---
Fort Sentinel buzzed with a subtle hum, the sound of growth—steel shaping steel, data flowing faster, systems layering upon systems.
> HQ UPGRADE: LEVEL 7 COMPLETE
UNLOCKED: – Cargo Class: Neptune Heavy Freighter (Fast Coastal Hauler) – Submarine Class: Scout-Nuclear Variant (Project Lancer) – Dockyard Expansion: Tier III Ingress Bay Enabled
Reeve reviewed the schematics from his command chair.
The Neptune was sleek—80 meters long, streamlined with a widened hull and hybrid diesel-electric drives. Designed to run faster than the older Atlas freighters, she carried less tonnage but made up for it with speed and maneuverability. Perfect for contested coastal routes.
But it was the submarine tab that held his attention.
> NEW CLASS UNLOCKED: LANCER PROTOTYPE Designation: SSN-001 "Vanguard" Class: Nuclear Fast Attack Submarine (1st-Gen Model) Design Lineage: Skipjack-Class (Modernized) Length: 85 meters
Displacement: 3,700 tons
Top Speed (Submerged): 28 knots
Armament: 4x 533mm Torpedo Tubes, Modular Vertical Launch Slot (x2) Crew: 30 (AI-Augmented), Reactor: Low-Yield Thermal Gen II Operational Range: Unlimited (Nuclear)
---
"This one's different," Keira muttered, eyes on the wireframe.
"It's nuclear," Reeve said. "Unlimited range. No surfacing. Silent until it strikes."
She looked at him. "You planning to scout with it?"
"Yes. The diesel-electrics will form our inner perimeter net. But this one?" He tapped the console. "She's going dark. Deep patrol."
He assigned the name immediately.
> NEW SUBMARINE UNDER CONSTRUCTION: SSN-001 Vanguard
Build Time: 18 Hours (Real-Time)
Status: Drydock Phase II Initiated
---
Meanwhile, the new Neptune freighters were already under hull-frame construction. One in drydock. One already being pieced together by crane drones beside Atlas-04.
> Neptune-01 Speed: 22 knots
Capacity: 1,500 units
Stealth Rating: Moderate
Upgrade Potential: High (Sensor Pod, Turret Mount, Flare Dispensers)
Baqir, the Logistics Chief, nodded in approval as he reviewed the specs. "This cuts our resupply windows by 18%. And gives us options in narrow channels where Atlas haulers were too slow."
"Deploy them to support Ironjaw and Echo Station," Reeve ordered. "Begin fuel loop to Fort Delta. Keep one in reserve for rapid redeployment."
---
As the day rolled into late afternoon, Keira came to Reeve with a classified envelope.
"Spectre-02 just returned from its sweep of Sector Sigma-5."
"What did it find?"
She slid over a holoprojection. The image appeared grainy at first, then refined:
A half-submerged conning tower. Angled hull. Soviet markings. Ice encrusted across its upper bulkhead.
> TARGET: K-3 LENINSKY KOMSOMOL (DERELICT) Class: November-Class (Project 627) Status: Inert Hull Breach: Mid-Section Radiation: Contained Wreck Value: Moderate Blueprint Recovery: Possible
Reeve blinked. "That's a first-gen Soviet nuclear sub."
"Still intact," Keira said. "Some of the internal compartments are dry. No reactor leak. Might be able to recover torpedo data or control schematics."
He nodded slowly. "Mark it for a salvage run. Deploy Stingray-II drone with rad shielding. I want a full scan."
---
That night, Reeve stood on the outer balcony, watching the red-orange hue of Vanguard's reactor startup cycle.
The submarine glowed faintly beneath the shipyard lights, her hull wet and sleek like a predator not yet loosed.
He crossed his arms.
"Once we have her out there," he said to Keira, who joined him silently, "we won't just be watching the oceans."
She smiled. "We'll be listening to them breathe."
Far out, in the trench-shadowed zones beyond Echo Spire, strange sonar pings still whispered back to U-01.
And deeper still, something pulsed once.
Then again.
Patient. Waiting.
---
[End of Chapter Twenty three]