Page 80 of Music of the Ocean

Indigo was the one who broke the silence when he heard Saxby’s stomach growling. “We should eat. Then, I want to show you something.”

“Again?” Saxby grinned as he pushed himself off the mesh. “Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist. Yeah, I’m starving. What do you want to show me? Whatever it is, I can’t wait.”

“I am glad to hear that.”

Saxby reached for the pile of clean clothes. “After breakfast?”

“After breakfast.” Indigo watched as Saxby dressed, noting the way he moved with more confidence than he had when he’d first arrived. The adaptation was progressing well, both physically and mentally.

They left their chamber together, moving through the corridors as the city’s morning cycle shifted into full brightness. The traffic had increased, citizens swimming past in both directions, their conversations creating a constant murmur that echoed off the coral walls.

The dining hall was already half full when they arrived. Indigo guided Saxby to an empty table near the back wall, then went to collect their food. He returned with two bowls of steaming grain porridge and cups of fermented juice.

Saxby ate with enthusiasm, his appetite seemingly insatiable since the transformation. Indigo watched him between bites of his own meal, pleasure flowing through him as his mate eat had he provided.

“When did you first know?” Saxby asked suddenly, setting his spoon down. “That you were falling for me, I mean.”

Indigo considered the question. “The first time you smiled at me without fear. It was the third day after your transformation began. You were examining your new gills in the mirror, and you turned to me and smiled. It was a smile freely given.”

Saxby’s expression softened. “I remember that. I was terrified, but you were so patient with me.”

“You were brave.” Indigo reached across the table, his fingers brushing Saxby’s wrist. “You still are.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’ve always enjoyed exploring space and seeing new things. Didn’t much care about being ordered about when I joined the Federation, but that’s part of it.” Saxby shrugged. “I never thought I’d miss my old ship.”

Indigo’s gut clenched. “You do?”

“Not like I can feel you thinking. I don’t miss being part of the Federation nor most of the people on the ship. Oh, but that vibration of the deck plates through my boots when we dropped out of warp? The adrenaline spike of red alert klaxons? That specific hum of a starship’s engine at full throttle? That’s a thrill like no other. I do sort of miss that.”

“The thrill? I am glad to hear that. Keep that in mind.”

“Oh?” Saxby leaned over the table. “That sounds mysterious.”

“I like keeping you on your toes.”

Saxby laughed. “Now that’s a human saying if I ever heard one.”

“Your species is certainly interesting.”

Saxby snorted. “We’re certainly something, that’s for sure.”

They finished their meal in comfortable silence, the sounds of the dining chamber providing a nice backdrop to a glorious morning. When they were done, Indigo stacked their bowls and placed them in the return slot.

“Ready?” he asked.

Saxby nodded, standing. “Always.”

Indigo offered his hand, and Saxby took it. They left the dining chamber together, weaving through the crowded corridors, pausing only when a pair of younglings darted between them.

The city was in full swing, citizens moving with purpose, but Indigo focused solely on the corridor that led them to the open expanse of the ocean floor. The stronger current tugged at their bodies as they left the city.

The silence outside the city was thicker. The distant grind of tectonic movement and the occasional growl of something huge passing by were the only sounds that broke it.

Indigo stopped at the knife wound in the otherwise unbroken ocean floor. The trench’s rim was nearly invisible until they hovered right above it, the curvature of the planet itself seeming to bow under the weight of so much water and so much darkness.

They floated, suspended, staring into the blue-black crack that marked the boundary between the known and the untouchable. It was so deep that sunlight didn’t even attempt the journey down.

“Stay close,” Indigo said. “The current shifts unexpectedly here.”