Ocean: The Sea Warriors (8 page)

The attractive young French student, Pauline Deveaux, said something to Chi’ang in a low voice. He nodded, and fell silent.

A woman asked where Moanna came from. To this Kimo replied, “You will need to experience her sacred presence, and then you will see that the answer—whatever it might be—does not really matter in the least. It only matters that the goddess occupies her hallowed domain, ruling over the waves and all that lies beneath them, and that she is guiding our important work.”

“You make it sound like a religion,” the woman said.

“Perhaps it needs to be,” Alicia said, “to make humans revere the seas, instead of raping them. Maybe there should be a blue religion.”

It was a startling juxtaposition of thoughts and images, and everyone fell silent. Even Chi’ang, who had apparently not thought of this concept.

A short while later ,he long, sleek jetfish pod returned to Hawaii and beached itself in Crimson Cove, where it created an opening on the top of the mottled hull for the passengers to disembark. It was early afternoon on a sunny Saturday, and as the people climbed out into the shallow water and waded to the beach, they were greeted by Jiddy Rahim, from his perch above them on the hillside.

“Greetings ladies and gentlemen!” he shouted, standing in front of his cave entrance. “I have prepared pots of coffee for you, and gourmet foods from my state-of-the-art kitchen.”

“Don’t pay any attention to him,” Kimo shouted to everyone in a loud voice. Grinning up at Jiddy, he added, “He never has any coffee around here, but likes to imagine he’s taking java breaks at all hours, and sometimes I humor him by attending.”

Jiddy laughed uproariously, and made his way down the narrow trail to the beach, where he spoke with some of the passengers.

Now, for several minutes Kimo stood in shallow water, pressing his face against the red, translucent side of the amalgamated creature, while gently massaging it. When he was finished and the jetfish were separating and swimming out into the cove, he strode over to Jiddy and gave him a hug.

“So,” Jiddy said, “who’s the craziest between us? The one who talks to sea critters or the one who imagines the rich smell of coffee?”

“We’re quite a pair, my friend, quite a pair.”

Alicia helped Gwyneth out and made certain she had a comfortable place to sit on a driftwood log, then rounded up several of the younger men to help Danny Ho unload the remaining containers of food. By prior arrangement, Jiddy pitched in to help, in exchange for which Danny would give him as much of the remaining food as he could pack into a large steel storage chest in his cave at the cove. The men also unloaded the toilets and reserve holding tanks, which would be picked up later in the day by a contractor, one of Kimo’s many cousins.

On the beach, the volunteers enjoyed the picnic Kimo had promised, while he and Alicia chatted with the group in relaxed tones, and provided them with additional information. Every once in awhile, Alicia checked on Gwyneth to see if she was all right—and the girl seemed to be quite content, collecting small, colorful shells from the beach and returning to her log where she sat and examined each of them in detail. Somehow, without Alicia seeing her, she had apparently been swimming, because she was dripping wet in her jeans and a pastel pink blouse, having removed her sweater and tossed it on the sand. She sat in direct sunlight, warming herself.

Alicia, wearing a light blue, two-piece swimsuit with Hawaiian flower designs on it, found her own place to sit on the warm red sand, beside Pauline Deveaux, with Vinson Chi’ang on the other side of the young Frenchwoman. Ever since Alicia’s testy exchange with him onboard the jetfish craft, the Asian-American man had been relatively silent, but did not seem to be brooding.

Now Pauline looked at Alicia and grinned as she asked, “Will Moanna turn me into a mermaid?”

Chi’ang didn’t move or even seem to hear her when she said this, and appeared to be deep in his own thoughts.

“I don’t think so,” Alicia said, with a gentle smile. She took a bite out of a turkey and swiss-cheese sandwich, savoring the flavors as she thought of the raw, uncooked fare she would be consuming in the ocean for the next few days, when she and Kimo would coach any of the volunteers who were successfully transformed how to eat. It wasn’t that she disliked the more natural fare; it was just that she was not quite used to it herself, and thus far she had been able to eat on land whenever she felt like it. That was all likely to change very soon.

Near her on the sand, a bearded, older man had heard Pauline’s question, and he commented, in a British accent, “I am a marine-biology professor specializing in extinct species of sea life, but I also have a doctorate in mythology, with considerable knowledge of the legends of the sea.” He paused, tipped a green beret he was wearing and added, “Allow me to introduce myself. Professor Marcus Greco, at your service.”

“Nice to meet you,” Alicia said. “I remember picking you up on the Thames River.”

“Yes, that is correct.” His brown eyes twinkled. “Your Moanna is of great interest to me. You say she has already transformed both you and Kimo, in slightly different ways. But what if Miss Deveaux’s question is not so far-fetched? What if Moanna
could
transform her into a mermaid, and the rest of us into other creatures with tails, flippers, fins, or other non-human means of propelling ourselves through the sea?”

“That is something only Moanna knows,” Alicia said. “But I assume the new hybrids will just receive gills, swim bladders, plankton filtration systems, enhanced arterial systems, heightened underwater hearing abilities, and other changes that will not show much on the outside—just as Kimo and I have received.”

Professor Greco nodded, and said to her, “I’m sure that is the case. What a great adventure this is! Kimo is like Poseidon, the god of the ocean, while you, Alicia, are like the beautiful goddess Venus, who Thomas Bullfinch said sprang ‘from the foam of the sea.’ He said that Venus was taken to an ‘assembly of the gods,’ where ‘all were charmed with her beauty, and each one demanded her for his wife.’ Yes, Alicia, you remind me very much of Venus.”

Alicia blushed, but accepted the compliment, and assumed that this charming older man was not flirting with her—and if he was, she hoped he did not have any ulterior motive in mind.

“I thought the god of the sea was Neptune,” Pauline said.

Greco smiled, knowingly. “Neptune was the ancient Greek name, and the Romans later worshiped this deity as Poseidon. Similarly, the name Venus was from Italian mythology, in which she was the goddess of gardens and spring. The Romans later called her Aphrodite.”

“That’s interesting,” Pauline said.

“We have a lot of smart people with us,” Kimo said, having come over and sat on the sand while the professor was talking. He shook hands with Greco, and added, “Glad to have you with us.”

“I’m pleased to be aboard!” the man exclaimed. “May the gods protect us in the task we are about to undertake!”

***

Chapter 11

Since picking up the volunteers, Kimo’s leadership skills had become apparent, and he knew Alicia was impressed by this. A short while ago, she’d told him that he seemed to be evolving in front of her eyes, becoming a stronger and more interesting person all the time. He’d asked her if that meant he had seemed dimwitted before that.

In response, she’d laughed and kissed him tenderly on the mouth. “I love everything about you,” she’d said, “even when you say dumb things.”

On one level, Kimo wished he didn’t have to progress so quickly, so that he could catch his breath and think about things more, preparing himself better, and his followers, too. So many startling events had occurred that they made his head spin. Things were spinning—no,
rushing
—beyond his control, and he was having to go full-tilt to even come close to keeping up. He felt as if he was in the wake of very big changes that were occurring in the ocean and on the entire planet, and yet here he stood in front of more than two hundred volunteers gathered around him on the Crimson Cove beach, awaiting his instructions. Alicia looked attractive beside him in her blue, two-piece swimsuit.

He lifted his voice to be heard. “Today you are all going to experience something you could never have imagined possible. We will journey to a secret, mysterious place in the ocean—the deep domain of Moanna, the Goddess of the Sea. Do not expect to see her face or body, because she has an amorphous, indefinable form, but one of constancy—an eternal presence in the ocean waters since the beginning of time. I expect that she will speak, using what she calls molecular communication, and she will impart some of her infinite wisdom for your benefit.”

Alicia said, “Of course, you’ve already experienced the remarkable, almost unbelievable, jetfish voyage here—but prepare yourselves for something even more extraordinary, and stunning. For a long time, intelligent humans have realized that the ocean is incredibly vast and mysterious, harboring many, many secrets. Some have called it ‘the last frontier.’ But the ocean is more than the physical place that human beings have come to think of it as. It is a mythical realm come to life, a sacred domain that goes beyond anything humans can ever fully comprehend. Moanna
is
the ocean, and we all came from the sea millions and millions of years ago. She is our mother; she is the Womb of the Ocean.”

When she finished, Kimo turned his head and gazed out on the waters of the cove, with the eternal waves lapping gently against the beach. He thought of how peaceful the sea could be, and violent, too, during storms—as if it had a full range of emotions. For some time now he had been feeling the pain of the ocean, and of the creatures inhabiting it, and now he intended to do something about it. Filled with emotion, he thought of his father, Tiny Pohaku, who’d played an important role in sending him on this mission.

Turning back to the volunteers, Kimo said, “I can’t guarantee that all of you will be transformed into hybrids. I can’t even promise that all of you will
survive
this experience—or that
any
of you will. But if it’s any comfort, I was born an ordinary human being and so was Alicia—and both of us were transformed in incredible ways by Moanna afterward, so that we might serve her. I realize that an example of two people is not a universe of all; there may be problems with some, or all of you….”

Alicia touched Kimo’s tattooed arm, reminded him in a low voice to explain in advance how they were going to float out into the deep water from here, and how they were then going to dive into the depths of the ocean.

Kimo nodded, said to the volunteers, “Try to think of the next step as catching a bus out to the place we will dive, and then boarding an elevator to take us down.” Turning to look at the water again, he made a loud, low-range tone, like a foghorn. As he did this, a number of large, flat whitefish surfaced in the water. “Skatefoils,” he said. “Alicia and I have ridden them ourselves. It is like being on a raft that glides smoothly over the water.”

Alicia heard the volunteers whispering among themselves. A number of them were wide-eyed, while others looked skeptical. Off to one side, Gwyneth just stared out at the sparkling blue sea, expressionless. Her jeans and sweater appeared to have dried.

Moments ago, after Kimo mentioned Moanna, Alicia had heard Gwyneth murmuring the name over and over, in a reverent tone. “Moanna, Moanna, Moanna….”

“We have an alternative mode of surface transport as well,” Kimo said, as many of you have already experienced. “Alicia will generate waves to take a number of you out to the diving place, not far from shore.” Then, looking at her, he asked, “How many people do you think you can get aboard each wave? Still four?”

“Let’s see how large a wave I can generate today,” Alicia said. “The water is warmer here, and more pleasant to me than in other parts of the world. Maybe I can do better.”

She waded into the water up to her waist, and gazing out on the sun-drenched, rippling water she envisioned a single wave that was wide and flat, like a big floating platform. Moments later it began to form around fifty yards offshore, and when she saw it take shape and come toward her, she envisioned the wave stretching in all of its dimensions, which it did, becoming even larger. It was bigger than anything she’d done before, and when it neared she caused it to turn and run parallel with the beach, while people behind her clapped and called out encouragement to her.

She managed to hold the wave together as long as she wanted, then allowed it to dissipate and vanish, except in the memories of everyone who had seen it. Afterward, wading back ashore, she asked him, “What do you think?”

“Oh, you’re the expert,” Kimo said, “but I’d say a wave that size could accommodate a lot more than four people. Depending on how many you take, I’ll handle the rest on the skatefoils—and we should be able to get out there pretty quickly. You operate the bus, and I’ll run the taxis.”

“OK, but don’t try to make a race out of this, or you’ll lose!”

“She has some ability to control the speeds of the waves,” Kimo explained to the others. “But don’t worry. This will be a slow, easy trip. Next, when we reach deep water, there are two methods by which we can take you down to Moanna. The first is called a bubble tube, in which a school of bright blue fish creates a sealed descent chamber to enclose passengers, while providing them with breathable oxygen. But the fish we need for that are away on an annual migration, so we’re going to employ a huge clam shell instead—a seavator that is lowered into the depths of the ocean by four giant squids.”

Chi’ang spoke up. “A single clam shell capable of holding all of us at once? And presumably with a breathable atmosphere? How is that all accomplished?”

“The immense clam shell is ancient,” Kimo replied. “It is from the deep, mysterious region where Moanna resides. It will accommodate all of us, and everyone will be able to breathe inside.”

“Have you ever ridden in one of these contraptions?” Chi’ang asked.

“Of course, but only for recreation, because by the time I got my first ride I already had gills and a swim bladder in my body, and I could go deep without the necessity of anything like that.”

“So, have you taken your adoptive parents down in a clam shell, or in what did you call it? A bubble tube?”

“No, I haven’t,” Kimo admitted, “because I thought it best to keep my land family separate from my life in the sea. You certainly ask a lot of questions.”

Chi’ang scowled, but for the time being, he didn’t ask anything more.

When many of the volunteers appeared to be startled and in disbelief, Kimo said, “I know what I’ve been saying sounds impossible, but I assure you it is all true. And while the sealed clam shell should protect you against the immense pressures of the ocean depths, we did not obtain any personal medical histories from you, so there could be physical complications, or even panic attacks caused by claustrophobia.”

“If any of you wish to turn back,” Alicia said in a measured tone, “now is the time. We will find a temporary place for you to stay on this island, and will take you back where we picked you up at the first opportunity.”

The two of them waited for a minute, looking from face to face, searching for doubt. Seeing none (and with no one speaking up) Kimo said, “All right, the picnic is over and the work begins.”

The skatefoils were brought in and loaded with passengers on their backs, but not without minor mishaps, as some people fell off into the water, before they were hauled back aboard. Most of the volunteers didn’t bother trying to remain dry, and Gwyneth got herself completely wet again intentionally, as she swam joyfully around in the midst of the fish, with a big, beaming smile on her face. Kimo didn’t know what to make of the autistic teenager, but like Alicia, he worried about her.

Kneeling on the back of a large skatefoil, Kimo pulled Gwyneth out of the water, and gave her a place to sit beside him. “This is our seat of honor,” he said. “Just you and me on this magnificent fish.”

Sitting on the skatefoil she smiled sweetly at him, and then stroked the smooth, ivory-colored skin of the creature, as if she were petting it.

Alicia, bringing a large wave into the shallows and holding it there, was able to load more than seventy people onto it—some sitting or lying down on the watery surface, others standing on it. Then, carefully, she took the wave out from shore a little ways, going slowly to make certain it held together.

Eventually the strange-looking flotilla was underway, with Kimo and Gwyneth at the head of a school of loaded “taxi” skatefoils, and Alicia with her “bus” behind them, all crossing the aquamarine sea. Kimo felt his skatefoil bounce over the waves, and noticed small whitecaps ahead of them—but nothing to be concerned about. Looking back, he saw Alicia’s fully-loaded wave platform flattening the water as it made its way forward, behind the skatefoils. More and more passengers began standing on the big wave and on the backs of the fishes, while others felt most comfortable sitting or kneeling.

In half an hour, Kimo saw a huge gray clam shell bobbing in the water just ahead, with the long tentacles of four giant squids curling over it, monsters from the deep. The fluted shell was partially open, like a mouth.

Gwyneth squealed with delight, while other volunteers chattered in excitement and anticipation. Kimo drew close to the clam shell with his skatefoil, and helped Gwyneth board through the wide, mouth-like opening. She scampered inside without protest, then knelt on the bottom and peered down into the water through one of the numerous natural portholes that were on both sides of the shell. Kimo found her childlike qualities refreshing, and he was beginning to think that she might fit in as a Sea Warrior, though he had no idea what talent she might contribute to the ocean-rescue operation. Hopefully, Moanna would bring that to light.

Kimo recalled when he first saw a clam shell like this, only four years ago, and how he marveled at the fact that the animal was alive inside, but did not fill up most of the cavity like a normal clam. Instead, this creature lived in the thin, soft lining of the hard shell, on both the top and the bottom, It was one of the many marine animals that responded to his commands, arriving when he summoned it and doing his bidding.

Kimo unloaded the skatefoil fleet first, followed by the passengers on Alicia’s wave. When all were aboard the colossal clam shell, the lid closed and Kimo felt the interior filling with fresh air. Through the portholes he saw the sea below and the sky above, and though he couldn’t see the sides, he knew the enormous squids—each at least sixty feet long—were moving into position for the descent.

The soft interior surfaces of the shell had rows of dark eyes that looked inward and outward, so that the clam could see predators whether its shell was open or closed, and slam the shell shut or burrow deep into the seabed. The eyes stared flatly, without movement, and always gave Kimo an odd sensation. He noticed other passengers looking at them as well, and he admonished one for reaching out and trying to touch an eye.

The huge shell went down at a slight angle, so that one edge was like the prow of a submarine. Deeper and deeper it went into increasing darkness, circling around like a trail around a mountain, as opposed to the direct route taken down by bubble tubes.