Water Planet Rescue Read online

  Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the huge spout of water is gone. A few large drops splash against our windshield, and then all is quiet.

  “That was weird,” I say when my heart stops pounding. “Why is the water doing that?”

  “That’s what we’re here to find out,” Pockets says, almost cheerfully. He likes mysteries, too.

  A thick, dark cloud hovers over most of Nautilus. It’s not until the taxi flies below it that I can see why they call Nautilus a water planet.

  Almost the entire surface is covered in water. I’ve never been to the ocean on Earth before, but this must be what it’s like, only times a hundred. The water is an amazing light green color. I wonder what it would be like to swim in it! I know we’re here on a mission, but it would be a shame to let my bathing suit go to waste.

  “How about that one, Archie?” Dad asks. He’s pointing at a circle of tiny islands connected by long silver bridges.

  I don’t even need to look down at my map. “Sorry, Dad. None of the islands have runways nearly long enough to land on.”

  “I figured,” Dad says, gritting his teeth. “Let’s hope this new landing gear works.” He presses the new blue button on the dashboard. We wait. I don’t hear anything.

  “Did the skis come out underneath?” I ask, pressing my face up to my window.

  Pockets scrambles to the other window. “I don’t see anything,” he reports. “And there’s no time to deploy my hot-air balloon.”

  I twist around. “You have a hot-air balloon?”

  “Actually, I have two,” he says. “I’ll show you someday. Unless of course the taxi is smashed to bits when it hits the water. Then you’ll just have to take my word for it.”

  I gulp.

  “Hang on, boys, here we go,” Dad says as the front of the taxi becomes level with the planet. He grips the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white. I hold my breath as the taxi skims across the surface of the water. We wobble back and forth, with first the front and then the back of the cab dipping underneath the water. Finally the taxi steadies itself and we start gently floating on the ripples toward the group of islands.

  “Phew,” Dad says, unpeeling his fingers from the wheel.

  “Phew,” Pockets and I agree.

  “Wow, look!” I shout, rolling down my window. The water is so clear that I can see straight down to the ocean floor. I see round buildings and long sidewalks and so many people! Some are walking—more like gliding, really—while most are swimming. Some are even riding three-wheeled bicycles on the ocean floor.

  “Wow,” Pockets says, going from window to window in the backseat to get the best view.

  “Wow,” Dad agrees, sticking his head out his own window.

  A group of people wave from a dock on the largest island. They rush to meet us as we pull in. Tall and thin, with fins instead of hands, they look more like fish than people. I’m not scared of them, though, like I was of Graff at first. After all, unlike the ants in kindergarten, Mom’s never had to pull fish from my hair. That would be really, really gross.

  They use a rope to tie us to the dock, then help us out of the car. Pockets flips open his official ISF badge and then introduces Dad and me.

  “We are so glad you’re here,” a fish-person in a long blue robe with wide sleeves says. He bends way down to shake our hands. His fin-like hand is cold and clammy, but not in a bad way.

  “I am Carp,” he says. “I am the leader of the undersea people.”

  A woman in a green robe steps up next to him and shakes our hands, too. Her hand is much warmer, and a bit less fin-like. “And I am Salmon,” she says, “leader of the abovesea people.”

  Carp turns to Pockets and says, “Salmon and I will fill you in on our current situation. Meanwhile, my son, Pike, will be happy to entertain the earthlings with a tour.”

  “Oh, I get it,” I say with a grin. “Everyone here is named after a fish!”

  “What do you mean?” Carp asks.

  Pockets gives me a quick shake of his head.

  “Never mind,” I mutter, my cheeks growing hot.

  Pike steps out from behind his father. He’s like a mini version of his dad. I guess I must look like a mini version of my dad, too.

  I lean over and whisper to Dad, “Shouldn’t we stay with Pockets? How can we help him if we’re not together?”

  “He’ll let us know if he needs us,” Dad replies.

  Pockets turns and motions for us to go with Pike. He and the two leaders hurry toward a nearby table.

  “Come,” Pike says, grabbing my hand in his cold one. “Let’s go have fun!” He pulls me away from the dock and onto a grassy area. Dad glances back at our taxi bobbing in the water, seems satisfied that it’s safe, and follows.

  Pike points out the houses in the center of the island. They look like they are made of dried-out mud. Colorful flowers and plants bloom everywhere and make the homes look cozy and inviting.

  “Why do some people live up here, and some in the water?” I ask Pike.

  “We all used to live undersea,” he explains, climbing onto a large pile of moss-covered rocks. Dad and I step where he steps, being careful not to slip.

  When we reach the top, he continues his story. “A few hundred years ago, people started exploring above. And now it has become home to many. If the oceans continue to dry up, then everyone will have to live above the water. Most of our bodies are not prepared for that. We do not breathe air well enough to live here full-time.”

  He kind of sounds like Pockets when he talks—all grown-up, even though he’s still a kid. But then he suddenly does a backflip, stretches out his fin-like arms, and shouts, “Long live Nautilus!” No way Pockets would—or could—do that. Not that I could do it, either. I can’t even do a somersault.

  I clap and Pike grins, puffing out the gills on his cheeks.

  “Very impressive,” Dad says.

  “One day I will be leader of the undersea,” Pike says. “If there is an undersea left, that is. You are not visiting us at our best time.” He points up at the huge cloud we flew past on our way here. It blocks most of the sun. “That cloud began to form when the water started disappearing,” he says. “Usually our planet is sunny and warm.”

  “What do you think is making the water go away?” I ask.

  His eyes dim. “Some undersea people think the abovesea people are behind it.”

  “But why would they want to get rid of the water?”

  The gills on his face flap as he frowns. “If the water goes away, then everything undersea will be abovesea. Instead of only having a few islands to live on, they’ll have the whole planet.” His eyes get wet with tears. “And the rest of us won’t be able to breathe.”

  “Do you really think they’d do that?” I ask. “Salmon seemed really nice. She’s the leader of the abovesea people, right?”

  Pike nods. “I don’t really think they would do it. Neither does my father. But that’s why the ISF officer is here, to help figure it out.” He grins. “Come, let’s forget our troubles for a moment. I want to show you my favorite place abovesea.”

  He leads us down the other side of the rocks and around to a hidden sandy cove. Two fish-men in uniforms sit on lifeguard stands on either side of the small beach.

  “Do the lifeguards mean we can swim here?” I ask as we make our way toward the water. I spread my arms to show off my swimsuit. “I came prepared.”

  Pike laughs but shakes his head. “I’m sorry. But until we figure out what’s happening with the water, swimming up here on the surface has been banned. And these men aren’t lifeguards. They are guarding the entrance to the Nautilus National Bank below us.”

  One of the guards leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. The other pulls out a book to read.

  “The bank hasn’t been robbed in fifty years,” Pike explains. “So they’re pretty bored. People don’t last too long at this job. These guys have only been here a few—”

  A roaring whoosh drown