{"id":2974,"date":"2026-04-28T13:52:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/?post_type=read-for-free&p=2974"},"modified":"2026-04-28T14:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:54:41","slug":"the-adventure-on-the-aquatic-planet","status":"publish","type":"read-for-free","link":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/read-for-free\/the-adventure-on-the-aquatic-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"The Adventure on the Aquatic Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CASTOR POLLUX: THE ADVENTURE ON THE AQUATIC PLANET <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Un relato del universo Imperium\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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\u00a1La acci\u00f3n continua!<\/b><\/h2>

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>

A descent with no return.
A world that does not forgive.
And an order that cannot be challenged.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>

When Castor Pollux\u2019s ship is dragged into the depths of a planet covered by endless oceans, survival becomes a decision made minute by minute. The pressure rises. Systems fail. And the abyss watches.<\/p>

Beneath the surface lies an ancient, organized, and absolute kingdom. A world where life depends on the permission of others, and where balance is maintained at an invisible cost. There, Castor and his team discover that not all threats strike with violence. Some rule through silence.<\/p>

As the ocean reveals its true nature, the greatest danger no longer comes from the outside. Loyalty fractures. Willpower is tested. And Castor\u2019s leadership begins to change.<\/p>

Because on this planet, resisting is not always enough.
And sometimes, the enemy does not want to destroy you\u2026 only to decide for you.<\/p>

A short story written in the tradition of\u00a0Golden Age pulp science fiction magazines.<\/span>\u00a0Fast, intense, and cinematic, meant to be read in one sitting.<\/p>

Each Castor Pollux adventure stands alone, yet all are part of the greater Imperium universe.<\/p>

In the depths, silence can also kill.
And not all scars fade when you escape.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Castor\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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CHAPTER 1<\/b><\/h1>

THE ABYSS<\/b><\/h2>

The Centurion 1 wasn\u2019t descending. It was being dragged.<\/span><\/p>

The entire hull groaned like a wounded beast, and a violent jolt rippled through the ship from bow to engines as the bridge lights shifted to red. A side panel spat a shower of blue sparks. The ship tilted to starboard. Castor Pollux was already on his feet when gravity faltered for a second, throwing him against the console before snapping back with brutal force. He steadied himself with one hand and grabbed the manual controls with the other.<\/span><\/p>

Aurora appeared beside the main panel. Her translucent form flickered more than usual, though her voice still cut through the chaos with icy precision.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAccelerated descent. External pressure rising beyond safety parameters. Uncatalogued abyssal currents.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Another jolt struck the Centurion 1, this time from below. It wasn\u2019t a collision, but a push. As if something massive had placed an invisible hand beneath the ship and was pressing it downward with monstrous calm. Lotus let out a grunt and planted his feet firmly. With both arms, he held onto a metal casing that threatened to tear loose from the wall. Further back, Bellatrix kept her balance with one hand on the back of a seat, her eyes locked on the forward viewport.<\/span><\/p>

There was no sky, no horizon. Only a vast, green and black immensity where layers of water crushed against each other, silent whirlpools spun, and massive currents wrapped around the ship.<\/span><\/p>

Castor forced the stabilizers. No result. He redirected lateral thrust. No response. He overloaded the descent correctors, pulling the ship upward with every ounce of available power. The Centurion 1 barely reacted with a useless shudder.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAurora, give me full control of lateral propulsion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s already in your hands,\u201d she replied. \u201cWe are not losing lift. We are being redirected.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor clenched his jaw. Every correction met an opposing force. The ocean wasn\u2019t receiving them. It was absorbing them.<\/span><\/p>

Another tremor, deeper this time, shook the structure. The sound no longer resembled metal under strain, but the hull itself yielding under immense weight.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cStructural integrity at eighty-eight percent,\u201d Aurora reported. \u201cMicrofracture detected in sector three. Automatic sealing engaged.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Professor Quintus was bent over an auxiliary console, his hands moving at high speed.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThey\u2019re taking us toward a trench,\u201d he said at last. \u201cIf this continues, the hull won\u2019t hold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus turned toward him, incredulous.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cAnd your brilliant solution is what, Quintus? Ask the ocean to be less savage?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Quintus didn\u2019t even look at him.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a good solution. Only a less bad one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The ship suddenly spun, and a secondary alarm began shrieking in a higher pitch. Castor reacted instantly, countering the spin with a crushing maneuver that forced the Centurion 1 into a partial spiral before barely regaining balance. The entire bridge trembled, and a ceiling plate warped with a metallic groan.<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix stepped forward, eyes fixed on the darkness outside.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat world doesn\u2019t want us inside. It\u2019s pulling us down on purpose.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor didn\u2019t respond. He kept fighting the controls.<\/span><\/p>

Aurora projected a new reading into the air.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cDepth unverifiable. Environmental density is distorting sensors. Structural integrity at eighty-two percent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus moved toward the main console.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cTell me you\u2019ve got something better than falling like a rock.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Quintus barely glanced up.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cYes. Abandon the ship.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The silence that followed was brief but heavy, broken only by the groaning hull and the relentless hammering of alarms. Lotus turned toward him, a mix of fury and disbelief on his face.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cLeave? Here? In the middle of this?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Aurora answered before Quintus could.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cEmergency capsules are available. They will allow temporary respiration underwater.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix frowned.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cHow temporary?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cEight hours,\u201d Aurora said.<\/span><\/p>

Castor did the math. Staying meant dying inside. Going out into the water meant a chance. However slim. To find out what or who was dragging them, and why.<\/span><\/p>

Another deep, brutal tremor shook the Centurion 1 from bow to stern. The bridge lights went out for half a second and came back dimmer, while the main display showed a descending red curve.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSeventy-nine percent,\u201d Aurora announced.<\/span><\/p>

Castor made the call.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cPrepare for external exit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus muttered a curse under his breath but didn\u2019t argue. Bellatrix was already moving toward the emergency compartment. Aurora initiated evacuation protocol, and a row of small metallic cylinders slid out from a side panel.<\/span><\/p>

Quintus remained still, eyes fixed on the console. Something in his posture made it clear. He had already run the numbers.<\/span><\/p>

Castor noticed immediately.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cQuintus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The professor looked up for the first time. He was still pale, but there was no fear in his eyes. Only calculation. Behind him, a new warning flashed across the auxiliary console.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cInternal compensation system degrading,\u201d Aurora said. \u201cIf the bridge is left empty, pressure equilibrium will collapse in one hundred twenty seconds.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor turned toward the AI projection.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThe ship can maintain partial seal if someone manually stabilizes the compensation circuit from inside,\u201d Aurora replied. \u201cWithout intervention, the Centurion 1 will lose integrity too quickly. Structural survival probability drops below seven percent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus looked at Quintus, then at Castor.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThen we get out now and leave this tomb behind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Quintus shook his head once.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf no one stays, the ship won\u2019t be there when you come back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The statement weighed more than the alarms. Castor held his gaze.<\/span><\/p>

Aurora completed the analysis.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cSurvival probability of Professor Quintus if he remains onboard: thirty-four percent.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus muttered something under his breath. Bellatrix turned her head toward Quintus but said nothing.<\/span><\/p>

Castor grabbed a breathing capsule and closed his fist around it.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cKeep the ship alive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Quintus held his gaze and nodded once.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat\u2019s the plan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

There was no more ceremony. The hull groaned again, deeper and darker, as if the entire ocean had pressed its face against the metal to remind them time was running out.<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix took her capsule. Lotus did the same, still muttering under his breath, and Castor activated his, feeling the metallic taste spread through his mouth before sliding down his throat like artificial cold.<\/span><\/p>

Quintus handed them already-activated timers, eight hours counting down.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf you\u2019re not back at the ship by then\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus cut him off.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat\u2019s assuming there\u2019s still a ship to come back to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Aurora opened the side hatch.<\/span><\/p>

The water didn\u2019t burst in like a wave. It entered as a dense, crushing mass. The airlock filled instantly with a black-green substance that felt heavier than liquid. Castor moved first, feeling the brutality of the pressure in his chest even before fully crossing through. Bellatrix and Lotus followed, immediately reduced to small, slow figures inside an immensity that dwarfed them.<\/span><\/p>

The Centurion 1 remained behind them, tilted, trapped in the abyssal gloom like a wounded beast that still refused to die.<\/span><\/p>

Inside the ship, alone on the creaking bridge, Quintus braced both hands on the auxiliary console and began redistributing pressure while Aurora projected data into an increasingly dense atmosphere.<\/span><\/p>

Outside, in the oppressive green vastness, Castor lifted his gaze and sensed movement in the depths. Not a single creature, but several. Massive, silent shapes rising from the abyss, as if the entire planet had just opened its eyes.<\/span><\/p>

The water did not behave like water. It didn\u2019t flow like any ocean Castor had crossed before, nor did it yield naturally to movement; it was dense, heavy, almost viscous, as if every motion had to carve its way through an invisible resistance.<\/span><\/p>

Breathing wasn\u2019t natural either. The capsule Quintus had designed worked, but the air didn\u2019t come in lightly. Every inhalation carried a slight delay, a metallic sensation scraping the throat before settling in the lungs. It didn\u2019t hurt, but it wasn\u2019t comfortable. It was borrowed.<\/span><\/p>

Castor stabilized himself with a slow, controlled motion, conserving energy. Around him, Bellatrix moved with precision, adapting faster than anyone, while Lotus struggled to impose strength in a medium that did not respond to strength.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI don\u2019t like this,\u201d Lotus muttered over the internal comm. \u201cNo ground. No direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Aurora maintained the link, though her signal flickered.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cCapsules operational,\u201d she reported. \u201cEstimated breathing time: seven and a half hours\u2026 and decreasing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor nodded. The pressure still crushed every movement, but there was something worse: the constant sensation that the ocean was counting them.<\/span><\/p>

A movement in the distance confirmed it. At first, it was only a shift in the gloom. A shadow moving faster than the rest of the environment. Then another. And another. They didn\u2019t attack or come close enough to define their shape, but they were there, watching.<\/span><\/p>

Lotus slowly turned on his axis, trying to lock onto one of the silhouettes.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cI see it. Something big. Very big.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNot one,\u201d Bellatrix corrected. \u201cSeveral.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor studied the pattern. The shadows traced wide circles, maintaining a constant distance, evaluating, measuring. Like predators\u2026 or like guardians.<\/span><\/p>

The water vibrated slightly, a current that didn\u2019t push but enveloped. Castor extended a hand, feeling the pressure shift just enough to indicate direction.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThey\u2019re guiding us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Lotus let out a dry laugh.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat supposed to make me feel better?\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cNo,\u201d Castor said. \u201cBut it\u2019s better than being ignored.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Another shadow passed beneath them, closer this time. Close enough for Castor to perceive volume. It wasn\u2019t agile, but massive, slow, carrying an ancient power\u2026 and it didn\u2019t attack. That was the unsettling part.<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix adjusted her position, placing herself slightly ahead of Castor.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cIf they wanted us dead, we\u2019d already be dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

\u201cOr they\u2019re waiting,\u201d Lotus replied.<\/span><\/p>

The silence that followed was tense, alive. In the distance, the Centurion 1 remained a tilted silhouette, partially swallowed by the abyssal gloom and shifting currents. Its lights flickered irregularly, a reminder that it wasn\u2019t a safe refuge, but a fragile point inside an unforgiving environment.<\/span><\/p>

Then, from below, something changed.<\/span><\/p>

It was a presence.<\/span><\/p>

A mass even larger than the others began rising slowly from the depths, displacing the surrounding water so subtly it barely generated current. Yet enough to alter the balance of the environment.<\/span><\/p>

Castor felt it before he saw it: a different pressure, a different attention, as if the entire ocean had decided to focus on them.<\/span><\/p>

Lotus clenched his fists.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThat one\u2019s coming for us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix didn\u2019t respond. Neither did Castor. The three of them remained still, suspended in a world that wasn\u2019t theirs, as the ascending shape grew within the green-black until it filled the entire darkness.<\/span><\/p>

They were being evaluated.<\/span><\/p>

The massive silhouette stopped just beneath them.<\/span><\/p>

And then it moved.<\/span><\/p>

The current exploded in every direction.<\/span><\/p>

It didn\u2019t push them. It tore them apart.<\/span><\/p>

Castor barely had time to tense before the mass of water completely destabilized them, shattering the fragile orientation they had managed to maintain. The gloom spun around him. Up ceased to exist, down as well, and only movement remained: violent, directed.<\/span><\/p>

Lotus was the first to lose position. His mass, useful in combat, became a liability in that environment. The current dragged him sideways, separating him by several yards in an instant. Bellatrix reacted with precision, adjusting her posture and correcting her trajectory with minimal movements, but even she had to yield to the force of the flow. Castor spun, searching for a reference point that didn\u2019t exist.<\/span><\/p>

And then he saw them.<\/span><\/p>

From the depths, aligned with impossible precision in such an environment, the first defined shapes emerged. No longer diffuse shadows. They had form, intent, and direction: giant seahorses, each the size of a light assault craft. Their elongated bodies moved with crushing elegance, as if the water propelled them instead of resisting them. Their eyes emitted a faint glow. Not aggressive\u2026 but aware.<\/span><\/p>

Riders.<\/span><\/p>

Humanoid. Their bodies were sleek, adapted to the environment, with elongated limbs and armor that didn\u2019t look built, but grown. They carried long spears of organic design, pulsing in sync with the surroundings.<\/span><\/p>

There was no attack. There was formation.<\/span><\/p>

In seconds, the riders surrounded the team with a precision that erased any chance of escape. They didn\u2019t close the circle violently; they did it with exactness. Castor felt the space around him stop being free.<\/span><\/p>

Lotus tried to push toward one of them, driving forward with force. But he didn\u2019t reach it. A barely perceptible shift in the current diverted him, pushing him back without physical contact. It was enough.<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix watched the movement closely.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThey\u2019re not reacting. They\u2019re anticipating.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor kept his gaze fixed on the nearest figure. The rider did not raise his weapon or make any gesture. He simply watched him. The seahorse beneath him shifted a few inches, just enough to adjust its position within the formation. The entire group moved as a single will.<\/span><\/p>

The flow of the water stabilized abruptly. It stopped behaving erratically and settled into a constant, controlled pattern.<\/span><\/p>

One of the riders moved slightly forward, breaking the symmetry of the circle. Its mount descended a few yards, then rose again, positioning itself directly in front of Castor at a distance that was no longer comfortable.<\/span><\/p>

The rider inclined his head just slightly.<\/span><\/p>

Castor held the gaze. There was no way to communicate in conventional terms. But it wasn\u2019t necessary.<\/span><\/p>

He knew who was in command.<\/span><\/p>

To his left, Bellatrix tensed. To his right, Lotus tried to move forward again, this time more cautiously.<\/span><\/p>

The response didn\u2019t come from the rider.<\/span><\/p>

It came from the environment.<\/span><\/p>

A downward pressure struck Lotus from above, forcing him down with controlled strength. Enough to immobilize him for a long second. Just water.<\/span><\/p>

And it was enough.<\/span><\/p>

Lotus stopped trying to advance.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re not fighting them,\u201d he muttered through clenched teeth. \u201cWe\u2019re fighting all of this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

Castor didn\u2019t answer. His attention remained locked on the rider in front of him.<\/span><\/p>

And then he felt it.<\/span><\/p>

A subtle pressure, directed. Like the water itself was trying to convey intent. It wasn\u2019t aggressive, but it wasn\u2019t neutral either. It was selective.<\/span><\/p>

The rider moved closer, enough to remove distance as an option.<\/span><\/p>

Behind them, far off, the Centurion 1 flickered once more in the green and black, barely visible. A reminder of how fragile all of this was.<\/span><\/p>

The moment tightened.<\/span><\/p>

The rider in front of Castor extended his spear\u2014not as an attack, but as a signal.<\/span><\/p>

The circle adjusted instantly.<\/span><\/p>

The seahorses began to move in perfect synchronization, closing the space even further, reducing any margin of action to almost nothing.<\/span><\/p>

Bellatrix stepped forward.<\/span><\/p>

Castor raised a hand, stopping her.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThis isn\u2019t a capture,\u201d he said, his voice low and firm. \u201cIt\u2019s a decision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The rider didn\u2019t react. He didn\u2019t need to.<\/span><\/p>

The current shifted again.<\/span><\/p>

The entire ocean seemed to close in around them.<\/span><\/p>

Without warning, without transition, one of the seahorses lunged forward with impossible speed for its size.<\/span><\/p>

The impact against Lotus came before Castor could process what he was seeing.<\/span><\/p>

The Harmock\u2019s body bent violently, as if the weight of the world had chosen that instant to break him. The shockwave expanded through the water in a violent distortion, dragging everything around it.<\/span><\/p>

And then he was gone.<\/span><\/p>

Torn away.<\/span><\/p>

Swallowed by the green-black in less than a second.<\/span><\/p>

The planet had opened its eyes.<\/span><\/p>

And it had chosen who to keep.<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/b><\/div>
\u00a0<\/b><\/div>
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Click and order now on Amazon<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Sobre esta serie:<\/i><\/b><\/p>

Relatos cortos pulp dentro del universo Imperium.<\/b><\/p>

Cada libro es una aventura autoconclusiva protagonizada por Castor Pollux en un planeta distinto, enfrentando nuevos enemigos, peligros y misterios.<\/span> Puedes comenzar por cualquiera.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t