I open the first one and step into the chamber between the hatches and close the hatch above me. The water drains out of the chamber, I see people grouping up below the hatch.

I grab the ladder in the chamber while a man below the second hatch reaches up to open it. I step down the ladder and drop onto the ground. I take off my mask and hook it onto the right side of the belt. There is a small group of adults in front of me when I take off my mask.

"My name is James Arrowood, I saw your beacon and came to help. We have made a base and been bringing in all of the survivors that we can find" I explain standing tall in front of them. An older man steps forward giving me a smile and puts out his hand for me to shake it.

"The name is David Whetstone" I shake his hand giving him a small nod. "You will be able to learn everyone's name later, for now I will take you to our operation room" He says, letting go of my hand. I quickly take off my flippers. The older man whispered to a lady in her mid 20s to grab some clothes for me, he pulled her closer and whispered something I couldn't hear. The lady ran off after he finished talking and he turned back to me smiling.

I followed behind him just carrying my flippers. It took us three ish minutes to make it to the operation room, he put his hand on the sensor outside the door opening the room. Inside was a huge wall monitor and a large circular island counter in the middle of the room. On top of the island was a 3d holographic map of the world with the parts explored having details and notes throughout it and the parts not yet explored darkened out.

The old man walks up to the map and spins it so the location they are at right now is facing me. "We are here, can you pinpoint where the base you came from is? He asks spinning a control panel, that was attached to the island, around letting me catch it in my hands. Amazed at the globe before me, I hesitated appreciating the beauty of the machine.

I made sure my jaw was shut and typed in the coordinates of the base I knew from memory. The globe turned, focusing in on a dark part of the map and planting a red dot there. The door opens behind us with three sets of footsteps.

"James.." A familiar voice calls out. I turn around to see my mom and dad and the lady that was sent off earlier at the door. I drop my flippers and run to my parents arms.

I hug tightly around my mom and feel my dad hugging around us. My mom grabs my face looking into my eyes, tears streaming down her face but she is wearing a smile. I turn facing my parents eyes burning and my tears threatening to fall.

I look at my parents now in detail and that's when I notice how tired they looked. My mom was skinny and not in a fit way. She looked unhealthy and my dad's hair now has white along his sideburns and through his beard… He was also missing his left arm from the elbow down. He saw me look at his arm, quieting me with his right hand on my head and a smile on his face.

"How is your brother?" He finally asks, mentally bracing himself. "He is doing great, if anything he was the one baiting me since we have gotten here" I say laughing remembering the trip over to the base from our lifeboat. Both of my parents let out a sigh of relief.

Seeing the girl a little older than me standing awkwardly standing nearby, I reached out and grabbed the clothes she was holding thanking her. "David, we are going to take him back with us to our room and catch up. We can all talk later at dinner" My dad says, putting his arm around my shoulder. David nods to us and we walk out, my parents walk with me to their room hugging around me and smiling the whole time.

I memorize the path we took from the control room to their bedroom as we walk. They open the door to reveal a very small room with a bed that takes up most of the room and a closet over on the side filled with both of their clothes. In one of the corners is a small door that opens into the bathroom that fits one person at a time.

"Take a quick shower and we will chat when you get that smell off of you" My dad says, giving my hair a ruffle. I walk into the bathroom and take off my wetsuit. Setting my equipment on the sink I hop in the shower and wash myself off and deep clean my hair that hasn't been cleaned in way too many days.

I get out turning off the shower and drying off. "You guys are going to love the base, to start off my bedroom is about 5 times as big as this one and I don't share it with anyone." I explain while hanging the wetsuit in the shower along with my diving boots,belt, and mask.

I slip on the new boxers and black sweatpants along with the socks, I must have dropped my shirt while walking in here. I walk out of the bathroom half dressed and see my dad right outside of the door holding the shirt I was given.

"Oh thank y-" My dad grabs my shoulder, cutting me off and my mom covers her mouth with her hands. "What happened to you?" my dad asks, staring at my scar covered chest and arms.

"I know i got pretty fit huh?" I joke it off until my dad gives me a serious look.

"I survived" losing my joking tone and giving them a slight smile.

I grab the gray long sleeve shirt slipping it on. " When you meet the nurse that patched me up you will see it was totally worth it" I smile giving my dad a playful hit in the shoulder before going to grab the brush to brush out my hair. My mom takes the brush from my hands and brushes out my hair while asking me my whole story.