Oceania: The Underwater City

by Eliza Taye

  I took the proffered hand and stood to my feet. Based on his hasty action, I could tell that the abrupt lack of interest was only a ploy to get me to run after him. Answering his question, I said, “No, we didn’t all die from The Great Plague. True, over half of the world’s population passed away, but everyone didn’t die…not even close. Besides, there was no second wave of The Great Plague. How do you not know this?”

  Blinking several times in quick succession, Dylan simply stared at me as his face became even more puzzled. “How?”

  “How did we survive?”

  “Wait, um…uh.” Dylan paced towards his watercraft then back to me, pausing several times as if he wasn’t sure which way he needed to go.

  “What are you doing?”

  Sighing loudly in frustration, he strode over to where he’d dropped his tablet and pen, picking them up and trudging over to the tidepools. “I have to take down my observations, and then we can talk more.”

  I followed Dylan quickly this time, careful of both the treacherous rocks and surfgrass. “What are you looking for?” I asked.

  “Tidepools.”

  “What are tidepools?”

  Dylan gave me a condescending glare. “Here, look.”

  I glanced over to where he pointed at a large salad-bowl-shaped divot in the rock harboring many different sea creatures. Reaching in, Dylan held up one for me to see.

  “They’re microhabitats for small marine organisms, mainly invertebrates. This one is Pisaster ochraceous, or more commonly known as a purple sea star. These poor guys were almost entirely wiped out nearly 200 years ago by a disease that caused their arms to basically rot away from them.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty sad.” I winced slightly and then pointed to another animal. “What about this one?”

  “This is a sea anemone. Loads of them are scattered around here. They’re very interesting.” Dylan moved over for a closer examination. “I believe the one you’re pointing at is Anthopleura sola, or starburst anemone.”

  Peering down at the pinkish-purple invertebrate, I could slightly understand his sentiment. Reaching down, I tentatively touched the anemone, the soft outer skin bubbling inward when my forefinger collided with it. It was a lot squishier than I had anticipated.

  “Oh, and these things over here are barnacles. They essentially dominate the high intertidal zone.” Dylan jumped up and started moving up the rocky section of the beach.

  Without looking down, I hurried to follow him but slipped and nearly fell to the ground before I caught myself.

  Dylan’s head spun around to see me catch myself. “You really need to watch out for Phyllospadix torreyi—it’s really slippery.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered as I continued carefully climbing up toward the barnacles. When I got to the rocky outcropping harboring the hard-shelled organisms, Dylan began introducing me to more animals.

  Fueled by my curiosity, Dylan and I spent the next few hours exploring the tidepools while he documented his observations. He pointed out the creatures I didn’t recognize and often picked up the ones I didn’t want to touch. Identifying each one, he stated both the scientific and common names. Overturning rocks, he often found more animals than what was immediately apparent in the clear pools of water. I noticed he always took care in placing them back exactly where he found them. Based on him knowing the location of everything, I assumed he’d been telling the truth when he said he’d been here many times before.

  Suddenly, our discovery session ended as Dylan glanced out to sea and stated, “I have to go.”

  “What?”

  “I need to return to Oceania. I will come back, don’t worry. And don’t say anything to anyone else about me.” Dylan raced down the beach to his watercraft, tossing his right leg over the seat while entering a code on the touchscreen. The engine roared to life and the front control panel began to light up. I could swear I heard him mumble in addition, “Or what you’re about to see.”

  Before I could make up my mind to say something, he sped off on the waves. I watched him go until something odd happened. Perhaps I blinked my eyes or experienced some weird sea mirage, but he simply vanished. No, not just vanish; he dove underneath the waves…and he never resurfaced.

  Bewildered, I sat on one of the rocks and waited until the last orange rays of sunset faded into a dark blue, but he never returned. Nor did I ever see him resurface. Perplexed, I slowly made my way to the fence with the broken hole. Lying down flat on my back, I scrambled underneath it, and through to the other side. Standing up, I began to think about what I’d just seen. Either I was dreaming or had drowned and died. None of it seemed real. How could someone simply disappear into the ocean and not resurface?

  As I meandered home, I continued to ponder the various possibilities, my thoughts encumbered by the strangeness of my day.

  Chapter 2

  Over an hour passed before I reached home. The brightly colored sky had faded to pitch dark when I finally walked up the steps to Gran’s house. The internal computerized security system announced my presence when I arrived, eliminating any hopes of entering the house quietly.

  “You are in a lot of trouble, Miss Alexandria.” Gran tsked as I walked in and removed my sandy shoes, placing them on the floor of the closet as I meandered down the hallway. I already could feel her disappointment in me, so I tried my best not to roll my eyes when she called me Alexandria again. I hated my full name and couldn’t understand why she couldn’t simply call me Allie like everybody else.

  Wandering into the kitchen, I saw her hunched form over the circular table situated in the center. “Yes, Gran?”

  “Where have you been?”

  “I’ve been walking around town.”

  “Until dark? Good try, but I know everything closes at six here—even the restaurants aren’t open past eight. Where have you been?” Gran’s eyebrows rose in suspicion.

  Casting my eyes up from the floor, her stern gaze slightly glistening from holding back tears almost broke my resolve. I considered making up another lie, but I knew she was only concerned for my safety. Besides, I knew better than to lie to her.

  “I was hanging out with a new friend.”

  “Well, why didn’t you call me to let me know you’d be late? It’d keep me from worrying so much.” She simply sighed and rose to give me a hug. “Please don’t ever run off like that again.”

  “Okay, I’ll call next time. I’m sorry, Gran.” I hugged her back and asked, “Did Mom call back today?”

  “No, she’s still busy as always. She told me this morning she was going to be busy all week and probably unable to call.” Gran stroked my hair as she spoke.

  I only gave her silence. I knew she’d understand without me speaking.

  “Well, now that you’ve made a new friend, you can hang out with them. And perhaps I can meet his or her parents sometime.”

  Oh, no, that certainly wasn’t going to work. I had no idea whether or not I would ever see Dylan again.

  “Oh, and I kept some food from dinner for you. It’s in the insta-heater.”

  “Thanks, Gran.”

  As I turned toward the black box taking up a whole countertop, she went into the living room to watch the nightly news.

  A holographic projection of the reporter and the landscape she stood in front of appeared in Gran’s small living room. Holding down the volume button, she raised it so loud that I could easily hear it in the adjacent kitchen.

  “Today, D.C. is preparing for the epic festival going on for the 4th of July week this year to commemorate the 500th birthday of our nation. In addition, metropolises around the country are gearing up for their big celebrations this year as well, but none will be as elaborate as the one being held in D.C. There’s going to be…” I tuned out the reporter and went to the insta-heater.

  I looked inside and then shut the door, pressing the lone lobster-red button. The scanner whirred slightly as it analyzed the type of food and how best to cook it in the guaranteed one minu
te or less.

  My mind, no longer occupied on the food, allowed the reporter’s voice to filter into my ears again. “In recent news, one of the last remaining people with The Great Plague virus has been cured. As I’m sure you all know, The Great Plague refers to the viral outbreak that occurred barely a hundred years ago, leaving over fifty percent of the world’s population dead. The last remaining cases of The Great Plague that were localized in remote communities of Southeast Asia and South America have now been eradicated…”

  The insta-heater finished and I took out my food. Sitting at the kitchen table, I ate in a hurry while trying to tune out the news that grew ever more morbid as it went on about the environment and air quality. After joining Gran for some TV of a different sort, I went to my room to read.

  The phone rang and I heard Gran answer it. “Hello, Shelley, how are things going?”

  I shifted on my bed, turning the page of the book I was reading on my omniphone. So, Mom found some time to call. This time, I wouldn’t even bother to ask to speak to her. What was the use anyway?

  “Oh, good, and the business?” Humph, apparently she hadn’t even asked about me yet. That was Mom. Everything was always about the business. She didn’t even think to ask me a year ago when she accepted the position of CEO and decided to move us to Chicago.

  “Oh, Allie is doing fine. As always, she’s behaving well and not a trouble at all.”

  I smiled. Gran always stood up for me, even if it meant telling a couple of white lies. She didn’t quite approve of Mom’s recent lack of involvement in my life either.

  Before this summer, I’d only physically visited Gran once in my life. The majority of our granddaughter-grandmother interactions were through the HoloNet’s virtual reality rooms. There we’d merely been projections of each other interacting via headsets. My shock at her volunteering to allow me to stay with her instead of cooped up in the tiny apartment in Chicago startled me beyond belief. But now, I’m glad she did.

  I got up to shut my door quietly, but waited as Gran lowered her voice and counseled, “You know, Shelley, you should pay more attention to Allie. I know it’s always been a dream of yours to be CEO of an enterprising company, but Allie needs her mother. She’s still struggling with the death of her father. It hasn’t been that long and I know you, too, are having issues with losing Luke. I think that’s why you’ve thrown yourself so deeply into your work.”

  Averting my eyes from the holographic projection of my mother standing in the middle of the room, I peered down and swallowed hard. I had to give it to Gran for being so insightful. She’d pegged down both my mother and me perfectly. My father’s death three years ago had devastated both of us. Neither my mother nor I had expected him to die so soon while on a photographic assignment for a nature magazine. He’d gone off to work in dangerous places before and returned in one piece, but who could have predicted he’d be bitten by one of the rarest poisonous insects in the world and die?

  Not wishing to hear anymore, I shut my door quietly so Gran wouldn’t know I’d been eavesdropping on her conversation. I climbed into bed, pulling the covers high up past my shoulders and commanded the lights to turn off.

  Once again, my thoughts went to the restricted beach I had found earlier today, and to that strange boy I had met. How could someone disappear into the ocean like that? It was an impossibility that anyone could survive for hours without surfacing to breathe. Maybe his crazy sea-space suit had a regulator and ample oxygen attached. No, that didn’t make any sense. The outfit was too tight fitting to contain such accessories. Something was weird about Dylan and maybe the beach too.

  It didn’t matter.

  I’d keep returning to that beach until I ran into him again. If what he said were true, he would definitely return. Yes, he was bound to return and when he did, I’d be there. I didn’t care how long I had to wait. One thing was certain…2276 was going to be one weird year.

  Chapter 3

  The next morning, I returned to the restricted beach as early as I could, but Dylan wasn’t there. To kill time, I built sandcastles and re-examined the tidepools, attempting to identify the creatures I saw the previous day. Whenever the brutality of the sun became too much, I swam in the ocean, all the while watching for any signs that Dylan might reappear. After a while, I simply sat on the sand and waited.

  He never showed.

  Days began to pass, and watching for his return became a routine for me. Every day, I left Gran’s house around nine a.m. and biked to the beach using the old, decrepit bike Gran rustled out of the labyrinth of a garage for me. A small backpack held everything I would need to endure my agonizing day of waiting: a water bottle, snacks, lunch, a beach towel, and a t-shirt to throw over my swimsuit and jean shorts.

  For a week, I waited and saw fish, dolphins, sharks, sea turtles, jellyfish—everything except Dylan. I enjoyed my time at the beach, but I couldn’t shake being confused about Dylan’s disappearance and lack of return. Was it because of me? Or was it all just an illusion of a sunbaked brain? Was I so desperate for a friend my age that I had imagined everything?

  I decided that today would be it. If he didn’t appear, he must have been a figment of my imagination. I dug my feet into the wet sand, feeling the grains seep between my toes. Using my index finger, I traced pictures in the sand and thought about life back home where I grew up in San Antonio.

  “Hey, Allie!”

  I turned to see my best friend Marcy running at full speed in my direction, her reddish-brown hair blowing wildly around her like a veil in the wind. “Hi, Marcy. What’s the rush?”

  Grinning, Marcy rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “I was just wondering what project you’re choosing for history class? We’re all supposed to come up with a few prospective topics by tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” I exclaimed, my eyes bulging out of their sockets.

  “Yeah, weren’t you paying attention in class? You bolted out of the classroom so fast that I guess you missed Mr. Draycott telling us.” Regaining her breath and heading with me towards the gate to our school, Marcy continued, “So, since it has to be something that occurred from 2000 to 2200, I’m thinking of the mass extinction event.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “No…it’ll bore everyone else in class during the presentation.”

  “Well, what do you suggest then?”

  I glanced over at my best friend’s caramel eyes, shining a little less brightly with my denial of her love of animals being her topic. “Well, we both know most of the guys in class are going to choose The Great Plague.”

  Marcy rolled her eyes in conjunction with mine. “Of course.”

  “And I’m sure that Mallory will do hers on the development of organ regeneration science. She always chooses medical related stuff whenever she can because she wants to be a doctor.”

  “So, should I do mine on the social media craze of the early 21st century?” Marcy smirked.

  “Oh, gosh no, you know how badly that ended!”

  We both laughed.

  “How about you do it on the sea levels rising a lot faster than most people predicted?”

  “Hmm…that sounds like a good one.” Marcy playfully smacked me across the back. “Good idea, girl!”

  Laughing, I pulled my new omniphone out of my pocket, and saw a holomessage from my mom flashing on the screen.

  Marcy noticed it. “Is she still bugging you?”

  I closed my omniphone and stuffed it into my pocket. “Yeah, she keeps saying she needs to talk to me about something important.”

  “Then you should probably call her.” Marcy started backing away from me, waving with a grin on her face. “Holocall me tonight and we can discuss which topics we’re interested in. Bye!”

  With a large smile, I waved goodbye to my best friend, not knowing it was one of the last times I’d ever see her in person.

  The sound of a motor broke my reverie.

  I shook off my flashback, jumped up off my
beach towel, and ran over to the rocky outcroppings where Dylan and I had searched the tidepools.

  Dylan drove up as far as he could, then tugged the watercraft the rest of the way. “Hey, Allie,” he said with a grin on his face.

  “Hi, Dylan.” For a moment, I pushed aside my suspicions and confusion over his impossible disappearance into the sea for over a week to appear nonchalant.

  “I hope all has been well with you.” Dylan’s smile spread like he’d just won a trillion dollars.

  Allowing my façade to melt away, I let my annoyance rise to the surface. In a ploy to appear confident, I folded my arms tight across my turquoise bikini top. “So, what happened the last time I saw you? From here on the beach, it looked like you rode straight into the ocean and disappeared. I waited for days to see if you’d resurface, but you never did. Am I losing my mind, or is there something else going on here? If there’s some kind of SCUBA equipment that allows you to…”

  Dylan merely kept grinning ecstatically. “I already told you…I live in the ocean in an underwater city called Oceania.”

  “No, you didn’t tell me anything. All you did was ask if I was from Oceania. You never said you were from there…and you never said it was an underwater city. You merely implied both of those things.”

  Blowing air out through his nostrils and pursing his lips, Dylan responded, “Either way, I thought it was obvious.” Shrugging he added, “Anyway, I brought you something to prove my statement.”

  “Like what?” I unfolded my arms to peer over Dylan’s shoulder at the object being wrenched out of his pocket.

  Cradled in his left hand was a shiny, black orb, so polished that it shimmered in the direct sunlight. A solitary button lay on the top, which he pressed. The area in between us erupted into a holographic diorama of a city. Lines erupted all over the blue hologram defining the minute details of the image. Color flooded through the achromatic vision to fill out each structure, as the entire hologram rotated in a clockwise direction.