Ephalon - Triumvirate
Chapter 1 - Desperation
Ephalon - Darkest Depths
Chapter 1 - Maiden voyage
Sixty years ago, a miraculous new source of energy production, in the form of the Bolsera nuclear fusion reactor, came into use. This marvel of engineering prompted the governments of Ephalon to come together and herald its inhabitants into the Sixth Era; a period henceforth referred to as the Era of hyper technology. Despite how far and wide this new invention's gift of near-limitless energy spread, it only took a mere four months after its introduction to be overshadowed by an even greater discovery.
Hidden deep within Mount Arramore, located in the Erafar continent, a wreckage, speculated as belonging to a much larger non-native Ephalon spacecraft, was unearthed; at least, that's what the public records disclosed. Many groups theorised that whoever initially published about its existence, had known about it for much longer. Regardless of the conspiracy surrounding its unveiling, there was no denying the absolute proof that centuries ago, aliens came to Ephalon, and by all accounts, never left.
Within this foreign relic of otherworldly design, scientists observed many mysterious wonders, most of which remain as such to this very day. Even so, countless years of studying the alien language spread throughout the wreckage, combined with the ingenious process of reverse engineering, ushered in the conception of various new materials and technologies; one of which played a crucial role in the construction of a particular vessel featured on all of today's news broadcasts.
For that same reason, a large flock of people converged on the mainland Mathlock district of the city of Maya, the capital of Enterra. The gathering came to bear witness to the maiden voyage of the Arcturos submarine, a specialised underwater vehicle, whose purpose was to reveal the ocean's darkest secrets that have eluded the populace at large for thousands of years.
"Good morning everyone, I am Ashley Ainsley reporting for the channel three news. I stand here on this momentous day, to share with the world the launch of Gnigenma Organisation's Arcturos submarine. For the science enthusiasts listening right now, I have no doubt you've been following its design process and construction throughout the past decade; however, for those less in the know, please allow me a moment to explain some details." The reporter turned to face the massive vessel behind, held aloft above the ocean by a series of floating crane platforms. Each one hooked around the vessel's protection array, which consisted of a series of exterior hard-angled, white-coloured arches extending from the front to the middle at six different equal-distanced points; a pattern reverse repeated upon the back end as well.
Unlike traditional submarines, the Arcturos' engines were affixed to the sides. There were four in total, each placed around the quarter length mark at the front and back. An interesting detail about them was that they were able to alter their output direction, which allowed for full reverse thrust. Furthermore, the ability for each engine to gimbal(tilt) its orientation up to twenty-five degrees granted the ability to manoeuvre from side to side as well as up and down.
The overall size of the vessel was impressive by any measure. Even when compared to the most massive military submarine, the Arcturos was almost double its length. Furthermore, the colour scheme was not one made for militaristic ends as the bright, blue and yellow streaks upon its hull overpowered the primary grey undertone, a feature that made it stand out in open waters.
"Its creation was made possible due to the discovery of a new versatile material by the research team at Mount Arramore. This flexible metallic-substance, you can see everywhere on the outer shell, is known as arcturian-weave. Thanks to this miracle of engineering, the scientists at Gnigenma unlocked the ability to construct an advanced, deep-sea vessel. During the pressure testing phase, a miniature of the sub was determined capable of reaching a crushing depth of twenty-five kilometres."
Amid her reporting, Ashley peered down at a sheet of scrawlings she'd brought along and began to laugh.
"Apologies folks, now that I've looked more closely at my notes, I realise how technical the rest of this information is. Therefore, I'll spare you the finer details for the time being and instead focus on the thirty brave souls that will be boarding this titanic two-hundred-and-fifty-meter long submarine." Before continuing her report, the woman, in an almost comical fashion, tossed her notes over her shoulder.
"This intrepid team of explorers will be led by non-other than Olivier Praeses, the former admiral of the Numen-Nier dreadnought class destroyer, Calamity. His countless years of experience at sea upon the mighty Cenebrian naval flagship will undoubtedly be invaluable in their upcoming journey. For your convenience, on the bottom half of the screen, we'll be sharing the names of the Arcturos' crew members; however, we do have a few celebrity status individuals we'd like to mention." For the people watching at home, the screen shifted to some still images of news reports from sixty years ago.
"As some of you may still remember, right before the start of the Sixth Era, there was a sudden surge of vicious attacks all over the city of Maya; this outbreak forced Queen Velga Terra to enact the Law of War. Thankfully, the horrendous event came to a swift, decisive end, in large part due to the efforts of the Ceruleus Organisation as well as help from the legendary hero of the Great Battle of Erafar. I'm glad to report that both his daughter and son will be taking part in this expedition." Ashley paused her speech, as she got distracted by some commotion following the sudden appearance of a team of police officers, who were sent out to deal with a protestor. To her relief, the ensuing altercation got quelled almost as soon as it started.
"I, of course, refer to the renowned scientist, Rhea Arramore, and her half-brother, the prolific marine biologist Dehl Lethose. I can assure you that their status as offspring of the legendary hero had nothing to do with their inclusion in this expedition. The team was meticulously handpicked from the best the scientific community around the world had to offer." Those watching at home, saw the screen depict various associated images whenever Ashley mentioned a specific individual.
"As an example, Miss Arramore will be joined by Ward Hathoway, a human male who hails from the continent of Erafar. This bright gentleman found his success as a forerunner in the team which discovered groundbreaking methods of testing the limits of the arcturian-weave substance." At that moment, a rather unique looking, but familiar to Ashley, individual walked by; the non-human in question, quickly drew the undivided attention of Miss Ainsley, who'd already intended to make mention of her.
"Excuse me, Miss; you wouldn't happen to be the marine biologists' team leader, correct?" A female aquatic-dragon hybrid, stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face the reporter, offering her a curious glance.
"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" Ashley nodded, and to her surprise earned the passerby's full attention as she stepped closer to wave at the camera.
"Hi everyone, hi Christa, mommy says hello." Miss Ainsley chuckled at the remarks, though made sure to recapture the focus.
"I'd like to introduce you to, Ceres Bluewave, one of the marine biologists joining the Arcturos expedition, and as you may have guessed mother to her daughter Christa. Miss Bluewave, would you mind telling us something about yourself as well as your role in the expedition?" The question perked Ceres right up, as she loved talking about her field of study.
"Why, of course, I would love to. Hello everyone, for seven years, I studied my craft at the University of Maya. I doctored there in my younger years when I was still a human, and have since applied my knowledge numerous times in the field. So far, I've taken part in five deep-sea diving expeditions, and have dedicated most of my life to studying what makes the creatures of the depths thrive." Ashley took note of the mention of her having been a human and asked her to clarify to the audience what she meant.
"Roughly five years after I first got into marine biology, I felt that in order to study them better, I needed a more innate perspective. Thus, I approached YSG, that's Yellow Sun Genetics for those who don't know, and asked them to help with my dilemma. Together we came up with my new appearance, and I suppose in turn identity." Miss Bluewave performed a small twirl to show everyone just how she looked.
The majority of her person was covered by a form-fitting diving suit, mixing various shades of grey and blue, even so, the most striking aspects of her appearance were on full display. Her body's skin had a cerulean tint to it and was covered by a sleek slime-like substance. Her face was elongated and reptilian, akin to what one would expect on a dragon. At the back of her cheeks, Ceres possessed two sets of dangling feelers used to sense movement around her whilst submerged.
Her once human ears were replaced with holes that were more adept at handling deeper water pressure, though not to the extent they were diving to on this expedition. Furthermore, situated in front and behind these holes flapped a set of fins which alternated in colour between orange and light blue. On the top of her hairless head, there was another fin, and to show off just how in tune with her body she was, she retracted and extended it a few times.
The final aspects of her draconic appearance came in the form of a long, thick, fin-laden tail, as well as her sharp-clawed toes and fingers, which she'd since got dulled due to repeated handshake incidents. Amid Ceres' little exhibition, another person arrived and whispered something into her ear, which prompted the woman to excuse herself.
"And there you have it, folks, Ceres Bluewave, and as you could all see by her exotic appearance, diversity is not in short supply amongst the Arcturos crew."
A message sounded over the dock's broadcast system, urging everyone to take heed and stand back from the edge of the quay as the submarine was about to be lowered. The visiting audience, news reporters, and crew members watched with bated breath as the massive sea-vessel slowly descended towards the water. The process progressed at a snail's pace because the entire crane system needed to work in unison to avoid any single part tumbling over.
However, amid the descent, one of the crane operators noticed a growing imbalance at the rear end. By the time he reacted with an appropriate response, the problem had escalated into a situation where correcting the fault was no longer an option; thus, many of the crane platforms now edged on falling over. All of a sudden, as though commanded, every one of the attach points holding onto the submarine released simultaneously. The sizable vessel fell the final few meters into the water below, generating a significant wave which lurched onto the docks.
Given there was no time to react, the majority of people found themselves unable to escape the sudden tide's grip. The bulk caught in its wake were pushed to the other end of the quay and managed to avoid falling off the platform; however, a small group had the misfortune of tumbling over the edge, or in a few instances, got drawn back towards the submarine itself, only to be dragged beneath the water's surface. The explosive and unexpected nature of the event caused a lot of confusion amid the onlookers as many people experienced trouble collecting themselves.
The Arcturos crew, those with the most experience in diving, jumped in after the unfortunate souls without a second thought. They knew that every second counted if they wished to save them. Given that Ceres was the most adept and agile beneath the waves, she quickly brought one after the other to the surface, leaving the task of getting them back ashore to her teammates. There were seven people rescued around the submarine; however, continued shouting from atop the platform indicated that there were still two people unaccounted for on the far-side.
Miss Bluewave caught wind of the desperate cries and jetted through the water, but to her dismay, found out that in order to reach the other side, she first needed to swim to the end of the dock. The aquatic dragoness swiftly located the two missing individuals, and brought the first one up to the surface; however, the second person wasn't so straightforward to retrieve, as he was stuck amid the remains of an old sunken ship. The drowning human male appeared unconscious, and given the length of time he'd spent underwater so far, Ceres saw no other choice but to share her breath with him until help came and pried him loose.
Two full minutes passed before assistance showed-up in the form of four of her fellow divers, who helped loosen the surrounding debris so that Ceres could bring the man back to the surface. Thankfully, a medical team had since arrived and was already busy treating those in need. Upon observing Ceres as she climbed onto the docks, their attention quickly shifted to the man carried on her back. The medics managed to rouse him to the land of the living, and determined he'd suffered no noticeable cognitive impairments.
"Hello, are we live? Yes? Alright then, Ashley Ainsley here again; we've managed to restore the camera feed; however, amid our scramble to do so, we weren't able to record the daring rescue that the Arcturos team performed moments ago. Thankfully, apart from a couple of minor injuries and shaken emotions, everyone is alive and well. This incredible show of valour is more than enough reason for me to trust these fine people in being able to accomplish their mission. I hope you share the same sentiment at home. However, let's see if we can talk to an engineer and find out what went wrong." Once the emergency service workers finished attending the visitors, a van filled with technicians drove up. The team stepped out the side and waited for the waves to settle before attempting to board the submarine.
"Excuse me, sir, could you perhaps explain to the people at home what happened just now?" The man whom Ashley addressed showed a disgruntled face and shooed her away. The reporter woman wasn't so easily dissuaded and pursued her line of questioning by asking the other team members for clarification. No one reacted, at least, that was until a man dressed in a formal military uniform approached Miss Ainsley, enticing her away from the technicians.
"Please, Miss, allow these people to do their job. If your question is so pressing that it must be answered, you may interview me on their behalf." Ashley looked up at the well-dressed Cenebrian and recognised him with ease; it was Admiral Praeses himself. The grey-tinted man sported two brilliant red-eyes and short white hair, as well as two sizeable horns upon his forehead which curled backwards along half the length of his scalp. His stature, composure and posture impressed exactly how he desired to be treated, an aspect of his reputation which preceded him in kind.
"Oh, my apologies, sir. It was never my intention to keep them from their work. The people at home, including myself, were merely curious about the nature of the accident. Perhaps you could shed some light?" Miss Ainsley held her microphone near the admiral, but before issuing a reply, the man turned to face the submarine and placed his arms fist to fist at his back.
"Very well, as most of it was caught live on camera, I agree it would be fair to offer an explanation. For those of you who are already hard at work deciphering the footage, you can stop. The issue was simple, as the cranes lowered, one of them near the back failed to match the unified descent speed of the others. This delay created an imbalance, and therefore, threatened to drag the entire lifting unit down." Ashley concurred, understanding the issue and turned to face the camera to share her conclusion.
"With the cranes about to tumble over, the choice was made to release the submarine; yet the decision to avoid one catastrophe inadvertently caused another. However, thanks to the vigilance and swift action of the heroic Arcturos crew, the ensuing dilemma met a quick, decisive end and everyone affected was saved; thus, quelling what would overwise be a serious situation." The reporter looked over her shoulder at the admiral for recognition or confirmation, but received none, as he instead kept a close eye on the technician crew.
The boarding hatch on the upper-front section of the submarine opened up, and before long a walk-bridge extended onto the vessel's hull, granting the team access. The technician crew comprised the same group of people who were going to be staying on the Arcturos submarine, and therefore, knew precisely where to check for potential faults. Their innate knowledge helped expedite the analysis of the incurred damages, coming to the ultimate conclusion that all primary systems were unaffected; however, certain areas like the kitchen had various utensils scattered around, so at the very least, a clean-up of the interior would be required.
Thirty minutes after entering, the team re-appeared and proceeded onto the docks, relaying their findings to the admiral, who in turn, informed the relevant people to determine if the launch was to go ahead. He received word that there were no issues and that the ceremony could proceed; thus, Mister Praeses informed his crew that they were to assemble in front of the submarine. Everyone else present was told to stand back and give the group some room.
Each member of the Arcturos crew lined up, forming a row of thirteen at the back, twelve in the middle and four kneeling in front. However, something about the assembly appeared off, though it was only evident to the most vigilant of onlookers. The crew hadn't all met in person yet, so the apparent lack of a thirtieth member went by unnoticed. The photographer performed a headcount and wanted to remark upon the difference but was quickly shouted down by the admiral, who instructed him to take the picture without delay.
Once the formality was over, the Arcturos crew was granted a half-hour to say farewell to their loved ones. For those who had none present, they proceeded onboard to prep the vessel for launch. Rhea and her half-brother Dehl scrutinised the crowd in search for their parents. Usually, they stood out like a sore thumb, but not today. The frantic shuffling amongst the visitors made it difficult to find them. To sibling duo's surprise, the ones who they sought, ended up approaching them instead.
The first one to speak was Talos Ceruleus, a thirty-five-year-old hybrid, who for all intents and purposes, appeared human. The man was a good friend of Dehl's and son to Alexander Ceruleus, the CEO of the Maya based organisation of the same name.
"So, the long-awaited day has finally come. You two must be very excited?" The eldest sibling, Rhea, wanted to play the cool and collected type but found herself tearing up due to a sudden surge of emotions. She was indeed excited, as well as worried since if anything went awry down below, there would be no help coming.
"Yeah, but it's only for a few weeks at most a month. We'll be back before you know it," Miss Arramore replied, hoping to quell her personal concerns more than anything. Her father, Riptor Stormwolf, the only surviving pure-blood Ancient from the days of yore stepped closer. At present, he was in his human form, as he had no desire to attract unwanted attention from the media circus. The man spread his arms wide; his aim was clear, and both Rhea and Dehl leapt at him, joining in a group embrace.
"Be careful you two. Remember, don't be reckless. That impressive feat of engineering can be replaced, but you and the others onboard cannot. Keep that in mind, alright?" The proud father received a quick simultaneous nod, but not much else as his children's faces were buried up against his chest.
All of a sudden, Reina Lethose, Dehl's mother, wrapped her arms around the duo from behind, joining in on the warm-hearted cuddle. Meanwhile, Rose Mary Haroldson, a female Ancient-hybrid as well as her partner Alexander took up residence at the side of their son, Talos. The sight in front made the couple share a brief smile, conveying how valuable they deemed their family and friends.
"I'm going to miss you two," Reina confessed, to which she received a swift retort from Rhea.
"We barely see each other more than once a month. It won't be much different, you know."
"Rhea! For someone who's well over two-hundred years old, you sure don't act it!" The almost typical remark from her father, gave her pause to rethink her statement.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so cold. I'm just nervous, alright." Reina intensified the hug and expressed her understanding. The family huddle had caught the curious eyes of the news outlets, who uncharacteristically opted to be respectful and not interfere; instead, they stayed at a fair distance filming the heartfelt moment, sharing it with the world for what it was. In the background of the shot, a cloaked figure, undoubtedly Cenebrian in nature, approached Admiral Praeses. The two exchanged a brief handshake, before the covered individual proceeded onto the Arcturos, leaving many onlookers wondering who he was.
The half-hour was up, and therefore, Praeses called his crew to action, informing them to board the submarine. After the walkway onto the hull of the ship was retracted, the news crews were given free roam of the docks. Everyone shuffled as close as they could to the edge and resumed their reporting. Miss Ainsley managed to acquire a prime spot giving her camera team a perfect view of herself, the submarine, and the two accompanying ships that were to travel alongside the Arcturos for the first leg of its journey.
"Welcome back, as you can see behind me, the Arcturos is ready to depart. Before reaching its submersion spot, it'll be escorted by two Cenebrian destroyer class naval vessels, graciously provided by the government of Numen-Nier. Given how much time and effort went into constructing the submarine, these security measures were taken to ensure there was no danger to it or its crew." In the background, the Arcturos, only half-submerged, slowly chugged along until it joined its escort.
"After the three vessels converge, they will proceed south to the border of the Occita Straight. There the Kraad Ocean begins, and their direction will shift towards the west, to their final destination; the region called the Eye of Ephalon. The supposed deepest part of the Kraad Ocean, and perhaps any ocean. It goes so far down that we have never been able to map out the very bottom. Hopefully, as a result of this mission, we'll finally get to see what mystery the world has kept from us in those darkest of depths."
"On behalf of the channel three news, as well as everyone across the world, we wish the Arcturos crew good tidings on their mission. May it be fruitful and inspiring. This is Ashley Ainsley..." The reporter suddenly paused her exit speech, as she'd caught wind that one of the crane operators from earlier was nearby.
"Wait... hold on, I just received word that someone with more information about the crane accident was spotted in the crowd." The man was pointed out to her, and she rushed towards him with the camera crew in tow.
"Excuse me, sir, excuse me, were you one of the men operating the cranes carrying the Arcturos just now?" The human man was startled by the sudden address, and wasn't sure if he was allowed to answer or not; regardless, Miss Ainsley's persistent and pressing tone, caused him to blurt out that he was.
"Could you perhaps enlighten us on the details of what happened?" The man nodded and repeated his account of what transpired earlier. The gist of which was almost the same as Admiral Praeses explained, except for one fundamental addition.
"I noticed the shift in angle as well, but by the time I could even react, the clamps released and the submarine dropped. Honestly, it was a miracle, since I wasn't aware this could be done remotely. I thought that due to security reasons, any wireless network functionality had been taken offline. I guess, someone managed to override it anyway. At any rate, whoever did the deed, saved a lot of lives and potential damage." Ashley thanked the crane operator and addressed the audience once more.
"And there you have it, our exclusive interview which revealed that someone intervened to prevent the horrible accident from escalating to something far far worse. Whoever that individual was, they have our thanks. This is Ashley Ainsley signing off." Meanwhile, on the Arcturos, the various crew members proceeded to their assigned duties or quarters. Due to the twenty-four-hour operating nature of the submarine, two alternating shifts were required to keep operations going.
The vessel's first full-crew briefing was scheduled for later that afternoon, and until that time the order was for everyone to familiarise themselves with the ship's interior. Outside of the technicians and the captain; the crew had so far only spent time on the submarine inside of a virtual reality simulation. Even though it was a one-for-one accurate representation, being inside the real deal was a very different experience.
Rhea, Dehl, Ceres, and Ward were assigned the same sleeping cabin as they were on the evening shift of the science crew. Upon settling into their new room, the Ancient-dragon hybrid, Rhea Arramore, thought it prudent, to give another introduction. Her appearance, for the most part, was akin to that of a typical white-tinted human female. The less standard aspect began with her green coloured, slitted eyes, which had a slight glow to them. Her neck-long, black hair had dark blue tips to it, which she swore were natural; a gift from her mother, she claimed.
"As an incentive, I'll go first. My name is Rhea Arramore; I'm the lead scientist on this expedition. My job is to assess what we can learn from our underwater exploration, and if there are any technological applications, we can develop from it." She then pointed at her half-brother, gesturing for him to go next. The fellow Ancient-dragon hybrid, much like his sister, appeared human. He maintained a beautiful bush of long brown hair, tied together into a ponytail at the back. The man also possessed slitted eyes with a slight glow to them; however, they were blue instead.
"I'm Dehl Lethose, a marine biologist. My purpose on this mission is to help with the study of new ocean life, if any, that we encounter down below." Ceres noticed a bit of scepticism from her colleague and pitched in next.
"Hello everyone, my name is Ceres Bluewave. I'm the lead marine biologist, which means I'll be working closely with you Dehl. My duty is more or less the same as you explained, though I need to add that we 'will' find life down there. Throughout my career, I've been on a few deep-sea dives into the hadal depths (the area of the ocean between six- and fifteen-kilometres depth), during which we discovered all kinds of funky creatures; it's incredible how organisms can adapt to these extreme environments, wouldn't you agree?" Dehl offered no vocal rebuttal, though appeared flustered by his superior's direct address.
Last but not least, was Ward, a tall, light-brown tinted, human male from Erafar. The man had hazel coloured eyes, and short dark-blond hair, which the team couldn't discern if it was natural or not.
"I suppose that leaves me then. I'm Ward Hathoway, a fellow scientist. I'll be working with Rhea; my specific field of expertise revolves around the arcturian-weave from which this vessel is built. I even helped in certain design aspects of the submarine as well. If you have any questions about the weave, I'm your man. I'm one-hundred percent confident that we are guaranteed a safe diving depth up to twenty-five kilometres, though I doubt we'll ever go that far down." Rhea crossed her arms and questioned why Ward thought that.
"Our current best scan attempts near the Eye of Ephalon were capable of reaching a depth of around fourteen kilometres. Anything beyond, we failed to pick up the sound waves of, but that's most likely due to a fragmented or volcanic area absorbing or distorting the waves. I'm sure that once we get down there, we'll quickly find the bottom of the ocean." Miss Arramore grinned whilst cocking her head, eager to offer her fellow scientist some food for thought.
"So, you don't think there's a region beyond the hadal?" Mister Hathoway looked his colleague in the eyes and shared her grin.
"Miss Arramore, there's never any certainty when it comes to exploration missions like these. I'm merely tempering my expectations to represent a more realistic take on the matter."
"Alright, fair enough. I can already see our little team is competent, and I look forward to seeing just how much we are."