“I wonder why Duncan wants to keep all of this a secret,” Madison said. “Why not reveal the truth… Everybody will follow him out of here…”
“Because there’ll be terrible bloodshed! Van Zandt and his people won’t give up all they’ve got without a fight.” Flynn paused, remembering something else. “And… like Duncan said, we can’t risk the lives of so many, until we’re absolutely sure Dry Land exists! We’ve got to find it first then come back and let everybody know…”
Flynn slowed down the raft as they approached the Algae Farm platforms on the West side of Midtown Bay. He went past the three huge Floating Towers, flanking the Ethanol processing plant. Pharrell and Clay were to collect a bunch of barrels full of algae fuel and take them back to the Ark. He and Madison had to get the raw algae. They were by the Harvesting docking area now, and the place was buzzing with life. At mid morning, all the farm workers from the Lower Side were there. They were busy harvesting the raw algae crop from the huge floating fields, loading it on barges to be carried away and processed.
“Which dock did Duncan say it was?” Flynn squinted, dazzled by the swathes of sparkling bright green algae.
“Seven… It’s right over there!” Madison pointed at the number stenciled on a pontoon, a few yards to the left from where their raft had stopped.
Flynn glanced around. Nobody was paying any attention to them. He pulled his goggles down over his eyes and slipped into the water. The two big nets, packed full with algae, were swaying under Platform #7, hidden and waiting for him, just like Duncan had said… Flynn unfastened the nets and swam back to his raft, hauling them underneath its platform. He secured the cargo with ropes to a row of hooks and cleats, making sure they remained out of view. It took less than a couple of minutes to complete the task.
“There!” Flynn said as he hopped back on the seat, dripping water all over it. “Let’s go!”
“I still don’t understand,” Madison said as they took off, “the Algae fuel is for The Ark’s engine, I get that… But what’s all this raw algae for?”
“We’ll find out soon enough, I guess,” said Flynn, trying hard not to smile again.
“Gotcha!” Leo Van Zandt lowered his binoculars, rubbed his bloodshot eyes and glued them back to the powerful viewfinder. He had spotted the Perry boy and Madison doing something around the Power Plant again. And the other two boys, Pharrell and Clay, kept coming and going… Something was obviously being ferried out there, that much Leo could see. But what was it? And where did it go? Flynn Perry had been busy in the water around his raft, and now Leo watched him disappear altogether. He was on one of his dives, and with him gone, Leo’s attention turned to Madison… She stood alone at the edge of the raft then slowly turned her face and stared in his direction, as if she knew he was watching her. Leo burst out laughing and shook his head… But of course she knew he was watching… He told her he would be!
“Let’s see your face, beautiful.” Leo adjusted his lens and zoomed in on Madison. Yes, she was looking at him. Not a friendly look! A glare! And now she was looking away at something else. Leo quickly refocused his vision and caught sight of Perry back on the raft. He watched as Madison gave the boy a hug. Leo was so angry that he fumbled with his viewfinder and completely lost focus on the two. What the hell was she playing at? It suddenly occurred to him that Madison was simply doing her job… Doing what she had promised him from the start… She would string the Perry boy along, so that Leo could catch him out and finally get his revenge on the cocky bastard.
When Leo found them again in his viewfinder, Madison was in the water with Perry. He watched them disappear beneath the surface. He waited a few minutes, focusing his lenses on the spot where he had last seen them. But they never resurfaced… These two had not gone for a casual swim. This was a proper deep dive! Again, Leo wondered what all this action round the Power Plant was all about… He grunted in frustration and spat in the water. He was done waiting, lurking in the distance! He had seen enough, and it was time for Madison to stop playing her role. The time to act was now!
“I need a raft!” he yelled as he threw his binoculars on the seat of his boat. “I need to get closer, without them hearing me.” He glared at his posse of friends who sat behind him, then at the guards in the boat next to his. With their engines turned off and a safe distance away from the smokestacks, they had all been waiting quietly for him to finish his little reconnaissance mission.
“Get me a good raft, Simmons!” Leo turned to one of his guards. “A fast and quiet one, alright! As soon as possible!”
“Err… you want us to build you one, sir,” said the guard, “…or to confiscate a raft from the Lower Side?”
“I don’t care, you moron!” Leo yelled and smashed his fist on the dashboard. “Just get me the bloody thing!”
He turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared. Leo pushed on the throttle. His posse cheered as the powerboat jumped forward and sped off in the direction of the Upper Side.
“Come! Let me show you, amigos.”
Tony Romero led Flynn and Madison down the narrow walkways surrounding the Ark. There was a flurry of activity all over the vessel. The newly arrived group had joined forces with the existing crew, working around the clock to finish the Ark and get her ready to sail as soon as possible. Like ants, they crawled up and down the scaffolding, laying down panels of salvaged metal over the hull and welding them together. Mr. Kowalski ran around from one group to the next, supervising the progress, making adjustments, testing the electrical systems and fitting all mechanical parts.
“There!” Tony pointed at the Ark.
The entire length of her starboard was covered in a thick layer of raw algae. The mixture had quickly dried up, turning from bright green to brownish gray, fusing the grooves and gaps between the panels like cement. Flynn’s father was with a group of people who were hanging from harnesses and working their way across the other side of the hull. Their job was to apply more of the fresh algae to the remaining bare parts of the hull.
“So, that’s what it’s for, then!” Flynn exclaimed. “All that algae we’d been lugging here!”
“Yes,” said Tony, “it’s like natural glue! Duncan calls it green mortar, whatever that is… it’ll seal the Ark, make her waterproof for when she goes under.”
“We’ll be sailing underwater?” Madison’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What kind of ship is this?”
“Mr. Kowalski calls it a submarine! Says it can go both above and below the surface of the water. Beats me if you ask!” Tony shrugged.
“I’ve seen submarines from the Olden Days!” Flynn stared at the Ark with renewed interest. “Only in pictures, though. Never for real… And those big fans at the back… what are they for?”
“Propellers! Old industrial fans Mr. Kowalski had modified and connected to the engine,” Tony explained. “Honestly Flynn, you should see the engine room and all the stuff inside! It’s amazing, amigo!”