Page 39 of Starfallen
THE VAPOR PULLS UPto an outer bubble of the city, which is larger than any other domes we’ve passed. The top is clear to let the weak sunlight in, but the sides are reinforced with ilirium steel, so nothing on the inside can be seen from our vantage point.
After docking the vehicle in a small bay and waiting for the room to fill with oxygen, with Tilly’s hand in mine and KJ’s leash in the other, I tug them along.
“I can’t wait until you see what this place is,” I say as I walk through the door and into another tunnel, this one wider than the normal connections between habitats and work centers.
“Looks like the same place we just left, except bigger. Why don’t y’all put some potted plants or something in these long, empty halls?”
“Well, they wouldn’t really serve a purpose, would they?” I make a right into another tunnel, but this one is only two meters long and stops at two doors.
“They’d give this ugly-ass place a little more color. I’m sick of seeing red and gray everywhere I look,” she grumbles.
“Then feast your eyes on this.” I let go of her hand and place my back to the double-doors, then push through, never taking my attention from her face because I want to see joy light it once more, like on Earth.
With a careful step, she walks inside. “It’s dark.”
I press a button on the wall and a line of soft blue glows along the floor.
“I don’t get it.” A line furrows her brow as she glances around. “What is this... Oh,” she breathes as she pushes her nose against a wall of glass. “Oh.”
KJ stands on his back legs as Tilly presses her palms to the smooth surface of the glass gently curving overhead.
Taking the end of the dog’s leash in hand, I scoop him into my arms and hold him up so he’ll get a better view.
“Jareth, this is...” She twists her neck to stare at me, then refocuses to what lies beyond the glass. “I don’t even have the words...”
I follow the line of her gaze.
All around us, a blue ocean lives. Dozens of brightly colored fish dart through a pink coral reef. Sea anemones, with their arms outstretched, drift gently with the current.
“Look.” She points to a darker area behind the reef. “A family of dolphins.” Sidling along the glass to get a better view, Tilly reaches out and grabs my hand. “They look so happy.”
Seven dolphins power through the water, two looping around another, while the others give nudges with their noses. One remains a bit farther from the pod, still close but obviously not joining in on the fun.
“Watch that one.” I point to it.
“Which one?” she asks, craning her neck.
I place a hand on each side of her head and move her gaze to the female snagging my interest.
“Why is there a tail coming out of its butt?” She snickers.
“Keep watching.” Smiling, I lean forward and prop my chin on her shoulder, enjoying the contact of her soft skin against my cheek.
“Jareth.” The breath hitches in her throat. “She’s having a baby!”
I slide my palms along her waist and move them forward until I’m cradling our son. “Yes,” I whisper.
Wriggling his tail fin, the young dolphin eventually works its way from the mother’s birth canal. The umbilical cord snaps and mom curves around to see the newest member of her family. She gently butts his nose with hers, then blocks him from view as she slides next to her little one.
“That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” A tear drops onto her cheek, and I kiss it away. “I had no idea you already had an ocean established.”
“Well, it’s a stretch to call it that yet, but it’s the beginning, anyhow. Once a true atmosphere is established and the planet is warmer, we’ll be able to expand this aquarium into an ancient ocean bed. These guys are the first wave of residents.”
She rubs her fingers over mine and relaxes into my chest. “This place is awesome.”
“And you know what’s even better?”
“What?” she asks as she tips her head backward to meet my glance.
