The Shoreless Sea

by J. Scott Coatsworth

  Dax felt like a two-year-old, beaming at his mother’s praise. But he was happy too. I did it.

  “Took you guys long enough.”

  Dax wanted to knock that smile off Gordon’s face. He was too cocky for his own good.

  Kiryn took out his notebook and scribbled something. Sorry that was so hard for you.

  “How did you…?” Ah. Belynn. Kiryn had probably felt every moment of his fear and indecision. Dax blushed.

  “What?” The confusion was evident on Kiryn’s face.

  “You saw?” He enunciated the words clearly. That had always helped with his sister.

  “Ah.” Kiryn shook his head. “No.” He scribbled something out and handed it over. I can’t read your mind, and Belynn didn’t share what she saw.

  Dax sighed. Bad enough that he knew. “Okay.”

  He looked around the cavern for the first time.

  It was smooth and round, with a rivulet of water running through the center of the floor, where the flow had dug a narrow channel over time. Green moss cast an eerie glow over them all to light the space.

  Gordon, peering into the dim light, had retreated into the cavern.

  Behind Dax, the roots of the tree hung down over the entryway.

  “What is this place?”

  “It’s one of the world’s runoff culverts.” Belynn squeezed his arm. “You did good.”

  “Can we please not talk about it?” Apparently he was the only one with a fear of heights. Then what she’d said hit him. “Isn’t it dangerous to be down here? What if it rains?”

  Belynn shrugged. “It’s not supposed to rain for a couple days.”

  Dax stared at her. “Sure looked like rain was gonna come tonight or tomorrow.”

  “Maybe. But Kiryn knows things, can sense things.”

  Dax laughed. Kiryn had heard him? Or…? “Your lipreading must be really good.”

  Kiryn grinned.

  “Actually, I’m sharing my ears with him at the moment. It takes work, so we don’t do it all the time.” She spoke with Kiryn using her hands. “This is how we talk, usually. It’s our own private language.”

  “Hey, is that ASL?” Gordon had returned from his survey.

  Belynn nodded. “It’s based on it. We’ve made a few modifications. Do you know sign?”

  “A little. My friend Lem was deaf. He taught me. Mostly the letters, but a few gestures.” He spelled something.

  Dax caught a few characters. “Your… name?”

  Gordon nodded. “Though I probably mangled it.”

  Belynn shook her head. “No, it was perfect.”

  Kiryn looked delighted, a big grin splitting his face.

  “You’ve never been around someone else who could talk to you like that, have you?” Dax tried to imagine being in a world where almost no one else spoke his language. He and his sister had talked about it sometimes, but he had been so little then. He hadn’t really understood.

  Kiryn held out the notepad. Just my parents. He looked happy and forlorn at the same time.

  Dax just wanted to hold him, to protect him, to make him feel better. He threw his arms around Kiryn, hugging him tightly. When he let go, he wrote out, I want to learn it all.

  Gordon cleared his throat. “Really sweet, guys. But we have more important things to worry about.”

  Dax backed away from Kiryn, embarrassed.

  Gordon didn’t have much tact, but he wasn’t wrong.

  “So what do we do now?”

  “We have to get word to the world mind. Something is going on. Maybe they’ll know more. We should go to Tim, like we planned.” Belynn suddenly looked small and lost. “I wish I could talk to Mom. And Mamma too….”

  Kiryn touched his palms to hers.

  They were so close to each other.

  Is there room for me? It was an unworthy thought. They were brother and sister, close as cattails. Dax sighed and turned away, looking down the dark tunnel. Time enough to worry about that later.

  GORDON WAS out of his depth. This whole strange new world confounded him, so different from the one he was used to. Where were the superscrapers? The synthetic meals? The tech? He had no loop here, for sleeking sake!

  And these people… they were amazing. Belynn could talk inside people’s heads. Kiryn could tell when the weather was going to change, and who knew what else?

  Dax… he wasn’t sure what Dax could do beyond normal human abilities, if anything, but the man had an intimidating presence.

  Gordon still felt like the teenager he’d been, although his body was full-grown.

  So he did what came naturally to him. He blustered through it. “So how do we do that? Talk to this world mind?”

  The others turned to stare at him.

  “I mean, come on. Feelings and all are great. But aren’t we in trouble here?”

  Belynn’s face hardened. Like, turned to stone. “So why should we trust you? Gordon? If that’s your real name?”

  Oh shit. She was scary when she was steamed. “Yeah… that’s my real name. Though my friends call me Gordy.”

  “Gordon it is.” The two men closed ranks with her, still staring at him. “Why should we trust you? You said you were from Earth. How did you get here?”

  “There is no Earth—”

  “Quiet, Dax.” Belynn put her hands on her hips. “Answer the question.”

  “Okay, okay. Look, Earth is in bad shape. Everyone wants to get out. It was late at night, and I saw this flash. So I went to check it out….” He described the ceremony on the rooftop, the weird column of green flame. His voice trailed off as he realized how strangely Belynn was looking at him. The scorn was gone, replaced by a quizzical look. “What?”

  “Can you two see it?” She cocked her head and peered at his face like he had a bit of food stuck to his chin.

  “What?” Gordon felt like a science experiment.

  “The mask.” Belynn’s eyes narrowed.

  Dax shook his head. “All I see is his face.”

  “Me too.”

  “Gordy, how old are you?”

  “Right now? Fifteen, ma’am.” It came out before he could think about it.

  Her features softened. “I thought so.” She came up next to him. “Gordy, I’d like to touch your mind, to see what you saw. Is that okay?”

  Behind her, Kiryn and Dax exchanged a puzzled glance.

  “Um… okay, sure. Will it hurt?”

  “No.” She smiled radiantly, and Gordy fell in love with her.

  “Go ahead.” He closed his eyes. Her cool hand touched his cheek.

  When he opened them, he was back in New York.

  BELYNN STOOD on the roof of a building, watching the world through Gordy’s eyes. A group of robed figures formed a circle, chanting something unintelligible.

  She stepped away from Gordy, astonished that she was able to do so. This was like no reaching she had ever done.

  The city was huge but very different from the one she had seen in her fugue state in the auditorium. This city was old, fallen into disrepair. It spread out before her, awesome in its magnificence even in its state of advanced neglect.

  The city was mostly dark, but lights shone in windows here and there and in boats bobbing through the streets below. It was New York, or at least what her grandfather had described as New York.

  Seawater surged through what had once been city streets as the tide advanced.

  And above….

  Belynn grabbed the railing that ran along the edge of the low wall that surrounded the rooftop.

  Above her there were clouds and… sky.

  Her heart beat quickly as she took in the vast expanse. Stars twinkled like pinpricks of light over the darkened city, and a silver sphere hung like a lantern in the heavens.

  She steadied herself as her legs went weak.

  Suddenly every poetic thing she had ever read about the stars and the moon and the skies of Old Earth made sense. It was beautiful, heartbreaking even. It made her own world seem dr
ab and common and confined.

  On the horizon, storm clouds stirred, but they were lit from beneath by a hellish orange light.

  Belynn shivered.

  She turned in time to see the greenish glow Gordy had described growing between the gathered… coven.

  That was what they reminded her of. A witches’ coven from the old tales.

  The glow rose like an eldritch flame, climbing into the sky on the strength of their chants.

  It was almost time.

  Quickly she returned to Gordy, merging with him once again.

  She felt his pulse racing, the shortness of his breath as he contemplated leaving this place, going to somewhere unknown but new. She was him, experiencing this moment just as he had.

  A figure stepped out of the shadows. Crick. His mind supplied the man’s name.

  Now!

  They leapt up and dove into the flame together.

  Pain seared them, ripping their body and soul to shreds. They screamed, and then she was no more.

  BELYNN AWOKE. She was lying on a hard surface.

  Kiryn loomed over her. “You okay?”

  She signed back, “I think so.” Her head pulsed, and she really wanted a drink. She didn’t have the strength to make a link with him. “It’s true.”

  Dax and Gordy knelt next to her.

  “What is?” Dax put a hand on her forehead gently. “You feel okay.”

  “Just a headache.” She sat up, dipped her hand in the little stream of runoff water, and wiped her face. It felt really good. “He’s from New York. Or at least he really believes he is.”

  Gordy snorted. “Thanks. I think.”

  “It was amazing. A whole city, a hundred times bigger than Darlith. Buildings that soared into the sky. The moon.” She touched Kiryn’s face. It was worth the effort. She reached for him and showed him the moon.

  He sat back on his haunches. “Ahhhhhhh….”

  Gordy laughed. “That was my response when I saw your… um… sky here.”

  Belynn snorted. “I imagine.” She got up, ignoring the pulsing in her temples. She didn’t need alcohol. Really. This was too important to try to numb her brain right then.

  She spoke to all of them using sign and voice. “Kiryn, you and Dax need to stay here. They know both of you.”

  “They know you too.”

  “Yes, but I can speak to everyone. You can’t.”

  That was harsh but true. He didn’t have her abilities. As long as she was dulling her own, she’d need Timothy to access the world mind. “Plus Gordy knows who the acolytes are, so he can help me steer clear of them.”

  Kiryn grimaced, but then he nodded. “I don’t like it.” His hands were terse. “But okay.”

  “Gordy, you and I will go find Timothy. He’s a first-generation Liminal, and he can help us reach the world mind. They will know what to do.” And my mom and mother. She was feeling overwhelmed. Best thing to do was to keep herself busy. One thing at a time. “We should go.”

  “The world mind?”

  “I’ll explain as we go.”

  Gordy nodded. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  Kiryn pulled her close. “Careful, sis,” he whispered.

  Belynn nodded, squeezing him tight. No other words were needed.

  He let her go, and she took his face in her hands gently. Back soon.

  I know.

  “Take care of him,” she said sternly to Dax.

  “I will. Take care of yourself. If anything happened to you….” Dax kissed her cheek. “See you soon. Bring back food.”

  Belynn laughed. “I’ll try.” She gestured for Gordy to follow her.

  Best to go while they still had the cover of darkness.

  Chapter Six: Spinning Worlds

  KIRYN WATCHED them go.

  He sighed. It was tiring keeping up with group conversations, especially when they were being conducted in three different modes.

  His stomach churned.

  “Food?” He mimed his hunger.

  Dax grinned. I have a little left from dinner, though I’m not sure how it will taste.

  Kiryn read it and nodded.

  They sat down across from each other, backs to the rough walls, away from the entrance to the cavern.

  Silver light from the spindle outside lined one half of Dax’s face, while the green glow of the cavern lit the other.

  Dax pulled out his sprig of red fern, and its rosy glow obliterated the other light.

  “Your sister is….” The end of the sentence was lost as Dax bent over to pull some things out of his carry sack.

  “Sorry?”

  Dax blushed, or maybe it was just the glow from the red fern. “Your sister is amazing.” He handed Kiryn a piece of cave cheese and some red berries and set down a canteen of water between them.

  Kiryn nodded. He wondered if his new crush had a crush on Belynn too. It wasn’t hard to imagine. She was pretty amazing, and she did date across the spectrum.

  He took a bite of the cheese. It was warm now, but his stomach appreciated the gesture.

  Dax took out his notebook and scribbled something.

  Kiryn reached out gently and stopped him. “Must learn.”

  Dax smiled sheepishly and put the pad away. “Okay. Teach me.”

  They practiced the alphabet over and over, while Kiryn ate the red berries. They were so good, reminding him of the vines back home. Of his mom and mamma, of the peaceful afternoons spent among the vines picking berries to take to market and eating half of them, his fingers stained with the juice.

  He glanced at the entrance to the cave from time to time, starting to worry about Belynn and Gordy. He reached for Belynn, but she wasn’t there. Must be all the earth above us.

  When things threatened to overwhelm him, he used to climb one of the apple trees in their orchard and sit with his back to the trunk, hidden from the world below. He’d pick an apple and chew on it, snagging a few minutes of solitude, a chance to let his thoughts run wild before his little sister searched him out and called him back to play. Or work, or dinner.

  When he closed his eyes, he could still see that magical place, surrounded by the glow of the leaves and the apples.

  His own private universe.

  There were no apple trees down here.

  Dax tapped his knee. “You okay in there?”

  Kiryn liked that Dax’s mouth moved clearly and slowly and he enunciated his words. He liked that Dax made sure he was facing Kiryn when he spoke.

  He wondered what Dax’s sister had been like. He’d met so few others who were deaf like him. It would have been nice to have known her. “Sorry.” He signed his response. “Thinking about home.” He spelled out “home” and then showed Dax the sign for it, putting his fingers and thumb together. He touched the side of his mouth and moved his hand toward his ear and back. “Home.”

  Dax tried it. “Home?”

  Kiryn nodded. Dax was a fast learner. “W-h-e-r-e i-s home?”

  “Thyre.”

  They went on like that for a while, Kiryn showing Dax some of the simpler words to replace the spelled-out versions. Talking with letters was cumbersome and time-consuming.

  The conversation went slowly at first, but then picked up speed as Dax learned more words and became more proficient with his spelling and reading. They kept it to short sentences.

  They talked about Kiryn’s life growing up on the Estate and what it was like to live in an outpost like Thyre, where things were less refined than in the two larger cities of Forever.

  Dax had a lot of strange ideas about a lot of things. Thyre seemed to draw those who didn’t fit in anywhere else, and so it had become a melting pot of new thinking and conspiracy theories.

  They got into a heated argument over Old Earth.

  “Didn’t exist.” Dax’s hands were emphatic.

  “Belynn saw it.”

  “A hallucination. It didn’t exist.”

  “Of course it did. Or where are we from?”


  “Da says we were made here, by the world mind.”

  Kiryn pounced. “Who created here?”

  “God created the world mind. Everyone knows.” It was Dax’s turn to grin.

  Kiryn just shook his head. “Agree to disagree. For now.” His mom had told him about rumors like that. Left to themselves, they tended to fester and grow, but it was almost impossible to challenge them when someone had made up their mind.

  “Okay.” Dax looked relieved.

  “Belynn’s not back yet. Something is wrong.”

  “They will be back soon.”

  “I hope so.” Dax kept his spoken sentences short and clear, enunciating everything. Kiryn appreciated that.

  Kiryn’s hand strayed to the ground, seeking the reassurance of solid earth. When he touched the cavern floor, something shifted.

  He could see the place they were in. Not in a literal sense—he had his own two eyes for that. But he could sense where they were, in relation to the ground above, to Lake Hammond, to Micavery. Sense was a better word.

  It was as if the world had turned transparent around him and he could trace its outlines in his mind.

  “That’s new.” He let go and the sensation disappeared.

  “What?” Dax looked alarmed. “What happened? You… went away.”

  “It’s… nothing. I’m just tired.” He got up and strode to the cavern entrance. Belynn.

  Nothing. Maybe she was out of his short range.

  Dax nodded and started packing up the leftovers of their meal and the canteen. “It’s late.” He put his carry sack behind his head as a pillow. “Come here?” He patted his lap. “We should get some rest before the others return.”

  Kiryn yawned. He was tired.

  Belynn was tough. She could take care of herself.

  Besides, he was unlikely to get a better offer anytime soon.

  This was Lovers Point, though. Such a shame they had to waste the opportunity.

  He stood and stepped over the trickle of water that ran through the middle of the cavern. He laid his head down on Dax’s lap and closed his eyes and in moments was asleep.

  DAX LAID his hand gently on Kiryn’s head. This was all going really fast.

  He’d dated before, but mostly it had been one-offs, over and out the door the next morning.