Chapter 18
“Where the hell am I?”
“Somewhere in the South Pacific,” Peter answers with a cheeky grin. Clearly, it’s an attempt at a joke, but I’m in no mood to laugh. Recognizing this, Peter clears his throat and stands, gesturing to the giant glass dome. “Enigma Global Research Laboratories.”
“And what exactly is it that you research here?”
Peter lets out a low whistle. “What no one else will, I suppose.”
The answer is purposefully vague, but given my own chosen field of study, I know better than most just how broad ‘vague‘ can really be. It’s said that only a scientist can ever truly understand just how little humanity actually understands about the world around them.
In a strange way, this comforts me. Strange science is territory I understand.
“So, this isn’t a government facility looking to dissect the supernatural for profit?” I hedge.
Peter’s brows lower. “What would make you think that?”
I look away, still far too aware of how we met to look Peter in the eye while discussing Stan. Peter frowns. “Oh. Wilcox, I take it?” He shakes his head and gestures for me to follow as he begins walking toward the dome. “The man’s a cad, but unfortunately, a necessary evil given our current studies. Hopefully, you’ll be a more…amenable ally.”
My chest begins to ache. “I don’t see how I could now.”
Peter chuckles. “On the contrary, I think you might be the only one who can help us. This merman’s not exactly the friendliest, but rumor tells that you and he get along well enough.”
I stop in my tracks. “Wake is alive?”
Peter studies me with an unreadable expression. “Wake has a name? One that he… told you?”
I sputter, my mind racing. “It was more like charades… but, yes, I believe he is capable of speech,” I say in a rush. “But, Peter… Wake is alive?”
“I’m guessing a certain someone told you otherwise,” he surmises.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak, especially after the lecture I’d given myself earlier.
Peter sighs. “Yes, the mer–Wake is alive and not so well. Whatever elephant tranquilizer cocktail Wilcox gave you, he pumped Wake with a whole lot more, and he’s not reacting to it much better than you did.”
“What symptoms is he exhibiting?” I ask.
“Lack of appetite, sleeplessness, aggression.”
“The aggression might just be his normal disposition,” I admit.
Peter nods. “I thought as much,” he gives me a pointed look. “We were expecting more of you.”
An uncanny sense of guilt gnaws at me at the thought of Will and the others who didn’t make it off that boat. Then, I remember Stan and his “pecking order.” “Stick your head in a lion’s mouth, and you run the risk of getting bit,” I reply.
*Unfortunately, I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Peter agrees as we come to the dome’s massive double doors. He hauls one open and holds it as I step
inside.
The inside of the research laboratory takes my breath away. It’s the stuff a student researcher’s wet dreams are made of–sleek chrome and dazzling glass, filled with cutting–edge equipment. They have machines I’ve never seen in person and a few I’d been certain were only concepts.
“This is amazing,” I say.
“Yeah, I’d say you get used to it, but I’d be lying. This place is pretty sick,” Peter replies, “and I’m about to show you the best part.” He leads me down a series of hallways that seem to lead to the center of the facility until we come to a set of chrome automated doors. Peter scans his ID at the security access terminal, and the doors slide open.
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Chapter 18
1 audibly gasp. “What is this place?”
Peter grins, the first full smile I’ve seen from him. “Welcome to the Marble, the entire reason this facility exists.”
The room we step into may as well be at the bottom of the ocean. The entire ceiling is made of glass, creating a panoramic window into the largest aquarium I’ve ever seen.
“It’s a giant sphere, hence the dome,” Peter explains. “It holds 20 million gallons of water and sustains its own ecosystem. It’s technically the largest aquarium in the world, even if no one knows about it.”
It’s positively massive, so much so that I can’t see through to the top. The water is crystal clear and brimming with life. Schools of colorful fish dart through coral reefs, their scales catching the light and creating shimmering rainbows. Larger creatures like sharks and rays glide gracefully through the open water, their movements slow and deliberate.
The walls of the sphere are lined with intricate coral formations and kelp forests that sway gently with the currents, creating a dynamic, ever–changing landscape. There are also rocky outcroppings and hidden caves, adding to the natural feel of the environment. It’s as if a piece of the ocean has been scooped up and placed inside this dome, untouched by human hands.
“There have to be thousands of species living in there,” I utter in awe.
“Tens of thousands,” Peter confirms just as an unmistakable shadow glides overhead. “But only one Homo sirenia.”
“Wake,” I whisper, my voice cracking as something damaged inside of me begins to mend itself back together.
He is magnificent in a more natural environment, diving and weaving, effortlessly elegant, in and out of the coral and kelp forests lining the walls of the sphere, mingling with so many different creatures–some of which perhaps even he had never encountered before.
And yet something feels off.
Perhaps it’s the stiff set of his shoulders as he moves, or the abrasive way he interacts with his surroundings, with a sort of ruthless efficiency. He is exploring, but not for entertainment. He is restless.
He’s looking for a way out, I think. “Can you take me to him?”
“Oh, I was hoping you would ask.” Peter grins at me eagerly, “He’s been waiting for you.”
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