***** Vol.1 Chap.26 Another nightmare *****

Two months have passed since the rescue of Senator Hatch and the daring rescue event long forgotten. The Senator made good on his word and got Congress to channel fifty million dollars to NOAA earmarked for underwater research. As arranged, Captain Jonas proudly supervised the research as the new Director of Underwater Research, and Kristin, the former Director, became the lowly Director of Tour Guides, an empty title.

Fascinated by the bubbles, Jonas made it a top priority to research their occurrences. However, they remained as elusive as before. No bubble sightings had been reported despite a concerted effort by pilots of commercial flights and specific manned flights, and no further reports of bubbles by passing ships either. The excitement and the horridness of the bubbles were long forgotten by the general populace.

Kristin, in the meantime, had settled into her daily tour guide routine. As director, her primary responsibility was to schedule a handful of tour guides for the NOAA Museum. A simple job. In fact, nothing demanded her attention at all.

Establishing a fresh display that outlined the Senator Hatch rescue mission was the sole thrilling event in the previous two months. Of course, she designed the display and wrote the words for the display and an information sheet for the tour guides. She spent an entire week writing her experience, describing in great detail the rescue efforts. But in the end, she found out that the final approved version, having been heavily edited, bore no resemblance at all to her original submitted version. As expected, the “official” version of the story coincided with Jonas’ version. She had no doubt that Jonas actually wrote the replacement script. Her version of the story had somehow been deleted out of the picture.

This morning, she awoke very early in the morning.

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We need you…

A strange uneasiness rose in her subconsciousness.

We need you…

The call again.

Still early in the morning, she lay in bed a little longer. As she drifted off to sleep again, an old familiar dream haunted her, and she kept turning and tossing from side to side.

She found herself naked and surrounded by bubbles. Bubbles appeared everywhere. Her being engulfed by the bubbles, coerced by the bubbles, pushed around by the bubbles, and buffeted by the bubbles. At first, she had fun frolicking in the soothing bubbles, that shortly after turned violent, attacking her ferociously and bombarding her body. She tried to run away from the bubbles. She tried to thrash her limbs furiously. Wherever she would go, the stream of bubbles followed her.

The current strengthened as time passed, swirling around and carrying her along. Helplessness arose within her. At first, she tried to struggle. She stretched out her hand to grab hold of anything, but all in vain. Eventually, she gave up and tried to just enjoy the ride. She twirled and twirled as the bubbles swirled and swirled around her. She wondered what would happen next.

The current turned more quickly now. Nothing her eyes could see clearly. Everything became a blur. The current kept churning faster and faster and she was spinning quicker and quicker.

A whirlpool.

It suddenly dawned on her that the current, carrying her along, rushed and drained towards the center of the whirlpool. Frightened, she realized nothing would help her get out of the present situation. And she did not know what awaited her at the center, the singularity point.

The swirling made her dizzy. She fought hard to stay alert. She had to close her eyes until the fainting spell subsided. Then she would open her eyes a little until she got dizzy again. Soon, she realized opening her eyes did not help from the blurred images. From the sensation on her body, she must be spinning very close to the center of the maelstrom and spinning out of control. She kept her hands as close to her body as possible and straightened out her body.

The fear gripped her, not because of the current, but due to the uncertainty and anticipation of what would unfold next. The curiosity ate her up. She tried to open her eyes, but saw nothing except a giant whirlpool in front and around her. As the current in the whirlpool spun faster and faster, she descended further and further towards the center, and her consciousness expanded wider and wider.