The bridge of the Celestial Pearl hummed with the soft thrum of ancient technology. Galit stood at the main console, his long neck held in that loose S-curve that allowed him to survey the entire space without moving his body. His sharp emerald eyes darted across the holographic displays, cataloging every symbol, every reading, every flickering indicator. His tactical slate was tucked under his arm, forgotten.
Michi hovered beside him, his holographic form shimmering with barely contained impatience. The pilot AI's arms were crossed, his expression one of pure, unadulterated superiority. His sleek, confident posture radiated dismissive arrogance.
"No, no, no," Michi snapped, his voice flat. "You're still not accounting for the planetary rotation. The gravitational anomalies in this region are—"
"I am accounting for them," Galit interrupted, sharp with an intelligent edge. "I've recalibrated the inertial dampeners three times."
"Clearly not enough. Look—" Michi's holographic fingers traced a path across the display, his voice dripping with condescension. "You need to factor in the magnetic field fluctuations. They're not constant. They shift with the solar activity. If you don't account for that—"
"I am accounting for that."
"You're not."
Galit's jaw tightened. "I am."
"You're not."
Charlie, meanwhile, had navigated to a secondary panel on the far side of the bridge. His vintage pith helmet was perched perfectly on his head, and his overloaded cargo vest bulged with scrolls and notebooks. His round wire-framed glasses reflected the soft blue glow of the holographic displays as he pressed buttons and studied screens with the enthusiasm of a child in a candy store.
"Fascinating," Charlie muttered. "Absolutely fascinating. The records within these systems—the materials—the—"
He paused, his fingers finding a hidden panel. It slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a holographic projector that hummed to life with a cascade of images. Ancient architecture filled the space—stepped pyramids with interlocking stones, circular observatories with intricate carvings, massive structures that reached toward the sky. The images shifted and flowed, displaying a civilization that was both familiar and alien.
Charlie's breath caught in his throat. "Oh my. Oh my, my, my."
Galit's transponder snail crackled to life, and Bianca's voice emerged, bright and breathless. "So, like, okay, I fixed one problem, but then I, like, found another. And this AI is, like, pretty useless. He keeps, like, falling down and dropping things. Like, literally dropping things. It's, like, kind of impressive, actually. But we're still, like, on track to finish. Like, probably. Maybe."
Galit's voice was flat, deliberate. "Thanks for the update. Keep me in the loop."
"Like, will do!"
The transponder snail went silent, and Galit returned his attention to the console. But before he could refocus, Charlie's voice rang out across the bridge.
"EUREKA!"
Galit's head snapped around, his brow furrowing. "Find something?"
Charlie nodded enthusiastically, with absolute certainty. "Why yes, my good man! Look at this!"
He gestured at the holographic images, his hands sweeping across the display with theatrical flair. The ancient architecture filled the space, its stepped pyramids and circular observatories glowing with an inner light that came from somewhere beyond the physical world. Intricate carvings covered every surface, telling stories in a language that predated memory itself.
Michi's holographic form flickered with annoyance. "How exactly were you—"
Charlie cut him off, his voice bright and dismissive. "I too have experience with advanced technology, my good hologram. And this is what I found."
Galit's interest piqued. He navigated toward Charlie, his emerald eyes fixed on the holographic images. The structures were massive, their proportions suggesting a civilization that had mastered both engineering and artistry. Stepped pyramids rose in tiered layers, their surfaces covered in carvings that shifted and flow. Circular observatories crowned the highest peaks, their interiors filled with intricate mechanisms that tracked the movements of the stars.
Galit held his chin, his voice thoughtful. "These structures look familiar to me."
Charlie nodded enthusiastically, "As they should. We have similar structures, but they are either submerged or buried in rock. The architectural principles are identical—the stepped construction, the astronomical alignments, the—"
"Meaning what, exactly?" Galit interrupted, his voice flat.
Charlie pointed a finger in the air. "There are one of two possibilities. The first: the Blue Sea was once visited by space-faring beings who built architecture here. We call it Ancient Tech. We find remnants of it scattered across the world, buried beneath mountains and seas."
Galit's eyes narrowed. "Meaning the beings on this planet would have also had the ability to travel to space."
Charlie nodded. "Correct. Or—" He paused for dramatic effect. "—the beings that currently occupy space originated here and eventually went to space."
Galit's head tilted in consideration, with skepticism. "Why leave and never return?"
Charlie continued, his voice carrying the weight of a man who had spent years piecing together fragments of a forgotten world. "We only assume they have not returned. It could be that they maintain communication with the World Government without the rest of the world knowing about it."
Galit's brow furrowed. "That seems like a considerable reach."
Charlie cleared his throat, with the weight of absolute certainty. "Is it? Let us consider that maybe there is a need for resources that we are unaware of. And this planet is rich in the resources needed. If several space-faring races came here, then why stop?"
A long beat of silence stretched across the bridge. Galit's jaw tightened, with a note of frustration.
"Why?"
Charlie beamed with revelation. "Isn't it obvious? There must have been a calamity of some sort. A calamity that flooded the world, submerging the ancient kingdom and separating the planet into layers or levels. The furthest outer layer is the White-White Sea of the Sky Islands. Then we have the Blue Sea, which is contained by the Red Line. And the bottom of the sea—where the Lost Continent of the Ancient Kingdom is now submerged."
Galit nodded slowly, his voice thoughtful. "Makes sense, I guess."
Michi's holographic form flickered, his voice flat and dismissive. "I do not have any records of transit or supply lines in and out of this planet."
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