[00:00.34] Chapter two, Defenseless.
[00:05.88] The whole of the ship's crew raced towards Ned.
[00:09.82] My heart beat loudly.
[00:11.95] A spot in the sea had a spooky glow.
[00:15.89] Were we about to uncover the mystery of the monster?
[00:22.31] Could it be algae?
[00:24.90] asked Conseil.
[00:27.33] He was clearly hoping it wasn't a monster.
[00:32.43] No, I said, that light isn't algae.
[00:39.53] It has to be some sort of electrical power.
[00:43.41] And look, it's moving.
[00:48.26] Ay, and straight for us, said Ned.
[00:53.96] The glowing patch of water whizzed towards the Abraham Lincoln at the speed of a rocket.
[01:01.79] The water around it splashed and bubbled.
[01:07.42] At the last minute, it dived below the waves and came up on the other side of our ship.
[01:16.65] Captain Farragut was amazed.
[01:20.86] Professor Aronnax, he said, what sort of creature is this?
[01:27.56] How can we catch it?
[01:32.66] I stared at the gigantic creature.
[01:38.69] It was unlike anything I'd seen before, and I had no idea how to fight it.
[01:46.33] The tail of the creature beat violently, frothing up the water as it moved.
[01:56.12] I guessed it was at least 80 meters long.
[02:01.30] As I watched, two jets of steam and water squirted upwards, at least 50 meters into the air.
[02:11.35] I guessed they were the breathing holes of a whale.
[02:15.89] Put on all steam, Captain Farragut said grimly.
[02:25.75] The time for battle had arrived.
[02:29.87] The Abraham Lincoln steamed straight at the creature at top speed.
[02:36.96] But to our surprise, we didn't get any closer.
[02:44.49] Put on more steam if you can, sir, Ned said.
[02:50.12] If we can get closer, I'll harpoon it.
[02:58.53] Engineer, put on more steam, Captain Farragut ordered.
[03:04.93] Ned got ready to strike.
[03:09.07] The fires in the engine room of the Abraham Lincoln burned red hot.
[03:16.14] The masts trembled and the narrow funnels choked with smoke.
[03:22.85] For a whole hour we chased the monster, but we could not get any closer.
[03:31.32] The sailors swore and Captain Farragut chewed on his beard.
[03:37.92] Several times we thought it slowed a little, but just as Ned got ready to strike, it swerved away again.
[03:49.54] It's playing with us, Ned said.
[03:53.63] I just can't get close enough to hit it.
[03:58.95] Very well, Captain Farragut said.
[04:04.34] We shall see if it can outrun our cannon.
[04:11.86] The cannon was loaded and fired.
[04:15.94] The first shot passed harmlessly over the top of the creature.
[04:22.28] To the right, the captain cried.
[04:26.97] The next missile seemed to score a direct hit, but had no effect at all.
[04:35.67] The captain would not give up.
[04:40.72] I'm going to chase that monster until this ship falls apart, he declared.
[04:50.44] Just then, I heard a swishing noise and saw Ned's arm whip forward.
[04:56.93] He had thrown his harpoon at the creature.
[05:02.48] There was a dull, metallic clang as it struck.
[05:10.97] Then the light went out on the creature, and two enormous water spouts broke over the bridge of our ship.
[05:20.38] Water rushed from one end of the deck to the other, knocking men off their feet.
[05:27.79] A thundering shock followed and the ship rocked.
[05:35.91] I was taken by surprise and felt myself falling forward.
[05:43.73] I grabbed helplessly at the rail, and then I tumbled over the side and into the sea.
[05:57.47] I rose to the surface, gasping for air, only to see the Abraham Lincoln steaming away from me at full speed.
[06:10.68] Help!
[06:12.88] Help! I screamed.
[06:17.40] My water logged clothes were dragging me down.
[06:22.95] I was sinking.
[06:27.94] But then I felt my arm grabbed by a strong hand, and I was pulled back to the surface.
[06:37.07] It was Conseil.
[06:40.84] Conseil! I spluttered.
[06:47.24] Did you fall overboard as well?
[06:52.50] No, I jumped, he said.
[06:58.73] You jumped?
[07:01.50] I needed a bath, he said.
[07:09.09] Conseil had risked his life to save me, but he still found time to joke.
[07:18.23] Why didn't the ship stop to rescue us?
[07:22.99] I asked.
[07:26.20] It couldn't.
[07:29.07] The monster's teeth smashed our rudder, Conseil said.
[07:34.62] The ship was out of control.
[07:41.81] We said no more, because staying afloat in the choppy sea took all our breath away.
[07:50.89] As we swam, we took it in turns to pull each other along, so that we could also take it in turns to rest.
[08:01.11] It was not long before my strength ran out, and I couldn't hold on to conseil anymore.
[08:09.80] He had to swim for both of us.
[08:14.78] You must leave me, I said.
[08:21.25] Save yourself.
[08:26.90] But Conseil would not let me go.
[08:33.46] A moment later, my hand hit something below the surface of the water.
[08:41.85] I clung to it and felt another helping hand on my arm.
[08:47.98] Ned! I cried.
[08:51.88] Hold on and put your feet down, he told me.
[08:58.68] I did as he said, and my feet came to rest on a firm platform.
[09:06.11] I laughed with relief.
[09:09.71] Did you fall overboard or jump like Conseil?
[09:15.15] I asked.
[09:17.91] I fell, Ned said, but I was luckier than you.
[09:25.32] I landed on this floating island, or should I say, onto our mysterious sea monster.
[09:36.52] The sea monster! I cried.
[09:42.99] I couldn't believe what Ned was saying.
[09:49.60] Are we really standing on the creature we've been chasing?
[09:56.11] Yes, Ned said.
[10:00.50] And it's made of steel plate.
[10:04.72] That's why my harpoon bounced off it.
[10:11.85] I kicked the hull and it rang out like a bell.
[10:23.21] The monster that had terrified the world wasn't a live creature at all.
[10:31.24] We were standing on the back of a huge steel submarine ship.
[10:39.62] How could that be?
[10:42.48] Had somebody really built a ship that could sail underwater?
[10:49.87] I had only just taken this in when the steel fish began to slip below the surface.
[10:58.72] It was diving.
[11:04.72] All of us scrambled about, searching for an opening in the submarine, but we couldn't find one.
[11:15.20] The water rose around our chests, and for the second time in a couple of hours, it looked as if we were about to drown.
[11:28.25] Ned kicked out at the steel plates and yelled, Let us in, you monsters!
[11:37.58] The submarine stopped sinking as if it had heard him.
[11:46.70] There was a clanking sound and a metal plate lifted.
[11:53.96] The masked head of a man came into view.
[11:59.17] Several more masked men followed him, and arms reached out to grab us.
[12:08.36] Then they dragged us through the manhole and into the belly of the mysterious submarine.