2. USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects)
Transcript of Police interrogation of Jessica Turner.
Detective 1. “Jessie, tell us again what happened.”
Jessica. “I’ve already told you. We were sailing along slowly because the wind had died down and I was trimming the sail and Greg was at the wheel and I looked up and saw this long arm come over the side and I screamed. But it was too late and the arm wrapped around him and pulled him over into the water. (crying) And-and-and then this huge head with those huge horrible eyes and a lot more arms came up and looked at me and then it began to slap Greg on the water. Greg screamed the first time and then he didn’t any more.”
Detective 2. “What did he say?”
J. “I told you. He said, ‘Help, help me,’ but I couldn’t move. (crying) I couldn’t even make a sound.”
D 2. “How many times did this thing slap Greg?”
J. “I don’t know.”
D 1. “You said four or five earlier.”
J. “I wasn’t counting. I was just petrified.”
D 2. ”Can you tell us again about your relationship to Greg.”
J. “What more can I say? He was my boy friend. We were in love. (crying) We were talking about getting married.”
D 1. “He had just taken out a pretty big life insurance policy naming you as beneficiary. Did you know that?
J. “What are you trying to say? I told you we were in love. (crying) Do you think I’m making all of this up?”
D 2. “No, no. We realize how hard this must be for you. You’re not being accused of anything. But it is such an unusual story that we have to cover all the angles.”
J. “I don’t know why it didn’t take me too. (crying) Oh Greg. I was just so terrified at the time I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even phone for help.”
D 1. “Did you see it-ah-eat Greg?”
J. “No. It just sank back into the sea with him with hardly a splash.”
CNN News: As a follow-up to the story we broadcast two days ago about a couple in a sailboat attacked by a giant octopus or squid, the police have cleared Jessica Turner of any involvement in the presumed death of her companion. His name has not yet been released pending notification of his family in Hong Kong.
Sears Institute marine biologist Dr. Wilhelm Octavian gave his opinion that from the description given by Ms. Turner, the attacker was most likely a giant squid and not an octopus. If she was correct in her estimation of the size of the creature’s eyes, he said that it would be far larger than the largest known giant squid. Although a popular subject of fiction and folklore, Dr. Octavian stated that there have never been any documented cases of unprovoked attacks on ships or people by these creatures previously.
The Squids
In the dark of the sea, the giant squids gathered. Lights flickered across their forms as they communicated by bioluminescence and arm position.
No. 9, the largest and oldest one present and as such deferred to by the others, flashed, “no. 57, you catch above-water-thing.”
“was two, No. 9. took big one,” replied No. 57.
“why leave small one. it see you. tell other above-water-thing (AWT),” said No. 9.
“no problem, No.9. they small. we big. we fast. they slow.”
“me-you not know enough about them,” flashed No. 9. “me-you know they have surface “shells” they float on and underwater hard “whales.” me-you look their “shells” and hard “whales” when fall to sea bottom. me-you not know how they cause them. maybe grow them like clam or crab. must be careful. no let them see us. next time if catch AWT, catch all.”
“no taste good. no catch for eat,” replied No. 57
At the Sears Institute
Dr. Octavian spoke to his newest graduate student Carlos Vierra over lunch in the cafeteria. “That Turner case intrigues me. If Ms Turner was anywhere near accurate in her estimate of the creature’s eyes, it would be far larger than any giant or colossal squid that has ever been reported.”
Carlos replied, “It’s hard to say how good an observer she was, given the terrifying circumstances.”
Octavian said, “We really don’t know much at all about the lives of giant squids. There’s been no real research on them in the past twenty years. There have been only a handful of live specimens caught, and they don’t survive long once brought to the surface. We suspect that they live only short lives of around five years. And there is some indication that they may use bioluminescence to attract prey and communicate.”
“Sounds like you’re thinking about taking a look at them.”
“It would be interesting, but funding would be a problem. Most of the money in marine science is going to studying the effects of the Big Warm on climate, marine biology, coastal geology, and mitigation.
Memo: Secretary of the Navy to the Secretary of Defense: Top Secret.
Attack submarines continue to report sporadic sonar contacts with large unidentified submerged objects (USOs) traveling at depths well below the submersion limits of our craft. Furthermore these USOs are capable of speeds close to the top speeds of our submarines and seem to be far more maneuverable. Their sonic and heat signatures are less than that of our craft. We have not been able to detect them from surveillance satellites. All attempts to close on them have been unsuccessful.
The technology required for such a craft is beyond what we have or will have in the foreseeable future. If these contacts represent the technical achievements of another nation, then that country would very seriously threaten our naval supremacy. If they are not manmade, then they represent a previously unknown form of marine life. I recommend making every effort to differentiate between these possibilities.
The Long and The Short of It 