2101 UNPC universal calendar
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"My thighs burn already and we're only just over half way there" A9 said, carrying the scuttling charge in his arms as he kicked his feet, the long flippers attached to his ECA lower propelling him forward like a dart through the water.
"Quit bitching, you'll be fine" Brian "B4" Kugler said as he did the same behind Anton, his flippers having to pump quicker as he didn't have the leg length of the Austrian.
"You two bicker like an old married couple" Kate said, hoofing a large tactical pack instead of another scuttling charge.
They kept kicking their legs, staying in a neat arrowhead formation.
"You're almost there, only a hundred more meters to go" Samantha, their handler for this low-on-the-totem pole operation said, sitting in a flood proof compartment aboard the Schattenwulf, nearly exactly above them.
The Schattenwulf was the largest vessel in the UNPC's fleet, a over 1700 feet long, and boasting a displacement of over 100 thousand pounds, it was a behemoth on water.
"Thanks for the heads up Sam" Kugler said, his helmet speakers suddenly going staticy.
A low drone could be felt more than heard, and a grinding noise started off to their left, a odd howl in the water.
A long tubular shape came out of the depths, and angled itself to cross their path.
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"Don't look at it" Kugler warned, static clouding his transmission, but still being heard. "Close your eyes, it will bring bad luck"
"Jesus" C7 breathed, the static making it sound like a curse.
"What is that?" Anton asked, taking Kugler's advice.
"A ghost ship, though I've never seen one take the form of a submarine" Kugler said.
"Dammit Kug, working with you is bad luck all in its own" Anton said, the static slowly fading from their comms.
The loudest high pitched squeal any of them had ever heard vibrated their insides, and made their heads start pounding.
Anton started thrashing in the water, clasping his arms around his head, trying to get away from the noise which was gone in an instant.
"Shattenwulf just pinged us, you alright?" Kug asked Anton, who was reeling in the scuttling charge by the rope he'd attached to his rigging.
"Yeah" Anton said, huffing. "Just didn't know what it was, they didn't train for that"
"Can't train for everything" Kugler said, looking around. "Seems like its gone"
"Alpha nine! Bravo Four! Charlie Seven! Do you read me?" Samantha's voice came over their comms.
"Yeah, we read you Sam" Kugler replied as they all resumed their course.
"We were worried we lost you, but we got your sonar smear back when we pinged" Samantha said.
"We're okay, I'm gonna need an anomaly report put together when I come back up" Kugler said, his voice unconcerned.
"I can get that in the works for you now" Sam replied, her tone chipper.
"Thanks" Kug replied. "You're doing good kid" his voice suddenly sounded fatherly.
Sam audibly clicked her microphone off, and for some reason Anton thought she was smiling as she did.
"That's gonna be a lot of paperwork, huh?" Kate asked.
"You bet, PCID is probably gonna be all over it too" Kug replied, using the abridged acronym for United Nations Peace Coalition Investigative Division.
"Hate those nosey cocksuckers" Anton shook his head.
"I hope this thing sinks with just these two, I really don't want to have to make another trip" C7 said.
"Jolene said this would do it, and I'm going to take her word for it" Kugler said, referring to Jolene "C4" Parker, the EOD and demolitions specialist.
The sunken submarine came into view, its nose drooping over a sheer cliff, with scars and gouges in its skin.
I hope this thing goes down easy, I really want to get out of this water.