The Diver issue 1

September 21st 2035 a German troop has traveled north toward an old port in Marinestützpunkt Kiel-Wik which was last reported functioning during the last year of WW2 and are prepping to perform a cache sweep. They come across the condemned building which once housed a Uboat launch bay. The commander of the patrol exits the APC and enters the building followed by four troopers.

The commander observes the building and gives orders for two more to exit the vehicle and watch the building exit. The group ventures further into the base and arrive toward the launch bay. A pristine UBoat was spotted docked in the bay, untouched. The officer sends two to scour the contents for anything of value. The others soon approach the COs office and open the cabinets, searching files and strategies until something catches a soldiers eye. A switch, he flicks it in hopes it will unlock something and it does, a hidden shaft soon opens revealing a lift which goes deep below the facility.

The officer takes one soldier with him and continues his search further into the facility. The lift still holds power from the hydraulic generators below the sea ramp, looking at the panel he sees the labels, “Lager (stockpile), Labor (Lab) und Zelle (cell)” they click the Lager and travel down to where they find old warheads, torpedoes, and strange weapons of unfamiliar nature, a gauntlet than no man can wield, various chest plates that could crush a man’s body under the weight and boots that look like they can crack stone with each step. They travel further to the Labor, there they find skeletons of scientist in coats, all holding onto more curious documents. Some damaged by years of dust but one remained secure, it was titled, “die Taucherinitiative (the diver initiative)”. He takes the document from the skeleton to have it fall to a heap, searching through the files his blood soon runs cold.

The file contained blueprints, notes and discriminating results on a black labelled project. As he read the file further, a noise soon appeared, the sound of creaking metal. It stunned the officer and trooper, a faint bellow was heard deeper down, from the Zelle. They grow curious and take the final step lower, now approaching the final floor they reach a corridor under the sea. The frame was rusted and dripping, algae was forming around the bolts which glowed. They continue down the corridor toward a pair of doors sealed by a bulkhead, turning the gear and pushing the heavy clad doors they arrive to a view box.

The officer approached the console as the trooper approached the window, shining his flashlight he see a large drum filled with water. But, he looks around it and sees chains, the kind used by naval vessels for anchors going into the drum. “Was zum Teufel, hier stimmt etwas nicht. (What the,sir, there’s something wrong here)”, the soldier said with a shaky tone, the officer scoffs, “Hör auf, ein Kind zu sein, hilf mir jetzt, einen Netzschalter zu finden (stop being a child, now help me find a power switch)” his hand fiddles along the board until he hits a button bringing light to the facility.

Then out of pure horror, the chains moved. The soldier already on edge, shouldered his gun. The officer continued to fiddle until he found a lever he pulled it and the chains soon moved again, stalled from the rust before breaking free and pulling away from the drum. As the chains began to hoist, an alarm soon sounds There out of the water a drivers suit of iron was emerging, the chains soon straighten the suit till it faced the room. The pair observe the suit and notice it appeared sealed as if one piece, the gloves, the armour the boots all were the same as the ones in the stockpile.

They slowly approached the suit and it was there they heard it, breathing. The sound sent a chill down their spine, the suit soon moved, the helmet tilting from a downward angle toward the soldier. In the visor a faint glow soon appeared getting brighter and brighter. As if it was waking up, before long. The visor lit up, shining a yellow hue which illuminated the soldier and officer. In fear the soldier aimed his gun and let loose a hail of bullets. They gave little effect, the suit soon let out a bellow and strained against the chains. Within minutes the chains gave, one after the other. As one chain was left the suit swung itself back and forth till the final chain broke making it crash through the damaged screen.

The two Germans stammered backward, the suits visor soon burns bright red and starts to walk toward them, the soldier let loose another hail of bullets as the officer ran for his life.

As he sprinted down the corridor he could hear the screams of the soldier which was soon followed by silence and a squished sound of flesh being pulverised. The suit soon barges through the doors it’s gauntlets bloodied and dripping, the officer continued running his trousers soaking in sweat and urine. The suit then begins to bound toward him each step shaking the corridor. With little time remaining he makes it to the lift and shoots the glass flooding the corridor with the suit.

He manages to escape and returns to the surface. Returning to the patrol, he begins to scream and yell, “Da kommt ein Monster, es hat unseren Kameraden getötet!! (there's a monster coming, it killed our comrade!!)” they laugh but it is soon interrupted by the sound of creaking metal from the dock.

There was silence once more, “it’s coming” footsteps soon appear and a glowing light emerges from the dock. Slowly like a 007 entrance the monster appears. The officer lets out a scream, “Feueree!! (Fireeee!!)”, the whole group lets loose every bullet they have but it was nothing but a bugs kiss to it. One by one the soldiers fell to their feet until the monster reached the officer. In his eyes all he could see was the red of the monster visor, all he could hear was the dripping of blood and the squishing of flesh under foot.

There is a muffled scream before, “snap” the officer falls to the floor the suit soon leaves the facility the two soldiers at the APC see the monster and attack it, one of them makes for the mounted turret and opened fire. The monster lifts it gauntlet infront of it blocking the .50 calibre rounds until it reached the APC thrusting its fist against the helmet of the one soldier before tipping the APC onto its side, walking round toward the injured German killing him instantly, the monster then gazes at the sky, “sky is….pretty” The suit then walks inland, a forgotten program now emerged from history.