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Black Water Burns

The trek was long. The savannah-like terrain provided little to no shelter from the burning sun. Thousands of insectoid eyes observed the group as it made its way to its destination. Small hills teased Richard, secluding the view of what lay behind. The sun was at its zenith when Sam called out. "Here." Standing atop of the next hill, he pointed down. Richard's energy was renewed and he scaled it, barely registering his heavy backpack.

There it was. The first real destination of this journey. A pool of water, with some small bushes in its perimeter. Richard took out a blurry photograph from his backpack and compared it to what he saw in front of him. The satellite picture showed him an unnaturally dark spot, circular in shape, nearly 300 metres in diameter. Sam spoke excitedly. His words did not reach the lizard, nor were they in a language he understood. He just nodded along while he walked around the pool. Its water was calm and undisturbed. Vision was clear quite a ways into the pool, revealing a precipitous drop. Deep water looked dark on satellite images, that is how they found the blue holes he was paid to explore. This hole was different, however. The water on the photo was black. Not even an ocean appeared that dark, and those could be several kilometres deep. Something was causing this vertical cave to have an incredibly low albedo.

When he gave the signal, the rest of the team started to unpack and set up camp. Tyler, a young and inexperienced student, took some water samples while wagging his curled tail excitedly. Richard had initially objected against including this total newbie, but his go-to biologist made it clear that he was a package deal. Extensive training preceded this excursion, but there were unique dangers when it came to mapping the unknown.

Tents were put up, a speaker blared some popular songs, and equipment was installed across the camp. Half an hour later, the entire expedition team sat down at a table in the large main tent. The green canvas provided shelter from the burning sun. Richard stood up at the head of the table. "This will be a standard expedition. This region has extensive cave systems, and this lake looks like a promising entrance. We'll map it, first, then explore it if it's promising. I'm your team leader, in case anyone missed the memo." Some people chuckled. "Adam is in charge of equipment and supplies, Linda needs to contain the biologists and chemists, Zivar directs his sub team, Fergus is our head doctor, and you all know what you've been hired for. Any questions? Good luck to you all!"

* * *

The sonar rippled the surface when it was submerged into the water. Inaudible sound waves permeated through the liquid, bouncing off of the walls, and returning to the device. The boat moved around the water, mapping the water hole from different angles. Richard could only twiddle his thumbs while waiting. They first had to find out how deep the lake was before they would send people down into it. He took his notebook and sketched the surroundings. The mirror-like surface of the water reflected a stray cloud. His pencil darted across the paper, drawing and re-drawing the pool until the black started to shimmer as well. The boat was the only brighter object in the centre of the sketch. Perhaps it didn't reflect reality all that well, but the quick sketch did capture his feelings. His boyfriend loved to turn his sketches into paintings. While adding a few shrubberies to his drawing, a lion tapped him on the shoulder. "Otter boy here claims he's dived into this pool a few times. It's only twenty metres deep. He'd gladly show you some deeper pools." The lion gave a beaming Sam a pat on the back. "He's reached the bottom? How? And what's there then, according to him?" The lion proved himself to be quite the polyglot, conversing in Sam's language. The otter responded, and the lion translated. "He's a free diver. No scuba for him, he just takes a deep breath. As for what's on the bottom... Hot mud. I think. I may have misheard." When he was finished, he asked Sam again, who nodded eagerly. "He insists there's hot mud." "Maybe we can map them when we're done with this one."

Turning around, he saw that he boat was back on shore again. Solar panels were deployed, and laptops were brought out. With a single press of a button, the mystique of nature was deleted. Someone gestured at him to come over. The lion and the otter joined him out of curiosity. "It's 120 metres straight down, then it branches off." Richard smirked at the otter, then turned to the lion. "Alexander, was it? Tell Sam he's a liar." The otter turned red upon hearing the lion's words and clenched his fists, then shouted angrily at the lizard, shaking his fists and producing all sorts of rude gestures. "He's mad at you," Alexander stated dryly. "I can tell." "He also says the computer is wrong. The lake does not have that shape." Richard raised his eye ridge and tilted his head. "There's a simple solution for that. He can take a depth meter and prove himself. I'll tag along." The young otter nodded after Alexander had translated the request.

Eager to defend his honour, the otter waited for Richard to don his scuba suit. Tyler apprehended them before they could get started. "The water is fine. I thought you'd like to know," the husky said, wagging slowly. "It's so fine it's boring, even. Normal acidity, no toxic solvents, nothing out of the ordinary. No signs of life, though." He proffered a few vials to Richard. "Please take some samples for me at the bottom. And please tell me if you see anything alive down there." Richard nodded, took the vials, and hooked them to his belt. Before he entered the water, he checked his air tanks. One was for the shallow part for the dive, and the other was for deep under water. The gas mixture contained more oxygen to prevent nitrogen narcosis. They took the plunge. Richard felt the luke-warm water on his suit. The otter dove in next to him, darting nimbly though the water. He could see the curious team look at him from above. The sky became more distant as he slowly sunk down, maintaining a steady pace. The edge of the lake was steep at first, then became completely vertical. His depth gauge showed ten metres. As the sun became more distant, light became sparse. Richard switched on his torch. Not a single sign of life, except for him and the otter. The walls were just walls, smooth rock with the occasional protrusion.

The pace was too slow for the otter. He gave the thumbs-up sign and swam up again, catching his breath, then dove down once more. He passed Richard with ease. With a triumphant grin, he awaited the lizard at the muddy bottom. When Richard came closer, he saw that the mud was a strange, purple-ish colour. Demonstratively, the otter stuck his paw into the mud for a second. It undulated, perturbated by the induced currents, then stabilised again. Curious about the strange substance, Richard stuck his paw in as well. Heat. Startled, he pulled his paw back. The mud waved for a second before it became still once more. It was not dense at all. It was more akin to slime than to actual mud. He stuck his paw in again and guessed the layer to be about the temperature of a hot shower. Surely, one of the scientist above would make him come down with a thermometer next. The otter gave the thumbs-up sign once again and swam up, leaving Richard alone with the strange layer. He uncorked one of the vials and stuck it into the strange layer, scooping up some of the mud. It clumped together in the glass container. He sealed it again and hooked it to his belt, feeling the odd warmth permeate through the glass. He exhaled, and bubbles rose up to the surface. With the otter away, he enjoyed the tranquillity. In this undisturbed landscape of steep slopes and purple mud, he was the alien. The suit he had donned protected him from the harsh environment. He reckoned he could survive for longer without a suit on a planet like Mars than underwater, though the difference would not be much. One thing did not add up, though. In his many years as a speleologist, the depth measurements had never malfunctioned. Perhaps... The answer could be easy.

The adventurer in him took over. He slid his arm into the mud, then the other, carefully feeling for a bottom. The heat was off-putting yet tolerable. His paws felt no solid ground under the mud. Sinking in deeper, up to his shoulders, he reached in and found nothing. With careful movements, he slowly submerged himself into the odd substance. There was absolutely no visibility. He assumed he was still going straight down, but there was not a single point of reference for him. His heart pounded in his chest. Sweat ran down his scales and pooled on the inside of his visor, fogging up the window. The warmth was everywhere around him. Sluggishly, the goo allowed him to pass through, closing up behind him. Just when he decided he would go back up again, the mad terrain ended. He was in clear water again. He oriented himself, feeling the direction gravity tried to tug him into, and confirmed he was now under the thick layer. It had to have been about once or twice his height, but the journey through it felt like an eternity. The lake walls broadened into a large cavern, with large stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Strange coloured plaques clung to the walls. Above him, the dark purple mud blocked any and all light. Below him, the floor was nowhere to be seen. The water itself was far more pure than the surface water, and considerably colder. He felt triumphant. The lizard was the first to venture this far into the unknown. He took one more water sample, and scraped some of the colourful plaque off of the walls. It was almost as if the earth itself had drawn a painting.

It was time to go up again. His depth gauge showed forty metres. The cave was too large and dark, and he would get lost far too easily. He'd have to bring a rope next time. Going up was an arduous process. If he went too fast, the air bubbles in his blood vessels would grow rapidly, and his expedition would be over. The mud layer came closer once more, reflecting dull, purple light. It felt like a portal from an alien world. The fleshy substance allowed him to slip in once more, and its eerie heat enveloped him. He kept swimming, slowly. His fins were resisted by the slime-like mud, holding him back. He kicked faster. It felt like he was getting stuck, sucked in by the mud. The heat was getting to him. Had he swum right into the jaws of a hitherto unknown sea monster? Would his hubris finally be his end? The lizard pulled and thrashed, losing sense of direction. His breathing intensified. He tried to look at his oxygen gauge, but the mud denied him all sight. He had no idea how much longer he still had. It was still a long trek up, and nobody would know where he had gone. He had been incredibly foolish to enter on his own, completely against his own safety rules. Richard tried to relax his mind. Panic was the main cause of death in his line of work. He took a deep breath and focused on it, exhaling slowly. His heart slowed down again. The temperature made him sweat profusely in his suit, but at least he was no longer on the verge of a breakdown.

Gentle motions of his arms and legs slowly pulled him up through the oozing mud. When he finally emerged on the top side, large clumps detached themselves from his suit. Agape, Sam stared at him. This was not the smartest move of the otter, as water flooded his maw in seconds. He bolted up while Richard continued his slow ascent, making sure not to go too fast. The sky came closer and closer, and he could see people leaning in. When he finally emerged, Alexander practically dragged him out of the water. "Tell me everything." Richard struggled to take off the suit, which clung to his skin because of the sweat. "I went down. This lake is beyond bizarre." He took the samples from his belt and produced the vial filled with the deep purple mud. "Had to go through a few metres of this stuff, whatever it may be." Alexander grabbed the vial and nearly dropped it, letting out a cry of surprise when he felt the unexpected heat. "You went through that? You're an absolute madman! We saw your light vanish and we were wondering what had happened." Richard splashed some bottled water into his face and emptied it in a few gulps, paradoxically dehydrated from his underwater adventure. He nodded at the incredulous lion. "There's a massive cave under there. I didn't go all the way to the bottom, it's far too dangerous without any guide ropes. It looks promising though." Sam tugged on Alexander's shirt, who translated the lizard's words for him without giving it a second thought. "I'll bring these to Tyler, he wanted me to take these in the first place," Richard said after he had finally managed to pull his legs free from the sweaty scuba suit.

Wagging up a storm, the husky nearly yanked the samples from Richard's paws. He took a look at them, shouted "thanks" without even looking at the guy who offered them, muttered "what the fuck" under his breath, and popped them under his microscope. Richard waited for the results when he heard a splash. He turned around to see concentric ripples flee from a spot not too far from him. He walked back to the source, which happened to be close to where he came out of the water. Alexander was still standing there. "Sam is going to reach for the real bottom," he stated, looking vaguely pleased. "And you didn't stop him?!" "No, why would I? I suggested it!" Alexander's facial expression changed when Richard jumped into his scuba suit again. With a firm tug, the lizard managed to snap his belt buckle in two. It had rusted all the way through. Panic set in when the lizard looked for a replacement buckle, and he found out that the oxygen tanks on his back were in need of replacement as well. A soft hissing noise could be heard coming from one of the two. Something had oxidised everything rapidly, and Richard feared the foolish otter was about to dive through that something without any protection. "What have you done!" His voice cracked, failing to hide the mix of anger and fear he felt. Alexander did his best best impression of a white lion when he realised the danger he had put Sam in. "I'm sorry, I didn't think..." Richard would have punched him if he didn't have a more urgent matter. "Agreed, you didn't think. I'm going to save that kid."

He dove into the water. Descending as fast as he could, he could see a torch approach the bottom fast. Richard reached for his own. It was gone. Sam must have taken it. His heart raced. The lizard had no time to get a new one, so he gave chase. Below him, the otter slipped into the purple mud, swallowing not just him but also the light. Richard could no longer see the bottom. All he could do was go down as fast as he could. The sudden collision with the warm layer caused his heart to jump, but he did not let it bother him too much. He had gone through twice already, and he knew moderately well how to do it. Below it, he finally saw light again. Sam was holding the torch as he went down. Richard looked at his depth gauge, only to find it missing as well. The sneaky mustelid must have taken it too. He seemed to be doing fine, which put Richard at ease. The light of the torch showed the swimming silhouette of the otter far below. He surmised the layer must have only attacked metals, which was why the otter was descending without an issue. Richard was in total darkness. He held a paw to the wall, hoping not to lose track of where he was.

Sam must have reached the bottom. He could see the lamp go back up again, propelled by strong swimming motions. The light approached him, shining on the cave walls, illuminating him. The otter looked somewhat surprised to see the lizard. Sam made a going-up sign, and Richard followed him closely. He looked fine, but his lungs were probably dying for a breath of fresh air. They entered the hot layer again. Total darkness enveloped both. Richard came out first, followed by Sam. The otter rubbed his eyes. Swimming up, the torch waved unsteadily. Richard could see chunks of purple goo stick to Sam's fur, but this was not what was bothering him. Sam rubbed his eyes again. When Richard came closer, he yelped into his rebreather. The eyes were bloodshot. In pain, the otter dropped the torch, which was eagerly swallowed by the mud not far below. Richard could barely make out how Sam clawed at his face. Bubbles rose up fast: the injured guy was screaming. He spasmed and twisted, writhing and flailing helplessly. Richard tried to act as fast as he could. He took a deep breath, pulled out his rebreather, and tried to put it into Sam's maw. A second round of bubbles. He was breathing; a start. They had to get up as fast as possible. Water rushed past them while Richard kicked his legs hard, forcing himself to ascend at a dangerous pace. Sam was clearly panicking, but at least he was still conscious. The lizard had to breathe as well. He signed at Sam, who didn't respond. Adrenaline may have clouded his judgement. The light above got stronger as they got closer, and Richard tried to sign again. His lungs were burning. Contrary to the otter, he could not last too long without air. Giving up and letting Sam keep the air, he tried to finish the ascent as fast as he could. He dragged Sam. Just a few more metres... Richard burst out of the water. Sam screamed in agony. The sound alerted everyone, and by the time Richard had reached the shore, a white dragon was awaiting them with a stretcher. "What happened?" Richard did not have the energy to pull himself out, let alone the poor otter. "It's his eyes, I think. He must have gotten that purple stuff in his eyes... Tell Delaine to look at it!" He shouted the last bit at nobody in particular. The doctor eyed the lizard. "How fast did you ascend?" "Too fast." After pulling the otter out of the water and onto the stretcher, he gave Richard a pat on the head. "We don't have a decompression chamber. Go down again right now, and ascend slowly."

Richard slowly submerged himself in the water again. Above him, Sam's heart-wrenching cries were attenuated by the water. He went down as deep as he could see, then waited. He had to know what was happening far above him, but he had to be patient. This place was something else. The tranquillity felt different to him this time. This was not just undisturbed nature; it was uncaring. Accidents and injuries would occur from time to time, and he had lost crew members to particularly unfortunate incidents, but never in quite such a horrible way. His ascent was slow. He had no depth meter, so he had to gauge his speed. The world above was separated from him by just a few metres of water. He could only imagine the drama that was unfolding above. The disturbing sight of Sam's eyes haunted him. It was his fault. He was supposed to be the leader, and he should have made sure nobody went down unsupervised. He hoped the friendly white dragon could help. When he left the water again, he found that the main tent had been transformed into a sick bay. Cries of pain could be heard coming through the green canvas. Delaine walked out when he got close to the entrance, and her woollen paw pushed him backwards. The sheep shuddered. Her steps were uneasy. She leaned on Richard's shoulder, then doubled over and retched, emptying the contents of her stomach by the corner of the tent. The chemist gave him a long look. "Stay here, please. Don't go in." Her eyes were wide open. A gentle breeze carried Sam's cries, nearly making Richard regret being outside of the water. "Will he make it?" he asked. "I don't know... I went in to tell them what was in that sample, but..." The sheep went extra pale again, bent over, and out came a second volley. Richard rubbed her back awkwardly. "Maybe you should sit down, you look like you're about to faint." She did as suggested, collapsing onto the ground, eyes rolled up. Her wool cushioned the blow.

Delaine came to not much later. She gladly accepted the pack of orange juice. "You've done well. They know what's in there, and they can help him now." Richard smiled with his maw, but the feigned happiness did not reach his eyes. "That wasn't mud. Those were phototrophic purple sulphur bacteria." Richard blinked. Microbiology wasn't his forte. "Bacteria that use sunlight and oxygen to produce energy, kind of like natural solar panels. Extremely toxic, chock-full of hydrogen sulphide. They're burning his eyes..." The cries from the tent came to an end. Alexander stepped outside to catch his breath and found Richard there. He was sweating from stress. The lion shook his head to the lizard's questioning look. "He's on painkillers. He's lost his sight, but they still have his life to fight for." If the start set a precedent, this expedition was going to be hell.