
Really, he saw with surprise that along the bow line the flood of jellyfish has become denser and they were flattened into the glass.
Without showing it he got worried. The first thought which came to his mind was about military men and the destroyer. It must be from there that the command to increase the speed has come. But why in this case was he not called by watch service under some delicate pretext to the bridge? It was real outrage!
The captain excused himself, saying that he had to leave for a very short time, and already in a minute was in his deck house.
- What is the matter?! - he addressed the officer on duty sharply. - Why did you increase the speed of the ship without warning me?
The latter stared at him in amazement.
- But, Sir, we are moving at the same speed and have not changed anything.
- What does it mean “at the same”?
Still irritated the captain approached the instrument panel...
No doubt. The instruments were showing fifteen miles and a half, the course parameters were the same.
- Excuse me, - muttered the captain, feeling confused and perplexed. - It means, everything is all right with us?
- But for the fact that we are sailing in the great congregation of jellyfish. Have you ever seen anything like that, Sir?
From the deck house, which was over the ocean at the height of nearly an eight storey building, under the powerful projectors lightning the ocean in front, was not water but white stirring porridge.
The captain quacked, displeased.
- No, I haven’t seen anything like that.
In the “Underwater bar” the physicist again paid the attention of his interlocutors at the medusas:
- It is very strange, just look. When the jellyfishes are flattened over the bow of the ship does not surprise me. And there is a whole layer of them. But why did they start sticking to the sides, from where they should be torn off by the flood of water? And besides, look down...
In the place where they were sitting, under the bottom of the ship, white thicket was stirring. A little more inside, it was not still there, and white caps were gliding past.
- Very interesting! – exclaimed the lady and clicked the camera.

The general thought everything over from the beginning to end.
“Mechanisms of reverse action”, - that is how his hypothesis should be called using the language of cybernetics.
Medusas and polyps, as he finally understood from the materials read by him, were the primary complex biological creatures which emerged on the planet. Medusas have not been studied well enough, polyps – better. But the main natural properties were the same in both cases.
Polyps now, like half a billion years ago, possess  a collective device for survival, when separate individuals grow into a joint organism, and at the same time are capable of gemmating from themselves floating forms. But these latter can, though they do not always do it, again join the colony of polyps, and not at all necessary where they were born.
The main conclusion out of this was: medusoid form was in principle capable of  growing together with the likes of itself.
But still further: combining this with the capacity for gemmination one could make a “central” conclusion - a medusoid form is capable of disintegrating into small ones and then again joining into large ones. Potentially, though the actual atmosphere had not stimulated them to this.
Now it was clear how the fantastic medusa could penetrate through a narrow passage to the island bay and, having done with several hundred victims, go back again. The bottom, which had been examined, was simply piled with human bones.
The gigantic organism first combined from thousands small ones, and then, fed by human flesh, again disintegrated into several separate species. That is why no location could find anything in the ocean.
The same explanation applied to the head of a girl in a comparatively small medusa where all her body could not be placed. The girl became the victim of a much larger creature which disintegrated into several, but for some reasons before the victim had been digested completely.
And there was an additional conclusion which was to be made in connection with the ruin of the Polish trailer which happened to be too far from here.
The underwater world has its own information connection. Yes, one should not be surprised by it. One hundred fifty years ago people would also be very surprised that it was possible to communicate with any point of the globe and speak as though with a man in the next room.
Electromagnetic waves. Nobody invented them, they simply learned to use them. Maybe one medusa cannot give a message to another at a very big distance. But not a very big one or even at a small one? By chain method? And how much time will it take for such a chain to cover the whole globe?.. One may calculate basing on the available results, but it is clear – not much at all.
There is no time to think about global consequences, though. One should think about the means of fight with the enemy who is capable of quickly transforming into “nothing”. And emerge “from nothing” as well.
No, his trained analytic mind prompted him, the main problem is not in this. The main thing is to prevent the attack. And it means... one should overtake the enemy at the phase when the separate medusas have not still formed a great attacking substance.
Consequently, it is necessary to destroy any throng of small medusas. But... at once the question arises – how? Artillery is not likely to help here, if it can help at all. It will just stir the water and shake over medusas. And that is all. More powerful explosives will throw up tons of water... which will not prevent medusas from splashing back after flying up.
Damnation! Who could suppose that it was such a difficult task. The object, until it is combined into something big cannot be smashed by explosives. And when it is combined... first, feeling danger, it can disintegrate at once, and secondly, it will be formed just before the attack at something, or, rather, somebody. And how can one be in time?
To throw nets into conglomeration of medusas and then dry them up? Navy ships do not suit for this at all. Private fishing fleet? And who will catch fish for people? The Pope?
Stop, stop! It looks his thoughts took him to a wrong direction. He will deal with the planet later. A misfortune is just under his nose, and first of all he has to decide something about it. The liner with hundreds of passengers is moving just now through this dangerous zone. And the commander of the destroyer has not got clear instructions as yet – what concretely should he do?
He had to concentrate and think very seriously...
But the decision came by itself, just like the apple which hit Newton on the top of his head.
Fire! Natural fire which will burn on the surface of water from released and ignited fuel. Let these medusas try and do something in these conditions.
The general ordered to connect him to the captain of the destroyer.
Too Late!
- Reporting the situation, Sir! All in all there is nothing serious and no large objects near in the ocean. But just now the captain of the liner got in touch with me and said that they got into a zone of very intensive concentration of small jellyfish. He says all surface is covered with them and it worries him.
- The liner must move from the medusa field at full backing speed! - Tuccert commanded quickly. - You go straight to them. No man should be on deck of either your ship or theirs. Throw out as much fuel as possible into the medusa field and ignite it with napalm shots.
- Understood you, Sir! I am just in five miles and already sent a helicopter to that zone.
- Return it immediately!
- But why, Sir?
- I said – immediately!

The captain and the people in the deckhouse were looking down in surprise, at the ocean in front of the bow of the liner and did not understand what was happening. Down, under the projectors, there was already not water but jellylike white shivering substance, which was raising fast, growing and crawling on the bow like a huge wide hump.
People had no time to exchange words, and some perplexed exclamations were heard. In the air at low height there appeared and came into the light of projectors a military helicopter. The pilot, also astounded by the spectacle, hang over the bow part, a little higher than the captain’s deck house.
- There is an order from the destroyer to go back at full speed and get people away from the deck. Do you hear, Cap?!
The captain heard but had no time to answer because suddenly a huge white band was thrown out towards the helicopter from somewhere down, twined round it, shook from side to side and threw down to the ocean darkness like a light pebble.
- Fulfill the order at once! – shouted the captain. – Total alarm on the ship!
Now he saw how from white shivering substance, which had risen over the bow part of the ship, a huge jelly-like tangle got out and filled all the deck, how it started untwining to giant tentacles...

The “Underwater bar” started being covered from down with white thicket so quickly that all those present noticed it.
The spectacle did not look pleasant at all, and many people got up from their tables looking at the transparent floor at their feet.
All the glass bow part also seemed to be stuck in this strange jelly-like substance.
- I don’t like it here, - pronounced the diplomat nervously. - And the captain, it looks, is not going to come back.
- Neither do I, - the physicist supported him.
- And I am interested, - objected the lady.
And just then they heard the shouting behind their back:
- Look, look!
Everyone in the bar looked at the left transparent wall of the side on the other side of which a dark-gray net-like eye of fantastic size was moving...
It did not have a pupil or anything like eyelashes or eyelids, but simply was situated inside a white appendix thicker than a human body. It was moving along, going up and down, and was looking inside. And at once the alarm signal siren sounded all over the ship.
- We are in the paws of a monster, - blurted out the diplomat shivering. - Let us run away from here!
- And why did you decide that it is safer upstairs than here? - asked the lady, with common sense, but it was already useless to give reasons.
The first people who got panicky provoked the rest, and there started mass and not very beautiful escape.
- Oh, - pronounced the lady, who found herself in a minute in a large and completely empty underwater hall. - Is there anybody here?
- Eh... Me, Madam, - pronounced somebody, timidly putting out his head from the long counter where just recently a group of barmen had been working.
- Get me a brandy. And for yourself too. At my account.
She came nearer to the transparent side, where the eye, shifting, continued its observations, and clicked her camera several times.
- No, my dear, you surely won’t get in here.
- Are you so sure, Madam? - asked the barman from behind and it was heard how the bottle in his hand was shivering over the edge of the glass.
- Absolutely sure. It is just impossible to drag such a gigantic ship into water. Now, my friend, we simply should not get out. And – the main thing, without panic. Do you know who said it? A carp when it was put on the frying pan.
- A very witty carp, Madam, - agreed the barmen. - Only this damned eye and all the rest... What do you think is happening here?
- It looks I am starting to guess...
The situation behind the transparent cover of the body has clearly changed.
The eye disappeared because all the length along both the sides and the bottom was already tightly covered by white substance joined in elastic material. It was pulsating as if gigantic lips embraced all the front part of the ship, and there, near the bow, water space was formed again which was lighted by still working projectors.
The lady came to the counter and, having taken the glass of brandy, offered the barman to do the same:
- Drink it by all means, it will strengthen you.
He gulped the portion and wanted to put the glass back on the counter but suddenly dropped it stared in front in horror:
- Oh, my God?! What is this? People have fallen overboard!
The lady was also looking there, sipping from the glass...
- It is just as I thought.
- They are drowning!
The man was pointing his finger in front of him, where in a strange underwater space on the other side of the bow glass human bodies were loitering and contorting. And really it was all looking as if people were all the time falling from above and sinking into water.
- No, my friend, it is not what you are thinking. We are simply inside a gigantic medusa. But judging by the fact that the conditioner is still working here, the ship is still not there completely.

- Imagine, Sir, a child’s ship which has already been half dragged in by a usual jellyfish and embraced it with its tentacles. That is what I see from the distance of half a mile. Approximately in such proportions. It looks it is going to drive it inside completely.
Under the lightning rockets launched by the destroyer and hanging over the black ocean the picture resembled, at least, a plot of a film of cosmic wars not shot yet. Black sky and the ocean merged into one, seemingly empty space, in which white stirring medusoid giant was devouring a brightly lit technical construction.
- I cannot attack, Sir. Any explosion will make a hole in the ship.
- Transmit to the liner – let it change back direction to the fastest front speed. And you go round the medusa and put fuel on water. Use napalm for ignition, so the surface should be on fire.
- Will the liner push the medusa there?
- You understood correctly, only give it commands, so that it should not enter fire itself.

The destroyer rushed forward in order to approach closely the giant semisphere which got out of water, and those who were in the deck house, and the captain himself suddenly felt how small they were in comparison with it.
- Closer!.... Nearer...Still closer! - he commanded the helmsman, who, finding a moment, took his hand off the steering-wheel and crossed himself...
The medusoid giant percepted that someone began making fuss behind his back and the tentacle put backwards went round and as though looked around the fighter. Just at this very moment the captain gave an order – to open fuel hoses thrown into water. The tentacle walking over the deck in some seconds shuddered, stopped and... disappeared as suddenly.
Then ringing rain hit the body of the fighter and about a dozen black semblances of arrows came off the bulletproof glass of the deck house.
- What is this? - surprised voices were heard.
- Do not pay attention, - said the commander. - The general warned about such an attack. - And he again commanded the helmsman: - Start getting away from the medusa and making a big circle!

- It is getting stuffy, Madam.
- It is because air-conditioner is not working any more.
- Do you think it is broken?
- No, but the airtube also appeared in the body of the medusa.
- Madam, like this we will soon be suffocated.
- Not very soon, there is enough air here for half an hour. You can believe me, for the first half of my life I was doing scientific journalism.

- How stuffy it is in our cabin, and how long, damn it, will it go on?
- Didn’t you hear it yourself two minutes ago? There was again an order on the home radio not to get out of cabins.
- I don’t care a damn for these orders! And what white filth has covered all our illuminator?
- Do not approach the door, I beg you!
The young woman demonstratively threw open the door of the cabin into the inner corridor.
- You are a man and behaving cowardly, – she said self-contentedly, stepping out of the door. - The air is much fresher here.
She looked along the corridor and stood still for a moment... and then made a desperate movement, trying to jump back from the corridor to the cabin.
A huge white band snatched her across her body and... there was nobody in the door opening.
He rushed to the corridor and could only see how her snatched body shot upwards the corridor staircase.

Hardly had the destroyer returned back to its former watching position when the oil field was already burning.
- We are moving ahead but very slowly! - shouted the captain of the liner over the transmitter. - We do not see anything because we are stuck by this white muck and there is already very little air in the deck house!
- Hold on a little more, - the commander of the destroyer cheered him up as he could. - It does not like fire.
The medusa really did not like the fire, where it was being pushed, though slowly, by the liner.
First she unstuck some tentacles from the ship and they went to check what was happening behind its back. The check did not show anything good, it seemed, because all the tentacles, suddenly recoiling from the ship rushed backwards, like long hair of a woman thrown back by wind.
- Artillerists, napalm cartridges! - the commander’s voice sounded at once. - One degree to the left from axial line, the distance is eight hundred yards. Fire!
The medusa found itself in a trap but it did not wand to be burned. Its numerous tentacles were hitting the water trying to disperse the flame and, twisting, rushed up in order to avoid the mortal portion of fire. They were so many in this glittering snake-like stream that, changing each other and mixing the burning layer with oceanic water, the medusa would have succeeded, but quick volleys of fire made all the tentacles stand up at once.
- My first girl-friend had a hair style like this, it was called “Chippolino”, - the helmsman said suddenly. – An uncomfortable thing, Sir.
The commander irritatedly waved his hand in answer and shouted into the microphone:
- On the liner! Do you hear me? Stop the machine, no need to go further!
The medusa was already wholly in the fire field and at the same time defended the front part of the ship reliably.
- I understood you, but we have almost no air to breathe, - the captain answered in a hoarse voice.
- Just a little, it’s just small things left!
“Medusa’s hairstyle” was now twisting in a frenzied dance, caring only about saving itself.
- Fry-fry, little thing, - the commander said with evil pleasure, and everyone saw the bunch of tentacles droop and fold up and the huge white semisphere tear and disintegrate.
- Hurrah! - sounded in the deck house.
The pieces of white mess were falling off the liner, and its bow part was open.
- Back at full speed, - ordered the commander to the liner happily. - Now we shall work here some more time for precaution sake. - And he gave an order over home connection system: - Artillery, prepare landmines!

The cruiser arrived at the place of the events at dawn which was already starting.
The liner had long ago left its route and has already reached the nearest large port. There they had to sum up this tragic night. Though even according to preliminary information there were more than two hundred victims. People were telling awful stories about the tentacles walking about the ship, catching people, not eve one by one, but by two or three. And about those whose near ones were snatched before their eyes and about a woman who got insane, running along the deck after the tentacle carrying away her husband and child.
Only those avoided the attack who locked themselves in their cabins. Maybe tentacles did not guess that there were people behind smooth panels, but more probably they did not have to knock out light doors because very many people were crowded in inner halls, restaurants and bars. A part of the passengers did not have time to leave the decks after the alarm signal or did not do it out of curiosity.
And already there was information that a well-known elderly journalist made unique shots in transparent underwater bar, which she valued at ten million dollars...
General Tuccert ordered to launch his motor-launch. Military etiquette required that he should personally appear on the destroyer which had acted excellently, and express gratitude to the commander and the crew.

- So you are sure that nothing serious has been left of the medusa? And it could not disintegrate into several organisms which survived?
- Absolutely sure, Sir! At dawn I examined the area twice. Of course the water is very dirty because of semi-burnt fuel. Yes, there is plenty of amorphous medusa jelly in it, sometimes in large pieces. But we have not seen even a tiny medusa.
- There must be a lot of dead fish... - Tuccert said half-questioningly.
- It is floating, Sir. - The commander of the destroyer bent his head and sighed heavily. - Also, pieces of human clothes are floating, and I saw a small child’s shoe...

A Big War
On the twentieth day professor Tuccert was put into an armchair.
One leg was in plaster, the right one. But the left one was completely all right, and the stripped skin in some places has almost healed. The left arm was in a stiff carcass, on a stretcher, but the fingers were already moving, and it was very pleasant. Both the plaster and the stretcher were to be taken off in a week. And the main thing – neurosurgeons think that the operation on the back part of his head was extremely successful. And the spine was intact inspite of being hurt in many places. It was strange: he got through it rather easily after a desperate jump from absolutely steep rock.
And what else could he do? The next shot of gigantic  stinging cells would make a lot of holes in him. It was a miracle that he survived after the first one.
Today morning he was again brought a cassette with a radiogramme from Pete. There were optimistic words and wishes of quick recovery. And nothing about what was happening in the ocean.
No radio, no newspapers.
They were saying categorically that until the shots of his brain showed complete recovery he would not be given access to any information. It means, information was not that good, otherwise why should it be hidden?
Medusas...these first centers of complex life. And, at that, so complex, that it is not clear up to now how in the process of their reproduction these animals which can see, hear, have multifunctional nervous system are formed from a simple and biologically inert cluster.
A plunderer... who does not have any natural enemy in nature. It is understandable why all medusas are poisonous to a different degree. Now it defends them from any enemy. But! They were the same more than five hundred million years ago, when there were no even simplest crawfish in the ocean. Against whom or against what was their poison directed then? It is strange that this question has not been thought about much. And the theory put forward by him provoked only, as it is usual to say, “purely academic interest”. And the main thing escaped attention.
- Three young people have come to see you, Professor, your students, - the chief nurse strictly raised her forefinger: - But no serious talk, that’s why I’ll also be present.
- Oh, really?! My boys? - Tuccert was happy seeing the familiar smiling faces at the door. – Hullo, my friends!
The three came in and at once started talking about how glad they were to see him recovering and how they were frightened after the first information about the death of all people on the island, and that colleagues-professors were sending their best greetings and hoped to see him again in a month in the university...
- They will see, - interfered the strict nurse. - If in the nearest future nobody will excite the professor and interfere with his recovery. Put the basket with fruit on that small table. They should be washed, I believe.
- They are clean, Madam. How can you think that we should bring unwashed fruit to our favourite professor! - spoke all the three at once, and Tuccert noticed worried expression on their faces.
- Well, all right.
She went up to the window, showing that she did not hinder their conversation, and taking this chance, one of the lads cunningly winked towards the basket.
The professor half-closed his eyes, showing that he had understood.

Nearer to the evening, before going back to bed, Tuccert “dealt” with the fruit basket. The large grapefruit stuck in the middle appeared to be that very hiding place invented by the boys where a small but powerful Japanese radio set was hidden.
The nurse, who came to see him before sleep, was pleased by the quietly falling asleep patient, adjusted the blanket which was lying neatly anyway and left him alone.
Professor waited, just in case, for fifteen minutes, then put the terminal on a string into his ear and started “tuning in”.
He supposed that it will take him a very ling time to get the necessary news among other informational rubbish, but he was mistaken: the word “medusas” could be heard on the air on many languages, and he started, without thinking much, to listen to a French programme where a well-known scientist was speaking, formerly a member of Jacque Custeau research team.
“...and from your point of view will the attacks of the medusas continue for a long time?” – he was asked, most probably, by a radio journalist.
“I am afraid that is what’s going to happen. I have already said that I do not want to frighten you at all, but one should make a logical conclusion – medusas, due to circumstances unknown to us, shifted to a principally new way of life, having taken the way of creation of large forms. That is, they have chosen a new and very predatory way of survival. It is the same for them what animal proteins they will feed on: small organisms or very large ones. Worse than that, having chosen a new way of existence, medusas as an animal organization got quickly convinced that the second way was much more effective. It is much more comfortable to feed a thousand species joined together by a whale or a dozen people snatched from the deck then to go on catching biological small creatures for a long time”.
“But how can one explain in this case that the objects of their attack are mainly people? Do medusas have a special interest in human flesh, or, maybe, they started hating us at the level of their consciousness and declared war to us?”
“I think, it is neither. I would explain it by the fact that all large sea inhabitants are very mobile, have wonderful location and a very well developed feeling of danger. Whales, dolphins and different kinds of large fish will not swim towards a big agglomeration of medusas. They have simply nothing to do there. And they will try to avoid close contact with already formed medusoid giant. Only those who were gaping can become the victims. And the man is much simpler, if one may say so. And the experience of many already successful attacks strengthens the behavioral instinct of medusas, stimulating it to look for its pray in human beings”.
“In connection with this the recent devastation of the island of St. Helen and the tourist coast of Malta”...
“Yes, in my opinion one should not regard it as aggression against human civilization. The predator simply hunts what is more available to him.”
Mark Tuccert shivered, moved the tuning and heard English speech.
“Practically all military forces and civilian volunteers of Australia are ready for action. The most dangerous in its toxicity inhabitant of this oceanic fauna – “Wasp” – has begun attacks. Unlike other medusas, having combined into a giant “Wasp” does not act upon ships or coastlines by force. Understanding very well the strength of its poison, and one should note that the poison of “Wasp” is much more toxic than that of a cobra, this medusa first attacks the objects with grenade-like death-carrying ampoules. People who were touched even by some drops perish within ten to twenty seconds. Usually they have paralysis of respiratory tract. And only then does  “Wasp” use its tentacles and gather the victims. Fortunately, well organized defense system of the Australians could prevent in time the attack of “Wasp” which approached the bay of Sydney. And the mood on Australian coast is mostly optimistic. But on many islands and archipelagos in the neighbouring Southern seas real panic is taking place. Nobody wants to get evacuated by sea, and local inhabitants and tourists amassed in great numbers in the island airports. The problem is that in order to land on them the aircraft has to fly over the sea. And the destruction of two passenger liners who got dozens of holes from the arrows thrown out by great medusoids when lowering down stopped the evacuation. Passenger companies refuse to take part in this. In particular, President of the Association of American international airlines stated: “The military have to provide us with safe take-off and landing corridor. Our air crews, including even the youngest air hostesses, are ready to fly out any moment. And we, the managers of the companies, are ready to provide them with aircraft. But imagine what will happen if the liners start being destroyed not approaching the airports, when their saloons are empty, but during take off and climbing, when hundreds of people will be in them.” In answer to this Pentagon assured that in the nearest future navy units of the USA and NATO will provide such corridors, but time is needed for the ships to arrive in the necessary places. In its turn a special expert group formed under “New York Times” made a statement according to which Pentagon was just bluffing. In their opinion for providing the safety of the take off from island aerodromes military ships were to control the appropriate sea surfaces of the area of about sixty square miles. This the area of fire from which a giant medusoid can get the plane until it got to the practically safe height of four miles. Having made some uncomplicated calculations specialists of “New York Times” claim that the existing navy forces of the USA and NATO can be sufficient only for conducting such operations on the thirty per cent of island territories facing danger. As to the other countries, it is already possible to conclude from preliminary international talks: their forces will be fully used for their own defense.
According to just received information.
Inspite of all announcements about the mortal danger of the medusas many people continue to enter the ocean thinking that nothing will happen to them in shallow water. That is what one unfortunate Argentine decided who was dipping his four years old daughter near the shore, where water was reaching the waistline. Suddenly he got a sharp burning blow on the face, let go of the child and, blinded, could not understand what was happening to the shouting girl. Fortunately, there was another bather nearby who rushed to help. It is surprising that only one jellyfish of medium size – one foot in diameter – was trying to drag the girl after itself. The man who saved the child even did not notice it at once. Of course, such a jellyfish could not swallow its victim, it means it was going to drown the girl and than invite its friends for a joint meal.
Economic news is to follow...”
Marc Tuccert wanted to search for something on other waves, but having hesitated, decided not to do it.
“Fantastic growth of prices to futures food contracts of Chicago stock exchange is going on, and, judging by all happening, the Government will not be able to cope with it. It looks, producers of grain, cereals and beans will increase their wealth three times as minimum. Fish products which made one third of food ratio in America and Europe will be reduced to zero soon. Besides, the food basis of cattle breeding, being devoided of fish foodstuffs will have to shift exclusively to grain, which will increase world demand for it one and a half times. The price of raw oil because of the threat to tanker transportation, which has grown by forty percent recently, raised today by another five per cent. Naturally, the boom for agricultural raw materials and oil products has led to the growth of other prices, and the game for further increase is going on on New York stock exchange. Alongside with it the price of gold, which is of no interest to anybody, has fallen sharply. But some stock exchange specialists of authority warn that the chaotic and incomprehensible to the end process of new price formation will quickly lead to the loss of control over the situation and many large companies will lose natural sealer’s markets. In connection with this one should expect in near future a drop in rates of many shares which will be stimulated by the same limitless play but already for lowering.
From political news one should note yesterday’s declaration of Russian president which surprised everybody. He said that unlike everyone else he will not let any medusas in his country. Most probably Russia which has a large but totally devoid of population zone of Northern Ocean has nothing to worry about. But judging by the way the President was showing the attack of medusas by the movements of his fingers on the table he might be confusing them with some other animals. It was also surprising that he put the responsibility of fighting the medusas on the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
Professor decided to have rest, switched off the radio and for ten minutes was lying with closed eyes, digesting what he had heard.
It was clear that the scope of the events was much more terrible than what had sounded in these short and fragmentary resumes. Still more terrible was what had not sounded but was so understandable to him now and, no doubt, to some other specialists.
Reproduction. Huge new nutrition environment for medusas will tell upon this process very quickly. One could make approximate calculations, and he will definitely make them later, but it was clear already that in half a year there will be twice as many medusas in the ocean as minimum. And they will need more food, which will not only support but develop aggressive modus of this environment. And in two years... if everything goes like this? There will be about twenty times more of them. In three years – a hundred. Medusoid seas and oceans destroying all other living beings. And those living on continents are wrong to feel safe. Medusas are wonderfully adjusted to fresh water. So Londoners and Parisians on one fine day...
He again switched on the radio and started to tune in. He glided over music, tried to listen to a German program, but not understanding this language very well found an English speaking station soon.
“... the same sad fate happened to the Portuguese now. All the fishing fleet of South European coast has joined its efforts to catch medusas. And it is already the second case when the medusa mass stretched by nets transformed into an attacking monster before it could be put on the deck, under the sun. The only saved sailor who was watching it all from the deckhouse says that just when the net with medusas was open over the stern deck they were not separate species that fell out of it but a dirtily-transparent roll of tentacles. It snatched two sailors standing nearby at once. The rest who rushed to help fell down screaming and, wreathing in agony, died in less than a minute. All their bodies found later were covered with thin black needles about half an inch long. The monster was satisfied with its prey of two snatched sailors who were all the tome screaming and tried in vain to get out of the tentacles and went overboard.
Japanese scientists have already calculated low effectiveness of fighting medusas by catching them in the nets and further drying in the sun. As they think, it is possible to reduce their population only by twenty percent during a year.
An authoritative naval general of the USA Pete Tuccert declared once again that the stimulus to the transformation of medusas in a new condition were the tests of new unknown weapons by the Russians or by the Chinese in the Atlantic. His cruiser fixed these tests and was pursuing there an unknown submarine which managed to escape.”
- What a swine you are, Pete, - the professor could not keep from commenting.

“A forty-three years old Canadian woman who had never been married before declared that during her rest on the coast she became the victim of a sexual attack of a male jellyfish. According to her statement she already feels pregnant. The “Playboy” magazine got interested in this story and is going to make a short film to show in its next TV program.”
The professor, having decided that what he had heard was more than enough, switched off the radio and was lying in the darkness with open eyes and thinking for a long time. This process must have led to some result, because in the end he hemmed in a satisfied way and quickly fell asleep.























Recovery
- It is just wonderful, Professor. You have a wonderful encephalogramme, wonderful results. As though there was no operation on the brain.
- This is because it started working actively, colleagues.
- We are very happy for you. And now we can let your brother see you.
- But isn’t he somewhere in the ocean?
- Yes, but he keeps constant contact with us and finds out when he can talk to you.
- The sooner the better, I think.
The people in medical gowns looked at each other in perplexion...
- But during the time you spent in the clinic a lot has changed in the world.
- I guess, - replied Marc Tuccert cautiously, not to give himself away.
In an hour thy told him that his brother had flown out and would be there in the second half of the day.

Pete has changed a lot. He lost weight, was looking pinched, and on his sun-burnt face the eyes were looking bad, they seemed angry and unrestful.
- I think you haven’t been informed about anything, Marc, - he spoke hastily, bending just for a second to the armchair to embrace his brother.
- No, I know everything.
- Where from? But let us not waste time on this. What is your prognosis?
- Even if medusas are caught by nets in order to destroy them, as this has been begun to be done, in a year there will be thrice more of them in the ocean. In three years – fifty-sixty times more. They will devour everything in the ocean and people will have to keep far from the coast. I can’t imagine how rivers, where they will move soon, will be protected. Even through the tiniest cells they will be able to let through their liquid-like embryos. And something else, Pete. You are all accustomed to see medusas on the surface and think it is there where they live. But any medusa can easily go down to the depth of one hundred or more feet and continue its existence there. They will soon begin acting like that in answer to the attempt to catch  them with nets from the surface. So one should not do this nonsense anyway.
- Marc, I flew here not to learn what we should not do. But to understand what we should do. Excuse me, but even the wish to see you was not the main reason. More than a hundred thousand people have already perished, Marc.
- It is all due to the Russians or Chinese, as far as I understand?
- And would you like all the world start hating our country because of a coincidence?
- No, I would not like that. But only, as our father used to say, coincidences are always caused by human beings.
- Now this is not the time to speak about it, Marc!
- Yes, there is always no time for the main things.
- The main thing now is to save people. - He suddenly looked at his elder brother with a long piercing glance and spoke tensely: - And you know how to do it. You know something important. You cannot deceive me.
For half a minute they were looking at each other in silence.
- Well, professor, speak up...
- Just like that? You came here to a sick man... Why don’t you put a pistol to my temple?
- I haven’t got it with me. That’s why, let’s settle it peacefully.
- Peacefully, - grumbled Tuccert Senior. - And I am not sure that in the end it will lead to a better result.
- Marc, the thing is not only that the ocean will be filled with predatory medusoids. Our strategic center came to a terrible conclusion. If we join food resources of the ocean used by people, transport communications, huge tourist industry, shelves on which it will be impossible to get oil, including the Persian Gulf, if we join all these losses, Marc, world economy will crash by forty five per cent. It does not mean that people will live twice worse. It means the ruin of civilization. You are a biologist, and you understand quite well that a small part can be taken out of a living organism, but you cannot take nearly a half. It will all perish after such an operation.
Professor got excited and even tried to get up from his arm chair.
- But what I can suggest may appear even worse. It will correct the situation in one respect but spoil it irrepearably in another.
- We have nothing to lose.
- You are mistaken. All mankind can perish. And very quickly.
- Marc, as one clever Jew told me: “A terrible end is better than terror without end”. And I will tell you an old military rule: out of two evils the best one is the shortest. Tell me how to deal with the catastrophe now, and we shall deal with the next one later.
Professor was sitting for some time in silence, then sighed and made an indefinite movement with his eyebrows:
- Well, it looks I have no right to hide my knowledge from people, and it is their business what to do with it further. But, by God, Pete, it is so unpleasant to think that the world is ruled by small groups of some military fools!
- I agree, I do not like it either.
After such a frank answer Tuccert Senior sighed again and began:
- You should know, my dear, that there is a small and very original fish in the ocean called “Numeta”. It never lives in water separately, but always forms groups around large medusas and among their tentacles. It feeds on what remains of the pray of its predatory patron. But up to now it has remained a mystery why these very small fishes well fit for medusa’s food never become its prey.
- And why?
- Do not interrupt me. There were a few hypotheses about it but I did not like them because of their being unnatural, untruthful. In particular, a Japanese scientist insisted that he saw a numeta biting a medusa’s tentacle. Out of this he made a completely wrong conclusion that like this fishes work out immunity to medusas’ poison and their stinging cells. It’s nonsense, they are defended no more than other sea dwellers. But this pushed me to a thought which I had tested experimentally just before going on that last unfortunate expedition. I put a shoal of numetas together with a medusa to a laboratory tank and they started loitering among its tentacles, as it should be. Then I put on rubber gloves and hit one of the fishes by a tentacle. Do you know what it did, and all the rest along with it? Fishes started tearing medusa’s cap and tentacles. In a minute they all died but medusa was also badly damaged. This is the collective way of numeta’s survival. Medusa simply does not dare to touch them, because it knows on genetic level that this act is very dangerous for it. And numetas’ genes, in their turn, tell them that only like this, sacrificing some individuals, it is possible to provide for survival of the species. Genes of mutual survival, Pete, as a whole, are much stronger than those separate ones, which provide for specific features of an individual.
Tuccert Junior shook his head, displeased:
- Wait, Marc, I do not understand, do you suggest using some tiny fishes against medusas? What can such petty things do in oceanic scope? It is unrealistic!
- Of course I do not suggest such silly things. I think, you understand that any biologic reaction is connected with working out of a particular chemical substance in the organism. And a simple thing came to my head: what if we take extract of cell tissue of affected but still alive numeta and insert it in some other fish. I have done it. And after a usual cod which was in the same tank with a medusa got such an injection it rushed at the medusa like mad. It died soon too, but it was tearing at it with all its strength.
- You are a genius, Marc! I understood everything. We’ll have only to inject ampules with this extract into the backs of whales, sharks and other large fish, and the rest they will do themselves.
- But they will die in the process.
- Doesn’t matter, new ones will be born.
- And have you counted the losses of sharks during the complete clearing of the ocean from medusas? I have counted, and sharks won’t be enough.
- Whales, Marc, tuna fish. There is plenty of everything in the ocean.
- Not plenty, Pete. But you are right, this is not the most terrible.
- And what is terrible at all here?
- The very destruction of medusas. They will have to be liquidated up to the last one.
- And what will be bad without them?
- I will tell you.
Professor poured some mineral water into his glass and offered some to his brother, but the latter just frowned:
- No, Marc, I’ll better have some good champagne in the nearest restaurant. Thank God, I have enough reason for it today.
- Don’t be in a hurry. And listen about the main thing. Medusas are the first complex multicellular creatures which appeared more than half a billion years ago in bacterial oceanic broth.
- Alongside the polyps.
- Hm, it’s curious that you know this. Well, please pay attention to the fact that life on Earth was first developed in bacterial form, in liquid environment, which took about ninety percent of all the surface of the planet. What does it mean, may I ask you?
- Sorry, Marc, but your question is put so indefinitely...
- But think. How could the stage of prolonged and exclusively bacterial development of environment finish?
Tuccert Junior kept thinking for some time... Suddenly concentrated expression on his face changed by a tense fold, and the eyes narrowed unpleasantly.
- By the development of all bacteria possible in earth conditions?
- Correct, my boy. And there developed, as you understand, competition for further continuation of life. Those bacterial forms won which learned to work out from their plasma composition semiliquid poisonous structures dangerous not for themselves but for their rivals. These were primary, or protomedusas. But who said that the sanitary work conducted by them finished then?
The sunburnt face of General Tuccert became still darker, as though the worst premonitions showed on it.
- Do you want to say, Marc that one type of bacterial forms moved away others, did not let them develop on mass scale, but did not destroy them completely?
Professor felt thirsty again, that’s why he simply nodded instead of answering.
- And just because of that, - finished his brother, - medusas continued to pump the ocean, keeping alien and almost unknown to the world bacteria from active reproduction?
- Yes, Pete. The man did not come in touch with them on the stage of his origin, and his immune system does not have the corresponding ways of struggle. Remember our spacemen who visited the Moon. Straight after their return they were subject to two weeks’ isolation for examination and disbacterisation. Even the Moon with the temperature of absolute cosmic cold could not be considered quite safe in the sense of carrying over here unknown bacterial forms.
- But why has not the ocean become up to now the source of rare but unknown before diseases?
- You are quite wrong. In reality it has been happening all the time. But such really very rare cases are mistakenly qualified by the doctors as the results of unusual course of known diseases. That’s all. Besides, death as such always comes either because of heart stoppage or because of stoppage of action of lungs’ system. Imagine that I am affected by some Martian infection. Doctors will hurry, and my heart is stopping or breathing is paralyzed. Later either this or that will be written in the conclusion about death. And what caused it?.. Well, don’t we have a lot of diseases which bring about the same end? They will think and find something resembling it most of all. I assure you, the largest part of death ununderstandable in medical practice happens because of such bacteria which found way to us by chance. But these are solitary phenomena and not epidemics. And one should expect quite different ones, which will destroy all humankind. And it is more than probable that there can appear not one or two mortally dangerous bacterial or virus forms, but planetary epidemics of a dozen or two dozens diseases completely unknown earlier. AIDS may appear a very insignificant problem on their background.







Pyrrh’s Victory
At last he was at home.
It took one and a half month for the total recovery of moving apparatus, and he will have to use a stick for some time.
Tuccert walked along the rooms...
It is strange, it was just three months that he had left for this last expedition, and he seemed to have returned to a completely different world.
These journalists before the entrance. They took a lot of snaps and surrounded him with mikes.
Yesterday there were two “high” announcements made about the Nobel prize of this year in biology which can be given only to him. And today they had another idea – that alongside with it he, Tuccert, must be nominated to the Nobel Peace prize as well. Fighter for peace, that’s what he is now, it appears.
“How will you begin your day tomorrow?” – asked a young journalist. – “By visiting the cemetery”.
What other answer could he give?
And really, besides this place where two graves stood side by side – of Christian and that impudent student, almost a child, - besides that he did not want to go anywhere. Empty graves. But still there were their names on them.
How bad it was that there was no his father’s photo on any noticable place in his home.
He remembered how he and seven-years old Pete were extending their children’s ground, and the latter damaged a bush of black currants. Damaged badly, the bush would not survive.
“What have you done, my children? - asked the father, who had approached them, looking at the white roots sticking from the ground. - Look, they are like human bones.”
The bones of people which he saw at the bottom of the ocean seem to him very much like the roots of that weak killed plant.
Pete started crying then and said he had not wanted it.
Now he also said that he “did not want”. Only he did not cry but was shining on all TV screens as Commander-in-Chief of international forces of saving the planet.
The telephone rang...
A woman’s voice sang in the receiver. It was told that he might want to see a documentary on his, Tuccert’s program of human salvation.
Professor switched on the TV and saw almost at once... yes, the famous cruiser... Then his brother, who was giving orders, making beautiful gestures... Then a shoal of sharks and again Pete, pointing his hand somewhere expressively.
It was rather funny: as though he was pointing to the sharks where to swim.
Only now professor heard what the announcer was saying. Showing artificial excitement he was saying that the sharks had been already shot at by aggressive ampules and were rushing towards a great medusoid monster.
Then there came such interesting stills that Tuccert forgot about everything for a moment.
With the help of big height shooting they showed the medusa’s cap. Even without comparison with any other objects one could feel the enormous dimensions of this white transparent creature swimming in blue water. The announcer explained that for baiting the monster two blue whales had been killed. Pumped by air they were floating in water but the medusoid cannot treat itself to them because...just now...
A big shoal of sharks which appeared started circling round the medusoid and dissipated. They quickly formed a closed chain and suddenly, as though by the joint order, rushed from all the sides to the gigantic cap. In a few seconds the sharks cut into it with their wreathing bodies. The cap started stirring in answer and some tentacles with the snatched predators went into the air. But the larger part of the shoal managed to get through and a ragged trace followed every shark. Just before his eyes the cap became covered with ragged furrows, they, moving towards the center transformed into an ugly flower with dispersed petals, and then... the cap started disintegrating and falling apart...
“Hur-ray!! – they shouted as loudly as possible from the screen. – The idea of  brilliant professor Marc Tuccert is being implemented to life! It is being implemented by his no less brilliant brother General Pete Tuccert. By the way, in the last week three dozen couples of boy twins were born. All of them, according to our information, are called by their parents Marc and Pete. But the most original decision was made by a dweller of a small settlement in Nigeria. The happy father named his twins simply: Professor and General.”
Further on there was information that the program of destruction of medusas is on the increase, And two giant “Wasps” have already perished in the waters near Australian coast. The giants are destroyed by sharks. At present there were not enough ampules for mass vaccination of tuna and other large fish, which will finish up small medusas. But the business is put on industrial basis and it is in full swing.
Professor suddenly felt that he was in bad need of a drink. But in the bar, as he understood, what he wanted was missing. And he telephoned to the restaurant and ordered a bottle of the best rum to be sent to him.
He thought for a while, then phoned again and asked for strawberries.
Today he will deceive himself for a few hours, feeling and reconstructing in memory the quiet and the aroma of that charming island not knowing disaster yet. He will escape for some time the feeling of death.
“Program of destruction!” - it sounded from TV screen excitedly, and the speakers contracted its name more and more often, omitting the word “medusas”.
Program of destruction... destruction... destruction...