Chapter 59

"Everything. The specimen. Our equipment. And..." Harmon paused. "Closure on Dr. Rodriguez. It's been weeks, James. The board wants to declare her officially lost at sea."

The words hit Chen like a physical blow. How could he tell them Sophia was alive without revealing what he'd just experienced?

"I'll be back by nightfall," he promised, his mind racing. "But sir, about those anomalies-the dark zones. I think they might be connected to the escaped specimen."

"All the more reason to recapture it," Harmon said firmly. "We're bringing in specialized equipment. If that creature is causing environmental damage, we have a duty to contain it."

Chen closed his eyes. Specialized equipment meant weapons. Harpoons. Tactical divers.

"I understand, sir. I'll return right away."

After hanging up, Chen stared out at the ocean. Somewhere below, Sophia was alive. With friends. With the creature-Tharros-they had captured. They were trying to stop something terrible from happening, something that might explain the spreading dead zones in the ocean.

And he had just helped them while lying to his boss.

"What have I done?" he whispered.

The drive back to the harbor took forty minutes. Each mile increased the weight of his decision. By the time Chen parked his rental car and boarded the small boat that would take him to the Genesis research vessel, doubt gnawed at him like a hungry shark.

The Genesis loomed ahead, its sleek white hull gleaming in the afternoon sun. Built for ocean research, the vessel housed state-of-the-art laboratories where Chen had worked alongside Sophia for three years. They had made discoveries, published papers, built careers on their shared passion for understanding the deep.

Now that partnership had led him to the edge of professional suicide.

As Chen climbed aboard, three people waited for him on deck. Director Harmon stood front and center, flanked by Dr. Rivera from Marine Biology and a man Chen didn't recognize-tall, military posture, dressed in black despite the heat.

"Dr. Chen," Harmon greeted him with a firm handshake. "This is Agent Kramer from the Institute's Security Division."

Chen nodded, keeping his expression neutral despite the alarm bells ringing in his head. The Oceanic Research Institute had a security division?

"Agent Kramer is coordinating our recovery operation," Harmon continued. "He's brought specialized assets to help us locate and contain the specimen."

"Great," Chen managed, forcing a smile. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow at dawn," Rivera said, already scrolling through data on her tablet. "We've been tracking unusual energy signatures that might lead us to the specimen. Tell me about these new anomalies you've been monitoring."

Chen hesitated, aware of Kramer watching him closely. Everything he said now would direct their search. If he told the truth, he might lead them straight to Sophia. If he lied...

"The dark zones are spreading in a specific pattern," he said, choosing his words carefully. "They originate from deep trenches and move outward. But there's something odd-they seem to avoid certain areas."

"Show me," Rivera demanded, handing him her tablet.

Chen brought up the map, then deliberately marked locations far from where he'd met Sophia. "These regions remain untouched. I think the specimen is territorial, staying away from these underwater structures."

Kramer stepped closer, studying the map. "What structures? There's nothing in our databases about buildings at these coordinates."

"Not buildings," Chen improvised. "Natural formations. Unusual coral arrangements that emit electromagnetic fields. They might be repelling whatever is causing the dark zones."

Rivera looked skeptical. "I've never heard of coral with electromagnetic properties."

"That's why I was running tests today," Chen said, adding details to his lie. "I think we should focus our search here." He pointed to an area in the opposite direction from the drop point.

"Interesting theory," Harmon said slowly. "We'll consider it when planning tomorrow's operation."

The meeting continued in the ship's conference room. Chen provided more fabricated data, painting a picture that would send the recovery team miles from where Sophia might be. With each falsehood, his stomach twisted tighter.

Night fell. Chen retreated to his cabin, locking the door behind him. He sat on the edge of his bed, head in his hands. What was he doing? His entire career was built on scientific integrity, on following evidence wherever it led. Now he was deliberately misleading his colleagues.

But Sophia's words echoed in his mind: "If we fail, you'll need to warn everyone."

Chen moved to his desk and opened his laptop. If he couldn't tell the truth now, he could at least prepare for the worst. He began compiling data on the spreading dark zones, documenting their growth rate and environmental impact. Then he created a secure file with everything he knew-or suspected-about what was happening beneath the waves.

A knock on his door made him jump.

"Dr. Chen?" It was Kramer's voice. "May I have a word?"

Chen quickly closed his laptop. "Just a moment."

He took a deep breath, then opened the door. Kramer stood in the hallway, his expression unreadable.

"May I come in?" he asked.

Chen stepped aside, pulse racing. Had Kramer seen through his lies?

The security agent closed the door behind him. "I wanted to speak with you privately about tomorrow's operation."

"What about it?"

"I believe you're withholding information," Kramer said bluntly. "The Institute has invested millions in this project. The specimen's escape and Dr. Rodriguez's disappearance represent a significant loss."

Chen maintained eye contact despite his churning stomach. "I want to find answers as much as anyone."

"Do you?" Kramer moved closer. "Because your behavior today suggests otherwise. Your data doesn't match our satellite readings. You've been making unauthorized trips to coastal locations. And now you're suggesting we search in areas that contradict our best intelligence."

"My methods may be unconventional-"

"Stop." Kramer held up a hand. "I'm not here to accuse. I'm here to offer you a choice."

Chen blinked in surprise. "What kind of choice?"

"Tell me what you know-everything you know-and I'll ensure you're protected when this operation reveals the truth. Or continue this charade, and find yourself facing consequences beyond mere termination."

The threat hung in the air between them. Chen thought of Sophia, of the urgency in her voice. Of Tharros and the unnamed friends trying to stop a disaster. Of dark zones spreading through the ocean, killing everything in their path.

He thought of his daughter, who loved the ocean and trusted her father to protect it.

"You're right," Chen said finally. "I haven't been entirely forthcoming."

Kramer nodded, a hint of satisfaction crossing his face.

"The anomalies are more serious than we've acknowledged," Chen continued. "They're not just environmental-they're changing. Evolving. I've been tracking patterns that suggest we have less time than anyone realizes."

"And the specimen? Dr. Rodriguez?"

Chen met Kramer's gaze steadily. "I believe they're connected to whatever is happening. But not in the way you think."

He turned to his laptop, opening the file he'd been working on. "This is everything I know. The real data. The true locations of the dark zones. And my hypothesis about what's causing them."

Kramer leaned over his shoulder, studying the screen with growing concern. "This can't be right. According to this, half the ocean could be dead within weeks."

"That's what I've been trying to tell everyone," Chen said, seizing the opening. "But no one wants to hear that we're facing an ecological collapse unlike anything in recorded history. It's easier to focus on recapturing one specimen than addressing the real threat."

The security agent straightened, his military demeanor slipping. "If this is accurate, we need to redirect tomorrow's operation entirely."

"Yes," Chen agreed. "Away from hunting the specimen and toward understanding what's happening to our oceans."

Kramer was silent for a long moment, weighing options. Finally, he nodded. "I'll speak with Director Harmon. This changes everything."

After Kramer left, Chen sank into his chair, trembling with relief and residual fear. He hadn't exactly lied-the dark zones were spreading exactly as his data showed. He'd simply omitted his communication with Sophia and the true nature of the threat.

He'd bought them time. A day, maybe two, while the Institute recalibrated its approach based on his environmental warnings rather than pursuing Sophia and Tharros.

Chen looked out his cabin window at the dark ocean. "I hope you know what you're doing, Sophia," he whispered. "I've just risked everything to help you."

Somewhere in the depths below, unseen by human eyes, a massive shadow moved through the water. It sensed the vessel above, filled with warm bodies and machinery. It sensed the lingering connection to its prey. But most of all, it sensed the approaching sunrise, when humans would enter its domain, unknowingly offering themselves as new hosts for the spreading corruption.

The Leviathan rose slowly toward the surface, patient in its hunger. Morning would come soon enough.

Messengers Between Worlds

The morning sun blazed across the Genesis research vessel. Dr. Chen paced his cabin, checking his watch for the fifth time. His conversation with Agent Kramer had bought precious time, but how much?

Through the porthole, he watched crew members preparing dive equipment. They moved with military precision that seemed out of place on a research vessel.

Chen's phone buzzed. A text message appeared from an unknown number: "We need your help. Tonight. Same spot. Bring what you can."

His heart raced. Sophia was reaching out again. After everything he'd risked yesterday, she still needed more.

"What am I doing?" he whispered.

A knock startled him. Chen shoved the phone into his pocket as Dr. Rivera entered.

"James, we're briefing in ten minutes," she said. "Kramer's team is rethinking the operation based on your environmental data."

Chen nodded, forcing a calm he didn't feel. "Good. Those dark zones are the real priority."

"Agreed. But something else is bothering me." Rivera narrowed her eyes. "The equipment request you filed this morning. Copper wiring, crystal resonators, modified sonar equipment? What exactly are you building?"

"A detection system," Chen replied, the lie coming easier now. "If these anomalies are electromagnetic as I suspect, we need specialized equipment to map them properly."