“Is this everything?” Xander sorts through the different memory banks set out on the computer lab’s table.

Nathan nods, popping a disk into his laptop. “I even double-checked the ROVs.”

“Good.” Xander settles into his chair.

I dump a bunch of snacks on a neighboring desk and pluck a Fruit-by-the-Foot and a bag of Skittles from the pile. “Soph and I brought the sugar. Figured we’d all need it.”

“You got any Cheez- Its, Emily?” Nathan’s eyes browse the goodies before finding his preference. “Yes!”

Sophie grabs a package of Gushers and sinks into a chair beside Nathan. “So how much footage is there to sort through?”

“About twenty-four hours’ worth.” Nathan opens his Cheez-It bag.

I hand Xander the pack of Skittles and sit down next to him.

He kisses my cheek. “Thank you.”

“Welcome.” I slide my fingers into his and squeeze, feeling my cheeks heat.

Xander winks, sending a flutter through my stomach. “I love making you blush.”

My face flames hotter as I rip open my snack with my teeth. I take a bite, hoping the distraction alleviates the burn.

Sophie coughs and I peer over to see her covering a grin under her palm.

Nathan hits the play button, and the excavation begins. The ship lies on its side. Five hundred years of ocean silt buries half of the hull while sea stars, crabs, and barnacles make the abandoned decks home.

“Most of the vessel sits buried in the sand. How are we going to learn the cause of its demise?” I worry my bottom lip between my teeth.

“You mean our demise?” Sophie chews her thumb as she stares at the screen.

I grimace. “Do ships have a black box similar to planes? Did we locate that?”

“VDR and no, it was not located.” Nathan purses his lips as he continues to watch as the AUVs begin their dig of the Griffin.

Xander sighs and checks the clock. “How much did the AUVs manage to uncover before the storm hit?”

“I don’t know, but why don’t we find out?” Nathan stops the recording and replaces the disk with another.

Xander laughs as Nathan hits play. “I like the way you think.”

The wreck comes back into focus and at least twenty feet of sand is cleared away.

“Now we’re talking!” Xander claps a hand on his knee.

I squint at the screen. “What do you mean? It’s so dark and dusty.”

“Can’t help that, but we might catch glimpses and piece the picture together,” Nathan explains.

“Did we capture any other camera angles or is this it?” Sophie motions to the monitor.

Nathan points to the drives on the table. “There’s more footage from each dive.”

“Could we pull them up on a separate computer so we can watch them both?” Sophie tilts her head.

“That’s a good idea, Soph,” Xander replies, turning on a neighboring desktop and plugging in a drive.

The Griffin’s decks come into view as a submersible circles the wreck. Traveling downward, images of the hull become illuminated in the sub’s sweeping spotlights. Corrosion peppers the exterior, making it twice as difficult to spot any damage. A hole the size of a mid-sized SUV appears, twisted metal spiking inward. A cusk eel swims leisurely into its black depths.

“Th-that’s a hole.” Sophie’s face is green.

“What do you think did that?” I whimper, bringing my hand to my mouth.

Nathan and Xander share a glance before Xander breaks in. “I don’t know. We’d need a closer look.”

Nathan sighs. “If we have better footage.”

The sub moves beyond the gap, showing more of the hull as it travels toward the stern of the ship. A hundred feet later, an opening the size of a pickup truck comes into view.

“Damn it! Can we try a different drive? I want a better angle.” Xander picks through the memory cards on the table.

“Wait, I think they’re getting closer to this one.” I nod my head toward the screen.

Sophie looks at me. “Maybe the other was too small?”

“Possibly,” Nathan agrees as Sophie shrugs.

I watch the way the metal twists at odd angles. “Could it be from an explosion?”

Xander nods. “It could be.”

“I wish we had that VDR,” Nathan grumbles.

“Do you see that?” Xander’s finger follows a trail of blackened steel.

Nathan leans forward. “Signs of fire, perhaps?”

“It has to be.” Xander slumps in his chair, cupping his hands behind his head.

The sub pans out and continues its trek along the hull. We sit in silence, scrutinizing every mark across the exterior of the wreck. Soon, it slows and a crack slices through the body of the Griffin. The ROV follows it as it snakes its way upward, the jagged edges angry and protruding.

“What the fuck is that?”

Editor: Shannon Hensley