Seastead, Tahiti
arm with her Uncle Jon, a sturdy gentleman. Her mother’s arm laced into his other side. His accent couldn’t be anything other than European, but many years and miles had eroded its origins. Bella sensed he had gotten shorter since she last saw him a few years ago, when she had finished her degree. He showered all the Espinosa children with affection, but Bella believed she was his favorite. She loved his vibrant blue eyes and admired his trimmed Van Dyke beard and his flourish of white hair. But now, his Panama hat covered his head. She became aware that he stopped and was directing their attention with a nod. Bella marveled at the sight before them.
“We needed a place for people to play,” he explained. “The basic segmented platform for seasteading worked for business and residences but didn’t have the size we needed for this.” From the perspective of the VIP box, they looked down across the stadium seating and onto the bright green field. “Some people tried to change the rules of the game… small field, walled off sidelines. It made the game fast and furious and being so close to the action was fun. Ah, but people are slow to alter those things that are sacred. We learned soccer is nothing to trifle with, so we built this floating stadium. It will head out on an international tour next month. For now, the South Pacific and a small fringe of Asia…” His voice fell off as if contemplating infinite possibilities. “The major teams will play in the exclusive tournament. It’s already sold out, and promises to be very profitable.” A smile with perfect teeth flashed across his face as they stepped into an elevator. “American football is even holding an exhibition game. No guarantees there, but we should sell some t-shirts and beer.” He laughed at his own joke. Then he said with pride, “Six cruise ships will accompany her and rotate fresh bodies in every few days. Quite the event. Everybody’s abuzz.”
Cleaning and maintenance robots paused their work as the trio skirted the sun-drenched field and walked through the covered seating on their way toward the closest elevator. “Nobody likes to walk into a movie theater and not see a thing. The same thing occurred here, leaving the field area. At first, the plunge into darkness as we descended into the hull caused problems. The area around the elevator’s exit became congested as people adjusted to the lower light—even a couple of injuries resulted. In short order, our engineers came up with a solution and created a vestibule with reduced lighting leading up to the doors of the lifts.”
The trio stepped into the expansive elevator car. Uncle Jon motioned to the walls. “They delayed the lift’s progress by twenty percent and incremental changes in the lighted wall panels further facilitated acclimation.” The doors parted. “This corridor continues the transition.”
They strolled onto a large ramp that looked out over a magnificent interior complex. Jon held out his arms in an open embrace and added, “By the time we get here, our eyes have accomplished a miracle. We can see.”
“It is the faces… the expression of awe… this is my biggest joy when giving this tour.” He gazed at Bella and said, “Thank you, my dear, for being impressed. It means so much to this old man. No one person did all this, but I am proud of my contribution in making it possible.”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Jon. I’ve never been sure what it is you do… or did… your occupation. What is it you did that makes you proud?”
A smile raced across his face, and he responded. “My darling Bella, don’t you know—I dream?” He set off at an exciting pace. “Everything must serve multiple purposes. Below the playing surface is the entresol, or some call it the mezzanine.” He lowered his voice as if to share a dirty secret. “Americans… they insist on referring to it as…” He mocked a passable southern drawl and continued, “the mall.” He stopped walking, seemed to focus a few feet in front of him, and said, “Words are adaptive. In time, one of those monikers will stick, but for now it’s all three, depending on who you talk with. We learn to be flexible if not efficient.”
Two stories of shops, elegant staircases, and restaurants lined the open expanse that lay before them. Bella shivered, her bare shoulders adjusting to a breeze of cool air. It must have been obvious, as Jon answered her thoughts.
“Underwater cooling towers use the thermal gradient to circulate water. The air is cooled, and the water is warmed… the cycle never stops. The grass on the field above us is even temperature controlled for optimal growth.” Jon looked up. “Right now, the ceiling is mimicking the actual sky. But anything is possible. Last year on the first of April, the technicians decided it would be funny to project a comet hurtling toward earth.” His lips turned up in a wry smile. “It turns out April Fool’s Day is not international, and a few people didn’t think it was at all funny. Still, by the end of the day everybody on the seastead came to see what all the commotion was about.”
They walked past people who seemed to enjoy themselves, but nobody carried any shopping bags. Again, their guide anticipated the question and said, “Drones are the superlative delivery system on this seastead. Purchases are delivered directly to people's residence. No silly politics or regulations to stop progress.”
“My favorite shop is right here. Let’s go in and I’ll show you why.” A woman put down a folded pillowcase, smoothed it once with the edge of her hand, and smiled. Jon excused himself from Lena and Bella and strutted toward the woman. The two met with a kiss and a light embrace. Jon beamed. “Bella, this is my wife, Janice. I’m so sorry you couldn’t be here for the wedding. It was quite the party.”
Janice turned Bella’s extended hand into a hug. “I’m just getting off work. I insist we let this old goat run off and us girls get to know each other.”
The handoff was clearly prearranged. Jon looked at his watch. He kissed Janice again and said, “That’s a great idea. Maybe I’ll find a friend and play a round of golf.”
“Jon’s told me so much about you, Bella. I’m looking forward to seeing if all those things are true. He suffers from episodes of hyperbole.” She grabbed Bella by the arm, beamed at Lena and said, “I have a table at a quaint restaurant that serves tea anytime of the day and coffee before noon.” She scanned her wrist across a reader as they left the shop.
All the tables in the teahouse were taken except for the one Janice had reserved. The atmosphere was of Britain from some bygone era. Their small table was intimate, so close the women’s knees almost touched. A server placed a tiered tray of tiny sandwiches and shortbread between them. An older man with a handlebar mustache and no smile placed a large pot of tea at the center of the table.
Janice poured the tea into each of the small cups, set down the porcelain teapot, and caught Bella’s eyes. “Is it true you sat on an anchor one hundred feet under the water for three hours?”
Startled, Bella sat back in her seat, hesitant.
Janice exclaimed, “Jon told me you were only ten!” She took no time to trigger the second barrel. This time aimed at Lena. “Jon says it saved your marriage.”
Bella sensed Janice was more than inquisitive. She was good at it. She glanced between Bella and her mother in a way her father used. It made Bella uncomfortable to see Janice pick up her dad’s system of interrogation so quickly. Her body language made up for her mother’s Scandinavian stoicism and her mother’s flush of color and easy pupil reactions gave away what Bella’s complexion hid so well.
Bella looked to her mother for guidance and found her to be at ease with their newest in-law. Uncle Jon’s new wife was engaging, friendly, and appeared sincere, so Bella resolved to indulge Janice’s curiosity. After all, it was important that the girls get to know each other. “I’m sure you’d love to hear the story, but it’s not the one that Uncle Jon told. I was only that deep for maybe twenty minutes, and I was fourteen, not ten.” Bella mused. “You should hear the rest from Mom, not me. She’s the crazy one.”
Janice turned her attention to Lena with one slender eyebrow raised. “Jon never mentioned you were the crazy one. What’s that about?”
Lena began, “I was leaving. I’m not proud to say it, but I couldn’t take another day stuck on that floating outpost—Jose, all those kids. Yes, I’m sure it was crazy hormones. It’s complicated, but I was pregnant with my youngest, Sophie. You know her, so it’s obvious that Jose is not her father. At the time, Bella couldn’t have known any of that. But still, she didn’t show up to leave on the transport. I went to her room. She had left a note that I will never forget. ‘Dear Mom, I love you. I don’t want to hurt you, but I have to stay here and take care of Dad. I’m riding the hook. Don’t worry about me. Love, Isabella.’
“The helicopter transport waited on the landing pad, packed with our gear and three children strapped into their seats. I told the pilot, ‘I have to get my daughter.’ I was furious and blamed Jose. I yelled at him over the whirling blades. Whatever I said, it was the wrong thing. Cindy was ten and cried… then they all cried.
“The pilot caught my arm and said, ‘Ma’am, I’m supposed to be off this pad in ten minutes. I'll give you fifteen, but I’m leaving with or without you—one second after.’
“I grabbed a weight belt, mask, fins and a deep breath. Jose pressed a flashlight into my hand, and I dove in. I knew right where I’d find her. I descended past the first air tank my willful daughter staged along the anchor chain.” She threw a look at Bella and then took it back with a smile. “Fear gripped me when I couldn’t see her at a reasonable depth, then I spotted bubbles rising from the blackness. I continued to clear my ears and descended the chain. A second air cylinder came into view and then I could make out Bella’s form.”
Janice looked at Bella and said, “Oh, my goodness. Weren’t you scared?”
“I’ve always been at peace underwater. It’s where I go for solace. We call it dive therapy.” Bella looked at her mother, searching for help, but saw none coming. She took a drink of her tea, shrugged and said, “I didn’t have the tools to deal with my folks breaking up, so I chose sides.” She bit the end of a shortbread cookie and flashed her eyes, pleading for her mom to continue.
“We converged at Bella’s deep decompression stop, fifteen meters down. At first, she ignored me, opening the valve on the tethered tank. She pressed the purge to ready the regulator and handed it to me to get some much-needed air. You had to be there. It was one of those moments…” Lena’s eyes became moist.
Bella felt a pang of guilt and said, “Right after I made sure mom had air, she grabbed my wrist and focused the light on the digital readout of my dive computer. I knew then that I’d be able to stay with Dad.”
Janice scowled. “I don’t get it. Why would you get what you wanted?”
Bella gave a satisfied smile. “I’d been down too long. I had to stay underwater for another half hour to decompress so I wouldn’t get the bends. Even if they waited, I couldn’t fly. No adult would risk a kids’ life like that.” Her eyes softened. “Mom wrote on my slate, ‘You win!’ That news came with a mixture of guilt and relief, but then something unexpected happened.” Bella reached for her mother’s hand and said, “She turned the beam of light onto the slate again. It read good choice.” Her Mom gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and she continued, “Mom gave me a hug and swam toward the surface. That’s how I came to stay with my dad.”
“Her plan worked,” Lena said. “I think that’s why I reconciled with Jose. Bella made sure he was there for Sophie’s birth. A lot of healing happened after that.”
Janice placed her hands on her chest and sighed. “Jon left so much out. Thank you for indulging me.” She wiped the corner of her eye and said, “I don’t have children. It means so much to me to feel part of a family.” She offered her hands to the women and grasped them warmly. “Bella, you’re so young and beautiful. Jon says you’re a brilliant scientist and you have a wonderful career ahead of you.” Her eyes held back tears. “Dear, please don’t take this the wrong way. I chose my career and never made time to settle down and raise a family. I regret that now and pray you won’t choose that course.”
Bella took in a rapid, shallow breath of air. Her mother blushed. Janice took in the reaction and sipped her tea.
“What was your career?” her mother asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“Oh, didn’t Jon tell you? I was an FBI special agent.”