Chapter 2

I smiled.

Of course, I could live with it.

An hour later, my father and stepmother found their way to my holding cell.

From behind the cold iron bars, I watched the live news broadcast on the wall-mounted screen. It was all about the emergency rescue mission for the Deep Dweller.

On the news, the news anchor recited the list of missing personnel with dramatic solemnity and presented each of them as heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the nation.

The atmosphere was crafted perfectly.

I raised my cuffed hands toward them on the other side of the bars and gave a resigned shrug.

“As you can see, I’m in no position to help anyone. I’m being held on suspicion of leaking the Deep Dweller’s core technical schematics.”

Linda’s expression cycled through a spectrum of emotions in mere seconds. There was shock, disbelief, and finally, malice.

Her carefully maintained face twisted with rage as she shrieked, “It was you! Victoria, you did this on purpose! You’ve always been jealous of your sister! You were jealous that she became the Deep Dweller’s lead designer at such a young age! You couldn’t have it, so you decided to destroy her! How could you be so vile?”

Every accusation she threw at me was identical to the ones the media had blasted across the world in the last timeline.

So, they already had the script ready.

My father, on the other hand, was far calmer than Linda. Though clearly frantic with worry, he held himself with the stern authority of a bureau director.

He fixed his eyes on me. “What happened?”

“No idea.” I leaned back against the wall. My demeanor was lazy and unbothered. “Just past midnight, the disciplinary team barged into my lab. They said they had a signed, credible report that I had sold the Deep Dweller’s structural blueprints and its underwater sonar signature codes to a foreign entity.”

My father’s face went livid.

He knew it was a frame-up, of course, yet he did not offer a word of comfort.

Half of that submersible’s core technology was built on my research. Why would I ever sabotage my life’s work?

“Unbelievable!” he growled and pulled out his phone. “I’ll start making calls right now. I’ll pull every string I can. I’m getting you out on bail today, no matter what!”

“Don’t waste your time,” I said, cutting him off without hesitation.

“What does that mean?”

“If I walk out of here before the official investigation concludes, it will only make me look guilty.” I looked at him, and my gaze was calm and sharp. “Dad, you and I both know, if this charge sticks, my life is over.”

His hand, which was tight around the phone, froze mid-air.

Of course, he knew.

I let the silence stretch on before I finally asked, “Dad, if you had to choose between my life or Cindy’s today, whose life would you choose to save?”

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Just then, his phone rang.

He seized it like a lifeline and answered immediately.

The call was from the Everfrost Zone Research Center.

“Director Locke, we’ve just managed to reach Commander Noah!”

Ferdinand’s eyes lit up instantly.

“That’s great! What did he say? Does he have a solution?”

“Commander Noah said that he has suspended the Aurora Initiative and is attempting to remotely access the Deep Dweller’s operating system via a backup communications channel. But…”

“But what?”

“But the submarine’s external maintenance port is locked. The remote signal can’t fully connect. Someone has to pilot a rescue craft down to the accident site and establish a physical link. Only then can the system be rebooted. And the only person capable of performing that physical docking procedure is Engineer Victoria Archer.”