The Neptune Project

by Polly Holyoke

  I look across at Dai, hoping he might volunteer to lead us, but he’s just watching our heated exchange and smiling as if we’re entertaining him.

  Then I glance at Kyel. His expression is cool, but there’s a muscle ticking in his cheek. :I agree to another election. I don’t want to be your leader if I don’t have the support of the majority,: he says tightly.

  :You don’t need to hold any election,: I say before this craziness goes any further. :I’m sorry, Tobin, but I couldn’t possibly lead this group. Kyel has already shown he can lead us and make sound decisions in pressure situations.:

  I force myself to meet Kyel’s gaze. :Up until now, I think you’ve been doing a good job. I just don’t think we should be attacking the Marine Guard.:

  :So, if we elect you, you really won’t act as our leader?: Tobin says.

  I have to look away from the disappointment in his eyes.

  :You’d be making a huge mistake,: I say.

  :I don’t believe that for a minute,: he counters.

  :Maybe you should be our leader,: I suggest. :You always seem to know how we feel and what we need.:

  Tobin’s mouth twists. :Kyel’s a better choice than me. If I had to decide in some tough situation who has to risk his or her life, I’d hesitate until I got us all killed.:

  :I don’t believe that for a minute, either,: I say, remembering how decisive he was when he was fighting to save Sara’s life.

  :You should,: Tobin counters. :Medics are all about saving lives, not deciding who might have to die.:

  Then Tobin addresses the entire group. :New plan—Kyel should continue as our leader, but we vote on whether or not we attack the Marine Guard ship. At the start, we agreed that we would vote on the really big, important issues.:

  After hesitating briefly, Kyel nods. :All those in favor of trying to sink the Marine Guard vessel, raise your hands.:

  I look around at our group, and only Penn and Kyel raise their hands. Kyel glances across the wheelhouse at Thom, clearly expecting him to raise his hand, too.

  :K-man, I hate the Collective as much as you do,: Thom says with a shrug, :but I’m tired of fighting. Maybe the best way to beat them is to make something really good down here.:

  Kyel swallows, and I can tell Thom’s vote has shaken him. :All right, who wants me to continue as your leader?:

  We all promptly raise our hands except Dai. Kyel looks around, and when he realizes the vote is almost unanimous, his face relaxes a little.

  :Right. I will continue to serve as the group’s leader, for now. Kalli has the next watch. My patrol brought in a fresh grouper everyone can eat for dinner. This meeting is adjourned.: With that, Kyel swims from the wheelhouse all alone. Thom looks after Kyel, his expression troubled. After shooting me a quick grin, Ree follows Kyel.

  The rest of us head for the crew’s mess, where we cut up Kyel’s grouper and a bunch of seaweed Kalli gathered for us. Swimming hard works up an appetite, but I can’t get excited about more raw fish and seaweed.

  :God, I miss bread,: Lena says after she takes a nibble of green wakame. Clearly she has finally run out of fish bars from her seapack.

  :I miss milk and cake,: Bria chimes in.

  :I miss ice cream,: Robry says with a sigh. :I only had it twice, but I’ll never forget it.:

  :I miss eating without fish trying to snatch my food from me,: Kalli says as she shoos away a persistent little rock wrasse.

  :Get this. When I was a little kid,: Thom tells us, :I loved sushi more than anything. My Japanese grandma used to go down to the docks and trade the vegetables she grew for fresh fish. She could make flowers and shapes out of that fish, some seaweed, and just a little bit of rice. It was such a big deal when we got to eat her sushi that I used to wish I could have it every single day.:

  :So, I guess they’re right when they say, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’: Tobin grins at him.

  :That’s pretty much what I think every time I eat down here now,: Thom replies, making such a wry face at his grouper that we all end up laughing.

  After we eat, I swim closer to the surface to visit with the dolphins before night falls. I check each of my friends to make sure they haven’t picked up parasites or cuts. I’ve just finished looking over playful Pani when Dai swims up to join me. Suddenly I feel breathless, which makes me furious.

  I glance at Dai, and then look away. He reminds me of a statue of an angel I saw once in an old chapel. He has the same severe, beautiful features. Except that I can’t imagine an angel looking as disdainful or mocking as Dai can look.

  But I sense that he isn’t in a mocking mood now. :You should have said yes today when they wanted to make you their leader,: he says bluntly. :Tobin was right. You would do a better job of leading this group than Kyel does.:

  :I told everyone the truth. I don’t want the job.:

  I’m very aware that Dai is studying me. :You really don’t think you could do it, do you?:

  :Isn’t that obvious?: I say, refusing to meet his gaze. Instead I call Densil and start checking him for parasites.

  Dai keeps after me. :But this is what you’ve been training for all your life.:

  :Maybe my parents did train me to live in the sea, but they didn’t train me how to lead anyone, much less a group like this. I can’t tell experienced fighters like Kyel or Thom what to do. Until this afternoon, Ree would have beaten me up if I’d given her an order, and Lena probably would’ve laughed at me.:

  :But after what you did for her today, Ree won’t beat you up, and Lena wanted you to take over Kyel’s job.:

  :You don’t understand!: I turn to face Dai, frustration boiling up inside me. :I’m used to being nothing in the village where I lived, and nothing at the school where I went. My parents were so focused on their precious research, sometimes I was nothing to them, too. I barely know how to talk with people my own age, much less get them to follow my orders.:

  :You’d be surprised how well I do understand,: Dai admits. :But you’re wrong if you think you aren’t important to this group. You may not talk much to the others, but they like and trust you already.:

  :If you say so,: I say with a shrug, trying not to show how much his words mean to me. :I’d really rather talk about you now, instead of me.:

  :What do you want to know? I’ll answer exactly five questions,: Dai says. His expression is wary, but there’s a hint of a smile in his eyes.

  :So, number one is, who are your parents? You already know all about mine.:

  :My father is a marine biologist,: he replies, looking bored. :My mother was a geneticist, but she died when I was so little, I don’t remember her. I’ve lived on research vessels most of my life, which is why I don’t always know the right thing to say to people, either.:

  I study Dai as he talks. He’s shielding his emotions, and I get the strong impression that he’s choosing his words carefully.

  :Okay, here’s question two. When did you find out you were actually a part of the Project?:

  His eyes narrow at that, and for an instant, his shields waver. I sense the sharp, sudden pain my question causes him.

  :You’re just like me. It hurt to find out you’d been bred for a purpose,: I say softly.

  He smiles, but there isn’t any humor in his eyes. :I shouldn’t have been so surprised. The sea has always come first with my father. I found out when I was ten, though, so I’ve had some time to get used to the idea.:

  :How did you know where to join up with Kyel’s group?:

  Dai raises one eyebrow. :That’s three. You only have two left.:

  :Technically, I answered part of the last one for you, so we’re still on two.:

  He sends me an exasperated look. :Technically, I don’t think you count so well. My father had been in touch with Neptune Project scientists. He knew the kids from the southern sector would head for the Channel Islands, and he sent Ton and me down the coast to look for them.:

  And Dai made that trip all by himself. A sudden suspicion takes hold of me. :W
hen did you actually go through the transformation?:

  Dai hesitates. :When I was ten,: he admits at last.

  I stare at him. :How old are you now?:

  :Fourteen. So, yeah, I’ve been part fish for four years now.: He says the words defiantly, but I can sense the vulnerability behind them.

  :You should be leading this group, not Kyel or me,: I say, shaking my head. I can’t believe Dai has survived in this dangerous ocean for four years already.

  :That’s not going to happen, Nere. This group doesn’t like or trust me, and I don’t think I particularly like or trust them.:

  :But why did you have to go through the transformation so young?:

  :I think my father was excited about it, and he wanted to make sure it worked.:

  There it was again. Even though he tried to hide it, Dai radiated such strong psychic pain when he spoke of his father that I couldn’t help shivering. How could a father do that to his son? Rather than continuing to upset Dai, I decide to change the subject.

  :How did you start working with Ton?:

  Dai smiles at the mention of Ton, just as I thought he would. :That’s question number seven, by the way, but I never mind talking about Ton. He was orphaned as a calf. He and I grew up together, much the way you and Sokya and Densil did. But he never learned to communicate in English. I still can’t believe that you can actually talk with Mariah. I communicate with Ton through visual images, just like you do with the other dolphins.:

  :Mariah’s contact with other dolphins was limited when she was a calf, and I’m not sure she really understood she was a dolphin instead of a human at first. Take into account that my mother was a powerful telepath, and you can see how she may have accidentally taught Mariah words in English while she was first learning them herself as a small child.:

  :I wonder if Mariah could teach Ton to talk with me.:

  :I’ll ask her,: I say, trying to hide my misgivings. I’m not sure Mariah really can talk with Ton, or at least, not in the sense Dai means. I don’t think dolphins think or communicate with each other in words at all. They use images, feelings, and a wide variety of sounds, some of which human ears can’t even hear.

  Hoping to change the subject, I point out that it’s getting dark, and we both swim back down to the freighter.

  :Nere, I think we need to keep an eye on Penn,: Dai says soberly before we enter the wreck.

  :What do you mean?:

  :I don’t think he’s given up on the idea of attacking that ship.:

  I want to scold Dai for listening in on other people’s thoughts again. But maybe he’s not worried about Penn because of something he overheard telepathically. Thinking about the end of the meeting today, I realize Dai may be right. Penn didn’t look happy about the way the vote turned out.

  I shudder when I think of what could happen to us if he decided to go off and attack that ship on his own.

  OUR NEXT FEW DAYS on the Alicante fall into a routine. In the mornings, we rotate through a series of classes on fighting, speargun marksmanship, and first aid. I teach how to communicate with and care for the dolphins. And Kalli, who turns out to be an expert on sea plants, shows us what species and varieties we can harvest to eat.

  In the afternoons, we patrol up and down the coast of Santa Cruz with the dolphins. I’m happy to see my companions are growing closer to the pod. Sometimes the dolphins even come down to the Alicante on their own, seeking out their partners to play. One afternoon I catch Kyel and Thom racing against each other with their dolphins through the kelp forest, which makes me laugh.

  We all keep hoping other Neptune kids will reach the wreck, but so far, no one has. I worry about the lone man we saw on the beach after we buried Sara, and Dai and I both keep an eye on Penn. He does participate in our lessons and never mentions the Marine Guard vessel that continues to patrol the area and anchor nearby us at night.

  I ask Mariah to help Ton communicate to Dai in English, and her response doesn’t surprise me.

  :the big dolphin doesn’t understand my human words.:

  :Could you please keep trying to teach him?:

  :I try, but he thinks and talks like a dolphin,: she says, and I can feel the frustration in her mind.

  :It’s amazing that you can think like a human.:

  :I am smart,: Mariah says, sounding so smug, I have to laugh. :and your mother helped me to learn,: she adds, grief coloring her tone, :when I was just a calf.:

  I reach out and place a hand on Mariah’s melon. :I miss her, too.:

  ~ ~ ~

  During the day, I keep busy learning all the skills I can to stay alive. The waters around the Channel Islands are so beautiful and full of marine creatures, sometimes I actually like my new life. I have always loved the sea; I just never imagined I’d have to live in it forever.

  I try not to think about what happened to my mother or what might be happening to Cam right now. But at night, when I struggle to fall asleep, I keep seeing them cut down by the soldiers at Tyler’s Cove, like a slip of old video on continual replay, or I see poor Sara with a spear dart in her shoulder, surrounded by frenzied sharks. My dreams after I fall asleep are even worse.

  One time when I wake up, Lena is there beside my hammock, shaking my shoulder.

  :You were thrashing around and having a nightmare,: she says. :I thought you’d rather wake up than be wherever you were.:

  I look at the black ceiling of the wrecked freighter while I fight to catch my breath. Would I rather be here? :Thanks,: I manage to tell her.

  :I have nightmares sometimes, too,: Lena admits. :You know, I am sorry about your mother. I’ll never forgive her for what she did to me, but I’m sorry she’s dead, just the same. And Cam, he’s so strong. If anyone can survive a work camp, it’s him.:

  :I think you’re right about that.: I almost manage a smile, but then I feel tears start to well. :What do you think of Kyel and the rest?: I ask quickly to change the subject.

  :I don’t like Kyel much, and I really don’t like Dai, but I do feel safer being with this group.:

  :I do too, even when things get tense. Robry feels the same way. We’ll stay with them, then. And Lena, thanks for waking me up.:

  :You’re welcome.:

  But the next day, Lena goes back to avoiding me, and I wonder if I dreamed our talk.

  ~ ~ ~

  One afternoon, a small wooden sailing craft starts following the dolphins on patrol with Tobin and his group. Mariah tells the dolphins to submerge for so long, they lose the small boat, but the contact makes us all jittery.

  We are surprised when the same craft appears just before nightfall and anchors in a tiny inlet directly ashore from the Alicante.

  :Whoever it is, he or she seems way too interested in our dolphins,: Kyel concludes during an emergency meeting in the wheelhouse. :Nere, ask the pod to keep away from us for a day or so, and we’ll stay close to the freighter tomorrow.:

  The sailboat is still anchored in the inlet the next morning. We go through our usual morning classes, except dolphin training, and everyone is on edge.

  We’ve just gathered to eat some lunch in the crew’s mess when Penn, who’s on guard duty, calls out to us. :Some guy with a speargun and fins just swam down from the surface! He’s looking around the cargo deck right now.:

  :Don’t let him see you,: Kyel orders Penn. :Does he look like a Marine Guard diver?:

  :No, he’s not wearing scuba gear.:

  :He could be another Neptune kid,: Kalli says hopefully.

  :Neptune man, maybe,: Penn responds. :You should see the beard on this guy.:

  :What’s he doing now?: Kyel asks Penn after we’ve waited an endless two minutes.

  :He’s still looking around the cargo area. Wait, he’s heading back to the surface now. I’m pretty sure he can’t breathe water.:

  After we’re sure he’s gone, we all head for the wheelhouse in a hurry.

  :Whoever he is, he just performed an impressive free dive,: Robry points out. :He swam down sixty feet
and stayed at this depth for over three minutes.:

  :I wonder what he was looking for,: Bria says, her eyes wide and worried.

  :Maybe he wanted to scavenge something off the wreck,: I suggest. People have gotten so desperate back on land, some have become scroungers, searching through wrecks to find things they can eat, use, or sell.

  :Well, whoever he is, we can’t risk his seeing us,: Kyel says flatly. :We stay in the wreck for the rest of the day. He might be back.:

  No one looks happy about Kyel’s order. Most days we eat our meals inside the Alicante for protection from pesky fish who try to steal our food, and we sleep in her at night, but our wreck is a dark and gloomy place.

  :Robry, you can give us another navigation lesson right now,: Kyel says. :Nere, you take the next guard shift.:

  I nod and go fetch my seapack. I figure I can skim some of the Neptune Project information notes and keep an eye out for the free diver at the same time.

  I’m in my second hour of guard duty when I spot the mysterious diver kicking his way down through the water to the wreck once again.

  :Hey, we’ve got company!: I call out to the group. :He’s back. Everyone stay below.:

  Suddenly I realize I’m in trouble. The free diver is heading straight for the wheelhouse!

  My pulse thunders in my ears. The only access to the wheelhouse is from the outside, since the big hatch to the lower decks is corroded shut. If I try to leave, the diver is going to spot me for sure.

  That means I have to find someplace to hide inside the wheelhouse, and I have to find it fast. I look around wildly. There are no lockers large enough to hold me. My only chance is to duck under the wide control board and hope he doesn’t think to look there.

  I dart under the control board, stretch myself out, and try to hold completely still. Ten heartbeats later, I see the flick of a fin as the diver enters the wheelhouse and starts prowling around.

  I grip my speargun tightly. What am I going to do if he sees me? Will I have to kill him? He’s bound to notice I have no scuba gear. He may mean us no harm, but we can’t allow him to tell someone onshore that he’s seen a girl on the Alicante who breathes water. But I don’t want to kill anyone!