Jennifer sat in silence. She had imagined learning and seeing a culture she had only experienced through literature and images, but actually living in this century was beginning to weigh on her. Hunting land mammals for consumption had long been replaced in her time but fishing was still a popular hobby for some. The casual mention of both Marty and Mike being ex-soldiers made Jennifer recall her time spying on the brutal Syndos military. Most soldiers were augmented far beyond her own Symbiotes, less biological than machine, and the men and women who chose that un-humanity were often killers by nature, looking for an acceptable outlet. It would take effort to re-think the roles of Mike and Marty and any other soldier she met as individuals.
* * *
“There!” Alice exclaimed. They had been surveying the deep waters around the atoll for about two hours when Alice finally spotted a flock of birds in the distance. The seabirds skimmed the water’s surface, often one briefly diving and emerging with a small fish in its beak. “Grab the poles, Jen my girl, I’ll take the controls.”
Jennifer was relieved at the switch, as the waves had grown rougher the farther they left the atoll behind. Alice had showed her earlier how to set the poles in holders attached to the sides of the Zodiac. She slotted in two poles, one on either side of the boat, each pole baited with a still-wiggling opelu; the sight made her feel sick. Alice sped over to where the surface of the water churned. Larger dark shapes shot up into the school from deeper waters while the birds continued their dives from the air. Alice slowed to trolling speed and approached the frenzy.
“Get ready, those look like big buggers down there. Yellowfin, I’d wager.”
Jennifer sat nervously by her pole. The predatory tuna was bigger than she had anticipated, making her reflexively try to calculate their size and weight compared to the small Zodiac—its rubber skin all that separated them from the aquatic abyss below. Yet when Alice turned from the wheel toward the fishing poles, her face alight with mischief and intention, the redhead’s focused excitement caught her. A contagious charisma exuded from the lively young woman, and Jennifer felt her nervousness give way to excited anticipation. In another moment, her line pulled taut.
Jennifer quickly put her surprise away and grabbed the pole, engaging the reel’s brake and pulling up sharply to set the hook as Alice had taught her during the boat ride.
“Already!” Alice exclaimed. “That’s some luck, girl. Careful now and pull him in, looks like a big one.”
“That seems like an understatement,” Jennifer struggled to say, surprised by the fish’s strength. Too quickly, she felt the need to tap into her Symbiotes to ease her muscle fatigue and for an adrenaline synthesis boost for extra strength.
Seeing Jennifer’s struggle, Alice offered her counsel and maneuvered the Zodiac to outlast the fish. After forty-five minutes, Jennifer could feel the fish was finally tiring. Each turn of the reel brought it closer with fewer struggles.
“His fight’s gone but this fella can still do damage to the Zodiac and us,” Alice said. “Hold him off for a while and I’ll end his misery.”
Alice grabbed her bang stick—a long metal rod lying on the floor of the Zodiac. She loaded the end with a twelve-gauge shotgun shell.
“Okay, pull him in now!”
Jennifer furiously spun the reel against the tuna’s last attempt to escape. As the mighty fish came alongside the Zodiac, Alice stuck the bang stick into the water and jammed it against the tuna’s head. The water echoed with a loud bang as Jennifer felt the writhing on the line cease. It felt unreal, as she sat with the motionless pole in her hand. She had fought with the fish for almost an hour—the tuna had put up a valiant fight while heavily outmatched—yet in a single brutal moment it was finished. Jennifer did her best to hide her discomfort, instead looking to Alice for the next task.
“Now we can lift him on board. I’ll go down to see how big he is and get a rope around his tail.”
Jennifer only nodded, numbly aware of her mental and physical fatigue. To distract herself, she willed her Symbiotes to ease her exhaustion, feeling the flow of acetylcholine and dopamine in her blood.
After reloading the bang stick, Alice fell backward over the side in her flippers and mask, one hand on the rope. Jennifer watched her swim around the large fish carcass and tie the rope onto it. Pulling her knot tight, Alice swam back to the surface.
“Jingoes, Jennifer!”
“What? Is anything the matter?”
“Well, it’s a yellowfin all right, but this one’s practically the weight of a great white shark! If I’d known it was that big, I’d’ve helped you out. You were able to reel him in by yourself—you’re sure stronger than you look.”
“Cool,” Jennifer said quietly, realizing she had tipped her hand again, and helped Alice on board.
They worked together to maneuver the tuna into position and carefully pulled it aboard. The fish was massive, over one hundred and seventy kilos by Jennifer’s estimate and only just able to fit in the boat.
Alice let out a low whistle at the sight of the giant tuna bowing the bottom of the Zodiac. “Now that’s a catch. Can’t wait to see what I can reel in.”
“You want another?” Jennifer asked.
“Right! Gotta make sure Marty eats his words for doubting we can bring in a good catch. Besides, the birds are still diving, which means there are still tuna down there worth catching.”
The seabirds continued hunting the small fish being driven to the surface. Choppy waves broke the surface around them.
“I’m just a little worried, Alice. We’re more than five miles from shore and these swells are getting large.”
“Oh, we’re safe. Only one more catch. I’ll direct you to how to maneuver the Zodiac so you can just trust me and don’t worry about those swells.”
Jennifer debated continuing her argument, but yielded to Alice’s determination. At the younger woman’s direction, she positioned the Zodiac while Alice got the other pole ready. Once set up, it wasn’t long before Alice’s line caught another fish. Even while fighting with the new catch, Alice guided Jennifer to avoid the sea swells. Jennifer focused on those swells. They took her mind off the memory of her struggle with the raft she’d abandoned, along with the panic that had nearly killed her.
After about twenty minutes, Alice had her catch alongside the Zodiac. In a sickening repeat of her previous motion, she hit the fish with the loaded bang stick. Again they brought it aboard, the tuna weighing what Jennifer guessed was a hundred “pounds”—she’d have to get used to thinking in Imperial measurements in the twenty-first century, though she recalled America and the UK were the only holdouts not yet using the metric system. The tuna was still huge, but Alice looked disappointed.
“Well maybe not as big as yours, but this will be plenty for our freezer and then some. More importantly, this will prove Marty wrong.” She chuckled lightly before continuing. “C’mon, Jen, let’s head back to shore where we can prepare these guys—you’re at the helm.”
Bringing the Zodiac’s engine to life, they headed back toward the atoll. Jennifer steered the inflatable craft through the rough waters.
“You can do this,” Alice said.
The wind picked up to their disadvantage. Jennifer yielded control to the experienced Alice, who expertly steered the raft through the swells and over reefs. With the noon sun above them, they approached a nearby islet in a small bite, a shallow opening in the reef that connected the ocean to the lagoon on the northwestern side of the atoll.
“Let’s clean the fish here,” Alice said as she steered the Zodiac into the beach. “It’ll be easier and won’t attract sharks around the Albatross.”
Jennifer nodded her agreement while scanning the waters for signs of their transport.
“You looking for the Albatross?” Alice asked when she noticed Jennifer’s distraction. “It’s just a speck on the horizon over that way.” She pointed off to the southwest where a speck of silver glinted in the sunlight.
“
Kinda hard to see,” she continued. “Here, try this.” Alice reached into her bag and pulled out a small device. “Zoom in on the Albatross,” she said, handing the device to Jennifer.
“How do I operate this?” Jennifer asked, turning over the unfamiliar object.
“Oh yeah, that’s right—the amnesia. Point it the direction you want to look, press that button to take a picture.” Keeping the Albatross in view, Alice continued, “I’m not a scientist like Marty and the others, but I’ve picked up their habit of documentation with that camera. Besides, it’s a great way to remember your trip.”
Alice stepped out of the Zodiac. Handing the camera back to her, Jennifer did the same. They beached the boat, pulled out the tuna carcasses, then stretched for a moment, enjoying dry land.
“Here, let me get your picture,” Alice said, holding the camera up. “The beach and the ocean make for a good backdrop.” The first click caught Jennifer in mid-stretch. Startled, she fell back on the sand as Alice laughed and continued to take pictures.
“My turn!” Jennifer said.
“Of course,” Alice said, still laughing. “Here, take one with me and my catch.”
The ladies took a few more pictures to document their fishing success before starting to prepare their catch. Jennifer carefully observed Alice as she cleaned the large tuna, following the motions as best she could.
“Pretty hot out,” said Alice. “Let’s rest until it cools off a bit. By the way, that camera takes great shots underwater, too.” She flopped down under the shade of the trees edging the beach.
“I’d like to go and try that out.”
Jennifer stepped back into the water and swam to the nearby reef, taking the camera with her. Half an hour later, she returned to shore, eager to show Alice the photos she had captured.
Alice clicked through stunning shots of opelu, tang, rasps, and angelfish moving through bright undersea coral. “Wow, Jen! These are some great shots. You’re a natural.”
Jennifer blushed, and not just at Alice’s compliment. Natural. Such a loaded term. To the Syndos it was a death sentence, used to remind humans of their impermanence. Jennifer knew Alice did not use the phrase out of spite, yet it struck at an old fear of being caught, being identified as a lesser being, a spy, and put down for it.
“Are you okay, dear?”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Jennifer looked away. “Can we return to the Albatross? I would like to rest.”
“Of course. We’ve been out long enough as it is.”
They loaded the cleaned tuna back into the Zodiac, piling a few of the steaks in a cooler, and with Alice at the helm set off toward the silver gleam of the Albatross with Alice at the helm. Jennifer remained quiet, turning over her own thoughts of her past—the future.
“You know, Jen,” Alice started as they neared the transport, “I mean, I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but we could get you to Tahiti faster. I’m sure Marty wouldn’t want to risk your well-being just to keep schedule.”
Jennifer cursed herself for showing her vulnerability. She had to stay strong. She had to project confidence and stability, otherwise she risked being taken to a hospital. The care that she would get in this era’s primitive hospitals would not be skilled, no matter how kind or well-meaning.
She waved off Alice’s concern. “No, no, it’s just the sun on the water. Nothing serious.”
They rode back to the Albatross in silence, the sun still high in the sky. Arriving at the transport, they unloaded the cargo and the catch. While Alice busied herself preparing raw slices of the tuna, Jennifer excused herself to her bunk.
* * *
She woke sometime later to the hum of a distant motor.
“The team’s back,” called Alice from the galley.
Jennifer joined her. “I am so sorry, I slept longer than I intended.”
Alice had finished preparing tuna sashimi. Neat thin slices of red flesh were arrayed on the galley counter and Alice was cleaning the fillet knife.
“No worries, you looked like you needed the rest.” Alice finished cleaning the knife, sharpened it and put it away. She pulled out clean dishes from the bottom cabinet.
“Let me help set the table,” Jennifer offered.
“Thanks!” Alice said as Jennifer took the plates, then arranged them around the table. Alice brought the sashimi over and put it in the middle of the table with a big bowl of rice. “You don’t need to worry too much. The team has another dive later tonight so this is going to be more of a quick little lunch while they get their gear and samples in order. And besides, this’ll show Marty how wrong he was!”
Jennifer smiled, amused by her friend’s spirit. “Friend”…I have a friend in this century. It felt good, and she let the feeling warm her heart. She hadn’t realized how lonely she truly was, alone on the island. The contrast of being with people and receiving their acceptance was larger than anticipated. Tears pricked her eyelids.
Outside the Albatross, the large Zodiac arrived and Marty gave a holler.
“Speak of the devil,” Alice said with a wink. They hurried portside to assist the team.
Lacy sat at the bow of the inflatable boat. She waved at Jennifer before retrieving the Zodiac’s mooring line and tossing it up. Jennifer caught it and gave one end to Alice. Together they pulled the Zodiac in and Alice tied her end of the line to the hull cleat.
“Lacy, merci pour votre précision jeter,” Jennifer said, offering a hand to help the young woman aboard.
“Ah…Merci Mada—Jennifer,” Lacy replied as she climbed in the Albatross.
Bill climbed up next, two heavy dive bags slung across his chest. As he got to the ladder, he easily handed one bag to Jennifer. She reached down, not expecting the bag to be so heavy. Immediately, she called on her Symbiotes for extra strength, but it was too late. Already off balance from leaning out, she fell face-first into the lagoon.
Underwater, Jennifer flailed for a moment before her Symbiotes kicked in. She regained her bearings and swam back to the surface, thankful that her enhanced strength kept her from being pulled down by the heavy dive bag.
“Jennifer!” everyone called at once when she broke the surface. All the crew leaned over the Zodiac, offering their hands. Marty looked poised to dive in and Kai held out a floatation ring.
“I’m so sorry!” Bill said as she swam over and took his outstretched hand.
Jennifer laughed at her own embarrassment and at the unfounded worry she had caused. “It is all right,” she said, reminding herself to show effort as she tossed the dive bag back into the inflatable craft before allowing Bill to pull her up. She aimed a bright smile at Bill. “No worries!”
“You gotta be more careful, Bill!” Kai said, and knocked him in the back with the flotation ring. “Not everyone has your linebacker strength. I swear you have more muscle than common sense sometimes.”
“All right, all right everyone,” Marty spoke up. “Let’s all just finish unloading.” He turned to Jennifer. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Jennifer nodded, seeing the concern in his eyes. He cares about me. Maybe he just cares about everyone? But Marty’s pupils were dilated and his breathing fast. He seemed more than the team leader at that moment. Perhaps she was reading twenty-first century social cues poorly? She dried off thoughtfully, sneaking looks at Marty when she felt unobserved. His demeanor seemed unruffled to anyone not able to monitor body reactions as she had learned to do. But he wasn’t—and he kept glancing back at her with concern as they went about unloading the Zodiac. She studied his broad shoulders as he lifted equipment, and once he turned to check on her and their eyes met. She flushed scarlet and looked away, telling herself to stop being so conspicuous—bonding with the marine biologist was not the mission at hand.
When they had finally finished unloading the Zodiac, Marty was the last up the ladder into the Albatross.
“What’s on the menu?” he asked.
Alice gave a wicked smile of victory. “Just the catch of th
e day, Cap’n!”
Marty’s eyes went wide with shock at the mound of sashimi on the table. Even Jennifer had to admit it looked impressive.
Alice laughed and winked at Jennifer, who grinned back.
Mission accomplished.
CHAPTER 8
Catch of the Day
The crew enjoyed the sashimi lunch before taking turns in the shower and going over the day’s samples. Marty forewent his shower time to compile data and test his samples. Alice and Mike talked about the day while Lacy told Jennifer about the dive.
While the others still ate, Marty pulled Jennifer aside. “I was able to get some samples today from the coconuts you were consuming on the island.” He hesitated. “We have several instruments here on the Albatross that allowed me to test them for radiation.”
“What does this mean for me?” Jennifer asked. She needed Marty to assume she knew nothing. She couldn’t risk being tested for radiation exposure.
“Well,” Marty continued, “the results are better than I initially expected, but I can’t say you’re completely in the clear. From the testing, I’d estimate you’ve absorbed radiation equivalent to an airline pilot after twenty years of flying. Not the worst, but definitely not ideal.”
“Where did the radiation come from?” Jennifer asked.
“The French used this area to test plutonium fission bombs, though unfortunately the toxic effects of plutonium aren’t well known on humans. Plutonium emits alpha particles, helium atoms essentially. These particles can usually be stopped by clothing and even skin, so they aren’t immediately dangerous. In addition, there are beta and gamma emitters from the fission products of plutonium, such as cesium, iodine, and strontium isotopes. These get into the coconuts, fish, and other marine organisms. These isotopes can cause continuous damage for many years if not removed from the blood. But they really only start causing trouble if ingested.”
30th Century: Escape (30th Century Trilogy Book 1) Page 7