The scientists eventually decided on a plan: Using the long range sonar to determine the depth of the water, Ricardo would pilot the sub for as long as they could towards the direction of land. However, there was a deadline. The Calvin was built to last around 8 hours underwater and then it would start to lose power. Calvin had back up emergency power, yet it barely had the power to operate the turbines and lasted only another hour. They had nine hours to find land or else they'd be forced to activate the Calvin's emergency separation allowing it to float above the surface without the turbines. (Author note: Based off of a real submersible here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSV_Alvin)

Grace's system check revealed that the bottom of the hull was slightly impacted and the relatively delicate parts of the sub have been damaged, including one of the two cameras and much of the mechanical arms used to gather samples from the bottom ocean.

"Okay, Grace, now that you are done come check out this variable depth sonar." Ricardo patiently pointed towards the right at a small screen in the wall. "I can't pilot this sub and monitor that at the same time so I need you to turn that on and tell me if our depth is getting less or more as we move forwards. Hopefully, by using the sonar we can get closer to land. I'll try my best to teach you how to use it." He finished by staring into her rapidly blinking big green eyes and then pointing towards the monitor for emphasis.

Mike's head fell to the side and he gritted his teeth against the pounding pain in his head. His eyes then moved from where Ricardo and Grace were talking at the front of the sub to the bottom right view port. The outside water seemed strange and had an unnatural blackness to it. *It looks disgusting* His eyes gradually became unfocused as he thought back to an hour ago when he sat on his bunk smoking a cigarette. *That better not be my last* Mike sighed and was about to turn away from the port but not before he saw something flash by briefly being illuminated by the dim light. Mike sat up straight as the cig disappeared along with his sense of calmness.

Mike slowly, with his heart loudly pounding in his head, moved towards the viewport. In the background he barely caught Grace complaining about technical problems with the sonar. In the meantime he almost absentmindedly noticed three more flashes past by his viewport. *Bang!* Mike jumped back slamming his back into the wall. He jerked his head in the direction of where the pilot sat guiding the accomplished scientist. “Hey, Grace! I need your help over here!” Mike tried to say as calmly as he could but was betrayed as his voice wavered slightly.

Grace picked up on that with quirked thin eyebrow towards Mike before saying "Hold on Mike, I’ll be right there. I can’t seem to get this darn sonar to work correctly. It can't get a read on the bottom with all these blobs covering the screen!" "Blobs?" Ricardo turned around to briefly glance at the sonar screen and then did a double take.

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Author note: I’m sorry to any future fans of this novel (hopefully they exist somewhere out there) but I love making cliff hangers ....and also oddly enough chapter titles.