—Evelyn
Amanda was still holding my hand. No Literally. Even after entering the hatch, even after entering the water, even as Jeremy explained the mission, She was still holding my hand
Creakkkk….
Yeah uh, my hands are starting to hurt.
"Uhm… Hhhh—Kshhhhh Amanda"
[Yeah?]
"You're crushing my fingers…"
[Awawawawawa Hhhh—Kshhhhh wawawawa I'm sorryyyyyyyyyy....] Her voice bubbled through the helmet as she executed a 90 degree bow.
Now normally a bow like this is respectful. Elegant. Polite, a culture rather popular in Japan especially. But underwater… It's basically a death sentence.
Yank
The world spun.
Blue.
Glass.
Bubbles.
Blue.
Glass.
Amanda.
Blue.
Glass.
I rotated once.
Twice.
Three times and maybe more… I lost count after the 5th
"AMANDAAAAAA" turned into a human bowling ball, my body moved by inertia as I probably turned into spinning ball heading towards one of the tank walls
Thud
A hand had grabbed my shoulders. The spinning ceased instantly. For a moment I just floated there. Motionless. Dizzy. Very dizzy. Is the world spinning or am I spinning…
[Oomphh…!! Eve… you okay?] Who's voice was that? I couldn't recognize it for a moment, it was obviously Cael's but my mind was far too disoriented.
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh I'm fine…. Urgggh….. I think I'm gonna barf… Hhhh—Kshhhhh"
[Please don't.] Jeremy said through the comms before he continued with his work.
10 minutes later and I was basically fine… hopefully…
[Awawawawawa Hhhh—Kshhhhh I'msorryyyI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry...]
"I'm fine…"
[YOU'RENOT FINE]
"I'm fine"
[YOU'RENOTFINE]
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh It's fine… just, please don't bow when you're holding someones hands…"
[Hhhh—Kshhhhh Alright now back to work you all, yes you can refill the oxygen if needed, but it'll be better if you don't. Hhhh—Kshhhhh] Jeremy's voice echoed through the radio again.
[Kids these days… Hhhh—Kshhhhh Back in my da—]
[Alright alright that's enough Randy, we gotta Hhhh—Kshhhhh finish cleaning this tank, I gotta grind War Thunder again]
[Tsk…] Old Man Randy grunted before returning back to work.
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh Alright c'mon now if you won't let go then we're going to stay in these waters longer…"
[Okay….] Finally she had released her grip on my hand, all of us could her mutter something on the lines of [youcandothisyoucandothisyoucandothisyoucandothis] from the comms. It was obvious who it was coming from.
FInally after 10 minutes or so, we were actually cleaning the tank.
Scrub Scrub
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh"
The Algae was pretty. really pretty in fact.
Soft blue light drifted through the water, it was an ethereal view, and for a moment I forgot we were working, I forgot about Amanda's panic, Randy's complain, Jeremy's supervision, Cael's… Cael's? Eh I dunno he was relatively quiet the entire time..
Of course as a good friend, one must always make sure the teams morale remains high, to prevent any unwanted accidents. Obviously.
"Hey Cael~ Hhhh—Kshhhhh isn't the Algae beautiful?"
[…] Yet the comms were silent except for the 'Hhhh—Kshhhhh' sound as they breath through the regulator, as I looked around for a moment, Jeremy and Randy were doing their part, Amanda well…
SCRUBBBBBBBBBB SCRUBBBBBBBBBB
[Hhhh—Kshhhhh Heave-Ho] She was cleaning the floor of the tank with great speed, the tank itself wasn't exactly that difficult to clean, it was on the smaller side after all. And finally my eyes stopped at him, Cael was cleaning the top part of the containment cell.
For a while I observed him. His movements, they were Rigid. Methodical. his eyes glancing everywhere ever so slightly, like he was waiting for something to appear, weary, he definitely didn't look like he enjoyed the algae one bit.
His gaze often at the darker corners of the tank, at the maintenance pipe that was big enough where 2 or 3 people could probably squeeze through it at the same time
…
Ah right. The Gill Man… Well I mean, it was scary for sure, but hey! we surviveddd and that's all that matters. Was I scared? definitely, but hey, fear paralyzes someone a leader shouldn't—Oh wait I'm no longer the team leader Tee-Hee
What was that quote again ah yeah? You can't stay stuck to the past, it'll suck the beauty of the present something something? Ah Wait… why am I even narrating my inner thoughts? Eh whatever. I thought to myself as I continued to—
FLING
THUD FLINCH
Slowly I turned my head, and somehow I could see one of the Scrapers.. was flung rather close and almost hitted my helmet. thankfully it did not, and instead hitted the maintenance pipe.
[Awawawawawawaaaa I'm sorrryyyyyyyyyy]
—Jeremy
[Awawawawawawaaaa I'm sorrryyyyyyyyyy] I could hear Amanda's anxious words before attacking Evelyn with a barrage of [I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry] continued with Evelyn trying to comfort her…
[It's okay…]
[IT'SNOTOKAY]
[It's okay…]
[IT'SNOTOKAY]
[It's okay…]
[IT'SNOTOKAY]
… Well whatever as long as we get the job done, I gotta play War Thunder as fast as I can…
The tank itself wasn't particularly dangerous. Echo-class, maintenance assignment, routine work. The kind of job usually given to newer cleaners so they could gain experience without getting themselves killed.
Which meant I had plenty of time to observe. A habit I'd picked up a long time ago. My eyes drifted across the team. Old Man Randy was exactly what I'd expected.
Efficient. Lazy. Experienced.
Everyday he complained about everything under the sun yet somehow still finished his work faster than most people half his age. Every movement was done with just the right amount of power. No wasted effort. No wasted motion. Years of experience put to show.
Then there was Evelyn.
Good morale. Good adaptability. Maybe a little too optimistic for her own good.
If someone threw her into hell she'd probably spend ten minutes trying to make friends with the demons before realizing she was in danger.
Useful and Terrifying in her own rights
Then my gaze shifted toward Amanda.
...
Actually fuck that***.***
Terrifying.
The giant woman was currently scrubbing the floor hard enough that I was wondering if she might accidentally clean through the tank itself.
She panicked constantly. Apologized constantly. Yet somehow her work quality was excellent. Anxiety-fueled productivity, sometimes I wonder is she one those that work better under pressure but…
[I'MSORRYYYYYYYYYYY]
…
And finally.
Cael.
My eyes lingered for a moment.
Smaller frame. Less muscle.
Objectively speaking he was the weakest member of the team.
Yet despite that he wasn't actually performing the worst.
Because where Amanda compensated with absurd genetics. And Randy compensated with experience. Cael compensated with effort.
Every movement deliberate.
Every section checked twice.
Methodical.
Careful.
A little too careful.
His eyes kept drifting toward shadows.
Maintenance Pipes.
Blind spots.
Places where something could hide. Something probably happened that gave him trauma, which? The Mosasaurus? I don't think he has the clearance for that, This place? definitely not, only reason he could is if the hatch locked itself out and he runs out of air.
I could probably cross half of the higher or larger Remnants like the Kraken and the kind, he'd probably be dead if it was those. And that leaves… Sirens, Mermaids, maybe some sort of intelligent alien or creature?
Something happened, and it's still swimming in his head. Well Whatever, it's not my problem, if he wanted to tell me he would.
Scrape Scrape
Our work continued rather peacefully. Until you count the anomaly known as Amanda.
[Team leader…]
"What now?"
[Something touched my leg]
"Hhhh—Kshhhhh It's just seaweed"
[Oh.] Amanda said after a slight pause
[I'm sorry…]
[I thought it was a monster.]
…
"AMANDA THE ONLY MONSTER HERE ARE THOSE BLUE ALGAES. AND THEIR HARMLESS TO HUMANS."
[I know…] another slight pause then.
[But what if there is?]
"There isn't."
5 seconds later.
[But what if there is though?]
"AMANDA"
[Sorryyyy….]
[Kid's these days…]
Again Old Man Randy grumbled, but you know it's fine if it's him, he just finished his section and was ready to leave.
"If you're finished with your part you can leave." I said as I could hear Old Man Randy grumble about something like [Tsk. Finally.] before he left through the hatch, there were now only the 3 of us in here.
"Right let's get cleaning everyone."
[Yes.] The 3 of them said simultaneously.
—
Finished, we were finally finished with our work, Old Man Randy had left 30 minutes ago. He's probably at our quarters, I was already up there, ready to take off my gear but you see, there's a slight problem.
"Amanda."
[…]
"Amanda"
[Y-y-yes?]
"Why are you still down there? Just climb the ladder"
Her shoulders tensed up
[I need to climb up.]
"Yes."
[The Surface is up there.]
"Yes."
[… I can't.]
"…"
[C'mon Amanda, me and Cael are waiting for you.] Evelyn said as she tried to urge Amanda to go up stairs, to no avail.
[I can't…]
[C'mon now… It isn't that bad. There's no way you Hhhh—Kshhhhh going to stay stuck down here forever right?] Cael continued trying his best to convince Amanda.
[I can't.]
… I want to quickly go back home and do some War Thunder. Yet this damn girl… Is something wrong with her head?!?!?! Physically gifted yet such a timid personality. It's like seeing Doom Slayer but he acts like that 'Shy' girl (From the Manga SHY) that my friend recommended.
[You guys should go first… I'll go up last.]
[If you're not going up then we're not going up, right cael?]
Eve said as Cael only gave a nod.
[But. but.]
"If you're not going up you'll suffocate and die." I couldn't take it anymore, We had been waiting for her for 30 minutes. 30 FUCKING MINUTES. AH SHEISSE THIS GIRL I'D—(The Author has decided it is better to not say it out loud and let the reader imagine what he's cursing about.)
[It's scary…]
For a moment nobody spoke up, it was literally just a ladder. Then Evelyn spoke first.
[Amanda it's literally just a ladder Hhhh—Kshhhh]
[I know.]
[Then you just need to climb it]
[I know..]
[So what's the problem]
[…] She silently stared at the hatch, then back at Evelyn, then at the ladder.
[I—] Just as she was about to say something most likely repeating the same words again. An unexpected person spoke up.
[I get it. Hhhh—Kshhhh You're scared. You sink in water] Cael had finally spoken
[Yes…]
[You must've had a lot of close encounters when you were still a child yes?]
[Yes….]
[You can't swim] His voice this time louder
[N-n-n—I mean yes]
[You Sink]
[Yes.] She slowly nodded.
[Well that's a valid reason then.]
[Really?!?!?] Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Cael like he was her saviour. Like she found her kindred kin, someone who'd get her
[Then I don't need to climb the ladder anymore right?]
[No.] Instantly he cut of her only hope.
[Awwww….]
I can feel my blood boil.
[Hah. Alright. let's play it this way.]
[If you fall I'll catch you.]
[What?]
[I'll catch you.]
For a second her brain short circuited. then she tried to say something
[b-b-b-b-but…]
[I'm smaller then you. I'm weaker then you Yes.]
Amanda didn't replied she only looked at Cael with slightly teary eyes.
[Even so, I'll still catch you. And if I can't Eve'll help, and even if we both can't Jeremy'll help too. and even if all 3 of us can't we'll get Old Man Randy to help.]
[Yeah! I would.] Evelyn followed suit
[T-t-t-team leader?]
"Yes. I would to." This guy… he's unexpectedly—Well another thing to write in my notebook
[Okay…]
[Amanda. Look at me.]
[One step. Just one step.]
Clank
[See. it wasn't that hard right?]
[YOU DID ITTTT] Evelyn said as she cheered, and Amanda. she
[I did it…] A small chuckle, a very small and quick chuckle, one that most people wouldn't even notice.
[Now c'mon there's 14 steps to go.]
[O-o-o-o-okay….]
Clank….. Clank….. Clank…..
Slowly, painfully slow she finally climbed up the ladder… and after what felt like an eternity.
Clank
[I DID ITTTTTTT] She screamed, and holy shit I felt like my eardrums were going to burst.
[YOU DIDDDD ITTTTTT]
In the end… I didn't even get to play War Thunder. I was to drained purely because of this fucking girl. We were at our quarters. they were like military bunk beds.
Well whatever, I'm tired. I'm gonna take a quick nap.
—
"What the fuck."
…
GOD DAMN IT I HAVEN'T FINISH THE EVENT.
FUCK YOU AMANDAAAAAAAAAA