January 2002

I descended the steps into the wading pool while my less adventurous cohorts looked on from the concrete deck. The clear water came up to my thighs by the time I set foot on the fine black sand that blanketed the pool floor. The indoor pool - immense by any standard - was part of a much larger structure that lay beyond the doors where my familiars stood. I waded farther out until a rippling glint caught my eye. On the pool floor near my feet was a metallic sphere no larger than the palm of my hand. It seemed to me that this was something of value, and the object surely caught my fancy. I bent to retrieve it, but my curiosity was tempered. For though the object lay still it seemed animated of spirit, as if charmed. It was cool enough to the touch though, and surprisingly - though not disproportionately - heavy. I drew it closer, and could see the light play in its brushed brassy surface. The grooves were quite fine - indeed the surface was smooth to the touch - as if the object had been burnished with a rough cloth over a long period of time. I felt that this object must surely be valuable, and as I appreciated its heft in my palm I saw something beyond, bright against the black of the floor. It was another brass sphere. And another. And I was in fact surrounded by them, the black sand at my feet studded with the artifacts. They were all roughly spheroid, but varying in size. I collected several of them for comparison, and noticed that several of them were different, with small fins growing from their surface. Though these were made of the same brushed brass, they appeared to be artfully sculpted, as if by hand. I fancied I could even see, in one of the fins, where the sculptor's fingers had swept along its length, creating a pleasing series of parallel rounded depressions. But though I drew satisfaction from the aesthetic simplicity of these items, the feeling persisted that I was not alone. This was confirmed soon enough when I felt a tap on my shin, and I looked down only to see one of the artifacts scuttling across the pool floor. Now several of the smaller items darted to and fro, and a feeling of urgency descended upon me. I had wandered from the platform quite a ways, but as I considered the pool floor again I was resolved not to simply abandon my find. I would have to take some specimens with me, clearly. I plunged my arms into the water and started to sort through the objects, careful to avoid the more animated among them. I thought perhaps that I could carry three or four of them back with me if I selected wisely. The task was a kind of challenge, and in fact it brought to mind the kind of whimsical test that Alice may have chanced on in Wonderland. I considered them carefully, testing their heft one after another, and it wasn't long before I'd managed to gather three samples. I had begun to make my way back to the steps when I noticed something new on the pool bed. Tiny flecks of light sparkled like stars against the black sand, and as I leaned in I could make out the distinctive facets of carved diamonds. But I felt that to linger any more was to press my luck. On a whim I quickly snatched up one of the diamonds and then climbed the steps to the deck. Back up on the platform a certainty came upon me that I hadn't made it back in time, and indeed, a glance at my hands confirmed this. The objects - both the brass spheres and the diamond - had lost their beauty, each now dully uniform and translucent as cheap plastic. My spirits sank.

The chamber was tall, and the transparent walls - broad sheets of glass set within the barest of frames - made it seem all the more open. Outside, the ocean's dark waves crashed against the glass, though the people didn't seem to mind as they went about their business. I climbed the stairs that wound around an inner tower, also made of glass. It was a structure within a structure, a dual panopticon. At the top of the inner tower was an encircling metal platform, and a single door led to the inner quarters - my destination. Inside were several of my colleagues. As I closed the door behind me there came a terrific rumbling from below, and I looked down through the glass wall and slatted floor and saw the waters of the ocean rushing in through a breach. The water was unusually clear though, and as the level quickly rose I was witness to people being swept up, tussling against the merciless current. The water shot up with horrifying speed, and soon it had us surrounded, though we remained dry. I looked up and saw the churning surface smack up against the vaulted glass ceiling, and was in awe at the forces behind it all. We were enveloped by the aquarium of the outer chamber, and could only stand by helplessly as the people struggled against asphyxiation. Just feet from me, struggling to gain his bearings, was a colleague I recognized, and as I realized then that I would see him drown I felt then a curious sense of deja vu. It was as if the horror before me were destined to repeat itself forever, as regular as the tide. And just then there was a hollow pop, and as quickly as it had flooded the chamber, the water receded. We watched as the chamber emptied, and the people outside were deposited on back the floor - most on their stomachs, some on their knees - with a surprising grace.