The Gill Man , specifically the one from the 1954 film , its classification was Paradox | Gamma | Cataclysm , now for those who don't know , the Silentium has 3 main classification systems , Alteration , Threat and Concept.
Threat is rather self-explanatory , each of the classification is divided into 3 for simplicity's sake
Anchor : Remnants that are absolutely safe unable to harm humansFlux : Remnants that can be Contained or Negotiated withCataclysm : Remnants that are Impossible to contain, either let them be or don't get in their way
Alteration is the level of reality they alter , to be exact , the alteration levels of their powers
Gamma : Remnants that either gain physical strength of a superhuman or moreEpsilon : Remnants that control things that defy the law of physics (Mana , etc)Omega : Reality altering Remnants , those that can change reality at will
And Concept level being how 'accurate' are they the canon or specifically the story they come from
Echo : Remnants that have fragments of the original character's powerParadox : Remnants that have the full power / completely accurate to canonVestige : Remnants go beyond the originals powers
For Vestiges , well I've never met one before but when I asked the system about it , the answer was equally vague , it only said
[Vestiges : Those that have lost parts of themselves in exchange for more power]
Now when am I explaining this you ask? It's because I need to distract myself from…
Rustle Rustle
"No peeking Cael~" Evelyn's voice was voice alluring , but obviously I'm a man with integrity, and besides I don't dese—
"Cael you still there?"
"Yes…"
"Cheer up now , doing a difficult clean up means we'll be free for the entire day~" Evelyn, was it because she wanted to cheer me up, or was it her way of coping with this long and tedious work I have no clue…
The locker room was cold as I had to strip naked to use some thermal undergarments , the air tasted of chlorine and rubber , Evelyn on the other hand, was already pulling her gear from the rack , her movements quick and practiced
The same way she did with everything , meanwhile I was staring at the dry suit. It was black in color with strips of bright yellow , the flippers showing a bit of black in the bright yellow suit , the reason was obvious , to see each other clearly.
The tank containing the Gill-Monster is approximately 3 stories tall , filled with dark brackish water kept at a cool constant temperature to mimic its natural habitat , the water was deliberately clouded as the creature prefers a dim environment.
"Come on Cael~ it's not going to put itself on y'know" Evelyn said as she was already stepping into her dry suit pulling the heavy neoprene up over legs like she had done this 1000 times , which she probably did.
"Hrggh…" I grunted as I reached for my own suit , it was far heavier than it looked , the material stiff and unyielding , getting into the suit was a humiliation on its own , I had to shove my legs in , wriggle my shoulder through the torso.
And worst of all? Contort my arms , to pull the zipper up to my spine , I could've swore I pulled a muscle.
"Need help? It's surprisingly comfortable when you're used to it" Evelyn , already sealed , her suit hugging her like a second skin , just waiting for her LAMA helmet to be placed on , and the audacity to get comfortable wearing it.
"No."
"You're lying~"
"… Yes"
Her laughter echoed slightly in the room as she stood behind me , her gloved fingers holding the zipper before yanking it in one go. For a moment I was tense , if it were to be loose and come unzip…
Shiver
While the water wasn't particularly toxic it still didn't feel good , not only that the tank itself simulates a deep-sea environment, and the reason we have to clean the tank?
Its residue , The Gill-Man secretes a thick gelatinous mucus that coats the walls , the rocks and the filtration system. Over time this mucus hardens into a crust that blocks the pump and begins to decompose , releasing a foul stench that permeates the water. Equipment and clothes that touch it smells like it for days
Thud
"Stop overthinking it , there's plenty of underwater containments you've cleaned before , this isn't the first time, besides the creature itself will be sedated lasting 3 hours."
"Anyhow , the battery will last for 6 hours, plenty of time, the air, probably 3-4 hours, I will warn you though, it's not like breathing normally, like breathing through a gas mask I guess?"
"A Remnant is still a Remnant" I said, my voice still quite tense , I didn't quite catch what she said , my thoughts filled with anxiety and possibilities , bad endings , what if scenarios
"A sedated Remnant." Evelyn said as she picked up her helmet—a full face LAMA unit, the kind that encloses your entire head in a bubble of composite material , something an astronaut would wear or a deep-sea welder.
The helmet itself was clear, giving a wide field of view , with a small inbuilt light module mounted over the visor and a communication module integrated at the jaw.
As I lifted over the helmet the red base and the clear dome , the faint stench of disinfectant permeating through my nose
Click HSSSSSSSSS
A clicking noise could be heard as Evelyn secured her helmet , the faint hiss of her regulator cycling as she tested her air flow , she then gestured with a thumbs up before helping me put on my helmet which I was fumbling with.
HSSSSSSSSS
the helmet was secured on my head as the world went silent, the only sound I could hear was my own breathing , and the faint crackle of the radio
[Testing, Testing Can you hear me?] Her voice went with a slight crackle
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh Yeah." My voice sounded strange with a slight mechanical noise trapped inside the helmet "Loud and clear Hhhh—Kshhhhh "
[Good , now your gloves , make sure there's no leak , one leak and your hands freeze up , you'll Hhhh—Kshhhhh be useless]
I pulled on the thick neoprene gloves and sealed them against the suit's cuffs. Every part of me was now encased in rubber and composite.
I could feel the weight of the tank on my back, the squeeze of the harness, the slight pressure of the helmet on my shoulders. I flexed my fingers. They moved slowly, like they belonged to someone else.
Step Step
Evelyn slowly walked into the equipment rack and picked up 2 yellow scrapers and a high-pressure water hose with a specialized nozzle as she handed one of the scrapers to me
[Your weapon for the day, use it to scrape of the mucus crusts on the walls , scrape it and bag it , don't let it clog the filters , Hhhh—Kshhhhh the hose is for the walls the pressure's strong enough to strip the gunk but visibility would be loss for a minute or two]
[Don't point it at the glass or our helmets we're both death meat] Evelyn said as a faint chuckle with static could be heard , as I held the scraper in my hand it felt rather… Weak , my thoughts , will it be effective?
[Affirmative] the system went before going to [2]
"…Hhhh—Kshhhhh " "And the creature? Hhhh—Kshhhhh "
[Deeply asleep once sedated, 3 hours is plenty of time Hhhh—Kshhhhh , if we're on schedule we'll be out in 2 , stick to the plan and you'll be safe.]
"And if the creature Hhhh—Kshhhhh wakes up early?"
Evelyn's helmet turned toward me, the light on her flicker flicked on , blinding me briefly. Her voice shifted , from the usual relaxed it felt emotionless this time
[The you'll find out how Hhhh—Kshhhhh fast you can swim]
GULP
[PFFFT—AHA Hhhh—Kshhhhh HAHAHA I'm joking~ , if that were to happen , then pray to whatever you believe Hhhh—Kshhhhh in I guess?]
She then turned toward the tank's entrance, her flippers on the metal grating. I followed her as the weight of the gear made every movement a conscious effort, the tank's entrance loomed in front of us.
We stopped at the airlock—A small, sealed chamber separating the dry corridor and the submerged tank , Evelyn turned back to me her voice crackling through the radio
[You ready ?]
I looked at the dark water , at the slight silhouette of rocks and weed moving faintly . Somewhere in there , a creature was sleeping heavily sedated.
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh Let's go."
[Opening Airlock , please stand still and don't panic] The mechanical voice went as water gush forward the seal
SPLASHHHHHH
As I braced myself for the water, it was cold , not the swimming pool cold , but the deep creeping cold of a place that has never known sunlight , it felt like it seeped through my suit , through my thermal garments, through my skin,
Every fiber of me felt the cold and pressure as the water rose past my chest , my shoulders and finally closed over my helmet—Silence not true silence , the world outside was gone , but inside my helmet I could hear everything.
My own breathing and the faint crackle of the radio were the loudest things at this moment
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh … Hhhh—Kshhhhh"
Every inhale came with a sharp mechanical hiss as the regulator fed air through the demand valve , like slowly opening a pressurized canister or rice cooker, the air rushing through the hose filling the helmet before reaching my lungs.
The hiss was loud, cutting through the silence like a blade, then the slight pause , the brief moment between breaths where the hissing was gone only the faint hums of the pump cycling somewhere.
I could hear my own heartbeat, it was beating very fast and finally the Exhale , a rush of air deeper and hollower, followed by the wet release of thousands of small bubbles colliding with each other before the cycle repeats itself
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh … Hhhh—Kshhhhh"
Amidst the slight pause I could hear Evelyn's breathing coming true the radio with a faint crackling noise the same hiss the same rush just with some crackling noise, it was strangely intimate.
Hearing her breath inside my own helmet , as if our bodies were intertwined as one, I could tell when she was exerting herself , when she paused to check something, when she was simply floating ahead waiting for me to catch up
[Hhhh—Kshhhhh You're breathing too fast, at this rate you'll burn through your air before the 1 hour mark Hhhh—Kshhhhh] Evelyn's voice crackled through the radio lecturing me.
Calm yourself Cael Lucian, it's just another job… It's not like there's a scary Remnant sleeping in this place while you're like a fish inside a fishbowl… Yeah right…
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh … … … Hhhh—Kshhhhh"
[That's better, let's go The Gill Hhhh—Kshhhhh Man won't be waiting for us to finish the cleaning session Hhhh—Kshhhhh] Evelyn said as she swam upwards , signalling me to follow her
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh I'm coming"
Right… time to get cleaning now I told myself as I swam upwards , my hands holding the scraper like my life depended on it , after all if I lost it , I wouldn't be able to find it
[Don't dilly dally now, let's Hhhh—Kshhhhh go.]
"Yes… Hhhh—Kshhhhh" I said as the both of us entered the tank of the Gill-Man, we couldn't see it, but it was definitely there, somewhere asleep for now but lurking beneath the clouded tank.