Chapter 108 - 106: Something Beneath the Blue

Chapter 108: Chapter 106: Something Beneath the Blue

The first underwater probe lasted eleven minutes.

The second lasted seven.

The third discovered something interesting.

The fourth was eaten.

Arin stared at the navigation display.

"Well, that’s expensive."

Beside him, Rian looked genuinely distressed.

"That was a brand-new probe."

Lucan leaned forward in his chair.

"Technically, we learned something."

Arin looked at him.

"What?"

"Whatever lives down there has excellent reflexes."

Rian closed his eyes.

EVE replayed the final recording from the fourth probe. The camera showed dark blue water, drifting particles, and a distant rocky formation. Then a pale shape swept across the image, followed by a mouth large enough to swallow a wagon.

The transmission ended immediately afterward.

Lucan nodded appreciatively.

"Excellent reflexes."

Arin sighed.

"You’re not helping."

The survey had begun shortly after sunrise.

Seabreak’s harbor master, Captain Elsen Marrick, had authorized the operation within the restricted offshore zone. A Royal Guild coastal observer had also been notified, and all civilian vessels had been instructed to remain clear.

The Civic Exploration Platform stayed on land.

Instead, Arin had deployed a temporary coastal research station on a rocky headland north of Seabreak.

It consisted of a communications relay, two equipment shelters, a launch crane, and a reinforced cable system connecting the shore to the first underwater probes.

Nothing particularly extravagant.

At least, not by Elysium standards.

The local harbor workers disagreed.

One elderly fisherman had watched the equipment assemble itself and muttered that rich people apparently built entire houses whenever they wanted to go fishing.

Arin had decided not to correct him.

The submersible probes were compact, pressure-resistant machines designed for underwater inspection. They carried cameras, mana sensors, sonar equipment, and limited sample-collection tools.

They were not combat machines.

That distinction was becoming increasingly important.

EVE reviewed the surviving data.

"The third probe has reached a depth of four hundred and sixty meters."

Arin leaned toward the screen.

"Any sign of the missing vessels?"

"Not yet. However, the seabed contains several unusual formations."

The display shifted.

A vast underwater ridge stretched across the screen.

Its surface was covered in dark stone and pale mineral growths. Narrow trenches cut between the rocks, and clouds of fine sediment drifted through the water.

But the most interesting feature lay near the center.

A circular depression.

Nearly two hundred meters across.

Its edges were smooth.

Too smooth.

Rian frowned.

"Is that artificial?"

EVE examined the measurements.

"Unlikely. The formation is consistent with prolonged erosion around a localized current system."

Arin nodded.

"An underwater sinkhole?"

"Possibly. But the surrounding geology suggests something more complicated."

She highlighted several cracks.

Warm water was emerging from them.

Not enough to boil the sea.

But enough to create strong temperature differences.

Arin studied the readings.

"Hydrothermal activity?"

"Yes. Much weaker than the Greyhaven system, but significant."

Lucan folded his arms.

"So the ocean has its own angry mountain."

Arin smiled.

"Apparently."

The third probe descended farther.

Its lights illuminated the rocky walls of the depression.

Strange pale organisms clung to the stone.

Small fish moved between them.

Several larger creatures drifted through the darkness, their bodies producing faint blue light.

EVE enlarged the image.

"Bioluminescent marine life."

Rian smiled.

"Beautiful."

Arin nodded.

Then something moved beyond the probe’s lights.

A long shape.

Dark.

Armored.

The probe stopped.

Everyone watched.

The shape passed slowly through the darkness.

Its body was covered in overlapping plates. Broad fins extended from its sides, and several luminous blue lines ran along its length.

It was enormous.

EVE estimated its length at forty-eight meters.

Lucan whistled.

"That’s a big fish."

Arin looked at him.

"Please don’t."

The creature turned.

Its head emerged from the darkness.

Broad jaws.

Four small eyes.

And a crown of flexible sensory tendrils.

EVE scanned it.

"Unknown species. Provisional designation: Abyssal Ribbonback."

Arin considered.

"Not very ribbon-shaped."

"The luminous structures resemble ribbons."

"Fair."

The creature approached the probe.

Slowly.

Curiously.

Its sensory tendrils extended.

One touched the machine.

The probe transmitted a brief surge of interference.

Then the creature withdrew.

Arin frowned.

"It didn’t attack."

EVE nodded.

"Correct."

The Ribbonback circled once.

Then disappeared into the darkness.

Lucan looked disappointed.

Arin smiled.

"Not everything wants to fight you."

"Tragic."

The next discovery was less peaceful.

The probe continued along the depression’s edge.

Its sonar detected a large metallic object partially buried beneath sediment.

Rian leaned forward.

"Wait."

The camera turned.

A broken mast emerged from the darkness.

Then a section of wooden hull.

Then the remains of a small fishing vessel.

Arin’s expression changed.

"Identification?"

EVE enhanced the image.

The hull was badly damaged.

But part of its painted name remained visible.

MARIGOLD.

Captain Elsen, watching remotely from the harbor office, went silent.

Arin looked toward her image.

"We found it."

She nodded slowly.

"Yes."

Her voice was strained.

"Can you see anyone?"

Arin turned toward EVE.

"Scan for life signs."

The probe circled the wreck.

Its sensors examined the cabin.

The deck.

The surrounding seabed.

No human life signs.

EVE’s voice softened.

"None detected."

Elsen closed her eyes.

Arin said nothing for a moment.

Then he asked, "Can we determine what happened?"

EVE examined the damage.

The hull had been crushed along one side.

Several planks were torn inward.

The mast had snapped.

But there were no obvious bite marks.

Arin frowned.

"Impact?"

"Likely."

"From the creature?"

"Unconfirmed."

He nodded.

"Don’t assume."

The probe continued its survey.

Several hundred meters beyond the wreck, it discovered another object.

A cargo container.

Then another.

Then the remains of a second vessel.

Arin leaned forward.

"How many wrecks are down there?"

EVE expanded the sonar map.

Three confirmed.

Possibly more.

The wreckage had accumulated along the edge of the underwater depression.

Rian frowned.

"Why here?"

Arin studied the current readings.

"Because something is pulling them down."

EVE nodded.

"Correct."

The depression was surrounded by an unusual current pattern.

Water flowed toward its center.

Then descended.

Not constantly.

In pulses.

Every several minutes, the current strengthened dramatically.

The effect was powerful enough to drag floating debris downward.

And perhaps smaller vessels under the wrong conditions.

Arin looked toward the hydrothermal readings.

"What’s causing it?"

EVE examined the data.

"Likely a combination of subsurface water displacement and mana-driven pressure fluctuations."

Lucan frowned.

"In normal language?"

Arin pointed toward the depression.

"Something beneath the seabed is moving water."

"How much?"

"Enough to sink ships."

Lucan looked toward the screen.

"That’s inconvenient."

The third probe began climbing toward the surface.

Its mission was nearly complete.

Then the current changed.

A warning flashed.

RAPID DOWNWARD FLOW DETECTED.

Rian straightened.

"That’s not good."

The probe accelerated downward.

Its propulsion system increased output.

The machine struggled.

Sediment erupted from the depression.

The water became cloudy.

EVE adjusted the controls.

"Attempting recovery."

Arin watched the pressure readings rise.

"Don’t burn out the motors."

"Understood."

The probe tilted.

Its camera caught a brief glimpse of the depression’s center.

Something enormous was opening beneath the sediment.

Not a mouth.

A fissure.

A long crack in the seabed.

Warm water and dense mineral particles surged upward from one side while a powerful downward current formed along the other.

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

"There."

EVE captured the image.

Then the probe’s propulsion failed.

The machine struck the rocky slope.

Its camera spun.

The transmission flickered.

And went dark.

Rian stared at the blank screen.

"Another one."

Arin leaned back.

"At least we got the data."

Lucan smiled.

"Very expensive data."

Arin sighed.

"Yes."

By afternoon, the preliminary findings were clear.

The restricted waters contained a dangerous underwater current system associated with an active geological formation.

Several large marine creatures inhabited the region.

At least three missing vessels had likely been dragged toward the depression.

But the exact sequence of events remained uncertain.

Some ships might have been damaged by currents.

Others by collisions.

And some could have encountered the Ribbonbacks.

Arin refused to blame the creatures without evidence.

Captain Elsen listened to the report in silence.

Then asked the question everyone had been avoiding.

"Can we recover the bodies?"

Arin looked toward her.

"We can attempt a controlled recovery of accessible wreckage. But the deeper area is unstable."

She nodded.

"I understand."

He continued, "We should also search for survivors along the surrounding coast. Currents can carry wreckage and people a long way."

Elsen looked tired.

"We’ve been searching."

"I know. We’ll expand the aerial coverage."

She nodded.

"Thank you."

The next problem was the harbor itself.

Seabreak depended on fishing and coastal trade.

Keeping every vessel docked indefinitely would damage the town’s economy.

But reopening the dangerous waters without understanding the current system would be irresponsible.

Arin studied the regional chart with Elsen and several local navigators.

"Why do ships use this route?"

A merchant captain pointed toward the northeast passage.

"It’s shorter."

"By how much?"

"Nearly a day for some destinations."

Arin nodded.

"And the alternate route?"

The captain hesitated.

"Longer. More fuel. More supplies."

"But safer?"

"Historically, yes."

Arin looked toward Elsen.

"Then use it."

She sighed.

"That’s what we’ve been telling them."

The merchant captain folded his arms.

"Easy for you to say. Every extra day costs money."

Arin looked at him.

"How much does a missing ship cost?"

The captain went quiet.

Arin continued more gently.

"I understand the financial problem. But until we know when those currents activate, the shortcut isn’t worth the risk."

Elsen nodded.

"We’ll maintain the restriction and review the alternate route."

That evening, Arin returned to the beach.

Lyra and Luna were sitting beside their sandcastle.

It had suffered badly from the tide.

Half the outer wall was gone.

Two towers had collapsed.

And Victor’s rebuilt artillery platform had disappeared entirely.

Lyra looked miserable.

"The ocean destroyed everything."

Arin crouched beside her.

"Not everything."

She pointed toward the ruins.

"Almost everything."

Luna was carefully rebuilding a small tower.

"That’s okay."

Lyra looked at her.

"Why?"

Luna shrugged.

"We can make another."

Arin smiled.

"Exactly."

Lyra considered.

Then sighed.

"Fine."

She picked up her shovel.

"But this time we’re building farther away from the water."

Arin laughed.

"Excellent engineering decision."

EVE joined them shortly afterward.

She carried a small collection of seashells.

Luna immediately became interested.

"Where did you find those?"

"Along the northern shore."

"Are they pretty?"

EVE smiled.

"I think so."

Luna examined them carefully.

Then selected a pale spiral shell.

"This one is yours."

EVE blinked.

"Mine?"

Luna nodded.

"Because it’s your first ocean."

EVE looked at the shell.

For a moment, she seemed unsure what to say.

Then she smiled.

"Thank you, Luna."

She placed it carefully in her pocket.

Arin watched quietly.

Later that night, the expedition crew gathered in the platform’s dining hall.

The atmosphere was relaxed.

The first coastal survey had been dangerous, but no crew members had been harmed.

The harbor authorities had received useful information.

And the family had spent another afternoon together.

Lucan was explaining to Victor why an underwater sword fight would be impractical.

Victor disagreed.

"Depends on the sword."

Lucan stared.

"Water resistance."

"Mana reinforcement."

"Limited mobility."

"Explosives."

Arin looked up.

"No explosives."

Victor sighed.

"You’re ruining my creativity."

EVE laughed.

After dinner, Rian approached Arin with a tablet.

"Founder, I’ve been reviewing the probe failures."

Arin nodded.

"Anything useful?"

"Yes."

Rian displayed a schematic.

The original probes were designed for inspection, not extreme underwater currents.

Their propulsion systems were too weak.

Their stabilizers too small.

And their emergency recovery systems inadequate.

Arin studied the design.

"What are you proposing?"

"A heavier submersible."

"How heavy?"

"Approximately six tons."

Arin raised an eyebrow.

"That’s not a probe."

Rian smiled nervously.

"No."

"It’s a vehicle."

"Yes."

Arin considered.

The design included reinforced pressure plating, multiple propulsion units, retractable stabilizers, and a stronger communication system.

It was practical.

Ambitious.

And potentially useful for future exploration.

He smiled.

"Interesting."

Rian looked hopeful.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Then Arin pointed toward the pressure calculations.

"But this section needs work."

Rian leaned forward.

Arin continued, "And the emergency ballast system needs redundancy."

Rian nodded rapidly.

"Understood."

"And we’re not putting anyone inside until it’s thoroughly tested."

"Of course."

Arin smiled.

"Then let’s build it."

The following morning, construction began.

Not on a warship.

Not on an underwater fortress.

But on Elysium’s first dedicated deep-water exploration vehicle.

A compact, heavily reinforced submersible designed to withstand powerful currents and operate at depths beyond the smaller probes’ limits.

EVE supervised the engineering.

Rian led the mechanical design team.

Arin handled the core systems.

And Lucan watched the construction with growing excitement.

"Can I ride it?"

Arin didn’t look up.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it doesn’t exist yet."

Lucan considered.

"Fair."

Then he smiled.

"When it does?"

Arin sighed.

"We’ll discuss it."

By midday, the first structural frame was complete.

The submersible rested inside a temporary fabrication shelter near the coast.

Its hull was compact.

Its propulsion system powerful.

Its sensor array far more advanced than the lost probes.

But it would require several days of construction and testing before deployment.

Arin stood beside the unfinished machine.

EVE approached.

"Arin."

"Yes?"

"I’ve completed another analysis of the underwater current pattern."

He looked toward her.

"Anything new?"

She displayed a sequence of readings.

The current pulses were not random.

They followed a rough cycle.

Not perfectly regular.

But close enough to suggest a repeating pressure mechanism.

Arin frowned.

"How often?"

"Approximately every six hours, with significant variation."

He studied the data.

"And the creatures?"

EVE highlighted their movements.

The Ribbonbacks appeared to gather near the depression shortly before the strongest current pulses.

Then disperse afterward.

Lucan leaned forward.

"So they know when it’s going to happen."

Arin nodded slowly.

"Maybe."

EVE continued.

"One possible explanation is that the current brings nutrients or smaller marine organisms from deeper water."

Arin smiled.

"A feeding ground."

"Potentially."

He looked toward the unfinished submersible.

Then toward the ocean.

The missing ships.

The strange currents.

The enormous creatures.

And the deep geological formation beneath the seabed.

For the first time since arriving at Seabreak, he felt the familiar excitement of discovering something genuinely new.

Not a secret conspiracy.

Not an ancient mastermind.

Just a dangerous, complicated piece of the natural world.

Something worth understanding.

He smiled.

"All right."

Lucan looked toward him.

"What?"

Arin turned back to the engineering team.

"Let’s find out what the ocean is hiding."

Chapter End