[ALDMN] |
Radio and logs are up and running, Mrs. Kushana. |
[KSHNA] |
Good. We have no time to lose. |
[DARCY] |
Dive successful; headed down at a speed of 10 knots. |
[PJEET] |
Hull pressure's looking pretty optimal. |
[DARCY] |
Can I ask a question, ma'am? Why'd we have to take on this dive so soon? The sun's gone, which is going to make Thero's job harder. We could've waited until morning. |
[KSHNA] |
The stop has already put us back considerably. Other rigs are still running; this is the most densely packed area in the Pacific for oil. |
[KSHNA] |
I also feel that… that this will be important to take care of now rather than later. |
[DARCY] |
I see, ma'am. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[DARCY] |
How are things going in compartment two, Pejeet? |
[PJEET] |
Okay so far. Thero's getting suited up. ⌠distant⌡ Thero, you want to say anything to Darcy? |
[THERO] |
Anything new? |
[DARCY] |
Not particularly, no. We're almost there, so you should get to suiting up. |
[THERO] |
Already on it. |
[DARCY] |
That's Thero for you. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[DARCY] |
We're at-depth now - the blockage leak should be somewhere around here. |
[KSHNA] |
I'm not seeing anything quite yet. |
[DARCY] |
Thero, you out yet? |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 ⌡
|
[DARCY] |
Thero? |
[ALDMN] |
Be patient, I haven't got his suit comms up and running yet. Give me a minute. |
[ALDMN] |
Thero? |
[THERO] |
Good to hear you, Sondheim. |
[DARCY] |
You out there, Thero? |
[THERO] |
I'm approaching the pipes right now. |
[PJEET] |
Tell him to turn on his helmet's camera. I can't see anything on the monitor. |
[THERO] |
Right sorry. |
[KSHNA] |
What's that off to your left? Look, it seems like it's running into the pipe there. |
[THERO] |
You're right, ma'am, there's some sort of suction coming from this area. |
[THERO] |
Seems to be a piece of metal stuck there. |
[PJEET] |
Darcy. Something's not right here. |
[DARCY] |
What's wrong? |
[KSHNA] |
Wipe off that piece of metal. |
[PJEET] |
The sensors aren't lining up to their usual metrics, in fact, we're pretty off. I don't think we're near the rig's connection drill part at all. |
[DARCY] |
Ma'am, we might be at th- |
[KSHNA] |
Quiet. |
[THERO] |
Looks like… part of a shipping container. It's- is that- ? The container has the Harimao logo on it. |
[KSHNA] |
Is there a lot number on it? |
[THERO] |
Zero-two-nine-zero-L-three-three-one. |
[KSHNA] |
Impossible. |
[DARCY] |
What is? |
[KSHNA] |
Nerva. It's the Nerva. |
[DARCY] |
Ma'am, I understand that Harimao's been looking- |
[KSHNA] |
That's all, Thero. |
[DARCY] |
-he Nerva, but that's not our business. We're not salvagers. We don't work for Harimao. |
[ALDMN] |
Reeling Thero in now. |
[KSHNA] |
On the contrary; if you work on the Ohmuno, you most definitely work for Harimao. |
[THERO] |
Hey, what figures? I was barely out there. Hell, I didn't even see the main pipeline. |
[DARCY] |
Can it for now, Thero. |
[KSHNA] |
Thero, get Pejeet for me. |
[PJEET] |
You called? |
[KSHNA] |
Mark a navbuoy at this location and send it back up to the Ohmuno. |
[PJEET] |
I'll let Aldermann know. |
[DARCY] |
Since you're our new captain then, ma'am, where we going to next? |
[KSHNA] |
Go straight in this direction. About there, yes. |
[ALDMN] |
Sent the packet off to the Ohmuno, anything else? |
[PJEET] |
That'll be good. Headed at bearing 279 at… approximately five-or-so knots, Darcy? |
[DARCY] |
Sounds about right. |
[DARCY] |
Oh, Pejeet, while you're at it? |
[PJEET] |
Yeah? |
[DARCY] |
Reroute power from the spot-welder laser to the manual floodlight. |
[KSHNA] |
I'd keep that powered if I were you. |
[PJEET] |
Got it. You want Thero to put in the helmetcam? |
[DARCY] |
Eh, let Aldermann take care of that. |
[ALDMN] |
I'll tell Thero. Kushana's asking Pejeet now to input some numbers so he'll probably be busy. |
[DARCY] |
Dammit. |
[DARCY] |
⌠distant⌡ What a bitch. |
[KSHNA] |
You're still on intercoms. |
[DARCY] |
…Oh. |
[ALDMN] |
Pejeet, I've got to talk to you. |
[PJEET] |
What's going on? |
[THERO] |
It's Thero. I think you might have to recalibrate your depth numbers. I was nearly scraping bottom out there. |
[PJEET] |
Really? There should've been ample headspace between the seafloor and the Sondheim. It wouldn't make sense- |
[THERO] |
Unless we were on something. |
[PJEET] |
Unless we were on something, yes. But what? |
[KSHNA] |
The MV Nerva. |
[THERO] |
That ship that was lost? |
[KSHNA] |
Indeed. ⌠muffled⌡ Hold here, Pejeet. |
[THERO] |
Nerva? Why are we going for the Nerva? |
[THERO] |
Darcy, did you approve this? |
[DARCY] |
Thero- |
[THERO] |
Did you? |
[DARCY] |
I did, Thero. Lay off of it, alright? |
[THERO] |
Okay, bossman. |
[KSHNA] |
Pejeet. Keep the calculations the same, but account for the change in floor elevation as well as the projected location chart that I gave you. |
[PJEET] |
It should be coming up soon on your left then. |
[DARCY] |
What is it? |
[PJEET] |
I don't know, it's just a marker on a map for me. |
[KSHNA] |
Lot 542. What we're looking for. What Harimao's been trying to recover for… years now. Hopefully it's not too late. |
[DARCY] |
That's not what I meant. |
[KSHNA] |
You'll see. |
[PJEET] |
Darcy, you're coming up on it. Almost directly in front of you. |
[DARCY] |
I- I can't see much. It's fairly dark at the area. |
[PJEET] |
Hold it Darcy- I'm going to turn the computer over to Aldermann for a second. |
[ALDMN] |
Keep going straight. |
[PJEET] |
Turned up the forward floodlights to full power. |
[DARCY] |
I think I'm at the area. There seems to be some sort of… hole, but it's nearly pitch black down there. What does the reading say? |
[ALDMN] |
I can't tell; depth readings are off the charts here. |
[KSHNA] |
Start lowering the Sondheim. |
[DARCY] |
Give me a moment, Aldermann. |
[DARCY] |
Are you insane? |
[KSHNA] |
On the absolute contrary. I'm taking every single logical action that needs to be taken at the current moment. You must understand. |
[DARCY] |
Fine. |
[DARCY] |
Pejeet, keep an eye out on that pressure monitor. That thing gets even a microtag into the red, you flag my ass, got it? |
[PJEET] |
I understand. |
[DARCY] |
Ma'am, frankly, I don't care what you say. If I hear anything from Pejeet, I'm pulling this sub right back up. |
[KSHNA] |
So be it. |
[DARCY] |
We're descending now. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[ALDMN] |
Darce. |
[DARCY] |
Hm? |
[ALDMN] |
Pejeet told me to tell you to keep a good visual on the hole's walls; he's getting fairly inconsistent values from the instruments. |
[DARCY] |
Get Thero on manual control for the floodlight, then. |
[THERO] |
Full power floodlights coming right up. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
It's- how- |
[DARCY] |
What the… |
[DARCY] |
Come up to the cabin, guys. You've got to see this. Make sure to lock the floodlight in place. |
[ALDMN] |
..hat in the hell is- woah. |
[PJEET] |
That's beautiful! |
[THERO] |
This is it? What a lightshow. |
[PJEET] |
It looks like the boundless night sky, stars twinkling in droves. |
[KSHNA] |
Of course! It's not called the Star of the Ocean for nothing. |
[DARCY] |
So this is it? This is what Harimao bankrolled? I can't really tell- are those crystals? |
[KSHNA] |
Not just any, as you can see. When those crystals are exposed to a direct light source, the composition of the crystal leads to the light bouncing around somehow, amplifying the refracted light values in lumens tens or hundreds of times. |
[ALDMN] |
You could do a lot with that - perpetual energy sources? Some sort of self-recharging solar tech, perhaps. |
[DARCY] |
You guys don't get it, do you? |
[PJEET] |
Get what? |
[DARCY] |
Why do you think we're even here right now? There's a reason why Harimao Corp. - no, Harimao OIL wants this so badly. They're not ju- |
[KSHNA] |
That's enough talking here, get back to your positions. |
[ALDMN] |
Good luck Darce. |
[DARCY] |
I'm gonna fucking need it. |
[DARCY] |
Everyone back in place? |
[PJEET] |
At instros, yup. Thero's here too. |
[ALDMN] |
Comms are alright. |
[DARCY] |
Roger. Continuing descent at the previous speed. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
Darcy, if I may? |
[DARCY] |
What? |
[KSHNA] |
I resent your accusations. Just because Harimao and I share the same methods don't mean we share the same goals. |
[DARCY] |
That's not going to change how I feel about this at all, especially not with your self-serving environmental bullshit. You're several years late with it. |
[KSHNA] |
That… that is a shame. I'd hoped- |
[DARCY] |
Hoped what? I'd understand? That a good reason wipes away whatever you were doing? Get out of the office more. |
[KSHNA] |
You're a right asshole, you know that? |
[DARCY] |
Glad we could see face-to-face. |
[KSHNA] |
Well, I guess you're right. |
[ALDMN] |
Pejeet told me to tell you guys to keep a good visual on outside if you guys can. |
[DARCY] |
Sure thing. |
[KSHNA] |
What's going on over there, in the distance? Seems like those lights are moving. |
[DARCY] |
Could be? Don't see why they would, though. |
[KSHNA] |
You think so? |
[PJEET] |
We still haven't gotten a good reading on the cavern's side; can't really help you out on that one. |
[KSHNA] |
What's the consensus? |
[DARCY] |
It's probably nothing, given the depth. Water currents make the light dance around like that, y'know ma'am? |
[KSHNA] |
Yeah… yeah. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[PJEET] |
Just a heads-up, the sensors are reading that the bottom of the hole is coming up fast. |
[DARCY] |
Send the data my way. I'll start to slow down to accommodate a reasonable buffer. |
[KSHNA] |
It's getting brighter down here, isn't it? |
[DARCY] |
Definitely. |
[KSHNA] |
Thero, can you point the floodlight straight down? |
[THERO] |
But won't you two be unable to see anything? |
[DARCY] |
Trust her on this one, Thero. |
[DARCY] |
That's bright alright. It's almost like looking at the sun compared to how dark it is usually. |
[KSHNA] |
We must be on the shipping crate's main cache. |
[KSHNA] |
Thero, get suited up. |
[DARCY] |
Wait wait wait. Ma'am- |
[KSHNA] |
Kushana. |
[DARCY] |
Kushana. It's much too dangerous to use the suit this deep. |
[KSHNA] |
I understand how you feel, but it is imperative we collect some samples for analysis purposes. We can't simply leave them here after all this. |
[DARCY] |
We damn very well can. These may be important to you, but Thero is mo- |
[THERO] |
I'm already suited up and ready, Cadie. |
[DARCY] |
But Thero- |
[THERO] |
Don't worry about it. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we're all enjoying Diego's chili back at base, eh? |
[DARCY] |
…Fine. But make it quick, you hear? |
[THERO] |
I don't have the quickest hands in the Pacific for nothing. |
[DARCY] |
Pfft, dumbass. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
I'm sorry about that. |
[DARCY] |
I just don't have a good feeling about this. |
[KSHNA] |
I agree - this pit is awfully inconvenient. Or convenient, depending on who you are. |
[DARCY] |
Are we the former or the latter? |
[KSHNA] |
We'll see soon enough. |
[blank] |
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[DARCY] |
Goddammit, Thero didn't turn his camera on again. |
[PJEET] |
We're too deep for it to work, actually. |
[DARCY] |
Fuck. |
[DARCY] |
How about you, Aldermann? Anything from Thero? |
[ALDMN] |
Patching isn't instant, you know. |
[DARCY] |
Right, right, sorry. |
[THERO] |
I'm hooked up. |
[THERO] |
It really is a lightshow out here. Tons of these crystals as far as the eye can see - on the bottom, anyways. The wall ones are totally out of reach. I could grab these things by the handful and bring them in that way. At least- huh…? |
[DARCY] |
What is it? |
[THERO] |
Bones, some kind of bones. |
[DARCY] |
Are they human? |
[THERO] |
I can't tell for sure, but I don't think so. Some poor sea creature turned lunch, I expect. Sure are a lot of them though. |
[KSHNA] |
Is there anything else? |
[THERO] |
Anything else? Not that I can see, at least. |
[DARCY] |
Just grab a couple of the crystals and let's dip. Let's not spend any more time here than we need. |
[THERO] |
Sounds great to me. Maybe it's… aaargh! |
[DARCY] |
Thero? Thero? |
[DARCY] |
Thero, are you there? |
[ALDMN] |
I'm not picking him up. He's not connecting. |
[DARCY] |
Pejeet, pull him in now! |
[PJEET] |
On it. |
[PJEET] |
I'm having trouble with the automatic retrieval system. ⌠distant⌡ Aldermann! Help me with the manual reeling! |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
[PJEET] |
He's in. |
[DARCY] |
Fuck, stay here Kushana. I'm going to go talk to him. |
[KSHNA] |
Understood. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 ⌡
|
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚕𝚘𝚞𝚍 𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 ⌡
|
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
Darcy, what's going on back there? The doors aren't opening! |
[DARCY] |
Jesus, Kushana, it's a fucking death trap down here. Those crystals on the wall- |
[KSHNA] |
What is it? |
[DARCY] |
They're not crystals, they're fucking eyes! Something's eyes! |
[KSHNA] |
E- eyes? It evolved? |
[DARCY] |
That's why the wall readings were inconsistent! It's because whatever it is down here with us was moving! |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
I'm pulling the Sondheim up! |
[DARCY] |
Quicker, quicker goddammit! |
[KSHNA] |
It's not working! The thrusters are full but we aren't rising! |
[KSHNA] |
Oh my god, there's- there's vines at the window. |
[DARCY] |
I- I have an idea. Face the window. There should be an orange lever to your right. Push it down counter-clockwise to override the power limiter. |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
It's down. |
[DARCY] |
Turn around one hundred and eighty degrees. Press the green button on the third row from the top. After that, press the button immediately above it. The monitor should display a run executable. |
[KSHNA] |
What do I type in? Hurry, it's battering the window! |
[DARCY] |
Activate, space, welder, space, nine nine nine, then hit enter! Make sure it's pointed at the crystals! |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 ⌡
|
[KSHNA] |
It's done! |
[-----] |
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚢𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 ⌡
|
[DARCY] |
Close your eyes! |
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐? ⌡
|
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐? ⌡
|
|
⌐⸻ ⌠ 𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐? ⌡
|
|
|