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Cabral frowned "Most of the round noise We recorded the call Maybe you can make sense of it"

He flicked a switch on the radio console The bridge was filled with a cacophony that sounded like an oratorical contest at a , but the words were mostly incoh the pandemonium

"Mayday!" the voice said "This is the NOAA ship Ben Franklin Mayday Come in, anybody"

Another voice, : "Power! Damnit, more power …"

Then came a quick phrase It

was only caught for an instant, but that was all that was needed to convey the unated terror

"Da in!"

Cabral's recorded voice ca to respond to the SOS

"This is the NUMA ship Throckmorton What is your situation? Come in What is your situation?"

His words were drowned out by a dull, churning roar as if a h a cavern Then the radio went dead The silence that folloorse than any noise

Austin had tried to ie The scene was obviously one of chaos The voice calling the Mayday was probably the captain's Or, ive them more power

The unearthly swirling roar was beyond anything in Austin's experience He realized that the hair on the back of his neck was standing up like soldiers at attention He glanced around the bridge Judging from the apprehensive faces of captain and crew, it was clear that he was not alone in his thoughts

"What's the Franklin's position?" Austin said

Captain Cabral stepped over to a blue-glowing radar monitor

"That's another crazy thing We picked the in a southwest direction Then they disappeared from the radar screen"