Don was staring out at the Waterdae Herd. Xzerxsh was ignoring them and finishing preparing the Trieste III for her first submergence on Xshsh, his homeworld. They planned to map out the Xerin Deeps for the world's government. Don stroked his chin as he pondered something. "Hey Xzerxsh, what preys on Waterdae? Something has to keep their numbers in check."

Xzerxsh just shrugged, a tic he had picked up from his Terran colleagues. "Their own stupidity mostly. If they tip over, they can't right themselves and drown. Plus us Clack-Jaws. There are more or less a cow-analogue, to reference them to a Terran animal."

"Uh-huh. And nothing eats them?"

Xzerxsh just shrugged again. "Nothing we know of can pull them down. Their long-toed feet are hydrophobic, which combines with the surface tension of our oceans to allow them to float. Two-thirds of the reason for our survey work is probably going to be biological anyway, mapping new aquatics."

Don nodded, "Hence the biologist rider. She going to have problems with being underwater?"

"Yeshersha? Probably not. She had been on multiple expeditions out into the middle of the ocean for long periods of time, but not under the ocean. Trieste III's enclosed hull should help with that. Plus were not going deep, only to three atmospheres of pressure. Um, about sixty, seventy-five feet."

"And that's still a global record. No wonder your former superiors thought you were nuts. Anything I need to know about female Clack-Jaws? Social protocols, things to avoid saying, stuff like that?"

"Well, I'm assuming your Terran Females prefer to clean, dress, and relieve themselves in private?" A new voice said from behind them. "If so, extend the same social patterns to me and we'll be fine."

Don turned to face the new arrival. "The reason I was asking Mis. Yeshersha, is that we Human males gave up completely understanding Human females long ago. And yes, your assumptions are correct. Just don't ask me for fashion or cosmetic advice, I've got none to give."

Xzerxsh stood up. "Sub's ready for final loading and balancing."

Two weeks later, they had settled into a daily pattern. Yeshersha was frankly astonished at the sonar capability of the Trieste III, and spent most of her spare time pouring over the user's manuals. Xzerxsh kept the machinery running, and Don kept an eye on the mapping data. They had already come across a series of deep underwater trenched where the depth plunged away from three hundred feet to three thousand or more in the span of a few heartbeats.

As the sun set on the fourteenth day at sea, Yeshersha tapped Don on the shoulder. "Umm, Don, the sonar is picking up something down in the trenches."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Don frowned and took a look at the display. A wash of water displacement signals was rising from the deepest part of one of the trenches. "Alright, I'm setting up a plot on this. Looking like biological signatures, expelled water propulsion plus fin movement. And look at that speed plot!"

Yeshersha frowned. "15 M P H? what's that translate to in standard?"

Don flicked a switch, trying to generate a projected vector for the school of aquatics. "15 miles per hour, about twenty four, twenty five kloms per hour. They are hauling ass, and sonar is no good for getting a hull-map of a living being. Plus that school formation is blurring the returns somewhat. Got a vector now. Looks like whatever they are, they are heading for that herd of wild Waterdae. Yeshersha, can you set up a second plot on the herd?"

Yashersha pulled up a secondary display. "Already up and running. looks like they are drifting a bit, probably settling in to sleep."

Don shook his head. "Dusk timing for rising from the depths, and already vectoring in on another species already known to be a rich source of protein. I think we found the Waterdae's natural predator. Cameras up and running, low light only. If these things are anything like Terran squid, then the lights would only attract their attention or drive them off."

Xzerxsh glanced over Don's shoulder and frowned at the plot. "high speed, rising from deep water in a large school, You aren't thinking about the Humboldt?"

Don nodded "Diablo rojo have similar patterns of behavior, they have a vicious feeding frenzy response and no compunctions about hitting targets bigger than themselves when they get hungry. These things are bigger. I'm putting a periscope-camera up. Yeshersha, bearing to the waterdae?"

"225"

"Got it. Displaying on monitor six."

What they witnessed and recorded proved to be crucial evidence for proving the existence of a new species. The Waterdae, for all their bulk, proved that they weren't stupid. As soon as the first individual got hit and cried out, the rest scattered in every direction. The new creatures proved they were smarter still, rising up beside individual waterdae and latching their tentacles onto their sides before diving again, tipping the waterdae over.

The cameras above and below the water got a good look at the creatures. Grey-blue in coloration. Fourteen to seventeen feet in length, with a quartet of sharp-toothed sucker covered tentacles emerging from their heads. Jaws a literal ring of teeth made to rasp and bore into prey.

Don shook his head at the computer-generated model of one of the creatures. "Damn, and I thought the Terran myths were bad enough. Xzerxsh, Yeshersha, do you know of any local legends that speak about something living in the ocean?"

They shook their heads, too stunned by the raw speed and viciousness of the creature, the suddenness with which they had appeared and vanished again.

"Well, as the discoverers of this creature, we get to name it. I'm thinking Kraken, after the Terran myths."

Xzerxsh found his voice. "Certainly appropriate. I'll second that."

Yeshersha clicked her mandibles slowly. "I'd offer Kraken Minoris. What's that Terran saying Don?"

Don nodded. "I'll agree to that. Kraken Minoris it is."

Xzerxsh blinked his eyes. "But what's the saying?"

Don looked at the model, then at the depth chart, which showed a maximum depth of over ten thousand feet. "There is always a bigger fish."