Trial by Water pt 1

"It always seems impossible until it's done." Nelson Mandela

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It took a minute for everyone to stop laughing at the people who completely made fools of themselves by trying to get a head start by acting without thinking or doing any tests before taking action and getting the prize.

Once everyone calmed down, a few people made the mistake of trying to show off and be the first to achieve this mission. They got out of the water in their own ways. Some did it by flying, others by jumping, while others used technology implants or just used the mana floating around in the air to pull themselves out. Once it seemed that everyone was able to get out, a few more groups tried their own plans to get deep into the water, but nothing seemed to work from our observations.

After watching for a bit, our group had to decide how we were going to tackle this mission. Zara said, "How about we wait a bit longer to see if anyone can succeed in making it past the 10-meter mark, and once that happens, we make some plans from there."

"Being reckless in this hypothetical situation is just careless since we have as much time as we need, as well as being able to learn from the failures of others."

"Plus, I can send some of my nanotech down into the water to give us a better idea of its properties."

Luckily, this was accepted because I was a bit worried that Aria would refuse and decide to dive headfirst into the pool to prove herself, especially since we knew her temper was still high from this morning's drills. Luckily, it seemed that her temper had cooled enough to listen to reason.

Due to this, Zara went over to the pool and used her mana to create dozens of little nanomachines and sent them into the water at different depths. 

After a few minutes, she came back, saying, "It seems like the water is not just water," Zara began, her face serious. "The nanomachines are picking up unusual energy readings. It's as if the water has layers of different properties the deeper you go. 

At about 100 meters, the density increases dramatically, almost like a barrier. Beyond that, there are high concentrations of mana, but it's mixed with something else. Something... hostile."

Aria's eyes narrowed. "Hostile how? Can I punch it?"

Zara took a deep breath. "It's hard to say exactly, but the nanomachines detected what felt like a defensive mechanism. Some kind of energy that reacts aggressively to any foreign presence."

"We can't just charge in, then," Skyler said, glancing at Aria. "We need a plan that accounts for these layers."

Kian, the team's strategist, stepped forward. "Agreed. We need to find a way to neutralize or bypass these defensive layers. Zara, can your nanomachines map out these layers in more detail?"

Zara nodded. "Already working on it. It will take some time, but I should be able to provide a detailed map of the water's properties."

"Good," Kian said. "In the meantime, we need to gather as much information as we can from the others' attempts. Let's observe and analyze."

As they waited, the team watched the other groups struggle. They were able to get through the first layer, but it seemed they did not investigate the deeper layers, so they had to return to the surface after failing to get through. 

It appeared that some of the attempts had almost succeeded as we saw a giant, a towering figure of muscle and determination, take a deep breath and dive into the water. 

He swam down with powerful strokes, and as he reached the barrier, he started punching it with all his might. 

The water around him shimmered with each strike, but then, with a sudden force, he was flung back to the surface. He emerged, sputtering and cursing, clearly frustrated by the barrier's resilience.

Next, a thin girl with tie-dye-colored hair hovered over the water, her lips moving in an intricate chant. 

A beam of blue energy shot from her hands, cutting through the water effortlessly, creating a wide opening until it hit the barrier. 

For a moment, it looked like she might succeed, but then the barrier absorbed the energy and reflected it back. The girl was thrown backward, her spell disrupted and immediately covered in mist, and teleported out to the underground hospital.

With each attempt, we learned more about what the first barrier was, but what our group was really waiting for were Zara's results, which came about an hour later.

"Here's what we have," she said, projecting a holographic image from her wrist device. "The first 100 meters are regular high-density water, but then we hit the first barrier. 

It's dense and repels most physical and magical attempts to pass through. The next layer appears to be 300 meters further down, but my impromptu tech cannot handle whatever is attacking them down there, as they get immediately destroyed as soon as I try to get anything that deep. 

With another 600 meters to go, the likelihood that we will succeed is practically zero."

To which Aria responded, "Another test we're meant to fail. What the fuck is the point of these besides wasting our time?"

Jaxon, in his deep voice, said, "Calm down. We can still get through this as long as we have the appropriate plan."

While they were speaking, one of the few groups that were all scientists had created a type of misty drilling device with their mana and were following it down, and it seemed to effortlessly pass through the first barrier when it reached it.

It then kept on going until suddenly a black shadow engulfed all of them, and they vanished from the water. Their group wasn't paying attention to what was happening, but when a collective gasp happened, they learned what had happened, which further complicated their plans.

As they reformed after learning this new information, I said, "Well, there are three options that we have. 

First is to continue watching and see what the other groups figure out from this pool. 

Second, we go in with the information we have in an attempt that will likely fail but will give the other groups a better chance of succeeding. 

Or third, we combine with other groups and let all of our specializations work together to succeed in conquering this mission."

Aria clenched her fists, her frustration palpable. "Combining forces with others might be our best shot, even if it's not ideal," she said through gritted teeth.

Jaxon nodded thoughtfully. "The third option sounds the most viable. We need to leverage all the resources and skills at our disposal. It's clear that this challenge is designed to push us to collaborate and innovate."

Kian raised an eyebrow. "It's not just about brute strength or individual brilliance; it's about working together to overcome something that none of us can tackle alone."

Zara nodded in agreement. "I think we should approach the other groups and propose an alliance. If we can share our findings and combine our strengths, we stand a better chance."

Skyler added, "And we need to be strategic about it. Not just join with anyone, but the groups that can complement our skills and fill the gaps in our plan."

With the decision made, the team approached the nearest group, a team of mages and technologists. Their leader, a woman named Elara, listened intently as Kian explained their findings and proposed an alliance. 

Unfortunately, every single group declined to join them, opting to try and figure out this situation themselves instead of as a collective, which completely ruined this third option.

Skyler said frustratingly, "Why is everyone so stubborn? Working together we actually have a realistic chance of beating this impossible mission given to us, but if we all work individually, there is literally no chance that we can win this."

Leo responded, "Skyler, it's because if we do this, we are the ones who get the credit, not them. Even if there is no reward for succeeding, the social implications of being the group that beat the first-ever mission are something you wouldn't understand."

Seeing that Skyler was not understanding, he followed up, saying, "The implications of completing the first mission in the Tachyon Galaxy are enormous. It gives you something that very few people have when they are cut off from everything: reputation."

He continued, "This will not only make getting allies easier but also having people trust you. Look around. Not everyone here is from the Misty Solar System. See that group over there? 

They are elites from Bloodhaven. 

And them over there? 

They are from the core systems. That is why people are refusing to work with us. It should have been brought up from the beginning, but I thought maybe they would be reasonable and giving, but I guess my hope was mistaken."

Seeming to understand a bit better now, Skyler asked, "Well, what do we do now?"