Chapter One
THE BEGINNING
Lex sighed in disgust, resting her chin on her drawn up knees. I hate
boats, she thought, her lips twisting in a grimace. To be honest though, it wasn't boats that she hated, it was the water they floated on, or slid through, as this one was doing.
And it wasn't that she hated water either. She was afraid of it. Terrified, actually. A fact that her dear father regarded with repulsion. Trying to ignore the cold, dark water rushing past the tiny windows of the transport sub, Lex's thoughts drifted to her parents.
Her father was a career navy officer. Lex was sure it was saltwater, and not blood, that ran through his veins. Whenever he had come home on shore leave, he'd been restless and ill at ease. When he hadn't been arguing with her mother, he'd watched his only child with unease.
To be fair to him, he had tried to bridge the gap between them once, with disastrous results. On Lex's sixth birthday, the only one which he'd been ashore for, her father had taken her down to the harbour to see his ship and explore the world he loved so much.
He'd given her curious glances in the car as it had sped through the streets. Though she'd had no idea of their destination, as they had drawn nearer to the ocean, Lex had caught whiffs of the water through the open window. Her heart had begun to pound, her small fingers gripping the seatbelt so tightly her knuckles had been white. A deep frown had creased her father's eyes by the time they had parked.
Paralyzed with fear, Lex had been unable to move, and while aware of her fear, her father had been clueless to its source as he'd dragged her from the car. Her heartbeat had thudded painfully in her throat while her father's steely grip on her wrist had pulled her closer and closer to the edge of the pier. The smell of the salt air had burned her lungs as she'd gasped, the sound of the water slapping against the ship the only thing she'd been aware of.
"Alexandria!" her father had admonished her in his deep voice. His brow had knitted as he'd watched her begin to tremble. Pursing his lips, he'd begun dragging her toward the ramp.
"No!" she'd screamed, bucking and struggling against his iron grip, as her wide eyes had dropped to the water below.
"Enough! Stop this!" he'd growled, barely glancing as her fingers had plucked at his. He'd simply scooped her up under his arm and headed up the ramp, embarrassed by her panicked shrieks.
As his booted feet had thumped down onto the deck of the ship, a voice had come from the left.
"What's up, Oliver?"
Lex had turned her head toward the voice, finding a kind faced man walking toward them, wiping his large hands on a rag.
"Damned if I know," her father had muttered darkly. "A temper tantrum?"
"I don't think so," the man had said, thoughtfully gazing at the little girl huddled into a ball on the deck where her father had dropped her. The man had smiled gently, crouching before her. "You're not havin' a tantrum, are you honey?"
Lex had stared at him, her eyes wide as she'd slowly shaken her head. The man's smile had widened.
"Something's scarin' you," he'd said kindly. Still too frightened to speak, Lex had nodded.
"Is it the big boat?"
Lex had shaken her head.
"Then what is it?" The man's bushy eyebrows had knitted, his head tilted to the side. Comprehension had finally dawned in his eyes as he'd followed the direction of her pointing finger towards the water. When he'd spoken next, his voice had been tender and kind. "You're afraid of water."
"That's ridiculous, Manny," her father had scoffed.
"Not really. Plenty of folks are hydrophobic."
"She's my daughter. She can't be hydrophobic."
"Well, I'll admit it's ironic," the man had chuckled, "but not impossible."
"Well, she'll just have to get over it."
"Easier said than done." The man had gently scooped Lex up into his arms, cradling her. She'd clung to him desperately. "Some folks can, with time and lots of therapy."
Realizing the point of their trip would be lost to her, her father had taken her back home immediately. He'd dumped her at the front door, returned to the car and sped away. That had been the last time she'd seen her father in person.
Lex's thoughts were jerked back to the present as the launch bumped into the sub, a whine filling the cabin as a seal was made to the main ship. The Commander stood, placed a stern hand upon her shoulder and motioned for her to precede him through the round door.
Taking a deep breath, she tossed him a glare and stormed ahead.
THE BEGINNING
Lex sighed in disgust, resting her chin on her drawn up knees. I hate
boats, she thought, her lips twisting in a grimace. To be honest though, it wasn't boats that she hated, it was the water they floated on, or slid through, as this one was doing.
And it wasn't that she hated water either. She was afraid of it. Terrified, actually. A fact that her dear father regarded with repulsion. Trying to ignore the cold, dark water rushing past the tiny windows of the transport sub, Lex's thoughts drifted to her parents.
Her father was a career navy officer. Lex was sure it was saltwater, and not blood, that ran through his veins. Whenever he had come home on shore leave, he'd been restless and ill at ease. When he hadn't been arguing with her mother, he'd watched his only child with unease.
To be fair to him, he had tried to bridge the gap between them once, with disastrous results. On Lex's sixth birthday, the only one which he'd been ashore for, her father had taken her down to the harbour to see his ship and explore the world he loved so much.
He'd given her curious glances in the car as it had sped through the streets. Though she'd had no idea of their destination, as they had drawn nearer to the ocean, Lex had caught whiffs of the water through the open window. Her heart had begun to pound, her small fingers gripping the seatbelt so tightly her knuckles had been white. A deep frown had creased her father's eyes by the time they had parked.
Paralyzed with fear, Lex had been unable to move, and while aware of her fear, her father had been clueless to its source as he'd dragged her from the car. Her heartbeat had thudded painfully in her throat while her father's steely grip on her wrist had pulled her closer and closer to the edge of the pier. The smell of the salt air had burned her lungs as she'd gasped, the sound of the water slapping against the ship the only thing she'd been aware of.
"Alexandria!" her father had admonished her in his deep voice. His brow had knitted as he'd watched her begin to tremble. Pursing his lips, he'd begun dragging her toward the ramp.
"No!" she'd screamed, bucking and struggling against his iron grip, as her wide eyes had dropped to the water below.
"Enough! Stop this!" he'd growled, barely glancing as her fingers had plucked at his. He'd simply scooped her up under his arm and headed up the ramp, embarrassed by her panicked shrieks.
As his booted feet had thumped down onto the deck of the ship, a voice had come from the left.
"What's up, Oliver?"
Lex had turned her head toward the voice, finding a kind faced man walking toward them, wiping his large hands on a rag.
"Damned if I know," her father had muttered darkly. "A temper tantrum?"
"I don't think so," the man had said, thoughtfully gazing at the little girl huddled into a ball on the deck where her father had dropped her. The man had smiled gently, crouching before her. "You're not havin' a tantrum, are you honey?"
Lex had stared at him, her eyes wide as she'd slowly shaken her head. The man's smile had widened.
"Something's scarin' you," he'd said kindly. Still too frightened to speak, Lex had nodded.
"Is it the big boat?"
Lex had shaken her head.
"Then what is it?" The man's bushy eyebrows had knitted, his head tilted to the side. Comprehension had finally dawned in his eyes as he'd followed the direction of her pointing finger towards the water. When he'd spoken next, his voice had been tender and kind. "You're afraid of water."
"That's ridiculous, Manny," her father had scoffed.
"Not really. Plenty of folks are hydrophobic."
"She's my daughter. She can't be hydrophobic."
"Well, I'll admit it's ironic," the man had chuckled, "but not impossible."
"Well, she'll just have to get over it."
"Easier said than done." The man had gently scooped Lex up into his arms, cradling her. She'd clung to him desperately. "Some folks can, with time and lots of therapy."
Realizing the point of their trip would be lost to her, her father had taken her back home immediately. He'd dumped her at the front door, returned to the car and sped away. That had been the last time she'd seen her father in person.
Lex's thoughts were jerked back to the present as the launch bumped into the sub, a whine filling the cabin as a seal was made to the main ship. The Commander stood, placed a stern hand upon her shoulder and motioned for her to precede him through the round door.
Taking a deep breath, she tossed him a glare and stormed ahead.