Breaching the surface under cover of squall clouds, the Sulu Crest dodged the searching spotlights of the corvette fleet. Inside the lab cabin, Clara cleaned centuries of marine crust from the bronze sun dial.
Under ultraviolet light, hidden engravings shimmered across the alloy surface—not mere decorations, but a star-map pointing to six other submerged vaults across the archipelago.
“This isn’t just a ship,” Clara realized, examining the solar symbols. “It was a mobile stronghold that guarded the maritime trade routes of Southeast Asia.”