THE RECKONING: THE WORLD'S WORST SCIENTIST.

Luther groaned as he regained consciousness, the cold seep of seawater brushing against his cheek.

His body ached all over, bruises blooming where the crash had battered him against the cabin walls.

Emergency lights flickered faintly within the Abyssal Wave, painting the cramped space in ominous red glows.

Disoriented, he stumbled to his feet, gripping the control panel to steady himself. His ribs protested with sharp pain, and his breath came in shallow gasps.

The fractured monitor blinked erratically, displaying a series of warnings in glaring crimson text:

"WARNING: CORE DESTABILIZED. PRIMARY SYSTEMS OFFLINE. EXTERNAL PRESSURE CRITICAL."

"Damn it," he muttered, his voice hoarse and dry. He fumbled with the controls, trying to assess the situation.

The sonar feed struggled to display an image, static obscuring the readings, but one thing was clear: he wasn't alone down here.

Embarrassment weighed heavily on his shoulders as he thought of what Amanda would say if she saw him now.

If she knew she was right and he actually failed.

Feint bioluminescent streaks flickered in the water beyond the reinforced glass, their eerie glow illuminating the darkness for brief moments.

Then a shadow passed through the light, massive and terrifyingly fast. Luther's heart sank as the sonar finally pinged back data.

"Object size: 1,200 meters." the AI alerted him.

His stomach churned. That wasn't a fish, wasn't a whale, this thing was something else entirely.

He toggled the external cameras, his blood running cold as the monstrous form emerged from the shadows.

Its size was incomprehensible, its body writhing with glowing tendrils of volatile energy.

Eyes like molten stars stared directly at him, radiating a malevolent intelligence.

Holy shit he was so screwed he nearly pissed himself.

The creature let out a soundless roar, vibrating through the water and rattling the entire ship.

Luther's ears popped as the pressure shifted, and he staggered back, gripping the edge of his seat.

"This isn't happening," he whispered.

But it was. The creature moved closer, its tendrils whipping through the water with unnerving grace.

It was heading toward the Abyssal Wave, and Luther knew he wouldn't survive a direct hit.

He scrambled to reroute power to the thrusters, fingers flying across the cracked console.

The ship lurched forward, groaning under the strain as it attempted to flee. The creature followed, its colossal bulk distorting the water around it.

The AI crackled to life, its voice warped but urgent:

"Energy signature increasing. Impact imminent."

His life flashed before his eyes, maybe if he had chosen to be like everyone else to create want they wanted and not what he loved.

Maybe if he had pursued a life with Amanda instead of being obsessed with his passion maybe...

Luther's grip tightened on the controls as he veered sharply to the left, narrowly avoiding a tendril of glowing energy that lashed out, missing the ship by mere meters.

The force of the strike sent shockwaves rippling through the water, throwing the vessel off balance.

He corrected course, sweat pouring down his face. The creature was relentless, closing the distance with terrifying speed. He glanced at the vortex array, its energy readings spiking dangerously high.

If he could stabilize the array, he might be able to generate a counter-field, something to repel the creature. But the system was already failing, and the risks were enormous.

"Come on, come on," he muttered, his hands trembling as he worked.

The creature let out another soundless roar, the vibrations rattling the ship. Luther's heart pounded as he glanced at the screen.

The readings were erratic, the energy levels climbing beyond safe thresholds.

The vortex activated, its glow spilling out into the water. The creature hesitated, its movements slowing as it observed the energy field.

Luther felt a glimmer of hope as he pushed the system harder, amplifying the field's output.

For a moment, it seemed to work. The creature backed away slightly, its tendrils retracting as if repelled by the energy.

But then something changed.

The creature roared, a soundless, earth-shaking cry that vibrated through Luther's entire body.

Its glowing tendrils flared, their energy spiking uncontrollably as the blast disrupted its movements. Luther's heart raced as he watched the sonar feed. The creature's ascent had slowed, but only slightly.

It wasn't enough.

The monster shook off the energy wave like a dog shaking off water, its movements erratic but determined. It was still heading to the surface, and now it was even angrier.

Luther slammed his fist on the console, a surge of hopelessness washing over him. His thoughts churned wildly. There was nothing left to do but watch.

Through the cracked viewport, he could see its massive form moving with impossible speed, its glowing tendrils slicing through the darkness like streaks of molten light.

The water around it boiled with raw power, creating turbulence so severe it threatened to tear his vessel apart.

The AI's voice crackled back online, distorted but clear enough to send a chill down his spine:

"Warning: Energy levels critical. Object trajectory—ascending to surface. Estimated time to breach: 15 minutes."

Luther froze, his stomach dropping.

If the creature reached the surface, it wouldn't just be a disaster, it would be annihilation.

The volatile energy coursing through its body would detonate on contact with the atmosphere, unleashing a cataclysm that could incinerate the planet's skies and oceans.

"No," he muttered. "No, no, no!"

He slammed his fist on the controls, desperate to stop it. But the ship's power reserves were completely drained, the propulsion systems fried. There was nothing he could do.

The creature surged upward, its glowing eyes fixed on the surface above.

Luther could do nothing but watch as it disappeared into the darkness, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

The sonar pinged one last time, its readings flickering before going offline. The creature was gone, and the surface was only minutes away.

Luther slumped back in his seat, his chest heaving as he stared at the shattered console. He had failed.

And now the reckoning would begin.