Dark Matter (The Salt Mine, #15) by Browning Joseph & Yee Suzi

Author:Browning, Joseph & Yee, Suzi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joseph Browning
Published: 2021-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Monhegan Island, Maine, USA

16th of October, 2:45 p.m. (GMT-4)

Johnathon Stein walked down the stairs off the concrete wharf after checking his scuba gear. The insulated dry suit muted the worst of the Atlantic’s biting cold, but he could still feel the rising chill as he descended into the water. He pushed against the resistance, and on the second-to-last step, his head dropped below the waterline. Complete submersion was like flipping a switch, and Stein found himself light and agile, no longer subject to the full oppressive force of gravity. He was at home in the water, even with all the gear.

He made room for the others who would be helping him and together, they swam toward the mouth of the rift cove to start work on the barrier wall. Made of concrete, it was attached to the sea floor and rose well above the high tide line, like a dam with water on both sides. Its purpose was to protect the experimental squid population from rough weather and predators, but if it was completely impenetrable, the environment would stagnate.

In order to keep the outdoor lab fresh and biologically active, strategic gaps were placed in the barrier wall: a large central grate ten meters below high tide and three small half-moon culverts at the bottom. Lined with squid nets, these allowed the natural exchange of water with the tides and the entrance of small fish and crustaceans for the squid to feed upon without risking escape into the wild.

The culverts already had steel bars in place, but the main grate was little more than a chain-link fence with a slightly tighter weave. It was enough protection under normal circumstances, but it wouldn’t stop something akin to what attacked Trawling Chaos.

The first thing Stein did was examine the quality and quantity of the connectors between the grate and concrete. The plan was to remove the current grate and replace it with steel bars like the culverts, but the grate spanned a much larger space. He would need as many join points as possible, not just to strengthen their defenses but also to hold the increased weight. The bars were significantly more material than the grate.

Once he gave the thumbs up, three of the other divers started moving equipment and materials onto the concrete ledge at the bottom of the grate while the fourth kept watch on the sea, APS in hand. When everything was on the sea floor, they cut the zip ties that secured the squid net to the grate. Each diver took a corner and performed an underwater ballet as they carefully folded it into a square and then weighed it down with a large rock. The squid net was in good shape and would be reattached to the new barred opening once they were finished.

Next, they opened the latches and lifted the grate off its hinges. In a coordinated maneuver, they tilted it at an angle and moved it through the opening in the barrier wall, like a couple of guys trying to get a couch through a narrow apartment door.

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