Songs of Thalassa

by Brian Tissot

  Sage held her mother, talking softly. “I’m sorry, Mom. With all this celebrating, I forgot how hard it must have been for you. First Dad, then Tutu, and then you thought I was dead.”

  Her mother composed herself. “I thought we had lost you, so when we heard you’d made it back, well, I was very happy. I mean, we even had a funeral for you last month, you know, after…after Milo returned.” Sage grimaced at the mention of Milo, but her mother continued, “Anyway, I thought we could visit the cemetery tomorrow to see your father’s gravesite. Would you like that?”

  “Yes.” Sage nodded. “That would be nice. I miss him so much. It’s still hard to believe he’s gone, but at least now I know where he is. We’re all that’s left in the family.”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “No, we’re not all that’s left. We have the ‘ohana and always will—don’t forget that. You have no idea how much we mourned you. I thought Lani would never be the same after she found out. She cried for a month. And Keoki hasn’t surfed since you disappeared. Your Auntie Kēhau and Uncle Steve buried themselves in their environmental work. It’s like they were trying to make up for your loss. I’ve been going to my church every day, praying, and then you came home. It was a miracle. And then Auntie Halina—well, I won’t even tell you, but I thought she would die of disappointment. Plus, you have all your other aunties, uncles, and cousins. No, we’re not alone. Everyone is here for you. The circle of aloha is unbreakable.”

  After talking with her mother she felt the urge to reconnect with her ‘ohana, so she went to each person to talk story and catch up. She was apprehensive at first, but everyone was genuinely happy to see her, and she felt the love of her family returning for the first time in many years.

  She went down to Honoli’i with Keoki and watched him surf for the first time in over a year while she caught up with Lani on the beach. Although Sage wanted to surf, she felt joy at watching him frolicking in the waves as she had for many years. Lani wanted to hear every detail of her trip; she was especially interested in the songs and the hidden messages. “Tell me everything. I want to help you figure it out. It’s like a giant puzzle.” So they talked for hours as Sage described the different sounds, the fragments of common phrases, their global chorus.

  After Keoki came in, the three of them—Sage disguised with her hair up in a hat and sunglasses—had plate lunch at their favorite local drive-in and caught up some more. She hadn’t talked with either of them in many years, and Sage was surprised at how mature they both had become. Keoki was chair of the Hawaii Island Surfrider Foundation and was monitoring water quality and organizing protests to protect beaches from destruction and further development. Lani was in high school and said she planned to be a marine biologist and save the whales, which caused Sage to laugh and hug her cousin.

  That night, she had dinner with Auntie Kēhau, Uncle Steve, Lani, and Keoki. They discussed their battles over the destruction of native forests and reefs from climate change as part of a global coalition of environmental groups. Their main focus now was pushing the passage of the CITETS amendment. They were frustrated with the strong opposition from governments and multinational corporations for the amendment to protect off-world life. Humans were altering the planets they’d colonized and had been for many decades. So it made sense to protect any new encounters with life and potential sentient beings. When Milo announced the discovery of complex life on Thalassa, with a focus on the Nesoi, they thought it would improve their chances of passing the CITETS amendment. Instead, the economic pushback was strong and persistent. If anything, corporate greed grew stronger with new opportunities. Kēhau thought Thalassa was doomed.

  Her auntie ranted on about the evils of capitalism as the root of all problems. “Think about it, and it doesn’t add up. The capitalist agenda, which we all live in, is that you put a certain amount of money into the system but expect to get more out. That’s what makes it grow. There are only two ways that can work: one, somebody else loses money, which we know happens, or two, it’s at the expense of the environment. Bam, we destroy the planet and create income inequalities, both of which perpetuate tons of conflict and war. It’s got to end! When are we going to wake up?” Sage shook her head and turned their attention back to Thalassa.

  As she told them more details about the Nesoi, their range of emotions, their beautiful songs, how they had protected her and tried to save her father, they became even more committed to passing the CITETS amendment and decided the Nesoi were an excellent symbol for their movement. But, they decided, they need to do more than CITETS. Kēhau knew they needed a thick forest of laws with deep roots, ones grounded in basic rights, to protect the environment and planets in space, and Sage strongly agreed. As they talked into the night, they formulated a plan of action, which was two-pronged: they needed to focus the world’s attention on the beauty of Thalassa, and they needed to pass CITETS and push other protections. They agreed to work together, but Sage was adamant about returning Maka to Thalassa, whatever the cost. Somehow, they must steal her from the oceanarium, which meant confronting Milo. Sage knew he wouldn’t give up easily and formulated an idea of how to face him, in public, and try to get him to admit the truth about the Nesoi he had killed.

  Lani and Keoki would spread the word among the larger ‘ohana and their networked organizations. As they made a list, they realized they had supporters across the globe. Somehow, Sage had to reveal the beauty of the Nesoi to the world and tell her story. And the only way to do that was at Maka’s exhibit opening next week.

  The next day, while her family served as a decoy for the press, Sage and her mother drove the back roads up the coast to Alae Cemetery, an immaculately maintained garden-like setting with stunning views of the rugged Hilo coastline. There, under the canopy of a huge monkeypod tree, Sage placed a sweet-smelling puakenikeni lei from their garden on her father’s grave as tears filled her eyes. Glancing at her own grave adjacent to his was a bizarre experience, and she felt a chill pass over her.

  Kneeling next to his gravestone, she recalled her vows on Thalassa to honor his spirit and the lives of others. Through a curtain of tears, she said, “I love you, Dad, more than you’ll ever know. Finding you and feeling your love helped me move on with my life. But I’ll never forget you, and I carry your purpose of defending the ocean with me.”

  Then she realized his bones were on Thalassa. “And when I sing your song, I look at Procyon and remember your bright spirit. And I’ll be back soon.” She felt the energy of him grow within her once again, pushing out the fatigue and filing her with renewed purpose. Then she looked at his grave and gestured to the sky. “Thank you for being my father. For giving me life and purpose. It’s not in vain.”

  In silence, her mother listened to Sage’s speech and watched her daughter with soft eyes. “My god, honey. I can’t believe how resolute you are. The trip has changed you.”

  Sage looked out over the green lawn filled with graves and fresh flowers, with the blue Pacific in the background, and it reminded her that she had today but maybe not tomorrow. It was time to open up. So, for the next two hours, as they sat next to her father’s gravestone, she told her mother everything: her dreams, her time in the caves, the circle of Nesoi, her cavern of light experience, the connection with the songs, how the Nesoi helped her find her father, and her connections and commitments to Thalassa. Her mother watched in shock as she ended with Milo’s betrayal and abandonment, Dina and Georgia’s deaths, and the Nesois’ murder and Maka’s capture. She was the only one in her family who knew the whole story.

  When Sage finished, she felt energized, like a great weight had lifted off her shoulders. However, as the sun dropped toward the horizon, Sage was still visibly agitated, so her mom used the opportunity to bring up the obvious. “What are you going to do about Milo?”

  Her face grew red as she clenched her fists. “I want to knock his lights out and expose him for the liar and murderer he is. That’s wh
at I want. I’m just not sure that will get me where I need to go. After all, there’s Moshe, who never leaves Milo’s side. But this myth that we all died surfing giant waves really pisses me off. Sure, Byron died that way, but Milo abandoned Georgia and I, and left us for dead in the worst possible way. It’s hard for me to get past that.”

  Her mother nodded in grim silence, and they walked down to Honoli’i and sat on the black sand beach. Her mother looked out over the azure sea as if searching for distant wisdom. “Sure, it makes me angry just hearing it. But your plan sounds more like what your father would do: rush in and confront him. I mean no disrespect for him, but honey, you need to do it your way and think of the bigger picture. Whatever you do, do it with pono.”

  Sage raised her eyebrows, but her mother pressed on. “Don’t you remember the greedy chief Hala’ea? Your tutu told me that story a million times. If pono has power, Milo will be repaid for his greed; you can be sure of that. Besides, violence never solves anything. If we could all make connections as you have with the Nesoi, then we’d live in a better world.”

  “Well, that all sounds nice, Mom,” Sage replied, watching sand fall through her fingers, “but I don’t think Milo is ready for a kumbaya moment with me.”

  Her mom laughed. “No, but Milo’s not your problem. It’s convincing everyone else you need to focus on. I mean, what do you want to accomplish?” As Sage bit her lip, she continued, “Look, if one of the elders saw you as an `ima loa, and I believe it, then how could that work for you? Teachers play a huge role in our lives by guiding and nurturing us. You will find a way. You need to let go of Milo and think about your ultimate goals. What do you want? What’s the higher purpose here? When I think of your inoa pō plus your experiences on Thalassa and being a kumu—well, that’s a powerful combination. One that could change the future of the Nesoi, even more.” Then she smiled broadly. “Plus, remember, you have Kanaloa on your side.”

  Sage gave her mother a long hug, then looked her in the eyes. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. By the way, I thought you hated all that ancient Hawaii stuff.”

  Her mother stroked her arm with a bitter smile. “No, not really. I was hiapo, too, and my mother taught me when I was young, just like you. But I loved modern music too much, and none of my friends were into the old ways, so I rebelled. I didn’t reject the old ways; I just didn’t want to live in them. But they’re part of who I am, in a new Hawaiian way. Besides, she got her revenge on me through you. By pulling you away from me. I mean, I understood that she had the best of intentions, but my mother was extremely stubborn.” She winked. “A lot like you. Always trying to do everything by herself. Never forget your ‘ohana.”

  As she spoke, a wave of understanding flowed through Sage, and her whale lei vibrated. Sage grasped the lei, and her face grew serious as she felt a calling from the ocean. “Mom,” she said, standing up and looking for an isolated spot on the crowded beach. “I’m going to swim over to the point. I need to be alone for a moment, to sort things out.”

  Her mother nodded with a knowing smile. “Sure, honey.”

  Swimming over to the point, Sage rejoiced at being back once again in Earth’s ocean as she felt the cold fresh water of Honoli’i stream on the surface, gently pushing her. On the other side, she clambered up the rocks and walked out to a small rocky promontory below a cliff. As the sun began to set behind her on the slopes of Mauna Kea, she turned to look and thought of sitting on Kekoa singing to the Nesois. Somehow, her voice had been able to summon them. Holding her niho palaoa lei and looking up at the sacred mountain with her back to the ocean, she sang with joy into the warm late-afternoon air.

  Ua Mau,

  ke ea o ka ‘Āina,

  i ka Pono,

  o Hawai’i

  Her voice rose in intensity and filled the air with her strong words. The sounds reverberating off the cliffs mixed with the roar of the ocean and the whistling of the wind. As she sought a path to the future, she summoned the great power of her ancestors, of her culture, of the ‘āina. She felt them all rising together within her spirit.

  Ua Mau,

  ke ea o ka ‘Āina,

  i ka Pono,

  o Hawai’i

  She heard a loud exhale behind her and stopped. She felt beckoned to the ocean. Turning around, she was astounded to see a humpback whale nudging close to the rocks. Clasping her hands to her face in disbelief, she wondered about the rare encounter. One of the great Koholā. The messenger! But what is the message? Surprised and overwhelmed by such a beautiful creature—for none had been seen in Hawaii for decades—she cried in awe and fell to her knees, nose to nose with the creature. She felt warmth—love—flowing from the whale, but also something else, something solemn, which she didn’t understand. The intense emotions emanating from the creature were palpable and made goose bumps pop up along her arms. As she stood and approached the Koholā, the creature turned its massive head and stared at her with one eye. For several minutes, their eyes locked together and their breaths mingled in the late-afternoon sea mists. And although there were no words, the meaning was clear. You, Sage. You are the message!

  She pulled back in shock. What? But before she could grasp its full meaning, the whale exhaled, extended one giant flipper into the air, and was gone in an instant. Her questions unfulfilled and wanting more from the gentle giant, she dove into the water after the leviathan. But he had disappeared, and as she floated underwater, crying in joy and wonder and staring into the empty blue void, she heard his song. It was a simple song, yet beautiful and powerful. It felt like joy, love, and as she had heard on Thalassa, pure aloha. But some notes were wistful, yearning for others, lonely. With a shudder, she realized he was calling out to his ‘ohana, but there was no answer.

  Walking out of the water, she stared at the setting sun and extended her arms to the sky in anguish. What have we done to them? But as on Thalassa, her sadness grew into determination. She was ready. Sage knew both who she was and where she was. She saw herself in the flow of time, at the intersection between changing paradigms in human culture, at a crossroad between the wholesale destruction of life from a lack of respect for the planet, and human’s moral responsibility to maintain a balance with the Earth. And now human culture was being extended into space, onto a planet with sentient life. Although the world didn’t know it, it had reached a critical tipping point. Humans need new wisdom, she thought, a broader view of their role in the universe. So I will tell my story of the ocean planet and introduce the world to Maka. And I hope my message will be understood. I am a kumu.

  As she walked up the beach and joined her mother, her face was a mask of strength and determination. She knew her time had come, and her ancestors, the ‘āina, and even the great Koholā had spoken. Now she knew her destiny, and she had her ‘ohana. “Mom, we have work to do.”

  Chapter 37.

  Exhibit

  “OK, we’re all set to go,” Rock said as he completed testing the 27-camera view from the media control room at the oceanarium.

  The exhibit was opening in less than an hour, and Milo was perceptibly shaking as he thought about his introductory remarks before the global audience. The show had sold out months ago as it seemed like everyone on the planet wanted to see the new creature from Thalassa. At Rock’s request, once ticket sales ended they added a free holoscreen broadcast to capture a global audience. At the very least, the live VR stream would increase interest for future Thalassa exhibits, plus Milo would get his 60 minutes of fame. Additional last-minute pressure from a coalition of educators had required building a new section of seats in the front to accommodate 500 teachers and their students, who Milo reluctantly admitted for free.

  As Milo looked up at the huge aquarium, he scanned the underwater cameras in the big otter’s exhibit. Initially, the cameras had been tricky to install with the animal in the tank, but the seal-otter thing had become inactive the last week and was now i
gnoring the divers in her massive 100-foot-deep exhibit space as they prepared for the event.

  Despite his excitement, Milo stared at the floor with red eyes. “I’d feel better if I knew what Sage was doing,” he said shaking his head. “I can’t believe she hasn’t even given an interview. I mean, she’s been back almost a month! The silence is killing me.”

  “Well, it’s too late now,” Rock said. “The opening is going forward, and nothing can stop it.” Rock frowned as Milo fiddled with the video controls. “I wish you’d tell me what your plans are for the presentation. I don’t know what you’re going to say, and some feedback might be helpful.” Milo ignored him, and Rock continued, “Anyway, once people see this gorgeous, exotic space animal, they won’t care about Sage.” Then he pointed to Shelley in her underwater cave. “They’ll only want to see her—it is a ‘she’, right?—up close and personal, and that means we’ll be raking in the dough, big time.”

  Milo took a deep breath and tried to relax. “I’m sure you’re right. Still, it’s been troubling not being able to talk with her before the opening. Her family has been great at hiding her. But I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “About what?” asked Rock, looking puzzled. When Milo didn’t respond, Rock changed the subject. “By the way, I got a call from Cutten this morning about your presentation last week. They’re willing to help finance a global network of oceanariums. It’s brilliant really, reaching out to the masses like that and giving discounts to the disadvantaged. Of course, they want you to help capture animals on their next expedition to Procyon, which is in the works. They’re even interested in a giant open-ocean exhibit in Florida to hold some of those Thalassian whales you saw. What a draw that will be!”

  “That’s great,” Milo replied, showing mild interest. “I’m going to check on Shelley and see how she’s doing. And where the heck is Moshe?”