The world governments eventually issued statements, but they never outright apologized for what they had done. The American government got a lot of blame because of the project, but the politicians smoothed it over quite nicely and calmed the people.
No one ever knew that Dylan and I were the ones who leaked the information. We had sent it anonymously and there was no way to trace it back to us. People tried, but it never quite worked out.
“Hey, Allie!” Dylan ran up to me, his hair even shaggier than it had been last year.
“Hey, Dylan, what’s kickin’?”
“Well, the tourists lately.”
I laughed. Dylan had been appointed to the position of liaison for both the people of Oceania and the rest of the world. When he wasn’t in school, like now, he had to take tours back and forth to the city. It was tedious, but it allowed him to learn more about our world, gain a little extra money, and it meant we got to hang out from time to time.
“So, how’s Chicago, do you like it any better?”
“Mhm, just a little bit.” I held my forefinger and thumb close together, and laughed.
Dylan also laughed and joined me on the rock I was sitting on. He offered me part of his lunch, a sandwich, and chips or as he called it Land Dweller food, as we both looked out at the calm sea from the beach that was once restricted. We still considered it our beach, even though its official name was now Oceania Beach.
“So, Allie, I was thinking.”
“Yeah?” I popped a chip into my mouth.
“I think I found another underwater city.”
I peered at him through slit eyes of suspicion. “Really?”
“Yup, it’s quite far from here, though.” Dylan bit into his sandwich nonchalantly.
“Oh, yeah? What is it called?”
“Atlantis,” stated Dylan with a smile that suggested he was holding back a laugh.
I shoved him slightly and he almost fell off the rock. He grinned back at me and I couldn’t help laughing.
This was going to be a fun summer.
The End
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Acknowledgements
Several people have helped me on my journey to becoming an author and I’d like to take the time to thank them. First, to my mom and dad, thank you for allowing me to spend copious amounts of time growing up reading book after book (even if that meant you had to constantly tell me to go to bed instead of reading late at night). I also want to thank my other family and friends who’ve read my stories over the years and encouraged me to keep writing. To all my beta readers, thank you for the comments, suggestions, and advice that made Oceania: The Underwater City so much better than it was originally. Your input was invaluable and I cannot thank you enough. Thanks to my editor, Frankie Sutton, who polished my novel into the best it could be and helped me put my best work out there. To my cover designer, Amy, thank you for designing such a beautiful and fitting cover for the novel. Thanks to my fellow indie (independent) authors for sharing your advice to help others take the plunge into independent publishing. I wouldn’t have had the courage to do it without your advice. Also, to you, the reader, thank you for giving a new author a chance. Lastly, and most importantly, I wish to thank God for giving me a passion for both reading and writing.
Author’s Note
As a longtime fan of sci-fi, I’ve always been puzzled at science fiction authors who predict that society’s technological advancements will happen in a blink of an eye. On the flipside, I’ve found it odd how some scientists predict those same advancements will take longer to achieve than they do. So, in Oceania: The Underwater City, I decided to blend both together and find a middle ground.
In researching for Oceania: The Underwater City (or Oceania as I like to call it for short), I researched life support systems used on submarines and on the ISS (International Space Station) to devise how an underwater city could be self-sustaining. You’ll notice that some of the same systems used on the ISS are mentioned in this novel. I also looked at past trends of how long it took for advancements in science, engineering, and medicine to become a reality. I even examined inflation rates over time to see how much things might cost in the year 2276. Of course, I’m sure that I wasn’t exact about most (if any) of my predictions. But then again, who will know since both I and all of you reading this will be dead before 2276?
As for all of the sea creatures in the novel, every single one of them is real except for the eyeless monster Allie encounters during her first SCUBAPS swim. I tried to be as realistic and descriptive as I could on all the animals, but each one is fascinating and worth a Google search to see what they look like if you don’t already know.
A few of the inventions I created in Oceania are ones I hope we have in the near future,
