Shortly after 9:00 AM the following morning, the 18th, Jin finally received the contact he had been waiting for from Command 1, currently piloting the Mini-Mole.
Jin received the report while aboard the flagship Adriana.
"We have reached the destination."
Since the communication was sent through Command 1's internal manacam, the voice was clear and easy to understand rather than a high-pitched, metallic squeak.
"Well done. What’s the situation?"
"Yes. We have discovered a massive cavity containing an unknown Magi Machine. It appears to be completely non-functional."
The Mini-Mole was reportedly parked on the ceiling of the cavern.
"Alright, begin a cautious investigation."
Jin instructed them to proceed with the survey step-by-step while he monitored the situation.
"Understood. We will proceed with the investigation while transmitting visuals."
Video of the underground facility began to stream through Command 1's eyes. Since the area was in total darkness, the images were naturally infrared.
"We detect no movement of free ether and no mana reactions."
A massive Magi Machine appeared on the screen.
"It certainly is... alien," Jin groaned.
It looked nothing like the Progenitors' Magi Machines that Jin was familiar with.
"Is this not something made by the Progenitors...?"
Jin instructed Command 1 and Command 2 to proceed even more carefully.
The transmitted footage showed the units moving slowly across the surface of the strange, giant Magi Machine.
"Hmm... it looks incredibly old."
The composition of the metal was unknown, but it had lost all its luster. Stains resembling rust were scattered across the surface, giving Jin the distinct impression that a vast amount of time had passed since it was last maintained.
For the moment, he had strictly forbidden any investigation using magi-craft. Even if it appeared inert, there was no telling how it might react to magical stimuli.
"It’s alien, but there’s something about it that reminds me of the Progenitors' work."
Had the Progenitors used this as a reference, or was it the other way around?
Jin spent a considerable amount of time observing the giant Magi Machine.
"Alright, investigate the rest of the area now."
The space seemed quite vast, so prioritizing an overall survey of the surroundings came first.
Command 1 and Command 2 began their slow trek.
Because the units were so small, their normal walking speed was quite leisurely. However, if they ran in earnest, they could exceed 200 kilometers per hour. Using their force generators, they could surpass the speed of sound, and by utilizing their transporters, they could instantly teleport up to one kilometer—a distance more than sufficient to reach the surface.
"There's dust accumulated on the floor too. It seems there's no ventilation at all."
Seeing Command 1 and Command 2's legs buried up to their thighs, it appeared that nearly two centimeters of dust had settled over the ages.
"No footprints, either. It really has been abandoned for a long time."
The two Command units continued their trek, pushing through the thick layers of accumulated dust.
They started by making one circuit around the giant Magi Machine.
Aside from identifying the space as cylindrical, they found nothing particularly unusual until they reached a point about 120 degrees from their starting position. There, they discovered a passage that seemed to lead to an adjacent room.
"Alright, Command 1, go in there first. Command 2, stay put and maintain a lookout."
"Understood."
The passage was approximately large enough for a human to walk through.
Jin surmised that whoever had built this facility must have been of a similar stature to humans.
After traveling about ten meters down the corridor, the unit emerged into the next room. Like the first, it was shrouded in darkness, visible only through infrared.
"There's a similar Magi Machine here as well..."
Another Magi Machine, seemingly the same model, sat in the center of the room.
"Energy is completely cut off here as well."
The corrosion on the exterior was also comparable to the first.
After a preliminary check, Jin couldn't discern any external differences between the two Magi Machines. He instructed Command 1 to return to the original room, simply because it was closer to the Mini-Mole.
"Carefully now, try turning on some light."
For the next stage, Jin decided to introduce illumination.
He started with an extremely dim light. Since nothing happened, he instructed them to increase the brightness bit by bit. Over the course of thirty minutes, they brought the light up to the level of a typical indoor room, but the Magi Machine showed no reaction.
"...By the way, what’s the air like in there?"
Realizing he had forgotten to check the basics, Jin asked for a report.
"Yes... Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, noble gases... it is not much different from the surface. However, the oxygen content is slightly low."
Command 1 noted that it wasn't particularly suitable for human respiration. Jin speculated that the oxygen might have been depleted through oxidation with the various metals in the room.
"It also feels quite stagnant. Humidity is at forty percent."
"Got it."
If he were to go down there himself, he decided he would either need a spacesuit or use his Doppel.
Under the bright illumination, the Magi Machine looked even more alien. Furthermore, the severity of the corrosion was now painfully obvious.
"It must have been a very long time since this was last used," Jin muttered, staring at the magi-screen. "I’d like the Elder to see this."
The Elder was far more knowledgeable about Progenitor technology than Jin was; perhaps he would notice something Jin had missed.
When Jin contacted him via manacam, the Elder—No. 700672—arrived in about five minutes. Naturally, he traveled via Warp Gate.
"Jin-dono, I hear you have discovered something quite fascinating."
"I have. Please, take a look at this."
"Oh...! This is...!"
"Do you recognize it?"
Jin was slightly taken aback by the Elder's intense reaction.
"To the best of my knowledge, I believe this is a product of the Masters' ancient technology."
"What...?"
Jin was stunned by the revelation.
"This is the Progenitors' old technology?"
"Rather than 'old' technology, I would call it the technology of their peak era. Look here... these features were passed down and are still present in modern designs."
"I see."
The impression Jin had felt—that it somehow resembled the work of the Progenitors—hadn't been wrong after all.
"It is a mere estimation, but I believe this facility is over twenty thousand years old."
It was said that the Progenitors began planning their departure from Hale roughly ten thousand years ago. A time ten thousand years before even that was almost beyond Jin's imagination.
At the same time, it made sense that a facility that old would no longer be operational.
"Do you think there’s any chance it still works?" Jin asked, wanting the Elder's expert opinion.
"No, likely not. By all appearances, this is a facility that was used and then utterly abandoned."
"I see... In that case, it should be safe to start investigating with magic."
For the first time, Jin ordered the Commands to conduct an investigation using magic rather than relying solely on visual observation.
"Command 1, Command 2. Be extremely careful, but start using magic. First, analyze the composition of the outer casing."
Jin was deeply curious to know what kind of materials the Progenitors had used twenty thousand years ago.