Hidden Deep V0.96.5a -

The drones stopped communicating with each other. I watched on the secondary feed as they turned in unison, facing the central pit. Something rose from it. Not fast. Not swimming. Unfolding , like a thought given mass.

They don't tell you about the whispers when you sign up for a Clarke-class trench rig. They say "pressure acclimation" and "autonomous sub-pod operation." They don't say: at 7 kilometers, the dark starts listening back. Hidden Deep v0.96.5a

Timestamp: 218.97.34 / 04:12 UTC – Patch designation: v0.96.5a The drones stopped communicating with each other

"We're sorry. We're so sorry. We didn't know she was still listening." Hidden Deep v0.96.5a

Then the prey-drive threshold activated.

And she's learned to whisper back in my voice.

I'm turning off the lights now. The dark is quieter.