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...
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Cole and Abby drove them to the docks. Abby's cheeks were tear-stained and her eyes puffy. Kayla was caught between her desire to comfort Abby and her need to get home to her parents. After a long and tearful farewell, and one last, lingering kiss, Kayla boarded the submersible.
Jason and Garrison were already aboard. Jason's lips were tight and he fidgeted with the string on his bag. Kayla climbed into the co-pilot seat and did the pre-launch checklist with Garrison. And then they were off.
Kayla looked over her shoulder to check on Jason. His eyes were closed, but his breathing seemed normal and his hands were relaxed and lying in his lap. She became so engrossed in entering the coordinates for Atlantis, that she forgot about Jason for a moment and was startled to hear him snore. He'd fallen asleep! That was a far cry from their first trip. She smiled.
Looking out at the blue waters, Kayla felt peace for the first time in weeks. In spite of everything, she was going home. This was her world, and it was comforting. She only hoped her parents were waiting for her when she arrived.
Garrison kept up a lively conversation. He had more questions than she had answers. When he paused for a moment, she decided to question him.
"What are you studying?"
"Marine architecture. That's why I find Atlantis so fascinating. No one can believe it's endured for 30 years. The technology back then was so much more primitive. It's a wonder it's still functioning. There is no other structure like it in the world. I hope your Dr. Cooper will allow me to have a tour."
Kayla hoped so, too, but she was still nervous. He must have had a reason for refusing all those requests. She could only hope he wouldn't be too angry once he understood the situation. And Garrison seemed like a nice guy. She hoped he got his tour.
The hours ticked by. Jason woke up and joined in the conversation. Every now and then Kayla noticed him take a couple of deep breaths, but he didn't panic. Before long they saw Atlantis ahead in the distance. Kayla took the controls and guided the submersible into the moon pool.
Not surprisingly, no one was there to greet them. They climbed out of the submersible and secured it, then headed immediately for their quarters, Garrison in tow.
"Garrison can come with me. You go check on your parents."
Kayla nodded and gave Jason a smile of thanks, then headed for her living quarters.
"So that was the common area we just came through?" asked Garrison as they headed into Jason's pod.
"Yes, we have movie nights and game nights in there, as well as pod meetings and social events."
"How many families to a pod?"
"Usually five. A few have only four, because one is held empty for any newlyweds. We will be at full capacity in a couple of years, and either have to construct new pods or relocate people back to the surface. The plan right now is to begin construction in two years."
