Kael Draven
There was something very ironic about trying not to drown inside a submarine. On the one hand, it's designed to prevent that. On the other, an enraged Kraken banging on the structure like it was his personal drum definitely doesn't help.
“Kael, move!” Sofia pulled me just as another violent jolt knocked me off balance. The metal wall creaked a few feet away from us, and a giant tentacle smashed through a side hatch.
“Why is it always a Kraken!!! Couldn't they have started with something more manageable, like a herd of killer beta fish!” I shouted as we ran down the hallway.
“We don't have time for your complaints right now - the control room has to be close by!”
Sophia Draven
We ran like mad through the sub, tentacles piercing the walls and water seeping in at a disturbing rate. Along the way, we came across a panel that seemed to show a basic map of the place. I'm no expert on submarines, but the control room was marked with a glowing circle and a label that read, “Oxygen restart here, geniuses.”
“This way!” I pointed, pulling Kael toward a hatch that led to a ladder.
The Kraken wasn't going to give us time to explore. As we climbed up, another giant tentacle broke part of the floor beneath us, and my brother let out a scream worthy of a movie villain.
“Don't stop, Kael!”
“Easy for you to say, that mutant squid wants to turn me into sushi!”
We reached the control room panting and closed the door behind us just as another tentacle hit the metal with a deafening noise.
Kael Draven
The control room looked like something out of an old movie. There were panels full of buttons and levers, lights flashing red, and a giant screen showing the exterior of the submarine. There was the Kraken, swimming around like a horror movie villain, surrounded by a cloud of black ink.
“This is crazy! How are we going to fix the oxygen and not die at the same time!” I shouted, looking at all the controls as if they were Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Sofia didn't answer me. She was desperately looking through a manual she found in a corner, titled: “Underwater Systems Maintenance for Idiots.”
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“Kael, look for something that says 'system reboot' or 'self-destruct'. I don't care which.”
“Great, because I have no idea what I'm doing either!”
After pushing a couple of buttons (and almost triggering an emergency protocol that probably would have swamped everything), we finally found a lever labeled “Main Oxygen System.”
Sophia Draven
“Do it, Kael!” I yelled, pointing to the lever.
“What if this makes things worse?”
“Worse than an angry Kraken? Do it already!”
Kael pulled the lever, and the sub shook violently. A metallic sound ran through the place as the oxygen system rebooted. The red lights went out, replaced by a faint green, and a message appeared on a nearby screen:
“Oxygen system: stable. Kraken: Persistent problem.”
“Well, that solves half our problems,” I said, just as another jolt reminded us that the Kraken was still out there.
Kael Draven
The giant screen showed something interesting. Apparently, the sub had a rudimentary defensive system: some sort of electrical grid that could trigger discharges around the hull.
“How about frying up some squid?” I asked, pointing at the screen.
“That sounds perfect!” Sofia replied.
I pressed the button that said “Defenses active,” and the sub began emitting a series of electrical discharges that illuminated the water around us. On the screen, the Kraken writhed violently before letting out a final roar and disappearing into the darkness.
“Yes! We did it!” Sofia raised her arms, victorious.
“Sure, we made it,” I muttered. “Now we're just trapped in a submarine that almost turned into a giant coffin.”
Sofia Draven
Before I could respond, a new system message appeared in front of us:
“Challenge completed. Congratulations, survivors. This submarine will be designated as your safe base. Rewards awarded: +2 endurance, basic system map.”
“Safe base?” I repeated aloud.
“A base? This is a sub that almost killed us!” Kael exclaimed.
The system ignored our complaints and followed up with another message:
“Special Ability Unlocked: Improvised Repair. Description: Allows you to make temporary repairs to any object or structure with basic materials on hand.”
“Well, at least something useful,” I said, sighing as I dropped into a nearby chair.
Kael Draven
I looked around the control room and then at my sister. “So now we live on a submarine...cool.”
“It's not so bad,” Sophia replied, shrugging. “It's... cozy.”
“Cozy? Where are we going to sleep? On the metal floor? What are we going to eat? Raw fish?”
“Relax, Kael. We survived a Kraken. I'm sure we can manage.”
As she spoke, another message appeared in front of us:
“Next challenge unlocked at: 24:00:00. Hint: Scout your base and prepare for what's coming.”
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “This is just getting started, right?”
“Definitely,” Sofia replied with a smile. “And it's going to be fun. Well, probably not for you.”
“Great. I'm stuck in a submarine with my optimistic sister and a system with a questionable sense of humor. This is going to be hell.”
And with that, our new life on a submarine began.