Oceanic Isolation

The stillness of the waves failed to produce noise and told me I was truly alone. The sun shined far in the sky and nearly scorched me with its lashing rays; it would have succeeded if it wasn’t for the crisp wind blowing off the water surface. I took a deep inhale and smelled the refreshing breeze; it was a clean smell with a hint of salt, which was the perfect combination to calm my nerves. 

I sat up and looked around. I was standing on my Seahome; only a few of these were made and I was lucky enough to “acquire one”. It mostly had the same shape of an old-world speedboat, but was several times larger. In fact, it was big enough to house a small bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, control, engine, and storage room. The top of the Seahome was flat and fitted with a safety rail around the edge. The outside of the home was covered in white hexagonal shapes which served as tiny solar panels.

Most of the ship was covered in them and they allowed for consistent power in the right conditions. Regardless of my unlimited power, I had a problem. My kelp processor broke down and I was left with a limited supply of food. Luckily, there was an old supply store a few hours away in a sunken city. I hurried down the large hatch that was in the middle of the balcony floor; it closed after I went through. 

Various beeps and electrical noises greeted me. It was a welcome break from the quiet outside. I dashed towards the front of the ship where the control room was located. A lone steering wheel pedestal sat in a room with a large curved glass window that took up the front wall. The deep blue of the ocean peered in and the sunlight reflected the dancing waves around in all directions. I pushed the ignition button which caused a loud rumble to vibrate throughout the vessel. Afterwards, I gripped the steering wheel hard and began my journey.

***

A few hours passed and I started to see signs of the city; what used to be tall skyscrapers were now just one or two-storied buildings. Their tops barely peaked above the water level. A loud growl came from my stomach and I reluctantly grabbed a kelp bar. They tasted horrible, but were packed with nutrients. After I was done, I drank some water and pushed a button. The Seahome went into deep-diving protocol and began to slowly sink.

The view from the front window changed rapidly. All the different shades of blues from bright cyans to deep navys appeared the deeper I went. Before it could change to black, the Seahome’s flood lights switched on. They instantly illuminated the dark city which hadn’t seen light for a number of years. I turned off the deep-diving, grabbed the wheel and started moving forward.

Empty rusted cars and flooded buildings were the only signs this city once had life; not even ghosts remained after the water rose. The low rumble of the engine came to a halt once I came to my destination. It was a small three-storied building and it clashed harshly with the tall skyscrapers surrounding it. I turned off the thruster engines to conserve power and walked towards the middle of the ship. That room was the one where I came in from the hatch. However, it also served as a storage room and airlock to the open ocean. Several hooks were on the walls and crates stacked on the floor. A pressure suit stood in its charging station. I pushed a button and it opened up enough for me to crawl in. After I did that, it closed and conformed around my body with an audible hiss. The long rectangular visor gave me a perfect field of view. 

Next, I walked over to the airlock that was attached to the side of the wall. I pushed a button and went through. The door closed behind me and another stood in front. I pushed another button and my suit auto-calibrated to the outside pressure while the tiny space filled with water. It felt like an eternity had gone by, but when it was done, the outside door finally opened; the black abyss was all that occupied my vision.

I carefully navigated to the front of the ship and things became clearer. The Seahome’s flood lights perfectly illuminated the supply building. I swam down towards the front entrance and went through a broken window. The inside was cluttered with various debris and junk floating around. I dodged and dived around the obstacles while moving towards the back door; somehow it was still in one piece. I tried the handle and turned, it was locked! Luckily, I came prepared; a small nozzle poked out from my suit’s arm and began glowing red-hot. The lock became superheated and sank with a thud. If any fish were around, they would have been boiled to perfection.

I pushed the door open with some effort and stepped inside. My lights scanned the various clutter for anything I could use. A few minutes of that only led me to discover tools rusted beyond repair. I looked around once again and found something interesting, a wall safe! I carefully used my cutting tool and took the door off. Water rushed in, but a pristine set of tools and components greeted me. It was almost too good to be true. Regardless, I scooped them up and began to return to my ship.

I swam back through the window and into the ocean. I rose towards my Ship and went into the airlock. Just before the door closed, I saw a giant shark with razor-sharp teeth rushing towards me! The outer airlock closed just in time, but I still heard a thud. The shark rammed into the ship and rattled my nerves. The water in the chamber slowly drained and the inner door opened. I carefully placed my supplies down and sprinted towards the control room. I immediately launched a blood flare to distract the shark and started to rise to the surface. About ten minutes had passed without any sign of the shark. I broke through the water surface and signed with relief.

I left the control room and walked to the kitchen, which was the second to last room in the ship, just above the engine room. I replaced the broken parts and the kelp processor sparked to life. I would never complain about kelp bars ever again!