Beyond the Depths

Beyond the Depths

The deep-sea submersible, Sparrow, was not designed to explore the vast ocean, but for salvaging wreckage and other ocean debris from previous travels. It was one hell of a beast machine, built to endure the bone crushing pressures of the water and haul wreckage from the cold, dark, depths. For captain James, it was a floating casket he’d occupied for over 25 years diving into the unforgiving cold abyss to retrieve the remains of sunken ships and their cargo after his wife died. However, the call that came from the mainland was unlike any other he’d received. It was his son Mark who had once again called his father on the adventure of a lifetime.

While getting ready to map out the next diving expedition, Captain James received a sonic pulse from a deep-sea trench. The blinking green light made him focus on the signal coming through because according to geologists the trench shouldn’t exist. A lot of things shouldn’t exist, Captain James thought. It was an unbelievable anomaly. Something that any scientist would love to bear witness too. Captain James and his crew as well as Mark and his team were confused as to how this happened. As they got closer, they realized that the scar was deeper than they had mapped out when it was discovered on the ocean floor. The pulse was regular and euphoric; one could even say it had an unconventional origin.

Captain James had the kind of character that had been shaped and molded into a thick-skinned stony-hearted take no prisoner’s kind of man. He bore witness to how the human limitation of knowledge and a desire for personal advancement can wreak havoc under the relentless pressure of the deep ocean. But with steady encouragement and persistence from his son, Captain James stayed on the course.

Although the unfamiliar and mysterious ocean had brought appeal and a natural fascination for other divers and salvage crew to explore the ocean floor, to Captain James he had all but lost it. His son Mark was the only person who could penetrate his tough exterior. As an engineer on the surface team, Mark had developed a love of the sea just like his father. “C’mon dad. This is the opportunity of a lifetime. A new quest to discover what’s down there. This is exactly what mom would’ve wanted if she was still alive. Please dad I promise you won’t regret it,” Mark said pleading with his father to accept this new quest.

Mark’s words struck a chord in his father’s heart. Deep down he knew his son was right. His late wife would’ve encouraged him to take advantage of the moment. It was time to do something more exciting with his time; he wasn’t getting any younger. It was about time for him to join his son in his quest to find out more about the world they live in. As Captain James continued to look on into the darkness, his thoughts wandered about what could the source of the pulsing be. What if there were other species of marine life?

An hour later, Captain James and his crew found himself on the edge of the newly discovered trench. And its light showed a sight that didn’t make sense at all. Looking at the long rip on the ocean floor, he could see that this was not formed naturally. To the eye it looked like a dark, natural glass formed from cooling molten lava that ran as far as your eyes could see. That was when he felt the slight pulsating sensation. It seemed like the pulse was coming from within the fissure. He remembered the conversation he had with his son earlier and with renewed courage, Captain James took all onboard his submersible into the opening of the fissure. The walls on the fissures seemed to have a silky, radiant layer of algae that gave a slight greenish glow, showing the first sign of any kind of light in the stifling darkness since they entered the trench. The further they went inside the opening the more the sound of the pulsing grew louder, more intense, like a complex song. What they saw next left them in awe. They entered what was a giant cathedral like cavern that hollowed out to the ocean floor. The walls were decorated with swirling, floating, angel-like patterns of light pulsing in tune with the sonic rhythm. In the center of the cavern a being of pure bioluminescence, a giant phantom-like figure of light and shadow, floated calmly in the water. It was a creature of great stature- it looked like a celestial jellyfish made up of stars and mist. It was not a leviathan or mythical sea creature. It was another wonder of the sea and evidence of the secrets it holds. The rhythmic movement of the jellyfish seemed to move at its own beat in the thick of the darkness. The crew aboard the Sparrow looked in astonishment and amazement as the Angel of the Sea continued to float by dancing for an audience only it can see. The silence was deafening, but above the surface Mark and his crew were beyond ecstatic, giving each other high fives all the way around. Mark couldn’t wait for his dad to resurface so they could talk about his experience down there.

Captain James had never seen such beauty in the ocean all those years of salvaging sunken ships and other treasures the water held. He stood there, hands in his pockets, eyes locked in on the beautiful creature, quietly observing it in its natural environment undisturbed in the vast darkness and all that it holds. The unknown wasn't something to be afraid of he realized. It was something to embrace, to get to know, to be discovered. The unknown was neither his nemesis nor his arch enemy. It was something to respect.

Joining his son back on the mainland, Captain James couldn’t wait to tell his son what he and his crew witnessed.