Shrouded Seascape

Shh... shh... shh…

An eerie sound echoed in the surroundings as Charles stepped on the uneven ground with his boots.

A large ground of mice circled the group of humans, their whiskers twitching as they kept a vigilant eye on the pitch-black surroundings.

Charles and his group had disembarked on the meteorite island. Fully prepared, they were extremely vigilant as they headed to the "table" under the scouting mice's lead.

Click!

Charles opened his slightly chipped golden pocket watch to check the time before slipping it back into his coat.

Exactly two months had passed and today was the day of the meeting he had arranged with T. If the Foundation had agreed to T's proposal, their representatives should already be on this island.

The island was on the smaller side, and it didn't take long before Charles spotted the table Lily had mentioned.

A square metal table was nestled between two objects that looked like black fighter jets. Apart from that, there was no sign of any human activity in the area.

The table gleamed a silver sheen under the flashlight's beam and looked impeccably clean. There was only a single item on the table—a white tablet about the size of two hands. The screen remained pitch-black; it was probably powered off.

Squeak! Squeak squeak!

Perched on Grace's palm, Lily tilted her head upward and let out a series of squeaks. A couple of mice scurried over to the tablet to inspect it for any potential threat.

"There's no need for that. If the Foundation wanted to do something to us, they have more ways than tampering with a tablet," Charles commented as he stepped forward to the table.

Standing in front of the table, he extended his metal prosthetic arm and picked up the tablet. With a gentle press of the power button, the screen lit up, accompanied by a pleasant startup chime.

Soon enough, a familiar yet foreign face appeared on the screen before Charles.

"Captain, do you remember me? Long time no see; surely you haven't forgotten me, have you?"

It was Feuerbach, the former Second Mate of the Narwhale, appearing on the screen with his signature radiant smile.

Charles wasn't surprised to see Feuerbach's on the screen. With a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, he replied, "Did the Foundation send only you for such an important matter? It seems like you are of a pretty high status within the Foundation."

Feuerbach waved his hands humbly. Holding back a chuckle, he said, "Captain, you flatter me. There's no high or low here. We're all working toward the same goal, after all. We just have different roles to play; there's no distinction between ranks."

"Get someone who has the authority to make decisions to talk to me. I don't like to deal with a messenger."

It wasn't a good sign that the other side hadn't send anyone of importance when it was a matter of collaboration.

"Don't worry, Captain. All the members of the GK Council are watching you right now. It's just that it's not that convenient for them to come out and meet you in person at the moment," Feuerbach remarked.

Charles inhaled a deep breath to maintain his calm. "Let's get straight to the point then. What's the Foundation's stance? Are we cooperating or not?"

Charles' question was like a vice grip that tightened around the hearts of the crew members holding flashlights behind him as they waited anxiously for the response.

"We agree to your cooperation request. You're right. Under current circumstances, it's pointless clinging to our secrecy protocols. Because of you, the existence of the Foundation is now an open secret across the entire Subterranean Sea," Feuerbach said, stretching lazily.

Charles maintained a stoic expression. However, his right hand clenched tightly in response, betraying the surge of joy that roused within him. With the two forces united, their chances of saving the Subterranean Sea had been significantly increased.

However,Charles' elation was cut short abruptly as Feuerbach continued, "In exchange, there's one condition that we'd like to request of you."

Charles was taken aback. Since they had agreed to the cooperation, why were they raising a condition now? What could the humans of the Subterranean Sea probably have that that Foundation, with its advanced technology, couldn't obtain?

"Is there something that the denizens of the Subterranean Sea have that the Foundation doesn't?" Charles asked, his voice laced with incredulity.

Letting out a chuckle, Feuerbach replied, "As a matter of fact, there is. Your daughter, Sparkle. We've tried numerous experiments but all of which failed in replicating her. She is a miracle."

Charles' brow instantly furrowed as warning bells sounded in his mind.

"Send your daughter to us. We need to conduct various tests on her. Of course, be rest assured that it will be perfectly safe, and we won't harm her in any way."

Charles dismissed the last sentence as utter bullshit. The Foundation's experiments were anything but safe.

"Saving the Subterranean Sea comes with conditions? Does working together with mankind mean nothing to you? Isn't it the Foundation's mission to protect the interests of mankind?" Charles questioned, anger apparent in his voice.

A hint of distress crossed Feuerbach's face. "Captain, I'm just a clone conveying the message. There's no use saying all that to me."

As soon as Feuerbach's last words fell, a metallic blue light flickered in his eyes. When he parted his lips to speak once more, his voice had changed. It became a magnetic, mechanical voice that sounded like both male and female.

"Charles, you claim you can sacrifice everything for the sake of the Subterranean Sea. Why are you hesitating when your own daughter is now involved?"

"Yes, I can sacrifice everything for the sake of the Subterranean Sea. But sacrificing for the sake of the Foundation is a completely different story. And who are you, exactly?" Charles retorted.

"I'm K9," Feuerbach's image on the screen answered with a smile.

"Impossible! A thousand years ago, K9 and the others had merged together to become the Light God!" Charles countered.

"K9 is just a title, much like you being the captain of the Narwhale, If you die, someone else will take your place to be known as the new captain of the Narwhale."

Sparkle's adorable face flashed through Charles' mind. He pondered for a few moments before leaning forward and said, "K9, I accept your condition. But, you must send me the list of tests, and my people will conduct the tests on Sparkle. That is, if they are really harmless."

Under the control of K9, Feuerbach shook his head. "Governor Charles, you seem to be misunderstanding something. In our current situation, you are the ones seeking our help, not the other way around, so you are in no position to negotiate anything.

"Perhaps, you might be thinking that you are aiding us by searching for the darkness. No. Instead, you are just causing us trouble.

"We never held any hopes for the denizens of the Subterranean Sea. In our eyes, all of you are Stone Age apes. When 007 opened that door, we'd already calculated every possible scenario and prepared accordingly while you continued your ignorant existence in the Subterranean Sea.

"Our time is precious, so please don't waste our time and make your decision quickly. Of course, you can turn down our request. Once we have finished dealing with the darkness, we'll find a way to bring her to us. But by that time, things aren't going to be so simple and straightforward, " K9 concluded; their tone was firm and unyielding, with no room for negotiation whatsoever.

Charles could feel the needle-like gazes of his crew piercing him from behind.

"I…"

"We don't agree!" A resolute voice from behind Charles cut him off. The voice had come from Anna.