The Neptune Promise

by Polly Holyoke

  When I come to the lip of the sea cave, I stop for a moment to gaze at the craggy rocks and big spruce and cedar trees surrounding our topside facilities. I’ve come to love this gray and green Northwest, and I don’t want to leave here. But if Cam wants to see me again and if he can help convince Ty Rath to help us, I may have no choice.

  Impatient to find Robry, I dive into the water, which is a breach of Vival’s safety protocols. At the base of the ladder, I’m startled to see Dav is just climbing up it in his scuba gear. He must have seen my dive, but he just sends me a wink and a smile.

  Feeling sure that he won’t report me, I swim as fast as I can for the computer cave. Even though it’s late, I’m not surprised to find Robry tapping away on a terminal in the far corner of the lab. The other computer stations are empty.

  :Hey, dartling, what’re you working on so late?:

  :Hey Nere,: he says, summoning a tired smile, :I’m trying to crack the latest code Kuron’s been using to communicate with his investors and staff. He changes it every few weeks, but this is the toughest one yet. I’ll figure it out, soon, though. I always do.:

  Robry’s grown up so much this past year. He looks less like a boy and more like a teenager. With his olive skin, curly black hair and bright smile, he resembles his big brother more and more. With a pang, I notice Robry’s eyes are red tonight and there are shadows beneath them.

  :You’ve been working too hard again,: I scold him. Genius that he is, Robry understands how precarious the safety of our colony is. I just wish he had more time to be a kid.

  :It will probably be all right if you don’t crack that code tonight,: I add.

  :Yeah, but I’d sleep better if I could read these latest transmissions and be sure Kuron’s not planning to attack us in the next twenty-four hours.:

  His tone is so grim, I reach out and place a hand on his shoulder. :At least I have some good news you can think about while you’re working. Cam is alive.:

  Robry backs away from the keyboard and searches my face.

  :Y-you’re sure?: he asks, his mental voice tight with emotion.

  :I’m sure. My dad’s been communicating with him for several days.:

  I open my arms and we hug each other, hard.

  Robry pulls away from me and rubs a hand over his eyes. :I’ve tried to tell myself he’s too tough and too smart to die in a prison camp, but I know how awful those places can be.:

  :Somehow he escaped after six months. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he’s working with Scarn Kasporov now.: As I say his name, I get goosebumps. I’ll never forget the cold and calculating smuggler I met the night Cam and I helped rescue two of his men.

  :Cam’s a smuggler?: Robry’s eyes widen in disbelief.

  :I had problems believing it, too, but supposedly he’s become Scarn’s right-hand man.:

  Smugglers risk their lives to bring illegal luxuries like fancy clothing and fine wines up from the Southern Republic to be sold on the black market inside the Western Collective.

  :He must have had a good reason to become a smuggler,: Robry says loyally.

  :I’m sure he did,: I say, even though I wonder how Cam could join Scarn Kasporov’s gang of cutthroats who only care about profits.

  :Why’s your dad been in touch with him?:

  :I’m sorry, dartling, I can’t tell you that. Not yet.:

  :Right,: Robry says, his gaze narrowing. :I bet it has something to do with your dad’s plan to cultivate the c-plankton.:

  I shrug my shoulders. Robry’s such a capable hacker, he’ll probably find my father’s communications with Cam within a few hours.

  :You’ll tell me if you hear anything more about Cam?: Robry says, suddenly looking younger.

  :That I can promise.:

  :Then I’d better finish cracking this encryption,: he says, straightening his shoulders and turning back to the computer.

  :’Kay, but don’t stay up too late.:

  Robry’s already focused on the screen in front of him, determined to read Kuron’s transmissions and keep Safety Harbor safe. At least now there’s a smile on his face.

  ~~~

  Someone shakes my shoulder the middle of the night. I jerk awake, my heart racing. Am I still a captive on Kuron’s sub? When I realize Janni’s peering down at me, I relax a little.

  :Sorry to startle you,: she says in her blunt way, :but we don’t have much time. The wind shifted, and the Kwawaka’wakw village is in danger. We’re sending a boat and a tow with volunteers to help, and your dad said you’d want to come.:

  :He’s right,: I say as I slip from my hammock and grab my seasuit.

  :The Bus is leaving from the hub in ten minutes,: Janni calls back to me as she hurries from the girls’ dorm cave.

  :What’s up?: Ree asks sleepily as I dive into my seasuit.

  :That fire on Allman Island is getting close to Tsukwani’s village.:

  :I’m coming, too,: Ree says, waking up in a hurry.

  :And me,: Kalli declares.

  Ten minutes later the three of us arrive at the hub. We just have time to grab on to a tow loop before Janni sends the Bus speeding after a zodiac loaded with topside staff. Sokya, Densil and several dolphins from the Safety Harbor pod swim beside us, excited by so much unusual night-time activity.

  Janni pushes the tow as fast it can go. As we speed through the black water, I pray the wind will shift, for Tsukwani’s sake. We surface just offshore from her village. Choking gray smoke fills the air, and flickering light from the orange and yellow flames reflects off the dark waves. The wind blows offshore, driving the raging fire toward the tidy collection of ten small cabins near the water’s edge.

  Our helper staff beach their zode and run to help the Kwawaka’wakw who are throwing buckets of water onto their cabin roofs. Several of their younger people race to load containers of food and belongings into an array of kayaks, canoes and fishing boats along the shore. Dav swiftly sets up a hose and pumping system to pull water from the sea.

  I hurry up the shingle beach, searching for Tsukwani. I find her trying to help the other young people loading the boats, but her little sister Lenia clings to her leg.

  “What can we do to help?” I ask her.

  “You could watch Lenia,” Tsukwani replies. “She’s so frightened, she won’t let go of me.”

  “Will you come with me?” I ask the little girl gently. Lenia is a beautiful four-year-old with big dark eyes. “We could go look at the dolphins. Sokya would love to see you again.”

  Lenia’s eyes brighten at the mention of dolphins, and she lets me take her hand. We retreat to the water’s edge, and I help her into her sister’s canoe. Soon Kalli, Ree and I are doing our best to entertain three small Kwawaka’wakw children in the canoe while their families race to save their homes and belongings.

  As the fire roars closer, the air becomes hotter and hotter, searing my lungs. Kalli, Ree and I take turns dipping under the water to breathe while one of us stays with the frightened children.

  When their belongings are all loaded, Tsukwani wades into the water and stands next to me. She coughs and her eyes are red from the smoke. “We’ve been wetting down our cabins all day, but I’m afraid they still may catch fire.”

  The fire races across the tops of the trees. A cry goes up when the cedars closest to the village burst into flames and burn like huge orange torches in the night. The roar of the fire is so loud, I can hardly hear Tsukwani right next to me, and the heat forces Ree, Kalli and me into the water.

  “Everyone get back!” Hemasaka bellows just before a massive cedar topples into the heart of the village, sending up a spinning column of flames and sparks, crushing three cabins and setting fire to several more.

  The last of the Kwawaka’wakw retreat to their boats, and from the water, we all watch their village burn. Tsukwani crawls into her canoe and scoops Lenia into her arms. They hold tight to each other.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say to Tsukwani, my eyes burning from smoke and tears. It
seems like such a lame thing to say to a friend who has just lost her home.

  “We can build again, someplace else,” Tsukwani says bravely, “but we don’t have time before the snow flies. We will have to winter with my cousins up near Namu. At least we got most of our food and smoked fish out, so we shouldn’t be too much of a burden on them.”

  It’s so like Tsukwani to try and find some good in her situation. Sokya surfaces beside me, and she flips a little water at both First Nation girls.

  “I think Sokya wants to say goodbye to you,” I say.

  As Sokya swims closer to the canoe, Tsukwani’s eyes brighten a little. She leans over and gives Sokya a rub and then she looks at me. “I will miss you, dolphin girl.”

  “I’ll miss you, too. Maybe the dolphins and I can come visit you at your new village.”

  “I would like that. Thank you for watching our little ones.”

  Hemasaka calls out that his people must leave, and Tsukwani reaches for a paddle.

  As the skies lighten in the east, the weary Kwawaka’wakw head north in a ragtag convoy of canoes, kayaks and fishing boats. The tired helper staff pile into their zode and head back to Safety Harbor.

  As I stare at the charred, smoking remains of the Kwawaka’wakw cabins, a painful lump clogs my throat. How many more people will lose their homes to fires and rising seas as our planet heats?

  There’s no doubt in my mind now. I have to go to LA and help my father find a way to cultivate the c-plankton.

  chapter twenty-two

  The moment we get back from fighting to save Tsukwani’s village, I reach out to Mariah and ask her and the rest of the pod to meet me at Dolphin Bay. Even though the first students won’t be arriving for hours yet, I’m not surprised to find Seth already preparing his training equipment for the day.

  :You’re here early,: he smiles at me, :and so is Mariah. I swear she’s the most effective and hardworking teacher I have, next to you.:

  :I’ll pass along your compliment,: I promise him. :She loves helping you here.:

  Moments later, Mariah and her full pod streak into Dolphin Bay. A dozen dolphins circle around me, eagerly bombarding me with mental images of their night and their early morning hunt.

  :Whoa, your whole pod is here. Is something up?: Seth asks curiously.

  :We just need to have a family talk.:

  :I will leave you to it, then,: he says, and I sense he’s trying not to feel envious.

  Grateful I can understand my friends so well, I spend time fussing over each of them. I give them rubs and receive images from dolphins like Halia and Laki who can’t communicate with me using words. I spend extra time with Kona and Ricca who are both pregnant and very pleased that they will be calving at Safety Harbor in the next few months.

  :you are worried,: Mariah says, sidling up beside me after I’ve said hello to everyone.

  :I have to leave Safety Harbor,: I tell Mariah, Sokya and Densil and explain why it’s so important that I go south and help to cultivate the c-plankton. :You all could stay at Safety Harbor while I make this trip,: I say after I finish. :It will probably be as dangerous as our journey here, and I don’t want any of you to get hurt.:

  :I do not want the seas to get any hotter,: Sokya says, serious for once. :I will help you.:

  :I do not want our food to die,: Densil adds. :I will help, too.:

  I turn to Mariah, who floats silently while she considers my words.

  :I do not want you to make this trip without me,: she says at last, :and I would like to see Cam and our old home again. but Kona and Ricca should not come with us. they are too close to calving, and this trip would be dangerous for their little ones once they are born.:

  :Can you explain to Ricca and Kona why we must go and why they must stay?:

  :it will be hard to make them understand,: Mariah says, and there’s a sigh in her voice. :they do not think like humans, and they will want to stay with our pod. but I am their leader and they will do as I wish.:

  :Are you sure you want to come?: I ask gently. :It could be a hard trip for you, too.:

  Mariah darts down and nips at my dive fin. :I am not that old yet, young one. I still have many adventures in me.:

  :Yes, ma’am,: I say, and rub her favorite spot in front of her dorsal. A part of me is relieved she is coming, but I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her or her family during the dangerous journey to the Southern Sector and back.

  ~~~

  I tell Dad that afternoon that I want to go south with Thom. I try never to read my father’s mind, but I can sense my decision makes him both relieved and anxious. He meets with Vival and the rest of his helper staff to choose the team of Sea Rangers and other Neptune kids who will escort Thom and me to LA. They end up picking Ree and Janni from the Sea Rangers, Kalli to be our marine science and c-plankton expert, Robry for his ability to decipher Kuron’s communications, Penn to be our mechanic and fixer, and Rohan and Tobin as our medics.

  Dad also asks Rad, Shadow, Sunny and Ocho to come along. All four say yes because they’re concerned about climate change, too.

  “Frankly, we may need some of their unique abilities before this mission is over,” my father explains to me one night. “Rad can short out electrical systems, Sunny can blind or distract her opponents, and Shadow and Ocho, with their abilities to camouflage their skin color, may be able to go places the rest of you can’t.”

  “And you want to keep an eye on them,” I say, knowing he’s still worried about Kuron.

  “And I want to keep an eye on them,” Dad concedes.

  “What about Dai?” I ask. I’m all jumbled up about his coming on this mission. A part of me would prefer he stayed behind so I wouldn’t have to deal with his cold, distant act. But the part of me that’s frightened of the dangers we could face wants him and Ton by my side.

  “Dai’s indicated that he wants to come along as well,” Dad replies. “Vival and Janni are worried he won’t obey orders, but he’s the most capable fighter we have at Safety Harbor. I’m also quite sure no one else could do a better job of looking after my daughter, next to your dolphins, of course. Do they want to go?”

  “I’ve talked with Mariah, and her entire pod wants to make the trip except for Ricca and Kona who should be calving in the next few months.”

  “Do they understand you may encounter the Marine Guard again?”

  “They still remember how Pani died, and they miss her,” I say, fighting to keep my voice even because I miss her, too. “They understand the risks, in their own way.” Dolphins live in the present, and sometimes it is hard to get them to look beyond today. But I do feel sure Mariah, Sokya and Densil understand how dangerous this trip could be, and how important it is that we make it.

  “Besides, Mariah is not going to let me head off on a long sea journey without her,” I add wryly.

  ~~~

  Just before dawn a week later, my friends and I gather at the hub carrying our travel gear. We split into two groups with a medic in each. Janni and Vival vetoed taking the Bus. Because of its size, it’s more apt to be detected by the Marine Guard’s sonar operators. Instead, we’ll be taking two smaller tows that each have a seat for the driver and pull loops for six. Janni will pilot one and Thom the other, and Vival made Janni the official head of our expedition.

  :I still wish they’d named you our captain,: Ree complains to me on a private send as we watch the Carly Sue cast off from her moorings.

  :I’m glad Janni’s our captain,: I say honestly. :She’s a good leader, and since she was attacked by that shredder on our way to Atlantea, she’s gotten a lot better at listening.:

  :I still think she’s spent way too much time around Vival. She’s probably gonna want to inspect our gear every five minutes,: Ree predicts gloomily.

  The water fills with the deep, throbbing sound of the old trawler’s engines as the Carly Sue pulls away from the dock. She and two other surface vessels carrying barrels of the starter strain of Idaine’s c-plankto
n will make the trip south. The other two boats have already left Safety Harbor. Vival sent them separately, hoping that at least one of them will make it to Los Angeles. Even though the voyage will take longer, our ships are going to head out to sea with their precious cargo to avoid the busy shipping lanes along both sides of Vancouver Island, and we plan to do the same.

  My throat goes tight as I watch the battered old Carly Sue motor off into the fog with James and Dad aboard it. The first part of the voyage is particularly dangerous. We all have to dodge our way past warships from both Canada and the Western Collective sailing the Queen Charlotte Strait, and then we have to travel around the busy northern tip of Vancouver Island.

  :Your dad and brother will be all right,: Tobin says, hovering by my side. :Captain Gonzalez is one smart old sea salt.:

  :But if the Carly Sue is stopped and boarded, their forged papers or those identity chips Doc Iharu implanted in both James and Dad might not be convincing enough.:

  And if they get in a tight spot, James might have to use his Controller abilities, which could lead to terrible consequences for him.

  :They’re carrying state-of-the-art forgeries,: Tobin points out, :thanks to Lena and Sunny, and you know Robry did a brilliant job of creating those ID chips.:

  :True,: I admit, but only time will tell if their forgeries are good enough to fool officials.

  :Now your job is to concentrate on staying alive for the next thousand miles,: Tobin says soberly before he swims over to Thom’s tow. Shadow takes the pull loop beside his, and he turns to her, talking on a private send. I’m glad they are spending more time together, but I miss hanging out with Tobin.