“She’s gotta be at least five hundred years old.” Nathan rechecks the sample of organic material on his desk for the fifth time.

Sophie digs her palms into her eye sockets. “That’s impossible.”

“I know.” Nathan huffs.

I stare at the three-dimensional image on our photogrammetry software. The jagged remains of an immense vessel lay crumpled on the ocean floor, a giant hole where her center used to be.

Xander points at the screen. “That hull is steel.”

“I see that.” Nathan takes a sip of his Mountain Dew.

“Could the fossil have been on the ship at the time of its demise?” I prop my feet on the mini fridge.

“The surrounding sediments are consistent with this area.” Nathan says.

Sophie fidgets in her chair. “We need more samples.”

“I agree with Soph. It’s the only way to figure out what we’re dealing with.” The tension in my left shoulder becomes unbearable and I reach up to message the knot away.

“I got you, Em.” Xander waves my hands away and starts massaging my neck. “The ROV team on it right now. We also sent a team down early this morning to start excavating. Perhaps there’s something we’ve missed buried in the sand.”

“Any updates from the lab?” Nathan taps the keys of his computer, flicking through images taken from the wreck. Sponges and Anemone speckle the ship’s exterior, climbing its abandoned decks.

Sophie sighs. “Not since you asked five minutes ago.”

“I already asked that?” Nathan frowns.

I snicker and glance at the clock. “We’ve been at this for hours. How about lunch?”

“I’m game.” Xander helps me to my feet.

Sophie yawns. “Me too.”

Nathan powers down the computer and follows us into the corridor.

The Caferia is buzzing with activity. When the news broke about what we found yesterday, the ship came alive with renewed energy.

“You know, I heard they’re taking bets.” Sophie glances at me as we grab our Chinese from the buffet.

“On what?” I pile pineapple chicken onto my plate. Sophie smirks as I grab an extra egg roll. “For Xander.”

She laughs. “I know. You’re cute. And on the shipwreck.” She piles her tray with some crab Rangoons, popping one in her mouth.

I shake my head and make my way to our table.

Xander grabs his egg roll from my plate and hands me a breadstick. “As you requested, my lady.”

“Thank you.” I take a bite.

Sophie rolls her eyes and turns to Nathan. “Did you place a bet?”

“Absolutely,” Nathan says between a mouthful of spaghetti.

“What exactly is everyone betting on?” I ask.

“How old the wreck is.” Sophie says.

I twirl lo mein noodles around my fork. “Seems like a common problem.”

“It is strange that it looks like it’s been down there for a very long time, yet the ship is so modern.” Sophie murmurs.

“What if it’s aliens?” All eyes turn to look at me like I grew a second head. I gawk at their stares. “Okay, it’s not aliens, but would that really be so weird?”

Nathan barks a laugh. “Emily, you say the darndest things.”

I look at Sophie and we shrug.

Xander stares at us. “Are you sure you guys aren’t twins?”

“We’re sure,” we say in unison.

“So creepy,” Xander shivers. “Back on topic. We can go down to the Hangar and check on things after lunch.”

We agree and fall into a comfortable silence as we finish our food. I can’t help my thoughts traveling twenty thousand feet below, swimming among the transparent creatures with their bioluminescent glow. I dump my tray and follow the gang to the elevators. “A ship that size, but it’s no battleship.”

Nathan nods. “I was just thinking that.”

“Is it me, or does it give cruise ship vibes?” Sophie chews on her nails.

Xander scratches his chin. “I also had that thought, but there’s been no cruise ship activity in this area.” He gestures with his hands. “Ever.”

I step into the noise of the Hangar. A yellow mechanical arm screams as it hauls a submersible into the air, water gleaming off a red stripe across her wings.

“Xander!” Max hollers from the other side of the room, the rest of her crew turning to look at us.

Xander waves as we approach them. “How was the dive?”

One of the crew members speaks up. “It’s slow, but we’re making progress. You just missed the Green Team’s departure.”

“Live footage?” Xander asks.

The crewmember nods. “I had to remind Allan to switch it on before they left.”

“We were going for lunch.” Max pockets her phone. “Wanna join us?”

“No, thank you. We were already there. Thought we’d drop by before heading back to the computer lab.”

Max smiles. “Another time, then.”

In the elevator, Sophie arches an eyebrow. “We’re going to watch them excavate the wreck?”

Xander grins. “Thought it would be better entertainment than watching Nathan carbon date the same sample a million times.”

“I don’t know. That’s quite entertaining, if you ask me.” I giggle.

Nathan grumbles as we make our way down the long corridor to the computer lab. Passing the Meeting Room, I note the door is open and a handful of crewmembers are holding a presentation on microscopic organisms.

Xander opens the door for me, and I head to the mini fridge. “Anyone want some caffeine?”

“I do! I do!” Sophie bounces in her seat.

Grabbing two Root Beers, I take a seat beside her. “So, how are they excavating?”

“It’s mostly AI. The crew is there to pilot the sub and make sure they are digging in the right areas.” Xander pulls up the live feed, the camera showing an endless deep blue. “But the computer operates the arms.”

“Technology astounds me.” Sophie takes a sip of her root beer.

I nod. “It’s grown so much in such a short time.”

Xander props his feet on the desk. “Thank the universe for that. If it hadn’t, the Griffin wouldn’t exist today. And we wouldn’t be here, making this discovery.”

Nathan hums his agreement, leaning back in his chair to watch the screen. The dark blue transforming into the shape of a ship as the Green Team draws closer to the wreck. Before long, particles of sand and silt muddle the view of the camera.

The excavation process is tedious as the sub’s arms work to clear away the sandy bottom. Seconds turn to minutes, and minutes into hours as we watch the ship’s hull unearth. Soon, black letters appear transfixed on the side of the ship.

Slouching in my chair, I struggle to form the words. “What’s it say? I can’t make it out.”

Sophie sits up and leans closer to the screen. “I’m not sure. They are taking forever to clear away all the sand. I think I see the word ‘the,’ though. Anybody else?”

“Yea, that’s ‘the’.” Nathan gestures across the screen. “Are those f’s or t’s?”

Xander squints and I watch the blood drain from his face as he turns wide eyes on Nathan. “Those are f’s.”

“Xander? What’s wrong?” I frown at him as Sophie gasps beside me. Looking back at the screen, my veins run cold. Through the murky water, the ship’s name comes into focus.

“The Griffin.”

Editor: Michelle Naragon