The Time Space Continuum

Deep underground, beside the toxic lake, with only the light from his helmet, Gaius is waiting.

He hears muffled noises from the far end of the pitch black passage.

Then silence.

Not even dripping.

He hates being idle. He knows there are bizarre tiny creatures all around him. He just can't get the hang of directing the light from his helmet to the places where he thinks they might be.

If he directs the light onto the stone beside him, his eyes are looking at his elbow.

If he directs it upwards to illuminate the cave ceiling, he starts falling backwards, and must put his hand behind him, onto who knows what bacterial matter.

Which he does not like to do, in case he should disturb it.

An idea hits him. Jumping Jupiter! Why not take off the helmet!

That's better.

He swings the light over the surface of the black glinting water. Yes, there is a floating mat of something ...looks like froth...

On the floating mat of autotrophs he identifies a waterscorpion ( Nepa sp.).

He reaches into the pocket of his coveralls, for a pencil. Has he brought one? Yes, but it's in the pocket of his chinos, underneath.

Never mind, he will get it out in a minute. What's this on the rock beside him? A centipede with extra long antennae (Criptos anomalans), but no eyes.

Two tiny woodlice (Armadillium) lacking skin pigment, scuttle through the light beam from his hand held helmet, and disappear into a corner.

Gaius undoes the buttons on his coverall, determined now to get hold of his pencil.

At the other end of the passageway, below the shaft, things are less peaceful, and less scientific.

Rich has dropped the box from twenty metres. It falls as Cristian, who has come back for the bottles, is approaching.

A serious matter on the time space continuum.

It could go either way.

That is, the box could fall on Cristian.

Or it could miss him.

........

Proust meanwhile is sitting on the beach, gazing at the Black Sea, which now contains the lively Albertine.

She has borrowed his diving equipment.

He watches her undulating and splashing in the water. Sometimes he sees her glossy head, sometimes her glossy bottom. She reminds him of a baby seal that he has not seen but read about in bed when he was feeling poorly.

She will come out eventually. He is in no hurry.

He imagines her discovering various wonders. Mussels, sea horses, blue fish, Black Sea turbot and the common stingray. A well-preserved World War Two shipwreck.

When she emerges, dripping, she will tell him what perhaps he knows already.