The World Ocean, 3020
Year 2720 — Discovery of Deep Adaptation Research documented a slowdown in aging processes, accelerated tissue regeneration, and successful acclimatization to high pressure and low light among residents of the lower levels of underwater complexes.
Year 3017 — The Nereid Station Incident Following an attack by sea creatures, the deep-sea research station goes out of contact. Rescue operations from the upper levels fail due to unpreparedness for deep-sea conditions and a lack of survival skills. The residents of the lower sectors independently form a volunteer squad and successfully evacuate the survivors.
Year 3020 — Escalation of Marine Creature Attacks Attacks on research expeditions and scientific stations become widespread. The number of missing persons rises rapidly, and conventional defense methods prove ineffective. During this period, the administration of the upper levels gradually loses control of the situation and for the first time faces the impossibility of ensuring the safety of oceanic routes.
Year 3020 — Formation of the «Sea Kitties» Rescue Squad The upper levels are forced to turn to the residents of the deep sectors, who are better adapted to ocean conditions. The volunteer squad, formed after the station incident, receives funding and official status, becoming the first independent unit authorized to operate in deep-sea zones.
Briefing
Lost Expedition Elias Way Occupation: Historian of Submerged Civilizations Age: 41 Specialization: Archives of Early Oceanic Settlements Adaptation Level: Medium Distinguishing Features: Mechanical prosthesis on two fingers of the left hand
Mira Solayne Occupation: Marine Archaeologist Age: 34 Specialization: Integration of Oceanic Flora into Architecture Adaptation Level: High Distinguishing Features: Bioluminescent tattoos on neck and shoulders
Noah Ren Occupation: Submerged Script Researcher Age: 29 Specialization: Deciphering archive records and navigational symbols of sunken cities Adaptation Level: High Distinguishing Features: Partial hearing loss in the right ear
«Sea Kitties» do not serve as heroic rescuers for the upper levels, as might first appear; rather, they are a collective of the lower-level inhabitants pursuing their own objectives.
The Formation of the «Sea Otters»: The squad is composed of inhabitants of the lower strata of underwater complexes—people who grew up at the deepest levels, amidst the pressure, darkness, and unstable oceanic environment. Unlike the upper layers, which view the deep sea as a territory for resource extraction and scientific experimentation, the inhabitants of the depths are directly dependent on the state of the ocean: water pollution, the disruption of migration routes, and the disappearance of marine life are gradually rendering it uninhabitable.
Following the incident at the «Nereya» station and the increasing frequency of attacks, it becomes clear that most conflicts are linked to the activities of industrial expeditions and human interference in the ocean’s ecosystem. Formally, the «Sea Otters» are responsible for rescuing people and escorting expeditions, but the members of the squad see this as a way to prevent even greater catastrophes. Every sunken station pollutes the depths, every lost expedition leads to new conflicts with marine life, and the upper layers' attempts to forcibly subjugate the ocean only provoke greater aggression from the sea creatures. By saving people, the squad is primarily trying to protect its own habitat and maintain the delicate balance between humanity and the ocean.
Lim, Captain
Aria, Xenolinguist
By us, the cartographer
Seir, Deep Water Acoustics
Kima — Engineer
Iden — Eco-Inspector
Submarine for Missions
Sunken City
After receiving a signal, the «Sea Kitties» squad heads toward the sunken City XX. The city is found to be almost completely ruined: ruins where residential towers, transport tunnels, and old stations once stood. Everything is covered in dead corals and algae. The area is abnormally quiet—Seir records the absence of most natural deep-sea sounds.
While surveying the surroundings, Nami discovers traces of recent heavy machinery, nets, and blades, and Kim detects residual noise pollution in the lower sectors of the city.
Found Message
Information Overload
Among the ruins, the team discovers abandoned equipment from a lost expedition: a damaged camera, a container of historical artifacts, and an information buoy.
Thanks to the finds, it becomes clear that the pilgrims noticed unknown activity in the city and tried to take shelter in underground tunnels beneath Sector XX after a large creature appeared near the central sector.
The tracks lead the team into a system of underwater caves beneath the city. Scratches from something massive are visible on the tunnel walls, and sonar detects the movement of an unknown organism. Aria suspects that something is guarding the area around the caves and preventing anyone from leaving.
The seal swims ahead, leading the squad to a hidden passage. It is there that the squad finds the missing pilgrims alive. They recount that they couldn’t get out for several days: the creature constantly circled the cave exit, reacting to any sound from their equipment. And the jet, which could have gotten them away—crashed.
Not what it seems at first glance
After the active sonar was shut down and the engines were placed in silent mode, the Lumenor emerged from the darkness—a rare deep-sea creature with bioluminescent membranes along its body, capable of detecting water vibrations and acoustic signals over vast distances.
However, the Lumenor showed no aggression. The sea otter calmly swam toward the creature, and the team understood: the Lumenor had not been trying to trap people. It had not released the pilgrims because there was a real threat outside the caves.
While the sea kitten distracts Lumenora by flirting with him, the team leads the pilgrims out of the caves.
Clues
