Two years had passed since the event in Santa Barbara, where the Titan of the Deep first emerged, creating one of the largest recorded marine creature disasters in modern history. During this time, humanity had recorded numerous scattered reports from oceans, rivers, lakes, and even remote forests, indicating the sudden appearance of previously unknown creatures. Each specimen varied dramatically in size, shape, physiology, and behavior. Some were colossal enough to overturn cargo ships or destroy bridges, while others moved with remarkable speed relative to humans and conventional vehicles, exhibiting sophisticated movements and often evading observation.
To manage and understand these phenomena, the United Nations established the International Aetherial Research and Containment Agency (IARCA) – a multinational organization uniting scientists, engineers, military personnel, and rescue specialists tasked with cataloging, classifying, monitoring, and developing response strategies for Aetherials. The collective term Aetherials was adopted to standardize reports, while each individual was assigned a specific code, such as Specimen A-03, Specimen A-04, and so forth, for research and management purposes.
Dr. Evelyn Hartman, serving as Head of Behavioral Observation of Aetherials, became the central point for all international research coordination. At the first international conference on Aetherials, she presented data on the array of creatures observed over the past two years. Evelyn stated:
"They appear across every environment: oceans, rivers, lakes, forests, deserts. They exist according to their own ecological niches, interacting with one another and with humans according to entirely logical physiological and physical principles. We must learn to observe, study, and develop effective response strategies, because any oversight can result in disaster."
Diverse Appearances
Data collected over the two years revealed:
Colossal specimens, ranging from 50–70 meters in length, moved relatively slowly, but exerted immense physical pressure. Each step could shake bridges, rupture dams, or displace ships.
Medium-sized specimens, approximately 20–30 meters long, moved with moderate speed and agility, often in coordinated groups, affecting infrastructure or nearby vessels indirectly.
Small, fast specimens, under 10 meters, were capable of rapid bursts of movement, comparable to the speed of high-performance vehicles, but always within realistic physical limits. Their hunting behavior or sudden movements could still generate waves or vibrations causing accidents among humans.
All of these creatures were collectively referred to as Aetherials, a system that simplified communication for both research and international coordination.
Human Response and International Organization
IARCA implemented a multi-tiered strategy:
Observation and monitoring:
Continuous 24/7 tracking using radar, sonar, ultrasonic sensors, satellites, and drones.
Real-time 3D mapping of movement and physical pressure exerted by each specimen.
Alerts and evacuation:
Populations near Aetherial sightings were evacuated according to standardized emergency protocols.
Notifications were delivered via radio, emergency apps, loudspeakers, and visual drones.
Rescue and mitigation:
Rescue ships, helicopters, and medical teams were deployed immediately to respond to indirect accidents.
Physical data from Aetherials were used to reroute ships and civilians away from danger zones.
Armed Conflict
Not all nations complied with IARCA protocols or waited for Aetherials to act. Some countries, especially those with strategic infrastructure, opted for preemptive strikes to prevent damage:
Preemptive operations:
Naval, air, and artillery units targeted Aetherials before they could cause direct damage.
Heavy explosives, missiles, and high-yield weaponry were employed.
Consequences:
Several Aetherials were killed before causing harm.
Massive material damage occurred: ports destroyed, industrial facilities damaged, bridges and roads collapsed.
Some human casualties occurred, mainly among military personnel and rescue teams.
These engagements generated global hazard maps, allowing IARCA and other nations to predict Aetherial appearances and plan preventative measures.
Organizations Protecting Aetherials
Meanwhile, some non-governmental organizations, including the Global Aetherial Conservation Network (GACN), emerged with the goal of protecting the creatures:
Studying Aetherial behavior and physiology.
Lobbying governments and the United Nations for protective policies.
Providing safe interaction guidelines for militaries, rescue teams, and civilians.
However, logically:
Aetherials were extremely dangerous, capable of destroying large infrastructure and threatening human life.
Conservation viewpoints were therefore rarely supported by major governments or military forces.
GACN primarily influenced rescue strategy and research, lacking the ability to prevent nations from employing armed countermeasures.
A Typical Day
A typical day of simultaneous Aetherial appearances might unfold as follows:
Specimen A-05, a colossal deep-sea species, approached Tokyo's harbor. Six-meter-high waves battered the port. The Japanese Navy launched warning strikes while evacuating civilians via tugboats and helicopters. A-05 was hit by missiles, altering its course and rupturing a fuel storage facility, causing enormous material damage. Thanks to timely evacuations, there were no civilian casualties.
Specimen A-06, a small and fast species, appeared near the riverside of Paris. It preyed on small fish but inadvertently capsized several tourist boats. GACN deployed rescue teams, guided boats and civilians away, and recorded pressure and speed data for analysis. Despite its rapid movements, all velocities remained within feasible limits, making accurate prediction and mitigation possible.
Specimen A-07, a medium-sized pack species in the Nevada desert, moved through a restricted nuclear research area. Military units carried out preemptive containment, using high-yield explosives to prevent the creatures from advancing. The Aetherials were killed, but the surrounding infrastructure suffered massive destruction, illustrating the need for careful application of armed interventions.
In every instance, Dr. Hartman and IARCA meticulously documented behavior, speed, applied pressure, reactions to attacks, and material damage. These datasets allowed accurate predictions of future Aetherial behavior and improved rescue protocols.
Consequences and Politics
Some nations established Aetherial preemptive units, striking creatures as soon as they appeared.
GACN continued advocacy, but its influence remained limited, focusing mainly on civilian rescue and scientific observation.
Dr. Hartman emphasized that the greatest danger lies in human error or illogical responses, since Aetherials are capable of producing massive indirect damage even without deliberate aggression.