We had a little time before the decompression sickness set in. Achy joints, itchy, mottled skin, if we were lucky. If we weren't lucky, spinal involvement and neurological damage.
I lay flat on the deck, staring at the sky as we raced back to the island. I’d had my fill of sharks for a while.
40
Jack navigated into the slip at the Oceanographic Institute, banging the bumpers. By the time we arrived, my joints ached, and I could barely stand. Sweating and uneasy, it was no picnic.
Jay and some techs greeted us on the dock with wheelchairs and helped us ashore. They hustled us into the main facility, racing down the hallways to the hyperbaric wing. The Pressure Pod 5400J would be our home for the next five hours. It looked like a small stainless-steel submarine with round portholes for windows. About 12 feet long and 7 feet in diameter, it was a tight space. Two padded benches folded down into narrow bunks, and there was a tiny toilet. Through a small airlock, Jay could pass food and water. This place was not for the claustrophobic. We both felt entombed. But it was better than getting shredded by the monstrosity.
Jay was a certified hyperbaric technician, among other things.
In the tube, we put on tight-fitting oxygen masks and tried to make ourselves comfortable. We’d be saturated with 100%oxygen. My ears popped every few seconds as the pressure changed.
After 20 minutes in the tube, the stabbing pain in my joints began to fade. There were three treatment rounds, on and off oxygen, with short air breaks in between. It was a standard Table 6 protocol.
A couple of hours in, and the pain in my joints became a dull shadow of its former self. There wasn't much to do inside the chamber but relax and take it easy. It was an opportunity to get to know Ariel a little better. Though I felt like I'd gotten to know her pretty well in the last 24 hours. We’d been through a lot together.
"That's the second time you got me out of a tight spot," Ariel said, her voice muffled by the mask. It made her sound like a sci-fi character.
"I'd say stop getting into tight spots, but then who would I have to rescue?"
"You know, we’re probably the only two people to see that shark and live to tell the tale.”
"Except the people who created it.”
"I’ve never seen anything like it," Ariel said. "I'm not sure I want to again. But it was fascinating.”
After five hours, we were released from our steel prison. The joint pain and itchy skin had melted away. I'm not going to say I felt great, but a damn sight better than I did when I went in.
Jack was there to greet us. "You two are certifiable, you know that? You’re not going to catch me in the water with that damn thing.”
I chuckled.
"I'm sure you know the drill," Jay said. "No flying, no diving, no heavy exercise. Take it easy for a couple of days. I know I'm asking the impossible with you, but maybe I can knock some sense into that thick head of yours.”
"I promise I'll take it easy." I nodded to Ariel. "Now her, on the other hand…”
She smacked my arm playfully. "I think I've learned my lesson."
I thanked Jay for the assistance, then we left the facility and ambled back down the dock to the Siren. Still sore, but functional, we boarded the boat. Jack took the helm. I cast off the lines, and he fired up the engine and navigated us out of the marina. We headed back to Diver Down, found an empty slip, and tied off.
There were a few parties on boats. The moon glowed overhead, and the stars flickered. A few lazy clouds drifted on the breeze.
I was hungry. So was Ariel.
We boarded theAvventuraand considered dining options. Everything on the island would be packed. I wasn't in the mood to fight the crowd or wait to get a table. Even Diver Down was busy with spring break revelers. We made a couple of sandwiches in the galley and stuffed our faces on the sky deck. It wasn't a gourmet meal, but it would do.
Unfortunately, alcohol was off the table for the next 24 to 48 hours. That didn't keep Jack from mixing up a cocktail. "Now that we’ve found that thing, what the hell do we do?"
"We don't have a DNA sample,” I said. “We don't have any footage. We've got nothing to connect any of this to Aqus.”
“We've got the DNA from the original shark attack," Jack said. "That came back from the lab. They confirmed it’s some type of hybrid cross. I caught the sheriff up to speed on everything while you guys were getting unbent. He contacted FWC and FDLE. They want the original DNA sample retested to confirm. They're having a hard time believing this thing is actually real.”
"I can tell you without a doubt, it is actually real,” I said.
"We can go back out to the dive site, recover that cage,” Jack said. “Maybe there's some DNA evidence.”
"If there is, I doubt it would last long. It would degrade quickly.” I frowned. "I'm benched for a few days. But you can dive the site with a buddy.”
