Treacherous Waters The Deep

Admit it - you took my wheels,

and now they're lost in this...this...

vortex of chaos you call a room.

I know the exact location of everything I own.

Right, Jeffrey?

Uh...Jeffrey?

HE GASPS

A-ha!

You didn't see Blast Force Delta issue 16 down there,

did you, Jeffrey?

Huh?

HE YELPS

Ugh, you're a lost cause.

Now, excuse me, we're entering the Bermuda Triangle.

We're in the Bermuda Triangle already?

-Gangway!

-Whoa!

Ugh.

-ARIA:

-Warning, Aronnax approaching.

Maintaining stealth mode.

Well, Proteus, convinced yet?

Please, Alpheus,

the Nektons' presence hardly proves we're about to find Lemuria.

Two different search methods have led to the same spot.

If that's not proof, what would YOU call it?

-ARIA:

-Jumping to an illogical conclusion.

Aria, follow the Aronnax.

So, a Lemurian symbol smack in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.

Anyone else getting chills?

We'll know what it means soon.

RADAR CHIMES

Huh?

-Wow!

-What on earth?

PROTEUS: What IS that thing?

Not a relative of yours?

Tell me we're going to follow that.

Following a mysterious creature into uncharted waters?

It's kind of our thing.

What?! Where did it go?

Kaiko, what's happening?

I don't know.

Full reverse.

-KAIKO:

-It's too late. Our momentum is carrying us through.

PROTEUS: What on earth?

-ARIA:

-Sensors indicate that the Aronnax has ceased to exist.

-What?

-What?

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 the Nektons,

and we explore...The Deep.

Wow.

Where are we?

Look - blob monsters.

There's more than one.

-FONTAINE:

-Everything looks so weird here.

It's like being stuck between asleep and awake.

-Awesome!

-"Stuck" might be right.

The clock has stopped.

Other instruments are frozen, too.

-Fuel, temperature.

-No GPS, no sonar.

Jeffrey, are you seeing this?

Jeffrey? Are you sick?

Oh, no - just sideways.

OK.

Well, that's...creative.

All right, let's back up.

We don't know what we're getting into,

but I'd like to be sure we can get out again.

And leave the blob monsters?

Temporarily. But there's something familiar about them.

Oh, well. Full reverse.

What?

Either Blobzilla's keeping pace without even trying,

or we're not moving.

I can hear the engines working.

Maybe we're not even in water here.

Oh, that's so cool.

There is something so wrong with you.

-ALPHEUS:

-Aria, take us forward.

-Inadvisable.

-The Nektons have been destroyed.

Maybe. Or maybe they're finding Lemuria while you talk.

Straight ahead, slow, Aria.

I strongly suggest we don't.

Proteus, if we're both destroyed,

I'll be the first to apologise. Promise.

HE SCOFFS

I...

I don't believe what I'm seeing.

Oh, this can't be Lemuria.

And where are the Nektons?

We need to get our bearings.

Prepare to vent ballast tanks and surface.

AIR HISSES

We SHOULD be rising to the surface.

Provided there IS a surface.

-SQUEAKING ON GLASS

-Huh?

Ew.

Wait a minute.

-I

-know a way to find out more.

ANTAEUS: This doesn't even feel like water.

We're weightless. No propulsion necessary.

Slow and steady - it's not a race,

it's a fact-finding mission.

Well, fact one - our radios work.

-Mum, do you read me?

-Loud and clear.

Let's ease away from the Aronnax.

OK, fact two - something's kind of pulling us away out here.

Whoa! How long is this tether?

50 metres, why?

You guys are dots.

Perspective must be warped here...

or space itself.

Hm. Fact three - time isn't frozen,

just incredibly sl... Oh!

Fact four - blob monsters are much weirder up close.

Wait a minute. I think I remember where I've seen them.

There's no resistance here at all.

Maybe it's a huge air pocket.

-Or a vacuum?

-Then, why are we floating?

We don't float inside the Aronnax.

Maybe inside and outside are just different here.

This is so awesome!

I DO recognise these. Yes.

Tardigrades. "Earth's toughest organisms.

"Also known as water bears,

"they can survive in the harshest conditions -

"even the vacuum of space."

How have I not seen these before and dreamed of riding one through space?

Because, usually, they're microscopic.

But these are huge.

Mine's blue, it's upside down,

and it looks like it's about to...sneeze?

Wait, does yours have a broken tooth?

-How did you know?

-Because I'm looking at it - the same one -

except it's right-side up for me.

ANTAEUS: Hi, Dad.

Looks like you're both upside down.

This place is mind-bending.

METAL CREAKS

Hm, that's not a good sound.

Submarines shouldn't creak.

OK, I want everyone back inside,

where things aren't QUITE so mind-bending.

Agreed.

Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr Water Bear.

Thanks for showing us your home.

Hey, where are you off to?

Huh?

Uh!

No! no! Stop!

HE CRIES OUT

Hello, Ant.

Enjoying floating helplessly?

-Alpheus.

-That's my name.

Mum, Dad, are you hearing this?

Ooh, no, they can't. I'm jamming the signal.

-They can't detect me.

-What are you doing here?

I'm here for the same reason you are -

the ongoing search for Lemuria.

Well, I haven't noticed any ancient civilisations since I've been here.

It's hard to search for Lemuria when your sub can't even move.

My working sub will get me out of here in no time.

METAL CREAKS

Huh?

Sounds like your working sub might not be working so well.

Aria, take us away from here.

Have fun with your blob creatures, Antaeus.

Uh, they're called tardigrades.

Yeah, whatever. You are totally stranded.

-KAIKO:

-Ant, come in. Ant, do you read?'

-Here, Mum.

-Why haven't you returned to the Aronnax?

I'm coming, and I've got news.

And then he just zipped off,

so his sub is jet-powered, like the knights.

Jets work, but propellers don't? Why?

Propellers need a medium to pull themselves through,

like water or air.

But jets are action-reaction -

they blast stuff out and the reaction pushes them forward,

even in a vacuum.

OK, but how can a vacuum exist at the bottom of the Atlantic?

It can't, obviously. That's why it's so cool.

SHE SCOFFS

So, having been here for three whole seconds, what else have we learned?

Not much, but maybe the tardigrades can teach us more.

METAL CREAKS

PROTEUS: That creaking is getting louder.

-ARIA:

-I cannot currently detect its source.

Who cares about that creaking? Just find a way out of here.

Extradimensional forces are distorting my data

and I detect no exit out of the nebula.

Ugh. What use are you?

According to this, tardigrades can also be found in moss,

earning the name "moss piglet".

I agree, Jeffrey - I prefer water bear.

-Ow!

-Ant!

-Uh...hi.

-What are you doing?

I-I just thought this place is so weird,

I might not need wheels.

HE LAUGHS

Fontaine, you're thinking like me.

Ugh.

I'm blaming this place.

It's clearly distorting my thinking.

You may be onto something, Fontaine.

Jeffrey's been behaving a little funny, too.

HE GASPS

Wait a minute.

I've got it!

Exactly the same angle -

they're both swimming upside down.

-And...?

-It can't be a coincidence.

Jeffrey and the tardigrades are clearly tuned into something

that we're not. If we turn upside down, we might tune in too.

I could use the manoeuvring thrusters.

They're jets - they'll work.

Turning us upside down.

Hang on tight.

Hold on.

It's working. We're lining up with Jeffrey.

Whoa. Jeffrey, you're right-side up, and so are we.

We're back online.

-But how?

-If you can tune in and shift with the energy,

everything works.

Didn't I say it? Mind-bending.

Huh?

Oh, wow.

Wait. I-Is that...?

It's ancient, and it looks...

Lemurian.

Antaeus: But what happened to it?

Looks like we're not the first ones to get lost in here.

Mum, that noise is really starting to worry me.

Something is very, very wrong.

METAL CLANKS, AIR HISSES

-ARIA:

-Air leaks detected.

Air leaks? Aria, what's going on?

The vibration appears to be caused by the expansion of the hull.

Wait, the hull is expanding?

-How?

-Specifics unknown, but the effect is increasing.

Data simulations show the expansion

will build until it pulls us apart, like...

that.

Look!

My ball.

Ah! We have to get out of here.

Why hasn't the force expanded them?

It...has.

Tardigrades are so tough they'll adapt to anything,

including slowly being expanded to the size of an elephant.

Look - over there.

The tardigrades seem to be finding a way out.

What about the steering jets - could they get us out?

No, only the props control forward and backward motion.

Wait...I've figured it out.

Here, we can't think our way to a solution, but we don't have to,

because they already know it.

They do seem to come and go at will.

But they're rudimentary organisms - they don't have the brainpower to...

Not brains, instincts,

and Jeffrey's been in tune with them from the start.

My fish's instincts can lead us home.

HE LAUGHS WEAKLY

Maybe he can.

You're agreeing with me?

Apparently, and that worries me.

Jeffrey, come on.

But Jeffrey can't survive in a vacuum.

It's OK. There's something I've been dying to show you.

Trust me.

Scariest two words ever.

I have detected the Ajax in the area.

Aria, did you just call the Aronnax the Ajax?

Why would I need an axe?

Huh? Get us closer.

-I want to listen in.

-What is glistening?

Aria, I said listen in.

Your breath smells fine.

Taking us closer to the hacky sacks now.

Aria, just reboot yourself.

I'll take manual control.

OK, rebuking now.

All right, everyone, may I present to you...

the Jeffrey Knight?!

It's been a secret project for ages.

What better reason to finish it?

Are those MY skateboard wheels?

Uh, it's called teamwork.

SHE GROANS

-KAIKO:

-You actually think Jeffrey's instincts

can lead us to the gateway?

ANTAEUS: I keep saying it - have faith in the fish.

PROTEUS: How are we hearing them?

Their voices make vibrations in the windows,

-and the laser measures them.

-ANTAEUS: ..lead us out of here

in the first-ever fish-led exit strategy.

Did he just say "fish-led exit strategy"?

Yeah, but...how is that even possible?

What good is attaching the tow line to the Jeffrey Knight?

The laws of physics don't apply in here.

Jeffrey can tow us.

Jeffrey's just playing out there.

You've got a remote - use it.

I can't. We have to trust Jeffrey's instincts.

That's what'll get us home.

-SHE SCOFFS

-Great.

Our lives are in the hands of a fish.

No, they're not. Fish don't have hands.

METAL CREAKS

-KAIKO:

-I don't believe it.

-WILL:

-Have I said this is mind-bending yet?

Our knights could pull faster.

Don't mess with what's working.

ANTAEUS: You're doing it, Jeffrey. Come on!

Eyes on the prize. Now, go, go, go!

Look up ahead, in front of Jeffrey. Do you see that?

-KAIKO:

-The space in front of him looks...distorted.

It's got to be the rift.

Impossible.

The fish knows where it is?

NEKTONS CRY OUT

-There goes a panel.

-Don't worry,

there are three layers between us and the outer hull.

For now.

ALERT BEEPS

Air leak! Come on, Jeffrey.

I believe in you.

Pressure's dropped 3%.

-Jeffrey's gone through.

-ETA to target 50 seconds.

We'll still make it.

Another breach.

Huh?

NEKTONS CRY OUT

No, no, no!

Thanks for pointing the way, Nektons, but Lemuria is MY destiny,

not yours.

Good luck with your "fish-led exit strategy".

ALPHEUS LAUGHS

Faith in the fish.

Alpheus!

Aria, status update.

Normal ocean environment confirmed.

We are exactly where we began our journey.

You were wrong, Alpheus.

Lemuria wasn't behind that rift.

Your recklessness could have been costly.

Aria, pick a direction, get us out of here.

-WILL:

-Quickly, ready the knights.

Won't the knights get pulled apart, too?

Eventually. They've been out there once already,

so you'll have to be quick.

Jeffrey is stronger now that he's in water.

We just have to reattach the cable.

WE don't have to do anything. I'll reattach the tether.

You're staying right here, safe in your knights.

OK, but I'll have to be on the bridge to keep us stable.

You can't be on the bridge unprotected.

I won't be unprotected.

How are we doing out there?

Approaching the first cable.

And...got it.

OK, moving to Jeffrey's cable.

-KAIKO:

-Be careful.

I've lost one of my jets.

I no longer have the power to pull the Aronnax myself.

HE GRUNTS

I can't reach it. I have to let go of the cable to get it.

Will, we can't lose you.

But if we lose Jeffrey's cable, we could be lost for ever.

I have to get it.

I've got it.

HE GRUNTS

I've lost power. I can't get back.

Hang on, Will, I'll get you.

-Hang on, Dad.

-We're coming.

Kids, what are you doing?

-KAIKO:

-You shouldn't be outside - it's too dangerous.

-There's not enough time, Mum.

-Hold on, Dad.

ENGINES SPLUTTER

Oh, no.

-What's happening?

-We've lost power.

WILL GRUNTS

Dad, your power reserve - see if you can shoot a cable.

Good thinking.

HE STRAINS

I can't reach.

PANEL CLANKS

Fontaine, hold on to me.

I've got you.

Got it!

Our knights won't last much longer.

Dad, tug the cable. Let Jeffrey know we're ready.

-KAIKO:

-We're moving again.

Come on, Jeffrey - you can do it.

-Don't stop.

-Do not let go, kids.

We're almost there.

We're in water again.

ANTAEUS: Woohoo! We're doing it, Jeffrey!

-ALL:

-Woohoo!

THEY LAUGH

Yeah, we did it.

You magnificent fish.

It's good to be back in water, but we need to surface.

Everyone, grab onto the cable.

How does it feel to be a hero, Jeffrey?

He doesn't want us to make a fuss.

Clearly, life is impossible in places like that.

Unless you're a tardigrade.

So one of these symbols mean treacherous waters. Agreed?

They're definitely not the way to Lemuria.

But one of these other symbols must be.

But how do we know which one?

Simple - we search them all.