twenty-five feet from the wall Suzanne and Perry stopped. They were reluctant to proceed without a clearer idea of what they were getting into. They studied the door for clues. From what they could tell, it appeared as if the walls, floor, and ceiling within were constructed of stainless steel that gleamed like mirrors.
Donald had continued ahead on his own, and although he did not step over the threshold, he leaned in. With his forearm acting as a shield against the reflected light, he surveyed the room. "Well?" Suzanne called. "What do you see?" "It's a large, square room made out of metal," Donald yelled back over his shoulder. "There's a couple of huge shiny balls in it but nothing else. There also doesn't appear to be any door except this entrance. And I can't tell where the light is coming from." "Any sign of people?" Perry asked.
"That's a negative," Donald said. "Hey, I think the balls are made of glass. And they must be four to five feet in diameter. Come and take a look!" Perry glanced at Suzanne. He shrugged. "Why put off the inevitable?" Suzanne was gripping her arms. She shuddered. "I was hoping by the time we got over here I'd have a better feeling about all this, but I don't. This can't be a submarine base. We're talking about an engineering feat that would make building the Great Pyramid seem like a walk in the park." "Then what do you think it is?" Perry questioned.
Suzanne turned to look back toward the submersible. The light from the open door was illuminating it
despite the distance. Beyond it was blackness. "I truly have no clue." When Donald saw that Suzanne and Perry were looking back at the submersible, he went ahead and stepped over the threshold into the room. Immediately he put his hands out to balance himself to keep from falling. A combination of the wet mud on his shoes and the polished metal made the floor as slippery as ice.
Once he had his equilibrium Donald again scanned the room. Now that his eyes had partially adjusted he could see much better, including hundreds of reflections of himself in all directions. The walls, floor, and ceiling were seamless. The only apparent door was the one he'd entered through. He specifically searched for a source of the dazzling light but mysteriously could not find any. When his line of sight took in the huge glass balls, he did a double take. He was now able to appreciate that the glass was not entirely opaque. They were clear enough to just make out what was inside. "Suzanne, Perry!" Donald yelled. "There are a couple of people in here after all. But they're sealed inside glass spheres. Get in here!"
A moment later Suzanne and Perry appeared at the door. "Careful about the floor!" Donald warned. "It's as slick as ice." Sliding their feet in short movements as if skating without skates, Suzanne and Perry staggered over to Donald's side, eager for a better look at the glass spheres. "My word!" Suzanne exclaimed. "They're floating around in some kind of fluid." "Do you recognize them?" Donald asked.
"Should I?" Suzanne responded.
"I think I do," Donald said. "I think it's two of our divers." Suzanne stared at Donald in disbelief. Then, to get a better look, she cupped her hands around her eyes and leaned against one of the spheres, the surface so opalescent it reflected the room's bright illumination. "I think you're right," Suzanne said. "I can just make out the Benthic Explorer logo on the neoprene suit and the side of the helmet."
Perry mimicked Suzanne by shielding his eyes with his hands and pressing them against the same sphere Suzanne was gazing into. Donald did likewise from another angle. "He's breathing!" Perry said. "He must be alive." "There's something like an umbilical cord coming from some kind of device pressed up against his abdomen," Suzanne said. "Can anybody see where it goes?" "It goes under him," Donald said. "To the base of the container." Suzanne moved away enough to allow her to bend down. The sphere had a flat area on which it sat.
Donald had continued ahead on his own, and although he did not step over the threshold, he leaned in. With his forearm acting as a shield against the reflected light, he surveyed the room. "Well?" Suzanne called. "What do you see?" "It's a large, square room made out of metal," Donald yelled back over his shoulder. "There's a couple of huge shiny balls in it but nothing else. There also doesn't appear to be any door except this entrance. And I can't tell where the light is coming from." "Any sign of people?" Perry asked.
"That's a negative," Donald said. "Hey, I think the balls are made of glass. And they must be four to five feet in diameter. Come and take a look!" Perry glanced at Suzanne. He shrugged. "Why put off the inevitable?" Suzanne was gripping her arms. She shuddered. "I was hoping by the time we got over here I'd have a better feeling about all this, but I don't. This can't be a submarine base. We're talking about an engineering feat that would make building the Great Pyramid seem like a walk in the park." "Then what do you think it is?" Perry questioned.
Suzanne turned to look back toward the submersible. The light from the open door was illuminating it
despite the distance. Beyond it was blackness. "I truly have no clue." When Donald saw that Suzanne and Perry were looking back at the submersible, he went ahead and stepped over the threshold into the room. Immediately he put his hands out to balance himself to keep from falling. A combination of the wet mud on his shoes and the polished metal made the floor as slippery as ice.
Once he had his equilibrium Donald again scanned the room. Now that his eyes had partially adjusted he could see much better, including hundreds of reflections of himself in all directions. The walls, floor, and ceiling were seamless. The only apparent door was the one he'd entered through. He specifically searched for a source of the dazzling light but mysteriously could not find any. When his line of sight took in the huge glass balls, he did a double take. He was now able to appreciate that the glass was not entirely opaque. They were clear enough to just make out what was inside. "Suzanne, Perry!" Donald yelled. "There are a couple of people in here after all. But they're sealed inside glass spheres. Get in here!"
A moment later Suzanne and Perry appeared at the door. "Careful about the floor!" Donald warned. "It's as slick as ice." Sliding their feet in short movements as if skating without skates, Suzanne and Perry staggered over to Donald's side, eager for a better look at the glass spheres. "My word!" Suzanne exclaimed. "They're floating around in some kind of fluid." "Do you recognize them?" Donald asked.
"Should I?" Suzanne responded.
"I think I do," Donald said. "I think it's two of our divers." Suzanne stared at Donald in disbelief. Then, to get a better look, she cupped her hands around her eyes and leaned against one of the spheres, the surface so opalescent it reflected the room's bright illumination. "I think you're right," Suzanne said. "I can just make out the Benthic Explorer logo on the neoprene suit and the side of the helmet."
Perry mimicked Suzanne by shielding his eyes with his hands and pressing them against the same sphere Suzanne was gazing into. Donald did likewise from another angle. "He's breathing!" Perry said. "He must be alive." "There's something like an umbilical cord coming from some kind of device pressed up against his abdomen," Suzanne said. "Can anybody see where it goes?" "It goes under him," Donald said. "To the base of the container." Suzanne moved away enough to allow her to bend down. The sphere had a flat area on which it sat.
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