TB’s Journal – May 27 to June 4, 2097: The Lost Continent

June 4

We landed in Fiji, the tropical jewel of the Pacific, now a beacon of Aztechnology’s growing influence. The wealth and development here are hard to miss—Aztlan’s fingerprints are all over it. From the air, it’s clear that this isn’t some forgotten backwater anymore. The people might still call it paradise, but everything we saw said "corporate empire" instead. The tech, the infrastructure, the security—none of it comes cheap or without strings.

We boarded the choppers after a quick stopover. Zara, Halo, the supporting cast, and us—the security detail—moved across three helicopters. One cargo chopper and two smaller military ones, all packed to the gills with key personnel and gear. There’s not enough space for everyone to go in one go, but this isn't a sightseeing trip. We left some behind in Fiji, for now. They’ll catch up later.

The flight was six long hours over the open ocean. For the most part, it was just endless blue, broken only by the occasional ripple of something big beneath the waves. Shadows of strange creatures, awakened or not, glided below us, making me feel even smaller than usual. It felt like we were venturing into the unknown—like explorers from another age.

Then, as the sun started its descent, it appeared: the Lost Continent. Coasts and mountain ranges, lush green forests, rolling plains that seemed to stretch on forever. It’s hard to wrap your head around it—a place that shouldn’t exist, now suddenly real. Twice the size of New Zealand’s South Island, they say. It’s no wonder people are already calling it Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu. Whatever name you slap on it, it’s like a living myth.

The base we arrived at is all Aztechnology. They call it Fiji Base, but that’s just corporate branding. This is an Aztechnology stronghold, through and through. A walled fortress with a port holding a massive freighter and some sleek, fast patrol ships. Military barracks, science facilities, a residential area—it’s all there. The heliport is decked out too, complete with armed helicopters and drones, guns, and missiles.

What kind of research installation needs this much firepower?

They tell us there’s another base on the other side of the Lost Continent, ostensibly New Caledonian, but we all know who’s really pulling the strings there—the Aussies. This is a massive operation, way more than just a simple exploration of some newly risen land.

Touchdown was smooth, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we’ve just stepped into something far more dangerous than we’ve been told. Halo’s star power may have opened doors for us, but this place feels like it’s hiding something far bigger than any concert.

The sun was almost gone by the time we set foot on this lost world.