The Neptune Project

by Polly Holyoke

  :I was told there would be at least fifty of us, but you’re among the few we’ve encountered so far.:

  :It’s a big ocean. There could be dozens of us heading toward Santa Cruz, and we might not find one another until we get there.:

  :Or the others didn’t get away. We know that a group of kids from Vista didn’t make it.:

  :How do you know that?:

  :Because we found one of them dying outside the harbor there. Soldiers came before the Neptune transformation was complete, and executed the kids and the scientists in charge of them. Before she could tell us any more than that, the girl died of her solar wounds.:

  I shiver when I remember how close Robry, Lena, and I came to meeting the same fate. Kyel starts to ask me more about our first two days in the water, but I sense a commotion behind me. I stop swimming and look back.

  Lena is curled up in pain, and Tobin is at her side.

  :She has a bad leg cramp,: Tobin tells the rest of us. :I think she’s pretty tired.:

  :We don’t have time to wait for her if she’s not strong enough to keep up,: Kyel declares. :They could send another ship this way anytime.:

  :We can’t just leave her,: I contradict him indignantly.

  :If you travel with us, you place yourself under my command,: Kyel says, his face starting to flush. He raises his speargun until it’s pointing directly at me. :And I say we leave her.:

  I’M AWARE THE REST of the group has clustered around us, watching the confrontation between Kyel and me. My blood is hammering in my ears. I scan the faces of our new companions, but it’s hard to tell what they’re thinking. They can’t agree that Kyel is right to leave Lena behind! Robry shifts until he’s floating beside me. I draw comfort from his quiet support, as Kyel continues to point his speargun at me.

  :It’s obvious she isn’t as strong as the rest of us,: Kyel says coldly. :She’ll just slow us down. I say we leave her behind.:

  :Maybe you should just shoot her yourself, Kyel,: Dai suggests, looking bored again. Lena stares at him in horror. I think Dai’s kidding, but I’m not absolutely sure.

  Thom, the big, homely boy speaks up. :Maybe we could go a little slower.:

  :All the way to Santa Cruz? She’s a liability. I’m fairly sure these two can keep up with us:—Kyel gestures to Robry and me—:but she can’t.:

  I don’t really want to stand up for Lena, but someone has to. :We need to slow down or let our dolphins give Lena a tow. We aren’t as fit as you are. We haven’t been traveling in the sea for weeks like you have.:

  Kyel stares at me. :You have dolphins?:

  :Well, yes. They’re off hunting right now.:

  :That changes everything,: Kyel says, and lowers his speargun. :If your dolphins help her to keep up, she can stay with us.:

  I didn’t realize until then that I’d been holding my breath.

  :Lena,: I say to her quickly on a private send, :do you think you’re strong enough to take some tows from the dolphins?:

  :Yes!: she replies, her face pale.

  I call Kona and Mali and ask them to help Lena. In the meantime, Tobin massages Lena’s cramping calf muscle.

  :How many dolphins do you have?: Kyel asks me. His expression is cool and calm again. I can’t believe he’s going to act like that confrontation never happened. I decide to follow his lead, but from now on, I know that I’ll never be able to trust him completely.

  :We have twelve, but one is just a baby.:

  :The kids from Vista had a pod, but the Marine Guard slaughtered them all. I’ve never worked directly with dolphins, but I see how they could be a big help to our mission.:

  Kyel looks like he’s thinking hard. I’m afraid that he’s imagining all the ways he can use the dolphins, but the idea of Mariah and her family being under his control gives me the chills.

  Kona and Mali streak down from the surface to join us. Even though they are two of our older dolphins and are both mothers, they still have lots of energy. They come and swim happily around Robry, Lena, and me before they greet and investigate each of our new companions. I can tell they are watching Dai’s dolphin, but they don’t interact with him. Maybe his sheer size intimidates them.

  :Our dolphins are ready,: I tell Kyel curtly. It’s hard not to stare at the speargun he had pointed at my guts just a few minutes ago.

  We start off again. The dolphins alternate pulling Lena and swimming to the surface to breathe.

  Kyel asks me about our escape from Goleta, and I tell him and his companions everything that’s happened to us in the past two days.

  :You did well, particularly for such a small group,: Kyel admits when I finish.

  His praise gives me enough confidence to make two suggestions. :If we could swim a little closer to the surface,: I say quickly, :the dolphins won’t use as much energy going up to breathe. And the rest of the pod has found a strong current heading northwest a little to the north of here. If we could ride that, we’d make better time.:

  Kyel’s face tightens at my suggestions, but I’m relieved when he heads closer to the surface and leads us north. Soon we hit the current Mariah told me about, and for a few hours we double our speed until the current peters out.

  Three times that morning we hear boat engines in the distance, but no boats come within sonar range of us. We stop at midday in a rocky canyon, where there are plenty of places we can hide if a boat does appear. Ree and Thom go off foraging and return with two large kelp bass they shot for our lunch. I’m not thrilled about our menu, but I don’t want to hurt Thom’s feelings. So when he offers me a slice of very fresh bass, I take it. His face falls when Lena looks disgusted by his offering and pointedly starts eating a fish bar from her seapack.

  Our new companions have developed a practical system for eating. Any sort of food in the ocean instantly attracts dozens of live hungry fish, and sometimes they can’t tell the difference between dead fish and human fingers. I see four of Kyel’s group eat while the other two watch for scavengers and keep them away.

  Lena nibbles at her fish bar just a few feet away from me. Robry drifts over and joins us as we eat. The raw kelp bass actually tastes so good, I devour it in several bites.

  :Thanks for standing up for me back there,: Lena says grudgingly.

  :You would have done the same for me.: I shrug off her thanks while I wonder if that’s true.

  :I can’t believe Dai suggested they just shoot me.: Lena sends Dai an angry glare, but he’s oblivious. He’s sitting by himself while he eats, a remote look on his face.

  :I’m pretty sure he was making a joke,: I say, and at that instant, Dai looks over at me, his expression quizzical.

  :I didn’t think it was funny,: Lena says.

  :Me neither,: Robry offers. :But I think he was trying to help you, in his own twisted way.:

  :Twisted is right. I’m not sure I like him or Kyel much,: Lena says darkly.

  :I’m not sure I like Kyel, either,: I admit. :But he is right about one thing. We are safer if we travel together.:

  :Until he points a speargun at you. If he threatens any of us again, I vote we make our own way to Santa Cruz,: Robry declares, and Lena nods.

  :I totally agree,: I reply.

  We start off again as soon as we finish eating. The dolphins take turns helping Lena keep up. We travel throughout the afternoon until my legs are burning from kicking constantly. I notice that Bria is starting to look as tired as I feel. Even though I don’t want to tangle with Kyel again, I’m just about to suggest we rest when Ree asks him to stop.

  Kyel frowns, but when he looks back at Bria, he agrees. While everyone gets food from their packs, I swim over to Bria. Ree looks at me suspiciously, but I ignore her and smile at the little girl.

  :Would you like some help from a dolphin?: I ask. I noticed her face lit up when she met Kona and Mali earlier. :My friend Ricca is one of our gentlest dolphins, and I know she’d be happy to give you some tows. I’ll ask Mariah to come, too, and you can meet her calf.:

  Bri
a brightens, but she looks to Tobin for permission. I can tell they are exchanging thoughts on a private send. Then Bria beams at me and says, :I’d love to meet Ricca and let her pull me, if she doesn’t mind. I can’t believe I get to swim with a dolphin. I’m going to feel just like a mermaid!:

  :You already look like one.: I smile at her. With her big eyes and delicate features, Bria reminds me of the mermaids in one of my mother’s rare old picture books. I reach out to my dolphin friends, who have fed well on a large column of sardines they found a few hours ago. Mariah is eager to see me and happy to ask Ricca to help Bria.

  This time the entire pod comes along with Mariah and Ricca, curious about the other humans Robry and I have met. Wanting to start off on the right foot with the rest of our companions, even if Kyel and I haven’t, I make a point of introducing everyone to each member of my dolphin family.

  :This is Mariah. She’s the leader of this pod. She was a calf when my mother was a little girl, and the two of them grew up together. This is her youngest calf, Tisi. Mali, Mona, and Ricca are her nieces; and Sokya, Halia, and Kona are her daughters. Pani, Nika, and Laki here are her granddaughters, and Densil is her son.:

  I can’t help but notice that everyone is grinning as the dolphins come in close. Dolphins just have that effect on people. Even Kyel cracks a smile as little Tisi swims around our group upside down in the water, showing off in his excitement over meeting new people.

  Because Kyel is smiling, I decide to go for it and risk another suggestion.

  :Most of the dolphins are fed and rested right now. Maybe we could practice taking dolphin tows. I can make sure the pod pulls us in the direction we need to travel. I think we should only use the dolphins to help those of us who are the most tired. But in emergencies, the dolphins can help us all get away from danger much faster than we can swim on our own. Hanging on to a dolphin, though, takes some practice.:

  Kyel frowns as he considers my idea.

  :Very well,: he says at last. :We can all practice as long as we don’t get distracted from watching out for trouble.:

  :The dolphins will let us know if there’s any danger heading our way,: I promise him.

  Quickly, I pair each person with a dolphin, trying to match personalities and strength. Because he’s the strongest and the biggest, I assign Densil to pull Thom. Our next strongest dolphin is steady Kona, and so I ask her to tow Kyel. Since Mariah already knows Lena, I think they’ll make a good team. Then I assign happy Pani to Ree, hoping she can handle Ree’s attitude. Mali, who is both strong and quite a flirt, is excited when I ask her to tow Tobin. Nika, one of Mariah’s younger granddaughters, is playful and sensible at the same time. She has been friends with Robry for years, and I know she will take good care of him. Gentle Ricca makes Bria grin when she tickles the little girl with her beak.

  Since I’m used to Sokya and her tricks, I ask her to tow me. Dai already has his big dolphin, and I have a hunch the two of them could teach me plenty about dolphin handling. After I show everyone the best way to hold on to the dolphins’ dorsal fins, Sokya and I lead off to the northwest, with Tisi, Halia, Mona, and Laki swimming in circles around us. I look back and see grins on everyone’s faces as they practice being pulled by their sleek, powerful dolphins.

  As Sokya tows me swiftly through the sunlit sea, I realize I’m grinning, too. I’ve always loved dolphin rides at the surface, but being towed below the waves is like flying through a whole new world. Sokya pulls me up and over rock ribs and past the edge of a kelp forest. We skim across a sand flat, startling a large torpedo ray hiding on the bottom. Minutes later we cut through a big school of salema and send the surprised fish flashing away from us in glinting swirls of gold and silver.

  With the pod’s help, we make good time over the next hour. Then I send them off to rest, except for Mariah and Ricca, who stay to help Lena and Bria. Working with the dolphins has helped to cheer up everyone. I notice, though, that the tension in our travel group increases as the light in the ocean fades.

  :Dai,: Kyel suddenly orders, :send Ton out to search for a place where we can spend the night.:

  I watch Dai give a series of hand signals, and the big dolphin speeds off. It never occurred to me to ask the dolphins to help find us shelter. With their ability to echolocate, they probably can do a better job of finding caves and overhangs than we can.

  Kyel orders us to swim in a tighter formation and to keep our spearguns at the ready. I can tell my new companions are frightened as the sea darkens. Although I feel uneasy, too, I wish I could make them understand that the dolphins fear the same predators we do. Mariah and the rest of the pod will warn me if something dangerous approaches us.

  :These people haven’t spent as much time in the sea as you obviously have,: Dai says, suddenly breaking in on my thoughts. :I tried to tell them that Ton would warn us of danger, but they don’t believe me.:

  :It’ll probably take some time before they learn to trust the dolphins.:

  :That’s their problem,: Dai says with a shrug. Before I can ask him how he came to work with Ton, the big dolphin comes back and bobs his head at Dai.

  :I’m going to check out what Ton found for us,: Dai tells Kyel.

  Dai heads off, kicking incredibly swiftly for someone who just spent his whole day swimming through the sea.

  The group draws even closer together after that. Everyone is on the lookout for sharks, which do become more active at night. Ree and Bria in particular keep glancing around them, their faces pale. It’s hard for me not to feel tense when everyone seems so scared.

  As the last of the light vanishes, true night turns the water black all around us. Now I can only see twenty feet ahead of me. My legs feel like lead. I hope Ton and Dai find a place for us to get safely settled for the night, and find it soon.

  :NERE, PLEASE TELL KYEL that Ton’s found a protected overhang big enough to hold us all,: Dai contacts me. :I’m sending Ton to bring you all back here while I clear out a couple of wolf eels.:

  :Why don’t you tell him yourself?: I ask. I’ve already made a lot of suggestions today, and I’m pretty sure Kyel is getting tired of them.

  :Because Kyel isn’t a very strong telepath. He has problems hearing my thoughts over longer distances.: I can feel Dai’s exasperation with Kyel and me in his mental tone.

  :I’ll tell Kyel for you,: Tobin offers, and I smile at him gratefully. Moments later, Tobin relays Dai’s news to everyone. Ton appears soon after that and leads us to a large overhang he’s found at the end of a rocky canyon. The overhang is deep enough to protect us from sonar detection, and the canyon is narrow enough to give us some defense against predators.

  Kyel inspects the overhang carefully. I grow impatient as I watch him. I’m beyond ready to eat and hit my hammock.

  At last Kyel declares, :All right. This looks good. Let’s set up camp.:

  He assigns Thom to keep watch while the rest of us put up our hammocks. Ton returns from a quick foraging trip looking quite pleased with himself. He presents to Dai the big yellowfin tuna in his mouth. Dai makes short work of filleting the yellowfin with his knife while Ton chases away greedy scavenger fish. Ton swims off with the carcass while Dai comes around and offers each of us strips of tuna.

  Once again, Lena refuses the raw fish, but Robry and I thank Dai and take some. I’m hungry enough to eat just about anything, but in the midst of wolfing down the raw fish, I can’t help remembering the ham sandwich my mother gave us right after our transformation. Now I wish I’d eaten it more slowly.

  Robry meets my gaze as we eat. :I miss my mother’s bread,: he admits.

  :I think she must be the best baker in the southern sector,: I say as my mouth waters at the memory of her crusty, warm bread.

  :I miss everything we ate on land.: Lena sighs wearily as she eats another fish bar.

  I look out into our little canyon. Its walls are covered by sea fans, spiky purple anemones, lush red algae, and ostrich-feather hydroids. Densil and Sokya have swum down to meet
Ton. I can tell from Densil’s behavior that the bigger animal intimidates him. Sokya, however, seems quite taken with him, nipping and rubbing against him and inviting him to play. Ton swims after her slowly as if he doesn’t quite know how to respond to her antics.

  Eating the yellowfin has given me more energy. I swim out into the canyon to say good night to the dolphins. While I study Ton, I realize his body is crisscrossed with scars. Most wild dolphins have scars from shark attacks, but Ton looks like he’s been through a war.

  :We have survived some rough times together.: Dai swims over to join me. His cool expression warms as he looks at his dolphin. Ton watches me just as carefully as I watch him. Every dolphin has his or her own personality, just like people. I sense that Ton is intelligent, serious, and reserved, like Dai.

  :He’s beautiful. I’ve never seen such a big Pacific white-sided, though.: I study Dai’s profile as he watches his dolphin. With his dramatic cheekbones, strong jaw, and brooding dark eyes, he looks like one of those male models I’ve seen in the old glossy magazines. His thick black hair is caught back in several long braids all tied together that reach to the middle of his back. Now that we are floating side by side, I realize he’s quite a bit taller than me; and he’s strong, in the long, lean way swimmers are.

  :Deep-sea dolphins grow bigger than your coastal dolphins,: Dai says abruptly, and I can sense him raising shields around his mind. I feel a little insulted by those shields. I’m not planning to pry into his thoughts.

  :You’re strong enough to pry if you wanted to, though.: Dai surprises me by reading my surface mind.

  :Now who’s prying?: I ask him indignantly.

  :I am,: he says with a shrug. :You should shield your mind more tightly if you don’t want me to read you. You broadcast and read more strongly than anyone here. You’re by far the strongest telepath in this group, except for me.:

  :How can you tell?:

  :I could hear your thoughts as clear as day the moment the Marine Guard boats starting dropping depth charges on you. I knew your group was in trouble, and that’s when I told Kyel we needed to hurry to your rescue.: