The monolithic lair ejected the Little Angler out into the pitch black waters.

The craft had full charge and optimal oxygen levels, but Dea settled on an almost vertical route in her hurry to get to the surface.

"Land gear—check. Onward to the human city!" She let out a cackle like a sea lion on kelp beer.

When she came upon the sparse abyssopelagic life on her upward journey, she watched them with newfound awe. You guys face the same challenges we do, huh? The cute dumbo octopus in her line of sight darted away in a glob of yellow, its tiny ear-like projections flapping in haste.

More deep-sea dwellers materialized, captivating her with their alienness—from the spectral translucence of a glass octopus to the neon fireworks of a hydromedusa. A spurt of luminous ink turned out to belong to the hellish vampire squid. Beauty and freakishness are two sides of the same coin around here.

The pressure eased with every meter she ascended. When scant light diluted the water to a deep blue, she perked up. The submersible mirrored her mood as it zoomed through a shower of marine snow in eagerness to rise above the twilight zone. The increasing visibility summoned forth many lanternfish. Their impeccable choreography boosted her spirit, which danced in anticipation of the adventure ahead.

Sooner than she expected, heavenly sunrays beamed down to welcome her. Her heart sang. The Angler accelerated and breached the surface.

She whooped. "Mission accomplished!"

There was no time to savor victory, however. Dea sagged under the invisible timer that ticked away precious minutes. The next stage of the mission was a hazy blur in her mind—she had no idea what to expect. Despite the thrill, her stomach twisted into knots of apprehension. Yep, diving headfirst into unchartered waters.

She poked the panel. "Bot, show me a map of the nearest land masses."

"Loading."

As Dea scaled up the map, she located the island known to humans as Serendiva. She had previously pinpointed the area where Dilip Goonewardane's city resided. Thankfully, it was the coastal capital of the country.

She almost picked the quickest route before realizing that she couldn't just arrive in a populated beach. Her eyes combed the coastline as she deliberated this new hurdle.

"Aha!" Her finger made an impatient jab to enlarge the landmark. "Mangrove forest! Must be a protected reserve."

Three taps later, she plotted a course to the forest, which occupied a small chunk of the coast.

Without further ado, the DSV slipped under the waves and skimmed the surface on its journey to Seren City, the human metropolis.

Dea traversed the limitless swathes of the big blue while the sun cheered her on with unrelenting brightness.

After a long time, the Little Angler's sonar feed indicated an enormous patch of unidentified mass. She squinted warily through the viewport as she guided the vehicle up for a better look. Air escaped her in a whoosh.

Human plastic dominated her vision, stretching out as far as she could see. It was a floating carpet of debris, studded with what appeared to be grotesque icebergs composed of tangled nets and lines. Sea gulls rode the thermals above as if they were oblivious to the eyesore.

As Dea passed by the patch, the sheer size of it astounded her. It was bigger than all of Calliathron. The fact that humans had created something so crude was baffling—when even pufferfish showed more artistic flair with their elaborate geometric nests. Just because you can't see the beauty in human art, that doesn't mean there's no aesthetic value to it. And they're using discarded materials to build this ocean tapestry. When she pondered the matter, it made perfect sense that a monument of fake jellyfish should welcome her into human territory.

The dead sea turtle suddenly popped into mind, and she shuddered. Maybe humans don't realize their abstract art can cause harm. She made a mental note to bring it up with her human, though communication would prove to be hard with the linguistic barriers. She resumed her journey, riding the thermal of hope that soared within.

When Dea approached coastal waters, she stopped to recharge the craft and grab some food. Relishing the warm wind on her skin, she shielded her eyes and scanned the horizon. A tantalizing splotch of land met her stare—a green mirage that beckoned her closer.

It wasn't long before she entered the littoral zone. The ocean gradually turned an aquamarine hue, and she came upon a pod of irrawaddy dolphins. Their beakless faces, locked in a permanent smile, were almost merman-like. They paused their game of catch to greet her with a chorus of whistles and clicks. One even squirted water at her. Dea eyeballed the pale frond of seaweed they used for their game. Wait, that's not seaweed—that's human plastic! It's everywhere!

The next hurdle soon presented itself. She had no idea where to anchor the submersible. The Little Angler peeked above the waterline, and Dea surfaced yet again to survey the land. The rushing waves and the trill of seabirds formed a raucous clamor that flooded her ears. Her wide eyes absorbed the terrestrial forest ahead, rising into lush hills in the distance. Mangroves lined the shore like a phalanx of verdant green sentries. They stood atop a labyrinthine root system—grey stilts through which teal waters filtered in.

"Even if I find a good spot to anchor this, how do I navigate through that wilderness?" she asked herself.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that," the AI intoned.

"Oh, shuddup, bot," she muttered grumpily.

A squawk directed her attention to the sky. Cormorants flew against a backdrop of coconut palms, which towered beyond the mangroves. Large birds lounged on tree branches. This is a total land safari! Way better than the cays! The ticking clock dampened the mood, however. Dea emitted a sigh and hopped back into the vehicle. What if my time's up before I even get onto land?

As the Angler skirted the mangrove forest, her flukes thumped on the base of the seat over and over again. To her relief, the forest thinned to rocky beach the further she went.

She finally found the ideal natural harbor when the shore curved inward akin to a crescent moon. Surrounding this sparkling cove was sandy beach interspersed with rock and mangroves. After sonar-mapping the place, Dea eagerly guided the Angler in. Relief washed over her while she activated the anchoring mechanism.

"Bot," she said, opening the top hatch, "switch to sleep mode in fifteen minutes."

"Sleep mode pending," the AI responded. "Would you like to install the system update?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Commencing update. Don't turn off your DSV."

Argh, computers—it has to be now. She rolled her eyes. "Wait, how do I..."

Dea stared at the compact machine that Muda had crammed in with difficulty. It had to be transported to the beach.

She grabbed the tether she used on her travel sack and attached it to the machine's folded wheels. "I should definitely hit Flipping Flukes with Hima."

Minutes slipped by as she heaved it slowly through the hatch. She blew out a breath and placed it on the gentle waves. It was buoyant, but Muda had warned her that it couldn't handle full immersion. Painfully aware of the dwindling time, Dea slid into the water.

A powerful tail thrust propelled her forward. She weaved past mangrove roots, scattering fish that used them as a safe haven. When she reached the beach, she crawled onto dry sand, towing the Cypod along, and paused next to a sapling to adjust to the tug of gravity. Cool waves licked her tail flukes as if to coax her back into the ocean.

"Now to find 21/5 North Salmalwatte," she panted, brushing wet sand off the Cypod's surface.

Her ogi indicated tiny dwellings not far from her location, but a huge structure further away captured her attention. She pulled out the print of Dilip's driver's license. Maybe if I show this to them, they'd point me in the right direction. For the umpteenth time, she wished she had access to a human map that would tell her where North Salmalwatte was.

There was no time to dawdle. Dea jabbed at an inconspicuous button on the Cypod's side. The machine emitted a low whir as it unfurled. Wonder consumed her anew as her brain commanded it to swivel towards her. She realized that her fingers were making a tapping motion in midair. She let out a giggle. This telekinesis thing needs some getting used to.

It took only seconds to slide into the land machine. Her tail fit snugly into its lower confines like a sheathed blade. Meanwhile, dazzling sunlight evaporated the sheen of wetness on her skin. Struck by the heat, she slathered on generous dollops of moisturizer. Lastly, she sucked in a breath and willed herself to move.

The Cypod Terra rolled forward, sand crunching under its wheels. Wind whipped her hair back, rapidly drying it into a puffy pink cloud, which complemented the mauve in her top. It was exhilarating.

Peals of laughter burst out as she reveled in her new psionic abilities on this human beach. Hima, I wish you were here to see this!

The dwellings soon inched into visibility. Cresting the knolls further inland, they appeared to be seaside shanties. Her enraptured gaze fell on the humans scurrying about under the shade of coconut palms, while small boats dotted the coastline. Several individuals seemed to be in a hurry, and her senses tingled with the notion that there was some kind of commotion. Maybe a fight broke out.

A bout of uncertainty gripped her. She rerouted towards the big building that appeared on the ogi's sonar.

Old concrete blocks made up the compound, and one side stood in defiance of the waves, its retaining wall punctuated with drain pipes. The weather-beaten walls were bleached of color but for the grime, and occasional tarp pockmarked the place like a charcoal grey rash. Dea shivered as she neared it. A factory of some sort? Just pretend to be a lost human!

The prospect of first contact set her nerves ablaze. She steadied her breathing and echolocated her way along the perimeter in hopes of finding an opening. The sand gave way to gravel, making it a bumpy ride. Her ogi indicated sizeable pockets of space inside.

The wall abruptly ended in a yawning entrance. A potholed road, flanked with weeds, extended out and snaked through a copse of coconut trees.

Dea eased the Cypod onto the road, and every inch she covered made her shiver anew. She peered into the bowels of the construction, which was as murky as the water that pooled in the cracked asphalt. A dripping sound and the rumble of machinery wafted out. It's almost creepier than Anuk's lair. Maybe I'll just go ask the humans in the shanties instead.

She turned, and a jolt of fear quaked her to the bone.

A human stood mere feet away, staring at her.

Animal: Irrawaddy Dolphin

https://youtu.be/wihXvMyxXmg