“Actually, I feel really good,” Perry admitted. He flexed his arms and stretched his legs. It was as if his body as well as his hair had been rejuvenated.
“Me, too,” Michael said. He touched his toes and then ran in place for several strides. “I feel as if I could swim for twenty miles.”
“I got my hair back but now my beard’s gone,” Richard said. “Explain that!”
The other men reflexively stroked their chins. It was true. They had no stubble.
“This is getting more and more interesting,” Perry said.
“I’d say it’s getting more and more surreal,” Suzanne said. She looked closely at Perry’s cheeks. Previously he’d had a definite five o’clock shadow. Now his complexion was perfectly clear.
“Hang on, guys!” Richard exclaimed. He pointed at the door on the wall opposite the mirrors. “Looks like we’re being let out of the cage.”
All eyes turned to see the door silently open. Beyond was another long white corridor with framed holographs. The light coming from the other end of it was bright and natural.
“That looks like daylight,” Suzanne said.
“It can’t be daylight,” Donald said. “Unless we got moved somehow.”
Perry felt a chill go down his spine. Intuitively he knew that everything that had happened so far was a preamble of what was going to happen in the next few minutes. The problem was he had no idea what it was going to be.
Richard walked to the doorway to get a better look. He shielded his eyes against the brightness reflecting off the glossy white walls.
“Can you see anything?” Suzanne asked.
“Not much,” Richard admitted. “It opens up at the end and there’s a wall opposite. It must be open to the sky. Let’s go!”
“Hold up a minute,” Suzanne said. Then she looked at Donald. “What do you say? Should we go? Obviously our hosts expect us to.”
“I think we should go but as a group,” Donald said. “We should stick together as much as we can, but maybe we should pick one person to speak for us if we encounter our captors.”
“Fine,” Suzanne said. “I nominate Perry.”
“Me?” Perry squeaked. He cleared his throat. “Why me? Donald’s still the captain.”
“True,” Suzanne said. “But you are the president of Benthic Marine. Whoever is holding us might appreciate the fact that you speak with some authority, especially about the drilling operation.”
“You think the reason we’re down here is because of the drilling?”
“It has crossed my mind,” Suzanne said.
“Still, Donald’s been in the military,” Perry whined. “I haven’t. What if this is a Russian military base?”
“I think it is safe to say it is not a Russian base,” Suzanne replied.
“It’s not completely out of the question,” Donald said. “But I think Perry is a good choice regardless. It will give me a better chance to assess the situation, especially if things get hostile.”
“Richard and Michael!” Suzanne called. “Do either of you have an opinion about who speaks for us?”
“I think the prez should be the one,” Michael said.
Richard merely nodded. He was impatient to go.
“Then it’s decided,” Suzanne said. She gestured for Perry to lead them down the corridor.
“Okay!” Perry said with more alacrity than he felt. He tightened the golden braid around his tunic, squared his shoulders, and headed toward the corridor. Richard gave him a supercilious glance as he passed and then fell in behind him. The others followed in single file.
Perry slowed as he approached the end of the hallway. He was even more certain the light streaming in was sunlight since he could feel its radiant warmth. He gauged the space ahead to be an open sky enclosure approximately twenty-feet square.
About six feet away Perry stopped and Richard bumped up against him.
“What’s the matter?” Suzanne asked. She pushed past Richard.
Perry didn’t answer since he didn’t know exactly why he’d stopped. Slowly he leaned forward so that he could see progressively more of the opposite wall. He was looking for the top, but he couldn’t yet see it. After a step forward he tried again. This time he could see the top of the wall which he estimated to be about fifteen feet high. Above that he could see feet, ankles, bare calves, and the hems of outfits like the one he had on.
Perry straightened up and turned to the others. “There are people on top of the opposite wall,” he whispered. “They’re dressed the way we are.”
“Really?” Suzanne questioned. She leaned forward to try to see for herself, but she was too far back.
“I can’t be positive,” Perry said. “But I think they’re wearing these same flimsy satin clothes we are.” He and everyone else had assumed the flimsy, weird, lingerie-like outfits were prisoners’ garb.
“Come on!” Richard said, even more impatient now. “This I gotta see. Let’s go!”
“Why would they be dressed like ancient Greeks?” Suzanne asked Donald.
Donald shrugged. “You’ve got me. Let’s just move out and see for ourselves.”
Perry led the way. With his hand over his eyes to shield against the glare of a square of bright sky, he looked up. What he saw astounded him to the point that he stopped dead in his tracks and his mouth gaped in wonderment. Suzanne bumped into him and the rest of the group nudged against her all equally dumbfounded.
They were standing in a penlike enclosure. Fifteen feet above was a glass-enclosed loggia ringed by a marble balustrade and supported by fluted columns whose capitals were encrusted with gilded sea creatures. Fronting the enclosure the entire loggia was packed with people pressed against the glass and staring down in unmoving, silent, intense curiosity. As Perry had surmised from his limited earlier view, they were all dressed in the same identical, loose-fitting satin tunics and shorts.
Perry had had no specific mental image of what the people were going to look like, but what he was confronted with hadn’t even been part of his imagination which leaned toward expecting fiercer-looking captors. Before he’d caught the glimpse of the satin outfits he’d anticipated uniforms, and he’d expected stern if not openly hostile expressions. Instead he found himself staring at the most beautiful collection of people he’d ever seen, whose faces reflected an almost divine serenity. Although the ages varied from tiny children to vigorous elders, the vast majority were in their early to midtwenties. Everyone radiated good health with lithe bodies, sparkling eyes, lustrous hair, and teeth so white they made Perry think of his own as being yellow by comparison.
“I don’t believe this!” Richard gushed as he took in the spectacle.
“Who are these people?” Suzanne asked, her voice an awed whisper.
“I’ve never seen such a gorgeous group of people,” Perry managed. “Every one of them. There’s not even an average-looking one in the bunch.”
“I feel like we’re rats in a huge experiment,” Donald said under his breath. “Look at them gawk at us! And remember, appearances can be deceptive! Keep in mind these people have been toying with us for their own amusement. All this show might be some kind of trap.”
“But they’re stunningly beautiful,” Suzanne commented as she slowly turned to take in more, “particularly the children and even the aged. How could this be a trap? I can tell you one thing for sure, seeing these people certainly puts to bed for certain the idea of this being a secret Russian submarine base.”
“Well, they’re not American either,” Perry said. “There’s not one overweight person in the entire crowd.”
“This must be heaven,” Michael said in a dazed whisper.
“I think it is more like a zoo,” Donald spat. “The difference is that here we’re the animals.”
“Try to think of something positive,” Suzanne suggested. “I have to say I’m relieved.”
“Well, there is one thing,” Donald commented. “At least I don’t see any weapons.”
; “You’re right!” Perry said. “That’s definitely encouraging.”
“Of course they don’t need any weapons, with us imprisoned down here and them up there,” Donald added.
“I suppose that’s true,” Perry said. “What do you think, Suzanne?”
“I can’t think,” Suzanne said. “This whole experience continues to be too surreal. Are we looking at a patch of sky up there?”
“It certainly looks like it,” Perry said.
“Do you think there is a chance we could have been transported eastward when the Oceanus fell down the shaft?” Suzanne asked. “I mean, could we be on one of the Azores Islands?”
“The only way we’re going to find out is if they decide to tell us,” Donald said.
“Who cares where we are,” Michael said. “Check out the women! What bodies! Can they be real or are we just imagining this?”
“That’s an interesting thought,” Suzanne said. “Last night—or whenever it was that we ate—the food tasted as we wished. Could that be happening now with our vision? I mean, it’s another sense. Maybe we’re seeing what we want to see.”
“That’s too far out for me to even contemplate,” Perry said. “I’ve never been a big believer in the supernatural.”
“Hey, who the hell cares,” Richard said. “Look at that chick with the long brown hair. What a figure! Hey, she’s looking at me.”
Richard smiled broadly, raised his hand, and waved enthusiastically. The woman smiled back and held up her hand, pressing her palm against the glass.
“Hey!” Richard crooned. “She likes me!” Richard blew kisses, which made the woman smile more broadly.
Encouraged by Richard’s success, Michael made eye contact with a woman with shiny, jet black hair. She acknowledged him by putting her palm against the glass just as Richard’s acquaintance had done. Michael went crazy jumping up and down and waving frantically with both hands. The woman responded by laughing heartily, although there was no sound because of the glass.
Suzanne lowered her gaze and got Donald’s attention. “I don’t see any suggestion of hostility,” she said. “They all look so peaceful.”
“It’s probably just a ruse,” Donald said. “A way of putting us off guard.”
Perry reluctantly took his eyes off the beautiful people to consult with Suzanne and Donald. Richard and Michael continued their antics for the benefit of the two women. They were both trying to improvise a sign language.
“What are we going to do?” Perry asked.
“I personally don’t like standing here making a spectacle of myself,” Donald said. “I suggest we go back to the living quarters and wait to see what happens. Obviously the ball’s in their court. Let them come to us in our office, so to speak.”
“But who are these people?” Suzanne questioned. “This is bizarre, like a science fiction movie.”
Perry was about to respond but the words stuck in his throat. He pointed over Suzanne and Donald’s shoulders. One of the enclosure’s walls was mysteriously opening. Behind it was a staircase leading up to the loggia.
“Well,” Suzanne exclaimed. “Like you said, Donald, the ball is in their court, and I think we’re being invited to a face-to-face meeting.”
“What should we do?” Perry questioned nervously.
“I think we should go up,” Donald said. “But let’s go slowly and stay together. And, Perry, you do the talking like we decided.”
Richard and Michael had not seen the silent appearance of the stairway thanks to their communication gestures which had competitively progressed to pure silliness. Above, the crowd was responding gleefully to their antics which only encouraged them to new heights. But when they caught sight of the stairs, they bolted for them. They were both eager to make more intimate contact with their newfound female friends.
“Hold it!” Donald barked. He’d stepped sideways to block the divers’ mad dash. “Fall in! We’re going as a group and Mr. Bergman is doing the talking.”
“I gotta meet this brunette,” Richard said eagerly.
“I got a date with the raven-haired honey,” Michael added out of breath.
Both divers tried to step around Donald, but he reached out and grasped their upper arms in a viselike grip. They both started to protest but changed their minds when they saw Donald’s face. The ex-naval officer’s nostrils were flared and his mouth pressed into a grim line of determination.
“I suppose it can wait a few minutes,” Richard managed.
“Yeah, sure,” Michael said. “There’ll be time.”
Donald let go of the divers’ arms, then gestured for Perry to lead the way.
Perry had a good deal more self-assurance as he started up the stairs than he’d had earlier in the corridor. Confronting a mixed group of handsome individuals in matching lingerie seemed less intimidating than what his imagination had previously conjured up. Yet the uniqueness of the circumstances undermined his confidence as he progressed. He found himself wondering if Michael could be right about the whole scene being a collective hallucination and thereby be an elaborate trap as Donald suggested. But then Perry’s normally optimistic nature had trouble thinking up a rationale for a trap, especially since whoever these people were, they didn’t have to spring any trap since they were already completely in charge of the situation.
The beautiful people, as Perry called them to himself in his confused musings, had initially surged forward to crowd around the head of the stairs like a group of teenagers anticipating the appearance of a rock star. But as Perry and the others neared the top they shrank back. Even this confused Perry since they retreated as if in fear or at least in attentive respect like people would do around a trained but potentially ferocious animal.
Perry mounted the top step and stopped. Ten feet away the throng of beautiful people were arranged in a semicircle. No one moved. No one spoke. No one smiled.
Perry had assumed their captors would be the first to speak. He hadn’t planned to go first but eventually decided to break the ensuing uncomfortable silence with a tentative, “Hi.”
His greeting brought on a few giggles from the beautiful people but not much else. Perry turned to glance back at his colleagues for suggestions. Suzanne shrugged. Donald had nothing to volunteer. He still seemed far more mistrustful than Perry felt.
Perry turned back to the crowd. “Does anyone speak any English?” he called out in desperation. “Any English at all or maybe some Spanish?” Perry could speak a little.
A couple stepped forward. Both appeared to be in their midtwenties, and like everyone else, they were shockingly handsome. They had archetypally perfect features which reminded Perry of images he’d seen on ancient cameos. The man had blond hair of medium length. His eyes were an intense sky blue. The woman had fiery red hair with a prominent widow’s peak. Her green eyes were as bright as emeralds. Both had rosily radiant, flawless skin. Back in L.A., there would be no question: these two were movie star material.
“Hello, friends, how are you?” the man said with a perfect American accent. “Please don’t be afraid. You’ll not be harmed. My name is Arak and this is Sufa.” The man gestured toward the woman next to him.
“I’d like to say hi, too,” Sufa said. “What would each of you like to be called?”
Perry was stunned to hear such regular English come out of their mouths. It was oddly reassuring to hear something so familiar, given the alien quality of everything they’d encountered since the Oceanus sunk.
“Who are you people?” Perry managed.
“We are inhabitants of Interterra,” Arak said. His resonant baritone was not dissimilar to Donald’s.
“And where the hell is Interterra?” Perry demanded. Without meaning to, his voice had a harsh edge. It had suddenly occurred to him that perhaps this whole setup was some kind of elaborate joke, rather than the kind of trap Donald feared.
“Please!” Arak said solicitously. “I know you are confused and exhausted, and you certainly have a right to be afte
r what you’ve been through. We are well aware how taxing the decontamination sequence can be, so please try to relax. There’s a lot of excitement in store for you.”
“Are you expatriate Americans?” Perry asked.
Both Arak and Sufa slapped their hands over their mouths in a vain effort to contain their laughter. All the beautiful people close enough to hear Perry’s question did the same.
“Please excuse our laughter,” Arak said. “We don’t mean to be rude. No, we are not Americans. We Interterrans happen to be quite accomplished in your languages. English in all its varieties happens to be Sufa’s and my specialty.”
Suzanne leaned next to Perry’s ear and whispered: “Ask them again where Interterra is.”
Perry complied.
“Interterra is beneath the oceans,” Arak said in response. “It resides in a gap between what you people call the earth’s crust and the earth’s mantle. It’s an area your seismic scientists call the Mohorovicic discontinuity.”
“This is an underground world?” Suzanne blurted. She looked up at what appeared to be a patch of sky filled with sunlight. She was stupefied.
“Undersea is more correct,” Sufa interjected. “But please . . . we know you will have many questions. They will all be answered in due time. For now we graciously beg for your forbearance.”
“What’s forbearance?” Richard asked.
“It means patience,” Sufa said. She smiled graciously.
“But we do need to know how we should address each of you,” Arak said.
“I’m Perry, president of Benthic Marine,” Perry said while patting his chest. He then identified the others by their full names.
Arak stepped forward and presented himself directly to Suzanne. He was a good head taller than she. He held his right arm outstretched with his palm facing her. He gestured toward it with his other hand. “Perhaps you will do me the honor of an Interterran greeting,” he said. “Press your palm against mine.”
Suzanne hesitated and furtively glanced at Perry and Donald before complying. Her hand was a good deal smaller than Arak’s.