Page 70 of Through Uncharted Space

“For a short distance. Let’s hope we have the city coordinates right.”

She wrinkled her nose. “That’s not funny.”

The shuttle’s nose dipped, and they dived into the water.

At first, visibility wasn’t that great, but as they settled in and started zooming through the water, she spotted the bodies of the giant creatures they’d seen. They were shadows in the distance.

Suddenly, a huge cloud of colored fish rose up in front of the viewscreen. She gasped again. They weren’t very big, but they were all different colors—greens, vivid blues, reds, and bright yellows. The fish darted left in a tight group, before moving right with an amazing synchronicity. They moved like they shared one brain, looking almost like colored smoke.

Some larger fish, with long, sinuous bodies, moved into view. They were glowing a bright, electric green.

She leaned forward. “This place is incredible.”

“What is incredible, is that.”

She looked to where Dare pointed, and got her first glimpse of the city.

Wonder filled her. Three giant domes rose up from the sea floor. There was a large one in the center, and it was flanked by two smaller ones. Inside she could see buildings rising up, delicate-looking structures that almost appeared organic. All of them were different pale colors that made her think of coral.

“Looks like that’s the main entrance over there.” Rynan nodded. “We’ve been given permission to enter.”

At the front of the dome, she spotted a large, circular opening covered by a metal door.

They moved toward it, and as they neared, the door dilated, its metal panels retracting. A craft moved out.

The Maronian craft made Dakota think of the creatures they’d seen diving out of the water above. Or of the manta rays that had been bred on the resort world of Duna from Terran stock. The craft moved cleanly through the water, its large fins flapping slightly, before it turned and headed away from them. It disappeared into the distance.

Rynan maneuvered them through the gate. He pulled them to a stop inside what looked like a large, clear cylinder, with another circular metal door ahead. He set them down on the bottom of the cylinder and, seconds later, the gate behind them closed.

Dakota heard a musical-sounding alarm, and then the water started to drain out of the space. Ahead, through the glass, she could see the city beyond.

Once the water was all drained out, the inner gate opened. The shuttle lifted off and they flew through into the underwater city of Sori Sanu.

They didn’t fly far. They reached an area where lots of the Maronian craft were parked, and Rynan moved them to an empty space as directed by whoever he was communicating with on the comm. As soon as the shuttle stopped, Dakota ripped her harness off, eager to get out. Dare rose as well.

Rynan and Justyn flanked their prisoner, dragging him with them.

Together, they all stepped out into the city.

Dakota tilted her head up, taking it all in. The coral-like buildings were amazing. Everything around them, even the roads and paths, were made of the pale, coral-like substance. Surely it couldn’t really be alive. She saw a flash of movement and turned her head. Through the clear glass of the dome, she could see fish dancing around in the open ocean. It was mesmerizing.

Back in the dome, she saw some vegetation nearby. Not trees and bushes like she was used to, but long, willowy grasses and low, mossy vegetation covering different shapes—spheres, pyramids, and cubes.

She heard the click of footsteps and turned. She saw Tsani walking toward them with several aides by her side. Their long, delicate clothes swished along the ground.

When they reached Dakota and the others, Tsani pressed her hands together and bowed her head. “Dare Phoenix and friends, welcome to Maro and the city of Sori Sanu.”

Then her gaze landed on Ralu and her brow furrowed. She turned her head and looked at one of her aides. “Mari, would you please take this man to the criminal processing facility. I want to know where he is from, and what his agenda is.”

“Yes, Chancellor.”

Rynan handed the man over.

“How do you generate the light in here?” Dakota asked.

“We have an advanced artificial lighting system. It mimics the light from our sun.” Her pale gaze touched on all of them. “I made the assumption that you would like to speak to our scholars. I’ve arranged for you to meet one of our most dedicated.”

“Thank you,” Dare said.