by Marc Landau
It’s time for a nap.
Don’t judge.
After the adrenalin dump of the last few hours, I could barely make it back to my sleeping quarters before my eyes closed and everything went black. I was tempted to not even bother walking to my quarters. I just wanted to use Poka’s stomach as a pillow on the floor of the dock pod. Only if I did, the bot might trash-shoot me. So I dragged myself back to my quarters and flopped down onto the bed.
I was drifting off before my head hit the pillow. There wasn’t actually a pillow there. Poka had dragged it off on the sly and made it hers. I was too tired to find it. The dark was peaceful. I was looking forward to much-needed sleep.
“Do you mind if I come in?” Kat said in a small, hesitant voice.
Uh. Kind of. I need a break from aliens.
“No. What’s up?” I replied.
“Can I lay down?”
No! I was confused enough already. I didn’t need my alien ex sleeping next to me.
“Uh. Sure,” I replied.
She moved to the bed and lay next to me. Thankfully, we didn’t touch.
She sighed. “I’m so tired.”
“Who wouldn’t be?”
“The robot,” she replied with a smile.
“Yeah. That thing never stops going.”
It was small talk. Like we used to have back when we were living together. It was comfortable and casual. It all seemed normal. I had to remind myself I was lying next to an all-powerful alien.
I stopped myself from thinking too much about it and just let myself rest. I had enough thinking for a while. It was time to recharge. And it felt good to have her next to me again. I was going to enjoy the moment. It probably wouldn’t last.
I heard the sounds of little paws clicking fast, and then going silent. Poka leapt onto the bed, and came down between us a moment later with a thud. She stood up, made a few circles, and then plopped down heavily on my calf. What else was new? I liked it. Her weight felt good on my leg. It helped me sleep. Don’t tell Poka I said that.
Then Pokes let out her pre-sleep sigh and licked her lips. I usually had about thirty seconds before she fell asleep and started snoring like a gunnery sergeant with a fifty-caliber repeater.
I smiled. I couldn’t help it. It felt good to have the family back together. Me, Kat, and Poka. Together again. Even if it was all fake. I didn’t care.
I dreamed I was back on Prime. I was in a new home, and Kat and Poka were there. She never went to Deliva to help the dolphins. She’d never died. She stayed, and our life moved on together. It all worked out perfectly. It was a perfect life. A perfect dream.
Mom was there too. Okay, maybe not a perfect dream, but perfect for me and my weirdness. We’d set up a separate living-pod for her in the backyard. It was a nice setup. Everything was cute, clean and well cared for. Just the way she liked it.
There was even a small garden. Kat always wanted a garden. Of course, there was also a fence to keep Poka from destroying the garden. Not because she ate the fruits and veggies, but because she chased bugs and knocked everything down like a Vermillion warthog.
Kat kissed me. “I’m glad I didn’t go to Deliva.”
“You don’t feel guilty?”
“No. There’s plenty of animals and people to help here.”
“But you always wanted to help the dolphins.”
“I’m glad I’m with you.”
That’s when I took out a small envelope with a ribbon on it.
Kat’s eyes lit up. “What is it?”
“A gift?”
“It’s not my birthday. Or our anniversary. Oh wait, is it? Did I forget? Oh, my universe, I didn’t…”
“It’s not our anniversary or anyone's birthday,” I soothed her. “Open it.”
She excitedly tore the envelope open and pulled out a pair of travel passes. Her eyes went wide when she saw what they were.
“It’s a volunteer pass for the dolphins.”
“Yeah.”
“Two of them.”
“Yeah.”
“You want to come with me?”
“Unless you’d rather give the ticket to my mom.”
Kat threw her arms around me and we kissed.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The next thing I knew, I was underwater and looking at the most fantastical reef I’d ever encountered. Actually, it was the only reef I’d ever seen in person. I wasn’t much of an underwater explorer. Or an explorer at all.
The fish weren’t from Earth. Neither was the water. It wasn’t blue. It was purple, with maroon and pink hues. It was like diving into a sunset.
We were on Deliva.
There were thousands of alien fish, each one more spectacular than the next. Little pink chubby fish swam in groups of thousands, all moving in synchronicity. Each time they turned or changed direction, they glowed a different color. First pink, then green, then yellow, then red.
A group of large manatee-octopus hybrids glided peacefully through the purple water, leaving behind a fluorescent mist of green sparkles.
And then there was the giant fish that looked like a cross between an ancient Rubik’s cube and a porcupine. It was gigantic. At least around fifty feet. A fifty-foot sea urchin. A sushi dinner large enough to feed a small town.
I never liked sea urchin. Sorry, sushi aficionados. It’s supposed to be a delicacy, but I’m too lowbrow. I preferred the cheap fake California roll with the fish no one could define. The mysterious faux crab. I didn’t want to know what it was made of. I’m sure it was grown in a lab. All I needed to know was that it tasted good.
The fifty-foot urchin was just sitting at the bottom of the ocean. Each time it breathed, small waves flowed in and out from the millions of tiny spikes that covered its body. When it exhaled, water fanned out from the spikes. When it inhaled, it sucked the water back in like a drain. My guess was that when it was hungry it sucked up a lot of those chubby pink goldfish.
I couldn’t help but think of the giant sphere that attacked the ship, trying to turn us all into particles. But this cube wasn’t threatening at all. It was peaceful. It exuded tranquility. My next thought was of the big, fat, happy Buddha images I’d seen in the history vids.
I was at peace. The sea creatures were in harmony. This world was a beautiful ballet of color. No Relvian mega-sharks, Panhandle supergators, or Trolvian sniper fish.
Kat glided in front of me in full scuba gear and gave me a big thumbs-up. I replied in kind. She took my hand, and even through the thick gear I could feel her warmth. Together we swam closer to a cave.
At the entrance, she pointed for us to go inside. I went in first and was awestruck as it opened up into a giant underwater cavern. It was bigger than a football stadium, and like almost everything else in this sea, it was illuminated by what looked like an underwater garden of glowing flowers in every color imaginable, as well as a few I’d never seen before.
Kat pulled out a recorder and took images of it all. Was it a new discovery, or an often-visited tourist spot?
She pointed to a cluster of smaller tunnels leading in all directions and I made my way to the one she’d singled out. I looked back at her for some type of reassurance and she nodded for me to keep going. The passage was about five feet in diameter. Much smaller than the cavern, but still easy enough to navigate without feeling too cramped. Luckily, I’d cured my claustrophobia with anti-phobia-nanos last summer.
I checked behind me to make sure she was still there. She gave me a big smile and a thumbs-up.
When I turned back around, I saw the corridor slowly getting more narrow and closing in on me. My heart rate spiked, but I kept pushing forward. I needed to keep moving ahead. I had an urge to look back to check on Kat.
Don’t look back, I heard a small voice say.
The walls scraped against my scuba suit, and it sent my heart rate into overdrive. Shat! I’d better be careful. Some of the rocks sticking out from the wall were jagged. If I sliced open the suit, I’d be a goner. I
wanted to warn Kat but didn’t have the room to turn around.
Don’t look back, the voice urged, and I listened. I pushed forward. I was no longer swimming, I was pulling myself slowly through the narrowing passage.
Tighter and tighter. I made myself as small as I could, but I was running out of space. If the tunnel got any narrower, I was going to get stuck. And then I’d run out of air and suffocate. I was forcing my way deeper into an undersea coffin of my own making.
The panic hit hard. My heart rate pushed its limits. Sweat broke out on my face. Every limb on my body wanted to turn and run. My breathing went fast and shallow. It took all my effort to hold in the scream.
Calm yourself, the voice said.
“I can’t. I’m. I’m. I’m…”
Shhhhhh, it said gently. Its voice sending a warmth spreading over me.
I was transported back to a time when my grandmother would gently stroke my forearm when putting me to bed. “Shhhhh,” she’d say. “Go to sleep, little bean.”
My breathing slowed and my mind came back to me. I was no longer a panicked animal. I was human again. I could think.
It didn’t change the fact that I was about to get stuck and suffocate.
That’s when I saw it. A small glow about ten feet down the tunnel. It was literally the light at the end of the tunnel.
I pushed ahead, the walls tight on my shoulders, pressing on my stomach and back. I was no longer swimming; I was crawling the final few feet. My fingers grabbing the sides, pulling me slowly toward the dim light. Inches at a time. I didn’t know if I could make it.
Finally, I pushed through the small entrance. Not much larger than my head. I shrugged my shoulders in tight and clawed my way out. It was like passing through the birth canal all over again.
Suddenly the tunnel opened up, and I could breathe again. I swam out and stretched my limbs. It felt good to be able to move around.
It wasn’t nearly as big as the original cavern, but there was plenty of room. The only question was, would I ever be able to make it back out?
I went to the opening and shined my light back into the tunnel, looking to give Kat a hand. But she was no longer there. She’d disappeared. Vanished into thin…water.
I checked the cavern just to be sure she hadn’t slipped in behind me, even though that was impossible. An ant couldn’t have slipped in behind me. As expected, she was nowhere to be found.
I did find something. In the corner, I noticed a small movement. A fluttering of water and shadows. I automatically touched my hip, as if I had a gun holstered there. Who did I think I was? A cowboy? The only gun I ever had was the hand laser they gave me when I boarded the ship. And I always kept it locked up so I didn’t accidentally shoot my foot off. Or intentionally shoot the robot.
I moved closer to the shadows and shined my light. My body tensed, ready to fight. Or run. If it was a giant alien snake with razor-blade teeth and I had to squeeze back through that tunnel, I was a goner.
I took a step closer and could make out a fin.
Shat. It’s a razor-toothed snake!
I shined the light and leaned closer. That’s when I saw the truth.
It was a gaggle of Delivan dolphin pups. One of the rarest and most endangered species in the known universe. They’d been hunted almost out of existence, because some stupid planet believed they made males more fertile. They didn’t. Science had proven that over and over again, but tradition and superstition trumped science.
They were hunted and used in ancient fertility ceremonies. It disgusted me that they weren’t even used for food. At least if you eat something you kill, it serves a purpose. The only purpose this served was soothing sensitive egos.
Even fierce hunter species like the Gorlocx wanted them protected, because they literally harmed no one and helped replenish ecosystems. Also they were too easy to hunt. True hunter species relished the actual hunt, the cunning, camouflage and intelligence of their prey.
The highest prey creature, the Noth, had never even been killed by a hunter. No hunter (not even the Gorlocx) had ever been able to kill one. Only its native predator, the Hax, could.
The dolphins were utterly harmless. They were also one of the cutest creatures in the known universe, second only to the Erkans.
The dolphin pups were cooing and cuddling with one another in the corner of the cavern. They were young, but based on the orange stripe on their lower torsos, they were just old enough to leave the nest.
Which is exactly what they did. They swam together in unison into the tunnel and out into the sea, where they would hopefully live the remainder of their lives in peace.
With the humanitarian efforts of people like Kat, the dolphins’ numbers had risen in recent years. The tariffs the Gregons had placed on the planet for illegal hunting had also helped. They were severely hampering the poaching, and aiding in repopulation.
The new High Priestess of Gregon happened to have a dolphin when she was a little princess, and it had become her cause célèbre to protect them all.
Not many had seen a gaggle of pups. Not to mention exactly when they were leaving the nest. I cursed myself the moment they left that I hadn’t recorded the entire experience. How stupid. I didn't even know if it had ever been recorded before. My awe of them made my memory falter. What a dope. Wasn’t the whole point to help them?
Wait, I was an even bigger dope than I’d thought. These suits auto-recorded everything. What did I think? That this was the year two thousand and twenty? Those poor Luddites. Back then, everything was digital! Digital. What a joke. I almost laughed. Now everything is auto-recorded in molecular form. Every angle, dimension, nook and cranny. Whew. What a relief. I hadn’t missed the moment.
My next instinct was to get the hellvian out of this cave. Follow the dolphin pups back out into the sea. Even better, get myself back on dry land where I belonged. I’d had enough of this undersea adventure. And where the hellvian was Kat, anyway? This was her thing. She was the reason I was here in the first place. She didn’t even get to see the dolphin pups.
That was when the planet started to shake. Bits of debris fell from the top of the cavern. A chunk of rock hit my headgear and knocked me to the ground.
The planet shook again, and more of the ceiling fell down on me.
I had to get back into that tunnel and get the frak out of here.
THUNK. A large rock hit my back sending stings of pain through my body. The fear of more sent me racing to the hole in the wall fast as I could. Even the tight squeeze was better than being crushed by sea boulders.
THUNK, another rock hit me.
Then another.
And another.
I was close to the opening. Real close. Close enough to touch it with my fingers.
That’s when the planet shook again, and the tunnel collapsed.
I fell back and watched, balled up against the wall as the roof caved in. Sand and sea dust kicked up into a cloud making it almost impossible to see.
Boulders fell in the darkness. THUNK. THUNK. THUNK. I couldn’t see them in the darkness but felt the rumble of each crash. I was about to be crushed.
Then a red rock appeared.
The jeweled cocoon.
More debris fell from the ceiling. One particular large rock whooshed by, missing my head by inches. That one would have definitely crushed my headgear. Not that it mattered. With the planet coming apart at the seams, it was only a matter of time before the entire cavern would cave in. I’d be buried alive underwater. I could drown and run out of oxygen at the same time.
The red rock glowed softly, its light pulsing slowly like a calm breath.
THUNK. Another chunk of ceiling hit the ground, sending plumes of sand up, filling the space.
I heard the cocoon call to me. It didn’t say anything. It was more of a feeling, an urge that I should move closer to it. To touch it.
I crawled over, dodging hunks of rock best I could. Even through the sand-fog, the red rock was clear as day, protec
ted from the chaos around it. It was in its own separate dimension.
The closer I got, the stronger the urge to reach out grew.
THUNK, a chunk hit my thigh. Inside the headgear, I heard the crack of bone. My mouth opened wide as I screamed in agony.
Still, I crawled.
I reached the perimeter of the rock’s glow. The tips of my fingers touched the color and a warmth spread through my hand, then up my arms and torso, then my legs. The pain in my thigh disappeared.
THUNK. THUNK. THUNK.
The ceiling had lost all of its stability. It was collapsing. There was no time left.
With the last of my energy, I got to my knees, then stood and jumped forward, towards the cocoon. I floated weightlessly in water like I did in space. I was going to make it. Whatever that meant. It seemed like all I was doing was dying on top of a red jewel. At least when they found my body, they’d think I looked cool.
A razor-sharp spear of rock sliced into my side. I cried out and rolled onto the surface. Luckily, it didn’t impale me; it was a clean cut. But now all the oxygen in the suit was spilling bubbles into the cavern. Red, bloody bubbles. My oxygen dial shot to zero.
I wasn’t going to make it.
I reached for the rock, but was still a few inches from the goal line.
The world dimmed.
Then the cocoon slid over to me and touched my hand.
You can move? Why didn’t you do that earlier?
Before it could answer, the world exploded into super-techno-color. A bright red starburst flooded my being. Red beams shot out from every pore. My eyes pulsed red. My hair. My toes. My ears.
And then I got sucked into the jeweled cocoon. It was as if a black-hole super-vacuum pulled me inside of it, like I was nothing more than a grain of rice. Every molecule of my being turned to dust and was sucked up. And then I was inside it.
My eyes popped open. I sat straight up, like I’d been hit with a bolt of Tartanian Lightening .
Tears began to form. Kat had been on that planet with the cocoon. It had saved her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kat was sleeping peacefully next to me with Poka curled up on her calf.
