Page 21 of The Space Traveller's Lover
“The ionised oxygen in our high-pressure atmosphere produces this green light and would destroy any foreign cell. Your body must absorb these higher energy levels before settling down.”
Rothwen keeps her in a protecting embrace while stroking her back and reassuring her. “You’re doing well, my brave Shaillah.”
Eventually, she feels her lungs expanding, supercharged with the rushing energising air. At last, she can start breathing deeply, unrestrained. When she opens her eyes, the surrounding aquamarine reflections bring her a soothing feeling.
A beautiful underwater world fills her field of view, its deep, dense waters confined behind a concave transparent wall. Odd-looking fish with pointed serrated teeth and prickly fins, large-tentacled octopuses and cuttlefish, long-legged spiny crabs and colourful jellyfish swim erratically on the other side; their bodies sometimes crashing against the thick glass and then disappearing back into the dark background.
“Extraordinary!” she exclaims as she sits up straight, her face beaming in fascination. “I’ve never seen so many sea creatures at once!”
“They live down in these deep trenches,” he explains, “and they’re attracted to the light.”
“Where are we?”
“At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean,” he replies while she excitedly runs towards the all encircling underwater world.
She presses her hands against the smooth surface while walking along the curved glass barrier, closely inspecting the sea creatures’ peculiar bodies. Rothwen doesn’t interrupt her, watching her childish moves and admiring her curiosity.
She jumps high to reach the biggest jellyfish as if she is competing to be more agile than them. Rothwen smiles, allowing himself some respite. He knows she is at ease, at least for now. All her fears and uncertainties are far from her mind. But it’s no time to relax for him. The crucial tests are fast approaching as he prepares to take her through the most challenging passages yet.
At last, she manages to jump at the same height as any jellyfish that approaches. She is surprised at how nimble her muscles feel, never imagining she could be this fast.
“See what I can do?” She proudly shows off.
“I think you’re ready to go even farther,” he enticingly gazes at her, catching her as she falls from her last leap.
“To your domain?” she asks as he gently sets her down.
“Our domain, Shaillah. A whole new world. And our journey begins here.”
“It seems there’s no way out of here,” she muses while looking around.
“Are you sure? Shaillah, prepare to enter into your new world. We are going to pass through three gates—the gates that only a Rom-Ghenshar can enter. And the first one is here.”
“I don’t see any gates,” she says in a dismissive tone.
“Each gate takes us closer to our destination,” Rothwen continues, completely ignoring her scorn. “Each one links into the next, like one-way locks.” He bends down and sweeps the floor with his index finger, revealing a thick circular line around them. As he completes the circle, he stands up and holds her by her waist. The area under their feet suddenly judders and rises with a clicking sound before it starts descending directly into a tunnel, dragging them down.
She presses her head against his chest as they accelerate downwards, and a swirling feeling of weightlessness makes her stomach churn.
“Don’t be afraid,” Rothwen reassures her. “You’re doing fine. We are going down slowly as your body gets used to our atmosphere.”
“Slowly?” She ponders. It feels to her like they’re hurtling down through an abyss.
“Yes, slowly. We go faster in our crafts.”
“It’s very dark now,” she complains. “All I can see is your dark figure.”
“Yes, we’re going down the deepest sea trenches. You call them the Marianas.”
“How far down?”
“Stay still!” he whispers, tightening his protective hug around her.
As they continue shuttling down, Erin has completely lost the notion of time. Now and then, she sticks out her head and peers through the surrounding blackness, before hiding it again under his arms.
At last, she senses they are grinding to a halt as she starts discerning clearer patterns in her field of vision. The gleaming outlines of tall tapering pillars covered in stacks of mother-of-pearl rings shine through the undulating currents of a crystal-clear ocean.
“What are those towers?” She points towards the group of height-defying structures, rising imposingly from their sturdy metal trusses and surrounding an immense pearly white dome.
