"Willard had faith in your equipment. I had faith in Willard." Connelly looked through the sphere's window and took in the view of the barren cave. "I still do."

Robert stood and leaned against the wall of the sphere. "Think this is another lesson?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Unlike your time in the storm," Connelly said, "Willard doesn't have faith in our equipment."

"What? What do you mean?"

Connelly sighed. "He ran a safety check on TES and the sphere back in the Antarctic. Everything checked out…except for the submersible mode. The GEC made attempts to correct most of what he found, but he was still unconvinced. I think the submersible is fine, but given our current predicament…" Connelly saw that Robert's face had fallen flat and pale. "What?"

He turned to her, his eyes filled with fire. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to stop the dive."

"I would have."

"I know…I'm sorry."

"Why didn't Willard tell me?"

"He thought you knew."

Robert lowered his head and then glanced at the air gauge. "We have ten minutes of air left, Kathy." Robert's voice was low and gravely. He stood over Connelly and looked down at her like an angry father.

She couldn't bear to look into his eyes. She knew her betrayal by omission would be the cause of their deaths. It was a pain beyond description, worse than any heartbreak she had felt before. Robert's hand took her under the chin and lifted her tear wet face up, so they were looking eye to eye.

Then Robert did the last thing she expected, he smiled. "Seeing what we have seen is a gift beyond my most vivid dreams. I'm glad you didn't tell me about the submersible flaws. I'm glad we're here. And if we die…there is no one else I would rather have by my side."

Staring up into Robert's glossy eyes, Connelly became overwhelmed by the strongest emotion she had ever experienced. She'd known Robert for as long as she could remember. They were the closest of friends, but now she wondered if they were more than that.

Connelly stood up, wrapped her arms around Robert's body and kissed him full on the lips.

Robert melted into her embrace, but then gripped her arms and pulled away.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I just realized," Robert said, his eyes wide. "I don't want to die!"

*   *   *   *   *

A pulsing sphincter the size of a monster truck wheel opened and closed with quick bursts. The liquid within the chamber reached the half way mark of the taut muscle, which pulled in the rotting flesh of the giant predator's victims and crushed it with each colossal pinch. The system was painfully efficient and as Willard approached he didn't see any safe way through. Knowledge from some hidden vault in his mind had brought him this far, but it seemed he would go no further.