Chapter 352. 3521-1
Hunched next to a giant machinery that resembled a supercomputer, Charles's gaze was on the tablet in his hand as he pressed an index finger on the charging port to power the battery.
The dark green screen lit up, and Charles' eyes brightened in excitement as well. But as he browsed the contents within the tablet, the traces of hope in his eyes gradually faded.
The tablet held nothing of his interest, just all sorts of obscure data and photos of a couple.
Charles turned around and scanned the various intricate machinery in the room. The cables of these rectangular-shaped devices snaked around the area like vines. Meanwhile, his team members were holding up their fire torches and navigating the area to conduct a thorough search.
Unlike the other rooms that were used for confinement, this two hundred square meter space was the only one creamed with unfamiliar equipment. Though Charles had no idea what its purpose was within the Foundation, he felt that this area had the highest possibility of holding what he sought.
As Charles furrowed his brows, deep in thought over the success rate of this voyage, he saw Lily rushing toward him with her mice in tow.
"Mr. Charles, we've discovered a hidden door"! Lily reported excitedly, her tail wagging as her big eyes looked up at Charles.
"A hidden door?" Charles' spirits were significantly lifted. Usually, important things would be stored in hidden chambers.
"Where is it?" Charles asked.
He followed the mice toward the southeast corner. Lily pointed a furry paw at an area on the nondescript white wall and said, "Right here."
A hint of skepticism flashed across Charles' eyes. He took a step forward and placed a hand on the area Lily pointed out and felt around; he found it indistinguishable from the other parts of the wall.
"Are you sure this is it?"
"Yes! We have a keen sense of smell. There's a distinct metallic scent here, and it's unlike anywhere else!" Lily insisted, to which her fellow mice nodded in agreement.
Charles cast a quick, wary glance at the motionless, giant tree beyond the window before gesturing to his crew in the distance.
"Linda!"
Hisssssss.
After Charles drank a few gulps of water from the water pouch Dipp gave him, Linda stepped forward and handed him a worn, folded piece of paper.
"Captain, take a look. Is this what you are looking for?" Linda asked with a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"What is it? A nautical chart?" Charles asked as he took the paper from her.
He quickly unfolded the paper to see that it was indeed a nautical chart. It didn't cover an extensive area, only mapping the islands within a 300-mile radius, but it was extremely detailed. The names and navigational routes between the islands were all recorded.
However, Charles disregarded all of that information. His attention was completely drawn by a particular coordinate on the chart.
With a trembling finger, he pointed at a marked dot on the chart. It was labeled with the place he had longed for: Surface Exit (East Gate)
"We found it? Just like that? We really found it? Where did you find it?" Charles was overflowing with excitement that he was starting to sound incoherent.
Linda pointed at the massive tree trunk beyond the windows and said, "Let's leave first. That thing makes me uncomfortable."
Charles nodded vigorously. He wanted to suppress the overwhelming exhilaration in him, but to no avail. He felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest from excitement.
With a noticeable flush on his face, Charles carefully tucked the nautical chart into his inner coat pocket and gestured, "Move out! Back to the shop! We are departing this island immediately."
Everything was proceeding normally, as it ought to be.
Yet, as he was walking out of the room with his crew, Charles couldn't help but cast a fleeting glance through the clear window.
The tree was the same giant tree, but the space around it was no longer empty.
Charles saw them—the indescribable colors that lay beyond the visual spectrum of the human eye. They twisted and turned as they hovered around the colossal tree.
"They are so beautiful..." Charles muttered in an almost entranced state. "They... are they the 3521—1 mentioned in the diary?"
Swish!
In a sudden shift, the nebulous clouds of colors came to a halt. Tens of thousands of eyes turned onto Charles in unison.
It was then that Charles saw them, and they saw him, too.