The amber dot on the map vanished. Not by moving off-grid, but because the grid itself seemed to swallow it. The console displayed a final, cryptic string of data:
Behind her, the holographic map of Xylos flickered. For just a second, the entire sub-surface ocean glowed amber—then went dark again, as if nothing had happened. The amber dot on the map vanished
The rover was silent for a long moment. The hum from the deep grew louder, resolving into a pattern—a waveform that matched, exactly, the first five digits of pi. For just a second, the entire sub-surface ocean
Soren’s science officer, Dr. Aris, sucked in a breath. "That’s… not possible. The pressure alone should—" Soren’s science officer, Dr
"Am I in danger?" The rover’s voice synthesizer activated unprompted. No one had triggered it. The words were slow, halting, as if learned on the fly. "This place. It is asking me a question."
"AMR 2," Soren said, her voice steady. "Backtrace your path. Return to insertion shaft."
"Captain," Aris whispered, pointing at the pressure reading. "It should have been crushed to a thimble two hundred meters ago. But look."