Year: 771

A little more than 3 years after the Cell Game

An electric encounter

The sun was not yet up, but 17 was already very busy. Around 5am, he had left his reading to go to the lab and start preparing the equipment. Today was a big day: the first of the monster hunt, he would finally meet one of the 5 animals that Ruri had told him about, months ago.

His curiosity was at its peak, especially because, the day before, when she had told him he was ready, she still hadn't wanted to tell him anything.

This time, in addition to the mask and the usual diving equipment, they had to take with them syringes, jars, a whole bunch of items she had listed for him, as well as food and water.

He had never spent too much time in this place before, but now that he had to gather what they would need, it became obvious: Ruri was not an organized person at all. There was absolutely no logic in the way everything was arranged. She arranged things as she pleased, sometimes by color, sometimes by size, but never by function. Countless strange pyramids of books, tubes and sandwich wrappers swarmed around the room like mushrooms.

"That's enough," 17 finally said to himself, after having narrowly avoided dropping a capsule case balanced on top of one of them, "how can she work in such a mess! And so an hour had passed, 17 using his superhuman speed to make an express tidying up in this mess.

Suddenly a sleepy voice was heard.

- Hello...

17 turned around, to find a half-awake Ruri standing at the front door.

- Good morning, he said in return. How did you sleep?

- Mmmm. Hey, you're making a lot of noise in the morning! I heard your racket from my room.

- I was cleaning up your mess.

- My what?

- Your equipment.

- What do you mean ? My equipment is perfectly tidy!

- No it's not.

- Yes it is.

- Of course not.

- Of course yes.

17 knew that it was a waste of time to try to get her to admit anything. She was really too stubborn. And anyway, that wasn't the most important thing.

- Never mind. We'll talk about it later. So ? What about the monster?

Emerging from her morning slumber, Ruri smiled at 17's impatient expression. To be honest, she too was in a hurry to finally start the expedition.

- Meet me in the cockpit with coffee and cookies, she replied mischievously, leaving the lab with a bag that was near the entrance.

- You are really impossible!

However, 17 knew that he had no choice, more than anything he wanted to put an end to the mystery surrounding this animal. So, resigned, he went to the kitchen, made two coffees, and joined Ruri who was waiting for him comfortably installed in the co-pilot's seat.

- Here's your breakfast, he said, handing her a packet of cookies and sitting in the commander's chair.

- Thank you!

- So, can you know tell me something about this sea monster? And explain it to me before you eat, otherwise I won't understand it.

- Stupendemis Imperator.

- What ?

- That's its name. We're looking for a Stupendemis Imperator.

- That doesn't really help me.

- It's a giant turtle.

- A turtle? A simple turtle? questioned 17, thinking back to the turtle specimens he had seen in some of Ruri's books. Nothing impressive in his eyes. He had expected something much scarier.

- I think you're forgetting one detail: it's not a "simple" turtle. It's a sea monster. Which happens to be a turtle. But a very, very, VERY large one.

- But still... a turtle?

- Don't you trust me? Ruri asked him, laughing to see him so disappointed. Knowing me as well as you do, do you think I would come all this way for a tiny turtle?

- No, certainly not, admitted 17. You like big animals. Dangerous.

- That's right. So don't worry, you'll have a great show. Okay, so now I'm going to tell you where we need to go.

- Do you know where to find your turtle?

- Let's say I have a lead.

Ruri then took out of the bag she had brought along an object that 17 had never seen before. It was a white cylinder, about 40 centimeters tall, with a screen and keyboard in the center.

- What is it? he asked, intrigued.

- A beacon, Ruri answered. The third exploration mission is fairly recent, its members have used all means of modern technology. This device is designed to mark a location. Basically, once you find a place you want to remember, you put the beacon there. It's designed to stay still, it can be planted in the ground. And it emits a frequency that a radar can pick up. This kind of device can transmit for years and thus allow you to find the place you had marked.

- And so the previous zoologists...

- Used beacons, yes. They used them to mark the spots where they spotted the monsters. So there are five beacons in the ocean that we need to retrieve.

- And you know where they are?

- I found notes in the expedition leader's logbook. So I have a vague idea of where the beacons are, but I do know their frequencies. With all this, we'll be able to find them without any problem.

- And find the monsters as well ?

- As you probably know, animals move. The beacons will help us get closer to places where we are likely to find them, that's more accurate. But it's still better than searching the entire ocean. Even for you, that would take time.

- At least a good five minutes, 17 replied with a smile.

- I'll pretend I didn't hear that attempt of a joke. So, Mr. Pilot, are you okay to leave ?

17 took hold of Ruri's seat with one hand and pulled her abruptly towards him, pressing his forehead against the young woman's, who gasped in surprise.

- I've never agreed so much in my life.

And without waiting another minute, 17 took the controls and headed for the location of the first beacon, further south.

It took three hours of sailing to reach the exact point indicated by the frequencies. This time they were really lost in the middle of the ocean, which stretched as far as the eye could see. Only 17's particularly good vision allowed him to distinguish the presence of islands, very distant ones. The sun was now fully up and the morning was well underway.

In just a few minutes the duo had brought the boat to a halt, headed for the deck and plunged into the water. Neither of them wanted to waste any more time. With the oxygen, they had about 8 hours before they had to return. But Ruri was fairly confident in their chances of locating the giant turtle within the day. Indeed, as she had explained to 17 during the trip, it was not a very mobile species. It was also the easiest monster to observe, although no human had yet managed to get too close. On this last point, however, she hadn't wanted to tell him more, ending her explanations with an enigmatic "you'll soon understand why".

After 2 weeks of training, 17 was now very comfortable in the water. But he was still far from reaching Ruri's level. She swam with incredible fluidity, moving without making any noise, so that she was able to approach schools of fish without any of them reacting to her presence.

As they made their way to the area where the first beacon would be, he couldn't help but look at her. He knew he had to stay focused, he was there to watch over her and protect her from any danger that might arise. He should not let himself be distracted, but the beauty of her slender body, gently undulating in the water, delicately following the rhythm of the waves as if she were one with the ocean, was a sight he found hard to escape.

Ruri, however, interrupted him in his contemplation.

- According to my handheld radar, the beacon is not far, 17. We need to get down there now.

- Okay.

The two of them then began to dive, side by side, until they reached a rocky plateau just below them. This vast expanse of flat rock was covered with very fine sand and thick vegetation. Bluish-green algae made up most of the flora. They were scattered in small clumps that covered almost the entire surface.

This strange ground was however flat and resistant enough to walk on.

- Well, Ruri said, be careful where you put your feet, there are often animals living in the sand that could bite us.

- Okay.

- And stay focus, the beacon must be really close.

- Okay.

And indeed, it took them only 10 minutes to locate it. It was planted in the ground, floating at only a few centimeters. A very light layer of algae and shells covered it, which Ruri quickly cleared, before pressing the screen.

The number 1 was immediately displayed on it.

- Perfect, it's the first beacon! exclaimed Ruri, delighted.

- So now what do we do?

- These animals are really not mobile, so they have to be near us.

17 looked around. He found it hard to believe that a large animal could be in this environment. The visibility was quite good. On such a flat expanse, a large mass should be visible even from a distance.

No, it was not logical.

He then activated his eye camera, trying to find something, without really knowing what he was looking for.

After a few seconds, a detail in the landscape caught his attention. A few meters away from them, he noticed that the ground seemed to be getting deeper. He decided to tell Ruri about it, and they both headed in that direction. After a few steps, they noticed that it was not a simple hole in the ground, but a real ditch. They were on the edge of a cliff. Below them was the same environment of sand and seaweed, but at a much greater depth.

After exchanging a brief glance, 17 read in Ruri's eyes that they were on the right track. They jumped down to the ground below at the same time. But as soon as they did so, they realized that the sand layer was much thicker, so much so that it was no longer possible to walk on it without sinking. They had to swim on, and with a gesture the young woman made it clear to 17 that it was better not to make any more noise and not to speak.

They moved on, as slowly as possible, for a few more minutes. Suddenly, a huge black moving shadow appeared in the distance, then several. Cautiously approaching, Ruri's face suddenly lit up.

17 could not believe his eyes. In front of them stood huge creatures. Half buried in the sand, they were indeed turtles, but their appearance was truly that of monsters.

Their immense carapaces, of a phenomenal width, were covered with gigantic protuberances, forming like multitudes of spines of staggering dimensions. What surprised 17 was that these shells covered the entire body of the animals. Their bodies, their legs and a large part of their heads, as if they were powerful armored battleships animated with life. Several large individuals were clustered together, seemingly searching the ground, moving large amounts of sand with each movement.

After the first impression, these incredible animals seemed quite peaceful. Ruri then signalled to hide behind three large stones, at a good distance. Once hidden, she began to speak in a low voice:

- So? Aren't they beautiful?

Her eyes shone with a brilliance that 17 had never seen before. For a brief moment, it even seemed as if she was crying.

- Are you sad? he asked, surprised.

- Not at all, I'm so happy! I've been dreaming of this moment for so long.

- But you are crying?

- Yes, but with joy!

- Oh, right.

- What do you think? Do you like them? I forgot to tell you that among zoologists, we call the Stupendemis Imperator "The Tank". Do you understand why?

- Yes, I agree that these turtles are impressive but I don't really see why they are so dangerous.

- Their size, firstly Ruri answered. Look closer : they have huge legs, one blow would be enough to kill any human. And their mouth. Turtles have a beak. Look at theirs, it's gigantic. Have you read chapter 3 of my book on phylogenetics?

- Yes.

- So if I tell you they're omnivores, what does that mean?

- That mean they eat everything? he tried, almost certain of his answer.

- Exactly, bravo! They eat mainly algae and small animals. They find them in the sand, but they also have to dig for them on rocks. Their beaks are strong enough to crush whole stones. So breaking a human body is not very difficult for them.

- Okay.

- But indeed, Ruri continued, if we stay at a distance, we don't risk much. Many zoologists have already observed the Stupendemis Imperator from a distance. But never up close, though.

- Why?

Without answering, Ruri searched the sand for a few seconds, before handing him a stone.

- Could you throw it in their direction, 17 ? Without aiming at them of course, we don't want to hurt them.

Intrigued, 17 grabbed it and sent it with force towards the giant turtles, taking care to avoid hitting them.

To his surprise, even before his projectile could reach the monsters, he saw prodigious lightning appear around the animals. The flashes of light formed a sort of bubble that grew, grew, grew, and then suddenly exploded, disappearing with a deafening crash and leaving no trace of the stone. It had been reduced to dust in a fraction of a second.

17 was stunned.

- You see, Ruri continued, amused, that's why no one can approach them. We don't know how, but these turtles can generate a very powerful electric field around them. Deadly to anyone touched. The first zoologist wrote about it in his notes, he miraculously escaped because he was surprised. No one can survive their shocks.

- You want me to try?

When Ruri turned to him, she instantly understood that 17 was perfectly sincere in his suggestion. His eyes always betrayed him. She thought he was already handsome under normal circumstances, but when he spoke like that, giving off such an impression of strength and serenity, he was irresistible. She was swept away, drawn to him by a force that was completely beyond her. She smiled, and then moved closer to him.

- Thank you for your suggestion, she said, timidly placing her hands on his chest. But I don't want to take the risk of damaging my cyborg. It is a rare model you know.

17 reacted immediatly, and wrapping his arms around her body, he pulled Ruri close to him. He was more than excited about the recent change in her attitude. In the last few days, she had indeed become more enterprising. Yet he could still feel the feverish hesitation of her trembling hands on him. The mixture of this more seductive character with this naive awkwardness produced in him a feeling of increasingly intense exaltation, a burning need to make her his. He didn't know how much longer he could wait, as aroused he was now when she was near him. Something deeply buried in the limbo of his lost humanity was seething inside him.

- I'm solid, he replied, tightening his grip while being careful not to hurt her.

- I know you're strong. I'm pretty sure you could even take the shock...

Encouraged by 17's look and smile, Ruri then passed her hands along his shoulders and arms, gently caressing those muscles that seemed capable of carrying anything, as a titanic strenght was emanating from them.

- But... she then said, I don't want to take any unnecessary risks, and really here we won't have to. I have a plan.

Taking a deep breath, she brought her hands up and ran them gently through 17's hair, staring at him with all the intensity she was capable of. She couldn't help but blush again, but it didn't really matter anymore. She felt full of courage at that very moment.

- You'll have a chance to show me your strength later, I promise.

- I can't wait, 17 whispered in a deep voice.

- Me too..." Ruri answered in a whisper. But for now...

- Yeah, expedition first. We'd better stay focused. So tell me your plan.

And immediately, 17 released her. Ruri, still shivering, needed a few seconds to compose herself. She turned again to observe the giant turtles, still agitated by the previous sequence. However, seeing no threat, the animals were gradually calming down. Focusing her attention on her objective helped the young woman recover from her emotions and not let herself be disturbed again by the presence of 17, just a few centimeters away from her.

- So, she continued, we're going to try to reproduce a little of what you started doing with the elephants.

- What do you mean by that?

- The idea is to be accepted by the herd. If the animals don't perceive us as a threat, they'll let us in. We need to become a regular fixture in their landscape, like any other fish. You get the idea?

- Yes, nodded 17, but how do you plan to do that?

- That's why I planned a long expedition. Usually zoologists only go for a few weeks, a few months at most. So they miss out on a lot of opportunities. We have all the time in the world. So for the next few weeks, we will stay here. We swim around, doing nothing in particular. Let them get used to us. And we get closer. Closer and closer.

- Sounds like an easy plan to me, 17 replied with a laugh.

- Yes, and no. Did you see the power of their lightning? One mistake and we're both dead. Or me, at least.

17 then immediately became serious again. The speed with which the monsters had launched their lightning bolts was indeed very fast. Assuming he realized it in time, he wasn't sure if he could get Ruri to safety quickly enough. There was his shield, of course. But that shield was not foolproof, and he had never used it to protect himself from electric shocks.

This mission was not as simple as it seemed.

And it was ultimately very stimulating for him. But he still wanted to protect Ruri at all costs. There was no way anything would happen to her.

- Tell me what I should do, he said, concentrating.

- Pay attention to their behaviour, to the slightest change you perceive. No sudden gestures, no loud talking.

- Okay.

- Another thing, and this applies to all animals: if there are babies among them, don't touch them. This is the worst thing you can do. Animals can become extremely aggressive if they think you are a threat to their young.

- Noted.

- And, finally, we have to stay focused, you know? finished Ruri, a small smile on her face.

- Understood, 17 replied, returning her smile.

They spent a total of 3 more weeks there, alternating between long diving sessions and some rest for Ruri.

17 didn't need that, so he went in the water every day.

The first ones had been quite quiet, because they had stayed very far from the turtles. The danger being therefore minimal, it had not been necessary to be too careful, and they had been able to observe the group and their behaviour at leisure, to take photos or to film some moments. There were 6 adults and 3 youngsters in the group. If these one were mobile, moving around a little to play from time to time, their parents hardly moved at all.

There was no physical difference between the adults, which led Ruri to believe that only females were among them. But in a sort of "equal" collaboration, no individual seemed to have the upper hand over the others.

With time, they had been able to start getting closer, and it was from that point on that things had become very serious. Having 17 with her was a far more valuable asset than anything Ruri had anticipated. Indeed, he had fully grasped the extent of the danger, and when he was involved in something, it was at his maximum. During their long hours of diving, he hardly spoke. Instead, he stayed close to her at all times, so close that their bodies were almost touching. She could feel the tension in him, he was on the alert at all times. And while he was in this state, she could see that he was not distracted at all by their proximity. He did not take his eyes off the Stupendemis, nor off his immediate surroundings.

And for her, it was incredibly reassuring. For the first time in her life she could go on an underwater expedition with complete peace of mind. She didn't have to pay attention to anything else at all, she could put all her attention into observing the animals' behaviour. In this way she had been able, in a very short time, to take far more pictures and information than any other zoologist. The other great advantage was his incredible calmness. He was careful, serious, but he was not afraid of monsters. Not at all. And, as with the elephants, this great quietness was a valuable advantage.

Since animals feel human emotions quite easily, being nervous in contact with them could quickly make dangerous a situation that wasn't initially complex to handle. But here, it was the opposite. The turtles did not perceive him as a dangerous element for their safety. He was so calm, so unruffled, never flinching, never making the slightest inappropriate move.

And slowly, over the days, they had been able to get closer. Much closer than Ruri had hoped. They were able to swim next to the giant turtles without any particular reaction from them. 17 had followed Ruri's recommendations to the letter, avoiding contact with the youngsters, who kept trying to touch them.

- They're sticky, he'd finally said, after two weeks, when he'd just dodged another approach attempt by taking Ruri away.

- They are babies, 17, so they are curious. That's so sweet.

- Babies, have you seen the size of them?

- Hahaha yes, big babies indeed. Drop me off here, that should be enough, she replied, very amused by the situation. But the more I think about it, the more I tell myself that we can try ... but it's risky.

- Try what?

17 had stopped immediately. He had actually understood what Ruri had in mind. He was getting to know her well: she was always cautious, but part of her liked to feel the thrill of danger. It was actually something he liked a lot. She gave him the impression that she was never afraid of anything, and for someone who was, in his eyes, as 'weak' as she was, it was quite amusing.

- Try to touch them a little. The more I think about it, the more I think we can do it. I have a plan.

He had smiled when he had heard her. He could have bet on the exact content of her sentence, and he would have won.

- Let me guess, he replied. We stand next to an adult. I hold out my arm and watch the mother's reactions. If she seems to get upset when her cub comes near, we leave. But if my intuition tells me that she agrees, I let it go. Gently.

- Wow! 17! Bravo! This is exactly what needs to be done indeed! I am impressed!

- I'm starting to understand how it works.

- It's a shame you don't use your brain more often, tin can, because when you do, it's really effective!

- Shameless little human!

They had laughed heartily together, these little jokes having become their little daily ritual. A ritual that was so natural, so pleasant, and that was bringing 17 back to life a little more each day.

The experiment with the youngsters had been a success, aided once again by Ruri's knowledge and 17's Olympian calm. The adults had watched them, sniffed, and then left them do what they wanted, peacefully continuing their endless meals.

One last week had passed, during which they had been able to get closer again, and above all, to collect samples. Pieces of carapace, scales and even some of their blood. They had been able to take so much that Ruri was excited about it. She spent every night in her lab or on her computer, exchanging with her teachers, sending data, chatting for hours.

17 stood next to her, admiring. She was so smart. So passionate. So alive...

He took an increasingly active part in her work. She often asked him his opinion on the behaviour of the animals and what he deduced from it. He was flattered by this, especially as he felt more legitimate in this role. He was beginning to understand animals. To know, like her, how to interpret a movement, a noise, to quickly adapt his attitude. Studying monsters did not only require strength. It required a lot of other skills, a sensitivity that he had to look deep inside himself.

Not a day went by without him learning something new.

Not a day went by that he didn't feel better and better with her.

Not a day went by that he didn't feel a growing sense of serenity.

She was such a sweet and pleasant companion. Sometimes he came to forget everything. Everything that had happened before. All his sufferings disappeared at her touch like a drop of water evaporating under the heat of the sun. She was so radiant, so bright. She was his sun.

But now it was time to leave. At the end of their 3 weeks with the giant turtles, they had gathered enough information. So they allowed themselves one last day of diving, which went wonderfully well.

They stayed in the water as long as possible, using up every drop of oxygen, but when it was time to say goodbye to the giant turtles, Ruri was very saddened. She began to make her way to the surface, when suddenly one of the younger turtles approached her.

- Oh, fluffy, I'm going to miss you too! she said, stroking his beak.

- Fluffy? questioned 17, surprised. You named him fluffy?

- Yeah. Look at him, he's got a lot of algae on his shell. He's so fluffy. Fluffy looks so good on him!

- If you say so, 17 replied, still surprised by the strange names she gave the animals.

- Come on, say goodbye too ! Goodbye my fluffy !

Amused, 17 also gently stroked this "not so little" baby giant turtle. He was cute, with his very heavy swimming style. Thinking about it, even he felt a little sad at the thought of leaving. And 17 was the first to be surprised that he had somehow become attached to an animal.

However, the prospect of discovering a new sea monster was an important source of motivation for both of them. So when they set sail from this place, 17 and Ruri did not stay long in regret.

After dinner and stowing their gear, they both sat on the deck to watch the stars.

- Well, asked 17 after a few minutes, now what kind of monster are we going to look for?

- Where are you in your reading of the phylogenetics book ?

- Chapter 14.

Ruri then smiled widely.

- Okay, she continued. So you should understand if I give you three clues. Do you want to try ?

- Okay.

- Ready to go?

- Absolutely.

- Okay. If I say fish. Cartilage. Big teeth. What's your answer?

17 began to think very hard. Ruri's books were full of complicated words, but with her explanations, he could understand almost everything. He read and read and read, memorizing everything he could.

So he went over in his mind, chapter by chapter, everything he had read.

And suddenly he understood.

He began to smile also, before giving his answer.

- A shark?

- Bingo !