The Neptune Promise

by Polly Holyoke

  Rath clears his throat. “Thank you for telling me about Kyel, and thank you for giving me this.” He gestures to his neck. My eyes prickle with tears. He’s wearing Kyel’s necklace.

  :your father is here,: Mariah contacts me. :he is coming to the beach now.:

  “Um, sir, my father just arrived in the cove, and he would like to join this meeting.”

  “Tell him he can come join our party, as long as he comes unarmed,” Rath says, his eyebrows raised. “I don’t see a boat out there. The floor of this cove must be a busy place.”

  “You have no idea,” Thom says under his breath.

  A few minutes later, my dad strides out of the surf, still wearing his wetsuit. Rath’s bodyguards are on him instantly, checking him for weapons. After they clear him, he walks straight up to Rath, and the two men clasp wrists.

  “So, Mark, it appears you pulled off the greatest genetics experiment of this century,” Rath says, shaking his head.

  “You two know each other?” I say in amazement.

  “In another place and time, Dr. Tyrel Rath taught me high school biology,” my father replies with a smile. “In fact, one of his lectures on marine genetics directly inspired our Neptune Project.”

  My dad turns to Rath again. “I’m so very sorry about Kyel.”

  “We knew there would be some casualties. I will always regret that he was one of them. But the other kids you created are brave and resourceful, too, based on what they accomplished here tonight. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make this meeting happen. What do you want from me?”

  My father launches straight into an explanation of the c-plankton, using genetics and biology terms I don’t understand, and he explains how effective it appears to be in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequestering it.

  “What’s to keep this phytoplankton from taking over the oceans and eventually pulling too much carbon dioxide out of the air?” Rath asks. “You don’t want to trigger another Ice Age in a thousand years.”

  “Idaine programmed her c-plankton to stop reproducing after a hundred thousand generations.”

  Rath purses his lips in a soundless whistle. “If she was able to insert that into the phytoplankton’s coding, she must have been brilliant.” He’s silent for a moment, obviously thinking hard.

  “So you want me to help you set up these plankton nurseries, help you find people to man them and then use my fighters to guard them.”

  “We can’t do it without you,” Dad says.

  Rath rubs his eyes. “It could cost my forces a lot of lives. But I have to admit that I’m getting tired of this fight. For all my scheming and planning and for all the people I’ve lost, I’m not sure we’ve made any difference.”

  Beside me, Thom sits up straighter. “Sir,” he says, “you should know that’s pretty much what Kyel came to see, too, as he was dying. He said that for all the fights he’d fought and for all the friends he’d lost, he’d never changed anything. He thought building a new civilization under the waves that was more free and fair would be one way to beat the Collective. But, if he’d known about this c-plankton stuff, I think he would have wanted us to make it, and spread it, and cool our planet before it’s too late for everyone.”

  Rath studies Thom’s earnest face for a long moment. “Maybe you’re right. This may be the best way to beat the Collective in the long run. So, Mark, how should we go about setting up these plankton greenhouses?”

  Thom shifts his leg and clenches his jaw. I decide to interrupt before Rath and Dad get much further into their planning. “Excuse me, sir. I think Thom’s had enough for one night.”

  “Good point, Ms. Hanson,” Rath says. “Well, Thom, that was an excellent operation you led this evening.”

  “Except for the part where I got captured, sir,” Thom says ruefully as he struggles to his feet.

  “Still, you did our training proud.” Rath crosses to Thom and they clasp wrists. “You take care of yourself, and I hope you do go on to build something more free and fair under the waves.”

  “I’ll do my best, sir.”

  Thom squares his shoulders and walks toward the surf, limping just a little. I sense he doesn’t want my help, but I stay near him just in case. The moment the water closes over our heads, he lets out a groan.

  :I wanted to make a good exit to impress the Chief,: Thom tells me with a wry smile, :but man, that hurt!:

  chapter twenty-nine

  Densil tows Thom back to the others waiting at the bottom of the cove. I tell them about our meeting while Tobin gives Thom a dose of painkiller.

  :We’ve accomplished our part of the mission,: Janni says when I finish. :Good job, everyone. Now let’s get Thom out to the Carly Sue so Doc Iharu can take a look at his thigh, and then we’ll all get some rest.:

  We’re just loading up the tow when Mariah contacts me. :a fast, quiet boat comes,: she warns, :but it is bigger than Cam’s.:

  :Just when I thought this night couldn’t get more exciting,: Janni says tightly. :Nere, go warn your dad and Rath. The doc might ignore a message from us on his wrist communicator in the middle of such an important meeting. But then get back here so we can get Thom to a proper doctor.:

  Sokya tows me to shore, and I hurry out of the surf. Dad and Ty Rath are still talking intently, but they stop when I stride up to them.

  “Dr. Rath, a boat is approaching this cove. It sounds like it might be a smuggler’s craft. It’s too quiet to be the Marine Guard.”

  Rath and Dad exchange glances. “Thanks for the warning, Ms. Hanson,” Rath says. “You best head back to the water. My men and I can handle this.” I must be looking worried because he adds, “I promise we’ll keep your father safe.”

  I run through the surf and dive under the waves. After I rejoin the others on the bottom of the cove, we watch as the boat glides over us. It stops and lowers a small inflatable runabout off its stern. I pop my head out of the water long enough to take a good look at the man getting into that runabout. When I spot his deep facial scars, I shudder. Silently I slip beneath the surface again.

  :It’s Scarn Kasparov,: I tell the others. :I met him once with Cam, and I recognize him from the tyrox scars on his face.:

  :I’d like to be a fly on the wall for that meeting,: Janni says dryly, :but we need to get Thom to Doc Iharu now.:

  :If Scarn finds out that Cam followed Rath’s men, I’m afraid he’ll be furious,: I say, looking back at the beach. But there’s nothing I can do except feel guilty that I’ve probably gotten Cam into serious trouble with his boss.

  We drop Thom off at the Carly Sue and string our hammocks under a rock overhang nearby. When Dai volunteers to take the first watch, we’re all grateful. Moments after I climb into my hammock, I fall into a sound sleep.

  ~~~

  The next day we take it easy while we wait to hear when we’ll be heading back to Safety Harbor. I figure Rad and Thom won’t be ready to travel for at least a few weeks. Robry and I hope we might see Cam before then, and I’m still worried that he’s in big trouble with Scarn.

  Midday, Janni and I are called up to the Carly Sue for a briefing, and Ree comes along, too, because she’s so worried about Rad.

  “I know you’ll want to hear about Rad and Thom first,” Dad says with a smile for Ree as we gather on the stern deck. “Some of Rad’s tendons and muscles were severed by the solar blast, but Doc Iharu was able to sew them together again. If Rad heals as well as Dai did, he should regain full use of his arm and shoulder, and Thom should be feeling and moving a lot better in a week.”

  I exchange relieved looks with Janni while Ree hurries off to see Rad.

  “So when do we head north again, Doc?” Janni asks him.

  “There’s been a change of plan,” Dad informs us soberly. “Your team won’t be heading back to Safety Harbor right away. We need your help to salvage several wrecks near LA. Scarn says they’ll likely contain some of the materials and equipment we’ll need to set up the c-plankton nurseries. The
y may also have containers we can use to store and ship the c-plankton once we’ve grown it.”

  “Why is Scarn involved?” I burst out. “Is Cam going to be okay? Why did Scarn want to meet with Rath last night?”

  Dad holds up a hand to stop my flood of questions. “I gather he came to ransom Cam back from Rath. It turns out Scarn values quite highly Cam’s skills in boat building and sail design. Much to our surprise, Scarn even suggested we use his smuggling network to help find and transport the chemicals, tanks and grow lights we’ll need to cultivate the c-plankton.”

  “Why would he do that?” Janni asks.

  “In part because Rath has promised to pay him well.”

  “Can we trust this guy?” I ask.

  “Oddly enough, I think so. The tyrox epidemic killed Scarn’s whole family when he was young, and he blames the incompetency of the Western Collective’s bio researchers for the outbreak. Smuggling leisure goods to the Collective’s party elite is his way of exposing their hypocrisy.”

  “But a lot of his people get killed smuggling perfume and fancy foods and wines,” I argue, thinking of the two young smugglers who died the night Cam and I rescued his friend Jac.

  “I didn’t say Scarn was a good man. But I do think he has his own code of honor, and I also believe Cam would warn us if he thought Scarn was going to double cross us. We don’t have a lot of good choices here, and no one knows the Los Angeles area better than Scarn and Rath.”

  “So, maybe I’ll get to see LA after all,” Janni says. She loves the films produced in Hollywood before the epidemic.

  My dad clears his throat and looks at me. “You should also know that Scarn’s people have spotted an old Poseidon-class attack sub cruising up and down this section of coast, and a man Scarn trusts swore he saw some sort of shark/man mutate tearing apart a sea lion in the shallows near Oxnay Harbor.

  Chills trace down my back.

  “We think there’s a good chance that Kuron is in the area,” Dad continues, “and he may try to stop us from cultivating and spreading the c-plankton. This is the second reason we need you to stay here in the Southern Sector. We’re hoping Mariah and her family can help us watch out for that sub.”

  “But, Doc,” Janni asks, “how can we possibly fight a sub armed with torpedoes and nuclear missiles?”

  I’m glad she asked that question because I’m wondering the same thing.

  “Well, four humpback whales managed to put that sub out of commission last time. Our topside staff is going to think on this problem, and we’re hoping you will, too. We may have to face Ran Kuron one last time.”

  Janni and I leave the briefing in a somber mood. Two days later, we head for LA.

  ~~~

  We arrive late in the afternoon off old Santa Monica and set up base camp in a cave near the first wrecked freighter we’re supposed to salvage.

  :Ugh, this water tastes almost as nasty as the water in San Francisco Bay,: Robry says, making a face. The seawater does taste metallic, and already it’s making my eyes burn. We’re camping a half-mile from the first buildings and piers that were abandoned and submerged when the seas rose so dramatically a hundred years ago.

  First thing in the morning, we swim over to the freighter which we’ll search for materials our shore teams need. Penn and Kalli will direct the salvage operations while Janni heads up security. The dolphins accompany us to the wreck, but the water is so polluted here, I tell Mariah to take the main pod further out to sea to hunt and to keep a lookout for Kuron’s sub. We agree that two dolphins will stay behind in shifts to watch out for boats and danger.

  :Could you describe exactly what we’re looking for again?: Tobin asks Penn as we hover above the old freighter. Over two hundred feet long, the wreck lies on its side. Because she sank over twenty years ago in relatively shallow, sunlit waters, her hull and railings are covered with a thick carpet of sea growth.

  :Basically, we’re looking for tanks, vats and barrels… anything big that can hold the gallons and gallons of seawater we’ll need to grow the c-plankton and then store and ship it. Even sinks and tubs could work.:

  We spread out in pairs to begin searching through the old freighter. I’m happy that Kalli is my partner today because I’m still not exactly sure what the shore teams can use. We enter the shadowy interior of the wreck through the main hatch amidships.

  :Looks like marine scroungers have already been here,: Kalli says as she shines her torch across several big shipping bins that have been cut open and emptied. :They probably stripped her of any food and the most valuable small stuff, but I’m hoping they weren’t interested in the kinds of containers and barrels we need.:

  I remember the colorful community of scroungers we visited outside of San Francisco when we needed more spear darts. They lived in homemade houseboats and rafts and survived on what they could fish and scrounge from the sea. I feel more respect for scroungers as I stare at the bins. Salvaging a wreck like this would be dangerous work for a landliver.

  Kalli and I swim our way through the dark hold toward the stern, scaring up a shimmering silver school of Pacific mackerel. We keep finding massive metal containers that have already been looted of their cargo. I’m starting to feel pretty discouraged until I discover one container in the far corner full of empty oil barrels.

  :Nice find,: Kalli congratulates me with a grin. :Once we cultivate the plankton, we’ll need thousands of barrels to store and ship it. We’ll definitely take all of these.:

  We swim out of the hold and up into the galley where we find a big, flat sink that Kalli claims would be perfect for cultivating c-plankton.

  :But I’m not sure we can get this out of here,: I say, peering under the sink. :Its legs are super thick and bolted to the floor.:

  We find several big empty food bins that look strong enough to hold seawater, and Dai and Ocho haul them away for us. Penn brings an underwater drill to the galley but the bolts fastening the sink legs to the floor are hopelessly corroded.

  :It would be easy enough to cut through those legs with a underwater cut saw,: Ocho suggests. :There’s a big vat near the engine room we could use, too, but we’d need to cut it loose first.:

  :We definitely need to upgrade our tools if we want to get more sinks and vats off these wrecks,: Penn says, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

  We spend the rest of that day moving the barrels up from the hold and placing them on the topside of the hull. One of Scarn’s crews will come tonight to collect them.

  That evening when we finish, we radio the Carly Sue and explain we could use some better tools. Dad promises us he’ll get us some salvage saws as soon as he can. We rest until 12:30 AM, and then we all swim to meet the smugglers who will be picking up the barrels.

  :It’s not that I don’t trust them,: Janni says after she orders us to load our spear guns. :It’s just that I don’t trust them.:

  By the time the smugglers’ quiet boat glides over the wreck, I’m wired, and I can tell from the others’ pale faces, they are, too. Janni and I swim to the surface to meet the smugglers. I’m disappointed that Cam isn’t with the four men on board. They look so cold and focused, I don’t dare ask if they know how he’s doing. Swiftly they lower a cargo net down to the wreck, we load it with six barrels at a time, and they winch the barrels up and on to their deck. Within three hours, they load over a hundred barrels.

  :They may not be the most talkative guys, but they sure are efficient,: Sunny comments after we finish up around 4:00 AM and watch the smugglers’ boat glide away toward the shore.

  :In their line of work, they probably don’t ask a lot of questions,: Penn says wryly.

  Yawning from a long day and night of salvaging, we swim back to our basecamp and crash. The next day we’re just starting to explore a new wreck when Sokya arrows up to me.

  :two divers come on a tow, and they both have spear guns!:

  chapter thirty

  Quickly I tell the others about the two approaching divers. Has t
he Marine Guard found us? I shiver when I remember the way they hounded us up the coast of the Western Collective last year.

  :Everyone, get inside the wreck,: Janni orders, :until we figure out who these divers are and what they’re doing here.:

  As we all sprint inside the old freighter, I reach out to Sokya. :Do you think they’re Marine Guard?:

  :I do not think so,: she says doubtfully. :their tow is different.:

  She sends me a mental image of the divers and the tow, and I understand what she means. It’s definitely a homemade contraption that looks like someone welded a solar battery to a big fan. Their wet suits look odd, too, as if they’re quilted together from a variety of materials, but the divers’ spear guns appear plenty lethal.

  :They definitely aren’t Marine Guard, but they are armed,: I tell my friends.

  The divers park their tow on the top deck and head straight to the main hatch that leads to the hold where we’re hovering.

  :Scatter, everyone. Find good hiding places and stay there,: Janni snaps.

  Ree and I dash for a big container and hide behind it. Peeking around the corner of the container, we see the divers pull a saw and a pry bar from packs on their backs. Then they set to work trying to open the container. Their scuba gear looks just as homemade as their wetsuits.

  :Shells, they’re here to salvage her just like we are,: Kalli says.

  :Right, well, we got here first, and there’s more of us,: Janni says, sounding cross, :and I don’t want to waste any more time. Dai, Ree, Nere, come back me up and unsling your spear guns. Let’s see if we can convince them to salvage this wreck another day.:

  As Janni moves out into the center of the hold, Ree, Dai and I gather around her. Then she swims slowly toward the divers. The moment they see us, they start gesturing angrily at the wreck and shaking their heads.