The ocean was calm that morning, sunlight spreading across the water in wide streaks of gold. Aurora’s Wake glided forward at an easy pace, her sails catching just enough wind to make the trip smooth. Ethan Calder leaned against the wheel, his posture steady, his face marked by years at sea.
Across the deck, Liam Ross crouched over a row of waterproof cases, carefully checking the seals. Inside were thousands of dollars’ worth of instruments—sensors, cameras, specialized tools for studying reefs and currents. To him, they weren’t just equipment; they were months of grant money, his entire project resting in those crates.