Dark Water (A Dark Life Fanfiction) [edited]

Chapter 4

Pulling up my helmet, I sighed seeing it was full of water. There was no point in wasting time trying to empty it. I looked at Ty and Gemma who were having trouble getting up. Grabbing Ty's arm, I helped them up. Signing quickly, I told him we needed to leave right now. A second later the sub lifted off the sea floor, sailing into the darkness. Gemma followed Ty, step for step. I hauled the manta boards out of the muck before following. Ty kept walking until we reached a needle-nosed vehicle that was whirling around in a brine pool. A Topsider's toy. A beauty. Expensive, too.

Ty and Gemma shimmied up to the gel-filled ring at the entry port. I followed soon after I had hooked the manta boards to the jet's tail. The manta boards now resembled real manta rays. I walked into the bridge and smiled seeing Ty and Gemma sitting at the controls. Gemma looked as if Ty wouldn't let her drive.

After unsealing my helmet, I inhaled coughing up some water. I dumped the water from my helmet and put it away into a locker. I sighed relieved that Gemma had turned on the vehicle's depressurization system. My smiled faded when Gemma tried to cough up the Liquigen.

"Don't hack it out." I instructed. "It's harder on your lungs."

She swallowed, and then inhaled to evaporate the rest. I looked out the viewing dome as Ty piloted it toward the Trade Station. They slowly started talking about the difference between a minisub and the jet fin that we were in. A question caught my attention.

"It's true, isn't it?" About the children down here?" She asked.

I looked at her coolly as she stared at Ty with fascination. I was waiting to see his reaction. When he remained silent, I answered the question.

"Topsiders say a lot about pioneer kids. It's all chum." I said calmly. "We're just like you."

"No, you're not," she persisted.

Ty's face contorted momentarily. He looked as if she had jabbed him with her flashlight. I gave her a hard look.

"How so?" I inquired harshly.

She paused. "You are. You have a Dark Gift." she accused.

My expression calmed slowly, as did Ty's.

"Dark Gifts are a myth." I added another distant comment, which may have been rude. "So is the Kraken, by the way."

"But you found my sub!" She turned to Ty.

"I just followed the current, it's like a river."

"A river? That makes no sense," she scoffed.

Ty shook his head in disgust. "And you call us crazy..."

"Who does?"

"You," Ty said as we drew closer to the surface. "Topsiders."

"Oh, you mean from Above," She smiled softly.

"Yeah."

"You changed the subject!" She blurted frowning

"Look, there are a lot of 'real' things to worry about." Ty said

They went back and forth for a long while. Finally they fell quiet.

"What's that?!" Gemma gasped.

An enormous glowing ball appeared in the murky water. An island of light in the cobalt sea. I looked up at it, calmly.

"The Trade Station," I replied. "You rented the jet fin there."

"No, I was on top of the water. On a big floating ring with lots of people."

"That's just the Surface Deck. An elevator takes you down to the lower station. See the cable?" Ty nodded.

The Trade Station was tethered one hundred feet below the ocean's surface. A thick cable connected it to the floating platform while anchor chains secured it.

"Want to know what I do like about Topside?" Ty smiled, trying to lighten the tone.

She nodded, smiling softly

"Getting there!' He laughed as the jet fin was launched into the air and splashing back into the sea and surfacing again. Gemma smiled cheerfully. Ty always enjoyed skipping ships like stones.

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Thanks for reading. Sorry because of its shortness.