The Nautilus Returns To Atlantis
After what seemed like an eternity, but was in fact only a matter of weeks, the Nautilus reached 'Atlantis' once again. Deep in the Pacific Ocean, there was a palpable feeling of apprehension throughout the ship as they waited just within reach of the mysterious cave system.
In the dive room, Nemo had already donned one of the suits and was gathering his gloves while Kai and Jiacamo did the same.
Humility's flamethrower, which they'd tested and re-tested on deserted islands just to be safe, was resting against the bulkhead. It was a cumbersome object, built in two sections connected with a long flexible pipe. The backpack was heavy but the gun was much more manoeuvrable. Along with the flamethrower, they all clipped several of the improved flares to their belts as well.
"I'm going with you," Humility declared confidently, entering the room.
She began to hastily scramble into one of the dive suits and Nemo stared at her.
"I asked you to stay here," he said, exasperated. This was a conversation they'd repeated many times and the crew now just left them to it when it was inevitably mentioned again.
"Indeed. And I ignored you," Humility retorted. "You really ought to know better by now, Nemo," she gave him an equally exasperated stare.
"If we do not return, then you are the only one who knows how to…" Nemo began to protest.
"Benoit could be down there. I'm going to help you to find him. And if you continue to object," she glanced over at the flamethrower with a raised eyebrow.
"We do not even know that this contraption will work against those creatures. Yes, it works as a machine, but will it work as a weapon to destroy those beasts? We cannot say. I intended this first dive as reconnaissance only. We find those creatures, we test this…"
"Flamethrower," she said and set down her helmet on the floor for a moment.
"Yes, this flamethrower, and then we leave…"
"But if it works…when it works…we might as well begin our search. And since I am quite certain that it will work successfully, I might as well join you," she replied.
"There are thousands of them, we cannot know that for certain," Nemo said to her, clearly concerned. "And this might be a fools' errand…"
"Then one more genius can't hurt," she shrugged.
"Those creatures can kill," Nemo walked over to her in the heavy suit and took her hand in his before she could pull on her glove. "Please…don't do this," he begged her.
"Nemo…he was my friend too. I encouraged him to go out there and find Atlantis. It was his dream! If we'd talked him out of it…" she clutched his fingers through hers, tightly.
"He'd never have forgiven us," he sighed.
"But he'd be alive. We owe him this. And if we find nothing then…at least we'll know. Just…don't leave me behind…please," Humility held his hand to her heart and sighed.
"I can't loose you too," he whispered to her, desperately.
She reached up as best as she could in the restrictive dive suit and tenderly kissed his cheek and then rested her palm over that same spot, stroking the side of his face.
"And what makes you think that I could loose you either? I simply won't sit here waiting while you attempt this without me. So let me help you…we work far better together than we do apart," she said to him earnestly.
"You won't be dissuaded, will you?" Nemo sighed heavily.
"I shan't. Of course, you could order Kai and Jiacamo to carry me back inside the ship. I wouldn't stand a chance against them…but do bear in mind, that I'd never forgive you for it."
"That would be a far more preferable option than watching you die," he replied frankly and with mournful eyes.
Her only reply was a silent, determined expression. She was almost daring him to have her escorted from the room.
Nemo eventually turned his back to her and sighed. Then, with an expression of resignation, he handed her one of the two stones. "Keep this beneath your glove. I shall hold onto the other one. They may prove useful," he said. Then he finished fixing on both of his gloves and then he picked her helmet up off the floor, resignedly.
"And you should know this. Should you perish in those caves then so do I," he said frankly and then affixed the helmet to her suit with a twist. "I have already informed Boniface that if I do not return, then the Nautilus is his and that he is to flee from this place and never return," he finished.
"We will return. We're not going into this blind. We have a plan. We have weapons now and it won't be like last time," Humilty assured him through the open, glass hatch of her helmet.
"I hope that you are right," Nemo said after a moment.
Behind them, waiting as subtly and as silently as they could, Kai and Jiacamo were already in their dive suits and had exchanged a look of understanding and camaraderie. They both had experience in rescuing their Captain when he took a risk a little too far and this time would likely be no exception.
Nemo was the last to attach his helmet to his suit and they slowly approached the open dive hatch. He clutched the stone in his hand beneath his left glove, either for luck or support, Nemo wasn't quite sure.
After one last deep, steadying breath Nemo stepped out of the hatch and glided down onto the ocean floor.
They cautiously began to descend behind him, one by one. Jiacamo was the last, carrying the heavy flamethrower on his back and holding the gun in his hands. He sank to the sandy sea floor a little quicker than the rest of them. Kai followed behind them, lugging the extra dive suit with him, in case luck was on their side and they indeed found Benoit.
Side by side, and with their friends watching them from the Nautilus, the four of them began to make slow progress towards 'Atlantis'.
After a wary walk along the same path they'd walked the first time, the four of them finally surfaced in the caves. They looked around quickly, searching for signs of the creatures but they found nothing and all was silent.
The flares were lit immediately, several of them all at once and Jiacamo tested the flamethrower, spewing out a roar of blindingly bright fire and he grinned happily at the sight.
Kai left the extra dive suit at the entrance and they left their helmets there too.
"When…when we were…" Nemo began to say sadly. "When those creatures took Benoit they dragged him that way," he then finished rapidly. He pointed off ahead to show them the way.
"Then that's where we look," Humility nodded.
It was a slow and cautious pace they set through the caves with Nemo and Jiacamo leading the way, the Captain carrying two flares and Jiacamo with his hand on the trigger for the flamethrower.
"This place is endless. It seems as though we hardly scratched the surface the last time we came," Humility whispered, marvelling at their surroundings.
"And I don't intend that we do so now," Nemo whispered back.
"Good. There's something…off about this place," Kai shuddered and Jiacamo nodded in agreement. They'd both been scrutinising the caves for any sign or sounds of movement.
"Well, yes…but it's fascinating," she replied. "If only we could capture one of those crinoids. They're an entirely new species…"
"Absolutely not. We are not bringing one of them on are the Nautilus to study," Nemo declared quickly.
"Agreed," Kai shuddered.
"Mmm," Jiacamo agreed.
"Spoil sports," Humility pouted.
"When you discover a species that is unlikely to eat us, poison us or generally, kill us, then you are welcome to study it," the Captain retorted.
"We really do have rather rotten luck, don't we? Everything new we've found turns out to be a vicious killer," she lamented.
"That's nature," Jiacamo shrugged.
"If you want something safe, we could just study the dog," Kai muttered.
"I am not dissecting Archie," she rolled her eyes.
"I didn't say 'dissect'," Kai scoffed.
"My word…" Humility stopped and moved her flare closer to a large fossil in the rocks beside her.
The shadows cast by their lights, showed the impressions of several of the cricoids they'd seen before, but also something else. They were all wrapped around something. Curled around the shape almost like snakes, they obscured a lot of it.
Humility took a step back and tilted her head, puzzled as she tried to make sense of it.
"Nemo…is it just me…or does that look…almost human?" she gulped. She turned to him and saw the same realisation on his face. "There…see, a head…two arms…legs…It's almost as though they're…"
"Holding him down," Nemo nodded.
"Yes. But that would mean that this is…millions of years old," she said.
"But that's impossible…isn't it?" Jiacamo asked.
"This could…change our entire understanding of early humans…we need to study this and…take samples and…"
"Humility," Nemo interrupted her with a hand on her shoulder, startling her. "Much as I admire your dedication to all scientific fields, we are not here to further our understanding of palaeontology. And this poor soul, regardless of what it was, is long past our aid. Benoit may not be," he said, logically.
"Right…yes, of course," Humility nodded, a little embarrassed. "Do you suppose that it really was is an early human?" she pondered as they continued through the caves.
"It certainly looked like it," Kai shrugged.
"What a discovery that would make. It would revolutionise palaeontology," she said, excitedly.
"I don't fancy carrying it back with us just to revolutionise anything," Kai replied and Jiacamo scoffed.
"It definitely wouldn't fit in the dive suit," Jiacamo joked, pointing at his own suit.
"Oh, well I rather think the suits would be of little use to our poor fossilised friend," she replied.
Nemo held up a hand in front to stop them and they fell silent.
In the cool, stagnant air of the cave they could see their ragged breaths as their heartbeats increased while they looked frantically around the cave.
"What is it?" Humility whispered.
"I thought I heard…something," Nemo frowned and peered into the shadows ahead of them.
Then, they heard it too. A quiet, almost imperceptible scurrying, chittering sound, and it began to echo, making it louder and louder with each passing second.
"They found us," Humility gulped. She held up her flares and backed up against the wall behind them.
Jiacamo pushed them aside and stood in front of them with the flame thrower at the ready.
They couldn't yet see the crinoids but they were getting increasingly closer.
"You're sure this thing'll work, right?" Kai muttered.
"Absolutely," Humility nodded. "Fairly confident. Mostly…" she trailed off as the creatures began to emerge.
Then, in the orange light of the flares, scurrying towards them, dozens upon dozens of chittering creatures emerged. There wasn't nearly as many of them as there had been before, but they were now trapped between the wall and the swarm.
The light from the flares seemed to holding them at bay, but they had no where to go. One or two seemed to risk braving the light but then they scurried away soon after. It was an unnerving sight.
Jiacamo hit the trigger for the flamethrower, letting loose a stream of blinding, burning fire at the creatures and the sound and smell of them being incinerated was quite frankly, disgusting.
"Urgh," Humility gagged. She and the others couldn't cover their mouths or noses because they were all brandishing two flares each and Jiacamo was wielding the heavy flamethrower so it was impossible not to gag.
It wasn't only the smell. The sound was also foul. They screeched and squealed in the flames, too. Between that and the roar of the flamethrower, it became deafening in the cave as well as boiling hot. They were gathered around the flares and the flames and in the stagnant air, the beat only increased.
It took a while, but finally, all of the creatures were destroyed, leaving behind a mass of charred remains.
"Hmmm," Jiacamo appraised the gun with a satisfied smile. Clearly the weapon met with his approval.
"Well…that was certainly effective…and revolting," Humility declared, taking a step away from the wall and towards the mass of scorched ashes.
"Agreed," Nemo grimaced. He knelt down and examined the mess with his flares, making sure that they were all dead.
"Dear lord…the smell…" she muttered in disguised.
"Let's keep moving," Nemo stood and took a step forwards.
"Wait!" Humility called out.
She was staring intently at the smooth stone in her hand. She'd was holding the two lit flares with some difficulty in her other hand and then, the stone began to glow.
Nemo and the others moved closer to her and he took the marching stone that he'd kept from a clip in his belt. It too was glowing brightly. They'd turned from fairly ordinary looking stones into shining, otherworldly amber-like jewels in their hands
"How fascinating," Humility breathed, staring at the stone she held in awe.
"How are they doing that? Stones don't glow," Jiacamo asked, staring at them warily.
Then, both Nemo and Humility both adopted the same, blank stare, their eyes wide and unmoving.
"Nemo? Humility?" Kai spoke, but neither answered.
It lasted only a moment, but it was enough to unnerve both Kai and Jiacamo. When it was over, both Nemo and Humilty breathed in deeply and leaned over a little.
"Are you both alright? What happened?" Kai asked them.
"It was…a vision?" Humility told him, unsure of her own words. "Either that or I'm seeing things. But it was…he seemed so real," she shuddered.
"It was him. I saw him too," Nemo assured her. "The same as before. It was him," he said.
"Who? Benoît?" Jiacamo asked and they nodded.
"Did he speak…when you saw him before?"
Humility asked Nemo.
"Yes. But he only said my name."
"And what did he say this time?" Kai wondered.
"He said…'help'," she said, slowly. She turned to Nemo and he had the same expression as her; cautious yet hopeful and grave all at the same time. "Perhaps…perhaps we could take a look around where he first found his stone…we might find something," she suggested.
"Worth a try," Jiacamo shrugged.
"It was here, I think," Nemo declared some time later.
Through a small opening, an enclosed space, filled with rocks and sand and dirt, was where Benoit had unearthed the stone.
Humility tossed her flares inside and turned to Nemo. "I'll take a look," she said.
"Be careful," he replied and she nodded.
Humility clambered into the opening, pushing aside loose rocks as she did so. The small cave, if one could even call it that, there was hardly any space to walk around in, it lead no where and as she looked around, she discovered that it was empty. She dug around in the dirt and found only more dirt.
"Nothing," she hissed.
She picked up the flares and examined the walls in detail. Like the rest of the caves, she was surrounded by ancient fossils, some small and others much larger, but all preserved in exquisite detail.
Humility let out a sigh of frustration and gave it one last look before she handed her flares back to the others through the opening. Nemo reached his hand in to help her and she took it gratefully.
Clumsily in the bulky dive suit, Humility emerged from the small cave and stretched her back.
"Worth a try," Nemo said to her, supportively.
"Onwards, then?" she said.
They soon found themselves in a large open space which was covered with strange, almost spider web like threads. It was soft and yet it was incredibly durable. Kai attempted to kick some aside with his foot, but it didn't budge.
"What on earth is this?" Humility furrowed her brow. She knelt down and peered at the strange, gossamer webs.
"Spiders, you think?" Kai grimaced.
"If there are, I doubt they're ordinary spiders, much like our starfish friends aren't quite what we'd expect either," she replied.
"I somehow doubt that we would be quite so lucky," Nemo said, dryly.
"It's everywhere," Humility breathed, glancing around them.
The walls and even the roof of the cave above them was covered with hanging webs, unmoving in the stale air and lit eerily with the glow from their flares.
"Maybe we could…burn it?" Kai suggested.
"I'd rather not waste the fuel in the flame thrower unless we have to," she shook her head.
"Can it run out?" he asked.
"Of course," Humility replied.
"And what happens when it does?" Jiacamo demanded, suddenly far confident than he had been before about the impressive weapon.
"I've another canister here," she said, gesturing to the copper canister clipped to her belt. "Though I'd rather we save it for our defence rather than housekeeping," she remarked dryly.
He gave a shrug at that and couldn't argue with the logic.
Humility examined the walls, brushing aside cobwebs and dirt to reveal yet even more fossils. But these were much different from all of the others she'd seen before. They were slightly larger and looked nothing alike.
"Curious," she remarked, puzzling at them.
"More of our friends?" Nemo asked, only sounding partly interested as he looked around.
"These are different…still phylum Echinodermata…but different…and much larger…" she exclaimed.
"How large?" Nemo grimaced.
"Oh…fifteen…twenty inches…maybe a little more…" she said, regretfully.
He turned to stare at her, clearly unimpressed.
"It's hardly my fault!" Humility scoffed.
"This place should be left to rot. It is not natural," Jiacamo stated with disdain. And though they could not understand his words, as usual his meaning was clear enough.
"Nemo," Kai called out. "Over here," he said, his voice grave.
"What is it?" the captain asked as they came across the cave to him.
"I found…something…" Kai said with a pursed lip.
There, on the floor, surrounded by cobwebs and dirt, was a scattered pile of bones.
"Bones," Humilty swallowed.
"But of what?" Jiacamo asked.
Humility knelt to get a better look and brought her flares closer.
"It's not…" Nemo took a steadying breath, unable to say what they were all thinking.
"I hope not," Humility muttered, staring down at the bones.
She carefully picked some of them up, arranging them like a puzzle and slowly, it began to take on a familiar shape.
"This one…over there, please…" she said to Nemo and gestured to a spot across from her, holding out one of the bones.
Then, concealed beneath dirt and cobwebs, Humility caught a glimpse of yet another stone. It was the same size and shape as the other two, and perfectly smooth. She brushed the fist off it and held it up for the others to see.
"Another stone," she uttered. After a moment, she handed it to Nemo and continued her task.
She unearthed more bones, some large and others small, and then, she tilted her head, staring at the unusual skull for a moment before she placed it with the other bones in its rightful place.
Then, Humility stood up brushed off her hands, as she took in the slight of the Hazlitt assembled skeleton.
"Well, this isn't right…" she said.
"No…it doesn't quite look…" Nemo pursed his lip as he too looked down at the unusual sight.
"I know!" Humility turned to him.
"What is it? Human?" Kai asked.
"Not human as we understand it. Bear in mind…I'm hardly an expert…this looks almost human but…it's not. Look, the legs are too short, the arms too long. The skull is…too small…and the bones are quite thick too. Human bones aren't really this vast…see?" she pointed at the bones. "And whatever…whoever this was must have been incredibly tall. This appears to be a humerus…but it's at least a third longer than we'd expect."
"So it's not Benoit?" Kai asked.
"Impossible," she shook her head.
"Then what on earth is it and how did it get here?" Nemo asked.
"Presumably the same way the other fossilised human did. Perhaps millions of years ago this cave was above sea level," Humility mused.
"Are humans so old?" Jiacamo breathed in shock.
"This really would start a revolution in paleontology! There'd be riots over this!" she squeaked happily.
"Riots?" Nemo grinned at her enthusiasm.
"Oh, at least!" she happily tugged on his arm and grinned down at the bones. "I could write my own 'Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation' on what we've discovered here! No women allowed in the study of paleontology indeed, well just you wait, doctor Exley!"
"Who?" Nemo asked her.
"Exley. He's the director of the London Museum of Natural History and he claims that women have no place studying paleontology. Too shocking, he says," she snorted. "Well, we'll see just how 'shocking' it is when I thrash him over the head with the sizeable femur of this skeleton!" she declared and they laughed.
"You know that in anything you choose, you would have my support, however, you may kill the fool if you do that," Nemo chuckled.
"Then it's your job to assist me in disposing of the evidence," she retorted.
Nemo sighed and Jiacamo chortled then slapped him on the back so hard it sent the captain jolting forwards a few steps. He then almost tripped over something and he just about managed to stay upright.
Humility kept forwards and helped to steady him with a hand on his shoulder for balance. Jiacamo shot the Captain an amused, but apologetic glance.
Nemo glanced down at the ground to glare at the rocks he'd tripped over. In doing so, the light from his flares moved across the cave and onto a particularly dark corner. To the right of where they stood, the cave narrowed and it became increasingly cramped. It was covered almost completely with hanging cobwebs and water dripped from every gap in the stone.
There seemed to be a large amount of the webs centred on the ground, in an oddly organic shape, completely different to the geometric rocks that made up the caves.
Nemo and Humility shared a glance of trepidation before they both took slow steps towards it. They pushed aside hanging threads of webs and shone their flares further into the darkness.
Then, Nemo nudged it with his foot. It was a solid mass, completely covered in the fine, silvery threads. It hadn't felt like particularly hard like stone or metal, but it was still unmovable and tough.
"What do you suppose it is?" Humility whispered.
"More starfish?" Kai asked with a grimace.
"It looks like…a cocoon," Nemo remarked, stunned.
"Starfish don't make cocoons! Do they?" Kai furrowed his brow.
"No, they don't," Humility shook her head. "But these creatures appears to be something else entirely. They've evolved down here free of natural predators, in perfect isolation for…who knows how long. It could be another species that we've yet to see living down here of course. But whatever is done here clearly doesn't adhere to the natural laws we are familiar with."
"We knew as much already," Nemo said, kneeling down.
He pulled out his knife and began to very slowly use it to peel and slice away bits of the webs. It was almost like peeling an onion, but with great difficulty because the webs were tough to cut through even with the sharp knife.
"Cocoon making starfish…whatever next," Kai scoffed. He knelt beside Nemo, scrambling to fit in the confided space and began to help the captain to pry open the cocoon.
"What I want to know is, why on earth would they have evolved to make webs like this?" Humility pondered.
"We will have time to theorise later…I hope," Nemo replied, gritting his teeth as he pulled away another chunk of the cocoon.
Slowly, as he and Kai hastily continued to hack and slice at the web like tendrils of the cocoon, to their horror, they saw a pale, lifeless hand behind to emerge. The skin was cold and extremely pale.
Humility quickly turned it over and checked for a pulse.
"There's a heart beat, albeit a very slow one," she declared.
"It must be Benoit…it must be. Who else could it possibly be?" Nemo shook his head and renewed his endeavour with much more fervour.
As they peeled away more of the webs, the familiar face of their friend emerged, and they paused in shock.
"I don't believe it," Jiacamo breathed.
"How…" Kai uttered.
"He looks in bad shape," Humility remarked.
"Mmm," Nemo agreed. "Hurry," he said to Kai.
It was slow going despite their efforts, but finally, Benoit was freed of the cocoon and they attempted to wake him.
"Benoit!" Nemo called out to him, grasping his shoulders while Humility patted his face gently. "Gustave! Wake up, please!" he begged.
A quiet whimper came from Benoit's unnaturally blue lips and his eye lids tightened and then relaxed, but he didn't open his eyes. He looked almost emaciated, and it was painful for them to see what had become of their friend.
"Benoit!" Humility tried and then she grasped his freezing cold hand between hers, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Wake up!" Nemo yelled desperately and shook his friend a little less gently now.
"He's so cold," Humility remarked with her hand on his face.
"We should get him back to the Nautilus," Nemo declared. "He'll find no warmth here," he explained.
"…N…Nemo…" Benoit suddenly said. His voice was so quiet they only just heard it. "Nemo…Nemo…help…" he said, a little more loudly this time.
"Yes! Benoit, it's me!" Nemo exclaimed in relief. He leaned over his friend and took Benoit's other hand between his own. "It's me, I'm here. Benoit?" Nemo continued.
"Help…" the man uttered again; the same words Nemo had heard through his visions.
"Nemo!" Jiacamo exclaimed suddenly.
The stones, all three of them now, were glowing brightly. The mass of the shredded cocoon around Benoit was also glowing the same shade of amber as well.
Humility raised a strand of the consensus through her fingers, holding it up ti the light and the hair-thin strand was glowing brightly. It was beautiful, in an other worldly way.
At the same time, Kai picked up one of the stones that had fallen in their haste to hell Benoit and then, he too saw it. A vision of Benoit, standing there looking perfectly healthy and staring right at him.
"Nemo…help me…" Benoit spoke.
And then the vision ended just as abruptly as it had begun.
"I saw it…" Kai told them, stunned.
"Saw what?" Humility asked.
"The…the vision…I saw Benoit standing there. He said…'Nemo, help me'…How is that possible? Is he…is he doing that?" he stammered, and stared down at the stone in his hand.
"Magic," Jiacamo whispered.
With their attention still focused on the stones, Benoit's eyes began to open and he winced at the light from the flares. The first person he saw was Nemo, and he squeezed his own pale hand around the captains'.
It was that touch which brought Nemo's attention back and he smiled in great relief at the sight.
"Benoit!" he exclaimed.
"…Nemo…" Benoit whispered.
Humility held a hand over her mouth, with tears coming to her eyes as she smiled down at him. "Humility…" Benoit turned to her and with an expression of recognition, he let out a deep sigh.
"You gave us all quite a scare," she managed to tell him, still holding onto his hand.
"We're here to help you," the captain assured him.
"Help…yes…I said…I asked you to," Benoit furrowed his brow.
"You mean you sent the visions?! How…" Humility began to asked.
"We'll have time for that later," Nemo stopped her "We should leave, quickly. Can you stand?" he asked Benoit.
"I don't…"
Carefully, Nemo and Kai helped Benoit to his feet but he was unsteady, weak and he was shivering uncontrollably.
"They won't simply let us leave…" Benoit said suddenly. "They're coming…" he trailed off.
"Who's coming…oh…" Humility stoped when they heard the familiar chittering sound which heralded the arrival of the swarms of creatures.
"Jiacamo…be ready," Nemo said, and the man nodded.
A second alter, the room was swarmed with crawling creatures on all sides, they crawled down the walls and along the ground, all the while chittering amongst themselves. Some were much larger, like the fossils Humility had seen. Some were as long as an arm and they moved quickly.
The cave was then filled with the foul smell of those same creatures being incinerated as Jiacamo let loose with the flame thrower again. Aiming in all directions in an efficient sweep of the room.
"What…what is that device?" Benoit asked weakly but with clear fascination.
"A flame thrower," Humility gave him a proud smile.
"Quickly," Nemo uttered and they ran from the cave.
Kai lifted Benoit, draping one of the man's arms over his shoulder and all but dragging him as he ran.
With Jiacamo in the lead, burning any creatures he saw as they went, and Nemo and Humility held off the creatures behind them with the flares.
They ran as fast as they could with Nemo shouting out directions along the way.
"We're almost there!" Humility exclaimed.
Finally, they reached the same cave they had entered and with an incalculable number of the creatures descending on them.
"Get Benoit into that dive suit, hurry!" Nemo said, scrambling to place the flares in a protective circle around them. He and Jiacamo stood surveying the cave while Humility and Kai helped Benoit into the suit.
The sheer number of the flare this time seemed to be much more effective. Between those and the flamethrower, they seemed to be safe, for now
With some difficulty, Benoit was helped into the dice suit and then, Humility pulled on his helmet.
"Go now, quickly. We'll follow you," the captain told them.
"Nemo…" Humility began.
"We don't have time. You'll be slower than us, you need to help Benoit. He'll need you both. We'll buy you some time and follow you soon. Now please, go!" he begged her.
"You'd better be right behind us," she warned him.
"We will be."
"Remember, the flamethrower makes a rattling sound when it's low on fuel. You'll have to be quick," Humility said to him, her voice wavering.
She pulled the spare canister for the flame thrower from her belt and tossed it to him. Then, with one last loving glance, she pulled on her gloves and helmet while Kai did the same. Then, one by one, they dropped through into the water, and they were gone.
"How many of these things do you suppose there are?" Nemo asked Jiacamo when they were alone. He was staring out at the unending sea of multi legged creatures which were either shying from the light, or burning alive.
"Does it matter?" Jiacamo retorted.
Nemo held two more flares, protecting himself and Jiacamo from any particularly brave critters that ventured too close.
"The rattling…do you hear it?" Nemo asked when he heard the flamethrower make an odd sound.
Jiacamo nodded, grimly.
"Come here…I'll change the canister. Stay in the light," Nemo said, trying to keep his voice calm.
Nemo edged towards some of the flares and Jiacamo followed. Then, he placed the two they'll at he held on the ground at their feet and took out the canister from his belt.
"Keep your hand on the trigger, this will only take a moment," Nemo assured him.
He waited until the every last moment, until the flames began to die out from the gun and then he set to work.
It only took a few seconds to pry off the empty canister and click the new on into place, but it was long enough for the both of them. the creatures gained some ground and Nemo and Jiacamo backed up towards their exit.
"Keep it up. I'll get your gloves and helmet," Nemo said.
One by one, he slid on Jiacamo's gloves and the gun was juggled Bayern them for a moment. Then, Nemo set the helmet on the floor within reach It wouldn't do him much good yet, restricted vision wouldn't help Jiacamo at all.
"Their numbers appear to be thinning," Nemo remarked, putting on his own gloves. "Perhaps we should take our chances soon," he said.
"Mmm," Jiacamo agreed. The sweat dripping down his forehead from the heat of the flames was unbearable and in the stagnant air, there was no relief.
Minutes passed them by and for once, luck seemed to be on their side. The number of creatures was indeed, dwindling.
Mover the indecent roar of the flames, the chittering and screeching noises ceased.
Nemo raised a hand and reluctantly, Jiacamo pulled his finger from the trigger.
They both glanced around warily but then, shared a silent agreement, meeting each others' gaze. Nemo quickly grabbed Jiacamo's helmet and fixed it in place, then his own.
Without another backwards glance at the vile caves, they leapt into the water.
With all of them finally back on board the Nautilus, Kai slammed the dive hatch closed behind Nemo and Jiacamo.
Both Humility and Kai had already removed their dive suits and the others had helped Benoit out of his own. The man himself was slumped against the bulkhead, exhausted. In the light, they could tell that he looked almost emancipated and even more pale than they'd first thought. But at least he was alive.
"Boniface, get us away from this place, quickly," Nemo panted after pulling off his helmet.
The first mate, along with Ranbir and Suyin nodded and led the dive room.
"Are you alright?" Humility asked Nemo. She hurried over and knelt beside him, taking his face in her face tenderly and searching for any kind of injury.
"I'm fine," Nemo assured her. He reached up to clasp his hand over her right wrist and she breathed out a shaky, deep sigh.
"I'm fine too, in case you were wondering," Jiacamo said, sarcastically.
"Ah, Jiacamo," Humility stood and planted a kiss on the man's cheek with a smile. "Where would we be without you? You were very handy with that flamethrower…you can keep it if you'd like. I'd say you've earned it. Though I do reserve the right to tinker with it on occasion," she added and he grinned.
"I would like," Jiacamo chuckled.
"And what do I get?" Kai asked.
"…The stone," Humility shrugged.
"A magic rock…great," he rolled his eyes.
She chuckled and hugged him happily. Then he left to help at the helm.
Jiacamo quickly shrugged out of his dive suit and left the flamethrower on the rack of weapons.
"Jiacamo, would you and Loti please help Benoit to his room? He needs warmth, food, and a good nights sleep," Nemo asked them.
"The man is half frozen. He needs a sauna," Loti said with a scoff.
"There was plenty of that in the caves," Humility remarked, wiping the sweat from her own brow.
"True," Benoit nodded. He eyed the weapon with fascination.
"Oh, no. Questions can wait," Humilty scolded him before he would even ask her any questions. "You heard Nemo; warmth, food and rest. We just got you back, let us fuss over you at least a little," she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Alright," the man nodded.
She helped him to his feet and then, Loti and Jiacamo took over. Between them, they managed to get Benoit walking on his own two feet towards the door.
At the same time, Humilty began to help Nemo out of his dive suit.
"Never again," Nemo muttered to her. "No more starfish," he shuddered.
"No more starfish," she agreed with a smile. She gently reached up to brush back his hair and then, she dropped a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips. And without another word, she returned to her task of helping him remove the bulky dive suit.
"How much…exactly…did I miss?" Benoit asked with a wry smile as he and the others began a slow trudge through out of the room and along the corridor.
"Quite a lot," Loti answered him.
Hours later, Benoit was fed, warm and clean, and resting in his bed aboard the Nautilus as though nothing had happened.
"How are you?" Nemo asked him with a warm smile.
"Better," Benoit smiled back and nodded. He held up his hands and flexed his fingers. "I can feel my hands again. I can feel warmth again…I feel like myself again."
"I've missed you, my friend," Nemo sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I've so much to tell you. We thought…we thought that you were dead," he admitted sadly.
"So did I," Benoit sighed. "Nemo…I need to ask you…the stones…they showed you a vision, yes?" he asked after a moment.
"How…did you know?" the captain asked him, stunned. "Humility told you?" he assumed.
"Yes, but I…remember…I saw it…I…sent it, I think, I don't know…" Benoit frowned, clearly confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Nemo, I asked you for help. It was my only thought. In the darkness and the cold, I asked you for help. And you came! You saved me!"
"After very nearly costing you your life in the first place. Benoit…I am so very sorry," Nemo held his head in despair.
"What?! It wasn't your fault," Benoit scoffed, incredulously.
"Of course it was my…"
"I persuaded you to explore those caves. We didn't know what was living there. It was my own fault. You tried to save me at risk to yourself," Benoit stated, calmly. "Besides, what's done is done. I am alive now, thanks to you, thanks to this crew. Though I don't know how. Humility told me everything that you found; the fossils, the cocoon…" he shuddered. "Nemo, I think I sent those visions to you. It was my desperate cry for help," he said.
"How…"
"I've no idea! But I asked for your help and you came! What other explanation is there?" Benoit asked.
"I don't know," Nemo admitted. "But as far as I am concerned, I want nothing more to do with those caves, the creatures, or the stones. I've locked them away in the safe in my quarters. And there they will remain. They are nothing but trouble."
"…As you say," Benoit shrugged. "As for myself, I am simply relieved to be alive," he relaxed back onto the comfortable bed.
"As are we. You were truly missed," Nemo said, emotionally. "We have all lost too much, but to gain something aback for a change…well, we don't often get second chances," he said.
"Mmmm," Benoit hummed. "I'm told that I missed a great deal," Benoit began. "You brought down the company," he raised an eyebrow.
"We did…together," Nemo nodded.
"You got what you wanted, then."
"And the company got what it deserved."
"And now…"
"Now…we do as we please," Nemo sighed. "We are fugitives but…I have come to realise…that out here, we at least have some freedom. If you prefer you can return to France or…"
"What of the Nautilus?"
"I need her. We need her. If we are to survive, then the Nautilus is all that we have on our side," Nemo said. "Things have changed much since we last talked about this and I am sorry but I can't give the ship to any government. Not even yours. They can't be trusted."
"And you think I would want to leave?" Benoit asked, stunned. "This was my dream. To peer beneath the waves. To explore. No, Nemo, I will remain here on the Nautilus."
"You will be a criminal…"
"I already am. I was from the moment I began to plot with you at Kalpani. And I do not regret it," Benoit assured him.
"Benoit…"
"Nemo, you are my friend. I have a great respect for you. I don't wish to leave. I will stay," he reiterated.
Nemo nodded with a knowing smile. "I'm glad to hear it. Loosing you once was more than enough," he said.
"Humility appears to have adapted to my role well enough in my absence," Benoit remarked happily. "I knew she was something special," he said, pointing his index finder at Nemo.
"Well, now you'll have to learn to share the engine room between you," Nemo joked.
"Hah! With two engineers, nothing will stand in our way. We simply cannot fail."
"We'd better not."
Benoit chuckled sleepily and let out a west sigh.
"It's good to be back," he said, closing his eyes. He was still clearly exhausted, and soon, he was drifting off into sleep, again.
"And it's good to have you back," Nemo replied quietly.
The Captain stood and decided to let him rest. "Goodnight, my friend," he whispered and turned off the lights before he left the room.