In Frost, the southern port, in the secret facility deep underground, irrelevant personnel have evacuated the scene, while Agatha and Tirian are waiting for Duncan's arrival.
Behind them is the huge machine built secretly by the former city hall - the oval pressure-resistant chamber is firmly fixed between the beams by steel cables, and the light shines from the ceiling, shining on the metal of the submersible.
The outer shell gave the latter a cold and silent glow.
Silence enveloped the hall, and after a slightly nervous wait for a moment, Agatha suddenly raised her head, breaking the silence with an ethereal and hoarse voice like a ghost: "He's here."
After her words fell, she opened her hands in the air, and blazing green flames rose from the scars and cracks all over her body. Her posture was like embracing a sun. In front of Agatha, a faint green flame suddenly appeared.
It burned in the air, and then condensed into a rotating door of flames. Ai Yi, in the form of a skeleton, flew out of the door first, and then, a burly figure wearing a black coat and covered with bandages walked out of the door.
Tirian bowed to salute the figure, and at the same time took a half step away: "Father."
Agatha put away her hands and at the same time restrained the flames on her body. She lowered her head slightly with her hands in front of her chest in a praying posture: "Sorry, I still need you to come in person."
"It doesn't matter. This avatar has nothing to do anyway. It's more efficient to come and see the scene in person than to listen to the report." Duncan waved his hand, looking past Tirian and Agatha, and his eyes had already fallen on the TV behind them.
On the huge machine, "...is this it?"
"Yes," Agatha nodded lightly, "The legacy left by Archon Winston may also embody the efforts of other former archons. According to the current inspection conclusion, this submersible is nearing completion, and
In good condition.”
Duncan said "hmm" softly, but did not continue to speak. He just stood there quietly, as if staring at a piece of frozen history, without saying a word for a long time.
The dusty history also stared at him. Time condensed ambitions and lonely pursuits that are unknown today. Under the interlaced lights, in this hall that was almost covered with dust, all the fears and courage of mortals were cast in this cold
of steel.
Duncan could almost hear the obsession and roar cast into the steel.
He took a few steps forward, came to the edge of the guardrail, stretched out his hand to touch the cold and hard shell of the submersible, and deep in his lifeless body... there seemed to be a faint throbbing, and then, this feeling
fleeting.
But this fleeting feeling still gave Duncan a sense of familiarity. He recalled and found the source of this familiarity:
That was when he first set foot on the surface of Pland and stood in front of Nina as "Uncle Duncan", and Nina ran over with a smile on her face and opened her hands to him; that was when he was lost in his hometown.
I found the silver brooch on the ship, and heard the name "Lucretia" from others - at that time, the faint attachment and memories surged from the bottom of my heart, as if they were a body that survived until the end, but
A little bit of humanity that can never be completely dissipated.
Duncan retracted his arm, lowered his head and looked at his palms thoughtfully, as if looking at the former owner of this body. After a long time, he softly said: "Ah, you know this..."
Tirian's voice came from the side: "Father? What did you say?"
"Nothing," Duncan turned around, "Can this submersible be used now?"
"This..." There was a trace of embarrassment in Tirian's tone, "We carefully checked the facilities here and the status of the submersible. The main structure of the submersible itself is intact, but there are two problems. The first is this
It seems that all the original technical staff of the facility have been sacrificed, and the data and equipment left in the external hall are seriously damaged. This problem is relatively easy to solve. Some of the 'old guys' in the Sea Mist Fleet should be able to handle this thing - after all, it
It was built based on the blueprint left by the Frost Queen. The second problem is more troublesome..."
Tirian paused slightly when he said this, organized his words before continuing: "Based on preliminary inspection, we found that this submersible is very different from the ones used back then. It does not actually rely on the air pump on the surface, but uses the built-in oxygen
bottle for oxygen supply, but we only found the location where the oxygen bottle is installed, but not the corresponding gas bottle - maybe this part has not been completed yet, which is why Ms. Agatha said just now that it is 'nearly completed'. Now we need to
It may take a long time to improvise an oxygen supply system suitable for this submersible."
Duncan turned his head and glanced at Tirian quietly.
Tirian was a little nervous: "Father?"
"I don't need to breathe," Duncan looked into Tirian's eyes, "Any questions now?"
Tirian: "..."
The new Frost Archon was stunned for a moment, and then he suddenly reacted. A look of embarrassment suddenly appeared on his face, and then he nodded hurriedly: "Ah, then there is no problem..."
"There aren't even a few people in the entire Sea Fog Fleet who can breathe. Instead, you are struggling with this issue. It seems that recent events have really made you dizzy." Duncan shook his head, "Well, since there is no
The problem is to prepare as soon as possible and get the submersible ready in the shortest possible time. This is the thing I care about most in Hanshuang."
Tirian stood up straight in an instant. Although he had not heard instructions from his father for a century, he still tensed his muscles like a conditioned reflex: "Yes! Father!"
Then Tirian left - to fulfill his father's orders as quickly as possible.
Duncan turned around and observed the strange-looking diving equipment for a while, and then noticed that Agatha was still standing there, and seemed... hesitant to speak.
Duncan turned his head and glanced at Agatha and her shadow on the ground next to him. Then he nodded: "You can speak now. We are the only ones here now - tell me, what is the situation? Who of you speaks first?"
Agatha was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "You...have discovered it?"
"There are two shadows in the firelight. Although one of them is trying hard to hide it, the flames on your body come from me. This kind of hiding seems a bit...clumsy to me." Duncan turned around, with a look in his eyes.
With a little gentleness, he said, "I discovered it right after I got here, but you didn't want to talk about it just now, so I didn't ask."
"I just don't think General Tirian should know about this for the time being."
Agatha said, slowly taking two steps to the side.
Her shadow remained where it was.
The next second, the shadow left on the ground suddenly swayed, and then, a vague and illusory figure that could vaguely be seen dressed as the former gatekeeper stood up from the shadow and bent slightly towards Duncan.
Then, a husky voice that was almost identical to Agatha's came out: "Nice to meet you, Duncan... Captain."
"This must be the first time I see you," Duncan looked at the blurry and shaking figure with a hint of surprise. After looking at it curiously for a few seconds, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Agatha not far away.
"Has she always been this vague?"
"When she is in the mirror, it will be very clear, but there is no mirror here," Agatha explained immediately. "In addition, according to our tests, 'she' will also become blurry when she feels nervous. The more nervous she is, the blurry she will be."
, now...she is a little nervous in front of you."
"...It's amazing." Duncan felt more and more incredible. He looked at the phantom. Even though he had just discovered the existence of the other party, he was still surprised at this moment. "I thought you had disappeared into the darkness - Agatha
Read the remaining memories when you dissipated."
"I did disappear for a time, but finally returned to this world," the hazy shadow said, "I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain this process. When I realized my existence again, I was already a mirror.
The reflection in it..."
Agatha on the side said immediately: "We suspect that this is related to the 'key', but there is no evidence."
"key?"
"That brass key," Agatha nodded, "according to 'her' vague impression, 'she' reappeared in the world when I got the brass key——
Perhaps that key not only has the power to store information, but can also preserve memories, personality and even souls to a certain extent. When conditions are right, the preserved memories and souls can be 'reshaped' in some form..."
Duncan listened quietly and did not speak immediately.
The key left by Frost Queen Leigh Nora is now on the Lost Home, in the hands of his "body". Out of caution, he has not tried to use the key on Alice yet, and
Now it seems...this caution may be correct!
Agatha touches the key, and the "fake Agatha" who also held the key returns to the world. What if the key is used on Alice? What will happen?
That key...could it contain the memory, or even the soul, of Frost Queen Leigh Nora?
Frost Archons of all generations have been continuously affected by the brass key in the process of coming into contact with it. They passively understood the truth of the Qianyuan Plan, passively took over the "inheritance" of the Frost Queen, and even interfered with themselves by the Queen's will.
Until now, this "influence" has been simply and crudely explained as the "Frost Queen's Curse", but what happened to Agatha now... made Duncan realize the possibility behind the key.
Considering that Alice and the Frost Queen have exactly the same appearance, this possibility points to a more disturbing direction - the doll is the container, and the key stores the soul. When the two are combined into one, it is Frost.
Frost Queen.
Duncan remained silent and sighed softly in his heart.
He understood why Agatha didn't mention this matter in front of Tirian just now.
But then, he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
As a doll, Alice, and the brass key that "can store souls"...are they really the means for the Frost Queen to resurrect? Could it be that simple?