Deep Sea Embers

To the east of Frost, at the brink of the sea cliff as far as one’s eyes could reach, a towering rocky island was visible. It was slender and arched, resembling a thin, curved blade or an oddly shaped dagger. The entire island was blanketed in rough rocks and barren sandy soil, leading the people of Frost to name it “Dagger Island” based on its form.

In the vast, limitless ocean, land was the most valuable asset for habitation. Even the most desolate and narrow solitary islands were utilized by people, and Dagger Island was no exception.

The island had sources of freshwater but lacked arable land or extensive flat terrain. As a result, it couldn’t function as a stable dwelling or grain-producing region, and no useful plants or animals existed. However, the island once possessed a modest amount of ore deposits. The people of Frost constructed mining fields and refineries on the island, and after the ore was extracted, it served as a transit port for some time. Following the Frostbite Rebellion, the routes around the city-state were modified, and the island’s port was repurposed into specialized storage facilities for housing dangerous items that needed to be kept at a distance from the civilized world.

As the years passed and circumstances evolved, this desolate island strewn with peculiar rocks changed ownership multiple times. Now, under the control of Frost’s military, it had become a clandestine “temporary research base” for investigating the enigmatic object retrieved from the ocean depths.

The sealing mechanisms for storing hazardous items and the stringent security measures on the island provided robust assurances for such research.

At midday, a mechanical speedboat departed from Frost towards Dagger Island, nearing the military port on the island’s recessed side. The flag on the speedboat signified its association with the Frost Navy.

After completing a series of intricate and rigorous verification, detection, and registration processes, the speedboat named “Sea Swallow” was granted permission to dock. As the steam core gradually reduced its rumble, the vessel moored beside the pier and extended a gangplank.

Several soldiers clad in blue and black navy uniforms disembarked first, followed by a tall and sturdy officer with short gray hair.

A number of military personnel stationed on the island were already awaiting their arrival onshore.

The robust officer with short gray hair surveyed the pier and then proceeded ashore along the gangplank. The waiting personnel promptly approached and saluted. One of them spoke, “General, you are twenty-five minutes behind schedule. This must be documented and explained—you are required to visit the registration room in person.”

“Understood,” the sturdy officer, addressed as the general, nodded. He didn’t take offense at an ordinary non-commissioned officer speaking these words to him—a general—since this was a special research facility, and all stringent approval regulations were standard and justifiable security measures. “We’ll proceed immediately… How is the professor’s situation?”

“Professor Maelson is in the ‘secret chamber.’ He found something while analyzing and testing a new batch of samples. It appears that the material scraped from the object’s surface exhibits unusual properties under specific experimental conditions,” the liaison officer explained. “However, the particulars will be discussed after entering the ‘secret chamber.’”

“Very well, guide me to the registration room.”

……

Not far from the Dagger Island military port, in a bay on the inner side, intensive and bustling research was underway in a robust building constructed from reinforced concrete and massive rocks.

This seemingly mundane and inconspicuous building was the so-called “secret chamber,” and also one of the most secure and structurally sound laboratories on the island.

The building’s interior hall was brightly illuminated, revealing a large hexagonal room with each wall made of the sturdiest concrete. At the top of the walls, symbols and religious imagery with mystical significance were engraved. Large scripture banners hung from the ceiling, suspended amidst the gas lamp’s shadows. Steam pipes crossed the ceiling, with some valves softly hissing. Incense burners burned quietly in the corners, their sacred smoke slowly blending into the air.

Researchers in robes bustled about the hall. A metal device approximately five to six meters in diameter, round and resembling a large bell, hung in the center of the room from thick chains. The metal device’s surface was weathered and aged as though it had been submerged in seawater for an extended period. Its intricate valves and connecting structure at the top indicated its function.

It was a “diving bell.”

Directly beneath the suspended diving bell, a large circular grate was embedded in the center of the hall’s floor. The grate’s diameter was significantly larger than the diving bell’s long axis, and through it, a faint red glow could be seen deep underground.

A tall, slender, and impeccably groomed silver-haired elderly scholar stood in front of the suspended diving bell, overseeing several assistants as they carefully scraped samples from its surface.

A clergyman dressed in a priest’s robe walked slowly behind the assistants, carrying a brass incense burner. The subtle incense smoke rose from the burner, accompanied by gentle murmurs of prayers, and wafted slowly through the air.

“Professor, General Belazov has arrived at the port,” an assistant approached and spoke to the tall and slender old scholar. “After completing the necessary registration and handover, he will come directly here to see you.”

“Oh… Belazov, I received word that he wanted to come in person. It seems City Hall is finally getting a bit anxious,” Professor Maelson said with a touch of helplessness in his voice. “Let him come… How are the samples sent to the lab this morning?”

“After the final round of testing, it’s now confirmed that although it looks like rust, it’s not any known material, and its properties are continuously changing over time,” the assistant replied. “It feels… as if it is still undergoing some evolutionary process, so it cannot consistently display its own properties.”

“Hmm.”

Professor Maelson nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on the suspended diving bell.

The diving bell’s exterior was severely corroded, but the round hatch structure on its side was still clearly visible. The hatch was tightly closed, and since it had been brought into this “secret chamber,” it had never been opened.

On the other side of the diving bell, there was a round window with an incredibly thick piece of specialized glass embedded in it. However, for some unknown reason, the interior of the round window was obscured with grime, and the dark, dirty substances almost covered the entire glass, making it impossible to clearly see the situation inside the diving bell.

One could only vaguely make out a disordered cavity inside and something that appeared to be liquid.

What was inside the diving bell? Professor Maelson had been curious about this more than once, but regardless of his curiosity, he had no intention of opening the hatch.

The year the Abyss Plan began, he was sixteen.

He knew what warranted curiosity and what demanded caution.

While thinking, his assistant’s voice came from behind, “Professor, do you think the higher-ups will order us to open that hatch?”

“Honestly, I don’t want to receive such an order at all.” Professor Maelson shook his head, looking at his assistant, “Courage and the spirit of exploration have allowed humans to survive on the Boundless Sea, but once these traits are pushed too far, they become recklessness and death.”

The assistant blinked, then blinked his third and fourth eyes.

“But our progress is too slow now. What if another submersible surface as you predict?”

Maelson pondered for a moment and gently shook his head, “By that time, I’m afraid we’ll have to do more than just open the hatch – we’ll have to be prepared to face the deep sea.”

The assistant seemed to understand, but not quite.

The assistant was still too young, but then again, how many people could comprehend the horror of the Abyss Plan half a century later?

Professor Maelson looked up at the bustling figures surrounding the diving bell.

Some of them appeared different from when they first arrived on the island.

And some other figures occasionally made the old professor feel somewhat unfamiliar.

It seemed that many unknown figures had unconsciously appeared in this research facility.

But that wasn’t strange, as personnel changes in research teams were normal, especially for complex special projects involving multiple experts – everything was reasonable.

The cleric with a brass incense burner in his hand approached and nodded slightly in front of Professor Maelson. But then the incense burner in his hand opened its eyes slightly, discreetly sizing up the old scholar while letting the wondrous scent of the incense to waft through the air.

“Today’s blessing is complete,” the cleric whispered, “I will come here again at this time tomorrow to pray for the machines.”

“Thank you, %?&%@* priest,” the old professor smiled and nodded, naturally addressing the other, “If it weren’t for a bunch of trouble in the afternoon, I’d have to invite you for a drink.”

“Better attend to the general first,” the priest laughed, “He’s a big shot representing Frost who came here to ‘supervise’ the project.”