Page 11 of Redemption
"These masks are a bit dirty, but they'll work," I said, looking up and nearly stumbling back. His wetsuit strained over a massive bulge. He stood there with casual confidence, looking down at me, arms resting easily at his sides.
I handed him his mask and flippers, quickly making my way to the back of the boat, the anticipation of diving into the ocean building inside me. I looked over the edge, with Gabriel by my side again. His eyes were filled with curiosity at what was coming, as if he really hadn’t ever done this before.
"Ready?" he asked, his strong voice resonating through the now calm air.
I nodded eagerly, my heart pounding from what I had just witnessed and anticipation. Without hesitation, we plunged into the cool embrace of the water. The world transformed into a dull sheet of blue-green. The vibrant underwater world I had seen last year was shrouded in murky darkness. Sunlight filtered through the surface above, casting a weak glow through the haze. This wasn’t right. I looked toward Gabriel, but he couldn’t see the concern under my mask. I motioned forward and began swimming down. If our coordinates were correct, we were floating above a coral reef, but I could barely see anything. Theonly explanation I could think of was that something had stirred up the sediment on the ocean floor. We swam close together, our bodies occasionally grazing against each other as we descended. We should have reached the coral reef by now, but it was too dark and murky to see where we were. I glanced at Gabriel, hoping he had an answer, but he seemed oblivious. This was his first time in these waters; how would he know that this wasn’t normal?
I reached out and touched him. He straightened up and looked at me. I signaled for us to surface, but then a small shadow wiggled through the water a few feet away. It took me longer than it should have to register what I was seeing. A fish I couldn’t recognize, covered in lumps and sores, floated more than swam past me. I recoiled from it in shock and swam to the surface, erupting out of the water before Gabriel. He surfaced moments later, breathing heavily as he yanked his snorkel away.
“What’s the point of this damn thing?” he muttered.
“Did you see that fish?” I shouted between labored breaths. The acrid smell of tar filled my nose, my exposed skin felt grimy and slick
“What? No, I didn't see anything.”
“It was diseased or injured. I don’t know. I’m going back down. Wait here.” I sank back into the green abyss, and the reality of the situation became clear. This wasn’t kicked-up sediment; it was pollution. A sick chill ran through me. Swimming in the murky water felt disorienting, the thick haze reducing my visibility to just a few feet. Each stroke forward was cautious, my senses heightened by the eerie silence and the particles brushing against my exposed skin. Suddenly, my hand struck something hard and massive. The impact jolted me, and I pulled back instinctively.
In the dim, ghostly light, a massive structure loomed out of the murk. The coral reef. It was a haunting sight, the once-vibrant coral now a skeletal grey, covered in patches of algae. The branches and outcroppings were brittle, crumbling at my touch. I kicked off the ocean floor against the crushing weight of the water and moments later burst through the surface. Gabriel swam over to me, his face mirroring the confusion and disgust I felt.
"What happened here?" I asked, mostly to myself.
“I assume this isn’t normal?” Gabriel asked, his tone cautious.
“No, it’s not. Something is very wrong.”
The beauty I had seen here just a year ago was gone. Determination sparked within me as I swam closer to Gabriel, our bodies drifting together. Gabriel nodded, his brow furrowed, his jaw set with resolve. "Go back to the boat and get a net to catch that fish you saw. I’ll collect water and sand samples,” he said.
I swam as fast as I could and reached the boat, clinging to the ladder and gasping, "Give me a net." I shouted at Amy
"For what?" Amy asked, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Just do it," I snapped, my patience wearing thin.
Every muscle in my body was aching. A sharp burning sensation drew my attention to my hand. A thin gash leaked blood, mixing with the filthy water. The net flew over the side of the boat, landing in the water. Amy started to say something, but I didn’t hear it. I grabbed the net and swam back toward the reef. Thankfully, I quickly found the sick fish. It was slow and easy to catch—once it was in the net, it just gave up; it didn’t even struggle. I looked over my shoulder as I swam back to the boat. Gabriel was behind me and gave a thumbs-up—he had all the samples. We climbed up the ladder, and I watched in horror as Gabriel pulled the fish out of the net and dropped it into the ice chest. It looked so much worse in the clear open air.
Amy gasped. "Ew, what is that?"
"It’s a fucked up fish—what does it look like?" I said, my voice tinged with exasperation.
Her face contorted with revulsion. Gabriel, however, remained calm and composed, his gaze narrowing on the horizon. I followed his gaze, still far in the distance but close enough to make out details, a row of oil rigs loomed on the horizon.
“You think it could be the oil rigs?” I asked, my voice uncertain. Gabriel was more knowledgeable, more experienced. The way he looked at them told me everything I needed to know—they were the cause. There was no other explanation. With the samples securely stored in the ice chest, we returned to shore.
Gabriel
The chemical analysis of the samples we brought in only took a day to process in the lab downstairs. The results weren't surprising—the ocean was fucked. The lamp on my desk glowed, pushing back the darkness in my office. Repetitive, bureaucratic forms demanded my attention. I watched raindrops stream down the large window overlooking the ocean while absently drumming my fingers on my desk. Stopping the coastlines destruction and sitting here for hours slaving over these forms didn’t feel connected. I’ve never solved problems with paperwork.
I let out a sigh of frustration, leaned back in my creaky office chair, then picked up my phone and called Sophia. The last time I heard her voice on the phone, she was furious.
"Hello?" There was no hint of that now.
"Gabriel?" Sophia's voice came through the phone, soft and delicate.
"I know it’s your day off, and it’s late, but would you be able to come into the office? These forms are a pain in the ass."
Thunder filled the silence. "I can’t, I'm working with Henry. I'm really sorry."
“No, it’s fine. I’m almost finished up anyway.” A man's muffled voice shouted in the background. "So, what are you doing with Henry?" I asked.
