The Sea Within Read online

  “May I join you?” His manicured hand rested on the back of the chair across from hers.

  “Please do. Would you like a coffee?”

  “No, I’m good.” He surveyed the room and then turned back. His dark suit made him stand out amid the military garb and coveralls. “I wanted to check in with you and see how everything was going.”

  “Things are going well.” Had he heard something about her tests that she wasn’t aware of? Something about his demeanor reminded her of her parents when they had to deliver bad news and were avoiding it.

  “Great. That’s great.” He was restless. His eyes kept darting around the room. “I thought I’d check in with Ted also. Have you seen him?”

  “Not since this morning.” She took a sip of coffee, considering whether to share her observations or not. “He seems…depressed.”

  It wasn’t as if Ted was a super upbeat sort of guy, but he was definitely more melancholy than usual.

  “I had a status update meeting with Major Riley and I just thought I’d check in with you both. I’ll see if I can track Ted down.” He stood up.

  “He might be in his quarters. We both had bloodwork done this morning. He might have gone to rest afterward.” She wasn’t sure where Ted was, but that was her best guess.

  “Thanks.” He turned to leave but looked back. “And good luck.”

  “Thank you.”

  Something about that encounter was off. Liam was normally warmer and more conversational. He’d definitely been distracted, or bothered by something.

  Elle was suddenly feeling fatigued. Maybe she should follow her own suggestion and go lie down for a little while. Having blood drawn always made her a little woozy. The food and coffee would only get her so far. She wasn’t sleeping that great. Her brain wouldn’t shut down at night. She’d replay every encounter with Jackson throughout the day and try to solve the puzzle of what any of it meant. So far only sleeplessness. She’d gotten no closer to answers.

  She took the long route back to her quarters passing by the observation level above the Slingshot. They’d been inside the simulator a couple of times, but she’d only seen the actual vessel from a distance. It sort of looked like a gleaming silver football. The core of the craft was an oval that was surrounded by a series of external rings. From what she could glean, the ship was propelled by two different rotations; the core of this ship rotated and the rings also spun independently. This was what helped the ship achieve gateway speed.

  The aircraft was suspended in a long cavern, a huge tunnel, with a circumference of about seventeen miles. The tunnel was actually constructed above ground so that when the Slingshot breached the gateway it would arrive in the open air, in the same position where it launched, the only change would be the time stamp.

  It was a hard concept to grasp.

  They would travel faster than light but go nowhere. They would end up in the exact same location, simply at another point on the timeline.

  The observation window was probably fifty feet away from the actual ship, which currently was surrounded by technicians in white coveralls prepping the craft with all the materials they would need for the journey, which might last as long as five days. And the gear required to retrieve and transport specimens.

  Watching the hive of activity beneath the window was making Elle feel more tired, and a little nervous. She walked back to her quarters to try to rest. The last presentation for the team was hers. She needed to mentally prepare.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The final day before departure was all about the science of the expedition. Until now, Elle and Ted had quietly suffered days of rigorous evaluation to ensure that they could physically endure the journey through the gateway. Now, finally, it was Elle’s turn at the front of the class. In advance of the presentation, she’d written several notes on the white board. She turned to face the group. There were only six crew members now. Steve Milloy had gotten bumped when Elle, Ted, and the security team passed all the physical exams and were certified mission ready.

  Elle had been tasked with briefing the team about what to expect when they arrived at the destination. All that she could give them was an educated guess. There would undoubtedly be things about primordial Earth that no amount of modern research could tell them. But she did know some things and was happy to share that knowledge with the group.

  Jackson sat near the back of the room like a reluctant student. Elle tried not to take it personally.

  “Okay, I’ll give you guys a brief overview.” Elle was confident and relaxed, this was her comfort zone. “On the western edge of the North American plate, much of present-day California did not exist or was underwater until the Mesozoic era. There is some evidence of glaciation about thirty thousand years ago. This region largely escaped Pleistocene glaciation events.” She pointed toward the central coast of California on a map next to the white board. “Although, the biota was certainly affected by climatic variability during this time. The large valley between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast ranges was once a great inland sea.”

  Ken Wallace held up his hand.

  “You have a question?”

  “What does glaciation mean? Like, glaciers?”

  “Yes, sorry, it simply means a glacial period or that an area was covered by an ice sheet.” Elle had to remind herself that she wasn’t talking to a group of her peers. “Any other questions?”

  Wallace raised his hand again.

  “What’s biota?”

  “Oh, biota is an umbrella word for the animal and plant life of a habitat.” She paused. “Other questions?”

  It wasn’t her intention to talk over anyone’s head. Every profession had terminology that was specific to the field. She’d make an effort to simplify her word choices.

  “By the late Pleistocene era, sea level changes were less than twenty-five meters to over one hundred twenty-five meters and resulted in flooding and draining cycles of bays and estuaries, in fact, at one point, San Francisco Bay was completely empty.”

  “Pleistocene weather cycles have been well studied. There were over twenty glacial cycles during that period that averaged sixty thousand years, with ten-thousand-year periods of warming. Sea levels periodically dropped by one hundred and twenty meters, providing a connection between Siberia and Alaska via the Bering Land Bridge. Although, humanoid species of that era were only just beginning to venture from Africa.”

  “So, what exactly will it be like when we arrive?” Jackson sounded genuinely curious. She was sitting forward in her chair as if she were actually paying attention.

  This bolstered Elle’s confidence.

  “Dr. Hoffman and I have analyzed published data on over a hundred sea surface temperature records during the last interglacial period, taken from eighty-five marine sediment core sites. That temperature jump, the one we’re looking for, took place over several thousand years. This time, what we’re experiencing now, happened in barely a century.” She couldn’t help bringing it all home to their current problem. “The temperature will feel similar, maybe slightly warmer. And we should see many more animal species than we have today.”

  “Like what?” Wallace asked.

  “Sinclair owls with nearly a five-meter wingspan, gulls, and pelicans—lots of birds. Many more bird species than we have today.” Elle tilted her head and looked at the ceiling, recalling the list. “Let’s see…we should see bison, deer, and king snakes. and dire wolves and possibly saber-toothed cats.”

  “Wow.” Wallace whistled.

  “And conifers, lots of conifers.” Elle was pleased. This seemed to be going well. “Any other questions?”

  No one raised a hand or spoke.

  “Thank you, Dr. Graham.” Jackson joined her at the front of the room. “All of you have been given mission docs that outline our strategy, but just to talk through the plan briefly, we set down ten clicks from the Pacific shoreline. We establish base camp near the beach and spend twenty-four hours retrieving samples. We’ll be utili
zing ATVs for transport of equipment and personnel between the Slingshot and base camp.”

  When Jackson was in command mode she was pretty damn intimidating. Elle receded into the background even though she was only standing a few feet away. Jackson’s presence filled the space. She held everyone’s attention without even trying.

  “Does anyone have any questions?” Jackson paused. No one spoke. “Start time is zero-eight-hundred tomorrow. I recommend everyone get some rest so you’re mission ready in the morning. Those of you for whom this is your first junket on the Slingshot, you’re only allowed to bring one standard duffel of personal gear on board, so pack smartly. Bring layers for any type of weather and extra socks.”

  Jackson looked at Elle for the first time since she’d taken the floor.

  “Do you have anything else to add, Dr. Graham?”

  “No.” She looked at Ted. “Do you have anything to add, Dr. Hoffman?”

  Part of the research was his, but he always preferred it when Elle took charge of presentations. He wasn’t very confident as a speaker in front of a group.

  “I don’t have anything to add,” he responded.

  “There’s one last detail to take care of.” Jackson surveyed the group. “As you leave, report to the infirmary to receive your PTD.”

  “No one said anything about PTDs.” Nunez wasn’t happy.

  “I’m sorry, what’s a PTD?” Elle had no idea what they were talking about.

  “A personal tracking device. No one sets foot on the Slingshot without one.” Jackson was firm. “No one wants to get lost and left behind in an uncharted wilderness. Trust me on that one.”

  “Okay, everyone. We’ll begin our grand adventure tomorrow. Have a good night.” Jackson clapped Wallace on the shoulder as she filed out behind him and the others.

  Ted hung back. He waited until they were alone before he said anything.

  “I guess this is it.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. He’d been unusually quiet since they’d arrived on base. Even more quiet than normal. Elle figured he had more at stake. She was alone. He was leaving behind a wife and a child.

  “Yes, this is it. How are you feeling?”

  He shrugged.

  “Who knows what we’ll find when we get there.”

  That seemed oddly defeatist.

  “I hope we’ll find what we’re looking for.”

  He nodded and shuffled toward the door.

  * * *

  Elle waited for Harris to leave and then she was next up to meet with the medical technician. The serious looking woman in a white lab coat and scrubs motioned for her to sit. She settled nervously into an uncomfortable vinyl chair next to a square rolling tray of tools and meds. The technician sat on a squeaky rolling chair. In contrast to her serious demeanor, she playfully scooted from one spot to another without getting up, like a kid playing with her father’s office chair.

  “This will only sting a little.” She held something that looked like an injection gun. Not a gun really, but it had a trigger and a syringe looking chamber.

  “That’s what they always say.” Elle hated shots.

  The technician smiled for the first time but didn’t make eye contact. She was probing the tender underside of Elle’s wrist with her gloved fingers.

  “Okay, I’m going to inject this tiny locator device, just under the skin.”

  “How does it work?”

  “There’s a tracking device on the ship and also a handheld unit will read the signal.”

  “What’s the range?”

  “Infinite, unless you climb into a heavy steel box one hundred feet underground.”

  That was comforting, sort of.

  “Is it easy to remove when we return?”

  The woman made eye contact. “It’s a simple extraction.”

  A simple extraction. The words echoed inside her head. Every so often the past few days, Elle experienced moments of near panic. The reality of what they were about to attempt would present itself through some statement or action, and with crystal clarity, she was faced with the enormity of it all. A rush of adrenaline would follow, her heart rate would soar, and then a shiver would travel up her arms. She tried her best to hide her fear. If any of the others felt the same, they didn’t share it with anyone.

  She felt a stinging pinch on her wrist. The technician had injected the tiny device while she’d been distracted.

  “All done.” The technician placed the device on the table.

  “Thank you.” Elle rubbed her wrist. She could feel the tiny hard capsule beneath her skin.

  There was some comfort in knowing that of all the myriad of things that could possibly go wrong on this expedition, getting lost wasn’t going to be one of them. One less thing to worry about.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Jackson wanted to check ship preparations, sort of her own version of a pre-flight checklist. Her gear was packed so she dropped the small duffel bag on the floor next to her bed and headed toward the staging area. Flight support technicians and engineers in white coveralls swarmed around the Slingshot.

  “Good evening, Commander,” Saro Eiseley, the chief engineer for the SLST program greeted her as she approached.

  “Hello, Saro. I’m just checking in.” Saro Eiseley was as good-looking as she was smart. Jackson wasn’t sure exactly how the program had been able to recruit such a talented engineer as Saro, especially since she had no military background and a general distrust of government. Both those details assured Jackson that she’d always get an honest report from Saro, because she didn’t suck up or play nice just to get ahead.

  “We’re mission ready within the hour.” Saro ran her fingers through her short dark hair, sweeping it off her forehead. Her olive skin contrasted warmly against the white coveralls. Her green eyes were laser focused on something just past where Jackson had come to a stop. “Hey, Lopez and Walsh! Get that case off the platform…now!” She shook her head. “Make that mission ready within an hour and ten.”

  “You’re tough.” She wondered if she worked under Saro if she’d measure up. Possibly not. This was what you wanted from a chief engineer though, perfection. Or as close to perfection as was humanly possible. There were enough other variables that couldn’t be anticipated once an aircraft got under way. Eliminating as many variables as possible before the figurative moment of wheels up could mean the difference between success and failure, injury or death. The Slingshot didn’t actually have wheels. The curved underside of the ship was cradled by a platform that dropped away as the ship started to rise and gain speed.

  “I heard you have sort of a green crew for this tour.” Saro was scanning a readout on a tablet, checking things off. She spoke without looking up.

  “They’ll be okay.” Jackson tried to sound confident. “We’ve got a non-military science detail from BIOME on this ride.”

  “Yeah, I met Dr. Graham.” Saro arched an eyebrow. “Wow. She’s smart, among other things.”

  Why was Elle talking to Saro? She pumped the brakes on getting annoyed. She had to remind herself that civilians played by different rules when it came to chain of command.

  “She had questions about the transport containers and how much water you could bring back with the samples.” Saro answered her unasked question.

  “We’re all good then? She was happy with the setup?”

  “Yeah, we’re good.”

  “Okay, well, I’m going to check in with the team before lights out. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Have a good night, Commander.” One of the technicians walked up just as they finished talking. Saro followed the technician over to take a look at a digital readout screen near one of the ship’s sensors.

  Jackson rode the elevator back down to the dormitory level. The civilian quarters were on the opposite side of the cafeteria. People milled about as they finished dinner. Others loitered in the corridor chatting or with towels, heading to the gym or indoor pool.

  She was on her way to see Ted fi
rst, but he ended up passing her in the hallway before she actually reached his room. He was lost in thought and didn’t even see her. Seeing him from a few yards away with his head down, rubbing his temple with his fingers, she finally remembered where she’d seen him. He was the guy from BIOME who’d been in the accident north of the city. The accident that had been attributed to an AI failure.

  “Ted.”

  He passed her and looked back when he heard his name.

  “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t see you, Captain.” He walked back to where she stood in the center of the wide corridor.

  “I’m making the rounds, checking in with everyone.”

  He nodded but didn’t say anything.

  “Are you okay?” He didn’t look okay. He looked very distracted, which bothered her.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” He blinked rapidly. “We report to the ship at eight o’clock, right?”

  “Yes.” She decided she had to ask about the crash. “I think I’ve seen you before.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yeah. Were you in an auto accident just north of the city a few days ago?”

  His eyes widened and he glanced over his shoulder. Why did that question make him so nervous?

  “Yes, that was me.”

  He seemed so unnerved by the question, why?

  “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  “Yeah, I was lucky. No one got hurt.” He motioned with his thumb toward the cafeteria. “I was just going to get something to drink before they close up.”

  “Sure.” She watched him back away. “Get some rest.” He looked as if he needed it.

  “I will. Thanks.”

  Ted was a puzzle. He was super quiet and kept to himself. She wondered if Elle and Ted were actually close or if they were simply lab partners, with no personal connection. He seemed like a hard guy to warm up to.

  Jackson continued down the hallway until she reached the rooms adjacent to Ted’s where Harris and Nunez were, across the hall from each other. Both doors were open; she checked with Nunez first. He was seated at the foot of his bunk cleaning a handgun.