the ocean

[instar]

Five pigeons, one with a beetle glued to her foot, fly to Seattle and find the aquarium and the orca tanks.

There is one with just one orca in it.

Five pigeons land on the glass edge of the tank.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

<Hey, guys,> Trouble says mischievously.

<Race you!>

And he powers out into the ocean, clicking happily.

[morphbox]

<Are we at least racing in a general Andaliteward direction?> asks Bella, chasing the others.

Charlie is quiet. But he tries a jump, too.

[aeskhyne]

<No shit we are,> laughs Trouble.

[morphbox]

<Okay, good.>

Swimming swimming swimming.

<Wheeeeeee!> crows Andi.

[aeskhyne]

<I know, right?> says Trouble. <I think maybe orcas are my favourite. C'mon, this way!>

The directional pull of the distress signal gets clearer and steadier as he goes.



Eventually, they reach a point where it mostly says down.

<All right, time to dive!>

[morphbox]

Whales take deep breaths.

Whales go down.

[aeskhyne]

And down, and down, and dowwwwwwwn.



Until -



<So I guess that's what a Dome ship is,> says Trouble.

It's a dome. Slightly tilted, resting on the ocean floor, a huge bed of blue-green grass under a shimmering transparent hemisphere that looks like it might possibly be a force field. Their whole group of orcas could fit in it just fine with room to swim and play, and considering the size of orcas, that's saying something.

[morphbox]

Bella approaches the Dome. <Hello?> she says, aiming at contained Andalites, whoever they may be.

[morphbox]

<Who is there?> demands the thoughtspeech voice from the recording. The recording itself cuts off abruptly.

[aeskhyne]

<A bunch of humans,> says Trouble. He circles the dome, looking for an entrance. <My name's Trouble, what's yours?>

[morphbox]

There is a hatch; but it's too small for a killer whale.

<...Humans? Down here? Humans are a terrestrial species.>

[morphbox]

<We're morph-capable humans,> says Bella. <I'm Bella, and besides me and Trouble there's Andi, Charlie, Robin, and Ethan. What's your name?>

[morphbox]

<Aximilli-Esgarrouth-Isthill.>

[aeskhyne]

<Nice to meet you,> says Trouble. <So is there another door I'm not seeing? Because we don't have infinite air here, and if we try to come in that hatch we are not gonna fit.>

[morphbox]

<There is not another door. I can get out if I morph a sea creature. I stunned and acquired one. Is there a safe place to go?>

[morphbox]

<The beach was deserted when we left,> Bella says. <Can Andalites swim or do you have a small sea creature that will be able to get close to shore?>

[morphbox]

<It is a large sea creature, but I can swim in my own shape if I have to. You are really humans? Will you let me acquire you so I can pass among other humans unnoticed?>

[morphbox]

<People will notice if you look exactly like us unless we're very closely coordinated, but we can probably work something out. Come on, we need to go up and breathe soon.>

[morphbox]

<There are several of you; I could possibly perform the Frolis maneuver to combine you and not resemble any of you in particular.> Motion is visible in the dome; an Andalite, smaller than Elfangor, all blue-tan, trots toward the hatch.

[morphbox]

<You can do that????>

[aeskhyne]

(Trouble giggles.)

[morphbox]

<I haven't. But it can be done, and I can try.> The hatch airlock half-fills with water, and the Andalite starts morphing.

When he comes out, he's a tiger shark.

[aeskhyne]

<Very nice,> Trouble says approvingly. <C'mon.>

He heads for the surface.

[morphbox]

Up go whales. Ax follows, although the shark, obviously, doesn't require air.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble surfaces, breathes, and leads the way back to shore.