by Eliza Taye
“This is the city of Oceania. It’s where I live at a depth of 12,000 feet beneath the surface.”
Mesmerized by the diagram as I was, I jolted back at his words. “Are you serious?”
“This is why I’m showing you this; I am serious. How and why would I make this up?”
I just stared at him, still trying to assess whether he was crazy or not. But then again, I had seen him dive into the ocean and not return for a week. “How is it that no one on land knows about this city?”
“Up until last week, I didn’t even know there were people on land, but it must be because of its secret construction. About 190 years ago, the world population of twelve billion people was decimated by a virus that wiped out over fifty percent of the global population. Both my world and yours remembered it as The Great Plague of 2083. Scores of people in every major city died within weeks of the outbreak, leaving medical science baffled. For years, it raged on, killing in no particular pattern. Finally, almost a decade after it began, the virus began to quell.
“But by then, governments around the world were worried about a potential resurgence of the virus that could easily wipe out most of the planet, once again devastating the poorest and wealthiest of nations alike. The world was so overpopulated at the time of the plague that the virus spread like wildfire, catching flame in every major city and sending embers into the countryside. Malnutrition due to insufficient food and a clean water supply only added to the problem in developing countries. Every international aid organization had fallen and someone had to do something. The T2N—the Top 20 Nations—along with the rest of the world felt compelled to get together to develop a solution—that solution was Oceania.”
“Where you live?” I stared at him incredulously.
“Yes.” Dylan nodded. “It’s an entire city beneath the ocean.” He gestured to his left, at the line where the horizon met the sea. “It’s right out there.”
I laughed disbelievingly. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Is this some joke? Some play on the lost city of Atlantis. Am I on a prank show?”
“No, Allie.” Dylan took two steps closer to me. “I’m telling you the truth. It was an experiment to see if mankind could survive beneath the sea in a self-sustaining environment. Space was too far away and too complicated to evacuate large masses of people in a hurry, leaving the ocean as the alternative.”
I shook my head again, backing away slowly. He was crazy. Insane!
“Allie, perhaps that is the reason this beach is off limits. No one is allowed to come here because it has the most direct access to Oceania. Oceania was a secret program by the United States in conjunction with the T2N. It took over thirty years to design and another ten years to build. They began working on the designs during the last years of The Great Plague. Finally, it was completed in 2130.”
I stopped backing away. Okay, maybe Dylan was insane, but he really seemed to be thoroughly engrossed in his insanity. He truly believed in this underwater city where people lived to ensure the survival of mankind. Perhaps, the best thing was to placate him by playing along. Besides, there was no one else around for a couple of miles. If Dylan tried to drag me into the sea, no one would hear me scream. Perhaps, it’d be best to let him keep talking and try to find out more. Hopefully, he wouldn’t realize I’d caught on to his lunacy. “How could an entire city be built in secret, especially underwater?”
“That was part of the brilliance of the design. People were recruited by the United States Navy with the intention to aid in constructing the city, but instead of calling Oceania a city, it was merely referred to by the title ‘The Oceania Project.’ Robots were used to build the majority of the city via operators on land. After the completion, the Navy was to aid the city in getting started and maintaining a constant residence nearby, until it was self-sustaining enough to be on its own. The presence of the Navy in Sunnyville was only a front for the real operation.”
Finally, something made sense. It was the first time any of Dylan’s words fit in with what was going on around here. Why the town was mostly deserted. Why people were not allowed to go on the beaches here.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” Dylan’s shoulders slumped slightly.
“To be honest, Dylan, even with this holographic image hovering in front of me, no I don’t. I don’t understand how an underwater city could be fully self-sustaining so far beneath the surface or why it would have to be a secret experiment. I simply cannot fathom what an underwater city would be like or why you’re even telling me about this.”
Dylan’s entire face brightened as he reached out for my hand. “I’m telling you about this place because I want to take you there.”
Chapter 4
I was convinced that either I’d lost my mind, or the small town vibe of Sunnyville had made me too trusting. I accepted Dylan’s offer and waited as he readied the watercraft for departure.
Taking the moment to examine the vehicle in front of me, I realized it differed from the other watercrafts I had ridden on before. For one thing, the entire body of the vehicle was wider and longer. Two full-size seats with backrests for both made it resemble a two-hump camel. Around the sides, beneath the seat pads, ran a solid blue stripe perforated with tiny little dots nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. A single groove dug around the edge of the footrest area and continued all the way to the front. Encompassing the space in between the handlebars was a touchscreen with light indicators surrounding it.
Paying attention to Dylan, I watched as he pressed his palm flat on the touchscreen. Aqua lights traced his handprint, starting at the base of his wrist, outlining his fingers to the other side of his wrist. Flashing once, the monitor came to life. Choosing the appropriate selections, he sped through the start-up menu lightning fast before typing on the holographic keyboard projected in front of him.
I thought of something as I sat down in the seat behind him. “Dylan, I thought you said Oceania was a secret place.”
“It is.”
“Then how can you take me there? It doesn’t make sense.”
As Dylan continued tapping virtual buttons all over the touchscreen, he replied, “Well, it was a secret at its inception. Now all the residents believe no more humans exist in the outside world, so it doesn’t really matter anymore. I simply want you to know I’m not lying and that underwater living is possible.”
Not knowing what else to say, I asked, “Why?”
Dylan paused and twisted his head over his shoulder so he could see me. “Because I was always taught not to lie and I want you to see my city.” Returning to face the screen, he added, “Besides, there’s not much for you to do here on this beach, is there?”
“No.”
“Well, wouldn’t you rather have an adventure? Do something no one else ever has before?”
I considered what he said as a gust of wind off the ocean blew my hair back. “I guess.”
“Also, since you’re the first terrestrial human I’ve ever met, I’d like to get to know you. I’ve been coming to this beach whenever I could for the last two years and never knew billions of humans still lived on land. I’m very curious about your world and what you would think of mine.”
I paused to think for a moment, the incessant lapping of the waves against the front of the vehicle repetitively breaking my focus. I knew this was a potentially dangerous idea, but at the same time, I could definitely use an adventure to take my mind off reality for a while.
“And you said that everyone in Oceania thinks all terrestrial humans are dead? Haven’t they ever returned to the surface to find out?”
Dylan shook his head and returned to the touchscreen. “Other than the occasional scientific observations and recordings, no. From what I learned in school, everyone on land was wiped out during the second Great Plague—that’s all I know.”
Puzzled, I realized further questions would only muddle my brain even more.
The engine of the watercraft purred to life; its power vibrating beneath the
seats. Dylan pressed yet another button and then used both feet to slide the watercraft into the water. It took off, jerked for a moment, and then floated gently in the surf.
“Hold on tight to my waist and plant your feet firmly on the footholds. Keep your limbs within the seamobile at all times.”
Seamobile. So, that was its name. Feeling a little awkward, I tentatively held onto Dylan’s sides.
“You’ll have to hold on tighter than that. Don’t worry, I won’t bite.”
Shaking off my embarrassment, I increased my grasp and waited for us to start moving. Abruptly, the seamobile surged forward like a speedboat. Not ready for it, I gripped Dylan’s waist tighter in surprise. The seamobile carved through the roaring waves like a large vessel, barely taking air as it road over the crests. Sharp wind bit my cheeks and tore at my eyes causing them to water. Barely able to keep my eyes open, I had no idea how Dylan could even see where he was going.
For what seemed like a long time, we sped across the waves at breakneck speed. Unlike the watercrafts I was used to, the seamobile rarely catapulted us into the air on a big wave, but when it did, Dylan expertly balanced the seamobile to land us evenly on the waves.
“Hold on, Allie!” shouted Dylan as he removed his right hand from the handlebar to press something I couldn’t see on the touchscreen.
The wind died enough for me to widen my eyes larger than slits as our speed decreased. A whining, barely audible above the lapping waves sound, came from somewhere near my feet. I gazed down to see a sheer pane rising up from the grooves on the edges of the seamobile. Once it rose past our heads, it arched to join seamlessly above us. Puffs of air flowed into our mini-cabin from the tiny dots I hadn’t noticed before. The blue stripe along the midline began shining with a brilliant blue glow that softly illuminated the interior. The touchscreen in front of Dylan glowed with the same blue light, but with less intensity.
Gradually leaning forward into an incline, the seamobile started to dive.
“What is this?”
“It’s a seamobile. It functions like an ordinary watercraft on the surface of the ocean, but it is primarily an underwater vehicle.”
“Amazing.” I continued to admire the engineering marvel of the seamobile as it completely submerged itself. I could feel a slight breeze as the fresh air continued to blow into our enclosed space. Now entirely underwater, a few more lights along the sides started to emit rays of light that permeated out into the water. Between the soft lighting and invisible outer shield, the area induced comfort rather than claustrophobia.
“Oh, and we’re locked in here…you don’t have to hold onto my waist anymore.”
“Oh, sorry.” I let go and rested my arms at my sides. “So, how long will it take to get to Oceania?”
Dylan pressed another button on the screen and then took both hands off the handlebars. “No need to apologize. It’ll be about two hours. The seamobile is fast, but it is still a ways away. Also, we have to dive to 12,000 feet.”
“Twelve thousand feet?” I could feel my eyelids stretching towards my eyebrows. That was extremely deep. Most of what I knew of the ocean stemmed from what I could access myself. I knew nothing of the abyss or what we’d find there.
Dylan pressed a series of options on the screen, each lighting up before they disappeared. “It’s on autopilot now.”
“Okay…that console looks like it has a lot of interesting things.”
“Yeah, it does. There’s an altimeter, a gyrocompass, video and audio recording system that can be activated, a navigator, low-grade sonar, and a wireless connection link to call Oceania for help.” Sitting farther forward and resting his arms on the handlebars, Dylan exclaimed, “This is where the ride gets really fun! We’re going to start heading towards the edge of the continental shelf. That’s where you’ll get to see all the incredible inhabitants of the sea.”
Glancing over my right shoulder, I noticed he was right. Shimmering rays of bright sunlight with a tinge of blue illuminated a small school of fish lazily swimming through the water, seemingly without a care. Darting in and out, breaking up the school of fish swam an energetic California sea lion. Not far from that commotion, a jellyfish floated by, carried on the whims of the current, allowing the sea to choose its direction.
A ping resounded through the inside of the seamobile and my eyes darted around to see if something had happened. Gradually, the floor, our seats, the sides of the seamobile and everything but the touchscreen and handlebars faded to invisibility. Now it appeared as if we were floating in the sea like any of the animals outside.
I blew out a chuckle of disbelief and marveled at my new 360-degree view of the ocean. Gazing around to my left, the sight startled me enough to let out a scream. A gray inquisitive face stared back at me. The dolphin let out a series of clicks and shrills before swimming away, joining the rest of its pod about ten feet away from the seamobile.
Laughing so hard, he had to clutch his stomach, Dylan told me, “He does that all the time. I’ve seen this guy several times before. He’s super inquisitive. I named him Jagger.”
Even though Dylan couldn’t see me, I nodded in reply and continued to watch the pod of bottlenose dolphins. Following Jagger’s lead, they swam up to the seamobile to examine it. They would look at us and then blow bubbles in our faces. If we didn’t react, they peered at Dylan and me with their heads tilted. When one got bored, it would swim far from us, then come back to inspect our little vessel again.
Their charade became so funny that I had to laugh. Looking at Dylan’s back, I asked. “Why do you call that one Jagger?”
Dylan pointed the dolphin out, “Do you see his dorsal fin? It has a lot of notches on the trailing edge. Since the notches create a jagged pattern, I named him Jagger.”
“How do you think his fin wound up like that?”
“All dorsal fins wear down over time. The calves are really the only ones with flawless fins because they haven’t had time to become worn.”
“Interesting, I never knew that.” How did Dylan know so much about so many animals? I guess growing up under the sea had its perks. Either way, his passion for the ocean was blatantly obvious.
A series of additional clicks permeated through the air, but none of the dolphins had emitted them. I leaned forward to peer over Dylan’s shoulder. Sound waves crossed the monitor, sending out the noise.
Jagger twisted around and returned to the front of the seamobile, responding to the sound, and keeping an eye trained on both Dylan and me.
Dylan typed something onto the screen and additional clicks emanated from the speaker. Jagger answered again, leading me to ever-increasing levels of confusion. “Dylan, what’s going on?”
“I’m speaking with Jagger. I type what I want to say and the computer translates it into the appropriate cetacean language. I always have to allow for errors in different dialects, but usually, it’s pretty close.”
“Are you saying the seamobile has a computer-coded translator that can decipher dolphin communication?”
“Yes, of course. Don’t you have the technology on land for marine interspecies communication?”
I stared at Dylan’s back for a long time with an eyebrow raised. “No…we don’t.”
Shrugging, Dylan proceeded to talk to Jagger for some time until he began to lag behind his pod. Not too long afterward, both Jagger and the other dolphins disappeared from view, making the ocean feel emptier. A few sea lions darted past, heading behind us towards shore. I watched their fleeting figures with awe, seeing how they glided through the water as if it paved a pathway just for them. No water resistance slowed them at all. They twisted, turned, and meandered through the ocean effortlessly.
“Allie, turn around, this is incredible.”
I looked straight ahead past Dylan’s shoulder to see something coming into view, but it was so far away that the deep blue of the water masked everything but its outline. As both it and we continued at the same speed towards one another, it materialized i
nto something highly recognizable—a great white shark.
I froze for a moment, terrified of what it could to do us, but then remembered we were enclosed in the safety of the seamobile, although it appeared as if we, too, were part of the ocean.
The shark swam with a methodic sweep of his tail back and forth. Watching him closely, I noticed his entire body undulated along with his tail in an s-shaped motion. About eight feet or so from the seamobile, it veered slightly to the right to avoid a collision.
Transfixed, I watched in awe as it slowly passed us by. One ebony eye slightly smaller than my closed fist peered at me through the invisible barrier. Gill slits half the length of my entire body filled my view. Each time they flared out, the pinkish-red gill rakers showed, so close, I could have reached out and touched them if it weren’t for the seamobile.
Fascinated, I twisted around as far as the confined space of the seamobile allowed, as the dark gray body continued to float past. Though I’d seen sharks before on the immersion TV, nothing prepared me for the huge bulk of this one. I’m not the best person at guessing length and distance, but this shark had to be at least seventeen or eighteen feet long. Regardless of its size, it swam with a grace I couldn’t deny, passing us by without a care in the world.
“That was pretty amazing, wasn’t it?”
As the shark faded into the shimmering blue, I turned to see Dylan also craning his neck to observe the retreating shark. “Yes, it was. I can’t believe he didn’t pay any attention to us. No head bump into our seamobile…no trying to bite it…it’s like we weren’t even here to him.”
“She,” corrected Dylan.
“How do you know?”
“No claspers, so it’s a female.”
Not knowing what claspers were, I let it go, as the sea gradually came back to life with other creatures. All sorts of fish dotted the ocean in every direction. More dolphins arrived in a relatively large pod, but Dylan identified them as common dolphins instead of the bottlenose ones we’d seen earlier. A lonely turtle, possibly the one I’d seen a while ago, swam far off in the distance.