Phase 06
David's Perspective
"She is Hillary Étienne Walker, an individual occupying a prominent position," I bitterly smirked when Unknown provided me with information about the woman I feared the most.
"She still clings to her family name," I mused, recalling the exact phrase she once uttered to me.
'Carrying your father's surname is a curse.'
"What is your connection with her?" Unknown inquired.
"She is merely a person from my past whom I once trusted," I responded, abruptly ending the conversation.
While I lack comprehensive knowledge of the events that unfolded between her and my father, one thing remains certain— their relationship was far from perfect. It felt as though I were an accidental creation, raised amidst violence and nightmares. Yet, this doesn't diminish the trust I still hold for her. Despite the trauma she inflicted upon me, she comprehends me in a way that no one else ever could. I love her, and she holds immense importance in my life. That's why, no matter how she scarred me in the past, I yearn for her presence. She is my mother, my solace.
"Group by mistake—" I was abruptly awakened from my deep contemplation as the radio alarm reverberated, reminding me of our team's name.
"David, please report to the office," Vincent's voice echoed through the radio. I hastily donned my coat and made my way to the office, where Vincent and the inquisitive engineer awaited.
"I didn't know she arrived yesterday," Kevin remarked, engrossed in a conversation with Vincent.
"Who is she?" I interjected, making my presence known.
"Lady Étienne," Vincent curtly replied, still not diverting his attention towards me. I chose to remain silent and listen to their exchange.
"I heard Mandryx will be joining us as well," Kevin mentioned, capturing my interest with the name.
"He is the youngest among the higher-ups, so he must accompany the eldest. He is the only one they trust," Vincent responded.
"Anyway, weren't we supposed to discuss the saber with Dreamer?" Kevin suddenly remembered, ever the gossipmonger.
"Where is h—" I smirked sarcastically at Vincent, expecting him to inquire about my whereabouts.
"Why didn't you inform us of your arrival?" the nosy engineer queried, causing my eyes to roll.
"I did reply to you earlier," I hissed.
"That was you? I thought it was Frans," he replied, sounding surprised.
"So, what about the saber?" I interjected, steering the conversation back to the topic at hand.
"Here, this is the image I captured," Vincent replied, displaying his laptop screen. The image depicted numerous elongated, glowing strands of seaweed.
"Do they possess lethal or harmful properties?" I asked, anxiety seeping in as I recalled the jellyfish.
"I have observed and studied them for a week. They are not inherently harmful but rather poisonous," Vincent's response dulled my curiosity.
"Not harmful but poisonous, how intriguing," Kevin sarcastically remarked.
"Allow me to clarify. Only a fraction of them are harmful. If you avoid touching the ones that glow red, you'll remain unharmed. The majority of them emit white light, facilitating easy differentiation. Additionally, they don't naturally glow but rather respond to unbalanced forces acting upon them," Vincent's explanation perplexed me, further adding to the confusion.
"How can we identify the non-glowing poisonous ones? And how can we avoid harming ourselves when we need to touch them to make them glow?" I asked, utterly perplexed.
"I never mentioned the need to touch them. We can employ drones to disturb them, triggering their luminescence," Vincent clarified, alleviating my concerns.
Our dispute didn't endure for long, as minutes later Vincent concluded his discussion about the saber, and we departed from the office. En route to the airlock, Kevin incessantly expounded on the intricacies of diving outside. Clad in our diving suits, I trudged along uncomfortably due to their weight. The two of them argued incessantly, and I, lacking any understanding of their conversation, found myself unable to contribute. We arrived at the main area, where we planned to exit into the pool.
Upon entering, I noticed a transparent office located at the central top of the area, serving as the head officer's workspace. Brianna stood there with an unfamiliar individual and Frans. Spotting me, Frans waved, but my own carelessness led me to collide with someone. I stumbled to the floor, unnoticed by the surrounding individuals. As I looked up, seeking the person who extended a hand to help me up, an icy coldness engulfed me, draining the blood from my veins. I promptly rose to my feet unaided, intentionally ignoring the outstretched hand. Facing the person, I maintained my usual demeanor, though seeing them made me wish to vanish.
"I apologize, sir," I feigned ignorance.
"Raiden," the individual, who shattered the bridge between us, noticed my name as they grasped my arm, evoking an overwhelming sense of discomfort. I played the fool.
"Pardon?" I acted confused, causing their neutral expression to transform into bewilderment.
"Mandryx," they began to say, but the nosy engineer interrupted before they could continue. Sensing his hand on my arm, I swiftly removed it, putting some distance between us.
"Engineer," Mandryx replied, secretly eyeing me.
"Apologies for our junior's clumsiness," the President suddenly appeared, shielding me from Mandryx as if I posed a threat.
"It's alright. Where are you headed?"
"Outside. We are going to collect the saber's sample that I reported to you last month."
"With this junior?"
"Yes, we wish to train him outside."
Uninterested in their further conversation, I turned my back to them, donned my helmet to drown out the surrounding noise, and made my way to the pool. I sat on a nearby bench, planning to await the arrival of the other two. Several minutes later, Frans approached the bench. I removed my helmet and plastered a customary smile on my face, disguising my troubled mood.
"Is he—" I was caught off guard by his question. Even though he didn't complete his sentence, I understood his gesture, implying a connection between Mandryx and me. A sudden punch to the throat rendered me speechless, and I could only stare at him in response.
"I— I noticed his ring. It's the same as yours," he remarked, causing me to instinctively avert my gaze. I knew what he was referring to—the ring necklace that he must have seen in Mandryx's possession.
"D-Don't mention it to anyone," I whispered, almost inaudibly.
"I won't. So—?" I smiled at him, then shook my head, signaling my disagreement with sharing further information.
"I'll tell you next time," I said before bidding him farewell, observing Vincent and Kevin on the other side of the pool, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
The buried story from the distant past should remain undisturbed. I am not prepared to revisit that unfair situation. I have already endured enough suffering; I do not seek more. Mandryx's presence here doesn't surprise me, as we parted ways for this mission. What surprises me is the position he achieved—something he had long aspired for, but not as an engineer.
"Where have you been?" Kevin inquired as I joined them.
"Over there," I pointed to Frans, who was waving in our direction.
"Let's go. We are wasting too much time," Vincent said after we returned the gesture to Frans.
With our helmets secured, we checked each other's suits before diving into the pool. Upon reaching the pool's depths, we entered the airlock and waited for it to transport us outside. As we emerged from the airlock, a chilling sensation enveloped me. Ignoring the unease, I matched the pace of the others.
"What are those for?" I asked, pointing to the tubes held by divers throughout the area.
"Plants. Replacements for what we have used," Vincent replied.
"Do the plants attract any creatures?" I inquired, recalling my previous sighting.
"None. Stop concerning yourself with those tubes," his response carried a tone of irritation.
I couldn't fathom why my questions provoked his irritation; they were merely driven by curiosity. Choosing to remain silent, I followed their lead. As we swam further away from the lab, darkness engulfed us. Five drones encircled us, securing our path through the darkness. Unable to discern anything in our surroundings, I swam with a sense of paranoia, as if sent to war with only a single bullet. Yet, I knew better than to entertain such thoughts. If this route were perilous, Vincent wouldn't have led us here.