«Anyone who boards last is a misoneist!» Nana exclaimed.

Seraphin shrugged, pulling his trolley forward.

«How can you not be impressed?» Martine asked, pushing up her sunglasses to look up at the ship, an almost frightened expression on her face «What the hell, are we really about to do this?»

«It's a big ship» Seraphin said «But we'll always be doing our job. Not much will change, will it?».

Celestine and Ionia ran past him, dashing down the gangplank in a vain attempt to catch Nana.

«It's a big ship» Martine repeated «I think we'll find those fish».

The Nihil was a white giant, a white so pure that in the midday light it seemed almost blinding. On the visible side was a huge, stylized azure design: a lion-headed jellyfish, terrifying in its proportions. The third color, both more discreet in its distribution only on "details" and omnipresent, was gold: the ladders, the handrails, the gangways, the rings around the portholes were all gold, making the ship gleam like something precious and, strangely, aggressive.

«Do you know what it looks like?» Marti said, yanking her luggage along

«Do you need help with that?» her brother asked

«Huh? No, no»

«You were saying, what it looks like?»

«Look at her, what a beast. It's like walking into the mouth of a sea monster, hoping it will give us a lift, praying it remembers not to chew or swallow».

The Nihil would swallow Seraphin and her sisters, taking with it its crew of more than a hundred souls without returning them to dry land for days on end. Beyond twelve nautical miles from the coast, the contract would be activated, and with it the Deep Silence clause.

It was hard to remain indifferent. And Seraphin wasn't indifferent, but he wasn't scared.

«And isn't that fantastic?» He replied with a kind smile.

«How slow! You're both misoneists!» Nana declared cheerfully from the other end of the gangway «We're already here! Come on!»

«You’re young though» Seraphin joked in a whiny tone «What about us oldies, eh? Don't you think about us?»

«No» Nana entered the Nihil, and her brother burst out laughing.

The commander was waiting for them inside.

She was a woman in her forties with olive skin and strong arms covered in tattoos, not a single one of which had a nautical theme: ferns and beetles, flocks of small, colorful birds, multicolored lizards curling around writings in foreign languages. Above the white collar of her uniform, black lines could be glimpsed, another tattoo covering her throat.

She had long hair, tied in a thick braid, and expression lines around her mouth that gave her a stern look when she was thoughtful, and a cheerful look when she smiled.

When she saw Seraphin towering over his sisters, she didn't comment, but her gaze lingered on him a few seconds longer.

«Here's our new group» She said aloud, rubbing her hands

«Here we are» Nana confirmed brightly «Hello! Did we keep you waiting?»

«You're on time. We haven't finished boarding yet, but some of the staff and I arrived early to make sure everything was in order for us to depart. Are you the research group led by Seraphine Panorme?»

«It's Seraphin» the researcher corrected her kindly «Yes, we are the research group. It's truly a pleasure to meet you».

The commander cursed lightly. «Bad start. Seraphin, eh! I've never heard you say it out loud, Seraphin, sorry»

«No problem, ma'am. We'll do fine, I'm sure»

«Well, nice attitude. Prue Goldhind» the woman introduced herself «I'll take you where you need to see your mysterious fish. I'm once again the commander of the Nihil, courtesy of President Alkahest»

«Always blessed be her name» Seraphin replied, and the commander chuckled.

She held out her hand, and he shook it. It was a pleasant, firm, and dry grip.

That she was there courtesy of Seras Alkahest, just like them, was clear from the uniform she wore. It was clearly designed and crafted to match the rest of the ship: completely white except for a few details, it consisted of a thigh-length jacket that curved elegantly to make her shoulders appear broader, closed at the chest and short-sleeved, a commander's hat with shiny gold buttons, gloves, white trousers, and snow-white boots with gold soles.

Seraphin wondered if Seras had left instructions for them to also dress in white and gold uniforms at some point.

The Panorme sisters introduced themselves, exchanging handshakes and pleasantries with the commander.

«So this isn't your first time in command of the Nihil?» Marti asked.

Commander Goldhind shook her head, placing a hand on her hip. «We have a couple of adventures under our belt. It's a difficult ship to manage, also because, quite simply, it's a large ship. This must be taken into account in maneuvers, internal administration, and the management of such a large staff, which is why the president prefers to entrust it to people who have already proven they know how to handle it. It's heavy artillery, so to speak; if the president put it at your disposal, you must have made an impression»

«It seemed like she cared about the project» Seraphin offered, putting his hands on his chest

«Yes, it seems so»

«And you, Commander? What do you think?»

«I was told oarfish, that’s what I’ve been told, are fish of bad luck» the woman replied with a sarcastic smile «But that doesn't stop me from taking on a job like this»

«Good thing you're not superstitious, then!»

«No, no. I believe it. I mean, maybe I wouldn't call myself superstitious, and I don't know if they bring things like the apocalypse, but I think there's something very strange about these fish. I think they never appear without bringing something with them. I mean, I've never heard of anything normal happening with king of herrings. But honestly» she glanced at Seraphin «I want to understand more. So, what the hell, yes, I'm exactly where I want to be right now»

«If I can reassure you a little, they've brought me nothing but good so far, Commander» Seraphin assured, amused «They're magnificent creatures, not deserving of a bad reputation at all!»

«Then stay close to me, Professor Panorme, and maybe they'll bring me luck too».

Marti whispered something to her brother, who protested with a playful, low: «Marti!».

«Come on, I'll show you around» Said Prue «It would take me forever to show you everything, so while we wait for our guest of honor, I'll accompany you for a while. Professor Panorme, come here, next to me, you'll be my good luck charm for this journey».

Seraphin came up beside the captain, putting his hands behind his back, and trying to ignore Martine, who continued to tease him.

«Let's start with the bridge, obviously» Said Prue «The most important part. At least for me, of course; scientists like you will spend their time elsewhere, I assume».

Going up the internal rooms, white with blue anti-slip strips, they emerged into a large, bright cabin with panoramic windows that allowed for a 320-degree view in every direction. The white and gray console was dotted with screens and dials.

«High-tech navigation consoles» Prue explained, touching some components with her index and middle fingers next to some square screens «Advanced radar, bless the president's soul, DP2 dynamic positioning systems that allow us to stay as still as a rock even in the roughest seas, and these are the screens that monitor everything from ocean currents to underwater vehicles. I spend most of my time here; I'm the captain, after all. I can also call people from here» She briefly held up a black microphone, connected to the console by a thin metal cable «I can pull any lazybone out of their bed and have them come running over here, so don't think you're safe just because you're in your beds, with blankets over your heads»

«Yes, ma'am!» Seraphin exclaimed, giving a military salute

«And then, look, I'm watching you from here».

Following a gesture from Prue, the Panorme siblings approached the large windows to look out: from that height, the view of the ship's bridge, and the surrounding sea, was perfect.

«Don't get too used to it» Prue began to descend the stairs «Now I'll show you where you'll be working».

Nana had an orange shoulder bag studded with pins, from which she pulled out a camera. It was small enough to fit completely in one hand, with an iridescent green beetle-like casing, capable of developing the photos it took on film almost instantly.

«One moment, Commander!» The researcher called, waving a hand to get her attention «The view is beautiful from here, you can see the sea! Would you like to take a picture of us all together? Our very first meeting, before the Nihil even sets sail!».

Prue stopped dead in her tracks.

«Sure. Yeah, why not?».

The group lined up in front of the windows. Prue put her arm around Seraphin's waist, watching him to gauge his reaction. He returned it with an arm around her shoulders, tilting his head slightly to one side to smile at the camera.

Ionia leaned forward a little, making a victory sign with her fingers, Celestine raised a hand to her chin mysteriously, and Marti hugged Seraphin from the other side with a mischievous smile, holding a pet carrier under her arm. At the last second, Nana slid around the other side of the lens to get into frame, keeping her arm outstretched to maintain her position as long as possible.

«Laugh!» She exclaimed «Oh, you can break ranks, now! I warn you, there are no encores, I want it to be one genuine. And here it is!».

The camera slowly pushed out the square of photographic paper; Nana took it in her hand and waved it with quick flicks of her wrist.

«I haven't seen anything like this in a while» Prue admitted, motioning for them to follow her again.

Marti bent down to pick up the carrier she had put down for a moment, from which Fili's little black face was silently watching them. «What kind?» She asked.

«That little camera your colleague has. I thought they only used them for historical reconstructions, not that there were any that actually worked»

«That's because you have some crazy technology here and you don't use anything even remotely vintage» the researcher commented

«Well. If you want to see even crazier technology, wait until you get to the lab areas».

Ionia and Celestine exchanged a quick high five.

«Commander» Seraphin said, chuckling

«Tell me, Professor Panorme»

«You can leave me now. I'm not running away».

Prue still had an arm around Seraphin's waist, and had gently pushed him as she headed toward the labs. The researcher extricated himself from the commander's grasp, taking her arm instead. «Let's do it this way, what do you think, Captain? Comfortable?»

«You're so sweet. Yeah, yeah, let's go».

As they walked away, Nana lingered behind. She held the newly developed photo in her hand, squinting as if to focus on some small detail. With a frown, she looked out the large windows, at the blue sea. Then back at the photo.

«Nana, come!» Seraphin called.

She jumped. «I'm coming, I'm coming!».

The Nihil housed research facilities that would have made any Earth laboratory envious; while the shared spaces and cabin were white and pure Alkahest style, the data processing rooms were dark and sinuous, with curved walls, shiny tables, sleek, state-of-the-art screens, and consoles for piloting remote-controlled submarines, and even a light strip, a flat serpent that ran across the ceiling in place of one or more chandeliers.

«It looks like a game room!» Nana commented delightedly, applauding.

«But it's a work room» Prue gestured with one arm, keeping the other hand on her hip «You have the data processing room, the ROV piloting area, and the control room. I don't hang around here much; you'll surely have a chance to become more familiar with the environment».

Ionia jogged and dropped into one of the padded chairs placed in front of the screens, spinning with momentum. She gave both thumbs up.

«So this is where our predecessors worked» Seraphin mused aloud «You were there for the last mission, too, Commander. How did they handle it, mentally?»

«Who? The previous team?»

«Yes, the previous team»

«Ah… I don’t know, I think everything went swimmingly up to a point» Prue quickly changed the subject «Well, lucky you, you’ll get to enjoy all this brand-new gear!»

«It won’t be newer than yours, we can all enjoy it» Seraphin replied encouragingly

«Oh no, this is newer. They’ve updated almost everything since the last trip»

«Ah! How come?»

«The old one was no longer usable»

«What… happened?»

«A small glitch, I think. To one of the machines» Prue said quickly «And then the president also updated the rest of the equipment to keep up… nothing to worry about».

«I like the new equipment» Celestine stepped forward to run a hand over one of the consoles. She wore purple-tinted sunglasses, which she adjusted every now and then just to show off «Wow. When can we start?».

Prue raised a hand to block her.

«I have a couple of final things to explain first, and then you're free».

The commander last showed them the conference room, which had returned to the typical white and gold aesthetic of the rest of the ship, airy and somehow austere.

«We'll take stock here if necessary. The Nihil is a nice beast, and we're its organs» Commander Goldhind explained «You have to communicate and do your job well».

The room seemed even larger since it was completely empty, except for a woman with a green headband holding what looked like a huge toad; the curious duo, however, quickly slipped away.

«Marti! Did you see? She was… so cute» Seraphin commented, enchanted

«Who, the toad or the girl?» Marti whispered back

«Probably both»

«How diplomatic»

«But this time I paid more attention to the toad. She was adorable, did you see it? Did you see it?»

«Yes, I saw it. It was green»

«It was really green. Curious, huh? The last time I saw something like that, I was an apprentice…»

«True, you sent me the photos! Hey, you know who I haven't seen yet?»

«Who?»

«Our supervisor».