Vanguard | Post-Apocalyptic YA

Part 23: Homecoming

"Do you have a blanket?" Nelly breaks the silence after we've been traveling underwater in the Skipper for about twenty minutes. The ocean around us is completely dark, and the only light in the cabin is from the digital screens on the dashboard. I had almost thought she'd fallen asleep, she'd been so quiet until now.

"No . . .. Wait, there may be an extra jumpsuit in the cupboard behind you," I say over my shoulder before she gets up on her knees and opens the small door. A faint light comes on inside, triggered by the move. "Yeah, I see it there. It's the dark blue thing on the top shelf."

Nelly reaches for the dry clothes, and her shirt lifts just enough to reveal the small of her back. The delicate curve is a golden honey color like the rest of her and even in the dim interior I can see that it's covered in goosebumps. If I twist around a bit more, I could almost touch it.

"Can I help you with something?" she asks, clearly annoyed.

I snap my gaze upward at her words, and in addition to the scowl on Nelly's face, I see that she's holding a folded, blue square in each hand. "I found two. Want one?"

I reach for the jumpsuit, but I make sure to avoid the girl's eyes. I figure it's also pointless for me to tell her that I won't look while she's changing since I'd have to be a fool to stare a second time. Instead, I take off my own wet clothes, awkwardly stripping to just my underwear while still seated in the pilot's chair. Pulling on the sturdy overalls, I feel warmer immediately.

"Huh," she says from behind me amid the rustling of fabric. "I can't believe you can navigate in such darkness. We're totally blind down here."

I laugh. "Just between you and me, a pilot is only good as his equipment." I tap a gauge, and I immediately question why I just candidly shared this with her. Hoping to save-face, I reach up and flip a couple of switches. "Take a look at this."

The area in front of the Skipper that until now was pitch black is illuminated by the spotlights I've engaged, revealing a world teeming with life. Specks of plankton and other tiny marine creatures float by in the current, but it doesn't take long for the other residents of the deep to come into view.

"Wow." Nelly's voice is directly in my ear, and her breath grazes my face. "Is that a—?"

"Yup. Hammerhead," I say as the sleek, gray-skinned creature casually sweeps his tailfin from side to side, gliding away from us.

"How about that?"

"Puffer fish."

"Ooh, those are so cute. Shrimp?"

"Krill."

"And that one?" She points a finger at a stocky fish with a large mouth and zebra stripes.

I turn toward her. "What am I? An encyclopedia? I don't know what they're all . . . ," I say, the final word sticking in my throat. I'd forgotten how close she is and the shift in my position has decreased the distance between us even further. We're both taken aback when our noses almost touch, and Nelly quickly retreats to the space behind me.

We're quiet again for a few minutes before she begins to speak. "And to think that they've survived down here all this time . . . just like you on Vanguard."

"That's not quite accurate." I turn again to catch her eyes. "They may not look it, but most of the creatures down here have been affected by the radiation that's managed to penetrate through. It started with the ones that go near the surface, and then it trickled down to those that feed on them. It's the whole food chain thing. Luckily, most of the mutations have made the fish bigger, which means there's more of them to eat. Based on our tests, they're safe for human consumption so we're still okay for now."