OUT AT SEA, A MODIFIED RESEARCH VESSEL FLOATS SILENTLY IN FORBIDDEN TERRITORY, where no ships are meant to travel and no nation claims ownership

The horizon has dissolved into a gray, endless blend of sea and sky, leaving the world caught in a liminal moment—neither day nor night.

Waves whisper against the ship's hull, carrying pieces of forgotten stories while the pale light softens the ship's edges. To the untrained eye, the water seems calm. Serene. Normal. But look closer...

Something's not right.

The currents here don't flow like the rest of the ocean. Ripples ignore the wind, and the swells rise and fall in patterns that don't quite make sense. As if the water itself is alive.

Aboard the ship, every monitor casts an eerie, hypnotic glow, streaming live footage of the depths below.

Onscreen, crumbled buildings are bathed in the fractured sunlight. Fish glide through shattered windows with an unnatural grace, their movements too fluid, as though even they have adapted to the strange conditions of their world. Ghostly strands of seaweed sway over deserted streets, their languid motions almost mournful, as if the ocean itself grieves for what it has claimed.

The crew barely notices the haunting beauty unfolding on every screen. Laughter echoes as a card game heats up in the dining room. Their plates slide slightly across tables as the ship sways, but no one seems to care.

Except for one man.

Chief Payton stands alone in the corner of the dining room, his gaze fixed on the single monitor in the room. His gray hair frames a weathered face marked by quiet authority, his sharp eyes absorbing every flicker of movement. While others treat the underwater ruins as mere scenery, Chief studies them as if the city below is whispering something only he can hear.

"Hey, Chief!" A young man approaches, carrying a tray of food. "Is everything alright?"

Chief's focus shifts, his gaze soft but thoughtful, the weight of unseen calculations carved into his features. "Just thinking."

The young man smirks with relief. "If only Captain Anderer took this job as seriously as you do."

Chief chuckles lightly, but as the man walks away, his gaze returns to the screens.

The live feed comes from a deep-diving drone known as an R.O.V.—a Remotely Operated Vehicle—its cameras slicing through the inky depths. Its operator, Carter, lounges inside a three-man submarine, feet propped lazily against the console as he adjusts the drone's course through his AR glasses. The immersive feed overlays real-time footage onto his vision, painting the abyss in high-definition clarity.

Beside him, Vince splits his focus between piloting the submarine and analyzing data on his AR interface, his gaze flicking through a translucent display only he can see. Numbers and depth readings shift across his vision, seamlessly integrated into his field of view.

"Hey, Vince, where in China are we exactly?" Carter's tone is playful, teasing the tension in the confined space.

Vince, his focus locked onto a floating waypoint marker in his AR display, shrugs with the casual indifference of someone long accustomed to the pressures of deep-sea exploration. "Beats me. Ask Helmsley."

Carter frowns, realizing Helmsley hasn't been at his station for a while. "Helmsley?" He calls out, his voice echoing in the confined space. Silence lingers, only the sound of supplied oxygen from a loose vent is audible. Urgently, Carter calls out again, "Hey! Helms!"

"Whaaaat?"

Both Carter and Vince pivot in their seats, glancing towards the back of the underwater vehicle.

"Where are you?" Carter questions.

"In tha shittah! Now whaddya want?!" Carter and Vince snicker and chuckle, sharing a moment of amusement.

"You okay in there?" Carter asks.

"Why the fuck's it mattah?!"

"Well..." holding back laughter, "we haven't seen you in a while." A snort. "We just want to make sure you're okay. You sound... stressed..."

Helmsley remains silent.

"Helms?"

Another beat, then, "Ya bastahds put somethin in my yoguht last night, didn't ya?!"

Laughter erupts, echoing through the miniature submarine.

"Ya fuckin pricks! I know dis was you, Cartah!" Helmsley rants, but it's all in good humor, the camaraderie built over countless hours in the deep sea keeping their spirits high.

MEANWHILE, ABOVE THE WAVES, a helicopter cuts through the dense, mist-laden air just a few miles from the crew ship, its rotors whipping the mist into swirling patterns. The sound of the churning blades roars over the silent ocean, the only break in the unsettling quiet.

Inside, a woman shouts over the din, "Dalton!" Her voice is sharp, urgent, cutting through the mechanical rattle.

Dalton, a man lulled into a half-sleep by the uneven hum of the flight, startles awake as a sharp kick to his shin jolts him. Blinking groggily, he looks up, momentarily disoriented by the dim, flickering light—an old system struggling to keep up.

"Over there!" the woman barks, pointing toward the crew ship. Dalton fumbles for his sleek, high-tech camera—its polished design out of place against the battered interior around him. It hums to life instantly, its augmented adaptive lens sharpening the moment he lifts it to his eye. The ship, shrouded in the same haze that blankets the sea, comes into focus—crisp and clear, every detail preserved with precision.

But the woman's hand presses against his shoulder, shifting the camera slightly.

"Look," she urges, her voice now softer but tinged with dread.

Dalton yawns, his fatigue still lingering, but as the lens adjusts, his heart seizes.

Emerging from the gray, another ship materializes on the horizon, its dark silhouette ominous and imposing. The camera interface registers a string of code instead of a ship's identifier, faint red brackets ghosting around its frame for a split second before vanishing, as if uncertain whether to mark it at all.

Dalton's gaze darts to the woman, her expression grim and unyielding, confirming his growing fear.

She gives a small, steady nod. "We got trouble..."

BACK ON THE CREW SHIP, a woman with a tray of food approaches Chief. Her auburn hair, tied loosely, sways gently as she moves with effortless grace through the ship's cafeteria. She wears a cream-colored, dust-resistant weave, reinforced with synthetic threading. It hugs her frame modestly, giving her a soft, approachable air despite the sharpness of her gaze.

"Morning, Chief!" Her voice pulls him from his reverie, recognizing her instantly.

"Oh, Doctor," he greets warmly, catching the delicate smile she always seems to wear. "How's the family?"

Laura replies with a smile, "Well, my brother's still all calm precision, and my sister's busy turning bruises into badges." Shakes her head. "Same old, same old."

Chief chuckles. "Sounds like they're doing alright."

"Laura! Are you coming?" Two ladies sitting at a dining table nearby beckon the doctor to join them. Laura glances at Chief, her expression apologetic but light. He waves her off with a smile. "Go... I'll see you around doctor."

"See you later," Laura says as she walks over to her friends.

ON THE SUBMARINE, Helmsley struggles in the confines of the sub's tiny bathroom. His breath comes in short, labored gasps as he fights the dizziness threatening to overtake him. "You bastahds...," he mutters, his voice barely audible over the drone of the equipment.

In the control room, Carter leans forward, guiding the R.O.V. through the shadowy ruins of a sunken city. "But seriously, Helms, where exactly are we?" he calls out, his tone casual but edged with curiosity.

"Henan..." Helmsley gasps out, his voice weak. "Henan province..."

Carter frowns, maneuvering the drone closer to the ocean floor. The R.O.V. glides past toppled columns and crumbled structures, its camera capturing the eerie details of a long-lost world.

Vince, seated with a hardened focus, swipes through his AR interface, pulling up fragmented data. "Shit. I'm trying to look up what Henan was known for, but the signal's garbage down here."

"Oh, that reminds me." Carter smirks. "Try this upgrade."

"Upgrade?"

"Yeah... Ever watch The Unveiling Archives?"

"No."

"Oh... kay?... never mind. Just... here." Carter brushes aside further questions.

Vince accepts it, syncing it to his interface. "Whoa..." his voice trails, just as a faint light flickers from the base of a collapsed building on the drone's feed.

Carter leans in. "What?"

Vince, still locked onto his own display, responds absently. "Says here Henan was the birthplace of Chinese civilization."

Carter exhales sharply, realizing he wasn't talking about the light, then says, "And now it's its deathbed."

"Right..." Vince nods, scrolling deeper. "Talk about cradle to grave..."

A pause.

The R.O.V. drifts through a decayed archway, its floodlights sweeping over submerged relics.

"Looks like the locals here had it rough," Vince continues, eyes narrowing at the data. "Minimal water supply, constant hardship, and apparently, they were known for having the most thieves, grifters, and con artists in China."

Carter huffs. "And now they're underwater... Sounds like the wrath of God to me."

Vince scoffs, "So first, He has them dying of thirst and struggling to survive, just to drown them anyway?"

Carter shrugs. "Man, I'm just saying... You don't have to fact-check my every thought."

Vince rolls his eyes but doesn't push. His gaze flickers back to the AR display, taking note of the anomalous light pulsing from the ruins.

Then—his posture stiffens.

"Hey." His voice tightens. "That light—where the fuck are you?"

Carter hesitates for half a second. "Underground opening," he says, forcing casualness into his voice.

"That's not what we're down here for," Vince snaps, irritation bubbling to the surface.

Carter smirks. "Relax. It's just a detour. Besides, the people up top are probably bored out of their minds watching us swim around rubble. Gotta give 'em a show."

Vince shakes his head, muttering under his breath, but continues working. He pulls up a fresh stream of sensor data, tracking anomalies.

Carter tilts his head. "While you're searching shit up anyway, is there anything about a treasure?"

Silence.

Vince doesn't answer. His expression darkens, his fingers freezing mid-motion. His eyes flick toward Helmsley's empty station.

"Something's wrong."

Carter frowns. "What now?"

Vince's voice drops. "Helmsley isn't at his station."

Carter waves him off. "We know that. We know why, too." But there's an edge creeping into his voice now.

Vince turns fully, his jaw tightening. "I'm going to lose brain cells if I have to explain this to you."

Carter responds with a lazy middle finger.

Vince ignores it and moves to Helmsley's workstation, where the most monitors and raw data are displayed. He scans through the readings—oceanographic sensors, magnetic anomalies, acoustic pulses—all linked to both the drone and submarine.

Carter watches him, amused at first. "How're those brain cells holding up? Going Yellow yet?" he teases.

Vince doesn't respond. His fingers twitch against the console.

A pause.

Then, he murmurs, "There's something down there."

Carter huffs. "No kidding. Light doesn't just appear out of nowhere." But his eyes flick to the monitors.

The drone's feed shows the faint glow intensifying, illuminating the submerged ruins in an otherworldly haze. A haze begins creeping along the ocean floor, tendrils of eerie illumination slithering through the wreckage.

Carter's hands hesitate.

THE HELICOPTER TOUCHES DOWN ON THE SHIP'S DECK, its rotors kicking up a ghostly spray of mist and sea air. Dalton rushes out, camera in hand, blinking against the dim, diffused light that barely filters through the heavy overcast.

The woman disembarking steps into view, meeting his lens with a bright, confident smile that seems to cut through the gray atmosphere. Her hazel eyes glint in the faint light, and her dark brown, wavy hair swirls gently in the breeze stirred by the helicopter's descent. Despite the dreary surroundings, she exudes an effortless charisma, her fitted jacket reinforced against the dust and slim, weather-resistant pants lending her the look of someone both professional and adventurous.

"Hello everyone! It's me! Anne Davidson!" Her voice carries across the deck, clear and vibrant. "Happy to announce that my documentary has been renewed for a second season! This season, I'll be living aboard The Indelebilis Crew Ship! Home to the scientists and oceanic archaeologists exploring the lost civilization of China!"

"Anne Davidson!" Chief's booming voice cuts through the hum of the helicopter, and Anne's face lights up, her almond-shaped eyes locking on him as she rushes over. The faint light catches her warm tan skin, highlighting her energetic presence even in the muted setting. Her full lips curve into an even bigger smile as she embraces him with a warm hug.

"Chief Payton! Am I too late?" she asks breathlessly, her excitement evident in the quick rise and fall of her chest.

"No, you're just in time," Chief assures her, gesturing toward a group of people working on a machine. But nearby, a few crew members exchange glances. Not everyone is thrilled she's here. Anne's naturally arched brows lift, curiosity piqued, and she hurries over, Dalton close behind, capturing her every move.

"Excuse me!" Anne calls out as she approaches the team, her voice both authoritative and friendly.

A man raises his hand to halt her, then passes a tool to someone else before giving her his full attention, a respectful smile forming.

"Good morning, ma'am. Before we get started, I just want to say I admire your work." His voice carries a distinct accent, the edges of his words shaped by an uncommon cadence.

Anne's smile softens, her expressive features radiating warmth despite the cold, misty air. She rests a hand over her heart. "Thank you. That means a lot."

The man nods, clearly impressed. "Your first season was incredible. You got closer to the truth about The Shadow Dome than anyone's allowed to. That was powerful."

His tone is smooth but layered, the slight inflection in his vowels giving away the blend of languages in his speech.

Anne's hazel eyes widen with excitement, the subtle shifts of green and brown in her gaze catching what little light there is. "Is that why you're here? To find more helium-3?"

"Not quite," the man replies, glancing at Chief with a knowing look. "My team is interested in recovering resources from the research laboratories that had first-hand experience with minerals from the moon."

It's subtle, but Anne catches it—the way his consonants land just a little differently, the rhythm of his speech distinct. She doesn't comment on it, but she takes note, as she always does.

Anne turns sharply toward Chief, her eyes gleaming, barely able to contain her excitement. "Who else is on this ship?"

Chief grins, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "You'll see soon enough. But yes, you'll find what you're looking for."

Before Anne can press for more details, a voice from the ship calls out urgently, "Chief! Come quick! You need to see this!"

"Anne!" Dalton whispers loudly, pointing the camera at their feet. "When are we going to tell them about the ship we saw?" Anne gestures for him to calm down, "That's probably what they called him for," and follows Chief inside.

The screens inside display the R.O.V.'s feed as it enters a dimly lit room deep within the underwater city. Ten large cylinders stand in the center, their surfaces gleaming ominously in the drone's lights.

Chief bullies his way through the crowd, turning up the volume just as Vince's voice crackles through the speakers. "These cylinders... It's reacting to the drone's sensors. Emitting some kind of energy."

"I just want to find something to grab and get out of here", Carter mutters, his voice tense.

"What do you think are inside these drums?" Vince asks.

"No idea. Don't you have the handy upgraded search engine I gave of you?"

"Yes, and I found the building, but I can't find any info about this room in the blueprints. Whatever this is, it's not supposed to exist."

"Well, it exists, and I want to see what's inside," Carter mutters, his fingers trembling slightly as he steers the drone closer. The water around the cylinder's surface shimmers unnaturally in the drone's lights. As the toolkit buzzes to life, Vince's voice cracks over the comms, "Don't touch it!—wait!—" but the incision is already made.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Vince hisses.

"Relax," Carter replies, but his voice wavers as the drone's sensors pick up something moving in the water.

"Something's coming," Vince whispers, his voice tight with fear.

Dalton nudges Anne with his elbow as they watch the drone move and park into a high corner of the room, functioning like a surveillance camera.

Suddenly, the feed shows a figure of a man swim into the room. The man's movements are slow and deliberate, his tool bag floating beside him.

"No one can survive a dive that deep," someone in the crowd mutters.

"They can if they work for—"

"Quiet!" Chief snaps, cranking the volume up as the man detaches one of the cylinders from the ground, revealing that this is the third one removed.

"Chief," Anne whispers, tugging at his sleeve. "I really need to tell you something."

"Not now, Anne!" Chief's voice is strained, wanting to keep his focus entirely on the screen.

A loud pop echoes through the speakers, and the screen goes black, leaving only the R.O.V.'s data on display.

"He found us!" Vince's panicked voice cuts through the silence.

"No shit! I saw the same thing you did."

"No! I mean he found us here! On the sub! He's coming straight for us!" The screen shows the distance between the drone and the submarine rapidly shrinking. "Ahhh—" The scream is cut off, plunging the room into stunned silence, then panicked chaos.

Anne grabs hold of Chief, her eyes wide with terror. "Chief! I have to tell you something!"

"Not now, Anne!" Chief barks. "Does anyone know where Captain Anderer is?!"

The voice of an unseen passenger on the ship shouts, "I saw him head to his quarters earlier!" Chief storms off to the Captain's quarters.

Anne's breath quickens as she catches up to Chief in the narrow corridor. The chaos around them blurs, but her voice cuts through it like a blade.

"Chief, I saw something!"

He stops, turning to her. "What is it?" His tone is clipped, his eyes locked on hers.

Her hands tremble at her sides. "In the distance... as we arrived... there was another ship."

Chief's expression darkens. "What did you just say?"

"There's another ship."

An alarm blares, pulling their attention away, and Anne's voice drops to a whisper, her words trembling in the tense air.

"By dawn, the ship's log will be wiped clean."