“Oh, no more food, please.” Daria thumped her tummy, “I sound like a small watermelon.” She yawned and rubbed her eyes. Nestling deeper under the covers, she turned onto her side to face the waterwall. “Kyla, have you ever seen anything in the waterwall?”
Kyla’s answer was soft and low as she started out of the room. “No, my wondrous friend, and I doubt that I ever will.”
The lights dimmed, and Daria felt herself carried to sleep on the waves of Ni-Cio’s love.
“Can you not make this pathetic excuse for transport proceed at a faster pace?”
Evan was disgusted. The corners of his mouth turned down in a deep scowl. The scrape of fingernails on a chalk board would be more preferable than the voice that issued from the person seated next to him. He sneered and baited his reply, “If you would like to take a swim, be my guest. I can’t push this machine past her limits, or neither of us will see daylight.”
Travlor spun around. Malevolence glared from his eyes and his words were infused with venom, “I am unable to swim anymore and a biosphere can be tracked. That was why I needed your assistance to get out of that wretched death cave. I grow older with each passing moment. The few abilities I had before Na-Kai entrapped me have deserted me as surely as your mother did.”
A lump rose in Evan’s throat. Years of loneliness bled through the old wound that Travlor had just laid bare. Evan tried to inflict just as much pain. “Maybe she would still be here had you not left her. I understand that you were nowhere around when I was born. She had no one else, Travlor. She was totally alone and in incredible pain when she died. I would be more inclined to believe you were the one who deserted her!”
The grip that clamped down on Evan’s wrist was like steel. Evan yanked his arm but could not break the hold. He twisted to face the Atlantean and found himself looking into the merciless stare of shark-black eyes. “Enough! You know nothing of the circumstances. Son or not, if you ever dare speak of this again…” With one swift breath, Travlor released Evan’s wrist. “Get us to Santorini, or your precious topsider will never see the light of day.”
Evan was mortified to feel a tremor run through his hands when he re-gripped the steering mechanism. He struggled to regain his composure, so he took a deep, slow breath and stared off into the gloom. He trusted the computer to adjust their course heading.
The exodus from Atlantis was dazzling. Ni-Cio and Peltor watched swimmers burst from the exits like shooting stars. In their wake, streams of bioluminescence lit up the ocean deep like a shower of comets, and Ni-Cio knew that Aris’s team would not leave one chasm, one crevice or one stone undisturbed. He looked over his shoulder at his companion. “Peltor, if Travlor could execute the poisoning of our Most Sovereign Healer, then he is capable of anything. The importance of finding this man is tantamount to surviving the sinking. If Travlor is left unchecked, I fear that this aberration could bring about our demise, swiftly and unmercifully.”
Peltor squeezed Ni-Cio’s shoulder, “We will find him. Aris’s swimmers are scouring the area, and if Travlor is there, they will catch him as they cast their ever-widening net. Come, the others are leaving, let us depart as well.”
Ni-Cio felt a small measure of encouragement, and as the occupants of the other biospheres deployed from their exits at velocities that mocked Terran laws of physics, Ni-Cio urged their craft toward their targeted island.
The search broadened, but it was clear to Ni-Cio that Travlor had gotten farther than anyone imagined. Still, he refused to admit that Travlor had somehow made good his flight.
Their biosphere raced through the deep and he and Peltor combined their energies to enable a wider sweep of the areas they covered. After passing through several miles of open ocean, Peltor broke the silence, “I feel nothing, Ni-Cio.”
Ni-Cio did not deviate from the heading, but he was momentarily puzzled as to what they would do if Travlor were not found. He clenched his jaw and forced his awareness even farther, “We will find him. Do not let your thoughts falter. Hold suspect even the smallest movement that does not fit the regular oceanic patterns.”
“But, Ni-Cio, we are closing on Santorini. The traffic will increase. How are we to determine if Travlor is among those vessels?”
“That question bothers me as well, Peltor. Travlor is adept at masking his presence, which is all the more reason that we find him before he comes into contact with others. I do not know how he could have come this far without the aid of a biosphere, and yet, none were missing.”
People began reaching their assigned islands and their reports trickled into Ni-Cio’s thoughts.
“Milos is in sight…nothing…”
“We have reached Crete…just regular marine travel, no sign of Travlor…”
“Talus and I thought we saw something, but it was just a local dive team…we are still heading to our destination…”
“Investigated an unusual vibrational pattern…just a personal submersible, still heading to Anafi…”
“Turning back…nothing at Karpathos…”
And on it went. No one had sighted the elusive target. Ni-Cio was well aware that the probability of finding Travlor plummeted with each negative report. It seemed that Travlor was nowhere to be found. Most of the teams had circled their destinations and were adjusting their headings for the return to Atlantis.
Unwilling to admit defeat, Ni-Cio decided to take one more look around Santorini. “We will circle the island once more, and then we will meet everyone back home…”
As he trained the biosphere to retrace their previous path, Ni-Cio kept focusing on viable alternatives that would explain how Travlor got out of Atlantis. He knew Peltor was beginning to feel badgered, but he was desperate. “Who had Anafi?”
“Ylno.”
Ni-Cio sent a tentative thought-form. “Ylno, you said you saw a submersible…how many people were in it?”
The answer came immediately. “We felt some vibrations that were outside our course heading and decided to investigate…one person was manning the craft…we saw nothing out of the ordinary, so we turned back to Anafi…”
“How far off course did you go?”
“About 15 degrees northwest of our heading to Anafi…”
“Are you certain of only one man in the craft?”
“It was a very small vehicle and we made a quick sweep, but the inside was exposed because of the domed windows…there were seats enough to contain two riders, but only one was occupied…”
Peltor broke in. “What are you thinking, Ni-Cio?”
“I cannot stop wondering how Travlor was able to leave. It is almost as if he had help.”
“Do you want to try to find this submersible?”
It was the opening he had waited for, “It cannot hurt, and we have found nothing here.” He turned the craft, and the biosphere ventured once more into the open water.
Evan came to the uncomfortable realization that he and Travlor had veered off course. They had been so engrossed in scouring the ocean for pursuers that he had been oblivious to the navigational error. Evan would rather have jumped out of the submersible than give Travlor the news. He cleared his throat, “We missed Santorini.”
Like the claws of an angry cat, Travlor’s question raked the silence, “How can that be?”
“I’ll have it corrected in a moment.” Evan’s hands flew over the instrument panel and he made the necessary changes. The Oceanus responded to the new coordinates and adjusted accordingly. “It won’t be long before we reach port.”
“I sincerely hope you are right. The longer you expose us to the open ocean, the more rapidly our chances of evading capture decrease.”
They stared through the thick, bowed window into the murky blue. Hardly daring to breathe, Evan and Travlor waited in the gloom while their craft trudged toward Santorini.
Inside the biosphere, Peltor and Ni-Cio suspended any unnecessary motion. They strained to feel the slightest mechanical vibration. The vast quantity of water they had moved th
rough before with such ease now seemed an impenetrable wall. Their senses swept through crystal seas only to be met by an implacable silence.
Ni-Cio held the craft steady at one-quarter speed. Peltor had agreed that it was better to proceed with care and deliberation rather than risk missing the submersible through haste. At two hundred feet, the biosphere cruised in utter silence. If the submersible surfaced, they would be able to detect the vibrations through the surface chop. Any deeper, however, and the likelihood of missing the small submarine increased.
Ni-Cio knew that their chances of locating the vessel were slim, but he was compelled to try. He wanted to see the submersible with his own eyes. Something about it bothered him, and it had given rise to a nagging suspicion.
In a craft that traversed the oceans as silent as nightfall and as invisible as a breeze, heightened waves of awareness spanned out, and Ni-Cio and Peltor narrowed the search.
Evan was lulled into a trancelike state. Endless vistas of blue whispered past the domed windows. He had put Travlor out of his mind until the repellent sound of his voice slithered toward him like a snake.
“How much longer?”
Travlor’s unnerving vocal dissonance replaced the steady mechanical hum of the engine and jolted him back to reality. The weighted question sank into his psyche as though a line had been cast and the hook waited to snag him without compunction. Evan studied the computer screen, wishing that willpower alone would already have them docked. Shocked at the vehemence with which he wished to be rid of his father, he knew that any answer short of “We’re here,” was not what Travlor wanted. So, he ignored the implied threat and ventured an educated guess, “We should reach the mouth of the harbor within the next eleven minutes.”
Swirls of light mixed the sapphire water to turquoise, and an array of coral curled over the ocean floor. Acrobatic reef fish darted past their window in bright splashes of neon. Evan prayed for the floor to rise faster. He heard Travlor mutter under his breath, “Not good enough. No, not good enough.”
His father turned to stare back into the deep. Travlor began to rub his hands together, vigorously, as though he was scrubbing for surgery. “I am extremely uncomfortable. We are no longer alone.” He glared at Evan and demanded, “Faster. You must go faster!”
An irregular flutter skimmed the outer parameters of his awareness. Ni-Cio slowed the biosphere and waited. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary and although he thought to dismiss the perception, he coasted the biosphere to a stop. “Did you feel anything, Peltor?”
His companion was motionless for a few moments, “No.”
Ni-Cio jerked his chin, “To the left, as far out as you can go.”
The biosphere floated in neutral buoyancy and Ni-Cio and Peltor suspended their breath. They listened. Nothing. Seconds slipped by.
At last, Ni-Cio shrugged and glanced over his shoulder to address his companion when Peltor grabbed his shoulder and pointed. “There. Ni-Cio, I felt it!”
As one, they willed the craft to speed. The biosphere ripped through the great sea as easily as water passes through a sieve and the closer they came to the target, the stronger the vibrations became.
Excitement climbed. Ni-Cio tensed for the encounter, “It has to be the submersible.”
“They have found us…no matter what you see or do not see, act as though nothing is amiss…you must convey that you are a man alone…if we are apprehended, you will never save Daria!”
Although Evan no longer trusted Travlor’s motivation, he didn’t question the fact that Travlor had detected the presence of the Atlanteans. He had always known that he and his father possessed unusual abilities. However, when he no longer sensed the man next to him, he couldn’t hide his astonishment.
He swiped his palms down the legs of his pants, adjusted himself in his seat, and re-gripped the handles of the steering column. Worried that even a replied thought-form would alert their pursuers, Evan fixed his concentration upon their destination.
He began his approach into the harbor. A strange current buffeted the craft. Evan strained to catch a glimpse of the Atlanteans. When the alien vessel crossed his line of sight, he perceived a slight distortion in the water. As they passed, the Oceanus rocked, just slightly.
Fear rose like bile, and Evan was struck dumb by the mastery the Atlanteans wielded over their vast domain. It was obvious that their technological capabilities far outstripped anything available to him. It had been one thing to sail into Atlantis, oblivious of such odds. But witnessing the miracle of their science, Evan knew that he could never penetrate their midst again. He felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. He had missed the only chance he would ever have of helping Daria.
He fought to still his mind, but sweat poured off him. It wasn’t possible to win against a race such as this. Evan was seized by a sudden impulse, he would throw open the door and surrender. His fingers inched toward the hatch. He grappled with his fear and forced himself to continue their ascent.
At last, the small craft entered the welcoming arms of the harbor, and as they breached the surface, moonlight flooded the Oceanus. Choppy waves splashed against the vehicle and Evan slowed his speed. He directed his craft to the waiting docks and did his utmost to block everything else from his mind.
“Something is not right.” As Ni-Cio rounded the front of the submersible, persistence made him impatient.
Peltor let loose with an exaggerated sigh, “I have lost count of how many times we have circled, and I see nothing out of the ordinary.”
Ni-Cio knew he was being stubborn, yet he could not help himself. “The man inside is afraid. His fear flows from him in waves. Why would that be?”
“I truly do not know. Maybe he had a mechanical malfunction and feared for his life.”
Ni-Cio shook his head and his hair swished against his bioskin. “If that were true, he would have radioed a distress signal, which we would have heard. He has reached the surface and, it seems to me, his fear increases.”
“Well, what would you do? He is about to dock.”
“I would study him until his departure from the craft.” Ni-Cio knew that Peltor had resigned himself to this last bit of surveillance, but he felt that his companion was about ready to give up. “It will not be much longer, Peltor. You have my word, we leave as soon as that topsider steps from the vehicle.”
The biosphere hovered just below the surface, but as the submersible started to dock, Ni-Cio eased their craft into a position that allowed a better view. They waited, yet nothing happened. Peltor fidgeted. “Why does he just sit there?”
“I do not know.”
“Ni-Cio, this becomes ridiculous. Obviously, the topsider’s actions are incomprehensible to us. Why do we continue to watch him?”
Ni-Cio was just as baffled by the topsider’s behavior. Nevertheless, he was not ready to leave. “He strikes a chord of recognition that I cannot quite grasp and because his comportment is so strange, I think we should see this through. Surely he cannot sit much longer.”
Peltor’s stomach rumbled. “Who knows what these topsiders are capable of? I am more than ready for a hot meal, but you are right. We do nothing until we are satisfied with the outcome of this watch. I just hope they will keep the food hot for our return.”
Inside the cramped quarters of the Oceanus, Evan had suppressed the compulsion to throw himself on the mercy of the Atlanteans. However, his muscles had stiffened so that normal movement was impossible. With jerky, disjointed motions, he entered the shutdown sequence, but he had to repeat most of his actions because his fingers fumbled the wrong buttons or failed to turn the correct switch.
When he had finally turned off all the systems, he was surprised by the hard rasp of his ragged breaths. He wasn’t certain what he was supposed to do. There had not been a hint of movement from Travlor. Because the Atlanteans watched and waited just below the Oceanus, he was reluctant to vacate the security of the craft. He reasoned that if he could outwait them, they might possibl
y lose interest and leave.
Without warning, Evan was overcome by such an intense feeling of claustrophobia that he could not suffer the vehicle a moment longer. He frantically undogged the hatch and almost ripped the door from its hinges. He gulped a huge lungful of fresh air and bolted from the Oceanus. He lurched over the floats, stumbled and fell to the dock on all fours. He skinned his hands and banged both knees. Evan groaned and lowered his head to the wooden planks. His body shook. No longer able contain his anger or his fear or his food, Evan retched until he had nothing left.
Ni-Cio and Peltor watched in amazement as the topsider fell to his side and lay motionless. Even from their vantage point, they could see the greenish pallor of his skin.
“Why, he is seasick, Ni-Cio. He endeavored to make land so that he could exit the vehicle before he became sick.” Peltor chuckled and slapped Ni-Cio on the back.
Relieved, Ni-Cio joined in the joke. He smiled. “Now we can return home and share the story of how we trailed a hapless topsider through miles of open ocean so that we could witness this, this spectacle! The sheer lunacy with which our search has ended should be well received by an appreciative audience. I am weary, Peltor, let us leave.”
Ni-Cio steered the biosphere through a long, sweeping turn. Before he headed out to sea, he looked back at his friend. “I do not suppose I can convince you to keep this to yourself?”
His companion never had the chance to reply.
“Peltor, look!” Ni-Cio brought the biosphere back around. The Oceanus had begun to pitch back and forth, even as Evan remained face down on the dock. “Peltor, there are no waves to cause such a violent motion.”
His friend was silent.
Gripped by an invisible force, the topsider was wrenched to his feet and half carried, half dragged from the rickety pier. The biosphere shook as Ni-Cio disgorged his rage and frustration into one word, “Travlor!”
Tides of Change Page 15