Compared to the first segment of encrypted text, this second one was not only shorter but also consisted of only four disconnected phrases.
[——Ita People——Curio————·mony————Iron Anchor——]
The squad leader had some impression of the term "Ita People." It was the ancient name used by the Louvielle for the Water Spirit tribe. However, he couldn't understand how the Ita could be linked to the transport of Azure Crystals or the sabotage of the engines.
Even more bizarre were the words "Curio" and "Ceremony." These two terms appeared abruptly in the fragmented information, hinting at some hidden connection. Yet, compared to the first three words, the one that confused him most was the final one: "Iron Anchor."
This was because "Iron Anchor" was the codename for Victor, the head of the fleet responsible for the mining mission years ago.
At first, seeing the term "Iron Anchor" made the captain suspect this segment was unrelated to the previous information. After all, the three segments were separate and lacked a clear link. However, his subordinate discovered that all three segments used the same encryption and originated from the same document.
Compared to the first two segments, the third contained pitifully little information—only a single word could be read.
[Gateway.]
A solitary word floated on the optical computer screen, devoid of context or additional notes.
[Ore moved, engines tampered with, prophecy arrives, everything buried by the sea.] [Ita People————Curio————·Ceremony————Iron Anchor.] [Gateway.]
Looking at these three segments, the captain fell into deep thought.
One team member couldn't help but speak up: "Captain, could Victor have made some kind of deal with the Ita? After all, when the fleet was mining Azure Crystals in Lusaka, they would have inevitably interacted with the local natives. Is it possible he collaborated with the Ita to move the crystals in advance, sabotaged the engines, and faked the appearance of being swallowed by the disaster?"
Before the captain could respond, another member added: "That seems unlikely. Victor was a senior executive in our Marketing Department with a P43 rank. How could he possibly collude with local natives?"
His point was valid. A P43 rank placed one among the very top tier of people within the company. Victor was highly valued and held significant power. Logically, he had no reason to go behind the company's back to strike a deal with the natives of Lusaka. In the eyes of the company, both the Louvielle and the Ita were nothing more than lowly ants.
The captain, silent for a long time, finally spoke: "You both have points, but you're overlooking a key detail—the 'Curio' mentioned in the second message. From my perspective, perhaps the Ita used an extraordinary Curio as leverage, which prompted Victor to betray the company."
The other three members were stunned. One said in surprise: "Curios are precious, but I doubt Senior Victor would give up everything and betray the company just for that."
The captain shook his head. "No. Curios are ranked in tiers. A very small number possess inconceivable abilities. Perhaps the one mentioned here is of that kind. Of course, a Curio alone might not have been enough to convince Victor; that 'prophecy' was also crucial."
Seeing the confused looks of the other three through his visor, the captain explained: "You've seen it yourselves. The ships on the mining mission sank due to the Stellaron disaster, and no one on board survived. So here is the question: if you were Victor back then and were told by the Ita that you would die in three days because of the Stellaron disaster, what would you do?"
A brief silence fell over the cabin. The sound of seawater flowing against the rusted bulkheads was exceptionally clear.
After a moment, the youngest member whispered: "If I were Senior Victor, I would find a way to live. Even if it meant betraying the company, even if I had to discard everything, I would want to survive."
"Exactly," the captain nodded. "Victor held a high position and great power, but he was also human. No one is unafraid of death. Perhaps that Curio was the key to surviving the Stellaron disaster and the leverage that made him willing to cooperate with the Ita to move the Azure Crystals. As for the word 'Gateway' in the third segment..."
The captain paused before continuing: "It's still unclear what this word means, but it is certainly tied to Victor's defection."
After hearing the captain's statement, one member suggested: "But Captain, these are just theories. We—"
The captain waved his hand. "Proving my theory is actually quite simple. If I am wrong, then Victor's body must be here. Next, we search. If we can't identify him by physical features, we'll use DNA comparison to see if we can find his remains."
"Yes, Captain!"
Upon receiving the order, the three members immediately fanned out to compare the floating bodies in the cockpit. Skeletons were scattered everywhere; some were twisted by collapsed metal frames, while others had been eroded by seawater until only fragmented skulls and a few vertebrae remained. Due to the long immersion, clothing had long since corroded away, meaning they had to rely on DNA data to confirm identities.
Half an hour later, the four-man team had checked every body in the cockpit. Not a single one was Victor.
"It seems he's not in the cockpit. Let's go. We'll check the other cabins, especially Victor's private quarters."
The team left the cockpit and followed the route map provided by the optical computer toward Victor's rest cabin. They did not skip a single body they encountered along the way, performing comparisons on all of them, but the results were always the same: none were Victor.
After passing through a winding corridor, the team reached their destination. Compared to the wreckage of the cockpit, this hatch, though covered in seaweed, remained mostly intact. This was the private cabin of the fleet commander, Victor.
"Do it."
As the captain spoke, two members stepped forward and pressed portable cutters against the edge of the hatch. Pale blue arcs of light erupted in the deep sea, and the shrill whine pierced through the water, echoing in the deathly silent wreck.
A moment later, a gap large enough for a person was cut into the hatch. The captain entered first, his beam of light sweeping quickly across the room. Victor's cabin was several times larger than those of the ordinary crew. Metal cabinets against the wall had long since toppled, and various documents and personal items were scattered on the floor, swollen and rotting from the seawater.
The captain turned his gaze toward the right wall, where a cryo-pod stood. The pod was twisted and deformed, but through the shattered cover, a body could be seen lying inside.