It was not long before something happened.

"Scanners detect underwater torpedoes approaching, Miss O’Malley."

"Switch on defense shield."

"Yes."

"Do you know which direction those torpedoes are coming from?"

"Yes Miss O’Malley."

"Then let them hit us, and follow the path that they took. We'll trace them back to wherever they originated."

"Impact in three seconds, Miss O’Malley."

Wildstar did not even move an inch off its course as the torpedoes exploded harmlessly against the shield.

"Nice to know we're safe, isn't it, Butler One?"

"Indeed."

"Pinpoint and direct us to the source of that batch of incoming torpedoes we just survived" said Ann.

"Second wave of torpedoes detected on approach for this craft, Miss O’Malley."

"Then keep the shields on and start diving."

Again the torpedoes had no effect on Wildstar. A further round of wasted ammunition was expended, before Ann sighted their quarry on Wildstar's monitor screens.

"It's turning!” said Wendell

“Follow it!" said Ann.

Wildstar pursued the fleeing underwater craft, diving deeper and deeper as the pursuit led into the depths of the ocean.

"Don't lose it!" said Ann, "We're really onto something now."

Wendell did not know about the need for deep diving vessels to be able to withstand the pressures of the depths. Butler One did not mention these facts, because Wildstar was capable of withstanding even greater pressures anyway.

"Now that we're going after them, instead of the other way around, you can turn the shield off," said Ann, "We'll detect anything else before it hits us."

Ann followed the other craft until a doorway opened at  the bottom of the sea.  The other vessel was rapidly approaching it.

"Quickly, catch them up before they reach the door. We'll go in behind them before it can close up again. It's our only chance to get in there."

Wildstar accelerated its motion and was soon directly behind the other sea craft. Both ships passed through, and then the doorway closed. There was a city built in the watery domain below the ocean floor.

"Tricky teenagers!" exclaimed Ann, "An entire civilization below the ocean bed!"

They continued to follow the other vessel until it landed on a stretch of hard flat coral.

There was also room for Ann to land there in Wildstar.

Ann prepared herself by donning her translator headpiece. Butler One cautioned her that earth subterranean languages had not been programmed into the device's capabilities. However, it worked.

"Do not leave your vessel!" came an alien translation.

The language spoken by the subterranean beings must have been either alien to earth, or an earth foreign language, which meant that the subterraneans had not always lived there.

Butler One also cautioned Ann about the dangers of leaving the ship:

"The water pressure might prove fatal to your body, even with your exolimbs, Miss O’Malley. Do not leave the ship."

The subterranean message came through again.

"We repeat. Do not leave your vessel. We have an awesome weapon aimed at your vessel, dwellers of the continents above. Your vessel has shown a greater resistance than the ones we successfully destroyed. You are a threat to our invasion plans for the world above. We cannot be restricted by such threats. We must eliminate all such threats. If you cannot be destroyed, you will be sent to a destination where you cannot harm us.  The beam which is even now being aimed at your vessel will send it and you thousands of years into the past."

"Hey they're right! We're fading. Everything's changing outside and - ouch!"

"Turbulence can be caused by travel in the time path, Miss O’Malley. We will soon be stranded in your historical past."

"That weird flow of colours out there! It's a wonder that it shows up on the monitor screens! It looks like the televisions at Freedom Fields when both the vertical and horizontal holds are not working properly. What are we going to do....At last. It's stopped."

"Scanners indicate that we are in a surface jungle, Miss O’Malley. The subterraneans must have displaced as well."

"They needn't have bothered. I wonder how far we are into the past," said Ann.

"I am unable to answer that. This vessel is capable of time travel, but Wildstar has no instruments for quantifying the number of years traversed."

"Oh great. So we don't even know how far we've-. Did you say this spaceship can travel through time under its own power?"

"Correct, Miss O’Malley."

"In both directions?"

"Yes."