by Andrew Gates
Water rushed into the hole.
Zozak angled the drone down, hoping to get a better view of the creature inside. The lights from the rig lit up the interior of the small cabin. It was bare boned, not unlike Zozak's office. Inside a foam chair sat a hairless slender creature with pale skin, garbed in what appeared to be some sort of thin fabric. The creature did not seem to have any sort of exoskeleton. It had two arms and only two legs. Whatever it was, it reminded Zozak of a ruor.
"What is that creature?" Zozak inquired.
"Visual analysis identifies this creature as a ruor," the computer replied.
"Your visual analysis is mistaken, for this creature is surely not a ruor."
"Visual analysis is within 80.67% accuracy."
"I told you to be spare me the numbers, Torak. How do I get this thing out of here without killing it?"
The computer waited for a moment as if it were taking the time to process his inquiry.
"I recommend the drone's onboard stasis bubble," it eventually replied.
Zozak pressed the necessary buttons to get the drone's arms in place and lowered the machine down into the newly formed hole. It barely fit, but it managed.
"Activate stasis bubble."
As he said this, Zozak positioned the drone so that one arm was on each side of the pale creature. A thin membrane seeped out of both hands on either side of it and started to expand. The membranes grew and grew until they collided, forming one large mass with the creature inside. Within a few more seconds, the ruor-like animal was fully encompassed within a large bubble.
"Atmospheric and pressure conditions inside of the bubble will be preserved for a limited time," the robotic voice explained, not that Zozak required an explanation. "I recommend immediate ascension."
"Understood, Torak. What are the best means?"
"Analyzing... the life form appears to be adhered to the craft via an unknown strap mechanism. The life form's connection to the vessel will need to be severed in order to ascend."
Zozak studied the image on screen carefully. It was hard to make out at first, but at closer glance he could see that the pale animal was indeed strapped to its chair. Unlike Kholvari chairs, which were simply elevated flat surfaces, this chair had a tall back to it, almost like a wall. Such a design would not work for Zozak’s race, as their protruding abdomens would not allow them to fit in a chair of this design.
He tried finding some sort of button or release mechanism for the strap, but was too unfamiliar with this type of technology to comprehend what he was looking at. After a few seconds, he decided to give up. They were still descending rapidly and every second spent waiting meant the drone would be harder and harder to control.
“We are claiming this seat!” Zozak declared.
He reactivated the plasma cutter and dove deeper down into the sinking vehicle. The light from the cutter illuminated the images on screen. It was difficult to maneuver in this tight space and took Zozak a few seconds to get properly positioned. Once finally where he wanted to be, he moved the drone’s left arm in a quick swiping motion, doing his best to avoid the bubble. Just as he hoped, the chair came apart from the floor and the bubble remained unharmed.
Zozak took a deep breath of relief as he powered off the cutter. That was not easy.
“The life form is now separate from the craft,” Torak explained, as if Zozak could not simply see that with his own eyes.
He moved the drone up just slightly and positioned the arms together until they were clamped around the bubble with the creature safely inside. He jostled the cargo around, just to test the grip. It seemed secure.
Now confident that everything was in proper place, Zozak piloted the drone up through the hole until it was surrounded by nothing but open ocean.
There was nothing holding him back now. The cargo was secured and the stasis bubble would protect the creature from any illnesses caused by rapid ascension.
Zozak gave full power to the drone, moving it up as fast as it could go. Bubbles streamed past the camera. Light soon came into view, followed by some fish. He was reaching the top.
“Torak, take control. Bring the drone to my coordinates,” Zozak said as he stood up from the chair. It felt strange to stretch his legs again after spending so much time seated. “And contact the medical response team.”
“Affirmative.”
Zozak turned and pressed on the metal door before him. It opened with a beeping noise.
The dimly lit hall outside his office was just as narrow. He turned right and walked to the end, passing by a number of doors to other small office rooms. The end of the hall opened to the outside world. Zozak raised his claws, shielding his eyes from the sun’s bright light.
He walked out and gazed out upon the ocean, trying to spot the drone beneath the water as it ascended. Waves brushed up against the hull of the boat, rocking it this way and that.
It was refreshing to leave his office and stand on the deck. He welcomed the cool air and wind that brushed against his face. Despite working on a boat, he experienced this pleasure far too infrequently. He momentarily closed his eyes to enjoy the brief window of calmness.
Splash!
Something popped up on the surface. Zozak opened his eyes and turned to face the source of the noise, coming from the back of the vessel. Sure enough, the drone floated in the water before him.
The mysterious creature was safely in its grip, still attached to the chair.
Zozak ran towards it. When he reached the edge of the boat, he leaned overboard and grabbed onto the drone, pulling it closer. He found the manual controls behind the light rig and pressed the necessary buttons to force the machine to release its grip. As he expected, the arms pulled away. The creature fell into the water, but Zozak grabbed a hold of it and pulled it onto the deck.
Whatever this animal was, it weighed next to nothing. If it weren’t for the added weight of the chair, Zozak would have been able to lift it with one arm.
Someone came running onto the deck behind him. Zozak heard the sound of stomping noise against the metal surface of the boat.
“Medical response team, reporting,” a female voice said.
Zozak turned to face the speaker. She stood tall and confidently behind him, garbed in a long yellow coat. She appeared older than Zozak by a few years, yet still quite attractive. Two younger males stood on either side of her, each garbed in their own yellow coats as well.
“Yes, I was the one who called for you,” Zozak replied, not letting go of the creature.
“Torak mentioned you were seeking medical attention for a ruor,” the attractive doctor said.
“No, not a ruor. Behold!” Zozak declared as he presented the creature to the medical team.
Their eyes widened as they stared upon the animal within the stasis bubble. The female jolted forward instantly. She reached out for it. Zozak handed the creature over to her. She pressed her face close to it, studying it.
“I found it in a pressurized vessel without water in its interior. I don’t expect this creature is native to the ocean.”
The doctor looked up at him.
“The stasis bubble is full of water. If what you say is true, this creature may have already drowned,” the doctor replied, worriedly.
“Then let us hope we still have time,” Zozak said.
“We will need to act fast. Our efforts shall be better served in the medical center.”
The female turned and walked back inside. The younger males followed closely behind, leaving Zozak alone by himself. The situation was out of his control now.
Zozak could not remember the last time his job had been so exciting. He had not felt this stressed in a long time. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt the sun’s warmth against his body.
For some reason, he could not help but think that this excitement had only just begun.
ALIVE. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M still alive.
Sara Gessetti was many things, a soldier, a pilot, a captain, but the last thing she ex
pected to be right now was alive and breathing.
Water splashed all around her, sometimes falling into her mouth or eyes. It was annoying, but at least she was able to keep her head above the water for the most part. She had not stopped kicking her legs since breaking the waterline. Her muscles ached and her lungs felt empty, but she couldn't stop. To do so would mean death. And so, she kept kicking.
Sara had no concept of time. She guessed it had been at least an hour since she'd reached the surface, but she was not quite sure. As far as she knew, it could have been two, or three, or more.
When she first broke the waterline, Sara found herself blinded by the beauty of the vista. She was so dumbstruck, she nearly forgot to keep kicking. The magnificent light gave color to the sea above the water. It was like nothing she had ever seen. Not even in her wildest dreams did she imagine a world like this could exist.
As if the sky were not interesting enough, an arrow-like structure hovered far in the distance, deep in the sea above. At first, Sara did not even know it was there. But as white puffs cleared, they revealed the massive triangular entity. Whatever it was, Sara felt weirdly like it was watching her, as if it were an omnipotent deity. She found it just as fascinating as the rest of the world around her.
But now, after having endured the sights and sounds for so long, Sara found herself wanting nothing more than to return to her safe home beneath the ocean.
The water started to feel warmer now. The tired woman welcomed this change. Ever since reaching the surface, she felt like she was freezing.
Suddenly she saw something, the first sight in a long time. Whatever it was, it was far, too far to clearly identify, but at least it was something.
Sara turned to face it and started swimming in that direction. She started at a slow pace, knowing it would take a long time to get there regardless of how fast she swam. She was not about to use all her energy at once.
Time continued by at a crawling pace. Sara envied the fish that were able to swim laps around her with ease. The closer she got to her destination, the more the water seemed to be getting warmer and warmer. She wondered if the glowing orb was to blame, remembering its intense heat.
As she slowly neared the object, she was finally able to make out a tall blast of what looked like water vapor. She stared at it intensely.
Water vapor, she thought. Steam! Just like the glowing ball that attacked us.
She was now sure of it: Sara was swimming towards the orb. Though now several hundred meters above it, she still felt worried. If it attacked her once, it could always attack again. Still, it was that or remain stranded in the vast emptiness of the ocean. It pained her to admit it, but despite the danger it might have brought, Sara would rather take her chances.
As she got closer to the erupting tower of steam, Sara was eventually able to make out some sort of wide metal platform beneath it. Whatever it was, it looked like a rectangle. It was not particularly tall, but it was wider than anything she had ever seen down in the station. The platform seemed to go on for kilometers, all centered around the tower of steam.
Suddenly Sara felt more confident about her decision to swim to this thing. At the very least, it would provide her with a solid surface to stand on. Right now, any opportunity to rest was a gift.
As she studied the platform more carefully, it occurred to Sara that the surface of the object was covered in something green. She focused her eyes and stared at it. After a few moments, she recognized familiar shapes that reminded her of the leafy agricultural products sold in the station's green zones, things like lettuce or cabbage. It was as if this entire rectangular platform were covered in plants.
That would be too lucky, she thought. A place to rest and eat. I must be hallucinating.
Despite her skepticism, Sara did not know what else to do but continue forward. She was determined to get out of the water somehow. Even if she was hallucinating, at the very least, this mirage gave her a sense of hope.
Minutes passed. Sara grew ever closer to her destination, but never quite close enough. No matter how long she swam, it seemed like she was no closer to the platform.
Sara sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. Would this be her fate? Dying out at sea, trying to catch a dream? She visualized he platform in her thoughts. Even in her mind, it was so far away.
The tired pilot opened her eyes again. The platform seemed closer than she remembered. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her, but she was almost certain she had not been this close to it before.
Could this thing be real after all?
The water grew even warmer now. This was the warmest she had felt since leaving the submarine.
Now, so close to her destination, Sara realized that the platform was not stabilized like she thought. It wiggled and shook with the water as if it were floating. The floor itself looked almost two meters thick, just taller than her body. Getting on top of it would be a challenge.
Sara swam closer and closer to it, realizing more and more that this was not a figment of her imagination.
When she finally reached the object, it felt like a full hour had passed. Sara reached out and slapped her right hand against it. She felt its hard metal surface.
"It's real!" she shouted out loud in excitement. She felt a powerful feeling of relief rush through her. A smile formed on her face. She imagined her grin must have been as bright as the second sea above her head.
Now the issue was getting on top of it.
The wall of the platform was flat and smooth. There were no obvious grooves or hand holes that she could see. If Sara was to get on this thing, she would have to either scale a flat surface or jump two whole meters up out of the water.
Jumping, she thought. Now that might work.
Sara pushed herself a ways off from the platform and then dove down under the water. Once again, she opened her eyes beneath the ocean. The water sung, but she needed to see. Once she felt like she had gone deep enough, she turned upwards. The platform loomed before her like a massive blinder blotting out the light from above.
She started kicking and swam as fast as she could, aiming for the edge of the massive rectangle. Once she cleared the water, she raised her hands high. Her fingertips felt an edge. She instinctively gripped. Sara could not see what was happening, but she felt her hands slip on the metal. She gripped even harder, but before she knew it, she felt herself falling back down into the ocean.
Sara huffed in frustration, but knew she could do it. She had gotten so close.
After a moment's rest, Sara went back down under. This time she swam even deeper before turning to face the platform. Once again, she swam as hard as she could and raised her hands high as she broke the waterline. Her fingers reached the edge. She gripped.
Success.
Sara had a firm hold of the platform's edge. Her chest was pressed firmly against the flat metal surface. She took some time to catch her breath. Now that she had gotten the hard part out of the way, she needed only to pull herself up.
The tired pilot took a deep breath and then hoisted herself up on top of the platform. After everything she had done, her arms felt like they were on fire. Sara swung both of her legs up and then rolled onto the surface of the rectangular object.
For the first time in hours, Sara sat still. She did not even flex a muscle. It almost felt wrong not to move, like she would die any second unless she kicked her legs or waved her arms.
The floor was dirty and covered in real plants. Her face was only centimeters away from what appeared to be red bell peppers.
Sara took a few moments to catch her breath and then sat up straight. She turned to look at the top of the platform. Sara froze. Her jaw dropped as she gazed upon the view.
The rectangle seemed to go on forever. Gorgeous greens, reds, oranges and yellows decorated the top of the platform like old pictures taken from surface era forests. Once again, Sara was dumbstruck by the sight before her eyes.
She had not realized it before, but now t
hat she was surrounded by all this food, Sara was starving. She promptly reached down for one of the peppers and bit into it. The taste was different than she expected. It was less sweet and more fibrous. It almost made her gag, but she consumed the whole thing nonetheless.
Before she had much more time to enjoy her meal, the sound of hydraulics echoed across the float.
Suddenly the blast of steam at the center of the platform started moving. It turned clockwise around the rectangle as if the blast were being redirected by some sort of hidden tool spinning underwater.
Sara held her arms above her head and braced herself as warm mist covered her body. It sprinkled onto her like whisps. She was already soaked, so she didn't mind the wetness, but it was a bit warmer than she was used to.
Some of the water collected in her mouth. The taste was refreshing. She did not know why the thought hadn't occurred to her sooner, but she suddenly realized that this water was drinkable. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sara opened her mouth wide and welcomed as much of it in as she could.
With all the energy she had expelled over the last several hours, not to mention all the salt water she had consumed, Sara guessed she must have been severely dehydrated. It amazed her that she had not felt the need to drink until now.
She closed her eyes as the steam filled up the air around her.
Sara may not have known what this place was, but she could not have found it at a better time. This platform was a paradise of fresh food and water. She could see herself staying here for the rest of her life.
Earth.
The planet's surface was said to have been destroyed, the atmosphere fatal, life nonexistent.
Clearly that was not the case.
Though Sara had yet to see the continents for herself, the atmosphere was definitely safe and plant life seemed to flourish atop the new platform she called home. Whoever said the planet was destroyed had clearly not seen it for themselves.
It had been three days since the Cassidy X20 submarine came under attack by the underwater steam generator, three days since this floating world became her home, three days since the Federation Navy assumed she was dead and three days since Damien Saljov likely drowned in seawater.
