by Divya Singh
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The next day I woke up anew. My room’s clock showed just 7:30 am. I knew it, that there has got to be something special about today. I could sniff some kind of difference in the air today. I had just a little normal breakfast. Some porridge and swallowed my pills with cold water. All the time I was thinking about what should I plan on doing today. The absence of ZA-vi filled my blank mind with a new energy. I decided to go pay The Navigator a visit again. Maybe today the super computer could spare some time for me.
Just as the thought struck me, I opened my wardrobe and took out black leather pants, a white shirt, and a navy blue long coat. I thought I looked my best today. I slipped my feet in my ankle length leather boots. Then I went out to visit The Navigator. It was good in a way that ZA-vi was not around, but I certainly thought about asking for his opinion on anything he could suggest, about what I should do today.
When I was in the elevator, I thought why not ask more about the oceans? Why have I missed out on what we have been living on for 180 years? I thought oceans must have changed a great deal. I now knew that my brain was evolving now, so I could think with a broadened mind, so concluded that this itself must have been the reason. By now I was rushing through the corridor before the room of The Navigator.
Just as I opened the gate of the navigation chamber, the sight before I amused me a bit. The Navigator was sitting on a seat facing towards the right, with his legs stretched out and his wheels placed on the floor, he lay reclined against the opened out seat, his lazy-looking eyes staring almost towards the ceiling, but his mouth was visibly opened wide as if he was yawning! I giggled and went up to him and said-
I said: “Hi Mr. Navigator! If I feel you are yawning and resting, then am I just assuming or am I actually right?” I couldn’t hide my amusement, though. He was almost taken aback by sudden interruption and sat straight to look at me. He tried to close his mouth but it wasn’t possible without completing the full cycle of the yawn! But he still managed to smile back at me.
The Navigator: “Oh! Hi DS! Yes, yes! You are right. I am resting and it’s true that you have caught me yawning!”
I replied: “Do machines need rest? Do you also feel the urge to yawn? I don’t get it very well?”
The Navigator: “Yes, machines with an enormous self-aware intelligence like me, are much like humans, we are machines, with human feelings and expressions just too much intelligent for being just humans!” He winked at me!
I said: “………..and, you winked! Oh yes! I knew about artificial intelligence, and you are perhaps the most AI machines I will ever meet. So yes, I concede! I agree! ….and sorry for interrupting in your rest, I think I should go.”
The Navigator: “Oh no! Don’t be sorry for nothing! The rest and yawn, you saw were not because of tiredness and requirement. It’s actually a habit! The truth is I am a machine, and machines do not get tired. Although I can program myself for any feeling I wish to, sorrow, anger, tiredness anything!”
I said: “I didn’t know that you are hilarious and mischievous too!”
The Navigator: “Oh then you have hardly known me well! So, my dear madam! What service can I provide you today?”
I asked: “Ah! Nothing serious. Tell me about the ocean. How are they these days?”
The Navigator: “Why don’t you go see for yourself?” He stretched the smile to his ear lobes this time.
I asked: “What? How can I see without diving? We are sailing, why would the ship wait for me to see the ocean up close?” It was a question of disbelief blended with curiosity.
The Navigator: “Oh you sure can, we are approaching a small archipelago, which was at your time known as the beautiful Marshall Islands. But now nobody lives here. And it is submerged under water except for the time of low tides. We will dock Perpetua close to it for regular maintenance. Then you can go out and see the ocean. That was why I was resting because in three hours we will reach there.”
I was really surprised by the sudden grant of my wish. But I was totally excited by the idea of actually dipping in the ocean for the first time!
I queried: “But, but…am I even prepared? I don’t even know, if I know, how to swim? Can anyone accompany me for my safety? How do I start? Because I certainly want to see the ocean by myself! I am excited! But a sense of disappointment is also clouding my mind.”
The Navigator: “Why-O-Why? Go to your doctors first, they will tell you better about your physical ability to swim or any precautions. Then visit Dr. Allen Parker in the marine department on the 1st floor. He will test you if you can swim. But if not he will provide you necessary snorkeling or swimming equipment. You have no reason to worry!”
I said: “I think, then I must hurry!”
The Navigator: “Sure, you must! We will reach in 3 hours precisely. Your time starts about in one minute.”
“Thanks, Bye,” I said and turned back.
I rushed to the first floor and didn’t stop till I reached where I saw the screen of the marine department. I stopped at it to glance at it for a second. It was depicting ocean currents like a real ocean, which I didn’t understand much. Then, I was interrupted by a voice-
Voice: “Hey Friend!”
I turned back alarmed by the voice only to find a similar face. It was Devon! I was not prepared to face him just the next day of having upset him. I was not happy with what I did to him yesterday, so I thought I had to be different and friendly. I extended my right hand towards his left hand to touch it. I didn’t know what it was, but probably a handshake or something or some other friendly gesture, showing that everything was fine.
Devon: “I would keep my distance for now!!!” He almost shouted in fear and made a funny face, threw his hands up and almost hopped. He was so funny that I instantly burst out in laughter! He smiled back. Gosh! There was something about his smile. Not, like I was attracted, but it was something beautiful and innocent. Devon broke the pause-
Devon: “What brought you here today Dani? Now you believe we have got something in common. That is why we bumped into each other twice, two days in a row.”
I replied: “Oh I am here to ask Dr. Allen Parker about how to swim and all. I want to go take a dive in the ocean. You know, we are docking at the Marshall Islands in precise 3 hours. I have just this much time…..”
Devon: “Same as me. I wanted to go catch some outside, moist air and go snorkeling in the shallow water……” Devon had interrupted me.
I said: “Yeah but the only problem is I don’t know if I can swim at all!” I interrupted him back. It was all out of our mutual excitement about the outside atmosphere.
Devon: “Ohhh….” He giggled out loud. “Miss Danielle Spearhead! You are the best swimmer, I had ever met! Look at the guy standing before you, you taught him how to swim at 8. Oh, you were interested in diving and snorkeling all your life. Marine life always mesmerized you.”
I said: ”Hey Dev you sometimes take away my worries, like a stress buster.” I heaved a sigh of relief and pulled out a reassuring smile. “Thanks, little boy!”
Devon: “Thank me not! Now you should rush inside, 3 hours remember?”
“Oh hell yeah!” I entered the gate followed by Devon. There were things like empty aquariums, all over the place. The whole walls were filled with water. In some enclosures, there were fans which blew air into the water creating currents. I took it to be some kind of experiment. I saw two men busy in a room on left with devices which I did not understand.
Devon: “If you have to meet Parker he sits there towards the lane at right.” Saying this he pointed his left index finger towards a tiny alley extending from this hall. We headed straightaway to there. There inside the grand glass hall sat an old man who looked of average height and skinny. We approached inside, but he did not care to look up at us, probably because he must be expecting a lot many people visiting him. His white face was full of wrinkles; his face was stuck to the screen b
efore him.
I said: “Doctor Allen Parker!”
He looked up and I continued-
“I am Danielle! I have just learned that the Ship will dock near the Marshall Islands in 3 hours time. I have never been out before. This time, I have decided to go out in the ocean for swimming. I want to see water up close and collect some samples. I need your help. I don’t have time. Please help me.”
Dr. Parker: “If you have to go underwater then you must get a consultation and subsequent clearance for your physicians and doctors, which have been recently attending your case.” He still looked engrossed in his own work.
I asked: “Why? I don’t have time to waste. If I did what you said, I might never be able to go swim in the ocean.” Devon by now had held my left arm, gesturing me to not to panic.
Dr. Parker: “I don’t have the authority to break protocols. We need your physicians to declare you medically fit for going out to swim in the ocean.” He was forced to look up by my loud and clear rejection.
I opposed: “Look, doctor, I don’t even know if I can swim. You just don’t know,…I am from a different era and I don’t have enough knowledge about myself. I have really little time to prepare for a dip.”
Devon: “Doctor! I know she was a great diver in her last life, but I can’t be sure if she will remember. She has been reanimated recently”
Dr. Parker: “Look! It is not personal, it is just I am bound by the rules. But it should not be a matter of concern. We have all the equipment that can be employed to aid swimming. Non-swimmers can also explore the ocean bed if they want to. Though we will first test you if you can swim or not because learning how to use the aid equipment is the hardest part but I believe like anyone else you will learn pretty quickly. So please go and quickly bring your medical clearance.”
I nodded, but I was not agreeing to it from inside. It was like something just bit me, stung me. But Devon remained calm and almost pulled me out of that room. He whispered-
“Why do you think that it’s a big deal? Let us just get it done. I am with you, trust me! I will make that happen in a jiffy! Just bear with me.” He led all the way down to the Hospital, even used his passkey, which was just his first name. I kept looking at him in disbelief that how quickly he was taking the lead and I was letting this happen.
I said: “Hey, I know where to go. I will find either of Doctor Shelly or Von and I believe they will give me clearance very easily. Now you should feel free to go on and do what you should.” I was not used to being led by someone else. I was the leader.
Devon: “Like I have some real serious business to do!” He smiled and showed that he was not letting go of me this easy. “Hey you said I am not your friend, now I say you will regret saying that Dani. I will go all that distance to be there, to being your trusted friend!” It was clearly better to not get into any other heated argument again. The smile of the person will invalidate any boneless argument.
“Ah!” I screamed as I saw Dr. Von suddenly walking out of a patient ward. Tall as he was, it wasn’t hard to spot him.
I said: “Dr. Von! Over here!” I waved my hand up so that he doesn’t miss seeing me back. It worked. I saw Dr. Von coming straight up to where we stood.
Dr. VON: “Yes madam! It is pleasant to see you again. So what brings you here? How can I be of help?”
I said: “I need immediate medical clearance, Dr. Von! I have to go out for a dive in the ocean when the ship docks in 3 hours. Please quickly pass me in any required test and send it to Dr. Parker in marine department. I don’t have much time.”
Dr. VON: “Oh I didn’t know that we were stopping. That’s not much to ask of me, I will uplink my report to him. There is nothing I need to test you for. But you have to take care of a couple of precautionary measures.”
I asked: “What measures? Thank goodness I don’t need to get tested!”
Dr. VON: “The sun is really burning it up out there, and remember you have lost almost all of your skin pigmentation? You are an albino madam! You may face problems in adjusting your eyesight to the sunlight and the skin burns may occur with exposure to it. So I advise a strong sun block and UV protection shades. For the rest, you will do fine. Though, I am seeing some melanin on your skin now. It’s a wonder the treatment is already showing effect! But we can’t put you to risk just yet.”
I said: “Oh really!” I looked at my skin, but actually, I could not see slightest of color, it was just shining bright blue as ever. “So how soon can you uplink the clearance? Please put it on the priority basis.”
Dr. VON: “Oh! Just right now. Accompany me to my room. Where I was going is not really an emergency.” He then took a U-turn and sped back to the room he emerged from. There he uplinked the retinal clearance to Dr. Alan.
Dr. VON: “Here! Take this sun block and apply all over the body before 20 minutes of going out. It is sticky at first, but it is waterproof and is readily absorbed by the skin. It is also a coolant; it protects but also soothes skin if you get sunburns. So it is also cooling sunburn ointment. Take these waterproof goggles cum binoculars with night vision. They will help you see in the sun and act as a torch in the night when you turn this green button on at its right, still keeping water out. The last are my good wishes and good luck!” he handed over to me the heavy goggles and a half liter narrow flat bottle filled with light yellowish green gel.
I said: “Thank you very much doctor Von! I am really grateful to you for every favor you ever did to me.” I really was indebted.
“No problem! See you soon!” Dr. Von sealed the conversation with a smile.
I rushed back to the marine department and found Dr. Parker already waiting for me!
Dr. Parker: “Welcome back miss! I knew it wouldn’t take that much time. After all, I have not grayed my hair without toil. Add a little experience to it.”
Before I could say a thing-
Dr. Parker: “I have your clearance. Keeping the formality aside for now, ready yourself for a quick swimming crash course. We have a training tank right here inside my office. Follow me.”
Devon and I had nothing to say, but time had forced us to trust just in the action now. The old Dr. Parker opened an opaque door and entered a giant hall with not a swimming pool as I had thought, but it was a simulation of the greatness of the ocean itself. It was a big water body filled up to the tank, with water standing higher by a few feet from the floor. There were big blowers to produce effects like ocean currents, and vacuum pull could be created by the machine fixed beneath to reproduce a scenario of being caught in the vortex of aerated water created by a sinking ship, where one fails to swim upwards because the reduced density of water cannot produce enough buoyancy pushing one’s body upwards with just a little flipping of the limbs.
Devon and I were watching an incredible little green ocean before us, both of us with opened up gaping mouths. Three dwarf steps led me up to the edge of the tank. I was almost blown away by the stormy winds artificially produced by giant fans, probably recreating the stormy ocean effect. I somehow got to balance myself from falling off, partly because Devon held me tight by my arm preventing me from tumbling down. Then I saw over my head was standing Dr. Parker on a platform. I did not understand as to how and when he got there; it hung from above and he could move it by a steering. Parker already spoke too little, and now he was inaccessible to be asked about anything. I could shout, but all this noise building up by winds and storms and echoes thereof made my voice inaudible. While Parker held a mike, obviously it was a one-way communication now.
Anyways I gazed back at the tank before me; I could see the water was very shallow a first few feet. But, then the tank bed, went steeply deep down, creating a simulation of a real ocean bed. But then I noticed, that it was overly covered by slippery blue-green algae while the deepest of the tank was filled with kelp and sea grass. It was strange because now I felt that the smart recreation of oceanic tank went a little too dramatic.
I did not like so much greenery inside
water; it would get it slimy and slippery. Yuck! I said to myself. My thoughts were disrupted by a shrill, loud noise of the mike, which I soon related to being that of Parker.
Dr. Parker: “The black clothes at the right corner of the tank are your size. Go put them on. This is what everybody wears for swimming these days.”
I did as was asked; I put on the stretchable clothes and came back to where I stood earlier. Parker was an expressionless man and wrinkles hid what his face still could show. So I was clueless as to what was coming. Certainly, the artificial atmosphere was a little dreadful and it made me slightly nervous about trying to swim here.
Dr. Parker: “Step down on the tank floor before you, and zip up the chains well and tight, so that this cloth could cover all the skin including the face. The ocean water outside is highly acidic and so is the tank water. You would not wish to harm your eyes, nose or digestion with highly acidic brackish water. So, cover up the head with the hoodie including the eyes, adjusting the see-through mask in it.”
I was reluctant to cover it up, but I also didn’t know that it was made to cover every bit of my body! I followed parker word by word.
Dr. Parker: “Don’t worry, acidic water is not directly harmful to human health, but we are not certain of its effect in your special case. So it would be rather wise in your case if you remained extra cautious of your vulnerability. Now go ahead and take a dip.”
I stepped into the first shallow tank bed, but could hardly hold my ground because the floor was utterly slippery due to overgrown algae. Water was about two feet high on my body; it was hard to move ahead due to the storm conditions and the extra care I showed in standing my slimy ground, forcing me into movement by violent waves. I shouted out to Parker-
I yelled: “Why so much Algae?” But he obviously couldn’t hear me in these conditions. I was trying not to frustrate myself.
Dr. Parker: “You know I can’t hear you. Consider yourself as being on your own now. You have to swim now. Move towards the steeper abyssal floor! If you couldn’t swim this whole tank will empty itself. But it will only happen when you actually fail, to drive the ultimate resort; it is not made to happen when you give up. So it is much like a one way road which you have already chosen, for now.”
I thought, it just kept getting better and better! Then I suddenly decided to do it and bring this drama to a quick end. Something had reminded me of fleeting time. All of a sudden, I dived into the abyssal floor of the tank. This whole physical act had no connection to my mental set up then. All the fear, the reservations and novelty of my new life vanished into oblivion in the split of a second. I committed the act like a professional diver. I was sly and quick. Like, I had mastered the art of scuba diving for centuries. All the slimy floor and windy waves had given way to deep water. I thought I loved it. I dived straight into the floor and found myself in a jungle of excessively grown kelp. There was nothing to explore about this artificial tank so I kicked the water down and surged up to the surface. Then I swam freestyle towards the edge where a smiling Devon stood.
He gave me a hand and pulled me out of the water.
Devon: “I told you that you were a great scuba diver. While you thought you would not be able to swim. You have even me believing that it might not come to you again. But I remained confident that you were physically so adept at it, that this you will remember as a basic fact of breathing.” I smiled at him. I had another reason to believe in what he said. He had been so true to the point. The tank had transformed me completely. I was this nervous and intimidated person getting affected by the wind, the noise, the grass and the waves. But when I had known that I could swim, I was this confident daring soul.
Parker has reeled his platform in and came in from the door again. All the fans were turned off. It was all calm now as I began removing the swimsuit.
Parker: “You did well miss! This much training, was enough. The sinking ship vacuum is not necessary as of now. So consider yourself good to go. Now follow me to my office and I will hand you over with the necessary equipment for the dive.”
At his room, he handed me over a new swimsuit; this one was without a hoodie, swim cap, swim fins, snorkels and an oxygen tank. I found it strange that Devon was not given anything while he said that he was also going.
I asked: “You said you were also going, so why didn’t you pick up any of this stuff? You even did not say a word to Parker.”
Devon: “I knew of this all in advance so I was prepared already.”
I said: “You sneaky little puppy!” The statement was followed by a smile on his face. “Hey, Dev! Ever thought how strange it has become? I took you in my shelter, became your legal guardian in the last life. When I met you now, how come you are my dad’s age?”
All he had to say was: “Love won over time, eh?” He was in a mood for some fun, but I was a little serious and did not smile back.
I said: “You scare me, Devon! You know everything about me. You know me more than me and honestly, it scares me. That’s why I behave strangely sometimes.”
Devon: “Try to take your time my friend! Things have changed in all these centuries. We are from a different era just trying to learn about this one. I have tried, but immensely failed to understand your condition. Dani! I must be sorry; I poured all my feelings to you in haste. I wish that you can forgive me. I am here just for you, my angel. I had no dreams of having this kind of life. But I just wanted to be at your side when you needed someone. No, I don’t want one single favor from you. But I just want to make you feel that you are not alone in this future world. Dani, I have seen you suffer all your life and I couldn’t accept the fact that you will have to struggle with loneliness again. So I followed you despite hating Cryo thing so much. So I am with you, so please never feel lonely and alone again. I beg this of you.”
There was a little silence, which instilled trust in me. Trust in his words. A silence was beginning to become comfortable between us now. I had started in trusting his hand he extended towards me for friendship.
Devon: “So here ma’am is your pet clown at your service! Laugh!” He is trying overmuch in being funny, I let a fake smile out.
By the end of 3 hours, we were all prepared in advance. I pocketed a knife and carried a closed glass container with me. Devon had carried a backpack kind of thing with tools etc. I had spread the sunblock and it was already beginning to cool my skin.
I was in the navigation chambers when they decided to anchor the ship a mile before the Marshall Islands even began. The ship stopped sailing and the engineers of the engineering department started moving around as their work of maintenance of the ship had now started.
We had started our own task of leaving. The Navigator came to us and said-
The Navigator: “Danielle Spearhead! What are you waiting for? Is all prepared and ready to go?”
I replied: “Yes!”
The Navigator: “So go to the third floor, there at the stern, you will find a number of motor boats. Then you can steer one of them down the rail tracks given for transporting heavy objects up and down the floors. The remote control is very easy to operate for the beginners. Then you will reach to the large outlet on the floor zero, where the tracks end and then you can easily get it afloat as the ground floor is at water level now, and then go on it to the site where you desire to dive. It will work as a regular motor boat. The boat’s instruments will show you the depth, salinity, acidity and other necessary parameters. Return when you are done. We will not leave before you return, as the ship’s log of lifeboat-count will not be complete. But I will myself remain at the navigation. So go carefree and best of the luck to both of you!”
We thanked him and did as he said. It was really easy. We splash touched the boat to the water. We sat on the boat and Devon tried to start its engine. He was pretending to look confident in what he did. But I knew he was seeing that engine for the first time in his life.
I said: “do you know how to run this thing?”
Devon:
“Ah, yes! Even if not these new age machines are user-friendly and easy to operate.”
I scratched again: “When did you learn driving this boat? Come on Dev we don’t have time for kidding around. Let me see it.” I went ahead and anyhow started the boat somehow after examining it closely and gave it back to him to drive. Although it had mechanical systems, but there was a computer operating its main engine. I trusted that he could at least drive it now.
While he was driving around the boat I turned back to look at our ship. It read, ‘Asclepius’ in navy blue color. They had not cared to change that age old painted title. The ship was big white and compact. It showed less what was inside. But from outside it looked more like a submarine. It was submerged below the floor 0, i.e. the navigation floor.
We were quickly picking up speed and speeding away. I could now see the open dock, the green inverted dome looked mesmerizing from the increasing distance. Devon broke my thought process-
Devon: “I think we should go far from here, where the water is shallow for snorkeling.”
I interrupted: “No! We must not miss the sight of the ship. Remember we do not have any communication system, should there be a need.”
Devon: “But you have brought a snorkel and all? But yes I am trying to make a contact with the ship navigation but it is not happening.”
I suggested: “The Navigator said that he had put the whole ship offline so that the signals are not intercepted by those on land.”
Devon: “Ah, I see! That’s why I can’t establish a link here with the ship.”
I said: “Dev! Here is right. Let’s go diving right here, it must be shallow enough now; also, I don’t care about it. The deeper it is, the better view we get of the marine life. I can see ship very clearly from here. It is a safe zone.”
Devon shut the engine down. But we were still drifting because we both did not know how to anchor it, then I opened a box at the back, I found a sharp anchor like heavy object. I called for Devon to give me a hand, he held that thing and concluded that it was the anchor he was trying to pull it out so that he could drop it to the ocean bed, but the cords wouldn’t uncoil with all the force we applied. Suddenly I found a green knob, I indicated to Devon that it must be something which would release the rest of the anchor, and he now kept the face of the anchor toward the ocean bed directly below, and placed it out of the boat. Now I pressed it, with a gunshot speed it must have hit the sea bed, leaving Devon struggling for keeping his balance. The recoil was hard and powerful, and it was rather large when compared to a gun. We both were stunned for a moment and decided to be more careful with machines from now on.
Finally, we had everything set in its place for the dive. Then I remembered that I had forgotten to wear the shades that Von gave to me. But then I understood that that I was easily looking around without a vision difficulty. Then I glanced at my open hands, I did not feel any skin burning, although it was cloudy and time of 3 pm wouldn’t allow the insolation to be that harsh and direct. Devon by now had dived in with a splash. He came up to the surface and called for me-
Devon: “Hey Dani! The water isn’t so cold. It is just lovely! Come on now!” he giggled like a kid.
This really excited me. I took my oxygen tank and attached it, so did I attach fins etc, and also put on goggles. I dived into the water hanging from the boat upside down. Nice and easy. The water looked dark green in the absence of an afternoon sunlight and wasn’t crystal clear as expected. I thought may be a little light would have given a better view of marine life.
I treaded the water downwards, the light reduced as I went deeper. But till now I found no life forms, which I found hard to believe, given the fact that it was a shallow seabed, where life forms should have thrived and overly populated the place. I hoped to see colorful fish and other species, but I found nothing. It was a little unacceptable as I had traversed through a lot of water till now, and I must have been near the bed now, although it was deeper than I thought considering that we were close to the archipelago.
I saw Devon touching some rocks and removing green-blue algae from their faces. As I moved deeper I was almost intertwined in the Kelp jungle. I hated slimy green algae surfaces and overgrown kelp which filled the floor and I couldn’t see the floor through it. In my opinion, it spoiled the oceanic beauty and presented an ugly contrast to a colorful marine ecosystem. But here it was just this green shamefully grown blue-green and brown algae and sea grass. I saw Devon a few meters below me now trying to pull out something he must have found from behind the rock he was probing, with all his might, with his feet placed on the rock.
Here I was getting tangled in the kelp jungle like it was engulfing me. Then I thought about the knife I had secured in my pocket. I took it out and chopped away all the kelp in anger. I went near the bed to Devon, who was now done with the pulling out. Devon now stared still at the rocks, while something shiny object caught my vision. I Bent over to look at it, it was white, I held it by my hand and tried to pull it out and it was out before me in a second. Little algae had grown on its face, which I rubbed out with my palm.
Now the letters were clear before my eyes, it read ‘MARSHALL ISLANDS: National Shark Sanctuary’. It was a metal board but it was not heavy. I figured out that the waves and current had washed it away to here. I put its one corner under my belt so that I could take it out with me. Now I felt like looking around was not worthy, as we were just stuck in a kelp jungle which left little place for anything to grow and imparted an overall reduced visibility to the ocean. I gestured to Devon that I wanted to go up now. But he did not understand anything, considering it useless I pushed the water behind to help me float upwards.
Soon I was near the surface, but suddenly I felt like something stung my right palm from beneath. Then I got stung at various places suddenly, my both palms and cheeks and chin. I was devastated with the strong tingling and itching, I saw little greenish glowing umbrellas and figured out that I was stuck in an endless smack of jellyfish! They were a few inches in dimension and their open stinging tentacles were touching every bit of my open skin my whole face and hands. I got helpless with strong pricks, but soon Devon’s quick and strong hands pulled me away from this hell.
I didn’t realize how and when I got pulled out on the boat. I lay flat stunned with pricking and tingling. I was itching wildly everywhere.
Devon: “Oh Damn! Dani, you got severely stung on the face and hands. Wait, there must be something to help with jelly stinging.” He searched all over the boat and found a vinegar bottle; it was written ‘Apply on jelly stings after rubbing and scratching the area.’
Devon told me about it and said-
Devon: “You have already scratched enough, now this vinegar will deactivate nematocysts in your skin.” He then applied it all over with cotton balls attached at the bottom of the cork.”Now you should wait for a little, most of the jellyfish stings are harmless.
I said: “It already feels better.” In a few minutes, the tingling and pricking were gone and I was almost fine. “Yeah I am fine now. Just that I was not ready for such an attack. In fact, I am happy to have come across some life form other than kelp. Where is all the marine life Dev? You know I found this board…oh no! I lost it in the assault.”
He shook his head in ignorance. I told him about the shark sanctuary board I had found. Then I suddenly remembered that he was pulling something out in vain, and got curious.
I asked: “What was that you were pulling out from behind the rock?”
Devon: “I am not sure, but it looked like an octopus or something. It was dark brown. But I failed to get it out. It was too strong and its grip was fastened to somewhere behind the rocks.”
I sat up and looked around, as for a little while the sun shone to reveal some light into the atmosphere. I looked at the horizons pitch dark clouds had accumulated, they only cleared up to reveal the sun to allow some direct sun rays for a minute or two. But I did not understand if the stings were causing the burning sensation o
n my skin or it was sun rays. But soon, I forgot about it partly due to mildness thereof, and partly because I got inquisitive.
I asked: “Where is the archipelago? I don’t see any land forms like rocks above the sea surface. Do you?”
Devon: “No! Your guess is as good as mine. Hey, you brought a little container to collect samples; I want to collect jellies in it to understand any ill effects that they might have caused to your health.” He found the container and pulled out little jars out of it. Then, he opened one and bent over the sea surface to collect a jellyfish and fastened the lid back again. We both looked at it.
I said: “How beautiful!” Devon looked at me with raised eyebrows in disbelief. “Get ready Dev! We are going for another dive.”
Devon: “Now? Really?” I nodded and put the fins and swimsuit back on preparing for the next dive.
I stopped and said: “But we need to go somewhere else, there is nothing in this place, you see. I will drive now.”
I caught hold of the wheel and embarked on a long journey away from the ship. In fact, I had forgotten about the ship being in sight because the facts before my eyes were more disturbing than any other intimidation.
Devon looked at me with some questions in his eyes.
I replied: “I am going to find any present landforms, Marshall Islands, any rock, where any life forms thrive and flourish.” He knew he couldn’t stop me, didn’t he know me better?
After a lot of searching, I failed to find even a rock above the ocean’s water. I shook my head in disbelief. I left the wheel handing it over to Devon.
I murmured: “There is no land Dev! I am disappointed. Take me anywhere near the ship where we go for the next dive.”
Devon: “I wonder if we lost all the island country to increasing ocean level from melted polar ice caps, an aftermath of the global warming.”
He drove and soon found out the stern of the ship. Meaning we had reached the other face of the ship which now read ‘Perpetua’. So we had two names written on the ship now.
Anyway, we did not see the green kelp on the surface here, so I decided to stop here for dive number two.
I jumped into the water first and carefully swam down looking at every nook and corner in each direction for jellyfish. I had to be prepared should there be another smack. But here it was clear except for some sea grass some 20 feet away from me. I descended towards the seabed where the light was too little to be able to see a thing. I was reminded of night vision; it adjusted my goggles for it. Finding it less useful I turned it off. Then I turned the lights on the frames of my goggles. Now I could see the ocean floor almost clearly, I stayed where I was for a moment. I focused my goggles and zoomed in at places randomly, in the ocean bed. There was no movement at all. It was not lively and colorful as I had expected.
It was an expanded desert, a barren seabed without a single life form. I was disappointed and struck with inhibitions of whether the marine ecosystems were extinct for once and all? Devon had found me and joined me by now; he came over to me and grabbed the sample container from me, trying to help me reduce my burden. But I only noticed and was left indifferent of what he did because the barren seabed ahead of me was causing me sorrow, fear and frustration all at the same time. I kept moving my eyes to every square inch of the seabed. There were rocks at my right big enough to hide some significant thing below them. I swam across them to find something which gave me the first reason to be happy about in this probe.
There was a tiny coral reef. I know corals are a part of an interdependent ecosystem. So if there was coral reef not all fish should be dead. If there were fish, phytoplankton and zooplankton and larger fish dependent on them must have been there. It was for sure that they must be difficult to spot because of being too less in numbers. I swam up to the reef and touched it with my bare hands. My right index finger got a little bruised from touching it. I even saw some blood oozing out from it so I wiped it by rubbing against Devon’s backpack.
I smiled at him and pointed towards the coral reef I had discovered. He smiled back. We both felt a sense of having accomplished some impossible task successfully. He went ahead and touched it himself and was trying to break a little with the help of the tools he took out of his backpack and tried to collect it for a sample. While I got busy in looking around the rocks, as I was getting closer to the bigger rough rocks twice my size before me and away from Devon, in my own pursuit and happiness, I felt that something big, of really big size, swam right from my behind, I sensed it coming from my right and swam away to my left.
I looked where I sensed it must have headed, but it was a kelp jungle ahead and although it seemed to have moved the grass, there were no other signs visible to my eyes of its presence. I looked back, as I thought it could have been Devon, only to find Devon also surprised, looking back at me. He did not waste a moment and swam up to me.
I knew he must have also felt the large movement made by some other bigger body in the sea other than us two and probably bigger than both of us combined. Soon enough, something swiftly leaped towards us again from the murky waters. This time, it went through the place Devon stood a little while ago. In the dark, I noticed its movement, but the light of my shades was illuminating the particles of mud suspended in the murky water before us. It did the same with the big mouth wide opened facing us.
Those big jaws, which I will never ever forget; jaws covered with teeth and teeth further covered by more teeth. Its face was a nightmare in itself. Though the structure of the snout resembled that of a great white shark, it was much more complicated to describe and more horrifying than a poor neat shark.
Like it swam, it gave a hint of some water serpent. It slithered the water. It just easily cut through it skillfully. We both stood still resembling a statue for a while. Devon must have also got terrified with this dreadful presence of a horrifying creature coming straight from hell. I saw him almost gaping and awed by this creature. It must have vanished in 5 seconds, but something told us, that it will come back. We were foreigners in its hunting ground. It was well equipped and accustomed and ruled these murky waters, while we were new, new to this ocean, not just ocean but to this life, these bodies and this era.
We found ourselves as prey in its hunting grounds. Seemingly never ending strong jaws that it had, made us feel that we were surely ill-equipped in case it attacked us.
Just as we were thinking about our Achilles' heel we felt the horror coming back to us, our side from the side of the kelp jungle. It opened its mouth wide open as if trying to eat something from in the water; it retracted its mouth to reveal large canines hidden in them. The skin folded back and it seemed like a shark’s jaw were enclosed inside a serpent’s mouth having fangs in both of the up and down jaws.
We trembled in fear as it was passing us by, then it rolled its eyes towards me as if my scent was inviting it to hunt us down somehow. Those eyes looked like that of a predator, a mythical creature that must dwell in the abyss of Lava Rivers in the Hell. They were muddy green and resembled more like that of a serpent or an alligator.
Now I believed that my blue blood, which oozed from the cut created by the coral reef, could have attracted it, so I hid the right index finger pressing the little wound against the glass containers that were now in Devon’s hand. But I knew the quantity was so scanty that the molecular traces of it dissolved in the water is only confusing this beast rather than showing it the way it was coming from. But I assumed the creature could be so low on diet and prey would be so little in numbers that he must have gotten excessively sensitive out of the hunger.
It was passing us by now and the body that swiftly moved across in front of our eyes was nowhere near that of a traditional shark’s. But I knew sharks behaved similarly. They wouldn’t attack strangers, but would taste them biting out of curiosity. As the large, heavy fleshy body slithered past us, I noticed that it was not the bony structure anymore; it was like that of a snake which could swim. It had excessive fins and scales all over. The colo
r pattern was different; it was nothing like that of a shark’s. It was dark brown, with elongated green patches, rib-like structure. It was definitely not a shark, although similar size and behavior. But its body was too different from that of a shark; it looked like a crossbred species. 400 years is a too short span of time for such a mammoth evolution.
Anyways, it was going away now, and Devon elbowed me in a gesture to swim out of this dangerous scenario. It was a perfect time to leave and drop the pondering for later times. It was survival one o one. We sped up to the surface, soon to our horror we saw that the beast has sensed our departure and chased us at fastest pace it could. We had to outrun it at the cost of our lives.
We were not just prey; we were Cryo secured expensive human beings from the past. Our death shouldn’t be happening like that. We didn’t stop till we reached out motorboat. Devon already had climbed and pulled me up in a tick, while being pulled out to safety I observed the creature’s retreat. It was like it didn’t prefer evening the sun, and just as a perfect monster would like it, preferred night to come over to the surface.
Devon had started the engine and pulled out the anchor instantly. We didn’t stop until we made it safely to the aperture on the level zero, which we had stepped out from while embarking. We pulled out our boat and placed it right there.
Chapter 23: The scientific explanation
