Beneath a Current of Sea and Stars

I must be losing my mind–but I'd rather lose it than lose her. She was just so different from me–two hearts traveling in divergent directions could not find a rhythm as one. Yet, now I found myself gripping the shirt collar of the man in front of me, desperately begging for a chance to rescue Lynn. I had to find her, no matter what method it took.

"Sir! Please remove your hands from my shirt!"

"Sir? No one calls me that. I'm Doctor Carl Jenkins! And I don't care if you call security. Call the president for all I care! I'm going to be on that submarine!"

"But, sir. You need clearance. This mission is for the professionals who trained for it only."

"You don't understand! I have to find her!"

As my grip tightened, cutting off the other man's air supply, I could sense his panic set in–his desperation at a level akin to mine. My anger flared. How dare this man think he had the right to panic when all he had to do was let me through? It wasn't my intention to harm him; I needed him to take me seriously, and force had seemed the best option in the heat of the moment. All he had to do was let me join the rescue, and I would gladly let him go. The fiery temper in my veins surprised me as I waited for the man to give me the required clearance. While I watched him put in a call to the admin, another turbulent memory flashed through my mind. 

"Lynn, you can't go on this mission."

"What do you mean I 'can't go'? I've been dreaming of this moment and training for it for the last 15 years. I WILL go."

"C'mon Lynn. Isn't it about time you got your head out of the clouds? It's just too dangerous!"

"Seriously? I thought you were different than the rest. You know how much I despise that phrase. I've been told one too many times to get my head out of the clouds. But you know where you need to get your head out of?"

"Don't even go there."

"You know what? I won't. I'm done playing your games, and I'm done letting you ground my dreams. I'm going on the Sorailian Mission, and nothing you say can stop me."

"So that's it? You're just going to leave?"

"You bet I am. Goodbye, Carl. We're just too different."

“Different…Different…Different…”

I snapped out of the memory as the question registered on the edge of my consciousness. I looked around the cabin, glimpsing the deep blue waters outside the porthole windows before noticing the sturdy figure who stood before me. 

"Dr. Jenkins? Did you hear me?" 

"What?"

"I said, we're going to have to try a different approach. The sonar shows a large pod of whales acting erratically, and we want to avoid the area."

"What exactly are they doing?"

"They seem to be hovering around a random landmark. We're going to have to go around another way."

"NO! Head straight for it! And let me see that read out!"

"Uhhh…Here you go. But I don't think you'll see anything different than we did."

"You don't understand! The impact with the debris damaged the communications unit on the landing capsule, but something must still be emitting a frequency the whales can hear."

"I guess that could be what's happening. Are you sure navigating the sub through the group is safe?"

"Whales are benevolent. Much like dolphins, they have a knack for detecting humans in danger and seek to find ways to help. In this case, they've led us straight to the crash site!"

"Interesting. Well, I guess it wasn't such a bad idea to bring a deranged Marine Biologist on this trip after all."

"Hey! I resent that," I replied. 

"Whoa! No need to go Hulk on me. You should count your lucky stars the higher-ups even let you on this craft after what you pulled. This girl must mean a whole lot to you."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, she does."

"Tonight, the search continues for the missing Sorailian III space shuttle that returned to earth after a devastating collision with a piece of unidentified space debris. The Sorailian was part of an early space exploration effort to collect data and determine a prime location to establish a docking station on the moon. The Sorailian and her crew had identified coordinates for possible building sites and were returning to earth when the 3-person crew suffered an unavoidable tragedy. With communications down, the NASA team has diminished hope of pinpointing the location of the damaged capsule, lost somewhere in the depths of the vast Pacific Ocean.

It pains me to say, ladies and gentlemen, but the stars have gone dim on the rescue teams' efforts. One final hope may rest with an experimental submersible that was not set to be tested for some weeks yet. Specially trained submarine technicians have been preparing for the experimental dive and reassure us that they are ready to play their part in this last attempt to find Sorailian and her crew…"

I shook my head to clear the remnants of the broadcast that had set this journey in motion. I couldn't let myself be distracted–not when Lynn's life was at stake. We were so close! We had to find her and bring her back to the light. I had to get her back to the clouds where she could live her dreams and soar above the rest. Lynn still had too many accomplishments left undone–her heart shone brighter than the billions of stars it longed to explore. She could not end up lost at the bottom of the sea–not on my watch. Not only because I finally realized that she was my heart but because I would never forgive my beloved ocean for stealing from me the one thing that mattered more. Even as I fought the numbing scene of betrayal squeezing the life out of me as the submersible dove deeper into the unknown depths, I remembered the very night Lynn had won my heart forever. 

Lynn's eyes glistened with delight as she watched the meteor shower dance across the night sky. 

"Can you believe how beautiful this is?" Silence followed. "Carl? Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, what's that you said?" I replied distractedly. 

Lynn's face scrunched into a frown as she tore her gaze from the heavenly display to find out what had kept me from answering her question. There I was, staring at the ocean beyond the pier where we stood. Mesmerized by the waves and the reflections on the fluid surface, I hadn't heard anything she had said for quite some time. She sighed in frustration, and still, I ignored her. 

"Ground control to Carl. Come in Carl…I thought we were here tonight to watch the meteor shower?" Her delicate lips quirked into a tentative smile as I woke from my reverie. 

"Sorry, Lynn. Sometimes I can't help but feel hypnotized whenever I'm around the ocean. I can't help but wonder about what major events are happening just below the surface. There's a fascinating world down there just waiting to be explored!"

"But you're missing the shower! And all the wonders of the vast unknown regions of the galaxy yet to be explored!" she laughed. 

"Not really. Look--see how the water undulates and dances with the colorful display from your meteors? I can still enjoy your precious space debris, and I won't end up with a crick in my neck," I teased. 

Lynn punched my shoulder playfully. She never could stay mad at me for long. Her friends had warned her about how opposites attract and to be wary about spending so much time with a man who could pull her away from her dreams. But we were drawn by some magnetic pull–something special connected our hearts in a way neither of us could explain. 

I wanted that connection back. I spit another gnawed-off fingernail on the floor as I waited for news. We had to be drawing close to the pod by now. The sub shuttered, and I saw a giant body slide past the window to my left. The whale seemed to wave at me as its enormous flipper rotated out of sight. My knee began to bob up and down in anticipation–surely someone would let me know if they had spotted the capsule? Suddenly, I felt the deadened thump as the submarine came in contact with what I hoped was the disabled Sorailian. 

"Connection secured, Dr. Jenkins. Still no communication from inside, but we'll be able to open the airlock shortly."

"When will we know if…" I hesitated. What if she was already gone? Would I ever be able to look at the sea and stars the same way again?

"Early indicators show that the damage sustained by the capsule was external only. As long as the crew followed protocol, they should all be comfortably waiting for someone to rescue them."

"Yeah…comfortable." The thought of being trapped inside the confines of the capsule at the bottom of the sea made me shudder. Lynn's free spirit would have trouble just waiting for someone to come. Tensions would be tight inside that little vessel–of that, I was sure. It had only been a few days, but anything could happen. I prayed the confinement hadn't done too much damage to Lynn's mental health. "Please let me know as soon as we make contact."

"Yes, sir. And for what it's worth, I hope she's okay. We're all rooting for ya, Doc."

With a nod, I flashed him a grim smile and dismissed him. My stomach churned as the moments continued to stretch endlessly. Finally, I heard the go-ahead over the intercom. The two-person team was granted permission to board the Sorailian, and my heart nearly exploded. I continued to gnaw on another ragged nail.

I closed my eyes, hoping it would ease the blow of whatever news was sure to come. A commotion from the bridge drew my attention. Could it be? A joyous celebration met my ears–the Sorailian crew was alive and well. A few bumps and minor scrapes, but all were ready to see the surface again. 

Before I realized what was happening–my eyes snapped open, and there she was. Wrapped in a rescue blanket with a gauze pad affixed to her forehead, she could not have looked more beautiful. This was no dream or apparition, Lynn was alive, and I rushed to wrap her in my arms. 

As I approached, I hesitated. Would she even want me back? I stared in wonder as she seemed to struggle to comprehend.

"Carl? Is that really you?"

"Yes, It's me."

"What in the world are you doing here? I thought I told you to leave?"

"Actually, it was you who said you were leaving. I just didn't come to find you soon enough, it seems."

"I didn't think you would come to find me at all." Her gaze dropped, and I saw a tear slide across her cheek. I gently raised her chin so I could meet her eyes.

"Lynn, if there's one thing this has taught me, it's that there is no ocean wide or galaxy vast that is worth exploring without you by my side. We may be too different, but our hearts are the same. They beat with the rhythm of adventure, and I don't want to miss another moment with you."

Our lips met as I pulled her into my arms. When she pulled back, she looked mischievously into my eyes.

"You know…I had a lot of time to think over the last few days. They will want a few families to populate that space station on the moon. You think you're up for the challenge?"

"Are you asking me to marry you?"

"Of course! I thought it was about time to keep my head up in the clouds, settle down, and raise a family."

"On the moon?"

"Wherever the rhythm of our hearts takes us."