Plato number.
"I slept another night. This is probably a whole night. I can't tell the time very well now."
"Anna...I miss you!!"
Waking up in his temporary lounge and half leaning on the bed, Professor Stein looked at the timer on the bedside.
There is no concept of sun and moon at all, and it is in the dark and infinite deep sea.
ah! !
The concept of time in my mind is disappearing little by little, and even the electronic timekeeping method seems a bit blurry.
Tick tock! !
The electronic timer beats a little bit, but it looks so unreal.
"ah!"
"Anna, if you were here, it would be great if you could support me!"
I just woke up from an uneasy sleep and recalled some things from the past uncontrollably.
Professor Stein lamented that he didn't want to be like this, but that name and those memories that he didn't want to recall suddenly popped up.
This is not good.
The professor knows deeply that this is not good! !
"Want something to eat?! Although I know you have no appetite right now."
Nelson was the only one who could come to see Professor Stein at this time. Apart from Castro, the only person on the ship who could talk seriously was the black guy in front of him.
"You guessed it right, I'm tired of eating seaweed dumplings, Ryan...how is he?!"
"He's OK. I told you yesterday. You nodded and then went to bed."
"Are you seriously not going to see him?!"
Nelson crossed his arms as usual, so that the big fish tattooed on his shoulder looked more eye-catching.
to be honest.
This is not directed at his buddy, but according to the current situation, Professor Stein gets a headache when he sees the big fish.
He didn't want to remember these bad things, including Ryan.
"He doesn't want to see me now. In this unruly place in the deep sea, hatred is the most difficult to dissipate."
"It's you who told me this."
"Of course, I don't want to say it, but he is a lunatic right now and I don't want to cause any more trouble."
Professor Stein got up from the low bed, stretched his slightly tired body, took his own water glass and went out.
He listened to the room next door, which was originally his, and was as quiet as ever.
"Is that girl still reading?!"
"I mean those logbooks or scientific research reports you wrote?!"
"It's all jumbled words and I can't always figure it out."
Nelson was talking about Nagato Yuki. A girl of unknown origin broke into the closed underwater world that was originally deep diving. This was big news.
However.
Because of Ryan's madness, a group of people in the infirmary were unable to cure him, and now they have finally calmed down.
With such a turmoil, no one is thinking about unnecessary things.
"Listen man!"
"It was because of our work mistakes that the girl was trapped. Including Ryan's incident, I have already completed the mission report, and I will bear all the consequences."
"As for where the girl is from, what her name is, and where she lives...please, just keep an eye on this submarine. Other matters are the business of the Census Bureau. Let's not worry about it."
In fact.
Even the Census Bureau has no control over this magical girl.
When Professor Stein spoke, this sentence appeared in his mind involuntarily, and then he shook his head fiercely.
"No!!"
"This is a nightmare. Forget it all. Nelson, you should have told me the good news."
"I just threw the buoy signal again last night, now... shouldn't we be here?!"
In the submarine corridor leading to the lounge, Nelson followed Professor Stein and answered habitually.
"certainly."
"Finally we don't have to hold it in this small space, uh...I mean we can find a bigger place to hold it in."
"after all……"
"Mariana Trench Outpost, that place is much more comfortable than our little coffin."
The guy grinned when he said this, as if he was amused by his very unlucky and very cold joke.
"Shut up, what's going on with Ryan, you'd better stop saying these disgusting words."
"What coffin?!"
"I have a bad feeling right now, Ryan is what will happen to us."
really.
Nelson's casual remarks were not to be taken as casual to the rest of the crew within earshot.
For these "deep sea people", they need a kind of psychological comfort.
Now.
What happened to Ryan made them all a little nervous.
"I was just kidding."
Nelson said without caring at all, while Professor Stein also said at the same time.
"This is indeed a bad joke, but... my crew, this is also good news."
"The Mariana Trench outpost is the last leg of our journey."
"Because... you know, Ryan really can't stand the oppression of the deep sea, so this scientific research is over and we are going to return."
Professor Stein spread his hands. He spoke very naturally, and even showed a hint of helplessness on his expression.
He has even written all the mission reports, he said in his capacity as a professor.
Mr. Lane, a senior deep diver, seems to be no longer suitable for this profession due to the constant employment pressure.
Maybe.
This guy should be given a large amount of money and then allowed to retire. If the sponsor above is not happy, Professor Stein said he is willing to pay for it out of his own pocket.
This may also be a kind of compensation for this guy being frightened in the sea! !
"Returning, this messy scientific expedition is finally over?!"
"Listen...Professor, I don't want to object to you, but...if not, you let Ryan go, then he would never have entered the capsule at that time. Although I may have said it before, I still have to repeat it."
"This has nothing to do with Ryan. It was you who almost killed him."
"That's right!!"
"Just a little bit, he would have died, and even we would have..."
The whole topic is getting more and more outrageous. Once it involves Ryan and the accident that happened not long ago, everyone can't control their emotions.
"Stop, stop, stop!!"
Professor Stein interrupted them with an irritated wave of his hand, and his voice could not help but be raised.
"I can also repeat that I have placed all the responsibility solely on myself."
"And...she...no, I mean I still rescued Ryan after all!!"
Professor Stein paused for a moment, and then continued.
"Yes, no one wants this kind of accident, but strictly speaking, I saved him."
"The air pressure circulation was completely destroyed at that time. Fortunately, I was there during Ryan's accident."
The crew members nodded, this seemed to be a credible statement, no matter what...Ryan survived.
However... I just survived. In this darkness, the collapse of my mentality seemed even more terrifying.
"If according to the legend of the undersea people, we really encounter a terrifying existence, then everyone will be killed...and we, no, it's Ryan who came back safe and sound."
"Maybe, but no matter what, it's fine, Professor, I hope what you said about returning is true. I don't want to stay here anymore."
"Behind the Mariana Trench outpost is the black water that is completely unreachable to humans. It is difficult to even transmit signals from that place!!"
"Guys, tell him what we're going to find there?!"
The crew members were still talking about it.
And he obviously wanted to bring up old things again, and it was about those legends that the professor didn't want to pay attention to at all.
"Anything we can think of that Ryan wants to prove."
"And the biggest result of this scientific examination, Professor, you should have been looking forward to it the most."
"Let's just talk about it. It's pointless to keep arguing like this. Professor... you show that you are not afraid of Neptune Namor at all. Don't you have any respect for the legend?!"
Emotions gradually became more intense, and they inevitably gathered together while speaking, and even now Professor Stein is surrounded in the middle.
The "deep sea people" who have been living in the deep sea all year round, far away from human civilization and plunged into darkness, have a... barbarism that is different from other professions.
After all, in places beyond the reach of civilization, where big fish are hunted to fill our stomachs, some physical contact is inevitable.
Now.
The crew members, who had muscles, even scars, and tattoos with various meanings, gradually surrounded Professor Stein.
At this moment when your emotions are out of control, what will happen if you continue to talk? !
"Hey!!"
"Guys, please spread out. Our professor is a civilized person and he doesn't want to smell the dirty smell on your body that hasn't been washed in a week!!"
At this moment, Nelson stepped in. He was a tall and muscular man. He hugged one of the crew members and stood in front of Professor Stein.
Because of his height and strength, he was like a strong wall, completely blocking the professor behind him.
"I don't believe in Namor's existence. That's the difference between us..."
The situation became urgent, and Professor Stein's brain seemed to become particularly calm at this moment.
He stood behind Nelson and said these lines in a very calm tone.
"If humans weren't afraid of Neptune Namor..."
"That's like not being in awe of the sea and already seeing the darkness. No matter what Ryan does..."
The crew seemed to want to talk, and even wanted to move something through Nelson, but Nelson's words immediately silenced everyone.
"Okay, Professor, didn't you tell these idiots that you had prepared a large bounty for us when we returned?!"
"Well……"
The results of this sentence were really effective, and all the crew members who were still noisy were stunned.
Professor Stein was also stunned just now.
"Look, look, I told you that the professor is a gentle man, different from the rest of us."
"Isn't it embarrassing to say it so bluntly? Then let me help him."
"Because of the extreme circumstances of this voyage, after all... we all almost lost our Ryan brothers, didn't we?!"
"So the professor decided to pay for it out of his own pocket and subsidize us at least when we get back..."
Nelson raised two fingers and was about to say a number when Professor Stein took over. He nodded calmly and continued.
"At least two thousand dollars per person. Didn't I tell you before? You spent a lot of money on this scientific examination."
"Oh ho?!"
"2000?! That's great, it's extra income."
"I'm starting to look forward to it, Professor. I suddenly trust you, which is great."
The style of painting changes.
Sometimes conflicts are actually quite easy to resolve. After all, why everyone came to participate in this voyage is not all because they dedicate themselves to the cause of science.
Whether on land or in the deep sea, everyone needs to eat.
"Look, Professor."
"I told you earlier that if you told them the good news earlier, we would all be in harmony a long time ago."
Nelson let go of the crew's hand. Now he was not worried about a fight. The ship was now in a happy mood. This was the best result.
…
"Thanks."
In the quiet equipment maintenance cabin, there were only Professor Stein and Nelson. The professor just said this.
"It's okay. After all, I got a lot of money, didn't I?!"
"Hehe, just kidding, I must have a share of the promised bounty."
Nelson checked the equipment. When faced with these professional instruments, he was really professional.
"certainly."
"I'll give you a big red envelope, after all, you really helped me."
Professor Stein was sitting on the pipe nearby. He didn't actually need to come in. After all, it wasn't his job to work here.
But his room...well, he didn't want to go back now. As for the outside...it was better to let the excited crew members continue to be happy.
"It's nothing. In fact, if you said that the monster at that time is not here now, and Neptune Namor has run away... maybe they can be more enthusiastic towards you."
Nelson did not look back. He was busy with the movements of his hands while talking to Professor Stein.
"..."
"You saw...I, I mean you lied to other people, and you actually believed Ryan more?!"
Professor Stein raised his head and looked at Nelson in front of him. Except for Ryan, no one in the ship at that time... probably saw it.
"For a moment... I may have really seen something, but about the people under the sea, professor, do you really think it's a lie?!"
Nelson seemed to be thinking, he seemed hesitant.
"Absolutely."
This was an almost decisive voice, and Professor Stein said this without any hesitation.
"All right."
"Professor, you are a professional. You have solved countless mysteries about the truth and proven falsehoods of various legends."
"Actually, sometimes the scientific theories you mentioned sound stranger to us than the legends of the Undersea Kingdom."
"Maybe this is what we don't understand, so this time...for the sake of money, other things are not too important."
Nelson shrugged.
Professor Stein listened to him quietly, indeed... he had cracked various legends.
The mystery of the snowman in the Himalayas, the legendary devil’s priest, and so on!
For a while.
Professor Stein seemed to be a little blurry, the scene at this time, the people in front of him.
It all seemed to coincide with his last adventure in the snowy mountains.
Anna in the Himalayas, Nelson in the deep sea, no matter what the reason, they always support themselves.
"You're right. I don't actually need to explain anything too much. Anyway...Nelson, I'm glad you can stand on my side."
"I will remember this friendship today forever."
at the same time.
Castro's voice rang out over the radio.
"Everyone, get ready!!!"
"Everyone should go to where they should be. We are expected to enter the trench in half an hour."
finally reached.
The last steps humans have explored in this deep sea, the Mariana Trench outpost! !
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