On The Surface

Chapter 1

Deep below the ocean, several miles from shore, Kayla Greer was headed for work in the kitchens of Atlantis. Atlantis was an experimental colony, started 30 years ago by Dr. Alistair Cooper, just before the Collapse. The colony had been largely unaffected by the events on the surface. Once a month, Kayla worked the communal pantry. The rest of the time she worked in the kitchen baking.

She arrived in the kitchen, tied on an apron and covered her short, dark hair with a white cap. Grabbing the flour bin, she scooped some into a large bowl with some yeast, sugar and a pinch of salt. Then she added enough water to create a soft sponge, which she set aside to rise while she started the next batch. She was making three different kinds of bread today, a white, a whole wheat and a cinnamon-raisin.

Kayla plunged her hands into the dough, turned it out on the table and began to knead. It became smooth and supple under her skillful touch. As she continued to work, her mind wandered. What would it be like, to have grease under her nails instead of dough? To repair machines and see them come to life again. She sighed.

Kayla wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She grabbed the thick oven mitts and reached into the steaming hot cavern of the oven, pulling out a tray with six loaves of golden brown bread. The sumptuous aroma coiled around her, filling her nose. A thump and clatter somewhere behind her startled her, and the bread pans slipped from her grasp. Grabbing them with both hands, she slid the pans onto the counter and turned to see what had happened.

Gasping, she ran to her supervisor, Mrs. Jameson, who was lying on the hard, tile floor unconscious, empty pans scattered around her. Kayla hesitated. Mrs. Jameson had been complaining of stomach pain all morning. Now she was lying there, her breathing shallow. What if she was contagious? Kayla backed away, and grabbed a pair of plastic gloves from the box on the counter. She pulled her shirt up over her nose and mouth, pulling it down just long enough to call the Infirmary. Safety precautions in place, she returned to Mrs. Jameson, placed a folded towel beneath her head and knelt down to wait for the medics.

Soon they arrived, bearing a black tool box full of medical supplies. One of them patted Mrs. Jameson's cheek.

"Mrs. Jameson? Mrs. Jameson?" he said

The second medic grabbed her wrist with one hand and placed a stethescope on her chest with the other. After a few moments, they told Kayla to stay with her while they went to fetch a gurney. Kayla nodded and remained by her side until they returned.

The medics lifted Mrs. Jameson onto the gurney and wheeled her away. Once they were gone, Kayla lowered her shirt in relief. Just then a timer buzzed and she ran for the oven mitts, so she could remove the next batch of bread. She really hoped Mrs. Jameson would be alright. She enjoyed working for her, in spite of the fact that she would much rather be in Mechanical Engineering.

Community first, she could hear her mother say. Baking for the community was an important service and something she was good at doing. Still.... She shook her head. No point dwelling on the past. She had work to do.