by Eliza Taye
Grateful that I was too far into the darkness of the sea that even the dazzling lights of the room couldn’t touch me, I wondered at the occasion. Obviously, it was some type of luxurious event, perhaps a gala. A gala beneath the sea…now that was extravagant.
As the vessel finally passed by me in its entirety, I waited until its lights faded into the blackness before asking for my external lights to be turned back on. Next, I instructed my Jet Propulsion 500 back to the medium speed setting. “How much farther to the surface?”
“At your current rate, it will take around another two and a half hours to go the 3,422 meters to the surface,” responded the A.I. computer through the speaker in my helmet.
“So, over 10,000 feet before I’ll get to see any light.” I sighed and began swimming along with the jet propulsion device. “Hey, what was that?”
Turning off my jet propulsion device, I directed myself toward the direction of what I had just seen, my headlights illuminating the gloominess ahead of me. The last ray of light caught what I thought to be a tail.
Turning around slowly, I swallowed hard when a shark came into view. Frozen, I didn’t know whether I should keep my headlight on or turn it off. A blunt nose and round eyes that shone almost with a blue tinge investigated my direction once. Following the line of the fish’s big body, I counted six gills on its side resting before triangular shaped pectoral fins. The shark swam past me, staying outside my range of view. Easily about the same size as me, I couldn’t help feeling a bit of fear as I waited for it to come back into the view of my headlight.
Another tail waved into my view followed by one more. There were certainly more than one of them out there. As I pondered what to do, one came fully into my headlamps and inspected me curiously.
A few feet before it reached me, a flurry of tails filled my view as the sharks darted past. I threw my head backward in their fleeting direction to see four of them hurriedly swimming away.
“What was that?” I wondered aloud, then thinking on impulse, I instructed, “Expand my field of view to twenty feet ahead of me.”
The headlamp expanded its light, but the strength of the beams decreased. Sweeping my head in either direction, I searched for the sharks, but they were gone.
My heart dropped down to the seabed as I realized something had caused those sharks to disappear. Whatever it was, it was big and predatory enough to scare them away. I decided that whatever it was, I was getting out of there. “A.I., turn the propulsion device to high speed.” I unthinkingly turned to face the direction in which the sharks had fled.
I soon regretted that last movement.
Ahead of me, there was a colossal creature with oversized sharp teeth and a wrinkly body. It had no eyes and the body seemed to be dominated by its head. It resembled a sick cross between a gulper eel and an anglerfish, but way larger than either of them were. Pale in coloration and lacking both a lure and eel-shaped body, it looked like nothing else I could identify with. All I knew was that its gaping mouth was many times larger than my entire body.
Terror gripped my gut the moment I laid eyes on it and I was grateful, although not prepared for the jerk of the jet propulsion device kicking into gear. Jetting away at break-neck speed, I struggled to hold my head up against the water colliding with my skull, as I was jettisoned through the water column. Marine snow zoomed blindly past my view as I rocketed through the deep sea, hoping against hope that the creature couldn’t follow me.
My heart continued to beat so fast that I could hear the thudding in my chest and feel the reverberations in my body. I decided to keep my lights on and the propulsion device at maximum speed until I reached at least the photic zone. I compelled the A.I. to keep me company in order to stave off a panic attack.
Eventually, I couldn’t hold my neck up against the water anymore and reluctantly slowed my momentum. At long last, the beating of my heart returned to a steady rhythm in my chest. “A.I., about how far are we from the surface now?”
“We’re 1,408 meters from the surface.”
I leaned my head back and sighed. It had been a long journey up to this area, but I still had so far to go. “Now that we’ve passed that sea monster far behind, I wish I could see something less threatening while I wait.”
“Turn off your lights.”
“Huh?” I wondered in blatant confusion.
“If you turn off your lights, both internal and external, and you’ll be able to see some animals,” returned the A.I.
“Okay…external headlight and internal lights off.”
Time passed slowly as my eyes acclimated to the darkness. I wasn’t quite sure what the A.I. thought I would see.
Then, there it was.
Scattered dots of azure and other blues with a faint tint of green surrounded the sea around me. Each cluster of dots lay far apart from the others, but were distinct in their patterns. Many of the clusters moved incredibly slowly, so much so that I wondered if they were moving at all. “What are these?”
“They are creatures…marine organisms that use bioluminescence to create light in the black of the abyss.”
I continued to stare around, commanding my jet propulsion device to stop so I could see the lights better. “They’re all shades of blue.”
“Yes, because blue is one of the only visible lights in the deep sea. All the warm colors—reds, oranges, yellows—do not penetrate this far into the water. Blue and green are the most visible colors.”
Marveling at the dancing clusters of light, I became increasingly eager to know what sorts of creatures made these lights. “I wish I could see the animals creating the bioluminescence.”
“If you truly wish to see them…ask for your Sea-Vision to be activated,” suggested the A.I.
“Activate Sea-Vision.” Right after I finished the command, the band across my eyes became covered in a blue-green tint that bordered on aqua-colored.
Instantly, the creatures came into view. Gasping, my eyes bulged as I took them in. Animals with jaws nearly the size of their whole body filled my vision. Needle-like teeth curved upward in a slight bend to sharp points. Bulbous eyes lacking pupils rested just out of reach of the razor-sharp teeth. Some of them had elongated eel-shaped bodies, while others were thinly shaped resembling a home plate on a baseball field with a tail attached. A few of the animals seemed to have glistening scales so clear I could see their internal organs and ribs. Some could close their mouths, hiding their ferocious teeth, while others like the eel-shaped ones appeared unable to. All of them had skin that looked slimy and possibly gooey. I wished I could touch one and find out for sure.
I’d seen bioluminescence only once before on an immersion television in my biology class, but this was very different than that. Nothing truly beats experiencing something for yourself. I swam closer as the organisms continued to move in their slow swimming way, their fins moving furiously through the water, only propelling them forward slightly. One swam so close to me that I couldn’t resist reaching out and touching it. The skin of the SCUBAPS was thick around my fingers, but I could tell their body felt soft and squishy. Right after I touched it, the animal gave a burst of speed and fled from my reach. There was no way for me to tell what kind of marine species it was without a better inspection and species identification database. Although, if Dylan were here, I bet he could have identified it.
“What are these animals?” I rhetorically wondered aloud.
I was shocked when the A.I. responded, “Do you prefer the common name or the scientific names?”
“Common name, please.” Scientific names were too complicated and difficult for me to understand.
“One of the fish to your right is a hatchetfish; it is the one that is translucent. The one to the left without the protruding teeth, but abundance in light is a lanternfish. The terrifying eel-shaped one with teeth is a viperfish. Earlier there was an anglerfish, but it has since moved on.”
In the place of fear that would have probably enveloped myself pre-Oceania in
a cocoon of panic, I felt awe. True, these animals looked like they belonged in a horror movie, but they were so content to move around in their world. None of them paid me any attention. Although it was probably because they couldn’t sense my presence based on the protections of the SCUBAPS. It was like I’d been plunged into an alien immersion movie without all of the fear and hatred.
It was incredible.
“I am sorry to interrupt, but we should continue our ascent to the surface. I suggest you instruct the Jet Propulsion 500 to medium power once more.”
“You’re right,” I replied reluctantly.
Jetting away, the animals zoomed past my view as I continued through the deep sea. Maintaining the Sea-Vision, I could witness other animals whizzing by in addition to the marine snow that continued to fall down just like the snow on land. Quietly, I observed my surroundings and tried to view as much as I could before it passed by my line of sight.
“What is your name?”
I blinked several times in shock. The computer A.I. was talking to me without me asking. That was different from our A.I.s on land. “My name is Allie.” Thinking it wasn’t too rude to ask, I added, “And what is your name?”
“I do not have an official name. I am simply Artificial Intelligence for the Self-Contained Underwater Breathing and Anti-Pressure Suit, or A.I. for SCUBAPS.”
“Oh, okay.” I really didn’t have much else to say to that. “How much longer until we reach the photic zone? I’d like to know when I can start seeing some animals I actually recognize. Not to mention to have some idea of where I’m going.”
In the deep sea, void of any sort of light other than bioluminescence, it was impossible to tell which way was up, down, or to the side. I had no way to orient myself in the water column and was completely at the mercy of the A.I. system in my suit.
The A.I. continued to talk with me to help pass the time. I asked more questions about Oceania and as many about the ocean as I could. It turned out the suit knew a lot of information.
Finally, about an hour after leaving behind the wonderfully unique creatures of the deep, I noticed a change in the area around me. Light seeped through the water that didn’t come from any of my external lights. “A.I., what depth are we at?”
“We are slightly less than 202 meters. We shall be entering the visible light from the sun, also known as the photic zone soon, which of course is named as such because it is the depth at which photosynthesis can take place.” I nodded, which was becoming my signature thing to do when someone explained science to me.
As the light continued to grow in intensity, I became more comfortable with the fact that I could see the animals around me. Reducing my speed to slow, I observed my surroundings. A large object loomed past me on my left, blocking out the rays of the sun. Craning my neck upwards, a sea turtle, about three and a half feet longer than me shocked the daylights out of me. Grinning widely inside my suit, I reached out to brush my fingers against its shell as it glided past. Surprisingly, it was leathery to the touch. He didn’t seem to mind as I watched him power-stroke past me through the haze into the blue beyond.
Kicking my legs along with the propulsion device, I checked the tiny glowing map in the lower left-hand corner of my screen to stay on track. A green light blinked, indicating my location in relation to the blue dot that was the destined beach of my choice.
Once again paying attention to the world outside my helmet, a pod of dolphins comprised of about ten to twelve members materialized through the murky blue water in front of me. One broke off from the group and made a beeline for me.
Shocked, I continued swimming, remembering that the suit had the ability to blend me into my surroundings. I knew dolphins were intelligent, but there was no way they could sense what wasn’t there. The echolocation blocker on the suit surely would work as well.
Playfully circling me and sending out whistles and clicks, I realized the dolphin looked a lot like Jagger. Tentatively, I put my hand out and gently pressed it against his rostrum. Rolling partly on his side, the dolphin swam halfway past me, nudging me with his dorsal fin. Repeating the motion twice, I finally got the message and grabbed onto the leading edge of his fin.
Immediately, he took off, cutting through the water like a knife cutting soft butter. The elation I felt at being tugged along by Jagger was amazing. He weaved up and down in the water, pulling me this way and that. I could feel the strength of his muscles contracting to propel us through the water. I was having so much fun I hardly cared if he deviated me from my course.
Eventually, Jagger slowed down and I let go. I gave him a wave as he slapped his fluke down, giving him the propulsion to go forward and rejoin his pod.
I continued on, realizing somehow Jagger had taken me in the right direction and the coast was nearing. The continental shelf lay far behind me and the shore was ever closer. California sea lions swam around me with both curiosity and apprehension, as I continued to make my way back to the beach.
Eventually, after hours of fear, uncertainty, joy, and elation, I made it to the surface and onto the restricted beach. As I gazed up into the sky, I realized dusk had come and I would have a very short time to get back to Gran’s house before I was in big trouble.
Climbing onto the rocks elevated above the high tide line, I found a crevice between two large rocks leaning against one another. Squatting down, I pushed both the SCUBAPS and the Jet Propulsion 500 into the hole.
Standing up, I realized the camouflage device indeed appeared to have failed, which was probably why Jagger sensed me. Tapping the side of the helmet, I thought about how I would confront Dr. Wilcox about that the next time I saw him.
Chapter 13
“Hi, Gran!” I shouted, throwing open the door to the house and closing it back. I haphazardly tossed my pack into the corner of the hallway, directly underneath the window and started walking towards the kitchen.
“Alexandria, good, I’m glad you’re home.” I heard her answer from the kitchen. “I wanted to ask you something as soon as you got here.”
Leaving the foyer behind me, I came across Gran sitting at the table playing holochess with a friend over the Network, the projection of the game board shimmering up from her omniphone. “What was it you wanted to ask me?”
“I know staying cooped up here in this small town for the summer isn’t exactly what a young, teenage girl like you wants to do. So, I thought that maybe this weekend we could go to San Francisco.” Gran paused the game and looked up, wrinkles streaking her face as the corners of her lips stretched into a smile, “How would you like that?”
My eyes must have twinkled like the stars as I dropped my jaw when I realized what Gran was saying. San Francisco! The place where it all was happening. The place where there were endless things to do. The place that was one of the most technologically advanced cities in the whole world.
Sprinting the four strides over to Gran, I hugged her and exclaimed, “YES! I would love that very much!” Ever since I was a young girl, I’d always envisioned myself visiting the city. I’d quickly become obsessed with all things San Francisco, and now I’d finally get a chance to see it.
Gran chuckled, her overweight belly jiggling against my chest as I hugged her across the waist. “I thought you would. And if you want to, you can invite that friend of yours that you’ve been hanging out with. I would love to meet them.”
“Okay!” Flew out before I thought about what I was saying.
Oh, asteroids, how could I ever find a different way to explain to Gran that my friend’s parents would never give permission for him to go to San Francisco because they thought it no longer existed? Or that I had no idea if I’d get to see him again based on the amount of trouble he was in? Or the fact I couldn’t simply holocall him anytime to ask if he wanted to come to San Fran with me?
“But of course, you know I’ll have to meet this person’s parents before I decide to take them anywhere.”
And there it was.
I just knew G
ran was going to say something like that.
“Oh, this weekend?” I stepped away from embracing Gran and tapped my finger on my lower lip in thought. “Um, I think he said something about his parents having to go to Los Angeles for business. I don’t think you’ll be able to meet them this weekend.” I was getting deeper and deeper into my lies and I had no idea when they were going to stop. Every time another one sputtered out of my mouth, my guilt grew like Pinocchio’s nose.
“Well, you know my rules, Alexandria. I have to meet their parents before I take a child anywhere.”
Annoyed, my heart sank and I wished I could beat my head against a wall. That was my grandmother; so old-fashioned you’d think she was born in the 1900s, not the early 2200s. Somehow, I would have to figure out a way to get around Gran’s ancient ideals. Even if Dylan were to return to the restricted beach, I had no way of letting him know about the trip to San Fran. No way he’d turn down a trip like this—he’d want to go with me. I would just have to wait at the beach every day this week until he returned.
I was going to have to make up more lies. My newfound thirst for adventure had turned me from being an honest human being into a chronic liar.
“Okay, Gran. I’ll try to figure something out.”
“Good. Now, it’s time to eat. Dinner’s almost ready.”
. . .
Sand seeped between my toes as I made my way down the slope to the waterline of the restricted beach. The gentle waves lapped to shore rhythmically with a calming sound. Judging the distance between the water and the rocky zone, I noticed the waterline was out further than I had ever seen it. It must be the lowest tide of the month.
At the edge of the low tide zone, I observed what appeared to be slimy, green grass covering the rocks and sand. Smiling, I swung my backpack off my shoulders and braced it on the ground as I dug for the library book I’d been hoarding. With great delight, Dylan had found a way to check out a science book for me from the archives in Oceania a couple weeks ago. So far, I hadn’t had time to read it, but now seemed like a good time. Knowing that Dylan probably wasn’t going to be here today, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on my ocean knowledge.