Naval Base

They decided to take a more 'foresty' route, in case they were being spied on. After reaching the coordinates that Tanik had given them, they got out of the car and saw a breathtaking sight. In a rocky cave, just beyond a beach cliff, there stood a very scientifically amazing research base, filled with various instruments, computers and a bunch of data readings. There was even a coffee machine. 

It seemed that the whole army of India survived on tea and coffee. 

Ishar looked around a bit, before spotting a man dressed in a scuba suit, reading something importantly. 

"Tanik!" He shouted. "We're here!"

Tanik looked up and saw Ishar and Naren waving merrily at them. 

He put the papers down and happily strode over to them "Hey! I was wondering when you'd come. Now, I have been studying this thing of beauty, and you two have appeared at the best time. Come on, I'm just about to enter the sight of the singular spot- to search for anything that might attract CB-1-"

"-Pralaya 1. It sounds better." Naren interrupted. Pratap's company seemed to be rubbing off on him too.

Tanik glared at him. "Fine Pralay-1. And to find your dimanium as well. It would be wonderful if you came too."

"But how will we get there?" Ishar asked. "Does the underwater tunnel lead all the way to the bottom of the submerged kingdom?"

Tanik grinned wildly. He replied in a cool tone, "Why don't you guys see for yourselves? Come on, follow me."

He led the two soldiers into the data room of the research base. Here, there were several scientists and Navy personnel, rushing about, talking about their finds and their relation with Pralaya-1. 

Ishar recognized one of them as Dr. Tanvir Jaiswal, the senior ISRO scientist he had met back at the military facility. "Jai Hind Doctor!-", he called out, "-how are you?"

Dr. Tanvir looked at him with a sort of satisfied look. "Jai Hind Ishar. I am alright, just a bit tense about CB-1." 

Naren opened his mouth. Ishar silenced him with a glare. 

"I thought you would be back at the military base, instead of going against direct military orders?"

Tanvir smirked. 

"The General has been my friend for many years. I noticed that he had a change in his way of talking this morning, when he called us. I agreed with Tanik, there must be some way by which the military head was brainwashed- or something. After all, it's a world of aliens and spaceships now. Anything can happen!" 

Ishar grinned at his coolness. 

"Respect, sir!" chorused Naren beside him.

"Doctor..I wanted to ask what's going on at the facility. What about the ancient weapons? The astras?"

Tanvir looked at the three of them with a guilty smile. 

"Well-", he started, "Me, along with Dr. Anjani, Gargi and some scientists, created fakes so similar to the astras, that they could not be differentiated. Then, we shifted the ancient ones to a secret base back in Maharashtra, somewhere underneath Dr. Anjani's house. It has all the tools needed to replicate or modify the ancient technology.

Currently those two are working on the job, and it will be done soon, in about one to two days. Don't worry, I'll tell you as soon as they are done. It's like the General's pretending the spaceship never existed."

"Thank you sir. It really means a lot." Naren said sincerely. 

"Well, when it comes to saving the world from aliens, I 

guess everything seems like a lot." Tanvir chortled.

 The three laughed heartily and then bidded goodbye to the doctor, who shifted his interest to a new scan of the kingdom's walls and floor. Ishar and Naren followed Tanik to a room filled with diving gear, scuba suits and all the accompanying junk.

He picked two suits off the wall and threw them at Naren and Ishar, along with oxygen tanks, scuba gear and some other stuff. After wearing the scuba suit with great difficulty, they followed Tanik deeper inside the cave. 

It was only after five long minutes, that Ishar noticed they were walking inside a huge pipe, with strong glass and metal coverings, making it impossible for water to enter. It gave him a sense of admiration at the fact that they were currently walking under the Arabian Sea. 

"How did you build such a masterpiece in about two to three days?" Naren asked, looking at Tanik. 

"Well, you know the underground tunnel project that was going on in Mumbai? It got abandoned due to a landslide occurring near the area, so we requested them to use and modify their tunnel pipes." 

"Nice!" replied Naren, looking at the wonder around him. 

Soon they reached a submarine that was connected to the end of the tunnel, looking terrifyingly important in a blunder of wires and light. 

"After you." Tanik said in a 'gentleman's' voice, leading the two inside the submarine.