Born and raised beneath the sea, Kayla has never been to the surface. She never really wanted to go. Now she has no choice. A deadly virus has invaded her home and the only hope for a cure lies above. With the hospital overflowing, she and Jason ar...
Jason and Kayla looked around the theater, wide-eyed.Their mouths hung open. It was a relatively small one, with only six screens, but to them it was enormous. Abby insisted you couldn't go to the theater without having popcorn, so they lined up at the snack bar. Popcorn, soda and jujubes in hand, they headed down the hall to find their seats.
Jason and Kayla stopped dead in the middle of the aisle. The previews had begun. Abby had to drag them to their seats. She picked three in the middle of the 8th row and they settled in for the feature. Jason and Kayla were glued to the screen.
As they left the theater, Abby's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out.
" Joe called. The guy at the college says he doesn't think he can get permission to use the submersible. It's scheduled out three months. But he'd like to meet with you guys. What do you think?"
"Three months? We can't wait three months!" Kayla exclaimed. "
"Why does he want to meet with us?" Jason asked.
Abby shrugged. "I don't know, but Joe needs an answer. He's waiting on the line."
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The next day they piled into Cole's SUV and headed for the campus of Savannah State University. They had agreed to meet Joe's contact in the student union. His office, he said, was slightly smaller than a shoe box. The student union was easy enough to find. It was a large room, scattered with tables and sofas, most of which were empty. They grabbed some seats and Cole went to buy them all a coffee. He had just sat down when a thin man wearing a blue pullover sweater and a pair of khaki's approached the table.
"Cole Cooper?"
"Yes," Cole stood and shook his hand.
"I'm Garrison Waite."
Cole made the introductions, then Garrison took a seat across from Kayla and Jason. He leaned forward, his arms resting on the table. His eyes were bright blue and lively.
"So you're the two that came from Atlantis?"
Kayla and Jason nodded, feeling a bit like they were exhibits at the zoo.
"What was it like, growing up so far away from society?"
"Well," Kayla responded, "I never felt we were far away from society, we just had our own society down there."
"Interesting. Do you agree, Jason?"
Jason pondered for a moment. "I don't know. I've always been curious about the world, always wanted to see things, do things. A lot of times Atlantis felt like a cage."
Kayla looked at him, eyebrows raised. "I never knew you felt like that."
"Well, we weren't exactly buddy-buddy down there."
She laughed. "You're right about that."
Garrison continued to question them, asking about life in Atlantis, and then moving on to more technical questions about things like desalinization and air scrubbers. They answered his questions as best they could, then he finally got to the heart of the matter.
"I know Joe told you how difficult it is to get time on the submersible. It generally takes 3-4 months to get a 4 hour window. From what I understand, its a 4 hour trip to Atlantis, one way?"
They nodded.
"I spoke to my thesis advisor today. Are you aware that Dr. Cooper has refused numerous requests from the scientific community to visit Atlantis?"
Kayla and Jason exchanged a glance. It was news to them.
Garrison continued. "My advisor thinks that if you will agree to let me visit Atlantis, we may be able to jump the line, so to speak, and get the submersible within a few days. The other scientists will be as curious about it as we are, and eager to get as much information as they can."
"We can't contact Atlantis right now, and we don't really have the authority to authorize a visit. Especially if Dr. Cooper has been refusing them," said Kayla
"Hold on a minute. If you take us to Atlantis, you can at least see the common areas, maybe talk to a few people. Sometimes its better to beg forgiveness than ask permission. We need to get home." Jason responded.
"You're right. It's worth a try." What was the worst that could happen? Dr. Cooper would throw him out and give them a reprimand?
"Great!" said Garrison. "I should know by tomorrow when we can get the submersible. I'll give you a call, and then we'll get you home."
A snail crossing the sidewalk moved faster than the next two days. Kayla jumped every time a phone rang. She was growing irritable and short-tempered, snapping at everyone, even Abby.
"Kayla, could you show me how to bake bread? Cookies I can manage. Even muffins. But I'm clueless about bread."
Kayla agreed and she and Abby donned their aprons and started gathering ingredients and supplies. Soon the dough was on the rise and so was Kayla's mood. They decided to make a batch of cookies while they let the dough proof. As soon as the scent of cookies started wafting through the house, Cole and Jason crawled out from their respective hidey holes and wandered into the kitchen. Abby poured glasses of milk for everyone and Kayla put a plate of warm cookies in the middle of the table. They all took a seat and started to eat.
Cole noticed the bread pans on the counter, covered with a towel.
"Are you making Anise Bread?" he asked, eyes glittering.
"Anise Bread?" Kayla asked, one eyebrow raised.
"It's her grandmother's recipe. She usually only makes it on the holidays."
"Oh, really?" said Kayla
"Thanks, Dad," Abby blushed. "I'm sorry, Kayla, I just thought baking would help you settle down. You've been so out of sorts."
"I have been rather a crank, haven't I? I'm sorry. I just wish we would hear something already. I feel like every day we wait may mean we're one day too late...."
Everyone gave her a smile or a pat on the shoulder, reassuring her that she was forgiven and they understood. She spent the rest of the day and late into the evening in the kitchen. By the time she was done, there were four kinds of cookies, two kinds of muffins and six loaves of bread. The whole house smelled like a bakery, and Jason and Cole were so stuffed they could hardly move. Kayla sat down on the couch and sighed. She put her feet up on the coffee table and laid her head back, closing her eyes. For the first time in days, she felt her muscles relax.
The next morning the call came. If they could be ready to leave tomorrow, they could get the submersible. Otherwise it was going to be at least two weeks. Cole told him they'd be ready and they agreed to meet at the dock at 6 am.
Kayla made two copies of Abby's contact information and gave one to Jason for safe keeping. She even made Abby give her the street address. Whatever happened, she wanted to be sure they didn't lose contact.
She and Abby stayed up far too late, just holding each other and talking. When they finally fell asleep, they were both in Abby's bed. They stayed there, wrapped in each other's arms, until Cole shook them awake at 5 am.
"Come on, time to go"
****Author's note: So they are finally heading back to Atlantis. But what will they find when they arrive? Keep reading! This story isn't over yet.******
