[407] 5.31 Arrival

It is cold in these deep subantarctic waters.  Not the sort of cold that would truly bother me anymore.  Now that I’ve crossed my third ascension, it takes the cold vacuum of space or a nearby star irradiating me with its cosmic rays to do more than inconvenience my magified body.  But it is a cold that I notice, and one which the heat of my [Crimson Heart] does not fully eliminate.

No one complains about it openly, even though the occasional shiver permeate those of lower level when they are not running from bow to stern or whatever the submarine equivalents are while tending to the vessel’s many functions.

Chloe and I have just been staying out of the way.  We would help if asked, but given the complexity of running a modern warship on a skeleton crew, the captain, in his infinite wisdom, has decided that the best way we can help is by not interfering in anyone else’s work.  And the best way we can do that is remaining in quarters when not dining or readying for immediate combat.

By the grace of the goddesses, no other creatures have tried anything throughout our entire journey through the southern half of the Atlantic Ocean.  So Chloe and I have just remained in our rooms, practicing and strategizing.  We’ve even done some spars in the manner that Lindsey has taught us.  After a hundred rounds of this over the course of two days, we’re currently 51 and 49.  I will not say who has the 51 and who has the 49.

The submarine slows down to a crawl.  The lights, never bright in the first place, dim further to the point where they are little more than suggestions of illumination.  The boat’s intercom sounds, calling us back to the bridge.  Chloe and I waste no time in heeding the captain’s missive.

“We have a problem,” he says once we arrive.  “We’re currently about ten miles northwest of Bouvet.  Unfortunately, there seems to be some sort of Ethertech jamming device surrounding the island.  It’s already starting to affect our more sensitive electronics.  Orders or no, if we attempt to go any further, the only destination we’ll reach is Davy Jones’ locker.”

Lindsey is again undaunted by Captain Marlowe’s words.  Instead, she pulls out a strange box about as large as a small nightstand.

“It’s an [Etherflow Stabilizer],” she says.  “Also known as an Ethertech Jammer Jammer.  Experimental technology not widely known to even exist.  Classified at the top-secret level as a strategic military asset.  I trust you will treat that information with all due diligence.”

“Of course, Sergeant.”  He flips the device’s switch.  Within two seconds, the lights have returned to their previous brightness.  The engine revamps from a dim whine back to the hum that I had grown accustomed to these past few days.  The captain turns to Lindsey, then to Chloe and me.  Once it’s clear that none of us harbor any objections, he continues the final ascent.

My eyes are glued to the hologram as the device spins around, providing a panoramic view of the area around us, out to a distance of approximately one mile.  High above us, the water and the waves churn into a frothy white mix.  More than a few icebergs dot the seas around Bouvet, though none reach our depth.  Sea life in the area is sparse.  I would have expected the opposite.  It feels like an ill-omen.  Lindsey is similarly tense.

We circumnavigate the island at a distance of approximately five miles to gain a full map of the immediate surroundings.  There are no signs of interference from Apeiron.  I don’t consider this information relieving.  There’s too much we don’t know.  I cannot for a moment believe that they don’t know we’re coming.

“I’ve found something, Sergeant,” the captain says.  “Look here, on the southern edge of the island.  There’s a hidden cavern behind some crags.  It’s small, barely wide enough to fit a person, let alone this whole ship.  But it might be your best path to infiltrating the island.”

“Assuming we’ve not already been found,” I say.

“I agree with Seraphina,” Lindsey says.  “The three of us will proceed alone from here.  Circumnavigate around Antarctica as part of your survey mission, then return into the Atlantic.  If that is not possible, make your way along the Pacific to any port held in American hands.  Do not dock at a foreign port if at all possible, even an allied one.  And I would advise against making contact with the outside world until you have arrived in friendly waters.”

“What about the three of you?” he asks.

“That’s our matter to deal with,” Lindsey says.  “Now then, we have a mission to undertake.  May fortune favor us all.”  She takes my hand as Chloe takes my other one.  All three of us are already suited back up.  Then, just as before, we teleport out of the ship.

It is very cold in these shallow subantarctic waters.  Even though we’re swimming several hundred feet below the surface, we’re having to contend with icebergs and roiling vortices that would drown plenty even with the benefits of these suits.

There are no signs of any defense system as we approach the aforementioned undersea passage.  But the feeling of being watched does not go away as we pass into the darkness.

The entire structure is a giant aquatic maze.  The paths branch out in every direction, extending past the limits of my [Veilsight].  Lindsey shakes her head, as though to say that she too cannot discern the proper path from just the entrance.  Chloe’s [Life Sense] picks up several powerful presences from the surface.  Even with the benefit of her Level 96 Ascension, it is not discerning enough to navigate a path to our destination.

Without the benefit of any better pathing or a clue for where else to begin, we start with the paths with the greatest vertical angle of ascent.  Two paths I can eliminate in short order as they quickly reach dead-ends.  The third path is a bit longer, but Lindsey rules it out as well with her own perception ability.  She didn’t share all the details, but it works similarly to echolocation.  Its range is superior to my [Veilsight], though it is classified as [Sonic] in nature and can be disrupted through other Skills or spells with the same property.

“Sera?” Chloe says.  “Something is bothering me about all this.”

“You too?  But I agree.  This has all gone too smoothly so far.  And I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that we’ve been being watched for a long time now.”

“But they haven’t done anything yet.”

“I don’t think they know it’s us, exactly.  At least not yet.”

Lindsey grabs my shoulder and points my head up toward a high ceiling in the middle of the current pathing.  She also points at the walls— they are smooth, too much so to be the result of purely natural processes.  I point it out to Chloe, who shines a literal light on the situation.  Not only are the walls too smooth, but they’re made of metal rather than rock, dirt, and ice.

We swim up, all the while, tension mounts in my neck and my back.  I decide to take a calculated risk.

“Chloe, can you stay here with Lindsey for a few minutes while I go on ahead?”

“What?  No, whatever happened to ‘we’re a team and we go together, no matter what?”

“Remember, I cannot be tracked through any Etheric means.  Which means, if we collectively are being tracked, the best way to regain the initiative is if I go on ahead and bypass whatever tracking mechanisms they might be using.”

Chloe leaps into my arms.  After several more seconds, she pulls away.  Lindsey attempts to follow me, but Chloe stops her, explaining through Light manipulation what our plan is.  Whatever exactly she wrote in the water, it works.  Lindsey gives me a stern gaze and a nod of approval as I make my way further up toward whatever awaits.

Soon after I break away from the others, the nagging feeling I’ve been dealing with for the past two days begins to subside.  If that’s not proof that something has been watching us, collectively, then I’m not sure what is.  But the more important question remains: how can I best use this small initiative I’ve been given?

The [Angelic Bond] between Chloe and me had a minor improvement when we both reached Level 96, possibly as some sort of synergy with my [Veilsight].  As long as the two of us are within the five mile radius of our telepathy and [Sacrificial Transference], she shines like a beacon when I peer into subspace.  In other words, I can easily teleport back to her within that distance, despite the calculation strain and bodily damage I would normally sustain while warping over distances measured in miles.

I reach the top of the tunnel.  Again, the ceiling is metallic.  I draw Filia from my [Inventory] and slash at the wall to judge its durability.  I’m able to cut through it, but I only cut through a couple of inches before the momentum is fully absorbed.  This is absolutely it.

Unfortunately, my scans come up lacking.  Peering beyond the veil does not avail me either; these ceilings-slash-floors have all been fitted with inscriptions that render the opaque in subspace.  A testament to the ingenuity of this group, their information-gathering abilities, and their ability to react to unforeseen circumstances in short order and devise countermeasures in mere days.

My heart races, and I can’t help but smile with anticipation.  Part of me wonders if it’s worth going back for Chloe and charging in, swords and spears blazing.  I send her a few words of assurance before I teleport myself beyond the boundary and into the fortress itself.

Two cameras turn toward me in a small room that would feel right at home back in my laboratory.  I tense as I rush for the cover of a nearby desk, expecting an alarm to start blaring.  None come.  Instead I wait and watch as the cameras move back and forth throughout the room, too slowly for comfort.

Seconds pass in silence.  I don’t move an inch.  Only after half a minute of nothing but the sound of my heart thumping in my chest and the nearly silent whir of the cameras’ movements do I retreat from my temporary shelter, confident that whatever Ethertech system should have identified my intrusion was rebuffed by [The Unbound].

“I’m in,” I tell Chloe.  “No signs that I’ve been spotted just yet.”

“Lindsey says to look for some sort of control center or security station as soon as possible.  If you’re able to knock that out, come back for us.”

“Does she have any information on where that might be?”

“They tend to be on the lower levels.  So probably not too far away.  Stay careful, and if things get out of hand, I want you to retreat.  Our lives are far more valuable than completing this mission.”

“I understand.”

“No signs of any trouble down there?”

“None so far, but we’ll head up toward the access point to–”

“No, Chloe.  I think it’s better if you head back toward some dead-end near the tunnel entrance.  If something does happen to me, I’m going to be in the best position to extricate myself from whatever might follow.  You two should have a plan for retreat as well.”

Chloe pauses.  A couple seconds later, she relents.  I suspect Lindsey managed to convince her.  “I’m serious about retreating, Sera.  If you get yourself killed, goddesses forbid, I swear I will learn a revival Skill just so I can bring you back and kill you myself!”

“I wouldn’t dare, Chloe.  We still have our married life to look forward to.  Together.”

“Damn right we do.  Now hurry up already!  It’s damn cold down here!”