As land-based deposits are being depleted, states and industrialists are taking a close interest in ocean resources, but their exploitation could have serious consequences for underwater ecosystems. In 2024, an "abyssonaut" submarine explores the ocean depths for the first time. Its occupant describes with ecstasy the fauna, flora, and deposits of rare metals that parade before her eyes. We discover at the end that it is closely followed by an extractor that crushes everything we have seen previously.