Page 25 of Surface Pressure

“Sorry, sir,” she said again. “I don’t think we’re alone on this planet.”

“What do you mean?” He widened his stance.

“I think there are aliens who live here, under the water, and I think because of that we missed them in the sweeps we did before.” She stopped talking, hoping that he would pick up her train of thought from there. That if there was some conclusion to be drawn he would make it for her. She wasn’t there to think for herself. She was there to do exactly what everyone else above her told her to do. And the fact that she was even bringing this up was a breach of her prescribed role.

“There’s no one else here, Walton.”

“Right. But Marshall and I saw—”

“Walton,” General Chalmers cut her off. He gave her a stern look before stepping around her and walking straight into the mess.

That was as much of a dismissal as ever. She hadn’t even gotten him to listen to the full story of what happened. Then again, perhaps Marshall had put it in his report. Autumn clenched her fists, looking all around her and sighing.

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

Soulara?

She’d left on less than good terms. Autumn would be surprised if Soulara would ever want to talk to her again. Or see her. Or kiss her. Autumn left the mess and walked aimlessly around the camp. She was lost. Completely and utterly lost. She’d never really had much of a purpose aside from the one overriding need to get away.

“Walton!” Marshall’s loud booming voice interrupted her spiral of thoughts.

Autumn whirled around, her throat closing up. “Hey. What’s up?”

“You don’t look good.”

“Oh, I’m fine.” That was a lie. And probably anyone in a half-mile radius could tell. Autumn had never been able to hide anything. Her mother had used that to her advantage so many times over the years. Autumn winced and rubbed her hands nervously over her sides. “Did you file a report?”

Marshall pulled a confused face, his head cocked to the side as he stared down at her. “A report? For what?”

“For when we were attacked.” Autumn blinked at him, her heart sinking. He was going to brush it off like nothing had happened. He was going to treat this like everything was completely normal. “The other day when we were on the mission.”

Marshall squinted and shook his head slowly. “We weren’t attacked by anything other than a school of fish that we ran into.”

Autumn’s stomach plummeted. They really were trying to hide all of this, weren’t they? Marshall, General Chalmers, every person here who had anything to say was saying and doing nothing. There were people down there—well, mermaids. There were mermaids down there! And they were fighting to survive.

But who the hell would believe her?

Because mermaids were myths. Things from story books that barely even existed anymore. Tears welled in Autumn’s eyes, unbidden. What in the world was she supposed to do now?

“No, they were attacking the vessel,” Autumn tried again. She crossed her arms and tried to stand up as straight as she could. She needed just one person to believe her. Someone who would stand by her side when no one had ever done that in her life before.

“No, they weren’t.” Marshall laughed lightly. He clapped a hand onto her shoulder and pushed her back and forth. “It was a school of fish that we ran into.”

“Marshall, that’s not what happened.”

“It is.” He gave her a strong side-eye, a warning look. Autumn had seen that look so many times in her life, not from him, but from all the adults, everyone who she dared try and push.

“I…” Autumn stopped. She was about to agree with him just to end the discomfort of this conversation. Something niggled inside her, a strength she didn’t know she ever possessed. She’d seen people with it. Soulara had it in abundance. Even spending what little time they had together, Autumn could tell that. But Autumn had never been accused of having gumption before.

“If that’s what you believe happened.” She shifted directions, not wanting to agree with him but not wanting to tick him off either. “And if you didn’t make a report, then I guess you’re saying it never happened.”

Marshall made a pinched face, gave her a long look, and then firmly nodded. “See you around, Walton.”

He left with a pat on her shoulder, as if Autumn was a dog who had done well to listen. It disgusted her. She stayed where she was, watching him walk off to do whatever he was doing. She had a little time before she was supposed to report for duty, but she had no idea where to turn now. She was being shut out.

Autumn walked fully around the camp once before she found the exit she needed. She slipped through the line. It took her ten steps before she could slide into the tree line. Autumn paused and looked back at the camp, hiding as best as she could to see if anyone had followed her. Her heart was in her throat, her entire body tense with worry and fear.

What was she supposed to do?

---