Interstellar Mission-4
508 Words
ABOUT AN HOUR INTO the journey to the threads’ underground city, Cherry spied thousands of lights spread out below on the ocean bed. “Hey, is that it?”
“Yeah, that’s it,” Ethan replied. “It’s quite something, isn’t it? If we go the same way I went before, we’ll soon sink down a long tunnel to the chamber where they hold the ceremony.”
“Wow,” Cherry breathed as they drew closer to the ocean floor and the extent and complexity of the threads’ metropolis became clearer. The underwater city spread as far as she could see, lights twinkling in the far distance, piercing the pitch black of the water. As she looked more closely, Cherry saw plumes of bubbles and distorted, probably super-heated, water rising from some of the structures on the sea bed. Transparent tunnels linked some of the buildings, and thread creatures slid along them. “Look at that place. I had no idea it was so sophisticated.” She peered at the constructed expanse. “Do you think they have vehicles?”
“Apart from starships?” Ethan answered. “No. I’ve never seen any of the Fila being transported in a vehicle. I don’t think they need them. They move so fast and so easily in water.”
The thread escorts had kept pace with the capsule, Cherry realized, even though it had seemed to be traveling at a great speed.
“I think this is their main site on Concordia,” said Ethan. “The places where we originally encountered them are only small outposts. This is where all the important stuff happens, like the Joining Ceremony.” Ethan glanced sidelong at her. “There’s no need to pull that face.”
“What face? I’m not pulling a face.”
“The ceremony doesn’t take long. It’ll be over before you know it.”
The capsule abruptly halted its forward motion and sank rapidly downward. A hole was opening below them. They were about to descend into the tunnel Ethan had mentioned.
Cherry twisted around in her seat, staring at the surface of the city as they dropped past it. Despite the utter darkness of the water above, she could see details of the complicated structures due to a glow that emanated from them. The light was unlike sunlight or the artificial indoor lights she was used to.
“You know when we lived in the caves by the ocean?” Cherry asked Ethan. “Did you ever look out to sea at night?”
“All the time.”
“The water used to glow sometimes. Did you see it?”
“I did,” Ethan replied. “It was beautiful.”
“The light the threads’ city gives off is similar, don’t you think?”
“Yes. Now you say it, I see what you mean.”
Their vessel passed into the tunnel and they were in darkness again except for widely spaced lights along the tunnel walls. Then they changed direction and headed into a large chamber. Cherry tensed at the sight that greeted her.
“So many thread creatures all in one place,” she said, surveying the ranks of assembled aquatic aliens.
“Errr,” said Ethan. “They’re probably listening to us right now. I should have told you. They can hear what we say while we’re in here, and they can talk to us too.”
***
- Writer
