Visions of the Sea

Charles had watched Dr. Grant quickly move away from him, pushed by a great force.

One that he knew.  

Megaladon.

Charles removed his mouth piece, and exhaled.  The hammerheads around him began to circle quicker, but not by choice... by the force of something giant in the deep.

Not the force that pushed Dr. Grant away, a much larger, much older power pulled him in.

The sea lords were going through the ritual of old.  To consult the madness, they created a virtual black hole in the deep.  Controlled chaos.

He couldn't fight it.  Nor would he have wanted to.  His only anxiety was how his brother in law was going to react. 

Thaddeus Grant wasn't about to just tuck his tail and run.

And Charles knew exactly who was going to be keeping the good doctor company.

But there was no point fretting over things out of his control.

Concentrate on the problem at hand.

He came up to the sea lords, chanting their mystic lament, seeking guidance from the universe, from the madness which spawned them.

He was offered no greeting, his invite only to sit in. 

No new practice to him, Charles slipped into the speechless telepathy invoked by the ritual.

The black hole below him opened to reveal stars, being swallowed by it.

The galaxy we inhabit circled it vigorously, being torn apart, bit by bit, star by star.

Vividly magnifying, a thick bolt of light shone out from our solar system, piercing the black hole, inverting it, causing it to push the stars and galaxies away from it, stretching time and space.

The sea lords continued to chant, but the controlled chaos they had been able to harness shrunk into nothingness, but for a grain of heavy sand, which Megaldon quickly snatched.

And as he did, Charles felt the tables of fate turn.  A heavier gravity than the black hole itself, something only his connection with the madness allowed him to perceive.  

Unsure of what he was even being told, he could only stare into the gaping maw of the gigantic shark, but not seeing Megaladon at all.  

But what he did see was definitely a shark.

...

And he forced himself to hide not just his smile, but his thoughts as well.

Because he could see the light.

And it was monstrous.

The Beast

Warmth, blessed warmth.
Doctor Grant removed his helmet and breathed deep the sea.

His host passed him a drink.

He knocked it back vigorously, producing a smile from the young man.

"So tell me doctor, what possessed you to venture this far into the unknown? "

"That would be destiny, I believe."

"Ha!  And I suppose destiny is why I can smell my blood in you?"

"Indeed."

"But that's all my fathers intuition, now isn't it?"

"Your father?"

"Yes.  He's with the Don now.  But we'll see him soon enough."

The Don...
How in the hell had Dr. Grant found himself in such terrible company?  Even though he was acutely aware that the young man in front of him was basically the harbinger of the end of the world, he found it difficult to not feel relaxed and welcome.
He kept reminding himself that he wasn't dreaming.
Unless, he was already dead, and this was only a dream of the madness?
But regardless, breathing in the sea, drinking under water... truly this was madness, no matter what way you cut it.