BASE ONE - THE BREAKDOWN SYNOPSIS

[D. MARQUIS]

Story and Art by D.Marquis

"The Admiral and the Deep"

In the heart of the vast and mysterious ocean, Fleet Admiral Elias Dawson commands the Nautilus Ascendant, a cutting-edge aircraft carrier equipped with the most advanced technology humanity has ever created.

But even the ingenuity of man pales in comparison to the discovery his fleet has stumbled upon: alien technology, sleek and powerful, pulled from the depths of the ocean. The artifact, unlike anything humanity has encountered, pulses with energy that hints at untapped, almost godlike potential. However, the technology is not abandoned; it belongs to a race of aquatic humanoids—an intelligent, ancient civilization that has thrived for millennia beneath the waves.

The beings, known as the Aerynians, are deeply angered by humanity's intrusion and their theft of what the Aerynians view as sacred. The waters within their territory become hostile and treacherous. Any human vessel that dares venture into their domain is met with devastating attacks. Admiral Dawson soon realizes his fleet faces an enemy more formidable and coordinated than any surface threat he has ever encountered.

Complicating the fragile situation is an unexpected guest aboard the Nautilus Ascendant. During an engagement with the Aerynians, Dawson’s crew rescues a young female Aerynian who had been found clinging to the wreckage of one of their downed attack crafts. They secure her in a state-of-the-art water tank below deck, where she is treated with both caution and care, guarded around the clock. She is a being of grace and mystery, her glowing, bioluminescent skin and hauntingly expressive eyes a window into a world Dawson cannot begin to understand.

As tensions escalate, Admiral Dawson learns that the rescued Aerynian holds a secret—a truth that could either unite the surface and the sea or doom both civilizations to endless war. Her presence stirs divisions among the crew: some view her as a potential ally, while others see her as a threat that must be neutralized. Meanwhile, the Aerynians prepare for all-out war, their forces massing beneath the waves in numbers that could overwhelm any fleet.

Admiral Dawson faces a dire choice: pursue the technological power that could ensure human dominance over the oceans or take a leap of faith in an effort to understand and reconcile with the Aerynians. The female captive holds the key to unlocking this balance, but earning her trust—and deciphering the enigma of her knowledge—will demand more than diplomacy. It will require Dawson to confront his own beliefs, his leadership, and the very boundaries of what it means to be human.

As the storm brews above and below, the fate of both worlds lies in the hands of an embattled admiral and a fragile bond between two beings from opposing realms. The question remains: can understanding and unity triumph before the ocean becomes a graveyard for all?