Baskergrand The Nautilus
The Rift

On Saturday morning, Percival was once more with Charles at Tuckerby Bay, in tow with the Nautilus.

''I'm going to investigate that black hole that I saw the fish disappear into. I don't understand where they could have gone. It doesn't make sense, so I want to find out,'' Percival mused, removing his coat and riding boots so that he could enter the suit.

''From a scientific point of view, there is much to be gained from this discovery. There are always mysteries that need to be deciphered in this world. This is one of those mysteries that we should endeavour to comprehend, my dear boy. We should go down there and see what marvels have been hidden away from us for so long,'' Charles reasoned, putting his hand on Percival's back. Percival pondered on what he said, before he entered the suit once again.

''Once I reach a certain depth, the suit warns me of the danger it could do and then it catapults me all the way back up to surface. Maybe if I go straight down without stopping, I could investigate the black hole further,'' Percival resolved as he walked towards the water.

''But...what about the body you found down there?'' Charles asked. Percival stopped, and turned to Charles.

''I will collect it after I have finished my investigation. It's not like he is going anywhere,'' Percival responded.

''All right. Let me tie the rope around your waist,'' Charles said, coming towards Percival with the rope he had from yesterday.

''No, it's all right. I won't need it. The suit protected me from harm, so if anything happens, it will protect me again. I will be fine, Charles,'' Percival replied.

''Oh, all right. But...are you sure? You can never be too careful, you know,'' Charles said to him.

''I will be fine, Charles. The Nautilus...is my saviour. It looks out for me,'' Percival said. Charles looked at him and smiled.

''Fine. But if I do not see you resurface within ten minutes, I am going to dive in and rescue you myself,'' Charles cautioned.

''Don't worry too much, Charles. But I will not spend longer than ten minutes. Cheerio,'' Percival responded heartily. He turned around and continued into the water, before he became submerged once more and Charles could no longer see him.

'Don't get lost, Percival,' Charles thought apprehensively. Percival swam deeper into the water, and quickly located where the body of the dead man was, still trapped in between some rocks.

''Visor transparency initiated. Oxygen levels at ninety percent. Depth pressure at a cautionary level. Return to a safe level as soon as possible, before any damage is incurred to the suit,'' the suit informed him.

'If I look only for the black hole, the oxygen levels should be all right,' Percival surmised. Percival sought for the black hole he had found yesterday, but was unable to spot it.

'I hope a fish comes along and enters into it,' Percival thought as he looked around him. He turned his head from left to right, and could see not any fish.

'Where have they all gone?' Percival wondered.

''Oxygen levels at eighty five percent. Depth pressure at severe level. Return to a safe level as soon as possible,'' the suit reported. Percival ignored the suit and examined the area further.

''It must be here somewhere,'' Percival said to himself. He turned around on the spot, and was about to swim about when he caught a glimpse of something. He turned his head forward, and spotted a few fish appear out of nowhere.

'Is...that it?' Percival considered as he scrutinized a dark area where he had seen the fish emerge from. He swam closer to it, and became surprised when more fish materialized out of nothing.

''There!'' Percival exclaimed when he found it.

''Oxygen levels at eighty percent. Depth pressure at critical level. Return to the surface immediately,'' the suit admonished.

''Not just yet, Nautilus,'' Percival said to the suit before he ventured into the black hole.

''Emergency resurfacing initiated,'' the suit reported.

''No!'' Percival screamed before he lunged forward and closed his eyes. The suit suddenly launched him upwards.

''Aaaagh!'' he screamed, keeping his eyes tightly shut while the suit was dragging him.

'Oh no! I can't believe I got taken back before I could enter the hole,' he thought disappointedly.

''Oxygen levels at one hundred percent. Resurfacing successful. Visor transparency offline,'' the suit reported to Percival when he resurfaced.

''Oh, well! I'm back at Tuckerby Bay,'' Percival said to himself once he resurfaced. He was facing out towards the sea, and swam around to find Charles.

''Oh...my...'' Percival let out. Once he had turned his attention toward the bay, he was met with a completely different sight. The bay had changed dramatically; a ninety foot black wall stretched for miles along the bay, and Percival saw vehicles on the sand. There were people in black suits and helmets with what looked like weapons in their hands surrounding the wall, as if they were guarding it.

''...Charles...what's happened to Charles? What's happened to Tuckerby Bay? Am I even at Tuckerby Bay?'' Percival questioned aloud. He was puzzled, but wanted to find out more. He began to swim towards the shore, but stopped at the sound of something he had never heard before.

'What is that?' he wondered, looking wildly around him. The sound grew closer and closer, and Percival noticed the water around him turn darker from above.

''Un...believable...'' he said as he found his eyes drawn to a massive flying black object hovering approximately one hundred and fifty feet above him. He watched as the flying object landed on the bay with a rush of wind and noise. When it landed, Percival perceived some writing in white on the side of the object. He narrowed his eyes closer on the writing, and became stunned once he realised what it read.

''Mason...Industries...'' he said aloud. He couldn't quite believe what he had just witnessed.

'Does this...have anything to do with Garth?' Percival wondered. He was there in the water for a while, ruminating on what he had seen.

'It's probably someone else; it has to be,' Percival dwelt on the Mason Industries object.

''Oh, Charles!'' he exclaimed when he remembered Charles' warning to him.

''I've spent too long! I must go back!'' Percival said before he became submerged again and swam back down towards the black hole.

''Oxygen levels at ninety seven percent. Depth pressure at severe level. Return to a safe level as soon as possible,'' the suit alerted him.

''Just a bit further,'' Percival said, swimming farther and farther into the deep waters.

''Depth pressure at critical level. Return to the surface as soon as possible,'' the suit warned.

''Nearly there,'' he responded.

''Oxygen levels at ninety three percent. Emergency resurfacing initiated,'' the suit announced.

''Ah!'' Percival screamed, closing his eyes as he was dragged upwards suddenly.

''Resurfacing successful. Oxygen levels at one hundred percent,'' the suit reminded him once he came back.

''Percival!'' Charles bellowed across the bay. Percival was relieved to see that he had rejoined Charles at Tuckerby Bay.

''Oh, am I glad to see you,'' Percival said to Charles as he was helped out of the water.

''And I you,'' Charles responded, removing Percival carefully out of the suit.

''What...a discovery!'' Percival remarked in between breaths. He lay down on the sand on his back, looking up at the sky.

''Oh, what did you discover?'' Charles asked excitedly. Percival sat up slowly.

''All sorts of...things. Many...more extraordinary inventions! I saw another object that can fly just as well as the Nautilus...but it was much more larger in size! And...there were carriages...but these carriages looked different...the wheels were strange...and they moved faster...oh, there was so much, Charles! So much to see!'' Percival gushed. Charles looked out to the sea, his eyes brimming with tears. He was speechless.

''And...'' Percival began, but stopped himself short. He was unsure whether he should tell Charles about seeing Mason Industries scrawled on the side of the flying object. .

''And...what?'' Charles prompted. Percival looked at him.

''And...I forgot to collect the body. Let me rest first, and I will retrieve it shortly,'' Percival said.

''Oh, yes, I had nearly forgotten about that myself,'' Charles responded. Whilst Percival and Charles took a breather, Garth was once again hiding behind a tree in the woods of Tuckerby Bay, observing in secret what the two men were doing.

''What are you and Charles up to, Percy?'' he asked aloud, examining their actions from afar.

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