Leviathan

"Eleven twenty-one North latitude and one-forty-two twelve East longitude," Everett said to himself. Then he looked at the flat expanse of seafloor highlighted in holographic blues rushing toward them. "Jesus Christ," Everett shouted, "everyone hold on tight--this crazy woman just may be on a suicide run."

"Explain, Captain," Lee asked loudly as the observation deck began to flicker and then went out, leaving the only light the green, red, and blue colors of the massive hologram in front of them.

"That ocean bottom coming straight at us is what's called the Abysmal Shelf. The mountainous area to the front is the continental plate of Asia. We can only be headed for one place--where no attack submarine in the world can follow--the Mariana Trench!"

Mendenhall and Ryan exchanged looks. When Captain Everett got scared, that meant they were going into the extreme of all dangers.

The green readout started pumping out numbers that were hard to follow as Leviathanran deep.

"Captain, Missouriis giving chase at their maximum speed of forty-seven knots!" Samuels announced over the intercom from his station in control.

"The Missouriwill never catch us; she better turn and head for home. They're already too deep!" Everett said as the hologram split into two sections to show Leviathan's bow and stern and the computer-generated depiction of the Missouri.

"God, she's a fast boat, but she has to turn away," Everett said proudly, even as he prayed Missouri'scaptain would give up.

"Turn away, damn it!" Niles said as he watched Missourithree miles behind.

"Four thousand meters--thirteen thousand feet deep!" Everett called out. "We're at the deepest part of the Pacific Ocean--there's the Trench!"

As they watched, the black image of the Mariana Trench grew in scope before their eyes. It was rushing at them just as Leviathan's inner hull started to bend inward, and to the amazement of all, they actually witnessed the composite material shimmer in the dark as its matrix started changing right before their eyes. The interior hull looked as if it were sweating as the composite fibers tightened, making itself stronger against the depths.

"How can this material take this depth?" Niles asked just as the pressure in the boat started to increase, making them all dizzy and grabbing their heads.

"How deep is the trench, Carl?" Sarah asked as she watched Everett pull his harness tighter.

"If you sank Mount Everest to the bottom of the trench, there would still be more than seven thousand feet of water above it."

"Can this damn thing hold up to that pressure?"

"It's been rumored for years that General Dynamics Electric Boat Division has been working on a chemical-electrical mix that would reinforce a composite design for deepwater submergence, but this is far beyond anything ever dreamed."

Mendenhall and Ryan were shaking as hard as Leviathanherself. Will closed his eyes and started praying.

"I think we're too close to the depths of hell for that to help!" Ryan called out.

Virginia watched Alexandria's eyes narrow once more to slits as Leviathanscreamed for the deepest part of the world.

"Captain, the thermal-dynamic drive is going into the red; the reactors have been running at one hundred and twenty percent power for three minutes. Estimate power plant scram in thirty-eight seconds!"

"Maintain current power output, Commander. We need this demonstration for the benefit of our American friends."

There was a momentary silence from the control center, and then Samuels answered. "Aye, Captain, maintaining one hundred and twenty percent on the reactors."

The sound of the hull compressing did not affect the crew of Leviathanas she entered the trench. Three miles distant, Missouristill came on.

"Fools, they can't take this depth. They must turn away!" Heirthall screamed, watching the jagged scar depicting the gaping maw of the world's deepest valley open up fully before Leviathan.

Outside Leviathan, the topmost walls of the Mariana Trench slid by and the giant submarine disappeared into the blackness of the abyss, a place far more deadly and inhospitable than the deepest reaches of outer space.

"Look," Everett called out. "Missouriis turning away and heading for the surface."

"Why in the hell did she risk imploding like that?" Alice asked.

"Because they had to try," Sarah said, thinking about Jack.

The observation deck became quiet as they watched the hologram turn to black. As they entered the trench, the computer-enhanced depiction of the giant Leviathanstarted to lessen the steepness of her dive.

Once in sickbay, the two guards unceremoniously tossed Jack onto one of the unoccupied beds. They turned and left without a word to Dr. Trevor, who watched without comment. He checked Collins and quickly found his problem.