The senior mate was assigned one of the most important functions. Morgan must monitor the sonar readings so that when a signature appears, Captain De Bont can make timely adjustments to the operation of the Amphibia, minimizing the risk of collision.

– Henry, what’s wrong with the ballast?

– Everything is ready, captain. The air cylinders were redistributed.

– Great. Prepare to ascend. Heading two-nine-zero. Trim twenty-five. Full speed ahead.

Morgan exactly repeated the captain’s instructions, reporting on their implementation.

Instrument readings showed an increase in speed. Even without auxiliary engines and with one dented blade, the speed that was possible to develop was very impressive. Raising the bow twenty-five degrees above the horizontal plane was no problem. The ballast tanks were being purged, albeit slowly. For a submarine that had been turned into a punching bag several times, Amphibia XXI was too survivable. After everything it had experienced, it could rightfully be considered a real miracle of engineering.

At a depth of six thousand three hundred meters Captain De Bont said:

– Morgan, what is the temperature of the water outside?

– Four degrees Celsius. Do you think this is enough?

The captain looked at the ichthyologist and the biologist and asked:

– What do you think?

– I would say this is a border zone – Kayla answered. – Fifty-fifty.

– I think, I’ll agree – Hector added. – We don’t know for sure what its internal temperature is or what its outer tissues are like. Closer to four kilometers, I think the water temperature will be suitable. This will be dangerous for the creature. And still…

– There is a signal – the first mate interrupted the conversation. – Heading one-three-eight. Distance one thousand two hundred fifty. Speed fifteen knots.

Captain De Bont stuck to the large display and tracked the movement of the object. As it got closer to the Amphibia, its trajectory gradually leveled out. Convinced of this, the captain commanded:

– Stop the machine.

– There is stop the machine.

Without taking his eyes off the screen, the captain added:

– What is the depth?

– Five thousand eight hundred and eighty meters.

– Blow out the stern and bow tanks by another three percent.

– There is a three percent blowout.

– What’s on the instruments?

– Distance nine hundred meters. Speed eighteen knots. Although, wait. The speed is falling. Sixteen knots. Fifteen. Nineteen degrees off the heading.

The sonar continued to sound:

Peep… Peep… Peep…

Everyone watched the instrument readings in silence. An alarming silence hung in the central compartment, broken only by sonar signals and the voices of the captain and first mate.

Morgan reported:

– Deviation thirty degrees. Distance eight hundred and forty meters. Speed fourteen knots. Deviation thirty-five.

– The beast is being careful – Henry thought out loud.

Peep… Peep… Peep…

– Keeps changing heading. Deviation forty. Distance eight hundred and twenty. Speed twelve knots.

The entire crew froze in front of the large screen, continuing to listen to the voice of the first mate from behind. The captain thought about how the predator would not catch the Amphibia with its gaze and continued to change heading. He hoped that the predator’s eyes were blinded enough to see nothing in such pitch darkness. He looked at the depth readings. The submarine continued to surface.

Peep… Peep… Peep…

Morgan continued to report changes in the object’s movement. His voice betrayed maximum concentration with an admixture of anxiety:

– Deviation fifty degrees. Speed twelve knots. Distance seven hundred and ninety.

– This is not your station – Henry said with contempt.

– Slowing down. Speed seven knots. Distance seven hundred and eighty. Deviation sixty-five. Almost stopped.

Morgan fell silent for a moment, plunging the central compartment into a frightening silence, broken only by the signal of a flashing signature:

Peep… Peep… Peep…

– Speed four knots. It’s turning. Changing heading. Deviation ninety-five degrees. Keeps turning. Deviation one hundred and ten. Speed nine knots. Accelerates. Distance nine hundred and thirty. Nine hundred and forty. Nine hundred fifty. The speed is growing. Fifteen knots. Distance is a thousand. One thousand twenty-five.

Captain De Bont reached into his pocket for some candy.

Almost in a whisper, the engineer began to mumble:

– Come on. Come on, get out. Get out of here.

Even at this distance, Kayla kept glancing back at the night vision camera images on a nearby display in fear of seeing the body of the giant deep-sea beast again.

– Perhaps the cold water is already having an effect – Hector said.

Soon Morgan reported:

– The signature is gone. The object is outside the sonar field of view.

The long-awaited relief calmed the nerves of the entire crew. Captain De Bont announced:

– Do not start any of the equipment.

Suddenly the object jumped out on the screen. As soon as it appeared within the sonar range, it immediately disappeared. There was deathly silence in the central compartment. Three seconds later it was interrupted by a loud and short:

Pip!

The object moved out of sight again.

– At what coordinates did the object leave the field of view? – asked the captain.

– One-three-five.

Pip!

– Everyone calm down – insisted Captain De Bont. – It’s trying to find a trace.

A deafening explosion was heard in the stern of the submarine. A vibration ran through the inner lining.

PIP!!! PIP!!! PIP!!! PIP!..

– Captain! – exclaimed the first mate. – Heading one-three-one! It’s coming straight at us! Speed twenty knots! Twenty two! Twenty three!..

In a commanding tone, the captain began to give instructions at the top of his voice:

– Heading two-two-nine! Full speed ahead!

– Two-two-nine! There’s full speed ahead!

– Blow out the stern and bow tanks by five percent!

– There is a five percent blow out!

Morgan launched another dose of compressed air into the ballast tanks, which slightly increased the ascent speed.

Next the captain turned to the engineer:

– Henry, what happened!

– I’m finding out!

Henry continued to look at the work screen, waiting for the results of the general diagnostics. When the diagnostics were thirty-one percent complete, the computer reported the first fault and Henry shouted:

– A compressed air cylinder exploded! For tanks in the bow!

– Fuck! – Captain De Bont blurted out angrily! – Take your seats! Buckle up!

Having lost his chair, Henry took the place reserved as work for Tucker.

The monster continued to get closer.

– What depth!?

– Five thousand four hundred!

– What’s overboard!?

– Three degrees Celsius!

– Blow out the stern tanks by five percent! Bow for ten!

– There are stern ones for five, bow ones for ten!

Being in the absolute grip of total fear and confusion, Kayla did not realize it, but she was already saying most of the prayers in the correct order.

– Captain, trim aft nineteen! – Morgan reported after he had blown out the ballast tanks. Looking at the sonar readings, he immediately added: – The object is approaching! Distance four hundred and fifty meters! Damn it… – the first mate shouted in shock. – It’s slowing down! Speed twenty-eight knots! It was THIRTY-ONE!

– How do you like the water!? – Henry yelled, looking at the images from the night vision cameras, which still did not reflect anything. – The balls haven’t fallen off yet!?

Hearing the engineer’s words, Morgan remembered the temperature of the water.

– It’s two degrees Celsius outside.

The captain looked at the speed of the Amphibia. The instruments showed eighteen knots.

– Speed twenty-seven knots. Distance four hundred – Morgan reported.

The captain glanced at the view from the night vision cameras and asked:

– Depth!?

– Five thousand two hundred eighty. Distance three hundred and fifty.

The Amphibia was already making twenty knots. But this only slowed down the speed of approaching the predator, but did not get rid of it.

– Distance three hundred meters.

Why aren’t you freezing? – Hector thought, not taking his eyes off the display, on which the muddy traces of the monster were already flashing.

– Distance two hundred and fifty!

– Visual contact! – Henry shouted.

The Amphibia’s speed reached its limit – twenty-two knots.

– The beast is freezing! Speed twenty-six knots!

– We will do it! – Henry shouted jubilantly. – A little more and his ardor will cool down!

The prayer from Kayla’s lips began to fade little by little. She looked at the screen a little more boldly. She expected that the monster that was chasing the submarine would soon begin to lose sensitivity and stop moving.

The cold enveloped the body from everywhere. The fins are almost no longer felt. The tail moves more and more slowly. The heartbeat became faster. It works to the limit and tries to disperse blood throughout the body in order to restore sensitivity to the limbs. But it’s all useless. And this stranger… He doesn’t care about anything. He seemed to be mocking him, breaking through the icy water as if nothing around him had changed. He continued to move with surprising ease, still without moving a single limb. He left behind only a trail of bubbles. And this impulse… What an annoying voice this stranger has. It doesn’t subside for a moment. Who is he? From what waters did he come? Whatever happens, the owner and true predator is obliged to fight for his territory to the last. You need to try, give your last strength. After all, he is already very close. Come on!

– Distance thirty meters!

– What is the temperature outside!? – Captain De Bont asked at the top of his voice.

Morgan couldn’t believe his eyes. The beast was moving at a speed of twenty-five knots, and the temperature…

– ZERO! Captain, zero degrees! Holy shit!

– When will you die! – Kayla screamed in hysterics, grabbing her hair and jumping out of her chair. Only the straps held her in place.

– It floats with all its strength! – Hector added, watching the images from the different cameras located at the stern. – No, no, no! NO!

The points of the Amphibia and the object touched on the sonar.

– IT’S BELOW US!!! – as if in a fit of panic, the first mate’s exclamation was heard.

BANG!!!

The Amphibia’s hull tilted. The stern part moved upward, and the bow part was pulled down. The speed on the instruments dropped rapidly. The casing was cracking. The vibration did not subside for half a minute.

The bodies of the crew members shook in their seats, fastened with belts. The screams continued. Among them, only the voice of Captain De Bont was missing. He swore to himself, not giving free rein to his emotions. Maintaining composure in any situation, no matter how extreme it is, is the main rule that Luther de Bont sought to follow. He had always believed that panic had no place on a submarine. It only increases the chances of inevitable death.

– Stop the machine!

There was no reaction from the first mate.

– I said STOP THE MACHINE!!!

Morgan turned off the engines and… there was a barely audible rumble overboard. The crew members did not immediately realize that it was an animal roar. It grew and became louder until…

BANG!!! BANG!..

A series of blows covered the entire body. The last one hit the stern. And this was already truly alarming.

The hull trim has almost approached zero. The Amphibia’s hull was practically leveled in the horizontal plane, but remained tilted to starboard by twenty-two degrees.

Captain De Bont looked at the instrument readings. The depth increased. The Amphibia was pulled to the bottom.

Time was passing. Nothing was happening. In addition to the muffled and loud breathing of the frightened crew, Kayla’s crying could be heard in the compartment. The ichthyologist drew the captain’s attention to the screens. The monster was still next to the submarine.

– It’s zero degrees outside, and it’s not going to go down – Morgan said, overcoming his ragged breath.

– Everyone be quiet – Captain De Bont snapped. – Not a sound.

He looked closely at the images on the large display, comparing the positions of the cameras.

– Crap.

– It describes circles around the stern – the ichthyologist noted. – And, apparently, it cheered up.

Feeling that the body was sufficiently leveled, Captain De Bont unbuckled his belt, stood up and, lowering his eyelids, struck his hand on the dashboard, and when his cool mind returned, he said in a voice that betrayed hopelessness and despair:

– Henry, get the Geiger counter and dosimeter.

There was deathly silence in the central compartment. Hector had no doubts about the captain’s suspicions. He understood everything without special instruments. To do this, the ichthyologist only had to look at the display and evaluate the behavior of the deep-sea creature.

Kayla continued to sit strapped into her seat. Her lips remained parted and her chin trembled. The hands, clasped on her breast, were shaking.

Captain De Bont ordered the first mate to level the position of the boat. Retaining the slightest hope, Morgan did not stop looking at his commander. He hoped for him until the very end. Not a day passed that he had reason to doubt the skills of Captain De Bont. And now, in the face of mortal danger, he never ceased to believe in the talent of the man who never ceased to amaze during this voyage. Even here, in the hellish depths, without any weapons on the submarine, Luther de Bont demonstrated the peak of skill and the standard of courage. So what now?

Henry returned to the compartment. The captain asked a question with a gesture. The engineer kept his mouth open for a long time, unable to find the strength to convey the catastrophic news.

– The reactor cooling system has failed.

Captain De Bont quietly closed his eyelids and asked:

– Radiation?

– I… – Henry took every breath with great difficulty. – I… stopped somewhere five meters from the reactor. There were… twelve microsieverts. I was afraid to go further.

The water temperature overboard was zero. Only now the monster was not at all bothered by it. Radiation became his source of warmth. Warmth… and nutrition. It stopped perceiving the irritating impulse. All it noticed was gamma radiation. It became a whole world for the monster, and around this world it danced, describing circles around the stern of Amphibia XXI.

– Captain, – Morgan said timidly, – what will be an order?

The captain looked at the map and gave an order, swallowing a lump in his throat:

– Trim to the stern is twenty-five. Heading zero-two-nine. Full speed ahead.

Confusion was painted on the first mate’s face. He was confused. Noticing this, the captain said:

– Were you waiting for an order? You got it. We continue to ascend.

Continuing to look at the captain, Morgan found strength and reported as a soldier should:

– Trim to the stern is twenty-five. Heading zero-two-nine. There is full speed ahead.

The captain turned to the engineer:

– Henry, come with me.

The captain and engineer left.

Without removing her hands from her head, Kayla said through her tears with trembling:

– God… what will happen to us?

Her lungs continued to contract and expand to their limit.

Hector Cage walked up to the big screen. He watched the movements of the predator, thinking about what an immense thirst for knowledge could lead to. The ichthyologist began to really think that perhaps there were boundaries of knowledge that a person should not cross, so as not to expose himself to danger. But man has long ago begun to part with the instinct of self-preservation and does not want to notice these boundaries, indulging in the blind desire to be on top of the world. Humanity craves everything it can get its hands on. The crown of creation. The highest intelligence. Top of the food chain. The most dangerous predator. This can be said about a person who lives on the surface and sees only what he is allowed to see. There he is able to kill even a white shark, using tools that are the result of the work of a highly developed intellect. The developed mind has made man the most resilient and tenacious biological species on the planet. A more dangerous predator cannot be found. But as soon as this predator invades where it has no place, it turns into a prey. Target. Intermediate link in the food chain. Nothing more. Is it worth trying to penetrate those places that nature has allocated to other creatures and which are not suitable for habitation by the human species?

Footsteps were heard. The captain and engineer returned.

– So that’s it – Captain De Bont began to say in a firm and decisive tone. – I won’t deceive anyone and I’ll tell it like it is. «Amphibia XXI» will sink. It cannot have a way to the surface. It is no longer possible to remain on board. Before radiation kills us, we must take action. We have bathyscaphes. They are in good working order and were not damaged at all in the collision. Therefore, I will ask all of you to collect the essentials and prepare for the ascent. Our expedition has reached its end.

– Captain, do you really want to… – Kayla stuttered with a trembling voice.

– This beast is busy absorbing radiation – the captain continued. – Kayla, understand, you will have to take risk anyway. After leaving the Amphibia, there is a chance to survive. If you stay here, radiation will kill you.

Captain De Bont then addressed the engineer:

– Henry, copy all saved files to an external drive: videos, notes, coordinates, pictures. All the data that we have managed to accumulate.

– Mister, De Bont – said the ichthyologist. – May I address you this way?

– Now, at these moments, I am Luther for you.

Affected by the captain’s words, Hector continued:

– Luther, we are surfacing now. But the Amphibia will still return to the bottom. And this…

– Yes, Mr. Cage. That’s why we surface to reduce the distance to the surface for the bathyscaphes. For the bathyscaphes, but not for…

– Just a second – the first mate snapped indignantly. – The bathyscaphe can accommodate two people. There are only two of them, and there are five of us. – Morgan groaned in an alarming tone: – Captain?

The captain placed his hands at his sides and said decisively:

– This beast will not reach the surface. Just not today. And then, we haven’t figured out our relationship yet. I must win this round. I will return this beast to where it crawled out from and bury it there.

– You’re not going to…

The captain looked at Henry and asked to show how the self-destruct protocol of the nuclear reactor was launched.

– Captain… – the first mate echoed in a hoarse voice.

– Stop panicking, soldier. I am forced to cancel humanity’s meeting with this creature. Such a meeting would be unpleasant. The Amphibia does not carry weapons. So we need to turn it into a bomb itself. In the meantime, this bomb is slowly killing us all. So hurry up.

– Captain, don’t be offended, but with all due respect…

– FOLLOW THE ORDER!!!

Bitter tears ran down Morgan’s cheeks. Their paths diverged.

17. THE DATE IS OVER

– Yes. I think it will be just right – Hector said, asking the engineer to add another file to the archive, which is to be handed over to the employers. – Fine. Are there any pictures of the hole?

– Looks like I saved it. Yep, here they are.

– What about the coordinates?

– Yes, yes, Mr. Cage. Everything is here.

Meanwhile Kayla Fox, not without trembling in her breast, looked at the closed door of the isolation ward with the welded window. She convinced herself that hardly anyone in their right mind, having experienced this once, would want to go here a second time. The idea that there was a complex organism capable of settling in someone else’s body and so radically displacing all the external features of the individual and rebuilding the body to suit itself could not leave her mind. To what extent are these bacteria tenacious and strong that they are capable, in every sense, of taking over someone else’s body?

There was a crunch of glass behind Kayla. She shuddered. These were fragments of a broken lamp that fell under the sole of the sneakers.

– Are you saying goodbye to our colleague? – asked Morgan.

Kayla didn’t answer, just nodded several times. She walked around the first mate, heading towards the exit, when suddenly Morgan grabbed her wrist:

– Where are you going so quickly?

– Get your hands off. – Gathering all her anger into a fist, Kayla added in a threatening tone: – Get your hands off me now, asshole.

– I don’t know about you, but I like it rough.

Morgan began to squeeze her wrist more and more until Kayla’s fingers began to loosen a little.

– I said get your dirty paws off – Kayla whispered furiously, raising her free hand.

Morgan grabbed Kayla’s other hand and pretended he didn’t hear anything. Keeping his air of nonchalance, he tightened his grip on the first wrist slightly and added:

– What’s the matter? Don’t you like rudeness?

Kayla remained silent, only intensifying the grimace of hatred and anger on her face.

– And I hate it when someone rejects me. Will you get it yourself or what? – With these words, Morgan pushed Kayla. She hit her back against the wall.

Noticing that she wasn’t giving up, Morgan moved her left wrist to his other hand, wrapping the fingers of one hand around both wrists. Maintaining a cool gaze, the first mate began to slowly plunge his free palm between Kayla’s pressed breasts.

– Get off me! – Kayla screamed.

– What’s going on here?

The figure of Captain De Bont appeared on the threshold of the infirmary. The first mate continued to press Kayla’s body against the wall with one hand while the other crawled out from under her T-shirt, sliding over her volume and smooth breast.

– What kind of tricks are these? – asked Captain De Bont, boldly approaching the first mate. He accepted several objects from Morgan’s hands, and Morgan himself said maliciously:

– I think, I know what it’s called. Science comes first. Right?

Captain De Bont looked straight into Kayla’s eyes and asked in a clear, articulate tone:

– Miss Fox, I am listening to you very carefully.

He motioned for Morgan to remove his hands. As soon as the first mate freed her from the iron grip, Kayla immediately pulled back and spoke with a shaky, deep breath:

– Captain, you won’t understand. By studying these microorganisms, humanity can find a cure for many diseases, extend life significantly and get rid of the flaws that nature has burdened us with. This is a new stage in evolution.

In his hand, the captain held a flash drive and a vacuum-sealed plastic packet containing tissue fragments and blood samples from Tucker Hughes. Inspecting the contents of the package, Captain De Bont replied:

– You’re right. Maybe I don’t understand a lot. But I believe what I see. And I saw what your microorganisms did to a person. A living, absolutely healthy person who is now behind this door. Or rather, something that until recently was a person.

– Maybe it was actually her doing? – Morgan inserted the word. – So to speak, conducted a visual experiment.

– Fuck you, one-celled blockhead! – Kayla snapped so sharply that her long dark hair slipped down, covering half of her face.

After Morgan’s words, the captain began to look a little more closely at the biologist’s face. A few seconds later he said in the same serene, but firm voice:

– Miss Fox, I already said that I will go to the bottom with that creature that is circling above us. Apparently, I should rephrase. I will take with me everything that has no place on the surface. Including this – waving the plastic packet in front of Kayla’s nose. – Miss Fox, I will not allow you to create an apocalyptic plague.

Having lost the last drops of despair, Kayla lowered her eyes and accepted the loss.

Without taking his eyes off Kayla, Captain De Bont addressed the first mate in a formal manner:

– Mr. Sinclair, escort Miss Fox for evacuation.

Upon returning to the central compartment, Captain De Bont checked the instrument readings. The Amphibia was at a depth of two thousand one hundred and fifty-five meters. At that time, there was no one else in the central compartment except the ichthyologist. Henry went to prepare the bathyscaphes for the dive.

Hector stood in front of the large screen when he suddenly heard the captain’s voice:

– Mr. Cage, have you already given a name to our «friend»? I would at least know who I will send to the afterlife.

Hector turned his head to look the captain in the eyes and said:

– It’s brave.

They smiled only for a split second, after which Hector continued:

– I’m not good at Greek. I know that «saurus» is translated as «lizard». I’m better at Latin. The Latin language has a very appropriate word to give this species a name. – After a pause, the ichthyologist said: – «Profondosaurus» – deep lizard.

As if nothing had happened, Captain De Bont walked up to the display and thought, as if addressing the monster overboard:

Congratulations. You were given a name, but, alas, you won’t live with it for long.

At this moment, Hector Cage spoke in a completely serious tone:

– Captain, if I may, I would like to talk to you about something before I have to leave this boat. – Gathering his thoughts, Hector said, directing a piercing gaze towards the captain: – I want you to know. It’s hard for me to imagine how much courage it takes to make such a decision. Meeting you, in a way, made me feel ashamed of my inability to keep my cool in extreme situations. You set the perfect example. After spending several weeks here with you, observing your reaction to every emergency situation, I learned the most important thing – to look fear in the eyes. You might be surprised, but literally a couple of minutes ago I just got rid of the trembling inside, because I decided that if I die, it would be better from loss of blood than from fear.

The captain’s grimace took on approving features.

– You’re right, Mr. Cage. You surprised me. You realized on your own what ninety-nine percent of soldiers have to explain.

The ichthyologist barely managed to hold back a tear that had accumulated in his left eye. Overcoming the trembling in his voice, he said, shaking the crew commander’s hand:

– It was an honor to meet you, Luther.

Swallowing his saliva, Luther replied:

– Mutually, Hector.

A few seconds later, Hector once again broke the silence:

– Show this shit the way to hell.

– This is what I do best.

There was a crackling sound over the intercom, which replaced the engineer’s voice:

– Captain, everything is ready.

Before leaving for the hangar, Captain De Bont leveled the position of the Amphibia, reducing the trim to zero, after which he stopped the engines and redirected the submarine back, setting a speed of twelve knots. Approaching the steep staircase that led to the lower level, the captain looked at the wall behind which was a damaged nuclear reactor. At that moment Luther stood in the place where he was most susceptible to gamma radiation. He followed the ichthyologist downstairs.

The first thing Captain De Bont did was to give detailed instructions to Morgan and Henry, who were assigned to pilot the bathyscaphes:

– As soon as you dive, immediately swim in the direction of the bow strictly under the bottom, one after another in one line. Stay on this heading for a kilometer. If something happens, dump ballast and ascend at maximum speed. Questions?

Henry raised his hand, which immediately dropped like a stone. He had a question. Maybe it wasn’t a question, but he had something to say. He didn’t even have time to utter a word when the captain said with a bit of irony:

– Don’t worry about the boat. You will make another one, better than this one.

– I don’t care about that – the engineer blurted out indignantly, almost shouting. – There won’t be another one like this. At least without me. I don’t think that… – Henry began to stammer, and his voice began to tremble – …that after you… someone is worthy…

He swallowed hard, and Captain De Bont hugged his limp body, shortly after which he asked for a favor. To such words, Henry replied that now he is ready to move even mountains for the captain. Captain De Bont, in an official form, demanded that the engineer stop whining, forget about the mountains and get ready to hit the gas.

Hector came up, once again shook the captain’s hand, and added in parting:

– If I get to the surface, then it seems I already know who to dedicate my memoirs to. Thanks to you we are still breathing.

– That’s right, Hector. And it is your responsibility to keep breathing.

Morgan’s legs didn’t move from their place, as if they were being held down by weights. Watching the captain say goodbye to the crew members created an indescribable pain in his soul, bordering on a feeling of grief for which there was no reason. The senior mate’s cheeks were already covered with moisture from flowing tears. When the captain approached, his hands reflexively reached out to the commander to hug him. People around heard him cry. Pressing his mouth to the commander’s shoulder, Morgan muttered:

– Captain, please… allow me to stay.

Captain De Bont did not answer anything, only stroking the back of his assistant’s head, who had served him faithfully for many years. He patted the senior mate on the shoulder, already feeling how his T-shirt was wet from Morgan’s tears.

– Come on, don’t be discouraged. Prove that you are my man.

Morgan suddenly raised his head and directed his reddened eyes at the calm face of the captain, who added:

– Prove that you are from my team. Get to the destination unharmed. Then I will know that it was not in vain that you served under my command.

Sobbing, Morgan straightened his posture, loudly pushed his heels towards each other, and then put his hand to his temple and shouted at the top of his voice:

– YES SIR!

Having saluted, the first mate got into the second bathyscaph, in which Hector was already located. Kayla and Henry were sitting in the first one.

Captain De Bont waited until the transparent gondola of the second bathyscaphe closed and hit the button on the panel in the wall. The gateway at the bottom began to move apart. Henry and Morgan started the engines, preparing to dive. Everyone cast their glances at the captain, who waved his hand and finally motioned for them to focus on what was in front of them. The gateway opened. Ahead was a pool of ocean water.