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The Deadly SeasThe stories were once thought to be old legends, passed down to tell the story of tragedies at sea. From the first days that humans first began to explore the oceans, seamen told rumors of fantastic and terrifying creatures who thrived in the Seven Seas. Whether it be a massive treasure galleons being dragged to the darkest abyss of the sea by a massive tentacle-bearing demon, or fisherman being forced to engage in vicious fighting with large, mythical trophy fish, we all assumed that these stories were nothing more than tall tales crafted by superstitious folk in order to explain certain tragedies that people at the time had no idea how to explain, rather than by invoking the supernatural or the mythical. Many stories of ships being dragged under by sea creatures were easily explained by meticulous scientific research into the various phenomena that surround the ocean, such as wave patterns and ocean storm systems such as hurricanes. Sightings of "sea monsters" were further debunked as being cases of mistaken identity, with some fish and sea creatures resembling mythical monsters, while other sightings were discovered to be erroneous rumors spread by sailors who delighted in scaring other seafarers. But for some cases, there was no real way to explain what happened. Those answers would come to us, albeit in a truly terrifying way.
Truth be told, the research into the origins "Aquatic Cryptids" (a term coined by marine biologists, collectively refers to all sea monsters) is in its infancy, only really taking off in 2011. Here's what we know: sometime in 2010 and 2011, the world was taken by surprise by a massive number of "confirmed" sighting of ocean creatures listed as "crypids," with videos of the creatures circulating on YouTube and the world's naval powers investigating record losses in maritime commerce and offshore drilling operations due to destructive incidents caused by the sea monsters. The most infamous incident of this phenomenon was "The Ascension Affair," in which a cruise ship - the SS Ascension - was attacked by a massive squid-like sea creature in the South Pacific. Two naval destroyers that were in the area, the HMAS Interceptor and USS Thornton, responded to the Ascension's distress signal. A YouTube video shot by an American sailor depicts the two ships arriving at the scene just as the squid brought the Ascension under the surface of the water. The 2-hour-long video shows the two destroyers engaging the beast, with both suffering heavy losses and damage before finally killing the creature with a massive amount of firepower. Followed up by numerous reports of other ships being destroyed by both similar and different creatures, the world was facing a major maritime crisis.
There's no definitive answer as to how or why these creatures have just suddenly shown up and begun to challenge humanity's position as Apex Predator of the seas. A large portion of the scientific community - most notably NOAA - hypothesize that the sea creatures once lived under the seabed, in great underwater caverns that were opened during a series of undersea earthquakes. These creatures come in various shapes and sizes, with some resembling prehistoric fish and others appearing to be very alien in form. A number of scientists believe that a small number of these creatures may have already been active above the caverns, explaining reports of cryptids such as the Loch Ness Monster, the Kraken, and Megalodon. Not all of the cryptids are aggressive; some care not for challenging the humans, and instead act as any other fish in the sea. Others are much more aggressive and/or territorial, viciously investigating any foreign object in its domain, whether it be a floating island of trash or a cargo ship.
Humanity itself was now faced with a force that truly threatened its dominance. Governments and corporations alike poured substantial sums of cash into various methods of protecting their assets at sea, researching applications to detect, deter, and eliminate this new threat. The US led the way, employing technology and tactics to not only safeguard its coasts, but also to protect its interests at sea. Convoys became much more common, with up to 100 vessels traveling together with well-equipped defense attachments to prevent any sort of threat from compromising further shipping losses. Oil derricks at sea worldwide now often have naval attachments or private maritime security attachments in order to ensure that the oil keeps flowing. Whether it be on a boat, or under the waves, many make a living fighting these beasts. Many say that a war is being fought between the land and the sea, as many navies now consider their top aggressor to be "ACs." Despite the public largely wanting the ACs to be destroyed, conservationists have pleaded with the governments of the world to conduct a limited campaign, focusing more on defensive strategies rather than systematically hunting down and destroying the cryptids. It's an interesting war, so to speak.
The seas are much more dangerous than previously thought.
Our VoyageWith this new hardship comes new opportunity. While the navies of the world are acting mostly in a defensive posture at the behest of the UN, a new market has opened up, centering around capturing, studying, or killing these beasts. Private individuals - many of whom operate without proper equipment - seek bounties for beasts, and have begun the dangerous tasks of tracking and hunting down ACs, whether it be for defense, commercial reasons, scientific study, or pure pleasure. The whole idea of hunting down these beasts is dangerous, but a competent crew with ample equipment could earn as much as $250,000 for hauling in a single AC, depending on the size, type, and reputation of the beast. We call this "bounty-fishing," and our focus shifts to the story of one particular crew.
You, my friend, are one of a select group of individuals serving aboard the SS Hyena, a research vessel-turned bounty-fishing vessel. The Hyena isn't a heavily-renowned vessel in the world of bounty-fishing, but it is certainly one of the most diverse, in respect to its capabilities. The Hyena carries 4 jet-skis, 2 RHIBs, 2 DSVs (Deep Submergence Vehicle), and 1 HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, as well as high-quality living quarters, a state-of-the-art floating research lab, an armory outfitted with a myriad of equipment vital for a wide range of bounty-fishing operations, a medbay outfitted to conduct short-term intensive care operations, a heavy-duty harpoon gun, and advanced sonar equipment for detecting ACs. Depending on its crew, the Hyena will either become another statistic, or it will go down as the most successful bounty-fishing vessel of the 21st Century.
It's all up to you. Will you brave the dangerous waters and catch fortune?
