Chapter 479: Human

The submersible moved with a gentle, humming sound that vibrated throughout its frame, punctuated by occasional low rumbles emanating from the ballast tank as the vessel made its slow descent. Above, the world they had left was one of decay and desolation, but below lay an enigmatic and dark abyss that seemed almost otherworldly. As they delved deeper into this uncharted oceanic chasm, Agatha felt an overwhelming, eerie sense of dread gnaw at her from within. The foreboding was so palpable, it seemed as though the depths were swallowing not just the submersible, but also her courage and composure.

Periodic flashes of light, originating from either reflective gas bubbles or the soft glow of underwater plankton, intermittently broke the surrounding darkness. For Duncan, who was at the controls, these luminescent flickers were the sole reminders of his earthly existence. They acted like beacons, reassuring him that he was indeed piloting a submersible through the ocean rather than drifting, lost and directionless, through the boundless emptiness of outer space.

Yet, Duncan couldn’t shake an unsettling thought. When considering the very essence of terror and the unknown, was there truly any difference between the cold, vacuum of space and this pitch-black oceanic trench filled with billions of tons of seawater?

The propulsion system was fueled by a steam core that emitted a deep, rhythmic hum, while sporadic hissing sounds came from the pressure gauges on the control panel. These gauges signaled the vessel’s current operational state, and they reminded Duncan to proceed cautiously. To mitigate the risk of catastrophic damage caused by sudden pressure changes, he slowed their rate of descent. Casting a sidelong glance at Agatha, he noticed her solemn face.

“Agatha,” Duncan ventured, “what’s on your mind?”

Agatha hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I keep wondering, did the original explorers of this project see the same horrors we’re encountering now? I mean, the grotesque creatures, the unidentifiable remains, the unfathomable and terrifying appendages, even the detached eyeball we saw sinking further into the abyss. Before it all went horribly wrong, didn’t anyone ever look ‘up,’ driven by curiosity or perhaps sheer recklessness?”

Duncan paused, his thoughts tumbling over each other as he recalled what he’d learned about the Abyss Project from his conversations with Tyrian. Had anyone ever truly understood the horrific truths lurking beneath the city-state, or were these secrets deliberately kept hidden, much like the dark history of the metal ore mine?

“Maybe some did glance back at the abyss,” Duncan finally replied after a moment of silence, “but whatever they found, it was probably never documented or shared. As the gatekeeper of the city-state, you know better than anyone the dangerous implications of such knowledge.”

Agatha’s voice softened as she continued, “Many would lose their sanity. The sheer terror of knowing could cause mass nightmares and widespread panic, even without the influence of the abyss’s mysterious powers. Those nightmares could spill over into the ‘reality’ beneath the city-state, triggering events beyond our understanding. In the worst-case scenario, it might awaken whatever it is.”

Duncan nodded gravely. “We live in a world built on the grotesque and incomprehensible remnants of an ancient, unknown entity. For most, a veil of ignorance keeps them blissfully unaware of a truth so disturbing it could shatter their minds. Generally, as long as these truths remain hidden, they pose no threat. The real problem arises when there are ‘exceptional cases’—people who uncover these truths.”

After a pause, Agatha asked, “So, what’s our next step? Will you share what we’ve discovered down here?”

Duncan looked at her, his eyes heavy with the weight of their mission and the dreadful choices that lay ahead.

“Currently, I have no plans to divulge what we’ve discovered down here to anyone who isn’t emotionally or psychologically prepared for the ramifications. The last thing I want is to disrupt the peace and stability that most people rely on in their day-to-day lives,” Duncan began, his voice tinged with a gravity that mirrored the weight of their discovery. “However, there’s a principle you must be well aware of— ‘Knowledge of existence binds it to the fate of the world.’ The more we know about something, the more entangled it becomes with the fabric of our reality.”

Agatha’s eyes widened as she recognized the reference. “The Second Law of Anomalies and Visions,” she confirmed. “Once you know something, you can’t un-know it. Our exposure to the truth beneath the city-state has woven us into a complicated tapestry of fate and circumstance. At some point, we’ll have to confront what that means.”

“It’s not quite as responsive as my own ship, the Vanished,” Duncan continued, “and the sensory feedback from this soulless mechanical beast is limited, but it suffices. Machines tend to listen to me.”

In that moment, Agatha sensed the ethereal flames for what they were—a form of spirit fire, a connective force that coursed through the steel and oil, the steam, and the gears. It was as though the machine had become an extension of Duncan, pulsating in harmony with his will. This tiny stream of spirit fire lent her a strange sense of security, even in the crushing depths of the dark, cold ocean. She nodded subtly, as if giving a silent salute to Duncan’s mastery over the vessel.

Oblivious to her silent acknowledgment, Duncan returned his focus to the control panel. Despite the enhanced connectivity provided by his spirit flame, he still had to manually guide the machine. It was a way of life he was familiar with—operating on the principle of, “I don’t know how this works, but I’ll figure it out.” It was how he had started piloting the Vanished, after all.

Before either could contemplate further, another ‘thud’ broke their concentration. This one was different: a sharper, more distinct sound that suggested something had made deliberate contact with the exterior of the submersible, differing from the previous, more diffuse noises that could be attributed to hull deformation.

Agatha perked up immediately, her eyes narrowing. “There it is again. Could the hull be warping under the pressure? Or is it something else?”

Duncan’s eyes tightened, his brow furrowing as he swiftly moved his hand to a different control lever. The moment called for keen observation and quick decision-making. Despite their previous conversation, despite their understandings and realizations, the immediate reality was clear: something was out there.

“No, it’s something different,” Duncan responded, his voice tinged with a palpable sense of urgency. He had felt a distinct impact against the submersible’s hull emanating from the deep abyss below them.

The machinery inside the submersible sprang to life with amplified vigor, filling the small space with a chorus of mechanical whirrs and clicks. Duncan manipulated the controls expertly, causing the external searchlights to pivot, scanning through the impenetrable, ink-black water. The submersible’s propellers adjusted, subtly altering the vessel’s orientation.

And then, bathed momentarily in the sweep of the submersible’s searchlights, a figure emerged outside the porthole window.

A human-like figure.

Agatha was the first to register this startling apparition. An outline resembling a human form appeared in her line of sight. It emitted a spectral glow, somewhat akin to the life force she had observed in humans on the surface. Except, this glow was hauntingly subdued, its luminescence paler, almost ghostly.

She couldn’t help but let out a soft, involuntary gasp: “Ah!”

Duncan’s eyes widened, his lips parting as if to curse, but he restrained himself. It was already an unsettling experience to encounter a forest of tentacles deep within the submerged base of the city-state and to see a massive, pale eyeball that seemed to pierce through the dark depths. The sudden materialization of a figure at this extreme depth, nearly a kilometer beneath the surface of Frost, was shocking to say the least.

But what followed next was even more unnerving. As the submersible adjusted its bearings and the searchlights continued their scanning arc, more figures emerged from the obsidian darkness of the ocean. Not just one, but a multitude of ethereal “people,” each glowing faintly, suspended in the water like otherworldly specters. They floated aimlessly, yet with an air of purpose, creating a tableau that was at once surreal, deeply chilling, and profoundly unsettling.

Duncan and Agatha locked eyes for a moment, each understanding the gravity of this eerie discovery. They were not merely navigating the physical depths of the ocean; they had ventured into a realm that defied reason and tested the boundaries of their understanding of reality itself.