Chapter 98: Surface Tension

"The water is rising!" Luke shouted, wading through knee-deep water that was flooding the corridor.

The magnificent city of Sanctuary was screaming. The bio-luminescence was dying, replaced by the red strobe lights of the emergency alarm. Massive chunks of obsidian ceiling crashed into the flooding streets.

They reached the Energy Tower. Inside sat a single, sphere-shaped metallic pod. It looked ancient, covered in dust.

"This fits four people max!" Sebastian yelled, looking at the five of them.

"Squeeze in!" Jackson shoved Luke and Sebastian in first. He lifted Alex and Serenity inside.

There were no seats left.

"Jackson?" Serenity grabbed his hand.

"I'm standing," Jackson braced himself against the metal doorframe inside the crowded pod. He locked the hatch. It sealed with a heavy thud.

Outside the porthole, they could see the ocean water rushing in, crushing the tower.

"Alex! Launch it!"

"The release mechanism is jammed with rust!" Alex frantically tapped the console inside the pod. "I have to override it manually!"

"Do it now, or we get flattened!"

Alex crossed two wires. Sparks flew.

CLANK-HISS.

The locking bolts exploded outward.

Suddenly, they felt weightless for a second. The pod detached from the city.

Then, the buoyancy tanks inflated violently.

WHOOSH!

The pod shot upwards like a missile. The G-force pinned them to the floor.

"Hold on!" Jackson wrapped his arms around Serenity and Alex, locking his legs to stabilize them.

Through the small glass window, they saw the City of Sanctuary implode. The pressure of the deep ocean finally won, crushing the ancient civilization into dust in mere seconds.

Then, there was only darkness.

They ascended rapidly. 30,000 feet. 20,000 feet.

The pod rattled and shook. The temperature dropped. Condensation formed on the walls.

"Pressure hull integrity at 80%," Alex read the gauge, his voice shaking. "We are going too fast. If we hit the surface at this speed..."

"We won't crash," Jackson gritted his teeth, bracing his back against the shaking wall. "Everyone exhale! Protect your lungs!"

10,000 feet.
5,000 feet.

Light began to appear in the water. The beautiful, terrifying blue of the Pacific Ocean.

"Brace for impact!" Jackson pulled Serenity's head into his chest.

SPLASH!

The pod erupted from the surface of the ocean, flying twenty feet into the air like a breaching whale, before crashing back down into the waves.

They rolled. The world spun upside down.

Then, the pod bobbed to a stop.

Silence.

"Is everyone alive?" Jackson groaned, untangling himself from his family.

"I think I’m going to throw up," Luke mumbled, turning green.

"Alive," Sebastian breathed out.

Jackson popped the hatch.

Fresh, salty, warm tropical air rushed in. The sun was setting, painting the ocean in hues of orange and purple.

They climbed out onto the roof of the floating pod.

Serenity took a deep breath, filling her lungs with real air. She looked around.

In the distance, a large ship was blaring its horn and turning towards them. The Sterling Explorer.

"We made it," Serenity whispered, leaning against Jackson. She looked down at the dark water. The threat, the monsters, the secret society... it was all buried seven miles deep.

Jackson kissed the top of her head. He was bruised, battered, and exhausted. But he was smiling.

"Margaret is going to kill me for scaring her," Jackson chuckled.

"She can wait in line," Serenity laughed breathlessly. "I'm grounding Alex for hacking a nuclear city."

"Hey! I saved us!" Alex protested, adjusting his crooked glasses.

As the rescue boat lowered from the main ship, Jackson looked at the horizon.

The war was truly over. No more ancient secrets. No more underground labs.

Just the sun, the sea, and his family.

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