>>5654256"But above all else, it's a story of submersibles and leviathans, of sunken cities and derelicts, and a covert war waged by great powers in the darkest depths of a watery abyss."
"Sir, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you're pulling my leg. You're describing scenes straight out of the pen of that Frog phantasy writer."
"Our natural philosophers surpassed even his fairy tales. You, of course, know of the Pelagion class submersibles that are being slated for serial production?"
"Oh, Sir, do I ever. They constitute half the bloody paperwork at the Admiralty recently."
"Well, you might be surprised to find out that there was a prototype built in utmost secrecy, The Pelagius, some five years ago - and that I had the honour of being on her maiden voyage."
"The Pelagius? I remember that name. Isn't that the vessel for retraining obsolete seamen?"
"On paper, yes. In reality she was our most advanced trump card, and the prototype for our first serial line of submersibles. I don't blame the First Lord for not sharing the information. He was under strict orders of secrecy."
"Oh, would that I have seen her, Sir! I fear she may end up being the only one of her line."
"What do you mean, lad?"
"Well, if I was Bosch... and if I could sneak up an airfleet all the way up to the capital... then I would take a small detour to also bomb the living hell out of Crichtonshire drydocks, Sir. That's where all the Pelagion class hulls are being laid out."
"Well noticed, Mister Gladston. Well noticed indeed."
The man may have been impressed by the junior officer's sharpness. But his voice was far, far from pleased.
"Indeed, we put great stock in the Pelagion class submersible. To the best of our knowledge, the Frogs STILL don't know about the Pelagius' existence, even though she has feasted on their merchant navy for half a decade now. An entire series of submersibles would be a great boon to our ability to project power. Airships are faster, aye. But they can't exactly hide."
"Today's events put the lie to your word, Sir."
"Oh, we will get to that, lad, in time, I promise you. I have a theory as to how the Bosch managed to catch us with our breeches down. You will, perhaps, be surprised to know that today" - here, the Man gestured above his head, to the ceiling and beyond - "was not my first time being fired at by the vaunted Luftflotte."
"But the war just started!"
"Officially. But for years the Pelagius alone played at cat and mouse with the Krauts across half the bloody globe."
