When the Arche Chronos departed Belthar-9's orbit, each of its passengers felt a marine breeze despite the complete absence of oceans aboard. Already, on the control displays, the Infinite Map of Reflections glowed bright cyan green, marking the destination: the Procession of Algae, a world submerged in echoes and forgotten songs.
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1. Briefing and Meticulous Preparation
1.1. Selecting Key 03 and Gear
Lora presented Kaleido Capsule No. 03, a delicate holographic sphere projecting a strip of luminescent algae:
Driving frequency: 1.58 Hz, with harmonics at 3.14 Hz and 7.18 Hz
Risk: aquatic hypnosis—empathetic absorption of marine emotions
Required equipment: amphibious exosuits, cognitive-stasis pods, hydrophone filters
> Lora (gravely): "Here, the boundary between mind and water vanishes. Every frond is a vessel of collective memory—we must proceed while keeping our bearings."
1.2. Tuning the Arche and Argo Mobiles
Mira Zéphyr supervised the integration of Hydrophone Filters on the Kaleido Core, fine-tuning each gravito-photon loop to prevent emotional overload:
> Mira: "Even the slightest frequency drift will drown you in an ocean of data. Stay connected to your cognitive-stasis pods."
Four Argo Mobiles were outfitted with 1.2 atm pressurized cabins and subaquatic thrusters, ready to plunge into the algae-choked sea.
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2. Synchronization and Portal Crossing
2.1. Extreme Fractal Calibration
On the bridge, Sowan confirmed final readings:
Primary phase: 1.58 Hz
Harmonics: 3.14 Hz (bass resonance) and 7.18 Hz (subharmonic drift)
Polarization: 1.9 J/ns
Fractal alignment: coordinates 12.347 N, 98.765 E (local grid)
The gravito-quantum field collapsed into a silent swirl, then reignited as a turquoise vortex shimmering like an engulfed sea.
> Sowan: "Portal in phase, stability at 99.89 %. Crossing in 3… 2… 1…"
2.2. Vertigo and Immersion
A crushing silence preceded the transition: no sense of motion, only a muffled roar and the taste of salt water, as walls of swirling bioluminescent droplets dissolved into the surrounding mist.
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3. First Glimpse: The Algae Ocean
3.1. Submerged Panorama
The viewports opened onto a surreal seascape:
Giant algal forests, their fronds thirty meters long, undulating like living columns
Fluorescent silt overrun by schools of glowing particles
Invisible currents sculpting luminescent whirlpools beneath the surface
> Renan (whispering): "It's… hypnotic. Each strand is a filament of federated memory."
3.2. The Great Hall of Marine Corinths
Several kilometers away loomed a monumental structure: a ring of organic columns intertwined with algae and crystalline coral—the Great Hall. Each pillar pulsed with a continuous bass tone, like the planet's own sonic heartbeat.
> Éira-Sel: "This was a place of living knowledge—each column an archivist etching time into marine fiber."
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4. Encounter with the Procession
4.1. Silent Emergence
On an ochre sand plateau, Marine Clones appeared. Their translucent forms sported fins etched with undulating glyphs. They advanced in procession, each carrying a Memory Pearl—iridescent spheres capturing the light as if alive.
4.2. The Pearl Song
Lyra donned her translation headset. An ancient song arose—both human and otherworldly:
> "Bearer of waves, within you hold
the memory of sleeping abyss…"
The notes resonated at 3.14 Hz, undulating through water and across the ship's hull like an invitation to an inner voyage.
> Leïla: "They weave their stories in water and air. Listen without judgment."
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5. Collection and Precautions
5.1. Harvesting the Pearls
Beneath the turquoise glow, the Argo Mobiles glided between pillars. Using gravito-phonic pincers, the team collected three Memory Pearls:
Pearl A: Poem of the First Oceanic Voyage
Pearl B: Hymn of the Submerged Passage
Pearl C: Song of the Algoluxian Ancestors
Each pearl projected a miniature hologram: floating cities, coral-bridge rituals, water dances fusing flesh and thought.
5.2. Isolating the Mental Flow
The Seal of Coherence was deployed: an inverted 7.18 Hz underwater wave. The marine clones paused respectfully as the team remained safely beyond the trance-inducing field.
> Lia: "This seal isolates our neural field—without it, we'd blur the boundary between self and other."
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6. Crisis and Extraction
6.1. Field Collapse
As the final pearl was secured, the capsules flared in strobing light. The Kaleido Field logged:
> "Fractal fluctuation: –0.22 %—imminent destabilization."
The columns trembled, unleashing 2.08 Hz waves that tore at the ship's gravito-photon integrity.
> Mira (urgent): "Lia, raise the gravito-photon shield by 0.07 J/ns, now!"
6.2. Orchestrated Retreat
Renan's command cut through the chaos:
> Renan: "Everyone aboard—evacuate immediately! We leave through the portal before it snaps shut on us."
The Argos latched onto the hull, and with a final azure pulse, the vortex sealed.
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7. Homecoming and Solemn Debrief
7.1. Extracting the Pearls
Back on Belthar-9, beneath the Library of Ashes' dome, the three pearls—still whispering their abyssal song—were each sealed into Kaleido Capsule No. 03, preserving their marine memory.
7.2. Report and Outlook
In the Council chamber, Lora displayed the holographic records:
> Lora: "The Procession of Algae revealed a symphony of aquatic memories—a people shaped by water and thought. Each pearl is a testament to their identity."
Emotion glimmered in Mayu's eyes:
> Mayu: "We have plunged into a world where veins sang and memory rode the waves. Tomorrow, we explore the Bioluminescent Chants—the suspended forests where spores whisper to the stars. But tonight, let us celebrate these living algae, who offered us a fragment of their souls."
Above the city, three new points glowed on the Infinite Map of Reflections—a promise of endless voyages into the heart of lost and rediscovered worlds.