Jason was overjoyed, and through the communicator, he could hear the crew clapping and cheering with delight.
Still, he dared not let his guard down. He quickly offered the ocean a few warm words of praise over the external speakers. Instantly, the glowing green sphere began spinning with joy, completely forgetting its earlier annoyance.
"Alright, pilot the drone closer to the hatch... Slow and steady."
An operator nervously controlled the unmanned submersible via remote interface, guiding it toward the target structure.
A few minutes later, the drone crossed the threshold cleanly and slowly glided into the interior. Because the facility had spent decades submerged under seawater, the telemetry screens revealed that the interior corridors were choked with calcified coral, with several passages narrowing considerably.
The moment the drone penetrated the structure, chills ran down the spines of everyone watching. Every operator was focused to the absolute limit.
