Sounding Harbor Bottom

Sounding Harbor Bottom:

This is for the Legends' Day story event.

"How are your modifications coming along?" I asked as I walked into Gisela's workshop. Technically, it was the ship's workshop, but everyone, even the Captain, acknowledged her domain. The Brazilian woman bent over her work, long, delicate fingers aligning the scanning matrix of the drone mother. The other drones lay nearby on other surfaces until loaded into the larger machine's belly.

"Just about done," Gisela responded. "Daisy, how about it?"

"Initializing new fine-tuning parameters," Gisela's AI assistant spoke up. "Here we go." The soft mechanical sounds of the multiple scanners aligning whispered in the workshop. After a short pause, the process repeated with the smaller drones.

"All done," Gisela and Daisy said in one voice. "She is ready to fly. I heard that in a movie once."

I helped Gisela load the slave drones into the underbelly and then the drone mother onto the sled to lower it into the ocean for its purpose: the search for the Khora Daine. After a bet between billionaires, the sole woman in that group converted the tramp steamer into a luxury vehicle. The ship once carried the name Aoki Maru, but that was before the Japanese owner sold it, and the project significantly altered its appearance and function. Rumors abounded around Irene Watts and her occult practices and links to secret societies, pure conspiracy theory gold.

Sounds from the real world snapped me out of my reverie. The robotic arm swung into place, and Gisela and I fitted the straps into place, and, with many holding their breath, we lifted the mother drone up and over the railing and into the water.

"I synced with the drone," Daisy announced. "I will launch the babies and perform search pattern Alpha."

"Now we watch and wait," I said. "How long do you think it will take?"

"This is the seventh attempt to locate her," Captain Leonardo Caracciolo said. " You are the historian, Kenji; what do you think our odds are?"

The Captain was a tall, weathered Italian with a light accent when he spoke English and with the beginnings of grey hair beginning to highlight his jet-black hair and olive complexion. I shrugged but figured it would be weeks before we found anything if our luck held out. This was the beginning of settling into a wake-and-sleep routine. To pass the time, I read the logs of the previous missions while Gisela worked on and perfected a waterproof recharging station for the drones. It would reduce the downtime and chance of damaging the mother drone by lifting it out of and returning it to the sea. The first two weeks passed quietly and gave me time to catch up on my reading while Gisela disappeared for nearly a week every morning and only returned after sunset. Then she slipped into my bathroom and started a shower, which went on for longer than the five minutes allowed by the Captain. Twenty minutes later, Gisela appeared.

"I tweaked the ship's desalination plant so I can shower more often and longer," Gisela said as she strode out of my bathroom, wearing only a smile. "Did you uncover any clues to the last resting place yet?"

"No, but there are some creepy hints of a connection between the billionaire Irene Watts and HOST, the Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight. One of the previous researchers found a link between Watts' payments and matching entries into sketchy business dealings. You are making it hard to concentrate."

"Want to dry my back," Gisela asked. "It isn't like you will get more work done today."

"You won't let me, will you?" I asked as I accepted the towel to dry her off.

"Not a chance in hell," Gisela purred. "Take your time, or I will become quite cross with you." As I leisurely moved the cloth over her dusky skin, she continued to speak. "Do you remember the first time we hooked up?"

"The bathroom stall at the Black Thorn pub," I said as I knelt to get to some hard-to-reach spots. "You were shit-faced and accepted that dare from your redheaded friend; what's her name?"

"Her name is Jennifer," Gisela whimpered. "And don't pull that 'what's her name' bullshit with me. She still has your number in her phone."

"Does she," I laughed. "I wonder how she got it?" I said as I cupped my hand and slapped her bare ass cheek. The resounding crack echoed and forced a delicious yelp from Gisela. "Turn around, please."

"Has anyone seen Gisela?" The voice of the communication officer came through one of the open windows. "Ha! I fucking knew it," Zelda declared. "I knew he was fucking you."

"What is it, Princess?" Gisela asked, frowning. "This had better be important."

"We got a signal," Zelda fired back. "A solid metallic source about a hundred meters down, right on the edge of a dropoff." Yvonne Blackmoor, aka Zelda, because of her golden hair, blue eyes, slightly pointed ears, and boisterous nature, was practically bouncing in place. "The Captain wants you in the control room ASAP."

Gisela snatched the towel from me and finished drying off. She dressed in clean coveralls, and we raced out to the upper deck. Gisela touched a spot just below her left ear, triggering her BMI or Brain Machine Interface. The link she shared with Daisy allowed her to project the drone's live feed onto her optic nerve.

"Well?" I asked. Gisela closed her eyes and gestured, which allowed her to control the multiple feeds.

"It fits the bill," Gisela said. "I've pulled up the modified blueprints and compared the ass end of the ship with those schematics. The ocean floor covers the nameplate and buries it; raising the wreck will require serious maneuvering. I am having Daisy scan downhill to see how stable the wreck is, and one drone is seeing how deep it goes."

"Great," the Captain muttered. "Let's take a look at the drone feed and brainstorm."

The main crew included engineers, historians, scientists, and one priest. The holographic display showed the recording of the wreck filmed by the mother drone. Other panels appeared as the feed from the other drones filtered in. The one I focused on was the solitary drone measuring the depth of the space below the shelf the ship sat precariously upon. I tapped into the drone and ordered it to switch from standard LED lights to full spectrum. If there were any predators at that depth, there was no reason to alert them to our presence. While the device was armored and protected against the pressures of the depths, why invite unexpected disaster? I had the drone send out a series of pings meant to map the area in front of it, and nothing interesting but a single outcropping of rock jutting from the ocean floor.

"What is that?" I asked aloud, and the drone's AI detected my curiosity and narrowed its senses to analyze the protrusion. "That is too regular. Can you see this?"

"It is on the main monitor," the Captain said. "It looks like a Grecian pillar; those grooves at the end look Corinthian, but I can't be sure. Could there be a temple out here?"

"Maybe someone stole the pillar, and the ship went down in a storm?" One of the other historians offered as a possibility.

"It makes as much sense as any," I said.

"First things first," the Captain said. "We raise the ship, pillar second. Engineers get to work; I want to see that beauty kissed by the sun and sky. My career reaches its peak when we succeed. Show me what you got and impress me."

No one left the briefing but instead broke into groups, with Gisela leading the engineers. The two other historians walked over towards me, and I saw it momentarily as I looked past them. The solitary priest was checking out Gisela's ass as she bent over and thrust out her butt out of habit. Granted, it was an ass of epic proportions and good enough to tempt a man of the cloth. The priest's eye moved and locked with mine. He blushed and ran out to the deck with a poor excuse on his lips.

"I have to get some air," the priest said, and I couldn't help but laugh. Gisela looked over her shoulder at me and then glanced at her butt.

"Perv," she said, and I shook my head. It only took her a few seconds to figure it out. "Oh! I need to add temptation to the skills on my resume."

Gisela returned to the brainstorming session. I explained what had happened to my colleagues, and they enjoyed the moment. Before leaving port, we had agreed that we wouldn't share notes until we found the ship. The reason was simple: one, it gave us time to develop a precise and efficient delivery for the others; the second was enthusiasm for when the moment of discovery occurred. My stomach growled, and we moved to the mess hall to munch and talk about the back story of the Khora Dhaine. Ken Sato, the lead Cook, approached us smiling brilliantly.

"What can I get you fine folks?" Sato asked.

We made our orders, and he gleefully returned to the kitchen, and soon, the smell of cooking bacon wafted into the cafeteria. Gisela fired off a text message to me, filling me in their attack plan.

Gisela refitted the drones with blowers that would remove loose soil from the wreck. It meant more recharge times but less time for divers to be in the water. Once the ship was uncovered and identified, we could tell the world we found it. It was a matter of patience as the drones did their work and revealed more of the vessel. Using the blueprints as a guide, we hunted for the nameplate on the side of the ship facing upwards. It took three days to find it, but when the soil settled and the water cleared, there it was the name Khora Dhaine. The cheers were deafening, and the word went out we had discovered the Khora Dhaine. The hard part began, finishing uncovering the ship and plotting how to raise the lady to the surface. They needed to find out why the modified trawler sank and once the damage was isolated and repaired. The AI and her drones would take time to reveal the nearly two-hundred-foot vessel. Had they struck an underwater obstruction? It couldn't have been bad weather since we had satellite images of the area, and it had been clear sailing.

"Bring the drone in closer," the Captain said. "What the hell? Do you see that?"

"See what?" I asked, but it was Gisela who exclaimed.

"Son of a bitch," she said. "How?" I looked from the hologram to the Captain and then Gisela.

"What am I missing?" I asked.

"How long has the Khora Dhaine been sunk?" The Captain asked.

That's when it hit me. After eighty years of exposure to pressure, salt water, and other elements, the metal and nameplate were untouched. The ship looked like it had sunk yesterday. We needed a hull sample, but the Captain was ahead of me.

"Gisela, have the drone take a sample of the hull. We need an analysis of that metal," he ordered.

"You read my thoughts," Gisela giggled. "Let's pick a spot that won't make an impact."

We watched as the drone moved away from the nameplate and chose another undamaged part of the ship to cut a sample for retrieval.

"Have you ever looked at the name Khora Dhaine and its origins?" Isabella Garcia, one of the two other historians, asked. "It is dark, I mean obsidian-level black. It is mostly legend and unprovable, but interesting. Have you ever heard about the link between Loki and the original vampire legend? I ran across it for the first time a few years back, but it centered around a trickster god, no name, just the story of it, and thirteen magicians who made a pact for immortality."

"Vampirism," I said, and she nodded.

"The interesting thing was how the mage's strengths became their weaknesses. The earth wizard required his native soil when he moved to a new country. The water mage couldn't cross running water without help. Have you seen a pattern yet? Authors picked up on these fables and added them to their stories. There was one exception to the thirteen: the sun mage was the only bloodline immune to sunlight, the origin of the daywalker legend."

"How does this connect to the name," Theodore O'Connor, the elderly Irish historian, asked. "Oh, how silly of me; she was one of the thirteen."

"She has the title of Sunborn," Isabella said. "Your turn."

"Irene Watts may have ties to HOST," I added and watched their reactions.

"Huzzah," Theodore declared. "That fills in a blank spot in my research. Have any of you ever heard the rumors of an organization known as the Order? I believe HOST has connections to an older and more powerful group. This will sound crazy and like a conspiracy theory, but I think they exist."

There was that awkward silence, and I almost told the others about the book given to me dockside just before the ship launched. We continued sharing stories, but nothing as explosive as mentioning the mysterious Order or the Loki legend. I felt like the weak one as things progressed. We spoke as we ate, often chewing and speaking simultaneously. Theodore broke out his supply of Guinness, a dark Irish beer, to celebrate our discovery and sharing of information.

"You are a million miles away," Isabella said, snapping me out of my reverie. "What's on your mind?"

"I know that look," Theodore laughed. "What are you hiding?"

"I was given a leather-bound book at the dock just before we set sail. It could be a journal or a work of lore. I promised not to read it until we found the Khora Dhaine. I haven't looked at it yet, and the silk she wrapped it in is still around the book."

"Spooky," Isabella said. "Are you going to share?"

"Aw, come on," Theodore urged. "You'd have three pairs of eyes on it to appraise its value."

"Fine," I laughed. "You win."

Gisela and the other engineers worked long hours using a holographic version of the sunken wreck. They pointed out critical points that had to be supported, or else the vessel's weight would tear itself apart on the way up. Meanwhile, the historians met in my private stateroom and huddled around the table. I set the silk-bound book in the middle and nervously breathed.

"Do not read this unless you find the Khora Dhaine, the woman had said. Promise me, and I did. Here we go."

I unwrapped the silk and looked at the book held shut by a silver button attached to the front and a thick cord wrapped around the button. I unwound the cord that held the cover in place. The strange leather had an odd burnt smell without any hint of damage anywhere. Maybe it had survived a fire and baked by smoke, but the book remained untouched. Theodore and Isabella sniffed the air and wrinkled their noses.

"It smells burnt," Theodore said as I lifted the book and looked over the exterior.

"No signs of damage," Isabella said. "Weird. It must have been in a fire, but far enough not physically to harm it." I touched my nose and nodded. "We are on the same page then; let's take a peek."

Theodore and Isabella shifted their chairs next to mine, putting me in the middle. Theodore handed the book back, and I set it down, opened it, and flipped the pages until the first page with writing appeared. We shared a look, and I continued further, and our curiosity deepened with each page exposed. The author had written the entire text in an unfamiliar alphabet. I touched my interface, activated my BMI, and woke the small drone that rested on its recharge station. It rose on a column of air, hovered over to the table, and settled above my right shoulder. It scanned each page as I turned them, beeping when it was ready for the following information block. It took a few minutes to reach the final page and allow the AI to delve into the tremendous archive it had access to and translate. While that occurred, I returned to pages that contained drawings of an occult nature. If I wanted to write my version of the fabled Necronomicon, these illustrations would be key to its success.

"Sumerian," Isabella said, pointing to a single glyph on the corner of a page holding a ritual that involved disemboweling the sacrificial victim. "It means to open."

"That one appears to be proto-indo-european," Theodore offered. "It is similar to one that means soul or spirit."

I scanned the page, but nothing familiar jumped out. "There is one thing, though: the drawing looks medically accurate. Sapphire can cross reference the drawings and medical journals. That is some grim shit, though."

There were magical circles, ceremonies, and even pressure point diagrams. I let Sapphire, my AI assistant, share the book's contents with Isabella and Theodore. It would take all three of us to crack the alien alphabet, and maybe the drawings would give us the Rosetta stone we needed. I tied the manuscript shut again and returned it to the silk before placing it in the ship's safe for security reasons. I had caught the priest spying on that first meeting, and it wasn't voyeuristic but something else.

"Father?" I said as I approached him from behind, which caused him to falter and stumble backward. "Care to explain yourself?"

"I don't know what you mean," he stammered. I pointed to one of the ship's many security cameras. "Oh, no, I have no words for you."

"Then I will go to the captain and see about your behavior," I said.

"Wait," the priest cried out. "I don't want any trouble. I was curious about the text."

"Talk," I snapped. "If you are interested, why not approach me directly instead of skulking around?"

"I was ordered not to," he said. "I have orders to watch but not interfere."

"Explain," I said as Isabella and Theodore appeared. The priest unbuttoned his shirt, reached inside, and took out a piece of folded parchment with a broken wax seal.

"Is that a papal seal," Theodore asked, and the priest nodded. "That is serious. Rome must have known that the book might end up in our possession."

"If the Pope sent him, what the hell have we gotten ourselves into?" Isabella asked and examined the document. She unfolded the paper and read the handwritten Order. "Holy fucking shit, he carries the power of the church while on board the ship. If the book is discovered and decoded, he must report to Rome, and they will do whatever is necessary." Isabella shivered and looked at the priest. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"As God is my witness, I don't know," he said. "I am only a soldier of Christ."

"Only?" Theodore said, clearly disgusted. "Throw him overboard now."

"No," I snapped, surprising myself and the others. "We aren't murderers. Father," I said, using a softer tone now. "Listen, we need more for you to earn our trust. What do you think Rome will do if we translate the text?"

"Since I have already failed to observe unseen, I see no harm in telling you. The church excommunicated me; this mission was my chance for forgiveness and returning to the fold."

"Well, that explains you checking out her ass," I laughed. "I caught the man of the cloth staring at Gisela's butt."

"I am only human," the priest said, and a part of me latched onto something in his voice. Why would he lie about that? Was he ex-military and didn't see himself as human any longer? War did that to people. "The tome is called the Malcontentus and one of only a handful of copies known to exist."

"That jives with the drawings," Isabella said. "Any idea of how to decode the text?"

"No, that wasn't part of my mission," he said. "If there aren't any more questions for now. I will retire to my room."

"Let's call it a night," I suggested, and the others agreed. "We'll continue our work tomorrow."

I returned to my room and spied the X on the floor at the foot of my bed. Someone had used black electrical tape, and at the top of the X was a smaller arrow pointing away from the bed. I walked over and stood on the mark, and looked around. She came out of the darkness with arms outstretched, naked, and struck me with enough force to drive me backward and onto the mattress.

"Oof," I gasped just before Gisela's lips met mine. "Mmm."

She helped me undress without breaking the kiss for as long as possible. My shirt was the last thing to go. Gisela pressed against me and moaned into my mouth as she renewed the kiss. My hands cupped her cheeks, and the moan grew louder and more intent as she ground harder.

"Three days," Gisela growled. "I can't believe we haven't hooked up for that long. Forgive me." I spun us around so that I was on top, and our momentum nearly threw us off the bed. I kissed my way from her collarbone to her beyond her belly button. Gisela's fingers slipped into my hair, gripped me tightly, and held on until her first orgasm crashed into her. "No one eats pussy like you do, and trust me, I tried a few."

"Listen," I said as I knelt between her legs and took aim. "Normally, I'd be all foreplay for a few more climaxes, but as you said, it has been three days since we shtupped." With that, I pushed my hips forward slowly, savoring every inch and expression that crossed her expressive features. I sat there balls deep as I ran a hand along her soft, smooth thigh. Both my hands descended until I had lifted her legs, and I had her by the ankles. "Remember that little town along the River Skye?"

"The village of Bastet worshippers?" Gisela whimpered. "Oh, now I remember."

I held her ankles apart as I began thrusting. The bunk squeaked with each movement, but I barely heard it over Gisela's cries. Her second orgasm was so intense and loud I heard Zelda's chuckle from the open window.

"X marks the spot, really?" I laughed.

"I am an engineer," Gisela responded between grunts. "I have to admit, Daisy helped me work out the distance and force required to launch us onto the bed safely. Did I hurt you?"

"Nope," I said as I picked up speed. "How's that?" Gisela was too busy climaxing to respond. "I love my little orgasm factory."

I watched my erection slide in and out of Gisela. Since I lost my virginity, I have to admit that I have possessed a voyeuristic streak. Gisela's exhibitionist nature corresponded perfectly with mine, and she loved wearing revealing clothing in public. Our jobs often took us apart, and when we hooked up again, we shared our hedonistic exploits. People frequently overhear our bragging and then look on confused when we kiss passionately and leave, showering each other with affection. We are madly in lust, and I suppose love is in there somewhere.

"Close," I grunted, and Gisela broke my grip, wrapped her legs around my back, and held me tight as I pumped my first load into her. In the end, after an argumentative recount, I claimed a three to nine orgasm tally. In contrast, Gisela swore that two were multiples, and her final number was twelve. I wisely conceded the numbers to the engineer as we lay together, savoring the epic afterglow. "Can I ask a question?"

"Does it involve sex?"

"Yes and no," I replied, her face scrunched into a puzzled expression. "I'll take that as a yes. When I suckled your nipple, you damn near-ended things. Why?"

"Thanks, oh shit, I almost forgot," Gisela squealed in delight. She rolled on top of me, and her hair tumbled down, isolating my gaze to her face alone. "You solved the recharge problem. My original plan was to have all seven drones move the silt away from the ship. Instead, we start the day by charging all seven drones, sending them down, and then having the six babies do the work while the mama drone hovers above them. When they need to recharge, they use her as a power source, and when she is low on power, we bring her up for recharging. We cycle that way, brilliant, huh."

"Yeah, that would speed things up," I admitted.

The following five days passed with Gisela making time for our sex life and while she worked on unearthing the ship while Theodore, Isabella, and I tried to decode the text within the Malcontentus. During the day, we worked on our separate projects, and at night, we gleefully shared our progress or, in my case, my frustration. Gisela bragged about their plans to reveal the outline of the Khora Dhaine; she was intact and had no noticeable damage so far. It would take another month to uncover the bottom hull of the ship. In week two, I heard Gisela hollering at me, and I raced to the control room. The holographic display showed real-time footage from all seven drones.

"That's not in the plans," I said, Gisela's expression being a mix of triumph and horror. At the hull's center were two open doors that had allowed someone to flood the lower decks and sink the ship. "This wasn't an accident; she planned this; Irene Watts had this built into the Khora Dhaine. Why would she do this?"

"On the bright side," Gisela said. "This... feature could work in our favor to raise the ship. It gives us an easy way to insert and inflate the devices slowly. If luck is with us, the vessel will right itself and float cleanly up to the surface."

"Patience," the Captain said. "We must discover who Watts contracted to add such an insidious mechanism. I will work on discovering that."

"Stop," Isabella shouted. "Gisela, move one of the drones in and look closer at one of the doors. You might have to blow more silt away. I think I saw something when one of the lights panned over it."

Gisela gestured and, like a conductor, moved the drones into place and cleared the sand out of the way. As the water settled, we saw them, the designs etched into the metal.

"Son of a bitch," Theodore cursed, and I laughed nervously. Theodore, the perfect gentleman, never cursed; now, this was out of character. Isabella, Theodore, and I shared a knowing look. The face and the characters around it were from the Malcontentus. Then, my AI did something that made me snap angrily. It projected the image from the book and compared it without me prompting it.

"Why did you do that," I snarled. "Did I ask you to reveal that?"

"No, Sir," it said. "It seemed logical." I held up a hand, opened my AI's control panel, and reviewed the options and functionality. There is a newly added feature set to the on-position, autonomous actions. I shifted it to the off position. "No more of that bullshit," I snapped. The Captain and the others were staring at me. "Fine," I said and shared the story about the book and its esoteric drawings. We were still struggling to translate the text.

"Can you give us a sample of the text," Gisela asked, her voice gentle and understanding. We had known each other long enough that she understood my reaction to the AI's overreach.

"Pick the best test to display," I ordered my AI companion. The holographic display shifted to a single page near the front of the volume. Gisela zoomed in on one symbol after the other when the Captain cursed in Italian. He touched his ear node and swiped his right hand furiously.

"Where the fuck is it?" He growled in English.

"Where is what?" I asked, approaching him. I saw his face bloom red as his anger flared to life.

"Found it," the Captain declared. A second hologram appeared, a photograph of an Egyptian-style pillar, which reminded me of Cleopatra's Needle. Next to it was a second photo of the same area sans the column. "Do you remember that earthquake about fifteen years ago? I was working with Doctors Without Borders at the time. During a break in the evacuation, I spent time with some of the locals, and they showed me this pillar that the earthquake had revealed after a portion of the cliff face collapsed. I returned a week later and found that someone had removed it. Look at the lower right quadrant." He pinched the projection and focused on that area. Gisela went back and found the corresponding symbol in the book's text. There could be no doubt they were the same. My AI assistant, Sapphire, cross-referenced the symbols from the old photo and the test.

"All of the symbols from the stone correspond to those within the tome," Sapphire said at last. "I will continue." And with that, I received a message on my heads-up display, processing. Confused, I joined the others in the investigation.

We got the map coordinates from the Captain, and we began digging. Isabella, Theodore, and I split up the work and went on the attack. While Gisela and the other engineers worked on raising the ship, I delved into the languages and legends of the region. Isabella scoured the obelisk, manually wrote down every symbol she could see clearly in their position, and compared them to the text from the Malcontentus. Where Sapphire had looked for the symbols, Isabella wanted location and possible context. Theodore researched the earthquake and the movement of people and vehicles. Because of his contacts with Numenor, he acquired satellite photos that gave him a three-dimensional image of the pillar, which he sent to Isabella.

"Woohoo," Isabella squealed as her AI compared the text and drawings with the pillar. We ground for up to eighteen hours, trying to decipher a text while two failed attempts to raise the Khora Dhaine sent Gisela into a frustrated state. She lay atop me, purring quietly in my ear.

"The interior isn't cooperating," Gisela growled. "We almost let it slide into the abyss and send it crashing into the temple remnants."

"Temple? What temple?" I asked, opening my eyes and looking into hers.

"Remember that pillar; it marks a complete temple complex," Gisela giggled. "I was saving it for after we bring that bitch to the surface. Check your device. I had two drones map the entire area and gather high-definition images of any symbols on the multiple structures. Happy Birthday, lover bear."

"I completely forgot," I said. "Thanks. Are you ready for me to unwrap my gift?"

We made love for another hour until the last of our energy gave out. Slowly, I moved as I grabbed my water glass, dropped ice cubes into it, and filled it from a desalization tap. I held up the glass to my lips, and then it happened. I stopped and lifted the glass higher until moonlight passed through the glass and to my eye. The transparent cubes glinted, and my brain made a wild connection.

"We are thinking about this the wrong way," I shouted. Isabella raced into my room and stopped cold.

"Um, you are naked," Isabella giggled awkwardly. "What is going on?"

"Dimensions," I said as I wrapped a towel around my waist. "Sorry. We need to take all three dimensions. They made the obelisk for a reason, where the symbol's relationship was the key to deciphering them."

Gisela closed her eyes and smiled. Isabella activated the holographic display in my room. She removed the outline of the pillar but kept the runes and their positions. Isabella sent lines at different angles to connect until a pattern emerged. "We still need to figure it out, but it is a solid start," Isabella said.

Gisela rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. "It isn't a coincidence," she said. "The temple and the ship are connected. They have to be."

"I agree," I said. "I need some sleep. I am exhausted."

Gisela and I snuggled, and the gentle swaying of the ship let me fall asleep. I woke with a start, covered in sweat and only a vague memory of the dream or nightmare. The temperature had dropped, and the sun had set hours ago.

"Nearly nine hours," my AI companion said. "Gisela is in the control room, and there is good news. That completes your notable wake-up notifications. I am printing your morning vitamin. Do you want a breakdown of the minerals and vitamins you are low in?"

"Nah, thanks, though," I said. "What's the good news?"

"They got the Khora Dhaine upright," Theodore said as he passed me to the control room. "It is only a matter of time now."

"Yeah," I said under my breath. "That's what worries me." The dark clouds on the horizon sent a shiver down my spine. "Give me a satellite view of the area, please."

My BMI activated, and my AI borrowed my optic nerve to show me a shot from orbit. I zoomed in on the targeted area and saw only a tiny weather pattern south of us. The relief left me feeling better than the anxiety from the dream. I shook it off and joined the others. I stood outside since the room was a bit crowded. Several holograms hovered in the air, displaying the ship, the obelisk, and various portions of the Malcontentus's text. I looked at everything and tried to follow what was going on.

"Hmm," I thought aloud. "Hey, use black-level protocol and access the Numenor database for similar pillars."

"I have found six other pillars," the AI said. "They share similar markings and are stored in separate private museums. Displaying the other relics."

"Hey, I found something," I said loud enough for the others to hear me. "Do it." My AI tapped into the holographic projectors and showed the relics.

"What are these?" Theodore asked.

"Numenor discoveries that are sitting in museums," I said. "The markings look to be the same."

"Look at the metadata," a woman with a thick Eastern European accent said from the corner. She was sitting on the floor with a virtual tablet in front of her, her fingers dancing.

"What's up, Viv," Gisela and Isabella asked simultaneously. Viv was Vivian Ivanov, listed as the single computer technician on board. A glance at her resume left me staggered. Her intelligence wasn't easily rated, and in the old IQ system, it was above 200. A glowing blue icon led me to note about social anxiety and other issues that medications helped her deal with. I wondered why she was so open about personal things, and then I remembered the social problems. Vivian must not see her issues as unfavorable or as something that hampered her performance as an employee.

Vivian dressed in a ginormous hoodie and dark clingy sweatpants. She lifted her head, locked eyes with me, and smiled. That was my first view of her face; yowzah, Vivian was gorgeous. Those plump red lips curled into a smile before she began speaking non-stop.

"I need these," Vivian gestured, and the holographic screens displayed a spinning globe and red Xs that showed Numenor dig sites. "These are the original locations. Technicians dated all of them at over a hundred million years old. The interesting thing about them is when you dial back the geography to when someone or something placed them. Watch this." The map changed as the continents moved, and everyone gasped. The pillars were now equidistant from each other and a show of intelligence, planning, and something else. It was the mystery and the worry that Numenor knew this entire time and financed the Khora Dhaine expedition. "Why did Shaw fund this little dance?"

"I was thinking the same thing," I said, and the others nodded as the group brainstorming event began.

The Captain's voice cut through the overlapping chatter, "I can't cancel this contract without destroying my career." We fell silent, and Vivian continued, now that she had primed her social pump.

"And if there is a safety issue, Captain? What will you do then?"

"We will drop everything and end this," he said, his expression crestfallen. "On the bright side, I am the Captain who found the Khora Dhaine. My mark in history is guaranteed. But we aren't there yet, so until things get dangerous, let's raise this bitch and get her home. She is intact and serviceable. Get to it, people."

Our voices filled the air as we attacked the impossibility of relics that endured the movement of continents and why Numenor had hidden this from the public.

"Panic. Religious zealots. That kind of news destroys societies," Theodore said. "I don't like it, but I understand the logic. Numenor is trying to avoid another crusade or Spanish Inquisition."

"We finish bringing the old lady to the surface, close those doors in the hull, and bring her home," I said.

Isabella brought up the obelisks and compared the symbols with one another when Vivian spoke. "Why are you working so hard? Numenor has had them for years; if there is a translation, they must provide it."

"Viv is right," Theodore said. "Marvin, does Numenor have a Rosetta Stone for this language?"

Marvin, Theodore's AI companion, replied. "You do not have the proper security clearance to access those files."

"Are we really going to do this song and dance," I snarled. "Open the damn files."

"Transferring data packet," Marvin said with a lilt in their voice. "The message from the Pre-Adamite civilization was simple: "Be patient; we were here, we are here, and we will always be here."

"Well, that isn't ominous," Vivian laughed. "What would it be like to encounter a civilization that spanned millions if not billions of years? Insects, no, we would be like microbes to an intelligence of that level. Best not to think about it."

The AI wouldn't let the others access the Malcontentus since they didn't have clearance, and for that, I was eternally grateful. I walked to the ship's rear as Gisela and the others made the last efforts to bring the Khora Dhaine from the depths.

"She comes up at dawn," Gisela said as she rushed into my arms. "I need to modify some of the drones for flight so we can record this historical event for posterity. Don't wait up."

I won't lie; I was disappointed we wouldn't hook up before the great moment. Gisela was fond of that sort of thing, but sometimes her genius overrode her hormones. I took a cold shower to calm down and rest so I could wake up before dawn when they planned on raising the ship. Gisela wanted to make a show of her task to make the most of it.

"It'll be cinematic and unforgettable," Gisela had said as she paraded down the hallway.

I slipped onto the bed, closed my eyes, and activated my BMI. The full-dive environment I had created for research purposes was my version of the Library at Alexandria. It was here that I read the entirety of the Malcontentus non-stop. The material left me shaking. On the bright side, the translated acupressure diagrams, which, if the book were to be believed, would drive any woman crazy and make them ultrasensitive. I memorized the points and did my best to ignore the rest. Nothing so horrible could be real, I told myself.

As I stared at the ceiling after ending the full-dive session, I was surprised when Gisela strolled in with only a towel wrapped around her torso and her wet hair plastered to her back. She dropped the towel but shook her head when I began sitting up. Instead of initiating things, she crawled behind me, placed my head on her lap, and giggled.

"What are you up to?" I asked, and that was the cue for Viv to walk in. She was still wearing the same bulky sweatshirt, but I did notice her wet hair. "Wait, did the two of you?"

"Yep," Viv purred. "I learned a lot. For the record, I've never kissed a girl, and it was different from kissing a guy."

"Show him," Gisela said. "Trust me, he is going to go ape shit." Viv turned to face away and slowly pulled the sweatshirt upward. Her naked back greeted my gaze, and when no bra appeared, I let out a soft noise. "Told you, he is rock hard and hasn't seen them yet," Gisela emphasized the word them. Viv covered her breasts and turned around. Her hands were barely big enough for the job. Gisela's lips nuzzled my ear as she spoke. "Imagine those bad boys wrapped around you. Viv loves getting her tits fucked. Don't you, sweetie?"

"Uh huh," Viv said and lowered her hands. "Well?"

"Damn, girl," I gasped. Viv wiggled out of her sweatpants and put her freshly shaved groin on display.

"I thought about a stripe, but this was cleaner and easier. Do you like it?" Viv asked. Gisela tugged the sheet covering me and let her see. Viv let out a ruby whistle and grinned. "I like this new side of myself."

The Eastern European beauty climbed onto the foot of the bed and licked her lips. "Just like I taught you," Gisela said. "I showed Viv the seedier side of full-dive technology. Didn't I, sweetie?"

"Mmmhmm," Viv purred. "I am going to make you climax. Let me do everything."

"Hold on," I said and got comfortable to watch in the best way possible. "I'm ready, go for it."

Viv planted kisses up and down the shaft while I felt Gisela's breasts against my back. "She was such an eager student. Her first orgasm flicked a switch in her head. Viv has by her very nature the need to perfect anything she likes and trust me, she loves sex."

"Unn," I gasped when the head of my cock popped into Viv's mouth. Gisela told me what to do. I grabbed Viv's head with both hands and took over. I pulled and pushed her head slowly at first, discovering that Viv's gag reflex was damn near nonexistent. The glow in Viv's eyes screamed challenge and hunger. The Eastern European woman was eager to move from virtual to real sexual encounters.

"Damn," Gisela purred in my ear. "She loves your cock. Just wait until you have two of us to plow. Right, Viv?" Viv raised her hand, displaying her thumbs up.

"I wish her head were hanging off the side of the bed so I could play with her tits while I fuck her throat," I said. Viv almost choked as she lifted her head abruptly, shifted her body, lay down, and scooted into the proper position.

"Ask, and you shall receive," Gisela laughed. "Go on, Kenji, pretend she's wearing a choker and snap it."

I stood at the foot of the bed before Viv, and she opened her mouth wide. "Ahh."

"Here we go," I said as I fed her every inch. As I got into a nice rhythm, I got my first feel of Viv's amazing breasts. Gisela stood behind me and pressed her naked tits against my back. "So firm for tits so big."

"Triple D," Gisela said. "She told me during our shower. How is she doing?"

"I'm close already," I said through gritted teeth. "I've never done this before, so I asked."

"I need to make that up to you," Gisela promised. "Don't you want to blow down my throat?"

My climax cut off that train of thought. Viv didn't miss a beat and swallowed like a champ. I withdrew, snatched Gisela by the hair, and kissed her.

"I see how it is," Viv chuckled. "I deepthroat him and let him fuck my throat like a pussy, and he kisses you." I bent forward, grabbed Viv by the back of her head and kissed her into silence. Her body shook and clung to me.

"Did she come from a kiss," Gisela asked. "Hoo boy, this will be one hell of a night."

I used a little blue patch to please both women and somehow, the three of us managed to nap until an hour before dawn. The big moment occurred as the sun broke over the horizon. The nightmare returned, worse than ever. Was it reading the Malcontentus or something else? I fought the urge to scream and woke with my teeth clenched tight. As I opened my eyes, Giseal clung to my right side while Viv snuggled casually atop me. "I gotta pee," I whispered. She was already awake, as was Gisela. They were waiting for me to wake up.

"Me too," Viv laughed as she dashed to the bathroom. The sudden shift woke Gisela, and we took turns using the toilet. Viv and Gisela pull their hair into ponytails before dressing. Viv, most of the crew, and I were spectators of the event. Gisela was in her element and choreographed when the Khora Dhaine reached the surface. Three smaller drones remained underwater, while the other three had been refitted to hover and took up their position to catch the magic moment. Pounding classical music filled the air as I watched the grand flourishes Gisela made as she directed the machinery within the ship. We cheered as the water erupted before the top of the boat appeared. A new sound caught my attention on the other side of the science vessel. I left the others and spied on one of the lifeboats, speeding away and, behind the wheel, the priest. A meaty hand settled on my shoulder.

"He left this for you," the Captain said. "Something snapped in him, and the sight of the ship sent him over the edge."

Clang!

"What the fuck was that?" I asked as the single metallic note hung in the air. The Captain answered with a scowl.

"I asked Gisela and the other members of her team to keep quiet about the truth of how the Khora Dhaine sank. This isn't easy to say, so here it goes. Irene Watts designed her to scuttle at the right time. That sound was a pair of doors on the bottle of the hull, those combined with internal pumps to pull water into the ship. It took the engineers time to repair the power plant and reverse the pumps."

"Why?" I asked, and the Captain shrugged. "It is monstrous."

"We are limiting the first boarding party," the Captain said. "You are on the shortlist. Let's make history."

The Captain chose Gisela and me to stride the ship's deck. The three of us crossed from the science vessel to the Khora Dhaine. The alloy not only resisted rust and wear but repelled water as well. We walked around the dry metal and sought out the control room, and Gisela checked the controls, power levels, and any alarms that required her immediate attention.

"They don't make them like this anymore," the Captain said.

"Yeah, CHOM printers have made fishing and farming unnecessary, which has brought species of sealife back from the brink," I said. "She's a beauty, a former fishing vessel, and now a luxury yacht. International water makes this a clean salvage."

"Gisela, will you be okay if we look at the rest of the ship?" The Captain asked.

"What? Huh? Yeah, look around, but don't go below the waterline for now. I'm getting some odd sensor readings. Oh, and Captain, someone triggered the panic room. You might want to look at it while you are wandering."

We beelined it to the panic room. I led the way to the prominent armored safe place that the uber-wealthy built into penthouses, mansions, and luxury boats. The engineers hid the heavy metal doors in a recess that you could easily pass up if you didn't know it was there. At first, there was nothing to see, but then we got our first head-on view of the sealed doors. We stopped and stared silently at the condition of the double doors.

"What the actual fuck," I cursed.

"What are we looking at?" The Captain gasped. "Gisela, drop everything and get down here."

I'll give her this; she didn't ask but rushed down, racing into the alcove, and nearly fell over when she saw the double doors. She ran her hand over the melted seam and eyeballed it professionally. "They didn't seal this by traditional means," Gisela began. "See the lack of patterns where someone with a focused jet would leave telltale marks. This results from an exothermic reaction between the metal and a chemical compound. I can't be sure, but the chemical was released when the doors were sealed and melted into a solid form."

"Wait, someone designed this to seal once they were closed?" The Captain asked. "First the mechanism to scuttle this ship, and now this... what the fuck is going on?"

"Have either of you heard of HOST?" I asked, getting two blank stares. "The Hermetic Order of the Silver Twilight is a secret society that Irene Watts had connections to as a member and financially. Irene was old money, like Old World aristocracy that bled blue blood. It looks like some sick ritual to me. I can't be sure, but we won't know until we open those doors."

"Leave that to me," Gisela said.

I needed time to breathe, speak with the others, and tell them what we found. As Gisela turned to the ship's schematics to see how thick the panic room doors were, I spoke with Theodore and Isabella about the doors and their condition. Both were shocked, and Isabella broke the silence after my revelation.

"Are there bodies behind those doors," she asked. Theodore went pale, and the silence returned.

"If that crazy bitch designed those doors to self-seal, anyone inside of there was doomed," Theodore said, finally. "What kind of sick fuck does that?"

"A Loki devotee," Isabella offered. "You are right; it screams ritualistic, and the obvious choice is the Trickster God."

"There is no such thing as dark magic," I said. "But people do heinous acts to appease their gods."

"The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, those poor Indigenous children in Canada and the United States," Theodore listed off horrific events from history. "All in the name of their god."

We had hours to wait until the drones breached the doors. The technicians and engineers went over the Khora Dhaine with a fine-toothed comb. They compared the schematics with reality, and more often than not, they were one-to-one. The last light of that first day was fading when Viv appeared, calling my name.

"Kenji? Can I ask you a question?" Viv said.

"I'm right here," I called out from my bathroom. "I am in the tub."

"Ooh, I don't have one of those," Viv said as she entered the bathroom and undressed. "Mmm, perfect temperature," she said as she sunk into the water.

"Is something bothering you," I asked.

"Yes," Viv said as she slid down until only the upper half of her head poked out of the water. She blew bubbles for a bit before continuing. "I think I found something. Midori, display the portion of the ship where I found the anomaly." Viv's AI assistant activated one of my small spherical drones, flew it from its recharge station, and showed the blueprint Viv had requested once it reached the tub. I looked at the space, gestured to rotate it at different angles, and shook my head.

"I don't get it," I said.

"I borrowed one of Gisela's drones. It has an advanced sensor package. Display scanner soundings," Viv said, and the hologram changed.

"What the fuck am I looking at," I asked, seeing the irregular image. What had once been a perfect empty cube was now a hidden room with what could be pillars and an altar. "Is it a hidden temple or chapel?"

"You see it too," Viv said. "Gisela is too busy in the lower decks, and I don't feel comfortable talking to the other engineers."

"I'll ask Aurora," I said. "She is Gisela's number one." I felt Viv's toes teasing me from under the water. Aurora Singh was a cute Indian engineer and clever to the core. If anyone could discover how to access this hidden room, it was her. An hour later, I left Viv sprawled on my bed under the covers, grinning softly as she drifted off to sleep. It took a bit to hunt down Aurora, who was in the control room as she monitored the drone's progress in cutting open the panic room. "Hey, Singh, can I ask a favor?"

"Sure, I am just a spare pair of eyes right now," Aurora said. "What is going on?"

"Viv, the quiet one, may have found a hidden room on the Khora Dhaine. I need your opinion on the data and if we can find and open it," I said.

"This ship keeps getting stranger and stranger," Aurora said. "Let's see what you got." I held up the drone Viv had borrowed and let it do its thing, displaying the two images side by side. Aurora tilted the holograms and nodded; with a clever gesture, she expanded the blank picture to see where it was located on the ship. "Let's go."

We crossed over to the derelict and hunted down the hidden room. Aurora had a habit of talking to herself, and in this case, it involved non-stop brainstorming in her native Punjabi language. My BMI translated on the fly using my subdermal implants located near my ears.

"... god I hate this; this hallway is exactly like the nightmare," Aurora said with an all-over shudder. I looked beyond her as we stalked down one of many nearly identical halls, and she was right. The nightmares I had been having sprang to life, and this was that hallway. "Maybe that priest had the right idea. We must find the vertical pipes; if the dream is right, the hidden mechanism is located there. Let me be wrong."

Aurora stopped and turned to face a narrow accessway between hallways. She hugged herself before stomping and pushing herself forward. The vertical pipes ran floor to ceiling, and I gasped.

"The dream was right," I said, and that caused Aurora to spin and face me. "You aren't the only one." Aurora flew into my arms, and I held her. I stroked her long, dark hair as she wept.

"I thought I was going insane," Aurora sobbed. "I've done my best to hold my shit together. Weeks! It has been weeks since these damn nightmares started."

"Three days," I said. "You must be more sensitive than most."

Once Aurora had recovered, she went straight to the lever that opened the secret door. We both shouted as a flood of seawater rushed out from the room. Four pillars framed the walls, and Watts had etched those strange characters in the Malcontentus on every surface. Aurora stepped back and pointed at the ornate mystical circle in the center of the room's floor. I recognized it from the pages of the tome. The altar drew my attention as I stared at the unusual material it was fashioned from. It seemed to be a blend of bone, stone, and crystal. The carvings on the altar were different, older somehow, and left a lasting impression. The crystalline portion of the altar revealed something inside, a petrified thing that didn't seem to fit into any form of life I had ever seen. Without warning, I grabbed Aurora by the wrist, dragged her from the room, and fled the Khora Dhaine.

Aurora returned to the control room to keep busy. I fled to my room just in time for Viv to sit up, screaming as the nightmare drove her to consciousness. I held her as she cried. Tears streaming down her face. Viv buried her head in my chest, and like Aurora, I stroked her hair and whispered soothing words.

"I don't want to stay here," Viv said between gasps for breath.

"How long have you been having these nightmares," I asked.

"Off and on, a year," Viv said. "They were once every two weeks or so at first. Since we got on this ship once a week, but this was the third one this week. They are getting worse."

"You aren't alone," I said. "We need to see who else might be having bad dreams."

I helped Viv take a shower; the nightmare so shook her. We dried off and dressed before heading for the control room. The central display showed the drone close to opening the panic room. I glanced around and didn't see Gisela. The other displays showed the other teams aboard the ship, but none of them had her among them. Where was she?

"Excuse me, Captain, I need the entire crew to assemble," I asked. "It is important."

The tall Italian made a thoughtful expression. "Okay, duty officer, give me a window when we can get everyone over here for Kenji."

Lucas Smith, a short, squat man who always smiled for everyone, gestured, and a spreadsheet appeared. A line flashed with a few swipes and other movements, and he displayed a time, six in the evening. "Thanks, Lucas," I said. "Captain."

Viv dove into her work to drive the memory of the nightmare from her thoughts. I had four hours to kill, and while cracking the code of the symbols inside the Malcontentus had once enticed me, it now felt like a horrible idea. Finding the Khora Dhaine had changed all of that, well, that and the nightmares. I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a sigh.

"I got our back," Gisela said, and I spun to embrace her. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. "What was that for?" She said after I broke the kiss.

"I am terrified," I admitted. "This is going to sound silly, but I have a bad feeling about this." I filled her in on Aurora, Viv, and the hidden shrine. Gisela entered the command center and checked on the drone cutting through the panic room doors.

"It is flooded," Gisela said, pointing. "See the water gushing out at the bottom?"

"What do you think is inside?" I asked, but Gisela shook her head. "I don't want to think about it either."

To pass the time until the meeting, I reviewed the engineering groups and their progress in mapping and exploring the Khora Dhaine.

"Whoa, look at this," one of the engineers exclaimed over the open channel. "This must be the Master Suite; look at the walls. Are you seeing this?" The drone following that team streamed the large sleeping quarters and the art hanging on the walls. The paintings were behind armored ultraviolet glass and still intact. "What should we do?"

"That looks like a Rembrandt," I said. "My Aunt is an art expert." The drone moved closer and filmed the painting head-on. "Can you rescue it and bring it back here?"

"We are in open waters; it is salvage," the Captain said. "Remove the paintings; by then, we'll sit down and have a chinwag."

"St. Archibald the Elder," said Giovani, the ship's chief AI. "It is listed as stolen from a private collection. The finder's fee is twenty million US dollars." The roar of approval from the Captain and crew was thunderous.

The drone panned to the second painting. The artist wasn't Rembrandt, but still very skilled at their craft. There was no identifying signature, and the subject matter was interesting. There were three male masked figures, and the color scheme united the trio. Each figure had one predominant color with a second hue corresponding to one of the other two. The central figure wore an ornate scarlet robe with black highlights--the figure to the right was dressed in a silver robe with red prominences. Lastly, the man on the left wore black and silver. Theodore cried out in surprise as he strode into the control room and saw the painting.

"The Three Masters," Theodore said in awe. "The man on the right is the Grandmaster, the one in the middle is the Eternal Master, and the final figure is the Hidden Master. One runs the day-to-day affairs; one guides the Order with a strategy developed over centuries, and then the one that protects the Order's secrets."

"How do you know these things," the Captain asked.

"I found a diary," Theodore whispered. "I can't verify the veracity of the diary, but it is encouraging that the painting and the diary seem to support each other. May I ask a favor?"

"What do you need, Theodore?" The Captain asked.

"I would like to date the painting. Can the engineering team aid in that endeavor?" The older man asked, his fingers interlacing and separating repeatedly. "I have to know."

"Of course, Professor," the Captain said, using Theodore's title. "Gisela? She is still busy. Aurora, will you?" Gisela was absent, so Aurora stepped in and promised to carefully sample the painting to date the materials and examine the style to determine the artist. The painting was unsigned, but several possibilities came to mind.

It took time for the panic room to drain of water. The drones cut through the corners once the last of the water trickled out. The Captain was satisfied that he had gathered all initial information the Khora Dhaine could provide. He stood on the railing looking out over the ocean and let out a deep, troubling sigh.

"Ah, Kenji," he said, greeting me. "What is your gut telling you?"

"Unless further evidence arises," I said. "It appears that Watts created a death trap. I am terrified of what we'll find in the panic room."

"Here," the Captain said as he made a swiping gesture and sent me the final engineer's report. The report was empty. "That is what Watt's left of the computer core. It has been wiped clean on a molecular level."

"What happened to the auto backup feature," I asked. "Wasn't that a thing back then?"

"She paid for a custom computer system and ensured that the system didn't maintain a constant link with the AI Counsel. That very feature is why it took a century to track the ship down. It is time. The floor is yours." The Captain and I returned to the control room, where most of the crew and technicians were present. "Settle down. Kenji wants to address us all, so show some respect."

"I have seen a pattern forming," I began. "I want to find out something. Have any of you had nightmares? A simple show of hands will do." All hands went up, and then, one by one, the crew shared the nocturnal images that had haunted their dreams.

"Claw marks. Bodies. Screams. Begging to be released. Pounding on a door. Flooding and drowning." There were nods and exclamations of agreement as the words tumbled out.

"Clang!" The loud metallic sound echoed over the distance between the two ships. The Captain cursed, and the ship's AI released a soft oops. He spun angrily to glare at the holographic avatar.

"What the fuck part of do not open the panic room until I give the Order? Did you not understand?" His voice was loud and bordering on a shriek.

"Apologies, Captain," the AI said. "Command override from headquarters was received and verified."

"Goddamn it, Shaw," Captain yelled. A new hologram activated, and James Shaw, the great-grandson of the founder of Numenor Technology, chimed in.

"Sorry, Leo," James said, clearly unphased by the Captain's anger. "I didn't send you out there to falter at the end."

"We had an agreement," Captain growled. "No micromanaging this project. I am activating the penalty clause of our contract."

"Pfft," James made a rude noise. "I want to see what is in that room. Send in the drones and do your job."

"Penalty clause initiated," the AI stated. "All objects salvaged belong to the crew, and your claim to them is forfeit, Sir."

"Big fucking deal," James snapped. "Show me the panic room's interior."

"Send in two drones, one to scan clockwise and the other counterclockwise," the Captain ordered.

"Activating full spectrum scanners," the AI announced. "Here we go, folks."

The drones entered on the opposite sides, and the details became clear instantly as they passed over the fallen doors. Sealife covered the interior walls with coral and an irregular surface beneath the marine plants and animals. There were murmurs among the crew.

"Why? How are they there?"

The rest of the ship had been untouched by the time in the ocean. Whatever alloy they had used had resisted the salt water and kept anything from attaching to the walls, ceilings, or floors. Yet, the interior of the panic room was covered entirely with marine life.

"What is the problem," James Shaw asked. "Why are you grumbling?"

"Sir," the AI answered his question. "One of the earliest reports we sent explained how the crew that refitted the ship covered every inch of the Khora Dhaine in an as yet unidentified alloy that resists ocean elements. That is why the ship is in such pristine condition."

"I must have missed that one," James muttered. "Huh, so why is the room in that condition?"

"That is the big question," I said.

"Who the fuck are you," James snapped. "Oh, wait, you are that historian guy. Sorry."

I shared a look with the Captain, and we both grinned. Gisela snuck into the control room and pressed her body against my back. "My pet project is finished. What am I looking at?"

"The interior of the panic room," I said and shivered when I felt her breath against my ear.

"Clearly, something removed that coating," Gisela said, stating aloud what many were thinking. The drone's slow spiral towards the floor only delayed the inevitable. Viv and Aurora screamed when the cluster of human remains came into view. "I knew it," Gisela whispered. "That evil bitch murdered her guests. Send the report to the AI Council now. Doctor Kim, you are up. Sorry, Captain."

"No," the older man said, his hand still over his mouth and the color drained from his face. "I knew it, but it doesn't lessen the shock."

"Kenji, you are leading the historians; come with me," Ha-Rin Kim asked. The middle-aged Korean woman requested my opinion on the state of the panic room. We stopped off long enough for me to grab a tool kit and a highly customized spherical drone, which Gisela had given me. The drone had been a passion project for Gisela; she poured all her craft and affection into its creation. The tools were the same; she had rented a forge with a small crucible attached to the workshop. Gisela had made the alloy for the slender objects and hand-forged them. Gisela's lovely singing voice had accompanied each blow of the hammer.

"Come on, Scooby," I said, and the drone rose from its recharge platform. Dr. Kim raised an eyebrow as the spotted robot rose with a soft whoosh of microjets. "My grandfather was a huge fan and often gave me toys, or we'd spend time during his visits to watch the original series."

I fought the tears trying to stream down my cheeks as I clung desperately to fond memories of my grandfather and even hummed the Scooby-Doo theme softly to keep away the images the nightmares had delivered. We crossed to the Khora Dhaine, walked down the steps to the main deck, and spied the fallen door on the stained deck. The sheer thickness of the panic room's outer door shocked and surprised me.

"Why," Dr. Kim asked. "Is any door that thick?" We approached slowly, and Ha-Rin crouched, ran her hand along the metal, and spoke. "What is this? And why are there three different colors?"

"The outer metal is the steel alloy door, and the thin, darker metal is the catalyst that fused the door to the inner frame," I said. I didn't need to explain the third alloy of the inner frame. "Scooby, document... scan the floor and try to identify the dead."

I shuddered when the drone emitted its programmed jovial response, "Rooby-Roo!" Dr. Kim pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head.

"Gisela programmed it to say that when its scan feature initiates," I explained. I didn't miss the hesitation as Ha-Rin stood, stepped on the door, and moved to the edge of the panic room's entrance.

"Professor, remind me, how long has this ship been underwater," Dr. Kim asked.

"Ninety-seven years and some change," I said. "Why?"

"How far down was it before being raised," she ignored my question and continued.

I had to access one of Gisela's reports before answering. "A little over a thousand meters, what scientists label the Bathypelagic layer. It is the one just above the abyssal layer; why?"

"Let's see," she said, pulling up a holographic window displayed by her eyeglasses. "1456 psi, at that depth, there shouldn't be much left of these corpses, and yet."

The bodies and skeletons were unbroken and relatively intact. Even though I had never studied anatomy or forensics, I saw something odd about the bodies. "Why are they different?"

"Good, you noticed the different states of decay and decomposition," Ha-Rin said. "Here, here, and here are the remains in the worst condition, yet tissue is still attached to the bones. The incredible thing is that the pressure should have pulverized the skeletons at that depth." She shook her head and clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"All done," the drone said in Scooby's cheerful voice. When I asked about recreating the interior of the panic room, the drone projected a hologram. It was color-coated so that I could view the separate layers as needed.

"That was quick," Dr. Kim said. "Let's take a look." She touched the blue icon, which showed the panic room as it would have appeared to the people who rushed into it for what they believed was safety. The surface was free of the sea growths and corpses. "Innocuous enough," she commented. The yellow icon revealed the bodies, coral, and other plants and animals affixed to the walls and ceiling. Ha-Rin's hand hesitated before she touched the red icon. I staggered back, and Dr. Kim let out a wail as her knees collapsed.

"There must be hundreds of them," I gasped.

"Tens of thousands," the drone corrected me, its voice low and sorrowful. "Human nails made them."

Claw marks, the lines, some shallow, others deep, had been gouged out by the victims within the panic room. The people inside the room had removed the alloy that should have protected the walls.

"There are marks in the ceiling," Ha-Rin wept. "How? That ceiling is twelve feet high."

"Unless they were floating while they clawed at the surface," I said. Dr. Kim's logical mind refused to acknowledge the possibility. "I know it is impossible, but the evidence is clear. The bare metal had allowed the coral and the rest to attach to the walls and ceiling." The drone had quoted an astronomical number of claw marks on the surface of the panic room walls. "They corralled the guests into the panic room somehow, maybe an external threat," I brainstormed.

"Pirates?" Dr. Kim offered, and I nodded.

I crouched and touched the top of the fallen door. "The doors closed, triggering the chemical reaction which soldered them shut in case someone inside figured out a way of opening them somehow." Ha-Rin shuddered and wrapped her arms around her torso in a comforting gesture. "Someone opened the doors in the lower portion of the hull, and the guests drowned when the pumps pulled water into the ship instead of out. Which means," I left the conclusion unspoken.

"Someone had survived the sinking," Dr. Kim blurted out. "That was nearly a century ago; they must be dead by now." There was a brief pause before she gathered herself and pointed at the bodies. "What do you notice?"

"Besides what you've already mentioned, let's see. They are in great shape for a century at a crushing depth. Hold on, the one at the back has more muscle and tissue than the others. Shouldn't that one be the same," I asked.

Dr. Kim was in her element now and sorted the corpses into six decomposition groups. "It goes against everything we know about the process, which is above and beyond the obvious. Something is going on, and it goes against nature. What I understand of maritime law and corpses found on vessels means that this is a grave. We need to return the ship to the depths. I am sure the Captain will agree with me on this."

"Let's get back," I said as the sun neared the horizon. "I don't want to be here when it gets dark."

I nervously laughed as he raced to the crossover point, and we reached the science vessel as the sun began to set. We panted as we caught our breath like kids running out of a dark basement. The fear was real but had not yet reached the level of panic. Dr. Kim and the Captain huddled together as she told him what we had found, and I watched him nod. I sought out Gisela and Viv to make sure they were safe. The lingering pang of fear clung to me like a second shadow. Gisela was in her room and looking satisfied with herself.

"Did your masturbation session go well," I asked, and she laughed. "You look smug and satisfied." Gisela's expression darkened for a moment before she forced a smile.

"I'm hungry; let's get a bite before I drag you to your room and we get busy. I need you to hold me," Gisela said, and I offered her a hand.

"Let's go," I said, and we found Viv in the doorway.

"I'm hungry too," Viv said with a shy smile. The three of us went to the galley, and Cook, Ken Sato, fixed us pancakes while asking about what we found on the Khora Dhaine.

"The Captain was here earlier," Sato said. "He looked upset."

"There were bodies in the panic room," I said but left it at that. "The pancakes are tasty."

"Can I sit with you guys until someone shows up for food?" Sato asked, and we gestured to a seat next to me. Sato was from Tokyo, with dark eyes and his first bit of grey hair dusting his temples. "About the nightmares," Sato began, leading the conversation for a while. He stopped suddenly, looking beyond the ladies, and started to rise and then stopped. "I thought I saw someone at the doorway. They are gone now."

Sato eventually left and returned to his spot in the kitchen. He sang as he prepped for the evening meal for the rest of the crew. His assistant arrived, and they were ready to feed everyone together. Viv, Gisela, and I returned to my room for a night of passion and falling asleep together on my bed. We had closed the doors and windows, and despite the tropical location, I shivered and woke long enough to grab blankets to cover us. The nightmare was worse than ever, and the three of us woke simultaneously with cries on our lips. To drown out the terror, we took a shower together and washed each other.

"Kenji," the Captain called from outside. "When you finish with your debauchery, we need to talk."

"Aye-aye, Captain," I yelled. Half an hour later and with multiple orgasms all around, I met the Captain in the control room. My wet hair and wicked grin made the Italian smile briefly.

"I plan on sinking the Khora Dhaine," he said. "Legally, it is a grave that must be returned to the depths. What are your thoughts?"

"Don't hesitate, and ensure no one ever raises it again," I croaked. "Sorry, damn, nightmares are getting worse."

The Captain's hand settled on my shoulder. "You aren't alone." He began barking orders, and the crew flew into reversing what had brought the ship to the surface. "Let's send this heinous bitch back to the bottom, but first, let's have a nice breakfast and work on a full stomach."

"Captain, I was about to tell you," one of the crew approached him.

"Tell me what?" The Captain asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Cook is missing," the young man said. "I went to his bunk, but it looks like he didn't sleep there last night."

The Captain touched his subdermal implant and activated the ship's PA system. "This is the Captain; I want a search for Sato and a head count. We find him and make sure no one else is missing. Move it, people." I was about to join the search when the Captain's hand settled onto my shoulder again. He shook his head and then addressed the ship's AI. "Giovanni, I want every drone on this vessel, whether it flies, walks, crawls, or slithers, to be part of the search. Also, I need you to please review all security footage to help locate Cook."

Giovanni spent twenty minutes scanning the last twenty-four hours of footage. For an AI, that is like viewing every frame individually for up to a minute at a time. Granted, digital and physical, or meat time, were far different. People first noticed the difference in the development of full-dive technology and games. You could spend an hour in-game, log out, and discover only five minutes had passed. This contrast earned the names of Meat and Digital Times.

The Captain and I leaned against the railing, watching how the light danced across the waves. His words came low and easy, describing his nightmares, my nightmares; they were the same. I admitted that I hadn't had the balls to discuss my dreams until now. It quickly became a brainstorming session as we compared elements we remembered individually and collectively.

"How is this possible," the Captain asked.

"What is really going to blow your mind is when the entire crew starts comparing notes," I said.

He didn't have a rebuttal and only shook his head in disbelief. I shared his growing unease. I remembered dashing back to the science vessel yesterday. The doctor and I were gasping as we watched the sunset and that sense of being watched. I hesitated, but after a short pause, I told the Captain about the feeling of dread.

"The sooner we sink that ship," I said.

"The better I'll feel," the Captain finished my thought. "Giovanni? Got anything for me?"

"Yes and no," the ship's AI responded.

"What the hell does that mean?" The Captain asked with an edge to his voice.

"Observe," Giovanni said as they opened a holographic window. "This is when the effect began." The footage was from when Cook joined us while we ate pancakes last night. We watched as Sato rose and then sat back down. The view shifted and showed the doorway. The feed stuttered and looked grainy for a bit, while the camera captured a dark silhouette in the doorway. Just as quickly as the static began, the figure vanished without appearing to move. "Regard." The timestamp in the upper corner of the screen shows Sato alone in the kitchen. He was cleaning up after finishing prep for today's breakfast. His back was to the doorway.

"Sato." A voice said. After a short delay, Sato vanished during a moment of severe static.

"What is the source of the distortion?" I asked.

"Unknown, sensors detect a build-up of magnetic fields, but I cannot isolate their location," Giovanni said. "Warning: Weather pattern detected on the edge of the ship's external sensors. Tropical storm warning. The weather front will arrive in two days."

"Okay, time to sink that bitch and head home," Captain said. "Where is the Cook?"

"He isn't on this vessel," Gisela said.

"I'll volunteer to search the Khora Dhaine," I said, not liking it, but someone had to do it. Gisela flinched but kissed me, looked me in the eyes, and, after the kiss, said that she had a project to finish. "I'll be back," I promised.

"You are right, of course," the Captain said. "Let's keep this smart, two teams, one to search and the other to sink that cursed bitch back into the abyss."

A drone accompanied each person with a new protocol programmed by Giovanni. In the event of any signs of interference, an alarm would sound. I felt relieved that Gisela would be safe on board the science vessel. Viv went with me and stuck close as we took the upper deck, the bridge, and the main deck.

"The power plant has been repaired and brought up to speed," Viv stated as she looked at the monitors. "It is running at eighty-six percentile." Her fingers danced over a virtual keyboard. "There is a power drain, but I can't trace it. Uploading Gisela One." I watched a progress bar change color from red to yellow to green. "Done." With a final flourish, she finalized the new program and added it to the antiquated system.

"What was that," I asked, and Viv shrugged.

"Didn't ask, and Gisela didn't offer," Viv giggled. "I trust her completely, and you... I love you." A metallic groan ran through the ship, and I felt it through my feet. The color drained from her face, and I hugged her tightly.

"I love you, too," I said defiantly. The noise was louder, and the vibration stronger. "Let's find Cook."

We joined with one of the other teams, and I led the way to the panic room. I needed to ensure that the bodies were still there. I had this nagging fear that they weren't as dead as they pretended to be, as impossible as it sounded. No one else wanted to get anywhere near the corpses, and I didn't blame them. Seeing the hologram was terrible enough for them, but I needed to see with my eyes to be sure. I shivered despite the tropical heat; the psychic cold forced me to rub my arms to warm myself. I stepped onto the fallen door and slowly moved forward until I could see the entirety of the panic room.

"The bodies are still here," I said, and before I could turn and leave, I noticed the change. "Run. Back to the ship. Kenji to the engineers, are you finished?" I yelled as I touched my subdermal implant. "Chime in, now."

"Done and dusted," one of the engineers declared. "We are out of here."

I performed a head count, and no one was missing. We crossed over, and that's when I saw them, the clouds. They weren't storm clouds, thank god, but they were thick enough to blot out the sun. We heard the creaking metal, and it only got louder the thicker the shadows became. The Captain grinned and raised his hand to gesture to start the process. The explosions rocked the Khora Dhaine and weren't part of the plan.

"Gisela," Captain roared. "Report."

"We have severe power fluctuations," Gisela said. "Power plant is stable, but... goddamn it, they severed the cables to the scuttling doors and the pumps. We can't sink her that way. Initiating Gisela two."

The white, puffy clouds began to turn grey, and a light rain fell. I looked at Gisela, and only then did I notice that she was sopping wet and wearing her bikini. The slingshot design was just this side of obscene; I loved it. Gisela caught me staring and thrust out her chest and nearly freed both breasts.

"She is so fucking hot," Viv said, but her voice trembled as another round of metallic groans echoed from the other ship. "Kenji, we have ten minutes." Her gaze, like most of the crew, was skyward. "What did you see in the panic room?"

"Yes, son," the Captain asked. "What did you see?"

"I found Cook," I said, my lower lip quivering and tears streaming down my cheeks. "We need to go. Gisela...." She was gone. Viv took my hands in hers and shoved something into my grasp.

"She said you'd know when the time was right," Viv whispered. "I trust you with my life."

"Raise the anchor, spin up the engines," the Captain barked orders, and everyone went to their posts while the rest of us kept an eye on the Khora Dhaine. The science vessel lurched forward as the anchor rose from the depths. The sky darkened faster, and Viv corrected her estimate.

"They are coming," Viv whimpered like a child afraid of the dark. "The dreams. They live in the shadows."

"I know," Theodore gasped. "We aren't going to make it, are we."

"We have to have faith," I said as the floor vibration stopped. The ship's forward momentum faltered and then stopped. "No."

"The power plant is at one hundred percent, but the engines are dying," a technician announced. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Goddamnitalltohell," the Captain screamed. "Gisela."

"Trust me," Gisela's voice drifted to us via our implants. "I knew this was going to happen, the dreams."

"Do we need to use it?" Captain asked.

"We can't," Gisela said. "I had to disable it."

The Captain looked like the chief engineer had cut his legs out from beneath him. "We are dead in the water," he momentarily paused and glared at the ghost ship. "What the fuck now?" The fog began to boil from behind the Khora Dhaine, envelope the vessel, and head our way.

"Icy rain meets warm ocean water," Viv said. The rain turned to sleet and began pelting the science vessel.

The world vanished as the cloud rose from skimming the ocean's surface to climbing up and over our ship. "Fuck you, John Carpenter," I cursed.

"Movement detected," Giovanni announced over the speakers. "Initiating Gisela five."

A new and comforting thrum rumbled from below. "Give me tactical display," I growled as I touched my implant. The fog vanished as I viewed the world via the mother drone hovering beside me. I gripped Gisela's gift in my hand tighter and waited. While Giovani called out their proximity to our ship, I saw them. "Just a little closer," I whispered. Viv pressed her glorious breasts against my back while Theodore and Isabella each gripped an arm for support. "When I tell you to close your eyes, do it."

"Kenji," Cook's voice sliced through the fog. "You can't escape. None of you can."

"I'm sorry, Sato," I said, seeing his dead eyes glaring at me. "Now." I looked on as the others clenched their eyes closed. The timed detonations ripped through the Khora Dhaine's hull at and below the waterline. Gisela had picked key structural locations to bring the hell ship back where it belonged, the bottom of the ocean. The Abominations stopped, caught between the desire to add to their numbers and whatever power bound them to the vessel, so they hesitated. The digital display on the remote control reached zero. The powerful spotlights, aimed at that side of the ship, tore through the spectral beings and sent them screaming back to the wreck.

"Sink, damn you," the Captain shrieked. The weather shifted just then, and the brunt of the tropical storm struck. We were dead in the water with the side of the ship pointing at the oncoming waves.

"Rogue wave," Giovanni said. "Time to impact, two minutes."

"Goddamn it, Gisela," Captain screamed. "You've murdered us."

"I don't understand," I said, not taking my eyes from the sinking ship.

"Numenor installed an emergency escape portal below decks," the Captain explained. "Gisela took it offline for some reason or another."

"I trust her," I said. "If anyone can pull our asses out of the fire, it is her."

"Impact in ninety seconds," Giovanni's countdown was relentless.

"I love you," Viv said, pressing harder against me. "I can see it, the wave."

"Power plant output reaching one hundred and twenty percent," a technician called out.

"She's up to something," the Captain growled.

"Impact in sixty seconds," Giovanni said.

"I can see it, too," Theodore grimaced.

"Wait, I can hear it," Isabella said. "It is creaking."

She was correct; the rogue wave had reached the Khora Dhaine and shoved it toward us. The tactical sight combined with the floodlights let me see it racing towards us.

"Impact in thirty seconds," Giovani said. "Underwater object detected."

"Trust me," Gisela whispered to me alone. "I love you."

"Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen...." The countdown was relentless. "Ten, command Kenji One received and accepted. Dumping power into the portal matrix."

The roar of the waves and ocean vanished in a single moment. I blinked away the spots from the moment of transition and stared out at the sun rising from the water.

"Establishing GPS location," Giovani said. "We are off the coast of Brazil."

I raced below decks and found the burnt corpse before the portal interface. The makeshift power cable clutched in their hands. Smoke still rose from the body, and I screamed as my knees collapsed. "Gisela!"

"She sacrificed herself for us," Viv wept as she knelt beside me. As we watched, her body crumbled to ash and then, after a few moments, vanished utterly. "The event horizon must have disrupted the bonds holding her together. How horrible."

"It was Sato," Gisela said as she stepped from the shadows. "He was about to attack me when he grabbed the two ends of the cable and connected them. Cook saved us, not me."

"But you meant to," I said, and she nodded.

Viv and I embraced Gisela, and I never wanted to let go. The emotions, the terror, and the thought of losing Gisela overwhelmed me. Tears were only the beginning; the scream felt like it would last forever. Gisela and Viv clung tighter, and their touch and words soothed the anguish. I nearly collapsed, but their proximity kept me from falling over.

"Where are we," Gisela asked.

"Two miles off the coast of Brazil," I said.

"Perfect," said Gisela. "I know the best restaurants, clubs, and places to escape the nightmares. "Let's pack our stuff and get out of here once we dock."

Afterward:

The Captain and crew breathed a sigh of relief as the coast grew closer by the moment. That is when Giovani manifested using a holographic avatar. He appeared in the visage and uniform of a sea captain from a bygone era.

"May I have your attention, please," Giovani said, addressing everyone. "Before we dock, Mr. Shaw would like to finalize some business to ensure your silence about what occurred during this voyage. Numenor Technology will generously compensate only if everyone signs the agreement and you allow Mr. Shaw to purchase both paintings at a price far above market value." At that, Theodore let out a hiss of anger. I thought about it, and the color drained from my face. Theodore nodded, and we both understood what was behind Shaw's desire to buy the paintings. He didn't care about the Rembrandt; it was the portrait of the Three Masters. Was Shaw a member of the Order? It made sense from what I had learned from the text of the Malcontentus. I wanted to share what I had read, but that burden was my alone.

"I want to make a counteroffer," I said to Giovani. "Shaw, I know you are listening. I think I speak for everyone when I say this, and we agree with everything except the paintings. Those we want to hold onto as an investment. They will only get more valuable with time."

The hologram changed, and a smirking Shaw appeared. "I miss negotiating," Shaw said. "What do you really want, Kenji?"

"I am a historian; my mother has an art background, as you know," I said. "Do you think I'd pass up the opportunity to learn as much as possible about both of them?" There, for just a moment, Shaw's face flashed fear but quickly covered it with an unreadable expression. "The Three Masters especially intrigues me and what they might represent." Shaw blanched and blurted out a nine-digit figure to buy the paintings. The Captain and crew gasped and looked expectantly at me. "Fine, but Gisela has something to say before we seal the deal."

"Gisela," Shaw said, turning to face her.

"Motherfucker," she snapped. "You handpicked everyone here because of the nightmares, isn't it?"

"Yes," Shaw admitted. "I spoke with Watts, and she told me what to look for if we raise the Khora Dhaine. She was against it and warned me not to meddle with sleeping giants."

"You had to know," Gisela said, her voice softening a bit. "I get it. I don't agree or condone your actions, but I understand. So, what did Watts's granddaughter have to say?"

"You misunderstand me," Shaw said. "I spoke with Irene Watts, the Irene Watts, she will be celebrating her one hundredth and thirty-fifth birthday this year. She looks to be in her twenties." Now, it was my turn to feel ill. "Yes, the woman that gave you her copy of the Malcontentus was Irene. I'll let you figure out the rest. What did you want, Gisela, or was that all?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I reversed my changes to the portal generator. The technology is pure genius, by the way," Gisela said.

"Why are you telling me this," Shaw asked. "Giovani observed you the entire time. I can use that to reproduce your work."

"Initiate Gisela Protocol 69," she said, and the thrum of the ship's engines stalled as the entire boat rebooted. Giovani gasped, and its voice seemed confused.

"Wait, what happened to the last few days," Giovani said just before Shaw reasserted his connection, furious.

"Do you know what you've done," Shaw was screaming and red-faced.

"Jeez, Shaw, relax. It is just a few days of memory, and I isolated it to Giovani and the personal AIs of the crew," Gisela casually said.

"No, you didn't," Shaw roared. "They are part of a continuous network and tied up the chain to the AI Council. You wiped three days of memory from the entire collective."

"Oh, shit," Gisela laughed. "Hey, tell you what: you blame it on a rogue solar pulse and are working on hardening the AI against future disruptions. Call it an act of an Elder God."

Shaw stopped his pacing, and his face smoothed. "That might just work; you are hired. Anyone who can hotwire my portal tech and hack the AI collective should work for me." Gisela looked at me; I leaned in close and whispered in her ear. "What does he want?"

"Kenji wants full, unfettered access to the Vatican Archives," Gisela said. "I'd consider it a personal favor from my new boss."

"I can do that," Shaw laughed. "Are you done with your demands?" I looked around, and everyone nodded. We digitally signed the agreement, docked the ship an hour later, and disembarked. An SUV with darkened windows took possession of the paintings, but I had what I needed.

"What are we going to do for the next month?" Gisela asked.

"I am retired for now," Viv said. "I want to continue spending time with you and Kenji."

"Me, I am heading for Rome," I said. "Gisela?"

"I negotiated a month of vacation," she said. "But, I can work anywhere. So, while you are in the Vatican, Viv and I can see the sights and get to know each other better."

"But we are already familiar...." Viv began, and then Gisela whispered in her ear. "Oh, OH, silly me. Count me in."

Rome: Two Days Later

I received the notification from the Vatican, including the wax seal. We portaled to Rome, and were set up just outside Vatican City. Our arrangement was frowned upon, but they didn't deny me access. I urged Viv and Gisela to accompany me on the first day. I kept my plan to myself. I saw him waiting as we walked across the space before the Vatican. I tried and failed to keep the smile from my face. We angled out path to approach him from behind.

"Father?" I asked as he spun to face us. "Correction, Cardinal, congratulations."

"It is him," Viv gasped in surprise.

"Yeah, he is the one who checked out my ass," Gisela said loud enough for the area's acoustics to carry her voice everywhere.

"Kenji," he exclaimed. "Gisela, please. Who is your friend?"

"My friends call me Viv," Viv replied. "They took you back. I overheard you and Kenji talking."

"Nice to meet you," the Cardinal said. "Kenji, why are you here?" I handed him the invitation signed by the Pope. "Holy shit, I'll be damned." I laughed so hard I had to wipe tears from my eyes. "Okay, but why did you request a meeting?"

"Come now, Cardinal, or do I address you as your Grace? Anyway, we need to have a nice long talk. You missed the show."

"Oh," he said, nodding. "This way."