The Secret Beneath the Waves /Kamalika Bhattacharya

The Secret Beneath the Waves

Kamalika Bhattacharya

Ankit had always dreamed of being part of something revolutionary. So, when he secured an internship with a renowned Hong Kong-based research institute working on constructing an underwater city, he knew this was his chance.

This was no ordinary project. It was about creating a self-sustaining metropolis beneath the ocean, a place where thousands could live, shielded from the crushing depths by cutting-edge technology.

But more than the excitement of the project, what troubled Ankit was something more personal—this was his first time outside India, completely alone.

He missed his mother. He missed her home-cooked meals, the familiar streets of Kolkata, and the warmth of his homeland. However, he quickly made friends with other interns from China, and they soon began sharing their cultures, food, and stories. Ankit would offer them homemade snacks his mother had packed for him, and in return, they shared fruits and traditional delicacies sent by their families.

Yet, amidst this growing camaraderie, there was one boy who remained completely different from the rest

-Jiping.

Jiping was an enigma.

While the others laughed, discussed theories, and worked in teams, Jiping remained eerily silent, always immersed in his own work. He never shared anything, never participated in casual conversations, never showed any emotion.

People called him selfish, cold, even robotic.

Yet, every day, Ankit placed a small portion of his food near Jiping. The boy never refused it. He would take the food, give a small nod, and offer a quiet smile, but never a word.

Why was he like this? Who was Jiping, really?

One late night, while Ankit was working alone in the lab, he stumbled upon something impossible.

Using a specialized underwater scanner, he was analyzing the ocean bed when suddenly, a strange structure appeared on the screen.

A city.

A fully built city, submerged beneath the sea—with roads, buildings, lights, and even moving figures.

His heart pounded. This couldn't be real.

He zoomed in to confirm. There it was—an entire civilization beneath the ocean.

Then, before he could react, his screen glitched violently.

The entire system froze, all data erased in an instant. His computer crashed as if it had been hacked by an unknown force.

Was he hallucinating? Or had he truly witnessed something forbidden?

Determined to uncover the truth, Ankit stayed back the next night.

He re-ran the scans, and again, the submerged city reappeared on his screen.

But this time, there was something even more unbelievable

He saw a figure walking inside the underwater city.

And when he zoomed in—

It was Jiping.

Ankit gasped. Jiping was inside the sunken city.

But how? He was right here in the lab.

The moment he tried recording, his screen blackened again, and suddenly, the lab lights flickered violently. A deep humming sound resonated from the walls, like the heartbeat of a massive machine.

For the first time, Ankit felt a cold breath behind him.

He turned sharply,

Jiping was standing there, watching him. Unblinking. Expressionless.

That night, Ankit confronted Jiping.

And to his astonishment ,

Jiping spoke for the first time.

"You must stop this project."

Ankit was stunned. "What do you mean?"

Jiping stared at him, his voice unnaturally calm. "You are not the first to attempt this. And you will not be the last. But you must not build this city. You must leave."

Ankit shook his head. "Why? What are you hiding?"

Jiping sighed and whispered, "Because there is already a city beneath the sea. And it does not want to be found."

A chill ran down Ankit’s spine. "But how? Who built it?"

Jiping’s gaze darkened. "We did."

Ankit felt his blood freeze. "Who is 'we'?"

Jiping hesitated, then slowly unbuttoned his sleeve, rolling it up to reveal his arm.

Ankit’s breath hitched.

Beneath Jiping’s skin, there were no veins, no flesh—only intricate metal plating, glowing circuits, and mechanical joints.

Jiping looked up and whispered, "I am not human."

Jiping revealed a terrifying truth.

Long ago, a secret group of scientists created an artificial city beneath the sea, intending to build the world’s first underwater civilization. But over time, the human inhabitants of the city began merging with AI, integrating their consciousness into robotic bodies.

Now, they were neither human nor machine, but something in between,race of hyper-intelligent post-humans.

Jiping was one of them.

He had come to the surface world to monitor the humans, ensuring that their existence remained unknown.

"The ocean is not yours to claim," he said. "If you build your city, it will awaken something you cannot control."

Ankit shuddered. "What will awaken?"

Jiping’s voice dropped to a whisper.

"The ancient ones. The Watchers of the Deep.

Ankit could barely breathe. “But… why stop us? We’re just trying to build a city, not harm anyone.”

Jiping’s voice was grave. “Your city will not survive. The ocean will not allow it.”

Ankit frowned. “What do you mean?”

“The waters protect us. If another city is built, nature itself will ensure it falls. Storms, currents, unseen forces—they will all work against you.”

Ankit stared at him. Was Jiping asking him to sabotage the project?

“I can’t just tell them to stop. They won’t listen.”

Jiping placed a small metallic keychain in Ankit’s palm—an object identical to the one Jiping always carried.

“When you leave, you’ll understand.”

The next morning, Ankit told the authorities a lie—he reported that a massive iceberg was in the way and that construction was impossible. The project was halted.

A week later, his internship ended.

As he packed his bags, he felt something cold and metallic in his pocket—the keychain Jiping had given him.

But when he looked closer, he realized it wasn’t just a keychain.

It was a storage device.

He plugged it into his laptop, and immediately, thousands of encrypted files opened up- maps, blueprints, images… of the underwater city.

ancient texts in an unknown language.

Jiping had left him with proof.

And then, a final message appeared on the screen:

“The ocean remembers. Some things must remain hidden.”

As his plane took off, Ankit looked down at the endless ocean below.

Somewhere in the deep, beyond human reach, the city still existed.

A silent, hidden civilization. Watching. Waiting.