Whispers of the Deep

Wesley Carter, a marine biologist, navigates the serene waters of an uncharted ocean, reflecting on humanity's connection with octopuses. Strange occurrences hint at the presence of a rogue group manipulating cephalopods for nefarious purposes.

Fifty feet down, Wesley Carter let his gloved hand drift through the water the way a person might trail their fingers from a slow-moving boat. He was forty-two years old. He had been diving since he was twelve. He had, by his own count, log…

Marina Lopez, an aquatic linguist, deciphers an ancient message from octopuses warning of impending danger. As she shares it with Wesley, their alliance begins to form.

At three in the morning, the translation monitor was the only source of light in the room, and it was the color of bourbon. It threw amber across Marina's face, across the back of her left hand where she had been resting her chin for so lon…

Wesley and Marina uncover evidence of the rogue scientists' experiments on captured octopuses. They witness the emotional distress of the creatures, prompting a moral dilemma.

The submersible's lights cut a narrow wedge through the water, and inside that wedge: glass. A row of tanks, eight that they could count, lit from beneath by a pale green that didn't look like any luminescence Wesley had a name for. Each ta…

While searching for allies, Wesley and Marina encounter a former member of the rogue faction who provides pivotal information about their plans. However, they realize their former ally has been compromised.

The dock was the kind of place you forgot existed until you needed somewhere no one would look. Diesel slicks. Gull mess on the planks. The processing plant up the hill had closed for the afternoon shift change, and the smell that came down…