The Neptune Project

by Polly Holyoke

:Um, Mariah, is this really a good idea?: I ask as one of the whale calves swims so close that I can almost touch it. :I don’t want those big mama whales getting angry with us.:

  :the old ones know you mean their little ones no harm,: Mariah reassures me.

  Soon our dolphins are towing us over and around the playful whale calves. All the while, the grown whales study us as curiously out of their wise eyes as we study them. I do my best to describe to the others the unearthly whale songs I heard when my parents took me south to visit the humpbacks’ breeding grounds years ago.

  :Mariah, can you tell me what the whales sing about?:

  She takes a moment to consider my question. :it’s hard to put into human words, but I feel their meaning. the old ones sing of caring about their youngsters and one another. most of all they sing of their love for the ocean and everything that lives in it. every year their song changes, but all the male whales in the same sea know to sing the same song.:

  Her words give me goose bumps and make me happy at the same time. The biggest whales, the blues and the finbacks, are extinct now, but I’m so grateful the humpbacks have managed to survive. We’re all sorry when the humpbacks eventually head farther out to sea. At dinner that night, we are a quiet group, but everyone is smiling.

  As we travel, I never forget Crab’s flyer and how careful we must be to avoid landlivers and airbreathers, as Dai calls them. I know the group gets irritated when I make us swim a mile out of our way to avoid sonar contact with some boat, but I’d rather take longer and get us all to my father’s colony alive.

  One afternoon, Kalli, who has been acting very mysteriously, along with Bria, asks me to halt for the night when we reach a beautiful rock canyon.

  I stop swimming long enough to admire the walls of the canyon. They’re alive with small fish, fuzzy pink strawberry anemones, giant rock scallops, spiny red sea urchins, and some bright yellow sponges. I even spot some lavender hydrocorals, which have become rare in the warmer seas farther south.

  :Ton’s found a perfect cave for us near here, and there’s that big kelp forest we can use as an escape route if we need it,: Dai adds with unusual enthusiasm.

  :But we still could make four or five more miles today,: I say, even though I’m torn. I’m tired from constant travel, and sick of being responsible for everyone’s safety.

  :Nere, we have to stop now, because we have an important mission to fulfill this afternoon,: Bria says, trying to look very serious.

  :Exactly what mission would that be?: I ask, starting to realize that something’s up.

  :This is our mission. Today is your birthing day, and we have to celebrate it properly,: Kalli adds, her eyes dancing.

  :Robry, you are such a little snitch!: I turn on him.

  :Actually, Lena remembered it first,: he says quickly.

  I look at Lena. She shrugs and says, :Hey, you know I’m always looking for a good excuse to take a break.: But then she sends me a real smile.

  :It was almost time for a rest day anyway,: Tobin adds. :We’re all tired, and I think it’s a good idea if we take it early.:

  :If that’s what our chief medical officer orders,: I say helplessly. I feel myself blushing as they all grin at me. I hate to be the center of anything, much less an undersea birthing-day party. Kalli must sense how uncomfortable I am, and she quickly takes control of the situation.

  :First off, the birthing-day queen has to take off her seapack and settle herself on this nice, relatively barnacle-free rock here. Now, we all know no birthing day is complete without presents, and the dolphins are in charge of your shopping.:

  I smile because this is an old game with us. The dolphins scatter and soon come back with an odd assortment of treasures they’ve found for me. I make a big show of exclaiming over the shells, bits of rock, and even a small octopus that proud Tisi drops in my lap, which promptly spurts a cloud of ink at me before it shoots away, and makes everyone laugh.

  Then Thom, who has been busy with his dive knife while the dolphins were giving me presents, serves us some very handsome flower-shaped yellowfin wrapped in wakame.

  :These would do your grandma proud,: I say, even as I wonder how his big hands managed to make such delicate blossoms out of fish meat. Kalli comes around with a contribution of her own, a kind of sweet mash made from wakame, which we all like much better than the green seaweeds and kelp we usually eat.

  After we finish with our meal, Tobin waves to get our attention. :Of course, no party would be complete without music,: he declares with a bow and a flourish. :May I present the coolest sound in undersea entertainment today—The Reef Raiders!:

  He pulls two aluminum medical canisters from his pack and begins hitting them together in an infectious rhythm. Thom joins in, making a deeper sound from beating the barrels of two spearguns together, and Penn shakes a small metal box full of pebbles and shells.

  In a flash, Ree and Kalli are up and dancing to the beat. Lena grabs Bria and Robry, and Dai comes to find me. Suddenly, we’re all dancing in the middle of the beautiful, sunlit canyon. The dolphins swim in crazy circles around us, excited by the strange noises the boys are making. After a time, we go from dancing to a wild game of limbo in which we all try to dance under a speargun held by Dai. Poor Thom is out almost at once, which makes everyone laugh. Bria, who can bend her flexible little body into knots, wins easily in the end, and then we all float around trying to catch our breath.

  :Nere, now it’s time for your very best present,: Ree declares. :We’re giving you a chance not to worry about us, because we know that’s pretty much what you do all day. Dai’s offered to be your escort and bodyguard, and we want the two of you to go someplace and relax and have fun.: She finishes with such an arch look that my cheeks burn again.

  :We promise to stay right here and not get eaten or stung or hurt while you two are gone,: Bria says solemnly.

  I can’t help smiling at sweet Bria’s promise, even while my stomach lurches. I know Ree means well, but I’m not sure their present is a good idea. I’ve been trying to avoid being alone with Dai over the past few weeks, and mostly I’ve been successful. Now I have to go with him or disappoint everyone.

  Dai must sense my dismay, but his only response is an unsympathetic grin. He takes my hand and pulls me firmly after him. As I leave the others, I can’t help looking back at Tobin. For one moment, our gazes meet, and I see the hurt in his eyes before he looks away.

  :Tobin, I…: I start to apologize on a private send, even though I’m not sure what I’m apologizing for.

  :It’s all right, Nere. Ree’s right. You do deserve some fun,: he says shortly, and then he breaks off the contact.

  Dai tugs on my hand impatiently. When I look at him, he isn’t smiling anymore.

  :I told you he likes you, but he has good mental shields. He also has some stupid principles about not wanting to weigh you down with caring about him when you have so much on your mind. I, on the other hand, have no such principles.:

  Then Dai smiles that reckless smile of his, and I realize I absolutely want to go with him.

  DAI IS SMART ENOUGH to not say anything right after that. :Just float,: he says quietly, :and let me do all the work.:

  It’s wonderful after days of hard swimming to be towed slowly up and down the canyon walls. He points out species of sea creatures I’ve only read about before, his expression unguarded in his enthusiasm. He tows me deeper, out of the sunlit zone into darker waters, to show me beautiful billowing white cloud sponges and the juvenile rockfish that hide in their folds and tubes. We see decorator crabs walking across the sponges on long delicate legs, and funny little red fur crabs that wedge themselves into impossible spots when we approach. This Dai—the Dai who sincerely loves the sea as much as I do—slips right past the walls I’ve been trying to build against him.

  Then we swim back up into brighter, shallower waters, and he pulls me deep inside the kelp forest. There, he turns and puts his arms around me. Suddenly I’m not feeling relaxed and lazy any
more.

  :That was one smooth move.: I laugh to hide my nervousness. :Just how many girls have you lured into a kelp forest before?:

  :Maybe a few, but I never felt this way about any of them. I didn’t know I could,: Dai says, and then he lowers his head and kisses me. I decide to go for it. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back.

  I forget about being nervous, I forget that I am Freak Girl, and I forget that somehow I’m supposed to get ten people and twelve dolphins safely to my father’s colony. There’s just Dai, and he’s really good at this kissing business.

  But then he holds me tighter and tighter against him until I realize it hurts where his hands grip my shoulders.

  :Dai, you’re hurting me,: I say.

  His eyes darken. For a moment that seems to stretch into forever I’m afraid he won’t let go. A tremor goes through him and then he flings himself away. He floats with his back to me, breathing hard.

  I can’t help massaging my shoulders. They ache. I’d forgotten just how strong he is. Now I remember how easily he gutted those big sharks when we tried to save Sara. He sliced through their thick, tough hides as though sharkskin were butter. He glances at me once, and his face tightens when he sees I’m rubbing my shoulders. Quickly, I drop my hands.

  :It’s all right. You didn’t really hurt me.:

  :But I could have.: The self-loathing I hear in his voice makes me shiver.

  :Dai, I’m fine.: I start toward him, but he retreats from me.

  :Go back to the rest of them. Go back to Tobin. Go back where it’s safe.:

  :Y-you’re not going to leave us, are you?:

  :No.: He sighs. :I can’t.: He swims swiftly away. :I’ll be back by tomorrow morning. Nere, I’m sorry if I ruined your birthing day.:

  :You didn’t,: I call after him firmly, even though we both know he has.

  I stay by myself for a long time in the kelp forest. Densil comes to find me there. Patiently, he lets me hug him. Then together we watch the late afternoon sunlight filter down through the dense fronds.

  ~ ~ ~

  I go back only when I’m fairly sure I can hide what happened from the rest.

  :Thanks for the nice vacation,: I tell everyone with the best smile I can manage. :I’m happy to see no one got eaten while we were gone.:

  :Where’s Dai?: Bria asks in surprise.

  :He and Ton offered to scout on ahead of us,: I say lightly. :He’ll be back by tomorrow morning.:

  Ree and Tobin frown and send me searching looks, but I’m relieved when they don’t question my explanation. We eat a quick dinner, and while I do my usual nighttime dolphin check, Tobin appears beside me. I can feel he’s watching my face carefully, but I can’t make myself meet his gaze.

  :Are you all right?: he asks at last.

  :I’m fine,: I say tightly, even though I’d love to tell him what just happened with Dai. But after the way I hurt him this afternoon, I don’t deserve his sympathy.

  :I’m glad,: he says after an awkward moment. His tone is so kind and forgiving that I almost lose it right there.

  :Bria and me, we have a little birthing-day present for you.:

  He hands me a delicate carving of a mermaid swimming beside a graceful dolphin. I realize that the carving is actually a small pendant hanging on a black cord.

  :This belonged to our mother. She always loved dolphins and the sea. Bria and I talked about it, and we both decided that we wanted you to have it. Bria thinks the mermaid looks just like you.:

  :I can’t take something that belonged to your mother,: I protest.

  :We have other special things to remember her by. Please, we’d like you to have this. I think she’d be grateful that you are trying so hard to make a new family for us.:

  :Thank you,: I manage to say without crying.

  I try to put on the pendant, but my braids get in the way.

  :Here, let me help,: he says. I pick up my braids and he deftly fastens the cord for me.

  The pendant rests right at the base of my throat. :During the day, I promise I’ll keep it tucked inside my seasuit to make sure it doesn’t get lost.:

  :It looks good on you,: Tobin says, his palms resting lightly on my bruised shoulders. His gaze goes to my face. I look back at him, wishing he could make my bruised heart feel better. His eyes are such an amazing green, and I love the warm cedar color of his hair and eyelashes.

  :Nere, I’m sorry if he hurt you,: he says as if the words are torn from him. :I promised myself that I wasn’t going to do this until we reached your father’s colony.:

  He bends his head and kisses me. Gently, he gathers me closer. I like being in his arms. Tobin is so safe and comfortable. But even as I kiss him back, I think of Dai, and I worry about where he is and what he’s doing right now.

  If only Tobin had kissed me first.

  Suddenly, I realize I’m not being fair to him, and Tobin deserves my honesty. I stop kissing him and press my hands against his chest. He raises his head and studies me for a long moment, his eyes filled with pain.

  :Dai’s already won, hasn’t he?:

  I stare back at him, struggling to find the right words. :Tobin, I—:

  :It’s all right. You can’t help how you feel. Whatever happens, I just want you to know I’ll always be here for you. Happy birthing day, Nere,: he says quickly. Head down, he swims away from me.

  :Thank you. Thank you for everything,: I call after him, desperately hoping that he’ll still be my friend in the morning.

  Going to find my hammock, I wonder at my luck. Two different guys just kissed me, and this still turned into one of the worst birthing days ever.

  ~ ~ ~

  When Dai returns to us in the morning, he’s his old withdrawn, sarcastic self. He’s so rude to anyone who talks to him directly that we leave him alone. At sunset I go to the surface to check our latitude and longitude. With surprise, I realize we are only four days now from my father’s colony. I return to the group and tell them the good news.

  Everyone smiles and grins except for Dai. His face tightens, and he slips away from our meeting without a word. The next day he’s more distant than ever. When Bria bumps into him by accident while we’re traveling, he jumps and speaks to her so sharply that her face crumples. After that, she swims right next to Tobin and stays far away from Dai.

  :There’s no excuse for your being mean to Bria,: I tell him at lunch.

  :It would have been even more inexcusable if I’d shot her.:

  :She really likes you, you know, and she’s a sweetheart.:

  :I know,: he surprises me by saying. :She is a sweet kid, and I’m sorry I got mad.: He tugs at the end of one of his braids. :I just have a lot on my mind right now.:

  :You want to talk about it?:

  :No.:

  :How about what happened in the kelp forest?:

  :I definitely don’t want to talk about that.:

  :You didn’t hurt me. You just startled me there for a moment. I know you wouldn’t do it again.:

  :Nere, you don’t know that. You don’t know anything about me.:

  As I search his bitter face, I realize he is retreating further and further from us.

  :If that’s true, whose fault is that?: I ask, then turn away. He makes no move to stop me or to talk with me alone again.

  ~ ~ ~

  The next afternoon, Sokya arrows up to me, whistling and squeaking in excitement. :there’s a large group of humans like you ahead,: she says.

  :Sokya, that’s wonderful news!:

  Quickly, I relay what she told me, and we all start grinning at one another. I can sense the excitement rising in my companions. For so long we’ve been hoping to find other Neptune kids. I pick up the pace, and the rest follow me as quickly as they can.

  :Nere, you don’t want to let our group get all spread out like this.: Dai swims up next to me, his face set. :Not everyone you meet in the sea is as friendly as you are.:

  :But Sokya said they’re like us.:

  Dai doesn’t answe
r, but he looks so tense and his mind is so tightly shielded that I feel uneasy. I slow my pace and wait for our group to resume our normal travel formation.

  :Um, everyone, make sure your spearguns are loaded and ready.:

  :Are you crazy?: I can hear the disbelief in Lena’s tone.

  :Just do it,: I tell her.

  I keep peering ahead into the deep blue-green water, and suddenly I see them. There’s a group of a dozen or so kids like us spread out across the rocky canyon we’ve been following to the north. It looks like they’re blocking our path, but I try to push that thought from my mind. Dai is making me paranoid.

  Sokya and Laki, who are excited and pleased to meet more humans, range ahead of us and swim right up to the other group.

  :aeeeee!: Sokya whistles in shock and fear. :they shot a spear dart at us!: Seconds later, she’s swimming back to us as fast as she can, Laki at her side.

  :Mariah,: I say sharply, :tell the pod to stay behind us!:

  I reach out with my senses, and I don’t like what I pick up. The group ahead of us is radiating excitement and hatred.

  :Who are you, and why did you shoot at our dolphins?: I ask them, unable to hide the anger in my tone.

  :We were hungry, and they looked like a good lunch to us,: a cool female voice answers.

  As we draw closer, I realize I’m staring at some of the strangest kids I’ve ever seen. They look like members of an undersea street gang. They all have bizarre haircuts and strange, swirling tattoos on their faces. They wear seasuits, but theirs are gray and black, covered with odd embroidery and insignia. I blink when I realize that one of the boys has two extra sets of arms.

  I tell my companions to halt. Every kid in the new group has a powerful-looking speargun, and those spearguns are trained on us.

  :Who are you?: I ask again. We’re facing three girls and eight boys, and the girls look just as savage and wild as the boys.

  :Names aren’t important, but what I’m about to tell you is.: A striking, thin girl in the center of the group raises her speargun until it’s pointing directly at me. She has short black hair, catlike amber eyes, and high cheekbones. I swallow hard. I think we’re out of range of their spear darts, but I’m not absolutely sure.