Depth

by Emily Thompson

  “Good heavens,” Twist breathed in shock.

  He’d met a few Sighted people in his travels but had always assumed that they were rather rare. The thought of so many in one place was staggering.

  “Yes, well…” the porter said, seeming to grow impatient despite his resilient smile. “You see, we’ve already identified the Sights of most of the other passengers from the invitation list. But you, sir, aren’t a Rook. We were told you would be coming, but your file isn’t complete. If you could just let me know what sort of Sight you have, we can straighten all of this out.”

  “Of course,” Twist muttered uncertainly.

  The porter’s smile held strong.

  Twist took a breath to help dispel some of his discomfort. “My Sight affects my sense of touch.”

  “I see,” the porter said, seeming relieved as he jotted something on his clipboard. “And what exactly does it show you through touch?”

  Twist’s jaw tightened. “Inner workings and damage.”

  “All right,” the porter said, still scribbling. “Do you have any requests with regard to your Sight?”

  Twist shrugged.

  “He doesn’t like crowds,” Jonas said. “He can’t touch other people.”

  The porter glanced up to Jonas and then to Twist for an instant. “I see,” he said, writing again. “Thank you. This information will be very helpful. And you are Mr. Davis?” he asked, looking back to Jonas hopefully. “I was told one of Mr. Twist’s companions was also Sighted.”

  Jonas pulled the black, opaque goggles that hung round his neck up to cover his eyes, at once blinding him and guarding his gaze from all others. “Mine’s on my eyes,” he said, seeming to stare directly at the porter despite his blindness. “I can see really far.”

  Twist marveled at how familiar that wildly inaccurate explanation had become to him. Of course, he couldn’t blame Jonas for sticking to it. If there were some lighter way to explain his own Sight, he would do so.

  “Right,” the porter said, jotting that down as well. “Any requests?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well, thank you,” the porter said. “We’ll do our very best to ensure that everyone is as comfortable as possible. Thank you very much, gentlemen. You aren’t Sighted, are you, ladies?” he asked pleasantly, glancing from Myra to Kima.

  “No, I’m not,” Myra answered, mimicking his polite airs, while Kima only shook her head.

  “Splendid,” the porter said. “Thank you for your cooperation. We’ll have everyone begin boarding shortly. Just keep an eye on your numbers. Good day,” he offered, tipping his blue-and-silver hat as he turned to leave. They watched after him silently until he was gone.

  “What was all that about?” Kima asked softly. “Is something wrong?”

  Twist suddenly thought of how the conversation had looked to Kima. The man had been polite and friendly, but both Twist and Jonas had been cold and honestly a bit rude. Twist and Jonas both looked back at her without answering, Jonas’s stare all the more inexpressive thanks to the black goggles.

  “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about,” Myra answered her sweetly. “They just don’t like to talk about their Sights.”

  The two men looked to her sharply.

  “You see?” Myra said with a gesture to the two of them. “Just avoid the subject and they’ll be fine.”

  “Thanks,” Kima said, still watching them suspiciously. “I’ll try to remember that.”

  “Seriously, over two hundred Sighted people on one ship?” Jonas asked suddenly.

  “Right?” Twist said, once again looking over the crowd. “It’s rather amazing that you can’t guess which ones are Sighted and which aren’t just by looking at them, isn’t it?”

  “Well,” Jonas said with a sigh, “this is going to be awful.”

  “Why do you say that?” Myra asked, aghast.

  “Two or three together is all right,” Jonas explained, “but putting too many Sights in one place is never a good idea. Trust me. This will all end in tears.”

  Kima seemed alarmed by this.

  “Oh, don’t be negative,” Myra said. “It might very well be a lovely journey. I’ve never met a single Sighted person who I didn’t like at once.”

  Twist felt reassured by her unfailing optimism. Although he had to admit that he shared Jonas’s trepidation at the idea of being stuffed into a submersible full of Sighted people—who might have any number of strange and unruly abilities—Twist did his best to let Myra’s hope win out.

  Twist’s heart beat quickly with excitement as their number was called along with two dozen others, inviting them to board the ship. Myra and Jonas kept close to him as the crowd shifted to let people through, while Kima followed along behind. They crossed the long, narrow gangway out over the churning water, while Twist tried not to think about the height of it. Finally stepping down onto the metal beast’s wide, flat back, Twist was surprised to find that he could hardly sense any movement in the massive ship as it rested on the surface of the water.

  The line of passengers snaked over the back of the ship and through the narrow door that led into the huge glass dome that was glowing with light. Stepping inside, Twist saw that the light came from a multitude of small electric lights that were set into the floor, ringing the entire base of the glass dome. The dome seemed to serve as a sort of lounge, with clusters of tables and chairs, divans, and tall potted ferns placed all around the space. A large circular well sank down through the center of the wide, polished wood of the floor, with two wooden staircases that spiraled down together, leading farther into the ship.

  All of the passengers murmured happily at the sight of this lovely space, as they continued toward the staircases and down. An enormous, open atrium met them below, stretching nearly the whole length of the ship and from the ceiling to the belly. Both side walls blocked off the sloping, bat-like wings of the ship and had five graduated tiers set wider apart at the bottom and nearer at the top. There were narrow walkways along every tier, and hundreds of doors—each marked with golden numbers—set a few feet apart and running the entire length of the ship. A few tight metal spiral stairs stood at each side of the atrium, leading to the five levels of walkways with varying lengths of catwalks.

  The nose of the ship was separated from the atrium by a huge wall of steel-reinforced glass, revealing the vast and complex-looking bridge beyond, with all of its various controls and operators. Past all of this, Twist could clearly see that the gaping maw of the ship was filled with glass as well, revealing the rich blue glow of the harbor waters outside. The open belly of the ship, between the two five-story walls of doors and walkways, was flush with massive machines. Some looked like enormous pieces of digging equipment, while others appeared to be smaller, tubular submersible ships and horseless carriages of varying sizes.

  Twist could only stare around in awe at this impossible behemoth of a machine. Why Aden needed any more ridiculously advanced technology from Atlantis was beyond him. Surely, this ship alone with its marvels and might was enough for anyone. The line of passengers that he and his companions walked with had also fallen utterly silent in amazement as they continued down the staircases to the belly of the ship. Once they touched down on the smooth, gleaming, silver floor, they were all led to one of the spiral stairs on the left wall and then up to the third-level walkway.

  When Twist and his companions reached the third-level landing, a porter asked politely for their ticket. Twist showed him the numbered ticket that he’d been given when he checked in. The porter then gestured toward the bow.

  “Cabin thirteen for the gentlemen,” he said politely, “and fourteen for the ladies. Have a pleasant journey.”

  Twist thanked him and then hurried on, fully aware that the line of other passengers at his heels was rather long. He tried not to notice the frail-looking railing that stood at the edge of the walkways and concentrated on the numbered doors.

  “Here we are,” he said, reaching the door marked with a golden th
irteen.

  He tried the handle and found the door unlocked. Inside, the cabin appeared uncannily like an ordinary hotel room, with two single beds and end tables, a dressing table to one side, a wardrobe beside that, innocuous paintings of uninteresting landscapes on the silver-and-blue papered walls, and smart little blue cloth-shaded electric lights mounted above each bed. Twist also spotted his and Jonas’s luggage placed neatly at the foot of the beds.

  The one thing that looked decidedly strange was the fact that the far wall and ceiling were made of one continuous slope nearly all of the way down to the floor. There also didn’t appear to be any windows in the room.

  “Not bad,” Jonas said, stepping inside. “I was expecting hard little metal bunks and communal living.”

  “Yes, this will be quite comfortable,” Twist agreed.

  Excited to see her room as well, Myra opened the door fourteen to find an identical replica of Twist’s and Jonas’s room. This time, Twist saw Myra’s luggage at the foot of one bed; having little luggage of her own, Kima still wore her only small bag slung across her back. Kima stepped inside gingerly, placed her bag down on the empty bed, and looked intently at the electric lights. She reached out a finger to poke at the shade, which swung gently on its holder.

  “I wish there were windows, though,” Jonas mentioned, joining the women in their room as Twist came in to follow him.

  “Twist, what are these?” Myra asked, having found what looked like a small panel of controls set into the wall beside the door.

  Twist recognized switches and a few small valve-like wheels in the cramped panel, but each item seemed to only be marked by a simplified symbol of various elements. He placed his hand over a few of the switches and closed his eyes, letting his Sight soak into the workings beyond them. His awareness wafted easily into the vast network of pipes and electrical wires that spread out behind the flocked wallpaper like the roots of a jungle. He smiled as the mechanisms became clear to him.

  “Oh, there is a window,” he said as he opened his eyes.

  He flipped the switch that was marked with a symbol for the sun and then turned around expectantly as a soft humming noise began to emanate from the curve of the ceiling. The others looked up as well as shifting sunlight spilled suddenly into the room. A large, circular iris—which Twist had assumed to be nothing but a decorative design in the otherwise smooth surface above the farthest of the two beds—opened wide inside a clear circle of glass, to reveal a short depth of water and the sky above. The others gave astonished sounds, while Twist smiled at the mechanically simple but visually intriguing design.

  Jonas smiled at Twist. “I get the bed under the window, right?”

  “Sure, I don’t care,” Twist said with a shrug.

  “What do the rest of those do?” Myra asked, looking excitedly at the panel.

  “Well, this one,” Twist said, pointing to the switch that was marked with the symbol of a lit candle in a holder, “turns the light off and on,” he said, demonstrating with a quick flick. The electric lights went black instantly. “This one rings a bell in another part of the ship,” he said, pointing to the switch marked with a symbol of a man. “I’m not sure why it does that, actually.”

  “Maybe it calls a porter to the room,” Jonas suggested.

  “Ah! Yes, that makes sense,” Twist said. He then pointed to the valve wheel that was marked by a symbol of three wavy lines. “This adjusts the pressure of the air supply that is pumped into the room through those vents over there,” he said, gesturing to the two small squares of grating that sat in the far wall near the floor. “And this one adjusts the heating,” he said, pointing to the other valve wheel with its symbol of a flame, which controlled the amount of steam that was allowed to flow into an empty pocket just underneath the blue-carpeted floor.

  “Oh, how wonderful!” Myra exclaimed. “I never would have guess that those tiny little things had such great magical power.”

  Twist smiled at her. “It’s not exactly magic. But I’ll grant you that I’ve never seen a system like this. It’s quite complex.”

  The sound of a knock at the still-open door drew everyone’s attention. A porter tipped his blue cap to them.

  “I see you’ve got the window open,” he mentioned. “Would you like me explain the other controls for the room?”

  “No, thanks, we’ve got it,” Jonas answered smugly.

  “Lovely,” the porter responded politely. “Can I help you with anything else?”

  Twist and the others glanced at each other, but no one seemed to have anything to say.

  “Well, if you do need anything,” the porter said, “just flip the call switch there, and a porter will be sent to your room as soon as possible. If you should need to contact anyone else on the ship, we will happily relay written messages to the person’s room,” he added, gesturing to a small pad of paper and a pen that rested on the side of the dressing table.

  “You’ve got everything covered, don’t you?” Jonas asked, seeming highly impressed.

  “Aden likes to run a tight ship, sir,” the porter said with obvious pride as he stepped into the room and turned to close the door. Twist was surprised to find a large diagram posted on the back of the door. “This is a map of the ship,” the porter said. He then pointed to one section, which appeared to sit underneath the bridge. “This is the dining hall. We would appreciate it if you take all of your meals there and not bring anything back to the room. It’s just easier to keep things clean and orderly that way.”

  “That sounds reasonable to me,” Twist mentioned.

  The porter then opened the door again and stepped across the threshold before turning back to them. “Supper will be served promptly at six each evening, tonight included. Breakfast will be at nine, and lunch at one in the afternoon. If you miss a meal or find yourselves hungry between meals, the chef is authorized to serve light snacks on request. Coffee and tea will be continuously available in the observation dome. All information about meals can be found on the map as well. Do you have any questions?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got one,” Jonas said, raising a hand. “Is this really a military vessel? Because it’s looking more and more like a pleasure cruise.”

  The porter’s polite smile took on the light of a smirk. “We Rooks don’t like to think of ourselves as militaristic. Aden doesn’t believe we should be given rules or strict regulations if we are all happy to help out and move things along efficiently of our own accord. My duty to the expedition is to keep the others on this ship healthy and content. Yours is to help us unlock Atlantis’s secrets once we arrive. We all play our part, and we all enjoy the benefit.”

  “How lovely,” Myra said, clearly pleased with his explanation.

  The porter nodded to her in thanks. “If there’s nothing else?”

  “Nope,” Jonas said, shaking his head. “You go ahead and keep this machine well oiled.”

  Twist, catching the snide tone to his remark, glanced to Jonas.

  “Good day,” the porter said, tipping his cap again before leaving and then knocking on the door to cabin fifteen.

  Kima muttered something softly in a language that Twist didn’t know as she sat down on the edge of her bed.

  “Oh, don’t say that,” Myra said supportively.

  “What did she say?” Jonas asked Myra.

  “Oh, that wasn’t English?” Myra asked curiously.

  “Nothing, it’s nothing,” Kima said, raising her hands. “I just…well, I feel as if I’ve traveled to a different world entirely,” she said with a fatigued smile. “I’m all right.”

  “Just imagine that you’re in a fancy hotel,” Jonas offered lightly.

  “Yes, that’s better,” she said with a thin laugh and a shake of her head. “My people and the gypsies seem to be the only ones on Earth who don’t live in clean little boxes.”

  Listening to her, Twist could only empathize. Her home was vastly different to everything around her now. But traveling to a mythical city under th
e ocean aboard a giant mechanical beast filled with amazing technology and run tightly by efficient and hardworking men was just as different from Twist’s old life of solitude, silence, and clockwork as it was from Kima’s.

  “It’s no use focusing on what’s different,” Twist said to her. “When I am overwhelmed with strangeness, I find it’s most helpful to indulge in every positive thing I encounter and ignore everything else as best I can.”

  Myra nodded earnestly, as if he’d spoken nothing but truth. Jonas looked at Twist, his eyes a clear, bright, sky blue.

  Kima looked up at Twist skeptically. “That works for you?”

  “It helps,” Twist answered.

  Kima nodded and stood up again. “Then I guess I’ll give it a try,” she said, seeming to put on courage like a cloak. “Thank you. I’m sorry to complain.”

  “Complain all you like,” Jonas said, his tone earnest and warm. “Twist normally complains all the time. You’ll fit right in.”

  Twist shot Jonas an ungrateful glance, but Kima smiled and chuckled quietly at Jonas.

  After settling into their new rooms, Twist and his companions grew restless. When curiosity about the vast ship put Jonas into an investigatory mood, the others joined him without hesitation.

  They first wandered along the walkway outside their rooms, passing nearly one hundred other numbered doors, all the way to the tail of the ship. There they found a door that was marked “authorized personnel only” in multiple languages, which was also, sadly, locked. Though Jonas tried his best to tempt Twist into using his Sight or his mechanical know-how to open the lock for them, Twist refused. Even with the hectic atmosphere of the imminent launch, such an attempt would surely be discovered in moments.

  More wandering in the aft of the ship revealed that there were many such locked doors, likely all hiding the inner workings of the ship from prying eyes. The equipment that filled the open belly of the ship, however, was easily accessible. They found towers of large wooden crates stacked up and tethered solidly to the metal floor, standing like sentries over the various huge mechanical beasts that huddled closely together. With a swift touch of his hand on the sides of some of these beasts, Twist was able to confirm that they were mostly digging equipment with powerful steam-powered engines and strong metal limbs.