Chapter 245 Aquatic Threat
At the containment facility in New Clark City, Richard's communication device blared in his ears, the sudden burst of static jolting him from his focused observation of the ongoing operations.
"What the..." Richard flinched, instinctively adjusting the volume. He quickly composed himself, recognizing the urgency that such an interruption typically signified. Switching the device to a secure channel, he spoke firmly, "This is Eagle, report the situation."
The voice on the other end crackled. Eagle, this is Blackwatch. We've got a situation at sea. The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock is under attack by an unidentified aquatic entity. Multiple tentacles have ensnared the vessel. Conventional weaponry is ineffective."
Richard's brow furrowed. "Repeat your last, Blackwatch."
"The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, sir, has been attacked by an unknown aquatic entity. The creature has ensnared the ship with massive tentacles."
"Tentacles," Richard's frown grew deeper. "The fuck are we dealing with here?"
"It's best that you head over to the command center immediately," Mark suggested, his voice steady despite the escalating crisis. "We're pulling up all available data and imagery on the entity. You'll get a better grasp of the situation there."
"Copy that, en route," Richard replied, swiftly moving out of the room.
Upon arrival, the atmosphere was tense, with operators and analysts working feverishly. Richard immediately approached the main console, where live feeds and data streams were being displayed.
"Show me the latest visuals," Richard commanded, his eyes fixed on the screens.
One of the technicians quickly pulled up a live feed of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock from one of the Viper helicopters that was on the scene, now visibly entangled by enormous tentacles. The sheer size of the entity was staggering, dwarfing the ship.
Graves was also seen in the footage, hovering and swooping in, cutting the tentacles with a plasma blade. It seemed effective as it cut through the tentacles like butter. However, the ship is not going to last long as it is completely bent from under extreme strain exerted by those tentacles. It's going to sink sooner or later.
"There are over 3,000 people there, civilian and military, inside the ship. They won't have enough time to evacuate," Mark said.
"It's like an octopus straight out of fiction," Sara added.
"More like a Kraken," Richard said, noting the similarities with the legendary sea monster. "What the fuck, so Lin Feng can summon mythological creatures now? Give me a break."
As Richard and his team watched the live feed, the situation aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock turned from dire to catastrophic. The tentacles constricted with unimaginable force, causing the metal hull of the ship to groan and creak under the immense pressure. The ship now appeared fragile in the grasp of the monstrous entity.
Graves, airborne and fighting valiantly, seemed like a mere insect in comparison to the colossal creature. His plasma blade slashed through the tentacles, but for each one severed, it appeared more would take its place, relentlessly assaulting the ship.
On the command center screens, the ship began to tilt dangerously. The deck was now at a steep angle, and people could be seen sliding, scrambling to hold onto anything for dear life. Alarms blared, and the sound of metal twisting and tearing filled the airwaves.
"Oh my god." Th1s chapter is updated by n)ovel/\bin/\
The ship's bow plunged first, the tentacles dragging it inexorably into the depths. Water rushed over the deck, flooding into the interior, as the stern rose high into the air. The sight was harrowing as it seemed intent on pulling the entire vessel beneath the waves.
Richard clenched his fists. "Why aren't the helicopters not doing anything?"
"Well sir, the helicopters aren't equipped to fight aquatic monsters, especially considering physics," Sara explained. "You see, the ocean surface acts like a barrier. When large caliber rounds like those from the chain gun and rotary cannon of the Apache and Vipers hit the water, their velocity and trajectory are significantly altered due to water's higher density compared to air. It's known as hydrodynamic drag. The impact of a projectile on water at high velocity is similar to hitting a solid surface. Essentially, shooting into water is highly ineffective beyond a very shallow depth. That's why even direct hits on the creature's tentacles, once they're submerged, do little to no damage."
"How about missiles?"
AGM-84 Harpoon Missiles - Long-range, sea-skimming cruise missiles with radar guidance.
Sensors:
Searchwater 2000MR Radar - Advanced maritime radar with surveillance and tracking capabilities.
Electronic Support Measures (ESM) - Electronic surveillance equipment for detecting and locating radar and communication signals.
Acoustic detection systems using sonobuoys.
Kawasaki P-1 (Japan)
Size: Length - 38 m, Wingspan - 35.4 m
Weapons:
Type 91 Anti-ship missiles - Air-launched, active radar homing missiles.
Mk-46 or Type 97 Torpedoes - Lightweight torpedoes designed for anti-submarine warfare.
Mines for strategic deployments.
Sensors:
HPS-106 Surveillance Radar - Advanced radar system with high detection capabilities.
Acoustic processing system - For analyzing data from sonobuoys.
Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) for detecting submerged submarines.
ATR 72 ASW (Italy/France)
Size: Length - 27.17 m, Wingspan - 27.05 m
Weapons:
Lightweight torpedoes - Optimized for anti-submarine roles.
Depth charges for area denial and submarine deterrence.
Sensors:
Seaspray 5000E radar - Active electronically scanned array radar for maritime surveillance.
Magnetic Anomaly Detector - For submarine detection.
Advanced acoustic processing equipment for analyzing sonobuoy data.
"Okay, all aircraft perform the same roles so I'm going to choose the P-8 Poseidon because most of our military hardware is American," Richard said.