Lucien had System 16 open the files. He wanted to know what the government considered classified. He, as well as others, has always been aware that there are many things the government do not tell them.
They keep it to themselves and wait until things get too bad to handle or when they have achieved breakthroughs so grand that people cannot say no. The technologies the government possesses are far more extensive than those currently in use.
Lucien was a little excited. He couldn't really help himself. He wanted to know what Operation DeepSea was about. He assumed it was either a discovery or something they wanted to experiment with before exposing it publicly.
"Of course, I want to know. When else would I have the chance to read classified documents?"
[Operation DeepSea is an operation carried out 5 years ago when a meteorite fell into the ocean. Falling into the largest Canna ocean, it created geothermal changes to the surrounding waters. Receiving the readings, the government decided to investigate. The meteorite was found to have fallen into an underwater lake, approximately 900 metres (2900 feet) deep. It is approximately 4 hectares (approx. 10 acres). The lake's temperature varied, with one side exhibiting temperatures of up to 70°C (158°F). The other exhibited temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F ). The colder side of which showed no signs of ice forming.]
As Lucien listened, he didn't know what to make of it. It's interesting, sure, but there wasn't much in the report so far that would make him say Wow. The lake not freezing in freezing temperatures is a tiny bit impressive.
Either way, he continued listening to the report. It was only the beginning. It wouldn't be classified because of the water temperature.
[Upon accessing the lake, they found the creatures in the lake had mutated. The meteorite that had fallen was still intact. Scientists believed the mutation to be caused by the meteor. The meteor was transported to a secure facility. Mutated creatures were also collected, both dead and alive. The capture of the mutated creatures resulted in the death of thirty people.]
A chill crept up Lucien's spine; he didn't want to think of the small coincidences. The meteor that changed the sea creatures. For all he knew, this could be something completely different. He didn't want to read too much into it.
At the same time, he couldn't help but be curious about what the mutated sea creatures looked like. If they looked anything like the creature he would come to know, then things were set in motion a long time ago.
It was some weird meteor shower. There might be others that the government found. Lucien wouldn't allow himself to panic. Because honestly, he wasn't panicked. For him, what happened was both freeing and miserable.
His biggest problem was his brother. He knows the kind of person he is. Whether people are living well or not has nothing to do with him. His belief, however, is that people are pack animals.
He doesn't want to be alone, surrounded by everything inhuman on the planet. So he needs to care about the survival of the people. Whether they are good or bad, they are there for his entertainment and his frustration.
He asked System 16 if there were any pictures and if it could show them to him. He needed to make sure they weren't what he thought they were.
The system brought up the images, which Lucien viewed from his virtual screen. The first picture almost made him sit up. His pupils dilated, his hands shook. His lips pressed into a tight line. He knew that fish. The overly large eyes, sharp teeth, and barbed fins. The spider-like legs that grew from its sides.
Though not a major threat, it would come up on land to wreak havoc for a while before going back to the ocean. Capable of staying on land for only 10 minutes at a time, this fish isn't much of a threat. However, it eats everything it sees, including its own kind.
The bases closer to the ocean try their best to get rid of them as soon as they start popping up. But their numbers seem relatively large.
Lucien asked the system to pull up another photo of the mutated animals. What he saw made him even more shocked.
The thing he is looking at now wasn't classified as a sea creature when he learnt about it. It was more like a land animal.
It hides in trees and uses its tongue like a vine. It can change colour to camouflage itself. Unlike now, when its body is streamlined. On land, it separates the fins to become legs. The first time Lucien saw it, it didn't have scales.
He could still see the pattern on its body, however.
The main reason he remembered it was because of the pattern on its body. On one side is leopard print, and on the other side is a zebra pattern. It shows itself when it isn't camouflaged and when it dies.
He took a glance at a few other pictures. While he had never seen some of them, there were others he found familiar. Such as the angler fish, which, instead of moving in a more dangerous direction, became easier on the eyes. It turned white, gained a larger body and lost its sharp teeth.
It looked nothing like the way it used to. He had no idea how people even knew it was an angler fish. But, he knew now. The government has had the information for five years and sat on it.
Lucien wasn't sure how he felt. All he could tell was that he was feeling overwhelmed. He couldn't help but pace around the room.
Should he still warn the government? Does the government already know?
Should he even care about any of this? His brother was still alive and that's all he needed. He wasn't sure what to do with himself at this point.