Gerry, Jess, and Nima sat in the lower level of the control room in the rotunda. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity.
"Is anybody hurt?" Gerry asked, breaking the silence. "Is everyone all right?"
"You mean, besides being trapped in this bubble by that desgraciado..." Nima said. "We're as good as dead!"
"Don't say that." Gerry said. "Somebody might...somebody will come for us."
"Who, Gerry?" Nima asked. "Yoder left us here, he will take the boat and not tell anyone about us."
"Maybe he won't take the boat." Jess said.
"He has the canister, he knows where the boat is." Nima explained.
"He, uh...doesn't have the canister." Jess said, pulling out the thermos.
"What?" Gerry asked.
"I'm sorry, I promised not to steal anymore...but..." Jess said.
"Okay, that one is an exception." Gerry said.
"Gerry, look!" Nima said.
"Ah, great." Gerry said. "Just great!"
The pool began slowly flooding the room with water.
"Why is it flooding?" Jess asked.
"It must be the damage to the door." Gerry suggested. "We're losing air pressure. This place will flood right up to the highest hole in the room. Dammit! Even if we could open the door against the pressure, the whole rotunda is flooded...there's nowhere to go."
"Wait a second." Nima said, looking out the window. "I remember. Maybe there still is a way out. If we swim."
"Swim?!" Gerry and Jess said in unison.
"We won't make it twenty feet with that Tylosaurus swimming around." Gerry said.
"Maybe. Look at that pipeline." Nima said. "It leads out of this lagoon. There are caves at the far end. Those caves connect to others that lead back to the beaches. We use the pipeline as cover."
"And you think we can hold our breath the whole way?" Gerry asked.
"Dad, look." Jess said. "There's diving gear!"
A closet contained sets of canvas diving suits, Fernez-Le Prieur diving apparatuses, and full-face diving masks.
"No. No, no, no." Gerry. "We don't know the first thing about underwater diving."
"I do." Jess said.
"What?" Gerry asked.
"We have to distract the Tylosaurus." Nima said. "Figure something out and meet us down here."
"Underwater diving?" Gerry asked.
Gerry looked at the diving sets.
"Aw come on." He muttered. "How could this be so complicated? I don't know thing one about diving!"
"Dad, don't mess with the containers." Jess warned. "They're all pre-set."
"Since when do you know about diving?" Gerry asked.
"You know mom's ex-fiance Steve?" Jess asked.
"The oceanographer?" Gerry asked.
"Yeah, well, he gave me private lessons in underwater diving." Jess explained. "He thought that maybe someday I could go on an underwater expedition with him."
"I did not know that." Gerry said.
"It was a secret." Jess said.
Gerry looked at the ladder going up to the control room.
"I'll be right back."
Gerry climbed up the ladder.