by Razi Imam
He rode his bike out of the university, heading south for about half an hour. He turned into a secluded wooded area near Cabrillo National Park.
Over the years—as a teen, and later as a student working on his PhD—Sebastian had frequented this hidden spot many times. He took his bike right into the woods, parking it in a small clearing. He then made his way into the wooded area, but it wasn’t a trail he walked along—it was a geological anomaly with twisted trees and odd shaped rocks, caused by an energy vortex in the area. After hiking through it for fifteen minutes, he came to a rock cliff surrounded by bristlecone pine trees.
These trees had been known to exist in California for over five thousand years. At the base of one in particular sat an opening covered by a large basalt rock shaped like a wheel-stone. He pushed it aside to reveal a natural manhole—a circular cave-like formation made of sandstone. He crawled military-style through it for a short while until it opened into a U-shaped cove surrounded by high cliffs, with a small tidal pond in the middle.
He couldn’t remember how he’d found the place—since childhood, he had known it existed. His parents would joke with him, saying this was where they had found him, and indeed, his earliest memory of them was here. They said he was a gift given to them by the sea. They would tease him, saying he was a mermaid’s child, hence his love for marine life and the ocean.
Making his way to the edge of the tidal pond, he sat down—the cove was how he had left it, pristine and undisturbed. He took off his shoes, folded his pant legs to clear the depth of the pond, and walked in. The instant his feet touched the water, he felt a combination of energy and relaxation, as if it had some element that rejuvenated every cell of his body. After wading for several minutes, he went back to the bank and sat until the sky grew dark. He thought about what had happened—meeting with Cebrián, the team of Paramarines, and the opportunity presented to him.
He got up. Before putting on his shoes, he walked back into the pond one more time. He leaned over and touched the luminescent plankton. Flashes of images flooded his vision. Since childhood, every time he touched the water with his hands, he would see these strange images. He used to chalk the experience up to his Pareidolia. He couldn’t make out what the images were, but they would inspire and recharge him. Lost in thought, Sebastian made his way back to his bike and returned to Scripps.
THE NEXT MORNING, he stepped inside the Gulfstream G650ER, codenamed Panther Two, and was once again impressed with the technical resources available to the team. At the far end of the plane was a large screen with Poseidon’s signature deep-blue water and coral reef. On one side were workstations, complete with portable incubators, aquariums, centrifuges, and a Nanodrop Spectrophotometer. The other side had comfortable, business-class-style. The plane was a mobile marine biology lab that could reach the remotest parts of the world.
The captain and copilot, both Texans with lilting drawls, came out of the cockpit to greet him. They shared the flight path to Haiphong, explaining that they would stop at Tokyo airport to refuel. “Folks,” the captain said, “I recommend you get comfortable. It’s gonna be a long flight. We just need a few last-minute clearances and we’ll be on our way.” He asked Sebastian to follow them into the cockpit.
The captain plopped down in his jump seat. “Doctor Alveraz shared all the details of your mission,” he said with a grin. “I recommend we spend as little time as possible in Vietnam. Things in that part of the world can go real bad, real fast.”
“I agree,” said Sebastian. “Let’s make it quick.” He shook their hands and went back to join the rest of the team.
The plane took off, and after a few minutes, the vast Pacific Ocean appeared through his window. Sebastian gazed out as it stretched to the horizon. How many unknown species are still hidden in the oceans? he wondered.
Just then, his phone buzzed. He couldn’t believe it, a text from Maria: Hey, heard what happened in Panama, not cool, hope you’re on to a new adventure.
The message brought a twinkle to his eyes. He started to respond, but it was hard to form the words. He had a lot to say, but he held back. He had just been thinking about Maria, wondering where she was.
He got some words out: Where are you? You’re not in a jungle or cave.
Her response came back: Yes, I just got done with my last expedition and now relaxing on the beach for some R&R.
Sebastian replied, Where?
Somewhere you can’t reach in a million years, she texted back, teasing.
Sebastian texted again: Where?
Guam, I was here for a blue hole expedition for the U.S. government, she answered.
Sebastian got up and walked over to the cockpit. “Captain, how hard would it be to land in Guam and refill there instead of Tokyo?”
“Hmm, we do have clearance to land at Andersen Air Force Base. Why?” the captain asked.
“We may have one more team member to pick up,” Sebastian replied. “Can we do it?”
“Sure,” the captain said. “We’ll make the arrangements. Shouldn’t be a problem. We’ll land around eight a.m. local time.”
Sebastian thanked the captain and texted Maria: Get to Andersen Air Force Base at 8am and join me on my new adventure.
Maria responded: What??? What do you mean?? REALLY!!!
Sebastian texted: No joke, meet me and I’ll bring you up to speed. I’ll meet you at the main terminal. More instructions to follow.
Sebastian realized he hadn’t conferred with the team. Walking back he addressed them. “Guys, slight change in plans. We’re going to land in Guam to pick up one more team member. She helped me with my last expedition climbing Cerro Tacarcuna,” he explained.
Shiloh smiled. “I get it. We’re picking up your old girlfriend.”
Fabienne frowned at Shiloh, chiming in with a small hint of irritation. “Why do we need a mountain climber? Or for that matter, an expedition expert?”
“I have a feeling that getting the specimen from Vietnam will turn into an expedition. Plus, we’ll need a person of her skill in the event we have to track and find its source. I believe our adventure is just beginning.”
Fabienne pursed her lips before turning back to her laptop.
Sebastian walked over to the screen and requested Poseidon for any and all information on Vietnam Maritime University. Poseidon started displaying the main campus, the buildings, and layouts. Sebastian found the building that had the marine labs. It had a terracotta-tiled courtyard with a beautiful Bonsai plant in the middle. He rotated the picture—the front door of the building had a folding steel gate the kind that collapses and extends like an accordion with a standard padlock.
Fabienne walked over to him and glanced at the screen. “Preparing?” she quipped.
“Look at these pictures,” he said. “Their graduation ceremony is a military parade. We’re not headed to a private university. It’s government-funded, with a focus on defense. I hope Vu succeeds in completing all the necessary paperwork for a smooth transfer.”
“What happens if we’re not allowed to bring back the specimen?” Fabienne inquired.
“Three days ago, I was riding my bike through the Arizona desert, bugs hitting my face,” Sebastian said. “Today, I’m sitting in a near supersonic marine lab on its way to Vietnam, hoping to retrieve a brand-new species with unexplained biological features. I promise you, we are not coming back empty-handed. We’ll come up with a fair solution that works for all parties.” He paused. “Of course, if that doesn’t happen, we’ll just have to find Pham Kai and engage him to help us find another one.”
Twelve hours later, as the plane made its final approach, Sebastian took in the beautiful beaches with turquoise water next to lush green topology. The island had a rocky structure, with elevations and sharp cliffs that ran right into the ocean. For a while, it appeared the plane was going to land on water, and then the runway came up.
“Welcome to Guam, folks,” the captain announced. “We’re stopping for ninety minutes to r
efuel, then we’ll head out. You’re more than welcome to go inside the base.”
The plane came to a complete stop near the main building. Looking out the window, Sebastian spotted Maria standing in an army Jeep, wearing her signature hiking boots, shorts, and a white tank top with an open army fatigue shirt. A Ranger’s cap sat on her head and she had sunglasses over her eyes, an army-style duffle bag over one shoulder. Sebastian opened the airplane door, and the hot, tropical air shocked him. Maria swung herself from the roll bar and landed on the tarmac, a big smile on her face, shaking her head in disbelief as they embraced.
She followed him back to the plane, where he introduced her to the team. As Sebastian brought her up to speed on the mission, Maria chewed on her bottom lip. She loved seeing Sebastian, but picking up a specimen from a university in Vietnam did not sound like an adventure. Shrugging her shoulders, she said. “I’m not sure you need me for this kind of mission.”
“Well, hear me out,” Sebastian replied. “We’re all scientists going into hostile territory. I hope all goes well, but I’d feel more comfortable having you on our side. Plus, if the professor doesn’t give us the specimen, we’ll have to embark on an adventure to find another one.”
Maria reflected at what Sebastian was saying. She gauged the expressions on the team, then her eyes lingered on Michelangelo and Nidal for a brief second before returning to Sebastian.
“Okay, but your reason for having me come along is weak,” she agreed, smiling.
“That’s what I thought, too,” Fabienne blurted out.
***
VU FELT A sense of trepidation. Nothing ever went according to plan in Vietnam. But today, his wife had packed his favorite lunch—her famous Vietnamese barbecue, and that was great start to the day. He picked up the large black lunchbox from the dining table. It was quite elaborate, with a black canvas strap through the center and the words MON BENTO across it in white.
He made his way to the university, the whole time thinking about what could go wrong. He went straight to the lab, opened the specimen refrigerator and glanced at the polystyrene box that held the specimen. It was still intact—all looked good for the transfer. He then placed his lunch in the staff fridge next to it. But when he got to his office, a note from Cong lay on his desk, and Vu’s heart sank.
As he walked into Cong’s office, Vu saw a printed copy of his blog post and the paperwork Sebastian had sent him on the desk. The department head stared at him.
“When were you going to tell me, hmm?” Cong growled. “When were you going to tell me that you had gone behind my back?” Just as Vu was about to say something, the department head gestured for him to be silent. “Did I not order you to stop working on the fish?”
Vu’s voice broke as he spoke. “Yes, you did, and I didn’t work on it. I just blogged about it—”
Cong smacked his hand on his desk. Spittle flew from his mouth. “Shut up!” he shrieked. “I told you, stop thinking about that stupid fish, but instead you went ahead and wrote a blog about it!” He lifted the blog, crumpled it up, and threw it in Vu’s face, causing him to flinch. “Do you understand the issue you’ve created for me? And now you have a bunch of Americans coming in from God-knows-where to pick it up. I’m amazed by your absolute stupidity! Did you think I’d give you permission to hand over the specimen because they sent me the paperwork? How stupid are you?” His bellowing voice carried out into the hallway. He pointed a finger at Vu. “You are going to tell those American bastards there is no fish. You’ve destroyed it.”
Vu’s eyes widened. “You want me to destroy it?”
“Yes, destroy it!” Cong shouted, beside himself with anger. “What, are you deaf as well as dumb now? We’re not going to let Americans come into our university and take something that belongs to us! Do you understand? Now call them and tell them that the fish has been destroyed, on my orders. No need to come to Vietnam.” He turned away from Vu in disgust and stared at his monitor.
Vu stood there for a moment. Never in his life had he been insulted this way. He wasn’t sure why, but he bent down and picked up the crumpled printout of the blog post. Bowing, he walked out of the office with his fists clenched, shaking. Throwing the specimen in the incinerator was equivalent to burning down a library. He was being reprimanded for sharing knowledge with the world—sharing knowledge was his job.
He went back to the office, pulled out a folded paper from his pocket, and began dialing Sebastian’s number.
***
POSEIDON BROUGHT UP Vu’s picture. “Sebastian, Doctor Vu Ha is on the line.”
Sebastian’s phone was also linked to the communication system of the plane, and he put it on speaker. “Hi, Vu.”
“Sebastian?” Vu asked.
“Yes, we can hear you,” Sebastian responded.
“We have a problem,” Vu said, his voice trembling. “Doctor Cong Cuc, my boss, won’t give me permission to hand over the specimen. In fact, he has ordered me to incinerate it.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Kaleidoscope
“Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah…it makes absolutely no difference what people think of you.”
~Rumi
“INCINERATE IT?” SEBASTIAN repeated, stunned.
Maria gestured for him to mute the call. Sebastian tapped his phone and nodded. “Ask him if there’s any lab equipment they need,” she said. “If we have it on the plane, maybe his boss would be open to a trade.”
Sebastian tapped his screen again. “Vu, what if we offered you a trade? Is there any equipment Cong would be willing to accept?”
After a few moments, Vu spoke. “He’s an illogical man. I’m not sure he’d be open to it. But there are a number of items we need for our lab. Our budget is so tight; we are always in need of equipment. What were you considering?”
“Fabienne? Shiloh?” Sebastian whispered.
Shiloh picked up a portable centrifuge. Fabienne grimaced and nodded. “Well,” Sebastian said, “we have two portable centrifuge rotor packages on the plane. We can part with one.”
“A centrifuge, you say?” Vu confirmed.
“That’s right,” Sebastian said.
“Cong is beyond upset,” Vu pondered. “I’m fearful of even broaching the topic. But I think it’s worth a try, let me talk to him.”
***
VU SOMEHOW GATHERED the courage to go back to Cong’s office.
“Now what?” Cong sneered. “Did you call the Americans?”
“Yes,” Vu replied, shifting his weight, “and they’ve offered a portable centrifuge rotor package in exchange for the specimen.”
“They’re willing to give us a full-blown centrifuge complete with a rotor package?” The department head laughed out loud. “Fine! They’re even bigger fools than you are. Tell them we accept their offer. Have them bring the equipment and you can hand over the fish. I’ll call the appropriate government officials and tell them about the exchange. I want this chapter closed.”
Vu couldn’t believe the idea had worked. He hurried back to his office and sent a text to Sebastian. We have a deal. Send me an official email and Cong will approve it. See you in a few hours.
***
THE PILOT’S VOICE came through the speakers. “Folks, we’re thirty minutes out. I reckon y’all better get ready for a quick touchdown and a rapid departure. The party that plans to go on this exciting excursion will be received by a U.S. State Department official, courtesy of Doctor Cebrián.”
Landing in Haiphong was a beautiful experience—strings of green fields for miles, sloping mountains, rice paddies, and red-roofed buildings. The rice paddies ran right up to the tarmac. The airport had been built on swarm farmland.
The plane taxied to a stop near the terminal, a modest building. Sebastian and Maria stepped out of the plane, and like Guam, the hot, humid air greeted them. A sharply-dressed man wearing a dark gray suit greeted them next to a black Suburban with U.S. government diplomat plates. “Hi, my name’s Zeke,” he said. “I�
��m the assistant commerce attaché.”
Sebastian placed the portable centrifuge inside the trunk, offered Maria the front seat, and climbed in the back.
Zeke drove to the guard post. He lowered all the windows so the guards could peer in, and he handed them a stack of paperwork while speaking fluent Vietnamese. The guards glanced at Sebastian. They lingered on Maria a few moments longer than necessary. She lowered her sunglasses and stared back at them, her expression all business.
The guards returned the paperwork and lifted the bar. Zeke drove out of the airport.
Soon, they were at the main gates of the Maritime University. It was eerie to see the actual building and the main monument with its big golden anchor and helm when Sebastian had been poring over pictures of them just a few hours earlier. Zeke parked, and as they made their way to the main building, two men slipped out of a nearby car and began following them.
Vu was already in the reception area, ready to receive them. Sebastian noted the streak of silver-gray that contrasted with the rest of his jet-black hair. Vu signed them in, and after getting them the appropriate badges, walked them over to his lab. Sebastian recognized and admired the bonsai tree in the center of the courtyard.
Maria stepped up and matched Sebastian’s pace. “Don’t look back,” she whispered. “I think we’re being followed by two plainclothes government officials.” Sebastian kept walking, avoiding the urge to look.
They arrived at the lab, and Vu motioned Sebastian to place the centrifuge on the open countertop. He then proceeded to walk them toward the specimen refrigerator. Opening it he pulled out the polystyrene box that held the specimen and placed it on the table. “Here you go,” he said, lifting the top cover. “I hope you’re able to unravel its mystery.”
Sebastian pulled a pair of lab gloves out of a plastic packet. The moment had arrived.
The glow of the fish lit up the ice that enveloped it in a soft, soothing luminescence. The instant Sebastian saw it, he knew they had made the right decision to come to Vietnam. He moved the ice around and lifted it out of the box. This was no ordinary fish—it was an amazing specimen. The fact that it was dead saddened him, but then he realized he’d seen it before—this was the fish he’d glimpsed in the Cerro Tacarcuna cavern, just before lifting himself clear of the rushing water.