Chapter 42 - Point Nemo (part 11)
- Yuusha, wake up. We have some troubles. Big ones.
- OK, give me a moment.
It is three in the morning. I wake up, just to see something, I mean lots of "something", flying outside the window. Their lights flash through the window like an extravagant theatrical performance. People on the ship would think that these drones are a part of the cruise, so they would not care much. But for us, this ignorance is a threat. The drones can just roam about freely exactly because nobody cares.
- Finally, you are awake. I think the situation now is quite self-explanatory, right?
- Yes, I can see it very clearly. But what do you want us to do now?
- I believe I have said it already. We will commence our operation now.
So it is not just a dream.
- Well, what are you waiting for? Go do your basic hygiene now. Time is crucial.
- Fine, fine.
It is not like I can argue with her regarding this matter. I quickly take a piss, brush my teeth, have a brief shower and after ten minutes, I am fully geared up.
To make it out to a place with water exposure, we would need to pass through the array of drones hungry to devour us. I put the tablet inside my backpack, and we head out of our room.
The closest path from our room to the nearest area with exposure to water is only a few hundred metres, but it is probably the most arduous few hundred metres I have ever encountered. On our hands now are two photonic silenced pistols, which we will use to shoot the drones, temporarily disable them and erase their short-term data.
We step out of the room, and Mirai closes the door.
- First one.
As soon as we step out of the door, the first drone gets into my sight. With a lightning reaction speed, I swing my arm in the direction of the drone which just detects our presence and charges at us. After my barrel is aligned with the line of the drone, I press the trigger. A lethal silence disperses across the room, penetrates the protective layers of the drone and shuts it down. We fled across the long corridor to reach the stairs.
- Wa, how are people not even concerned with this ridiculous amount of drones around? - I complain while reloading my third pistol magazine.
- These rich people may see this as a common occurrence already. But not for us.
Valid reasoning.
As we take the shortest route to the area, it seems that the drones manage to notify the nearby drones and deploy themselves everywhere we go. Without even trying to disguise themselves, they charge at us, waves after waves. Of course, we manage to clear them every time, but sooner or later, we will run out of stamina.
- Sigh, this is just... Cannot...
I flick my hand and the EMP device is teleported in front of me. I set it to a random range, and activate it, not even bothered with tuning. Bursts of electromagnetic pulse radiate in every direction, not only neutralising drones in the vicinity but also causing a temporary blackout in the whole accommodation block. Fortunately, most of the people are out in the miniature shopping district, so nobody knows.
We barely make it to an empty area which is the closest to the water level.
- So, how do we get there?
- With this.
Mirai snaps her fingers. From the black-coloured water of the night, dimly illuminated with moonlight, a small battle submarine silently emerges. I can hear the sound of the valves automatically unscrewing, before the entrance lid to the submarine slowly slides open.
- What are you waiting for? Jump in. - Mirai hurries me.
- Yes, ma'am.
After we climb into the submarine, I close the entrance. The submarine sinks back into the deep water, unknown to anyone, both the Intruder's drones and the people on the ship.
I still hear a faint sound of notification as I enter the submarine: "Apparently, there has been a complete blackout in accommodation blocks A, B and C. Sorry for the inconvenience, and we will try to fix it as soon as possible."
Sorry the crew, and sorry people, but this will be one of the few secrets I bring with me six feet under.
Normally, it is already dark a few thousand metres underwater in the presence of bright daylight on the water's surface, but the night scenery which already reduces people's vision to almost zero just adds more spice to this frightening fact. And that is not the only thing...
- Hey, Mirai, why are we not turning on the lights?
- Just imagine we become the unwitting prey of some gigantic aquatic creatures just because our submarine is the most outstanding object amidst the dark ocean.
The interior of the submarine is a space ample for up to two people to freely stretch their limbs, and in case of a long-term journey, it can also store food and water for up to a few months. Of course, with the compressed dimension technology of the archive, the storage space is just for decoration purposes.
There are a few windows alongside the passenger cabin. It means that whenever we turn on the lights, they will be able to reach outside. That is why Mirai tells me to turn off all sources of light, and the only thing which is barely glowing is the touchscreen control panel of the submarine, whose interface has been switched to the screen mode of an obsolete cathode ray oscilloscope to minimise light.
With that being said, what I can barely see is the person sitting next to me, whose attention is glued to the panel. And guess what, it is not even a person who is sitting next to me.
- Wait, if there is no light here, how are you visually navigating? - I am bored and slightly afraid, so I try to break the silent atmosphere with a stupid question.
- Well, I just launch a bunch of X-rays in all directions. Since there are no creatures here, it is way easier to navigate using electromagnetic waves. See, I can also switch to night camera mode on the panel. Let me show...
- It is OK, thanks.
I check my clock. It has already been about three hours since our departure, and the sun should have risen if we are at sea level. I feel like I have lost the sense of day and night when surrounded by the eternal darkness of the deep ocean.
- How long would it take to descend to the town? - I am trying to keep my sanity.
- I believe you can well understand why we descend at a very slow pace. I am also gradually increasing the pressure inside the cabin for your body to adapt to the underwater environment later. But no worries, because the latest technology will allow us to reach there within the next few hours. We are already halfway there.
- You could have just told me sooner. I want to take a nap, but I am afraid that we will get there in fifteen or twenty minutes.
- Duh. My technology level is just fifty years more advanced than yours. What do you expect?
It is a fifty-year gap, I agree. However, who knows what kinds of breakthroughs humanity can achieve in that period? Anyway, I still thank her inside for clarifying that.
I take out a blanket from my backpack and cover myself. I take a nap.
Whatever sounds that reach my eardrum only include the faint humming of the submarine engine and the occasional beeping sound as Mirai controls the submarine. It makes an oddly conducive environment for napping.
...
- Yuusha, wake up, we will be arriving in the next fifteen minutes. Can you wear this protective suit?
In front of me, although I can barely see it, there is the suit that I have used before during the last expedition. I know that it is corrosion- and heat-resistant, but this is the first time I know that it is also used for underwater operations.
After the precious nap, I am now very energetic. I quickly gear up.
I can feel the submarine slowly decelerate, and after an abrupt collision that sends a shockwave to the cabin, the submarine has reached the seabed. The barometer registers a depth of roughly three thousand metres based on water pressure.
Mirai opens a secondary valve which leads to a small chamber between the cabin and the outside. After she shuts down the control panel, we enter the chamber. Mirai seals the secondary valve to separate the cabin and the outside before she slides the entrance lid open.
Water immediately rushes in, flooding the chamber. We swim out of the submarine. I must activate the propeller to move normally.
The entrance lid is closed. Mirai commands the system to pump water out of the chamber and puts the submarine back into the archive.
- Okay, Yuusha. Now, turn on your night vision from your spectacles.
- I thought the electromagnetic vision is only for tracing paths, isn't it?
- I just added this feature a few days ago when you are sleeping. Remember that if possible, I will always update your spectacles to the most advanced version.
- Oh, well...
- Just tap on it.
I lightly tap on my spectacles. From my view now, the landscape slowly appears, although I cannot see any colours. Just traces of the objects nearby, exactly like night vision goggles. I can also see Mirai, who is also wearing a protective suit.
- And now...
Mirai points her finger at the scene in front of us. There is a gigantic transparent dome, and we are standing at one of its entrance gates.
- Welcome to the underwater town. Our operation starts, now!