The winch hummed steadily, its rhythmic mechanical pulse the only sound against the lapping of the waves. Arthur leaned over the railing, his eyes locked on the spot where the cable pierced the churning surface. The Silver Wake held its line easily as the gear began to rise. He watched the tension in the cable, making sure the net didn’t swing too wide as it approached the boat.
Then, the brass helmet broke the surface, glinting dully in the afternoon light. The suit emerged looking like a strange, dripping passenger, its canvas limbs holding the shape of the ore tucked inside. Water poured from the sleeves in thin streams as the net cleared the waves. Arthur swung the boom inward, guiding the catch over the open deck. With a smooth motion of the lever, he lowered the gear.
The suit settled onto the deck with a muffled thud, and Arthur stood there in the sudden silence, staring at the shimmering cargo he had successfully brought back from the abyss.