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  Using her torchlight, Carrie hurriedly examined her leg, looking for evidence of a jellyfish sting or something else that would explain what was happening to her. As she did, she caught sight of the predator below. It began to take shape, but what she saw only confused her more. Her fear and desperation melted away as she watched, replaced with a calm, almost Zen-like state. Why had she been so afraid? She couldn’t remember. Then she decided that it didn’t matter. The creature was far more fascinating than her own foibles and insecurities. The thing below seemed to simultaneously surge upward and recede downward—an ever-changing, amorphous collection of segmented appendages, tentacles, beaks, blubber, and eyes—sharp-edged, spindly softness surrounded by an inky blackness that moved with it. With what little strength she had left, Carrie moved her torch, hoping to see it better. The creature paused, as if fearful of the light.

  Then, in the midst of the shifting blob, Carrie saw her dead mother.

  Mom…?

  “Hello, Carrie.”

  Something seized her arm, pulling hard. Still engulfed in calm, Carrie glanced up and saw Paolo. His expression was frantic. He tugged, urging her to swim. Carrie shrugged, trying to communicate that she was okay. When she attempted to point at her mother, she found that the strange paralysis that had now rendered both of her legs useless was creeping into her arms, as well.

  Paolo wrapped his arms around her mid-section and strained, kicking for the surface. Still clutching her torch, Carrie glanced downward. Her mother was gone. She opened her mouth to call out for her, and then—

  —they broke the surface, and Carrie coughed, gagging on seawater. Paolo gripped her tightly. She coughed again, struggling to breathe. Waves crashed over them both as Paolo guided them toward the boat.

  “Is she okay?” Abhi’s tone was alarmed.

  “Help me pull her up,” Paolo gasped. “I’m … losing strength.”

  Abhi pulled her from the water and into the boat. Sputtering, Carrie rolled onto her side, while the frantic boatswain’s mate assisted Paolo in climbing aboard. Paolo collapsed onto the deck, panting. Abhi stared at them both in concern.

  “I’m … fine…” Paolo waved him away. “Check on … Carrie…”

  “I’m … okay…” she rasped. “My leg…”

  “What’s wrong with your leg?” Abhi knelt at her side in concern.

  “Paralyzed…” Her voice was hoarse. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and her head throbbed.

  “Was it a jellyfish sting?” Abhi asked. “Let me see.”

  It took all of her strength just to shake her head and feebly wave him away. “Just let me … rest a moment…”

  Abhi’s expression turned grim and decisive. He stood up abruptly, fists clenched at his side.

  “Right. Both of you rest. That’s an excellent idea. You rest up while I take us in.”

  Paolo nodded. “You’ll get no argument from me.”

  “No,” Carrie protested, rolling over to face them. “We’re not … done out here.”

  “We most certainly are,” Paolo said. “At least for today. That was too close.”

  “Abhi…” Gritting her teeth, Carrie forced herself to sit up. “I’m in charge … here. We need to … stay.”

  Shaking his head, Abhi tipped his still-smoking pipe over the side, dumping the tobacco into the water. “What we need is to get you to a doctor.”

  “I’m okay,” she insisted. “Yes, I ran into trouble down there, and yes, something paralyzed me, but the sensation is passing. Feeling and movement are already returning. See?”

  She wiggled her leg, and then lifted it up and down, offering proof.

  Groaning with the effort, Paolo rose to his feet. “Let’s take your wetsuit off.”

  “Oh no,” Carrie joked. “You had your chance at that when we were at Scripps, buddy. That ship has now sailed.”

  Paolo offered a tight-lipped, humorless smile. “I see that you still make jokes when you are scared. But this is not the time for that. I’m serious. Take your wetsuit off and let me see what’s going on with your leg.”

  Carrie didn’t respond.

  “Abhi is right,” he continued. “We should leave. What if … whatever was down there … surfaces, or comes up under the boat?”

  “It won’t,” Carrie said. “I don’t think it will come to the surface. I think it’s afraid of the light.”

  “Wait a minute,” Abhi protested. “What thing? What are you talking about?”

  Paolo ignored him. “How can you be sure?”

  “You saw how it reacted to our torches. And when we neared the surface, and the sunlight was stronger, it stopped pursuing us. Call it a scientific hunch, but I don’t think it will come up here, unless it absolutely has to.”

  “I hope you are right.”

  “What thing?” Abhi demanded again.

  Still ignoring him, Paolo knelt beside Carrie and gently touched her leg. “Can you feel that?”

  Swallowing, Carrie nodded. “Barely. But yes, I can feel it.”

  “Lean forward.”

  He began to remove her wetsuit. Abhi turned away, clearly uncomfortable.

  “Paolo…” Carrie took a deep breath. “I’m telling you…”

  “I want to look at your leg,” he explained. “Just relax, Gatito.”

  His usage of ‘kitten’—their old term of endearment—surprised Carrie. Paolo hadn’t called her by that pet name since they broke up all those years ago. As he peeled the suit away, Carrie shivered, despite the sunlight and heat.

  “I don’t see any wounds,” Paolo observed. “Where was the approximate origin of the paralysis?”

  “Around my ankle, I guess. But it happened quickly. You know the sensation we both experienced earlier, on our lips?”

  Paolo nodded.

  “It was like that, but much quicker.”

  “But your leg and ankle weren’t exposed like your mouth was. The wetsuit was sealed.” Frowning, Paolo examined her ankle more closely. “I don’t see any marks. Nothing to indicate a sting.”

  “You were thinking a jellyfish?” Carrie asked.

  “Yes. It would make sense. Jellyfish blooms occur in the dead zones caused by hypoxia.”

  “But I didn’t see any jellyfish. Did you?”

  “No,” Paolo admitted. “Certainly not a bloom of them. But we can’t discount the possibility that we overlooked one. Our visibility was hampered, after all.”

  “And yet it was good enough that we both saw that thing.”

  Paolo started to reply, but then paused and simply nodded.

  “What thing?” Abhi demanded a third time. “If the two of you don’t start explaining what’s going on here, I’m going to mutiny and take us ashore.”

  “I don’t know what it was,” Carrie said. “It was something big, lurking in the collapsing trench. A territorial predator of some kind.”

  “A shark?”

  “No, not a shark. Like I said, I don’t know what it was. I only caught a few glimpses. But I have a theory.”

  Both Abhi and Paolo stared at her intently, listening.

  “I started to hallucinate,” she explained. “At first, I just felt the numbness around my mouth. But then, when I felt the water temperature change, I dropped a torch down into the collapse, and I sort of … zoned out. I started thinking about something that happened when I was a kid.”

  “I had a moment like that, as well,” Paolo confirmed. “It only lasted a few seconds, but I got distracted.”

  “Did you notice the temperature change?” Carrie asked.

  “Not at first. Not until you got my attention. As I said, I was … distracted.”

  “When it started to pursue us—when it got closer—that’s when the numbing sensation overcame the rest of me, starting with my leg. At the same time, I started hallucinating, again.”

  “What did you see?” Abhi asked.

  “My mother. And she’s been dead for almost two years.”

  “Oh, Carrie…” Abhi’s
voice was thick with emotion. “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you, Abhi, but I’m fine. Really. It was just a hallucination, I know that. You didn’t experience anything else, Paolo?”

  “No.”

  “I think that’s because you were closer to the surface than I was. I think that thing, whatever it was, sends out hallucinogenic neurotoxins through the water to pacify its prey. Similar to an Irukandji jellyfish. I knew it was there. I knew it was observing me. But I felt no fear. Just like when Peter and I dived. I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t concerned at all. If anything, I just wanted to surrender.”

  “Okay, then.” Abhi strode toward the motor. “That sounds good to me. I vote we surrender.”

  “But,” Paolo said, ignoring Abhi and turning to Carrie, “if it’s a neurotoxin, why would the effects have been stronger this time? Why wouldn’t it have impacted both of us like this on the previous dive?”

  “Because I was closer to it this time. Because it turned aggressive. And in doing so, it flooded the water with a much larger dosage. Enough that it was able to somehow penetrate my wetsuit.”

  Abhi started the motor and raised his voice to be heard over it. “I’m glad that you are both okay. We’ve done a lot of science today. Hooray for science.”

  Carrie stood up. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m driving,” Abhi explained. “You did your science. Now it’s time to go home.”

  “No,” Carrie said, “now it’s time we apply what we’ve learned and go back down there.”

  Abhi sighed. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.”

  Grinning, Carrie walked toward him. “And step aside, Abhi. This time, I’m driving.”

  “No,” he insisted, gently but firmly pushing her away, “you are not. You may be in charge, Carrie, but I’m the pilot of this boat.”

  “You’re serious,” she said, surprised. “What gives, Abhi?”

  He stared straight ahead, and hesitated before answering her.

  “What gives is that I’m scared,” he admitted. “I don’t like being out here. Something about this area feels wrong. But, here we are, and if we’re not heading back to land anytime soon, then I need something to do. Piloting our boat makes me feel better. It takes my mind off things.”

  “Okay,” Carrie conceded. “Fair enough. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Abhi said. “You have nothing to apologize for. Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

  “I will.”

  “Good. Now, tell me where we are going.”

  SEVEN

  Resolving to steer clear of the territorial predator they’d encountered in the collapsing trench, Carrie had Abhi motor themselves a few miles to the east, on the opposite side of the trench, where a coral reef was collapsing into the breach.

  “We’ve already surveyed those effects,” Paolo said.

  “Yes,” Carrie agreed, “but not at length, because that thing showed up. We need more samples. Plus, I want to test a theory regarding these supposed neurotoxins. We begin experiencing electrical interference, paralysis, and hallucinations below eighty meters. But the collapse of the reef in this location begins well before that. It’s much closer to the surface. I propose we stay above the eighty-meter mark. And we’re going to use those communicators Abhi brought along. If they begin to fail, it’s an early indicator that the predator is in the area.”

  Abhi rummaged through the gear and produced the pair of radios. They were compact enough to fit in a diver’s ear. He handed them to Carrie, who handed one of them to Paolo and the other back to Abhi.

  “Okay. Now, Abhi?”

  “Yes?”

  “Since Paolo and I obviously can’t talk underwater, you’ll need to keep up a steady stream of chatter.”

  “About what?”

  “About anything. Just make sure you keep talking. If the radio starts to fail, or if Paolo can’t hear you, then we know the creature is in our proximity, at which point Paolo will warn me.”

  “Why do I have to listen to him prattling in my ear?” Paolo asked. “Why can’t you wear it?”

  “Because my eyesight is better underwater than yours,” Carrie answered. “I’m going to be watching for that thing while you focus on collecting samples.”

  “And what if your theory about the communicators is wrong?”

  “Then we’ll need to stay aware. If either one of us begins to experience tingling or numbing, or if we start to hallucinate, or if the temperature changes suddenly, we need to let the other know right away.”

  Paolo appeared unconvinced. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Carrie.”

  “I hope so, too.”

  “Just remember,” Abhi muttered. “I voted that we all go back to shore.”

  * * *

  The creature stalked the intruder, following it from below, safe in the comforting shadows of the trench. So far, the intruder had stayed above the surface, basking in the hated sunlight, while it sent the two little parasites out to steal the creature’s food.

  The creature experienced a new sensation—something it was totally unfamiliar with, until now.

  Fear.

  The creature was afraid. Afraid of the intruder who could withstand the light, and who ignored the creature’s clearly designated claim on this part of the ocean. Afraid of the intruder’s little parasites. Afraid of the small lights that came from them, disrupting the darkness. This new sensation was most unwelcome.

  Despite its fear, the creature had let the parasites take the frozen animal from the web. The crab was only one of many. A single morsel. The creature had remained passive, content to allow the theft, lest the parasites bring more light into its domain, or discover what else was here.

  Now, however, as the intruder crept along above, the creature’s frustration and fear slowly gave way to anger and aggression. The intruder was approaching an important place—a place the creature would defend to the death, if need be.

  Its agitation simmered as the intruder slowed to a halt far above. The water grew frigid as the creature seethed.

  Steeling itself, the creature sank deeper into the shadows, where it watched and waited.

  * * *

  At just below eighty meters, Paolo reached the coral shelf and found it littered with more frozen sea creatures and plant life. He quickly gathered samples while Carrie hovered above him, nervously standing guard. It was hard for him to focus on the task at hand—especially with Abhi prattling like a maniac in his ear.

  “And then, I remember we were in Rota, Spain. Or maybe it was Palma. Definitely one of those. The ship’s boiler was broken, so our port stay was extended a full month, but I didn’t mind. I had a girl there. She was … Damn, what was her name? Camila? Catilina? Carinna? Hell, I don’t remember. It was so long ago … Anyway, I might not remember her name, but I remember her eyes, and her laugh, and the things she could do with her…”

  The older man’s voice sounded strange and tinny through the tiny speaker, distorted by distance and depth. Shaking his head in annoyance, Paolo scooped several tiny fish from the shelf and sealed them in a sample bag. All of them were stiff, and felt more like plastic than flesh. Abhi, meanwhile, continued.

  “… because they have iguanas in Cuba like America has squirrels. The damn things are just running around everywhere. Anyway, we were on our way back to the ship after a long night of drinking, and my friend, Miller—this crazy guy from Texas—catches one of these iguanas and tries to bring it on board. But the quartermaster catches him with it right away, because they searched our bags, and when he tries to take it away from Miller, the iguana scrambles up, bites the quartermaster on the nose, and starts scratching and clawing his arms. It was horrible, but also one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.”

  Abhi’s laughter made Paolo’s head hurt. Trying his best to ignore it, he clipped the sample bag to his belt, and turned his attention back to the decaying reef. He noticed a large swath of broken coral that looked like it had been gouged
, as if by enormous claws or talons. Then, below that, he spotted something especially curious—a nest of eggs that he could not immediately identify. They weren’t tapioca pudding-shaped glob-like fish eggs, nor were they the distinct, oddly shaped mermaid’s purse laid by sharks. Indeed, they seemed to embody characteristics of both jellyfish and octopus eggs, while simultaneously displaying mammalian traits, as well. They were polyp-shaped, like the eggs of a jellyfish, and strung across the overhanging coral like those of an octopus. But while an octopus’s eggs were soft and translucent, these eggs had a hard, brown shell that looked almost rock-like. He poked one experimentally with his index finger, confirming its density.

  “… and I had no choice but to admit I’d taken the wine–that was how I ended up going to Captain’s Mast for the sixth time,” Abhi continued. “After that, I decided to join the merchant marines, instead. They were a lot more easygoing when it came to such matters.”

  Confident that he still had enough oxygen in his lungs, Paolo signaled Carrie. She gave him an okay sign with her hand. Then, with Abhi babbling in his ear about an incident involving a dog and a one-legged man at a laundromat in Kenya, Paolo reached again for the nest.

  * * *

  Carrie watched Paolo dive down for the sample, and marveled at his stamina. She had to admit, however begrudgingly, that despite his arrogance, she was impressed with his abilities. Even amongst other free divers, she seldom encountered anybody else who could match her skills, but so far, Paolo had done so without complaint or struggle. She had also been taken aback by his genuine concern and the care in his voice earlier.

  The years have been good to him, she thought. He’s grown up a lot.

  She found herself wondering if he was currently involved with anyone. She couldn’t remember if he’d mentioned a wife or girlfriend. Her mind wandered back to when they’d been younger, caught in the rain on their third date, absolutely soaked to the bone, laughing, sputtering, blinking water from their eyes, and then he had pulled her close …