Chapter Fifteen: A Fresh Start

Chapter Fifteen: A Fresh Start

A few weeks passed, and the classes on food and cooking continued. Hugh had to admit that he was learning things he didn’t realize he needed. Ways to keep his knives sharp and to lessen food waste. Ways to identify how things would taste differently if cooked for different lengths of time, or added to different dishes.

“I didn’t think of it, but I’ve traded away utensils that I didn’t need to, since I had no idea how to maintain them; or that they could even be maintained.” Hugh told Kasumi. “You just don’t think of that sort of thing as being important.”

“It’s what they were talking about at the Expo when we first took Nick there. About how a broom and a Cast Iron Pot are the most effective tools to own in the long term. Same goes for sharpening a knife or knowing how to clean out a garlic press. Who knew how to sharpen a paring knife back then? Even people who learn how to cook at their mother’s knee wouldn’t have known how to reforge a chipped peeling knife.”

Kasumi returned to the beach on her free days. Hugh went with her, but didn’t spend as much time in the ocean as his wife. The two of them spent their mornings together outside of classes, and their afternoon with the new friends they made. Hugh with the chess player who still didn’t introduce himself; and Kasumi with the Dolphin.

Leahe and Jadu had grown closer with their shared perspective. Everyone noticed that they were spending their free time together but didn’t mention it.

“Leahe and I have a deal.” Jadu explained to Kasumi. “On free days, we do things that neither of us got the chance to do. Things that everyone else, at any point during OS would have been able to do to some degree, but we never did. I pick something, then she does.”

“Sounds like fun.” Kasumi said easily, not commenting further, though she couldn’t help the smile any more than others could.

~~/*\~~

“I never get tired of the way this place smells.” Hugh said as they walked through the farmer’s marketplaces. “Garlic, olive oils, pesto…”

Kasumi nodded. “Back home, they had sesame, soy sauce, rice wines… I don’t think Tilly ever tried sweet and sour until I made it yesterday.” She chuckled. “You see Leahe react to Cajun food? Dry Rub, hot sauce, cumin… She went from three squares of Manna to Gumbo.”

“Miraculous times, love.” Hugh chuckled. “So, do we want to keep shopping, or shall we find something to do with our Free Day.”

Kasumi chewed her lip. “You have something in mind?”

“I’m told there’s a soccer game open to the public. I’ve never actually seen one.” He pulled out his screen to check. “There’s movies showing, of course; and…” He saw her face. She was thinking about something else entirely. “You want to go back to the beach, don’t you?”

Kasumi shrugged a bit, bouncing on her toes. “It wouldn’t be fair. We’ve gone back there every free day we’ve had for…”

Hugh put the screen away. “Go.”

Kasumi jumped, startled out of her thoughts. “What?”

“Go back to the beach. I’ll see the game, come join you later.”

Kasumi smiled. “You wouldn’t mind?”

“You’d come with me if I asked you to, but I don’t think you’ve actually left the water since your first swim with that Dolphin.” Hugh chuckled. “Go, I’ll see you later.”

“Ooh, thank you!” Kasumi smiled and planted a big kiss on his cheek. “Love you, husband.”

“Love you, wife.” Hugh smiled after her as she took off for the train station.

~~/*\~~

Kasumi went back to the cove, scanning the water. She couldn’t see him, but somehow she was certain he was there; and she stepped into the water once she changed.

A few minutes later, the dolphin arrived. The distinctive pattern of stripes made it clear he was the same one. She smiled at him. “Hm. Well, you shouldn’t be here. Dolphins are pod creatures. A lone dolphin that hangs out in one cove for a week? I’m betting there’s something that keeps you here.”

The dolphin considered that a moment, and promptly dove under the waves to gather for a fun jump, clear over Kasumi’s head.

The woman laughed and lifted her feet again, and they both took off. Instead of following the coastline this time, they went out into deeper water. The dolphin rolled to put his fin next to her hand, and she grabbed on like before. He took her up to the surface and took a deep breath. The dolphin let a few more in and out, almost exaggerated, and Kasumi took the hint, getting a deep lungful of air.

Instantly, they dove. Straight down.

Kasumi hadn’t expected it to get dark so quickly, but the water was so clean she couldn’t believe it. She could feel the pressure pressing on her ears, but she had gone diving before, and knew how to correct for that. But after a few more seconds, she started to wonder if she should let go and head for the surface.

Her guide had apparently noticed her worry, and turned a little, nuzzling into her without slowing down.

Kasumi was amazed. The Dolphin wanted to show her something. Something deeper than scuba-depth.

Jehovah God, you know how long I can hold my breath. She prayed silently. It’s longer than I ever could, but it’s still significantly less than a dolphin. He knows that, right?

But almost immediately after ‘amen’, she saw it. There was something constructed down here, set into the side of the seabed. She could see large windows, and it was lit up inside. Kasumi stared in disbelief, even as the Dolphin took her directly to it. The structure was raised, on stilts, and the dolphin pushed her up underneath it… And Kasumi felt herself suddenly hit oxygen again.

“Well well, we seem to have caught something.” A familiar voice laughed.

Kasumi wiped the seawater from her eyes. “Rachel?”

Rachel Bridger held out a hand from the edge of the moon pool and hauled her up. “Kasumi, I can honestly say I never expected to see you here.” She laughed.

“So you didn’t…” Kasumi waved at the dolphin. “I sort of assumed you sent that one to get me.”

Rachel shook her head. “We have no way to control dolphins; or even know what they’re thinking. Still trying to figure out their language. But it’s not unprecedented. In OS, dolphins would rescue overboard sailors and ship passengers, and carry them to safety. There were reports of Rescue workers trying to find castaways and people in life-jackets, and dolphins would come along and push them to people in need of rescue. It’s strange that a dolphin would make the effort to bring you here, instead of to shore, but here you are nonetheless.” Rachel held out a lab coat and Kasumi took it gratefully.

The structure was only two rooms. One was dominated by the pool in the floor, the other was dominated by a clear window the length of the room. There was equipment against one wall, working away; though Kasumi couldn’t tell what half of it was for. There was a desk and a Terminal, and it had a clear view of the ocean outside.

“What exactly is this place?” Kasumi asked.

“We’re getting ready for the next phase of the Restoration work.” Rachel explained. “We’ve more or less figured out a balanced schedule on land, between building new places and restoring old losses. Extinct and endangered animals species are coming into harmony; the atmosphere is restored, the forests have all been returned to the point where we can expand our use of lumber again without recreating the old problems; and we've even figured out how to recycle the garbage dumps into usable material. But there’s still three quarters of the world left to fix.”

Kasumi swiftly understood. “The oceans.”

Rachel nodded. “A huge amount of our atmosphere, to say nothing of the weather, to say nothing of 99% of species diversity is all underwater. The earth is nothing compared to the ocean, but once you’re twenty feet deep you’re beyond the notice of humanity. That’s why it was used as such a dumping ground. Out of sight, out of mind.”

“So what’s this little outpost for?”

“Proof of concept. Cleaning up the ocean isn’t the hard part. Getting to the junk and working there long enough to tidy up? That’s the real trick. Nick and I have been working for almost a century on designing and building something entirely new. For example: Underwater colonies back in OS needed to use helium, because at pressure; oxygen was toxic.”

“Really?”

“Ever wonder why an apple core turns brown?” Rachel told her. “Oxidation. Basically, the apple rusts in the open air. At this depth, let alone any deeper, the same thing happens, only worse. So if we were going to cleanup the oceans, we were going to need a whole new way of thinking. This little outpost is testing the sorts of things we’ll be using for the sub. Do we sound like we’re breathing helium right now?”

Kasumi shook her head.

“The window too. At a depth of 200 meters, it’s pitch black; even in clean water. Down deeper, and you’re in a place where there has never been a single photon of daylight. We aren't that deep, but look out the window. Can you still see everything?”

Kasumi looked. She hadn’t noticed it coming in, but the seabed was filled with various forms of life. She had seen pictures of the ocean from OS, but this was something else entirely. The Mediterranean Sea was now a madhouse of lifeforms. Huge clouds of swirling fish, luminous plants covering the whole sea floor… It was like looking at a city that never stopped moving, with towers made of lifeforms, with more colors rioting at every level.

Rachel was looking at her reaction. “What do you think of the ocean, Kas?”

Kasumi was still staring, while the Dolphin came up in front of the window and started showing off, swimming back and forth playfully. “I never saw the ocean as a kid. My mom told me that the ocean was just a lot of single drops. Those I knew, because my IV kept dripping, non-stop. When I couldn’t sleep, mom told me to watch the drips, and dream of the the ocean.” She still wasn’t looking at Rachel. “Water isn’t… I mean, it doesn’t separate, like anything we make on land. Every drop is connected to every other. Everything in the ocean is one step away from everything else. One step through the water. It’s just… Connecting everything to everything.”

Rachel lowered her voice. “Kas, nobody has ever been brought here. I built the outpost myself at the Expo, and I’m the only person who’s ever been here. I’ve seen the dolphins, of course, but they never brought me anything at all, let alone a person.”

“Let alone your future sister-in-law.” Kasumi teased lightly.

Rachel flushed a bit. “It’s hard to believe it’s just a coincidence.”

“What do you mean?”

Rachel gestured around. “It’s not just the atmosphere. The water purifier, the aerofarm, the communications, the temperature… All of it needs to be designed a whole other way to how we do things on the surface. This is field testing.”

“Which means you’re ready to construct your submarine.” Kasumi realized. “I saw the blueprints you and Nick have been sending back and forth.”

“Well… that’s the part that nobody knows yet.” Rachel explained. “It’s already built. We’re still modifying things, adjusting equipment, but to do that part we need to have the crew ready. We’ve been putting the team together for a few months now…”

Kasumi realized. “Rachel, I’ve taken some courses in-”

“Biology, social dynamics, transport engineering, and oceanography.” Rachel listed off her qualifications.

“...Okay, I don’t know where you got my CV, but most of those come from being in the Traveling Work. I took the engineering courses because half the places I went barely had roads, and I didn’t want to haul a mechanic with me everywhere I go. And… Well, okay; the biology and ocean studies were just for fun. I had traveled the planet for two centuries and I wanted to know more about the one place I hadn’t been; but everyone’s going back to school now; you could probably line up a thousand people with the same degrees.” Kasumi told her. “And I haven’t done anything like that since becoming a mom.”

“We’re learning more in a day than we did in a month back in OS.” Rachel countered. “Whoever we pick will need a refresher on the latest. Engineering isn’t something you can be on top of any more. None of what we’ll be using under the water is in any of the textbooks; none of the lifeforms down there are in the textbooks either... Kas, you could be writing those textbooks this time next year!”

The dolphin tapped the window with his beak, and Kasumi returned her gaze to her new friend. The dolphin made sure Kasumi was looking before he dove low, out of sight of the window.

“He’s going to the moon pool.” Rachel told her. “Air pressure keeps the ocean from rising up into the outpost. The dolphins use echolocation, which is hugely accurate compared to sonar or anything we make. They knew I was here before I did, and they came to investigate. When they realized they could catch their breath without having to go up to the surface they were thrilled.”

Kasumi went back through the small structure to the moon pool and sat down on the edge, hanging her legs in the water. The Dolphin slid up smoothly, and nuzzled into her leg, turning on his side to look up at her like a puppy. Kasumi melted.

Rachel watched, calculating something. “Well, even if you decide not to throw your hat in the ring, would you like to hear more? It’ll be public knowledge in a few months; and what’s the point of being married to the Project Director’s Brother if you can’t get some interesting details?”

~~/*\~~

Hugh had walked the whole length of the cove twice, looking For Kasumi. Her phone was on the beach with her bag and her shoes, but there was no sign of her. Obviously he wasn’t worried about her being hurt or drowned, but he couldn’t believe she had forgotten where she left her things.

The sun was setting, and there was no sign of her, or anyone else. The ocean was empty of swimmers and surfers as the day ended…

Kasumi suddenly rose out of the ocean, with the dolphin beside her. She was smiling broadly; less than thirty feet from the coast, where her husband was standing, surprised.

Kasumi walked up out of the surf, eyes bright, smiling radiantly. She paused when waist deep and turned to give the dolphin a quick pat on the beak. The dolphin chattered happily and rose up out of the water, high enough to skip backwards along the surface on his tail. With his perpetual grin and fins waving, Hugh wasn’t sure if he was just playing or waving goodbye.

“So, how was your day?” Kasumi grinned as she strode over to him.

“Were you holding your breath the whole time? I’ve been standing here for a full five minutes, where did you come from?”

“Would you believe, I was getting a tour of Atlantis?” Kasumi teased.

~~/*\~~

At last, the classes ended. There was a celebration, of course; feasting on part of the harvest that they had brought in themselves; but after a while, the new friends all made their way home.

But when Hugh and Kasumi got to the Airport to book their passage back, they had a surprise waiting for them.

“Surprise!” Megan said brightly, with a travel bag over one shoulder and a big smile on her face. “I decided to meet you on this side of the trip!”

“Long way to come just to turn around and go back.” Hugh hugged his daughter tightly. “But it’s good to see you.”

“Well, it’s not like travel was uncomfortable on an airship.” Megan countered. “And the Stargazer doesn’t head back until the day after tomorrow; so I can still check out Italy. Where’s a good place to eat?”

Kasumi found that hilarious.

~~/*\~~

“Something interesting happened to me last week.” Kasumi said lightly.

“What’s that?”

“I got offered a job.”

He looked over, surprised. “Really?”

“Apparently, the Dolphins took a liking to me.” Kasumi chuckled. “I’m told that’s an impressive qualification.”

“Qualification for what?”

“There’s an expedition being planned, to the Pacific. The idea is, to see how Dolphins communicate in the wild, just how far they can be trained and 'recruited'…” Her eyes were bright and excited. “It’s actually really fascinating. See, even in OS, there were hundreds of reports of Dolphins chasing around ships, and rescuing overboard sailors. Those were wild Dolphins. So the popular theory now is that Dolphins were sort of meant for us.”

“For us?”

“There are some animal species that just… fit, so perfectly with humans. Horses, dogs… Working animals that are loving companions too. The Nemo Expedition has two parts. The first, is to see if Dolphins are in that category, and the second is to see if the Oceans can be cleaned up the way the earth is.”

Hugh blinked. “The Oceans?”

She nodded. “You weren’t there at the end, and neither was I, but millions upon millions of tonnes of junk and sewerage and refuse was being tossed in the ocean. It’s outside our gaze, so we don’t really think about it as much, but the oceans are part of the world too. In fact, we know more about the planets in different solar systems than we do about the Ocean Floor. Just ask your brother.” She sighed, a little saddened by the thought. “By the time it ended, there was more plastic garbage alone in the ocean than there was fish. Literally. They calculated it by tonne.”

“No offense, Kas; but why you?”

“I asked them that, and they said that I came recommended.”

“By who?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest, but they seemed pretty sure of themselves. Before we got married, I spent most of my time on the global cleanup work.” She explained. “And it’s being moved to top priority now, because nobody’s quite sure how long it’ll take to finish our job, and we are on a deadline.”

“Oh, for the good old days, when five hundred years seemed like a long time.” Megan drawled.

“It’s a big ocean, kid. Five hundred years to clean up the land masses, but the oceans are harder to reach and three times bigger.” Kasumi told her. “Apparently, they asked around for people who were good at working in different environments, and improvising solutions. I worked with enough people that they heard my name mentioned a few times when they were picking the crew. And when I happened to show up with a dolphin on my arm…”

Hugh was staring. She was so… enthused. “When do you leave?”

“Oh, I’m not going to accept.” She waved it off, and he could see the gleam in her eye fade, just a little.

He hated to see that happen. “What? Why not?”

“The Expedition is out under the Pacific. They leave in two months, and won’t be back for over a year. Maybe two, if they find something really interesting at the bottom of the ocean.” She didn’t say it. She didn’t have to. “There’s no real facilities for families to come along if they’re not on the job… You don’t love the-” She stopped herself swiftly.

He finished for her. “I don’t love the oceans the way that you do.” He reached out and took her hands. “Kas-”

“I already turned them down.” Kasumi told him pointedly. “So, let’s figure out what to order for lunch.”

Megan sent her father a look. You believe that?

Hugh shook his head subtly. If she really shut the door on the whole idea, she wouldn’t have even brought it up. Even if she doesn’t realize it, she’s asking our permission.

Megan’s eyes flicked to Kasumi and gave a small smile. You go. I’ll distract mom.

Hugh politely excused himself and left the room. Kasumi was about to ask where he was going so suddenly when Megan suddenly thought of something fascinating to share with her mother, and Kasumi got involved in the conversation.

~~/*\~~

Hugh slipped out of earshot and pulled out his phone, searching through his many contacts for Rachel Bridger. “Rachel, it’s Hugh Alman here.”

“Hugh! What can I do for you?”

“This project that you offered Kasumi a spot in…”

“She turned me down, citing family commitments.” Rachel told him, not sounding surprised. “It’s a work thing that will take over a year. One thing about working at the bottom of the ocean, it’s tough to get shore leave.”

“If I can convince her that we won’t burn the house down without her, is there still time to get her on the expedition?”

“Afraid not. But there’s still a spot open on the ‘Reserve’ list, in case of cancellation.”

“Put her name down. If it’s meant to be, then it’ll happen.”

“Since when do you believe in destiny?”

“Not destiny, just… direction.”

“Directed by Angels, or by Dolphins?” Rachel laughed.

~~/*\~~

Hugh came back inside just as Megan and Kasumi were coming out. “Ladies?”

Kasumi shrugged. “Not much point learning so much about food if I’m not willing to show off for my own daughter, is there?”

Megan grinned. “When I was at the local market, I picked up a bunch of stuff I didn’t recognize from back home. It’s still at the Dorm.”

Hugh grinned. “Well, let’s see what we can invent.”

A few minutes later, he realized: If Megan arrived to meet us at the Stargazer, when did she go to the Market?

~~/*\~~

Two days later, the family boarded the Stargazer for the trip home. The Airship docked at the Port and flew low over the Mediterranean for a while, gaining altitude slowly.

A pod of dolphins kept pace with the ship for as long as they could, jumping and spinning in the shadow of the airship. Kasumi stayed on the Observation deck to watch them, even after they were out of sight of land.

“They do that all the time.”

Kasumi turned, and found Captain Diaz; mostly unchanged by the passage of centuries. The Captain came over to join her at the railing. “I always fly low over the Med Sea. The whales and the dolphins… One time, I flew too low, and a dolphin nearly bonked the edge of this railing here.”

Kasumi laughed. “I hear about them doing that with ships. Ocean ships I mean.”

“Yeah, birds too. Some of the migrating birds actually perch on the airship when I’m flying their way. Thousands of them, sitting all over the Bag, all over the railings, all over the decks… We fly their way for hours, sometimes days, and then they just… know. They push off and fly on their own bearing. I’ve seen it happen. Thousands of them, all of them suddenly aware of the exact moment it’s time to leave.”

Kasumi shook her head. “We don’t understand much, do we?”

“Ohh, we know a lot. A lot more than we used to anyway. But I will bet you my ship that we know a lot less than we have yet to learn.” Diaz said with a smile. “I met Megan on the way to Europe. You’ve raised a good one.”

“She was one of the good ones long before I ever met her.” Kasumi smiled. “I’m glad you got to meet her.”

Diaz looked back the the water. The airship had outpaced the dolphins, but one was still trying to keep up. Even during their conversation, Kasumi’s eyes had been locked onto them.

~~/*\~~

“You think they’ll call her back?” Megan asked her father.

“I don’t know. If I’m honest, I hope so. I think she’d love to do this.” Hugh sighed. “But it’ll be the first time since we got married that we’ll be apart for more than a few days. First time since you joined us too.”

“I can handle it.”

“I know you can; so can I, but still… it’ll be a whole year.”

Megan nodded. “It’s still the right thing to do.” Her face changed. “Speaking of handling things, something happened with Alec last week.”

“Really? What?”

“Don’t know exactly, but it’s… I don’t know, it’s something that has him on edge. You’ve been his friend longer than most anyone in the congregation has been alive, so we elected to wait for you to get back and ask him yourself.”

~~/*\~~

Hugh caught up with Alec at the next meeting. Alec was showing some friends around the hall. “Alec!”

Alec turned. “Hugh! How was Europe?”

“You know something I’ve noticed?” Hugh said lightly. “Nobody asks ‘how are you’ any more. It used to be what you said as a simple matter of course. I asked it every time someone came within handshake range. I can’t tell you how many times I got an actually response, and even then, I couldn’t tell you what they were… Nobody asks that any more. So, how are you?”

Alec smiled winningly. “Took you this long to notice that?” He turned and guided his friends along with the crowd as they looked for seats.

Hugh watching him go, concerned. Alec hadn’t answered the question. He hadn’t answered the question because he knew that Hugh would be able to spot a lie. Alec was not in a good mood.

Megan had apparently had the same thought. “I was right, wasn’t I? Something’s bothering him.”

Hugh murmured a little under his breath, thinking it over. “You wouldn’t remember this, but I saw him in a similar state once, when he had a Returnee go badly. It was a few years before we got you. The guy cleaned out Alec’s kitchen and took off into the woods. Took him weeks to track the guy down, and by then he’d made up his mind… The sad way.”

Megan’s mouth became a thin line. Even a century later, Erica’s choice brought up bad feelings; though she thought about the girl less with each passing decade. “I actually heard about that, but I thought it was a century before me.”

“Something similar happened back then too.” Hugh looked grave. “Alec was an Elder for many years. They got some of the more difficult cases. You come on board a sinking ship, and it sinks… It’s a terrible way to describe it, I know; but Alec’s brought over three dozen into the family, and more than half that number went the other way. He takes it hard. Just between us, I think that was why he stepped down as an Elder. Nobody remarked on it because it was a lifelong assignment when we only lived a hundred years or less, but...”

“I checked the Resurrection Notices. Nothing about him with anyone new, either there or from anyone else in the Cong.” Megan reported. “I think this is something else. Something more personal. Besides, if it was a bad day professionally, he would just say so.”

“He would, wouldn’t he?” Hugh considered. “In Europe, the woman we were staying with, Tilly? She could tell the uncomfortable ones, and she’d get them into the kitchen. When people are doing something, working over food, with just enough distraction that personalities and nerves stay out of the way… I admit, it worked better than anything I tried before. If this is something Alec’s reluctant to talk about…”

Megan answered him before he could finish. “I kept the meat tank running while you were away.”

Hugh chuckled. “You did?”

“I figured if you guys were going to a class about food, best to have some spares on hand for when you came back to experiment.” Megan said lightly. “And I happen to know that five brothers in the congregation have gotten Meat Tanks of their own while you were away, and Alec wasn’t one of them.”

~~/*\~~

Alec was working on making timber beams when Hugh came over. Turning his own trees into usable lumber; beams and wooden planks. He had a small grove of redwood trees that spent fifty years growing, before being donated to the Construction work. He was one of thousands of people setting aside a part of their land.

“Y’know, sooner or later we’ll be finished with this frantic activity.” A familiar voice called. “What then?”

Alec turned to his workshop door and found Hugh in the doorway. “Well, I’ll be allowed to keep some of these trees intact for one.” He joshed. “I hear that there are some sections of forest being set aside so that trees like this can keep growing for the entire thousand years. They’re hundreds of feet wide, let alone tall. That’s a lot of lumber. Makes me wonder what we’ll need it for when the Millennium has ended.”

“Well, I imagine we’ll find that out soon enough.” Hugh mentioned. “The years just keep going by faster and faster. Imagine how it will feel in another ten thousand years.”

Alec snorted. “Wouldn’t that be interesting?” He gave Hugh a look. “So. My wife send you?”

“My daughter, actually.” Hugh returned, not surprised that Alec has discerned his reason for being there. “But I was glad to come. Thought I’d put some of those cooking classes to use.” Hugh smirked impishly. “See how hard it is to mess up fried chicken.”

Alec blinked. “Chicken? Really?”

~~/*\~~

“Your brother used to produce Solar Shingles for rooftops.” Alec asked as they opened up the basket. They had retreated to the far side of the workshop, so they could speak privately. “Do we know who takes that over now?”

“Megan knows how to work the equipment. I hear she’s looking for people to take it over from her. Everyone’s on the move; sooner or later someone with the skills will come here.” Hugh portioned out the meal.

Alec leaned down to breathe in the smell. “Five centuries since I’ve eaten anything like this. I wonder if my stomach will remember how to digest fried food.”

“That’s the beauty of it, Alec. Your stomach could probably digest melted plastic now. Imperfect foods, imperfect bodies. Now at least one of those things is gone.” Hugh grinned. “You remember when we first met? I asked you if you had a cigarette I could bum off you. I’ve heard that some people are petitioning to get smoking restored as an acceptable hobby. Nick says people are asking the Expo to breed a kind of tobacco that won’t hurt anyone… And since we all have perfect health now, is there even a risk?”

“Interesting question.” Alec snorted. “I've had some Returnee's ask if Tattoos were still forbidden. The ink fades as skin cells reproduce, so you have a crisp drawing on your skin for fifty years, what looks like dirty skin for another hundred, and clean unmarked skin after that. If it's not tribal and suddenly temporary, why ban it? God put tobacco plants on the planet. Maybe the idea was that we could use it for recreation since we were never meant to be capable of things like lung cancer.” Alec gestured to the plate. “Of course, you could say the same thing about meat.”

“I suppose so.”

“How’d you get yours so fast? I thought there was a two year waiting list.”

“Having a brother joining the Brains Trust brings its privileges.” Hugh said lightly as the two of them ate. “I heard you didn’t have a Meat Tank yet, and I figured...”

“The wife and I can’t agree.” Alec admitted. “We’ve been debating whether or not to put our name down. I know it makes Returned ones feel more at home, but… When A-Day came and went, it was the little things that took the most getting used to. Diet was one of them. No more sickness or death was fairly easy to get used to. You only notice something when it’s there. No more steak? That was hard.”

Hugh chuckled. “I remember thinking that if we all had to go vegetarian, then what really was the point of living forever?”

“You weren’t there at first, but there were huge questions about whether or not eating milk and eggs counted as ‘animal products’, but we got used to it remarkably quick. Part of me wonders if eating meat again, even if we’re just good at faking it, is a step backward.”

“I had that conversation with my brother. Rules aren’t meant to restrict, they’re meant to protect. Commandments aren’t meant to legislate morality; they’re meant to provide guidance in moral choices. If there is no rule or principle being broken, then what’s the problem?”

“I know, it’s just…” Alec waved a hand. “Things have changed. The whole world has changed. I wonder if we’re doing them a disservice, humoring them into thinking it hasn’t changed that much.”

Hugh set his food down carefully. “Who are ‘them’ in this case?”

Alec sighed. “My father. He came back while you were in Europe.”

“You had a fight with your dad?” Hugh wasn’t surprised. So many people had come back with grudges, even among family members. Things long buried were now coming back to light. There were arguments over wishes gone ignored. No small number of elderly had been neglected or ‘hidden away’ by their family, ignored even by their own children, and now that they were back in youth and health, there was a lot of long held bitterness to resolve.

“Not a fight, exactly…” Alec sighed. “I told you I was raised a witness. That was true enough, but I wasn’t born one. My mother converted when I was about five years old. She was looking for answers, after my father was killed on deployment.” Alec rubbed his face. “And he came back three years ago…”

“And his five year old son is suddenly a vital adult at the fighting age of five hundred something?” Hugh smirked.

“By his standards, I’m old enough to be his great-great-great-many-more-greats-grandfather.” Alec sighed. “But when you see someone for a long time, it’s like all the years in between vanish. He’s raw about it.”

“About what?”

“Missed time. He’s mad because… I learned how to play catch from school, I learned how to ride a bike from my mom, I learned how to shave from messy trial and error, I learned how to tie a Windsor knot off Youtube.”

“I don’t know what that last one is, but…”

“Dad’s fuming about how much he missed in between. His great-grandkids are older than him.”

“Nick says the great thing about eternity is that no matter how old we get, the past stays finite, and future stays infinite.”

“I tried that argument on him too…” Alec growled. “And then he told me that he and mom were remarrying. That part wasn’t a surprise. What was a surprise was when I found out their immediate plans involve having another kid.”

Hugh winced.

“I understand that mom went through a lot raising us on her own, and I get that dad hates that he missed so much, but… I just hate the idea that I have a baby brother or sister coming specifically as a do-over for me.”

Hugh conceded that. “Kasumi was talking about having another kid.” He said quietly. “Megan’s all grown up, and it’s not like we’ll ever be too old. As much as we both love Megan, I think Kasumi felt like she missed out on something too. Megan was already twelve when we became her parents.”

Alec snorted. “So you think my father wants another kid as a do-over for himself?”

“It’s not a new response.” Hugh offered. “Plenty of people are looking for a fresh start. People getting new jobs, marrying the one that got away… My mom got her fresh start by ditching my dad and splitting for the far side of the world.”

Alec winced. “And I’m complaining about my family being reunited after five hundred years, and getting a sibling I never had the chance for before?” He closed the picnic basket. “Am I upset over nothing?”

“Don’t be sorry for having feelings, Alec. One thing we’ve learned is how the world can turn on the hearts of people with a new lease on life.” Hugh smiled. “Family is one of the few sources of drama left in the world. Can you imagine what’s going on in families that were waiting to cash in on inheritance? The families that named a son after his father, after his grandfather, after his great grandfather?”

Alec chuckled darkly. “I met a man who made a deathbed confession to his brother and died laughing, thinking he had the last word. What the confession was, I won’t tell you; but it was the sort of thing you’d almost rather stay dead than have to face up to again, even in paradise.”

Hugh nodded. “The last gasp of the old world is what we took with us when we left it.”

“And what we left behind.” Alec shivered. “I wonder, sometimes. If my father hadn’t died… Would my mother have become a JW? If she hadn’t, would I?”

“You can go crazy with 'what-if’s' like that.”

“I know. You’re right. I’m far luckier than I give myself credit for.” Alec looked at what was left of his lunch. “This is really good.”

“Mm. It’ll get better with practice.”

~~/*\~~

Hugh came home, feeling pretty pleased with himself, and found Megan on the living Lounge Chair out front. “You’re in trouble.” She told him as he walked up the path. “Rachel Bridger called. Apparently their ocean trip had a cancellation, and mom didn’t know you signed her up for the cancellation line.”

Hugh winced. “How mad is she?”

“Hard to tell, but we were right. She wants this more than she let on in Europe.”

Hugh looked hard at his daughter. “Give it to me straight, kid. Where do you stand on this idea? It’ll have an effect on us too.”

Megan chewed her lip. “It’s going to happen sooner or later. Things don’t stay as they are for all time. Sooner or later, one of us will want to go somewhere new. If it was me… I’d want you guys to be okay with it.”

Hugh noticed the hesitancy, but didn’t remark on it. “All right. It’ll take both of us.”

“To convince her to do something she really wants to do?”

“To put something ahead of being a mom, if only temporarily.”

~~/*\~~

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” Kasumi snapped when they both came in.

“I had hoped to work you around to it gently. I thought we’d have another month or two before we heard anything.” Hugh explained. “I wanted it to be a nice surprise.”

“We think you should go.” Megan told her mother.

“You should have seen your face when you were talking about this.” Hugh added. “You were so… bright. It was like your face was glowing. You want this.”

“I want my husband and my daughter.”

Megan took that opportunity to pipe up. “Nope, can’t use me as an excuse any more, mom. I needed you like a safety blanket for a long time, but I’m almost a century old now. Dad’s right, you want this. You told me you were worried about what you were going to do with yourself once the Cleanup and reconstruction work was over. Uncle Nick has his life’s dream sorted out. Aunt Isobel knows where she fits into the world… Dad’s got work that he enjoys, but I’ve never heard him wax poetic about flight instruction the way you did about those dolphins.”

Kasumi chewed her lip, silent for a long time. ”It would only be a year or so...”

Hugh smiled softly. “Back in OS, a soldier’s tour of duty was three or four years. I wasn’t married then, but plenty of guys in my Squadron were. They all missed their wives terribly, but that was a different world. A year was a longer time then than it is today, and I know for a fact that you’ll be safe wherever you go.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “Go. Have fun, be bold; see amazing things and swim with dolphins and save the oceans and rewrite the science books. We’ll be here, ready to hear all about it when you get back.”

~~/*\~~

There was a great deal of training and preparation. Kasumi brushed up on her classes, learned how to use equipment that was still being invented… Most of it could be done from home, with the assistance of her family.

There were physical tests to pass as well. Everyone who came back wasn’t just healthy, they were beautiful, made lovely in their appearance and ability. While everyone was in good shape now, Kasumi went into training anyway.

Megan kept pace with her on a bicycle while she jogged. Megan kept one eye on the road, the other on her device. “The ship is called the 'Nemo', after the Jules Verne character. Crew compliment of six hundred, working in three shifts. Ship dimensions of three hundred meters by a hundred meters. Twelve decks. Large storage bays for salvage and recovery of whatever junk you’ll find at the bottom of the ocean; as well as a fully equipped laboratory; and life sciences equipment. Top speed eighty knots, maximum depth to be determined. They haven’t pushed that one yet.”

“It’ll be a working community.” Kasumi puffed.

Megan kept reading, trusting her mother to warn her of hazards ahead. “This is really interesting. Whole new ways of handling decompression and atmosphere for the crew. No other sub has had that before. Use of newly invented alloys, designed specifically for handling high pressure or highly corrosive environments. It can work at the bottom of the sea, or in a lava flow, or in hard vacuum.”

“Your uncle Nick is going to be the first man on Mars if it takes him another thousand years.” Kasumi grinned. “Communications?”

“Underwater communications are tricky…” Megan studied the information. “The cables for the Terminals were all designed to be accessible from land, but apparently they’re working on that. High Frequency doesn't work underwater... You won't have Holo's or Database Access when you're deep. According to this, you’ll have radio buoys making data bursts twice a day… We’ll have email, but not much more.”

“Not ideal, but we’ll make do.” Kasumi ran smoothly. “Have you told your father yet?”

“No. I’ll… I don’t want to lay this on him before you leave.” Megan sighed. “I’ll tell him when you’re over there. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s worked it out.” She shook it off. “Faster now! Your ship leaves in a week!”

“Y'know...” Kasumi puffed. “Last time you kept pace with me when I jogged like this, you were riding a horse instead of a bicycle. Have you been to see Kent or Chogan while we were gone?”

“Save your breath, mom. You've got another three miles to go.”

~~/*\~~

There were no shortage of bittersweet farewells at the docks, with so many people always on the move. But the Alman family only had eyes for each other as they had a teary goodbye.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Kasumi said in Megan’s ear. “Keep an eye on him for me.”

“I will.” Megan promised, and stepped back to let her parents embrace. Everyone coming off the ship was given a royal welcome by total strangers, waving signs and holding out gifts for brothers from across the world. Everyone going aboard was being sent off with hearts full of warm wishes. But only one of them was her mom.

~~/*\~~

“Part of me’s jealous, you know.” Megan observed as they arrived at home. “I think mom’s found her passion.”

“The ocean? There are a lot worse ones she could have.”

“I haven’t found it yet. There’s all sorts of things I’m qualified to do, all sorts of things I enjoy doing… But that… energy for a project? I’ve never felt that.”

“You will.” Hugh promised. “For me, my passion was flying; and I got that in OS. When I came back, I wondered if there was something else on the cards for me. I still wonder that. The world is constantly being remade anew. Aircraft have only existed for the last seven centuries. Resurrected ones are gobsmacked by my job. The industries that you and I would consider a calling may not even exist yet. But if there’s one thing you learn when you live forever…”

“Patience.” Megan nodded. “When do you go back on rotation?”

“For the construction tour? Another few months. Why?”

“We haven’t done a camping trip for a while. You know mom enjoyed it less than we did. If she’s going to be gone for a while, why not make an expedition of our own?” She waved over at her books. “I read about a guy who went into the woods for three years, just to see if he could do solo. It’s not dangerous any more, soloing in the deep wilderness. If Uncle Nick’s right about population growth, then the whole world might yet become crowded one day, why not take advantage of the wild country now?”

Hugh smiled. “It has been a while, hasn’t it?” He looked over. “You want to call Chogan? He can have a pair of horses waiting for us, we could take them and make it a full on-”

“I'd rather go on foot.”

~~/*\~~

“So we were wondering if you wanted to come along.” Hugh summed up. “Make it a family trip.”

“I’d love to, but I’m afraid I’m booked for the next year or so myself.” Nick said sheepishly. “Running logistics for the Nemo Expedition.”

Hugh blinked. “It was you? You recommended Kasumi?”

“I would never do that without telling you. But they had a list of possible candidates, I had to approve it, since I had a hand in designing the submarine they’d be using.” Nick smiled winningly. “The stars are closed to us for another half millennium, bro. But there’s an awful lot of overlap between the bottom of the ocean and outer-space. Closed systems, self sufficiency, difficult environments… The bottom of the ocean is our test run for Mars.” Nick explained. “Plus, Kasumi isn’t wrong about learning more about Dolphins. I read some of the studies done just before A-Day? Some people actually thought that they’re borderline sentient, and if that’s the case then they’re our neighbors…”

“Some people?” Hugh interrupted with a smile.

Nick flushed and ducked his head a little. “Rachel.” He admitted. “Remember that big aquatic tank she had when we took our first tour there?”

“I remember.” Hugh grinned. “You still can't say her name without blushing. Hope you get over that by the time you manage to talk her into marrying you.”

~~/*\~~

“This sub is amazing.” Kasumi told Rachel, who was giving her the tour.

“Well, you’ve seen the mess, Conference Center, Aerofarm, Freshwater filters, and Recycling Plant.” Rachel said brightly. “Let's sign you into the system and get you a bunk.”

This was done in Rachel's 'Office'. Extra Space was the one thing they couldn't conjure out of thin air. Even Rachel, the Highest Ranked member of the Expo on board, didn't have a private workspace; but her project allowed her to move various pieces of equipment around, and that gave her something of a cubicle, with a desk and terminal on one side, and an aquatic tank on the other.

“Why do you have a fish tank that size?” Kasumi asked curiously. “With an ocean outside, why do you need one inside too?”

“The tank isn’t for fish. It’s a seedling tray, effectively.” Rachel explained. “You’ve seen the breeding tanks for repopulating the oceans, well… This tank is for the coral.”

Kasumi looked again, and realized that the tank was half full of colorful coral spires. “I thought that was decorative.”

“Mm. The coral reefs of the world are home to millions of species; but very few of them made it to A-Day. The ocean had acidified and warmed up too much. Go to Australia sometime; the coral reef is still in recovery. It’s the ocean equivalent of tearing down a rainforest. If there’s no reef, then the many species can’t live there.”

“So you’ve been ‘breeding’ coral?” Kasumi was impressed. “I didn’t know that was doable.”

“Oh it’s doable, it’s just never been practical before.” Rachel smiled. “Pacific Coral grows at a rate of an inch per year. You could set your watch by it. It’d take decades just to figure out what you were doing wrong, and once you’ve got it, where do you put it? A dying ocean?”

Kasumi shook her head a little. “So, can I ask you something? Why are we doing this?”

“The ocean is 99% of the living space on this planet, why wouldn’t we be-”

“No, I mean… Why are we needed for the restoration at all?” Kasumi countered. “I’ve never heard anyone answer the question: Why does God need us to do this part?”

“Need is the wrong word. God didn’t need people to create Eden, but he still gave the instruction to spread the garden across the world. He didn't need publishers to spread the word, when he could have angels do it directly, or make the rocks cry out. But it’s good for us, to be in this so deeply. I’ve taught a few classes on botany, and let me tell you, the classes learn more about how living things work from a season of planting and tending their own seedlings than they ever could in a classroom.”

Kasumi nodded, conceding the point. “So, where do you want me?”

“The Moon Pool.” Rachel directed. “That’s where the dolphins are. Your project is communication and training. We already know that dolphins are smart enough to learn hand signals; even solve problems we give them. Your job is to figure out just how far that can go, and can we do better?” She gestured at Kasumi’s shoulder bag. “But first, check your bunk, get changed. You’ve got plenty of time.”