Hubbs nodded. “Could be that. Could be something else.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, maybe they came into contact with something in there.”

God, her own paranoia spoken aloud. But she had already dismissed that, would not even consider it.

“That’s ridiculous, Hubbs.”

“Is it? Things happened at Kharkov last time, you know. Maybe they’re happening again. Every time we go into that city, Javy, a little bit less of us comes out.”

“You’re being paranoid.”

“Yes, I am, Javy. And you should be, too. Because things are not what they seem down here and you shouldn’t be inclined to believe everything your eyes show you or take things at face value. Things are going to happen to us. And I just have to wonder if any of us will make it topside again.”

Javonivic tried her best to ignore him. He was becoming increasingly unstable. The sonar started to beep. “The SDV’s coming in. Bell and Murphy are coming back.”

“Are they?” Hubbs said.

“Goddammit, Hubbs! Knock it off. I don’t need this nonsense. Get to the moon pool. They’ll be coming up in about ten minutes.”

But he shook his head. “You go, Pollyanna. I’m not so sure I want to see what comes up out of that pool.”

16
TALES TOLD

Later, after they were back in the habitat, warm and fed, away from the others, Bell said, “Tell me what happened. I need to know.”

Murphy thought of dozens of ways he could lie about it, his well-tuned DSU ego demanding he save face, but in the end, he told the truth. What he knew of it. What he could remember. He told Bell about the whirlpool and how everything had gotten weird after that.

“It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. Even now, I can’t make sense of it.”

“I didn’t see anything like that,” Bell told him.

Murphy swallowed. “I saw it. I know I saw it.”

“And then?”

“The jellies…they just attacked me. It was insane.” He breathed slowly for a moment or two. “You know me, Chief. You know how I am. I don’t panic. I barely break a sweat. But…”

“Go ahead, tell me.”