The silence that followed the dinosaur's retreat was heavy with the smell of ozone and sea salt.
The resort's alarms continued to wail, but the terrifying rhythmic thud of the Mosasaurs-Rex had ceased.
Before the students could even process the narrow escape, the horizon began to churn with the arrival of the Union's High-Biology Division.
The Arrival of the Loom-Mechas
From a distant research facility on the other side of TOI-1452 b, three massive silhouettes broke the water's surface.
These weren't shuttles; they were 50-foot humanoid mechas designed for deep-sea research and containment.
Each mecha hummed with a visible Loom Phase energy field, their armor plated in pressure-resistant alloys and mounted with massive twin cannons on their backs.
The head of the group piloted a mecha prominently marked with the Roman numeral X, indicating its superior rank and power output.
The other two escorts followed closely in mechas marked with the Roman numeral IX.
To the students, these mechas were terrifying powerhouses—walking fortresses that made their own Ribbon cultivation feel like child's play.
The mechas docked with the floating platform, and the lead scientist's voice boomed through the external speakers.
"Professor Andrew! Professor Elena!" the scientist shouted as he climbed down from his X-marked cockpit.
His uniform bore the Union's 'Vibrancy' insignia as he glared at the faculty.
"Explain yourselves! Our bio-monitors recorded a massive energy spike that pulled one of our Prime Specimens off its migratory path."
"You nearly caused a catastrophic biological collision!"
The Inquiry
The Professors met the scientists at the edge of the deck.
Andrew looked weary, his hand still resting on the hilt of his training electromagnetic gun.
"We are conducting the Third-Year transition," Andrew explained. "Type-2 and Type-3 injections. We followed the standard cooling protocols."
The scientist scowled, checking his tablet.
"Standard protocols for a dry-world, maybe! You should have coordinated with the Union Research Center first."
"The bio-engineered dinosaurs of this planet are sensitive to the specific frequency of Type-3 thermal venting."
"To that creature, your students' energy pulses sounded like a mating call or a territorial challenge."
After a tense hour of data-logging and inquiry, the scientists seemed satisfied that the incident was an oversight rather than an attack.
"Control your heat signatures, Professors," the scientist warned, climbing back into his 50-foot iron giant.
"Next time, we might not arrive before the specimen decides to swallow your 'resort' whole."
With a roar of thrusters, the X and IX Loom-mechas dived back into the ocean, disappearing into the depths with effortless power.
A Period of Reflection
The Professors, shaken by the encounter, declared the remaining days of the trip a period of "passive observation."
The intense serum drills were scaled back to allow the students' cores to stabilize naturally in the water.
Kaelen, Leo, Sora, and Mina spent their afternoons at the resort's Grand Aquarium.
This was a massive transparent dome that allowed them to see the vibrant life forms the Union had created.
They watched bioluminescent jellyfish the size of houses and schools of metallic-scaled fish that shimmered like liquid silver.
Mina stayed close to Kaelen throughout the ten days, often pointing out the rare creatures with a soft smile.
"It's beautiful," she whispered as a glowing serpent swam past the glass.
"But after what happened with that dinosaur... I think I prefer being on solid ground."
Kaelen nodded, his "thick" threads finally settling into a calm, Level 30 rhythm.
He didn't tell her that he had felt the dinosaur's mind, or that the Union's mechas had felt "light" to his Redveil-enhanced senses.
Return to the Academy
Ten days later, a massive cargo and passenger battleship descended through the atmosphere to take them home.
The sky roared as the titan of steel and energy pierced the clouds, its landing thrusters creating giant steam plumes as it hovered above the floating platforms.
As the ocean of TOI-1452 b faded into a blue speck in the distance, the students sat in the reinforced passenger hold in silence.
They were no longer the children who had left Earth.
Their bodies were denser, their Ribbons were stronger, and they had seen the true scale of the Federation's ambition.
Kaelen looked at his hands, feeling the internal pressure of his Star-Silver core.
The Type-3 serum was fully integrated.
He was ready for the third year.