feel as if this whole thing might be a mistake. Heading over to the other side of the dinghy, I look down into the dark, rough water. Five years after my last dive, I’m finally going to have to face my fear.
“Don’t over-think this,” Mark says after a moment. “We just have to get the job done.”
“What exactly do you think we’re going to find down there?” I ask, feeling a flash of concern. Turning to him, I can see that he’s worried too. “The cargo hold was open when the ferry went down. The bodies should have all been washed out, but then they should have shown up somewhere by now. Plus, the survivor in the trailer… I wasn’t imagining it, Mark. He wasn’t breathing for several minutes before he got sick.”
“Let’s not worry about that right now,” he replies, coming over to join me. “We have to confirm that this is the Aspheron, and then we have to hope we can find something on the bridge that lets us work out where the hell it came from. Every time this goddamn boat has shown up before, it managed to slip away before anyone was able to get to the truth, but not this time. This time we get answers, no matter what.”
I nod, even though I’m starting to have second thoughts. The truth is, I haven’t been in a wetsuit since the night five years ago when I tried – and failed – to save the Sullivans from their boat. I’ve had plenty of nightmares about diving, and about drowning, and I’m trying to keep myself busy right now so that I don’t have time to think about what I’m about to do.
“I’m glad you came back,” Mark says after a moment. “I know I’ve said it before, but… I work a lot better when you’re around.”
“Yep,” I reply, putting my mouthpiece in place before sitting on the side of the dinghy. “You’re lucky to have me. I just… I hope we’re not making a huge mistake.”
“And you’re okay diving again?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I could understand if you’re nervous.” He pauses, waiting for me to answer. “Have you been down since the night the Sullivans died?”
“Of course,” I lie. “I’m fine.”
With that, I lean back and plunge into the sea, and as soon as I hear the sound of water crashing all around me, I feel as if I never left. I twist around and swim deeper, forcing myself to stay strong even though I can’t stop thinking about the vastness of the sea all around, as if it’s waiting to draw me in. I let myself sink, drifting, feeling the sense of the current pulls me a long, as if I’m no longer in control. After a few seconds, however, all my worries start to fade away and as I take my first breath of trimix, I realize that of course I still remember how to do this. Looking down, I see my feet and, further below, the vast nothingness.
This is where I belong.
A moment later, Mark crashes down into the water next to me, filling my vision with a field of bubbles from which he finally emerges.
“Can you hear me?” he asks over my earpiece.
“Loud and clear,” I reply, as I turn and start making my way down into the dark depths. Ahead, there’s nothing but a vast, hazy darkness, but I know from the imaging data that the ferry is right around here somewhere, waiting to be found. Assuming it hasn’t managed to slip away again, at least. Glancing over my shoulder, I see that Mark is a little way further back.
“Don’t worry,” he tells me. “I’ll stick with you, I just thought you should take the lead.”
Stopping for a moment, I swing my flashlight around, hoping against hope that we might get lucky and find the ferry immediately. All I see ahead, however, is a cloud of sediment floating through the beam.
“We’ve still got a little way to go before we reach the seabed,” Mark says after a moment. “Not too far, but come on, we won’t get more than sixty minutes out of these tanks. Especially not you, since you’re out of shape.” He pats my shoulder. “Arms and legs aching yet?”
“Of course
“Don’t over-think this,” Mark says after a moment. “We just have to get the job done.”
“What exactly do you think we’re going to find down there?” I ask, feeling a flash of concern. Turning to him, I can see that he’s worried too. “The cargo hold was open when the ferry went down. The bodies should have all been washed out, but then they should have shown up somewhere by now. Plus, the survivor in the trailer… I wasn’t imagining it, Mark. He wasn’t breathing for several minutes before he got sick.”
“Let’s not worry about that right now,” he replies, coming over to join me. “We have to confirm that this is the Aspheron, and then we have to hope we can find something on the bridge that lets us work out where the hell it came from. Every time this goddamn boat has shown up before, it managed to slip away before anyone was able to get to the truth, but not this time. This time we get answers, no matter what.”
I nod, even though I’m starting to have second thoughts. The truth is, I haven’t been in a wetsuit since the night five years ago when I tried – and failed – to save the Sullivans from their boat. I’ve had plenty of nightmares about diving, and about drowning, and I’m trying to keep myself busy right now so that I don’t have time to think about what I’m about to do.
“I’m glad you came back,” Mark says after a moment. “I know I’ve said it before, but… I work a lot better when you’re around.”
“Yep,” I reply, putting my mouthpiece in place before sitting on the side of the dinghy. “You’re lucky to have me. I just… I hope we’re not making a huge mistake.”
“And you’re okay diving again?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I could understand if you’re nervous.” He pauses, waiting for me to answer. “Have you been down since the night the Sullivans died?”
“Of course,” I lie. “I’m fine.”
With that, I lean back and plunge into the sea, and as soon as I hear the sound of water crashing all around me, I feel as if I never left. I twist around and swim deeper, forcing myself to stay strong even though I can’t stop thinking about the vastness of the sea all around, as if it’s waiting to draw me in. I let myself sink, drifting, feeling the sense of the current pulls me a long, as if I’m no longer in control. After a few seconds, however, all my worries start to fade away and as I take my first breath of trimix, I realize that of course I still remember how to do this. Looking down, I see my feet and, further below, the vast nothingness.
This is where I belong.
A moment later, Mark crashes down into the water next to me, filling my vision with a field of bubbles from which he finally emerges.
“Can you hear me?” he asks over my earpiece.
“Loud and clear,” I reply, as I turn and start making my way down into the dark depths. Ahead, there’s nothing but a vast, hazy darkness, but I know from the imaging data that the ferry is right around here somewhere, waiting to be found. Assuming it hasn’t managed to slip away again, at least. Glancing over my shoulder, I see that Mark is a little way further back.
“Don’t worry,” he tells me. “I’ll stick with you, I just thought you should take the lead.”
Stopping for a moment, I swing my flashlight around, hoping against hope that we might get lucky and find the ferry immediately. All I see ahead, however, is a cloud of sediment floating through the beam.
“We’ve still got a little way to go before we reach the seabed,” Mark says after a moment. “Not too far, but come on, we won’t get more than sixty minutes out of these tanks. Especially not you, since you’re out of shape.” He pats my shoulder. “Arms and legs aching yet?”
“Of course
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