Undersea

Chapter 14: Final Days, The Cost, and The Space Between

Many weeks went by and during Sarah's days with the professor they often took the modified harvester out to set and retrieve traps. They devised safer methods for moving baited traps to and from the harvester. As they worked Sarah always tried to take advantage of their time together, for Professor Dodson was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects. Sarah learned much in those moments, but when she asked about Undersea, what its intent had been at it's founding, and what he thought about where it was now he was at a loss for words.

"We wanted to make a safe space," he said sadly one day, "away from the troubles above. That doesn't sound so bad does it? Where we could be at peace. To be a refuge and a light to all. It sounded so good and it should have worked..."

"But...?" said Sarah hoping to hear more.

"But, well, it's hard to flee trouble when we bring it with us in ourselves. I'm wondering if it doesn't matter where humans go. We will always bring our sins, whatever they may be." The professor stared out the cab window at the murk of the deep as they crawled along. "You know," he said after a bit, "I've started to read some of that book your friend Beamer gave me. It's the only thing I've found that offers any real explanation as to how things have gotten in Undersea."

"And how have things gotten in Undersea?" asked Sarah to see what he would say.

The professor gave her a tired smile and sighed. "I don't have to worry about you Sarah," he said, "that you'd run off and report what I say to Sir LaRosa or his minions. And that would be enough to illustrate how things have gotten. One man holds power and rules with fear. He has now consolidated that power and is not above any plot, scheme, or action that would help him retain it."

There was silence in the cab.

"Mawdeep," the professor murmured after a bit, more to himself then to Sarah, "I have serious doubts there ever was such a place. Know that this is not how Undersea started," he said louder, "the warring and all the intrigue. But that is what it became. The more I read from Beamer's book the more I realize how inevitable it was. A city, though founded with good intentions, can't be maintained by good feelings alone."

"So what is the answer professor?" asked Sarah.

The professor gave her a knowing smile. "Oh Sarah, you would understand better then I, you've read the whole book!"

They had more conversations after that, and by the time the professor had finished Beamer's book he accepted it.

"It's funny," said the professor to Sarah soon after, "I prided myself on being open before and to pursuing the truth in what ever I studied. It is only now that I actually feel open, so to speak."

It turned out that many more in Undersea where getting their hands on Beamer's book as well. One evening Claird, the guard from the big house on the wall, came to the front door and asked for Sarah. Her words to him before they parted had rattled around in his head and given him no rest. He wanted to know more and he was not denied. It became quietly known in Undersea where to get the book and many sought it; secretly though, for Sir LaRosa had spoken against it numerous times on his broadcasts.

Emmie would come to the house and visit, sometimes Jack too; though he was kept under stricter watch now that Sir LaRosa had conceived plans for his future. Jack was not going to end up like Sarah, Sir LaRosa had vowed. But Emmie and Jack would always take with them any extra books Beamer had (which where few, such was the demand) to be distributed in secret to those who sought.

Soon there were meetings being held in Shafer and Vi's house, and Shafer would speak and teach from those blue kelp pages. Others went out and began to speak and teach too. At gatherings, at lunch breaks, when buying food, and in the streets these things were talked about and it was not long before a copy of Beamer's book found it's way onto Sir LaRosa's desk. He stiffened when he saw it, paged though it, and then a blind rage took him. The big house on the wall was turned inside out on his orders and more books were found. Then from that house no news came and Sarah was not a little concerned. Swift retribution and inquiries where made as to where the book had originated, but Sir LaRosa suspected that he knew and resolved to stamp it out once and for all.