Zone Designation: FATHOM DEEP

Code: ZN-FD-05
Zone Type: Submerged Abyssal Biome
Status: Dormant / Undisturbed (Do Not Disturb)
Threat Class: Conceptual Pressure / Depth-Induced Event Cascade
Classification: NON-INTERFERENCE DIRECTIVE

Zone Overview

Fathom Deep is a vertical trench Zone, completely submerged beneath non-Newtonian fluid that mimics ocean water but is heavier than iron. Visibility is impossible beyond 10 meters, and light transmission fails entirely past 40m. The zone is silent unless approached, at which point low vocalizations begin—usually in a dialect local to the intruder’s childhood.

There is no surface access. The zone begins at the shoreline of several other Zones, but the descent into Fathom Deep is always sudden, unmarked, and irreversible without tether.

The Bureau has no confirmed floor depth. Most maps simply list:

> “DO NOT FOLLOW THE STRUCTURES DOWN.”

Primary Characteristics

• Permanent twilight under surface
• Pressure-resistant coral structures form geometric shapes inconsistent with marine biology
• Floating remnants of Bureau equipment drift slowly through midwater like jellyfish
• Occasional glowing vents emit warmth, voices, and scrap paper

Known Bala Origins

No confirmed Prime Bala emergence has been recorded within Fathom Deep. However, several Entity-class sightings have been logged between 140–280m. Field classification is ongoing.

Hazards

• Depth Creep: Lingering near trench edge causes the illusion of rising instead of sinking
• Inversion Currents: Pull subjects inward through mirrored loops; location markers fail
• Sonar Distortion: Converts field logs into reversed singing and unknown laughter

Containment Directives

• Submersibles must deploy passive listening only
• No light probes beyond Tier 2
• “Bubbles ascending” is a Class-III evacuation trigger
• If you hear your own voice returning from deeper than 50m, that is not you

Additional Notes (Declassified)

• Only one Bureau diver returned from below 300m. He refused to exit his suit and kept repeating:

> “She’s still there. I brought the file back. I’m just the copy.”

The suit was empty.