The Proteus Factor The Deep

I believe this could be very important, Nereus.

It's hard to tell from here, William.

I'd need to see the picture first-hand.

This part of the Chronicle seems to refer to Lemuria's Needle.

-Hmm. Perhaps.

-Mr Nereus, is it needle as in compass?

And is it connected to our piece of the Ephemychron?

It could be. But then again...

My family has been searching for

lost Lemuria for generations, Nereus.

Why are you being so mysterious?

Ugh, mysterious is probably his middle name.

Mysterious is not my middle name.

I think Mysterious is his first name.

Mysterious...not...first...either.

Nereus? Oh, we lost his signal.

Huh?

Ant, look! Isn't it that Mr Mysterious?

Nereus? How?

Of course.

He pretends he's miles away, then makes a surprise entrance.

Hmm, that does sound like his style.

Well, this time, let's surprise him.

Surprise!

Huh? You're not Nereus.

You must be Fontaine.

And you must be Antaeus.

I'm so pleased to meet you.

My name is Proteus.

My family are explorers.

We have been for generations.

While others look up to the stars,

we know there are an infinite number

of things that shine in the darkness below.

There are things lurking in the seas that long ago vanished into

myth. My family are explorers and we explore...

the deep.

I feel like I've been waiting to

meet the Nekton family my entire life.

So, like, a really long time?

Ow!

My friend Nereus always has some

reason not to introduce us.

So you know Nereus.

As well as anyone can.

He's a little mysterious.

Oh, I know, right?

But I'm here to help you find Lemuria's Needle.

How did you know we were looking for Lemuria's Needle?

Well, you were in the area.

-ALERT BLARES

-Huh?

Mayday, Mayday! Can anyone hear me?

Aronnax receiving you. What's the nature of your emergency?

I'm Captain Marko on the icebreaker, Macintosh.

We're trapped in pack ice.

-We have your coordinates. We're on our way.

-Thank you.

-Please hurry.

-Nektons, we have a ship in distress.

Everyone back to the bridge.

Oh, my, sounds urgent.

You'd better come aboard.

Captain Marko, we'll be arriving in 20 minutes.

Hang on.

Nereus and I are both members of the Guardians.

Nereus once mentioned something about guardians

but never told us what they do.

We basically try to preserve Lemurian culture.

But why wouldn't Nereus just say that?

Nereus and I do things differently.

To be honest, sometimes I wonder if he wants you to find Lemuria at all.

Lemuria's Needle and the Ephemychron are connected.

-I knew it!

-When all the pieces of the Ephemychron are connected,

it forms an ancient navigational computer.

And here in the Chronicle it reads,

"The wielder of the Ephemychron is the wayfinder

"and the compass of their people."

I've been trying to translate that for months.

-Thank you.

-My pleasure.

When was the last time Nereus translated anything for us?

He does. Occasionally.

-Once or twice.

-The Chronicle suggests you will find this

by heading due north.

Just so we're clear, Proteus now rates way above Nereus in my book.

He doesn't play games.

Nereus is kind of intentionally mysterious, isn't he, Jeffery?

Good point. See, you know how to give a straight answer!

Aronnax, are you reading me?

Captain Marko, we're almost there.

My boat is at the point of breaking up.

The Macintosh cannot take any more of this.

It won't have to.

-Hold on to something.

-What?

Why do I have to hold on to something?

Where are...?

Whoa!

That just might do it.

We'll carve a channel to open water for you.

Incredible.

-Thank you.

-You're welcome.

Stay safe, Captain Marko.

Aronnax out.

Full steam ahead!

We're 20 miles from true north.

If I read this correctly, you'll need to turn to port three degrees,

head towards magnetic north and descend.

Technically, true north is right at the top of the planet

but compasses point to magnetic north,

where the Earth's magnetic field is focused.

Yes, it is fascinating.

Aronnax, your transponder signal!

Nereus, your signal is very weak.

You...almost...North Pole.

Yes. Your friend Proteus is with us.

He says he has something to show us.

Hello, old friend.

Proteus!

Be careful of the...

Mr Nereus? Be careful of what?

-We lost the signal.

-Be careful of the...

What could he have meant?

Maybe he was trying to be mysterious again.

He was trying to warn us of something.

Now, now, Antaeus.

You have nothing to fear.

Trust me.

Depth is 1.2km. We can't go much deeper.

What's that?

A mountain?

Engines off.

Is that what I think it is?

Indeed it is.

That is the North Pole.

-Wow.

-Incredible.

Look, the North Pole floats!

In ancient times, Lemurians placed this here.

It marks the exact position of magnetic north.

The Chronicle states that, when assembled,

the Ephemychron will align itself with Lemuria's Needle.

Using this and other significant markers,

it can calculate the route to Lemuria.

This is almost too amazing to believe.

PROTEUS CHUCKLES

Believe it, William.

Some Guardians delight in sharing their knowledge.

Especially with keen adventurers such as yourselves.

Thank you, Proteus.

I want to know what Nereus meant by "be careful".

Don't pretend, Jeffery.

I know you're curious too.

With the radio boat we deployed, we might get a stronger signal.

Aronnax to Nereus, Aronnax to Nereus.

Nereus! Can you hear me?

-Who...let Proteus aboard?

-What?

Yes, Proteus is here, but what did you mean by "be careful"?

Be...wits about you!

What? Hello?

-Nereus?

-I thought you'd be more interested in the North Pole.

I am, I...

-It's incredible.

-You are very smart, aren't you, Antaeus?

Ant, Fontaine, please prepare the rover for deployment immediately.

Your father wants to see the pole up close.

It's the eighth wonder of the world.

Hmm, something smells fishy here.

Oh, sorry, Jeffery. Not you.

Moving closer to the obelisk.

What an incredible vehicle.

You want a closer look?

Yes, please.

Uh, maybe just don't press any buttons.

CREAKING

Hmm, that's strange.

Dad, the rover's ready.

Thanks, Fontaine.

Where's the Ephemychron?

Ant, did you put the Ephemychron back in my study?

Ant? Ant?

Your technology is impressive.

Everything is so easy to operate.

Uh, does "don't press any buttons"

mean something different where you come from?

Ant!

Fontaine, I can't get through to the rover.

Can you ask Ant if he put the Ephemychron back in the study?

Ant, did you put the Ephemychron away?

-Huh?

-Proteus, what are you doing?

Ant, come in. Where are you going?

Why are you leaving without me?

Dad, can you try to reach Ant?

Ant, do you copy?

Proteus, take us back now!

Rover to Aronnax, Rover to Aronnax.

Hello?

So, somehow that thing blocks radio signals, right?

Oh, you are clever.

Where are you taking me?

-Ant, can you hear me?

-What?

Will, look!

Huh? Look out!

-Huh?

-We're speeding up.

Listen, it's not me. We're being pulled.

What's happening?

Engines are in full reverse.

We can't stop.

The North Pole is magnetised.

-We're going to hit!

-Hold on!

Whoa!

The North Pole is the focal point in the earth's magnetic field.

It's a giant electromagnet.

Proteus and Ant are gone.

-What?

-How?

-In the rover, just before things went crazy.

Proteus was driving.

Aronnax to rover. Can you hear me, Ant?

I have a plan.

Jeffery is wondering why.

Nereus believes you are The One.

-Which one?

-You know exactly what I'm talking about.

The Chosen One alone has the ability to assemble the pieces of

the Ephemychron. It's time to fulfil your destiny.

I'm in position.

The magnite is made of carbon fibre, completely nonconductive.

OK. So we can't be magnetised and stuck,

but why do you want the sea plane's cover?

It's thermoplastic, Fontaine.

Also nonconductive.

You're going to try and save us with a plastic sheet?

If I can wrap it around the pole's face it might cut off the energy

supply, weaken the magnetism and free the Aronnax.

Sounds like a plan.

No offence, but do we have a plan B?

ANT SHIVERS

If you can make the Ephemychron whole, the power will be ours.

Never trust a man who carries a staff, Jeffery.

Stop playing!

You will help me.

Not a chance!

Your parents are in mortal danger.

Mayday, Mayday!

Unless I tell your family how to save the Aronnax,

they will be trapped for ever.

If you want them free, prove to me that you are The One.

Mom!

CREAKING

The roof shouldn't be doing that.

The hull is losing integrity.

-Meaning?

-Meaning we've got to get out of here now or the Aronnax could

collapse in on itself.

-Take this.

-What?

-Hey, that's ours!

-Not any more.

Take this too.

But that's...

Your task is simple.

The Chronicle tells us The One will join the pieces of the Ephemychron

-together.

-There's supposed to be three.

Two should be enough to prove if you're genuine.

-Or not.

-If I do this, you'll help my family?

Of course.

OK, must go this way.

Oh.

That's it? That's the best you can do?

Nereus was wrong about you.

You're just an annoying child.

Hey!

OK, done.

The instruments show you've blocked most of the energy flow coming from

the earth. I'm trying the engines now.

I'm sorry, Will, it wasn't enough.

Help! This guy believes in destinies and wears robes as casual clothes!

Radio for help. My family is in danger!

Your little friend is noisy, Proteus.

-You two.

-He's also quite useless to me.

Captain Marko will take you far away.

I cannot allow Nereus to know of these events.

You didn't help my family.

You didn't put the Ephemychron together.

You...

You were lying! You were never going to help them!

That's a bigger drop than I was expecting.

Are you sure about this, Kaiko?

A charge through the hull should reverse our polarity.

Like turning a magnet around.

So instead of being attracted we'll be repelled?

That's the theory.

But if it works, it could be a rough ride.

The pole's diminished magnetism will slow the rate of propulsion so

the Aronnax should be able to stay in one piece.

SHOULD be able to?

Oh, there isn't a plan C, is there?

-On three.

-One, two, three!

Come on, come on!

Hook these to the auxiliary batteries.

FROM ABOVE: Whoa!

-That really doesn't sound good.

-THUMP

That was a bigger drop than I was expecting.

-How are we doing?

-We're ready to reverse polarity.

What kind of Guardian endangers people's lives?

Give me that!

Proteus?

Jeffery, stay.

Polarity reversing...

now!

-We're free!

-I wasn't expecting it to be this smooth.

THUMP

Will, the engines!

Yes! Come on, let's find Ant.

I'm picking up a GPS signal from Ant's communicator.

Aronnax to Ant, can you hear me?

Can't...talk...

freezing.

-Nereus!

-You're all right?

Yes, but...

but cold.

You had no right to do what you did, Proteus.

This fool is not The One and you are in no position to speak this way to

the head of the Guardians.

It has been decided, Proteus, you are no longer a Guardian.

Have it your way, Nereus.

I have no need for the Guardians or the boy.

Oh, no!

He's got both pieces of the Ephemychron!

Ha-ha-ha!

Go after him!

Don't worry, Antaeus, he won't get far.

What's all this stuff about The One?

You are important, Antaeus.

But Proteus's strange beliefs are deluded.

-Nereus.

-Go ahead, Glaucus.

We have searched the icebreaker.

Proteus has vanished.

Well, that's annoying.

Thank you.

Nereus, why would Proteus endanger all of our lives to find Lemuria?

What's there that he could want so badly?

Oh, the same thing

sad, unimaginative people always want, Kaiko -

wealth and power.

At least, the Guardians believe that's what's there.

Some people think you should share more of the Guardians' knowledge,

-Mr Nereus.

-Honestly, Antaeus,

we are no closer to finding Lemuria than you are.

Any information I give you may only hinder you.

With both pieces of the Ephemychron,

does that mean Proteus will find Lemuria?

But he doesn't have the third piece and he doesn't have you.

I believe you, the Nekton family,

are far more important than any ancient artefacts.

Why?

Oh, call it a hunch.

He's back - Mr Mysterious!

Yes, I get that a lot.