Cryptids and You: A Comprehensive Guide to Bounty-Fishing

[Cylarn]

NOTICE: This is a worldbuilding thread for What Lies Below.

Cryptids and You
A Comprehensive Guide to Bounty-Fishing
By Pieter Viljoen

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Introduction

If you're reading this, then either you're dumb enough to go into the world's most dangerous line of work, or you just purchased this book out of curiosity at some bookstore/coffee shop, and you are reading this while you enjoy your pumpkin spice latte. Or maybe you acquired this as an e-book or a Kindle book or whatever; I could give less of a fuck where you're reading this or who you might be. All that matters to me is that I am making money by lying about this profession. Human beings like to believe that there is always a certain way to do shit, that if you follow the right steps, you'll succeed no matter what. That's the biggest crock of shit that I have ever heard; no one got anywhere in life by following stone-set tenets, especially in this line of work. Bounty-fishing is a game of luck and who can take down the AC in the most efficient manner possible, before the damn thing decides to crush your ship like a tin can or drag you and your crew down to a watery grave.

I never thought I'd make an impact on the world, especially after I ended my illustrious 25-year career in the South African Navy, just before the Ascension Incident, leaving the Navy with the esteemed rank of Captain and the rights to brag about commanding the SAS Hugo Biermann. I was drifting from contract to contract in maritime security, right up until "sea monsters" and "aquatic cryptids" had torn the world's maritime economy a new asshole. Whether it be news about a US destroyer getting crushed by the all-mighty tentacles of a Kraken, or an entire oil derrick falling prey to a Meg, shit was hitting the fan. One day, as I sat at some beachfront bar in Durban, drinking a beer as I watched people stabbing one another on a typical Friday night, I had an epiphany. I asked myself what would happen if I bought a boat, a fuck-ton of guns, and a crew, and then offered up a service to clear out these damn beasts for whomever paid us the most cash. Not once did I think I would survive, though.

The first sucker to offer up a hefty bounty was Madagascar. The island nation was besieged by a pod of aggressive fucking sea serpents, and shipping routes from mainland Africa to the island were an absolute fucking mess. For about 2 months, we were running patrols up and down the coast of that shitty island, killing any AC we saw. Half of my crew gave their lives during this endeavor, and not one of their sacrifices were in vain. One ship cleared those shipping routes and killed God-knows-how-many fucking sea serpents, and Madagascar practically got on its knees and gave me a toothless blowjob for my service. My crew and I were living like kings now, and I had another idea. I bought another boat and crew, took up more contracts worldwide. The goddamn Americans like to think that they started the commercialization of bounty-fishing - what with Clearwater and all that - but that's a load of bollocks and they fucking know it, so fuck them. I had a baby, and her name was Hydra Maritime Security Solutions.

Before I knew what the fuck was going on, the world was in awe at the industry that I had pioneered, like the Voortrekkers who made my homeland great. CNN called us "the Executive Outcomes of bounty-fishing," Greenpeace tried several times to sue my ass, the pussy-footing UN wanted me to tone down the amount of ACs we were killing, but the rest of the world was more than willing to show me the goddamn greens. Everyone was getting into the business now, whether they be firms like mine or independent outfits. If you had a gun, boat, and crew, you were pretty much set, as every outfit had the same odds. Bounty-fishing is a dangerous game of luck, and few people are willing to believe that. This book is here so that you have at least a general idea of what the fuck you're getting yourself into. Bounty-fishing is dangerous work, but it's hella profitable, so glean what you can, but don't expect this guide to be a definite guide to the wonderful world of bounty-fishing.

Hail fucking Hydra.

[Cylarn]

Background

Quite possibly the defining question of the 21st Century: Where did these fucking creatures come from? No one - not the UN, NSA, NOAA, CNN, BBC, North Korea, God, or Barry Obama - can tell you why a bunch of sea monsters suddenly came out of nowhere. There are a multitude of beliefs and explanations, from undersea earthquakes opening up massive underwater caverns to tears in reality allowing these creatures to travel through time. Some people blame the Americans, others blame the Jews or the Muslims. Me? I don't give a shit where they're from; they're my source of income, and as long as they keep coming, Pieter Viljoen will die a happy man. The possibilities are out there, and while we can ponder on them all we won't, pondering alone won't stop them.

What we know so far is that sometime in 2010, reports of cryptid creatures skyrocketed, coinciding with an abnormally high number of maritime accidents. It wasn't until early 2011, that documented footage exposed the issue to the world. We call it "The Ascension Incident;" Over 500 people lost their lives when the SS Ascension, a luxury liner, came under attack by what we now refer to as a "Kraken," somewhere out in the South Pacific. Two naval vessels - the USS Thornton and the HMAS Interceptor - were the first ships to respond to the distress call, as they were conducting a naval exercise in the area, most likely to wave their collective dick at the Chinese. Both vessels practically expended their entire ordnance stock in order to kill the beast, though both ships were forced to declare MASSCAL, as that Kraken had killed off a third of their crews, respectively. We're at war with those beasts, and that was our Pearl Harbor, our wakeup call that we were being challenged for supremacy of the seas.

Of course, scientific study and bounty-fishing fell hand-in-hand. Governments and research groups paid massive sums for intact specimens, so that they could be studied. Some of them weren't completely unknown; Megs, Ginsus, Mosasaurs, Krakens, and Nessies had all lived on the Earth at some point, and we were able to match them to fossils and such. Others were completely alien to us, with fluids, body structures, cells, and other facets remaining foreign to us.

I hate the shit out of bureaucrats and hippies, without a single fucking doubt. Whenever we take advantage of a situation for monetary gain, you can expect that these two-bit fucks will either be protesting against whatever it is that you're doing, drafting strongly-worded memos against it, putting themselves between you and your bounty, or proposing legislation to put a leash on your activities. The hippies first started droning about protecting ACs just after the Ascension Incident, though they really ramped up their activities after the Madagascar Turkey Shoot.

Right now, the current regulations imposed on bounty-fishing by the UN, aren't particularly harmful, though they are an impediment. The most recognizable regulation would have to be the system of licenses and tags. The UN wants to keep tabs on each crew, so they have to acquire a license from the UN to conduct bounty-fishing. Each AC they kill must be properly tagged like a deer, and bounty limits are imposed on number of ACs you can tag. In terms of equipment, lobbying has been successful in stalling most legislation that would outlaw all but the most destructive devices. Of course, you can't use WMDs, which would be stupid unless you didn't give a shit about hauling in your catch. Basically, you can use whatever you want to kill an AC, whether it be a 90mm harpoon gun, an RPG-7, an AK-47, or a trusty knife.

Admiral John Lockhart, USN - Admiral Lockhart is one of the most unorthodox SOBs I've ever had the pleasure of encountering. He's been a SWO for most of his naval career, though I heard that he had originally been a damn SEAL. Currently, he holds the prestigious title of "Special Naval Attache to the United Nations." He is widely known as the world's foremost expert when it comes to ACs and naval operations. He's no armchair officer; I had the pleasure of hosting him during the original Madagascar operation, and I can safely say that he is not only an intelligent tactician, but he is more than willing to get his hands dirty for the greater good. He and I devised the convoy system that is now commonplace for most commercial and naval voyages, and he advises the UN on naval matters concerning AC activity. Most navies worldwide also attribute their AC strike units to his original "Quick Reaction Cryptid Control Teams," or "QRCCTs," which are effective even though most naval forces are assuming defensive postures against the ACs.

Caleb Stewart - Although he is a boring fuck, I can safely say that he is a real professional when it comes to hunting ACs. The guy has set records in the bounty-fishing world, and currently holds the record for the most ACs ever caught. He originally worked for Clearwater Cryptid Clearance, up until they went bankrupt, at which point I made an offer. His most defining feature is his understanding of the ultimate, beautiful, violent nature of the sea, something that many captains have a hard time coming to terms with. For him, a bad op is just another op, and you can expect him to immediately bound back, ready for whatever else is in store.

2011 - The Ascension Incident is the first reported AC attack, the first instance of naval forces engaging an AC, and the first instance of credible visual evidence of such creatures. An adult Kraken was responsible for the attack, which claimed over 500 lives. Governments and corporations scramble to protect their assets.

2011 - Pieter Viljoen and the crew of the SS HF Verwoerd conduct the world's first successful bounty-fishing operation, clearing out a group of "hydras" from the shipping routes to Madagascar. Hydra Maritime Security Solutions is opened for business shortly after, specializing in the removal of ACs.

[Cylarn]

Varieties of Aquatic Cryptids

Cryptid size classes:

Microscopic: 1 mm or less in length/height. Abbreviation Mc, or SC1.

Miniscule: 1.01 mm - 10 cm in length/height. Abbreviation Mi, or SC2.

Small: 10.001 - 50 cm in length/height. Abbreviation S, or SC3.

Kinder: 50 cm - 1.5 m in length/height. Abbreviation K, or SC4.

Medium: 1.51 - 2.5 m in length/height. Abbreviation Me, or SC5.

Large: 2.51 - 5 m in length/height. Abbreviation L, or SC6.

Very Large: 5.01 - 10 m in length/height. Abbreviation VL, or SC7.

Huge: 10.01 - 50 m in length/height. Abbreviation H, or SC8.

Enormous: 51 - 100 m in length/height. Abbreviation E, or SC9.

Massive: 101 - 250 m in length/height. Abbreviation M, or SC10.

Colossal: 251 meters or greater in length/height. Abbreviation C, or SC11.

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Cryptid weight classes:

Viral: 7.6x10^-21 - 1.2x10^-17 kg. Abbreviation V, or WC1.

Bacterial: 1.21x10^-17 - 1.8x10^-15 kg. Abbreviation B, or WC2.

Cellular: 1.81x10^-15 - 5x10^-12 kg. Abbreviation c, or WC3.

Miniscule: 5.01x10^-12 - 1.5x10^-7 kg. Abbreviation m, or WC4.

Very Small: 1.51x10^-7 - 8x10^-3 kg. Abbreviation VS, s, or WC5.

Small: 8.01x10^-3 - 0.1 kg. Abbreviation S, or WC6.

Medium-small: 0.11 - 10 kg. Abbreviation MS, or WC7.

Medium: 10.1 - 75 kg. Abbreviations m, or WC8.

Large: 75.1 - 650 kg. Abbreviations L, or WC9.

Very Large: 651 - 1200 kg. Abbreviations VL, or WC10.

Huge: 1201 kg - 15 tonnes. Abbreviations H, or WC11.

Enormous: 15.1 - 60 tonnes. Abbreviations E, or WC12.

Massive: 60.1 - 150 tonnes. Abbreviations M, or WC13.

Colossal: 151 tonnes or greater. Abbreviations C, or WC14.

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Cryptid threat level classes

Threat level classes are divided into two categories. The first three all contain microscopic cryptids, the others do not.
Keter: The highest threat level, describes beings capable of wiping out humanity easily unless acted upon immediately. Differs from Chokhmah-class in that Keter-class cryptids usually have intelligence superior to humans, as opposed to equal or lesser for Chokhmah-class cryptids. Self-replicating, ecophagic microscopic cryptids are classified as Keter, as are microscopic cryptids with an intelligent hive mind hostile to human life. No Keter-class cryptids have ever been acknowledged by any world governments, though numerous sightings of Keter-class cryptids have been claimed. Abbreviated as K-class.

Chokhmah: Cryptids capable of wiping out humanity unless acted upon immediately. Differs from Keter class in that Chokmah-class cryptids usually have intelligence equal or lesser than humans. Most microscopic cryptids are either Chokhmah- or Binah-class; most microscopic cryptids with a hive mind are Chokhmah, as are ones that are considered more likely to trigger a pandemic. Any cryptid capable of controlling massive numbers (1 million+) of humans is Chokhmah or above. Abbreviated as C-class.

Binah: Cryptids capable of wiping out humanity unless contained/reduced in number. Microscopic cryptids of this class are less prone to pandemics than Chokhmah-classes, and while some can form colonies, most do not. Macroscopic Binah-class cryptids are as a rule animalistic in intelligence, inferior to both Chokhmah- and Keter-class cryptids. Abbreviated as B-class.

Chesed: Cryptids capable of destroying countries. Abbreviated as c-class or Ch-class.

Gevurah: Cryptids capable of destroying small countries, or large provinces. Abbreviated as G-class.

Tiferet: Cryptids capable of destroying provinces, very small countries, or extremely large cities. Abbreviated as T-class.

Netzach: Crytpids capable of destroying large cities, micronations, or small provinces. Abbreviated as N-class.

Hod: Cryptids capable of destroying relatively large cities, islands, or very small provinces. Abbreviated as H-class.

Yesod: Cryptids capable of destroying cities, or causing damage to large areas. Abbreviated as Y-class.

Malkuth: Cryptids capable of destroying large towns. Abbreviated as M-class.

Sub-Malkuth: Non-cryptids, or cryptids that are either non-threatening to humans or only capable of destroying small towns and therefore able to be dealt with by non-specialized personnel.

[Cylarn]

Tactics and Equipment

[Rupudska]

Tagging dis.

[Tiltjuice]

Recording in my post history also.