Beacon of Light in the Dark Sea

An immense sense of relief flooded through me, impossible to articulate.

It was just a dream! Everything was merely a dream! With a loud exhale I lay staring up at the ceiling from the floor beside my bed, pondering. I must have been tired after coming to the undersea base. As always, the first 3 months at any new job I’m tense and stressed as the newbie.  

I must’ve been utterly exhausted to dream the undersea bases collapsed, such a dreadful scenario. How bizarre. Forget the snake, what was that about a cat? Were those animals personifications of my subconscious desire to keep pets? I’ve never remotely entertained getting a snake or cat.  

Sure Jihyuk and Geum-yi are people I’ve met, and I imagined up that Baek Ae-young’s face, but how could I conjure in a dream that Shin Haeryang guy I’ve never laid eyes on? Come on, that makes no sense. Trapped in a cable car, dying then getting eaten by a shark and killed? Have I been watching too many action flicks recently or is my mind addled from living at the undersea base? How could getting bitten by a shark in a dream hurt so badly?

Thinking about the final scene of the dream, my heart raced madly. I took slow deep breaths to settle myself. Gradually my heartbeat returned to normal as my respiration slowed. I only realized later my entire body was drenched in sweat. I grasped and flapped my t-shirt below my chest to fan myself. As the sweat evaporated the tension seeped from my muscles.  

What a way to spend a weekend morning. I thought I’d have more fun. Maybe I’ll go to that bakery at the 3rd Underwater Base for some bread and drinks at lunch and take a leisurely stroll along the beach. I smiled slightly, pondering the events in my dream.  

Me getting into shootouts, utterly preposterous. I’ve never even held a gun before! And the stairs connecting the 3rd to 2nd Underwater Bases are 4000 steps, as if I could climb that! I get worn out just walking up 3 floors, let alone 180! And carrying an injured person on my back? And there’s no way religious fanatics are lurking around this undersea base. It’s not easy to even get here, why would anyone believe those sharks and nonsense they spout? As if flawless gemstones as big as human heads and torsos would be casually laying all over that exhibition hall without any security!  

I laughed at the absurd imaginings of my mind. Massaging my tense stomach with a loud sigh, denying the dream made me feel more grounded in reality. I should mention this crazy dream to Geum-ssi or Jihyuk-ssi next time I treat them, wow…  

Lying sprawled on the floor, I almost scolded my lazy carcass before generously allowing myself the indulgence of rest since it was my day off after all.  

Creak creak creak creak!

Suddenly from the ceiling came an eerie screeching, like metal straining and warping due to external impacts. Goosebumps rose and I jolted up. What? Why such noises? Then vibrations started. Sitting on the floor yet my head reeled.  Amidst the rattling my tablet fell from where I’d left it on the table. With my body and hands I caught it before it hit the ground. No way. Can’t be! Ridiculous!

Stupefied with the tablet clutched in one hand, I opened my room door. Water that had been pooling outside came gushing in as the door sputtered open. My toes and soles chilled on contact with the water. I grabbed the back of my neck with my hand as if someone had dealt a blow there. What is this? Why is it leaking? My feet were cold from the water.  

As I stood frozen there the door closed itself again, confirming no one had exited. At the same moment it felt like someone shoved me from behind and I began moving. First I gathered and put on clothes then socks and shoes. I opened the backpack my brother gave me and confirmed the flashlight was at the very bottom. Then I tossed in a water bottle and crammed in snacks I had on hand like biscuits, candy and chocolate. Shoving in towels that came to hand plus my wallet and tablet on top. Do I need that whale plushie? Had I used that here? Surely at the end I gave the doll to Shin Haeryang for him to stanch Baek Ae-young’s bleeding. So should I bring it? Even though I already added more towels? What else might I require? All necessities for treatment are in the clinic so what more could I need?  

Glancing around my room nothing seemed viable as a weapon. Well…I’m a dentist. When would I ever have cause to keep weapons? Patients in clinics are docile. Kids may try to flee dental procedures but we sedate them, using nitrous oxide for calm. Adults are simpler. Restraining runaway adults just takes some discomfort, no action needed from the doctor. Realizing I had nothing weapon-like to take from my room, I tensed my body and opened the door.  

The water outside was already past my ankles, up to my calves. Screaming, I hurried from room 38 onward. Another dream? Why was what happened in my prior dream unfolding right now? Halting my chaotic thoughts, I focused on the events unfolding before me. No time. Think later.

How had Geum-yi triggered alarms throughout the area? Going from door to door knocking, I stopped when the water exceeded my calves, cursed inwardly then checked the tablet for the emergency notice. Emergency alarm. Emergency alarm. Emergency alarm! Through the undersea base program I entered the portion for the emergency evacuation alert in Baekho-dong then pressed it. At that point red lights began flashing in the corridor as all the doors simultaneously flew open with deafening loud warnings blasting.  

[Danger! Danger! This is an emergency! All personnel in West District, evacuate immediately via the escape pods! Danger! All personnel…];  

As the horrendous siren wailing started I raced toward the 50 rooms. Geum-ssi had definitely been sleeping in one of them. I found Carlos in room 48, scrubbing at his eyes and groggily trying to get out of bed. When he shouted “What the f*ck!” at me I yelled at Carlos,  

“Get up! It’s flooding!”

Howling at each closed door as I dashed from one to the next, I finally discovered someone huddled atop the bed in room 54.  

“Get up!”

I burst in and shook them. We have to go! Escape from here! Tearing back the covers revealed it was Geum. Ah, I missed you.  

“Geum-yi-ssi, wake up!”

Lifting her head still drowsy, when Geum-yi’s dark eyes clouded in irritation landed on my face I was so glad to see her awake I nearly cried. She groggily swung her head side to side.  

“The base is flooding! Leave right now! Now!”

I darted from Geum-yi’s room. Where’s the cat? And the snake? Unable to recall room numbers, I dashed about checking if there were animals or people. Carlos stomped toward the stairwell spewing curses alongside me. Geum-yihad changed from pajamas into casual clothes, put on her glasses and exited her room clasping a tablet.  

I raced through the halls like a madman until I discovered the cat in room 64 then broke into a smile, overjoyed. I flung my arms wide. Of course the cat made no emotional leap into my embrace. Merely caterwauling loud mournful yowls in time with the shrieking alarm, all its fur standing on end seeming to double its size.  

I picked up the room owner’s blanket and tried to toss it over the cat. As if I was an idiot it nimbly dodged away but my fingertips grazed its hindquarters causing it to miss landing.  

The now shin-high water swallowed the cat and its woeful sopping cries began. I swiftly fished it out and stuffed the soggy feline in my backpack, zipping it closed. I felt the bag squirming but ignored that. Now where was it? Which room again?  

The adjacent door opened as I sprinted out with the cat bouncing on my back. Vladimir glimpsed the calf-high flood then tapped something on the tablet strapped to his wrist. The alarm shifted to a vibrating drone.  

[Vwoomm vwoomm emergency! This is an emergency situation! All personnel still at the 4th Undersea Base, evacuate immediately via the escape pods and elevators! Emergency!];  

So the alert could be expanded basewide. Vladimir eyed me then called into his room, “Nikita. Get dressed. We’re leaving.”

At Vladimir’s words I raced past him toward room 80. I heard someone calling from behind but disregarded that. Go away. Disappear. You have to vanish! It was all just an awful dream!  

The flood had crept above my calves now. Why I was so fixated on checking room 80 was fear that if there was a kid inside and I escaped without confirming I’d regret and blame myself forever after. Each dash through the corridors splashed water up to my lower back. Please no. You must not exist!  

Seeing Henry asleep inside the open room 80 I felt faint. My head abruptly started pounding. No way. Can’t be. Dear lord. F*cking hell. Why this preposterous crap. No. That was a dream! Get a grip! The cold felt arctic against my legs but no way, this can’t be real!  

I added the pill bottles from his nightstand into my cat bag then hoisted Henry onto my back. Outside the water was up to my thighs in places. Most of the Russians staggered out into the passage. No sign of Nikita or Geum-yi anywhere, they must’ve taken an escape pod already. Clutching Henry I trudged one foot carefully after the other. Falling spelled big trouble. Meant the end.  

“There’s a kid here! A child in this room!”  

After checking room 72 Vladimir glimpsed me barely staying upright, using one hand to brace against the wall with water threatening my balance as I lugged Henry along.  

“Yours?”

“No!”