Skull Cave

"Are you sure you want to go down there, Rachelle? If there's a cave in, we might not be able to clear a path in time..." warned the technician.

"Dave, I'm taking the extra tank. Besides, those places usually have more than one way out. If I run into trouble, we will figure it out." replied the veteran marine archeologist confidently.

"I know you've gotten yourself out of some tight spots in the past, but there's always a first time. And in this business, the first is usually the last. Maybe we should just send the submersible after all." said Dave, uncertainly. The rest of the crew nodded in agreement.

"Guys, we've talked about this. It's too big and clumsy. If it does get in, the big lug won't make it twenty meters, before it either gets stuck or causes a cave in. I'm half the size, and much more maneuverable." she repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I guess it's go time, then!" Dave replied, trying to sound enthusiastic despite his misgivings.

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Ten Minutes Later:

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"This place is incredible, they're all over! It's like being welcomed into a fairyland!" Rachelle thought to herself, as she gazed at the amethyst crystals, dancing in the beam of her light. Further down, the tunnel widened. She found herself in a large cave, but it was unlike any ocean caves she had explored in the past.

"It has an air pocket!" she rejoiced, quickly taking a few test breaths, then conserving her precious oxygen. "And it has a ledge all the way around? It's almost like someone carved it out on purpose..." she noted, as she climbed out of the water.

After taking several minutes of video, Rachelle began to run her hands along the light grey stone. It had jewels and quartz embedded in it as well, which helped magnify the light. Topaz, emerald, amethyst, diamond, and many others sparkled invitingly. A particularly large ruby caught her eye. It was the size of her fist!

After documenting its location, she tried to gently work it loose. It easily fell into her hands. "That's impossible!" gasped the seasoned adventurer, almost falling back into the water in surprise.

The seemingly solid rock had parted before her eyes, like sliding doors, revealing yet another cave. This one was obviously a man-made port. As proof, four small wooden skiffs were moored. All were attached to stone hooks, carved into the wall. The ropes appeared to be made from some odd species of seaweed. And they appeared to be fairly new.

"Oh my... David, you won't believe what I'm looking at! It's going to be called the discovery of the century!" she exclaimed. After several seconds of silence, she tried again. "The rock must be blocking the signal..." she mourned.

Whether it was a modern hideout or something else, it would definitely make waves in the academic world. People simply didn't have the technology to live underwater yet. If someone had found a viable solution...

"Who could have left the boats?" she wondered out loud. "Only one way to find out. Onward, to the discovery of the century!" she exclaimed, grinning. Rachelle examined the boats. Two of them contained oars, while the other two featured a long pole, similar to those used in canals.

"I wonder if I've still got it..." she mused, remembering her college days as team captain of the rowing team. First she made sure her tanks were securely stowed, then set off.

After ninety minutes of rowing, she heard voices. Laughter, singing, and shouting. She quietly pulled to the side, and hunted for a large rock. After removing her tanks in case the boat escaped, she put the rock on top of the rope.

"I don't recognize the language..." she thought to herself, which surprised her. Rachelle prided herself in that area, it was a hobby since childhood.

She turned off her light, and crept forward by keeping one hand lightly on the wall. Some of the gems were sharp, but she didn't want to land in the water.

"I don't believe it, an entire underwater city!" Rachelle whispered. She laid flat on her belly, and crawled forward. The streets and dwellings were paved with jewels, in a similar fashion to the tunnel and cave walls, but more artistically. Oil lamps hung from ornate poles.

But most astounding were the inhabitants. About five feet tall, they had large eyes, and were covered with coarse, tannish fur. They would have passed for large monkeys, except they had no tail. And the voices were distinctly human.

"Oh my..." she thought, utterly speechless. After observing and filming them for some time, she began to make her way back, reluctantly.

"The team will be going nuts by now." she thought, remembering them for the first time since she had heard the creatures.

"I can't believe it..." kept replaying over and over in her mind. Then, it occurred to her.

"What happens to them when the world hears about this? Their happy little world will be shattered. But this is the discovery of a lifetime - of ten lifetimes! I can't just pretend it never happened..."

By the time she made it back to the outer cave, Rachelle had made her decision. She inserted the ruby, causing the walls to close. Regretfully, she removed the card from the camera, and replaced it with a new one. Carefully she put the unbelievable footage in a waterproof tube in her pocket. She also chose a few small jewels, which would be made into keepsakes.

With the new card inserted, Rachelle took pictures of the outer cave and the tunnel leading out. While fascinating, they didn't do the location justice.

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On the surface:

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Dave, watching from the submersible's camera, could only see the outside of the structure. From his vantage point, it looked like a massive rock. A skull shaped rock. But from all indications, there was a 45% chance that it was a cave. And a local legend had the entire team convinced that this was the case.

"I'm going to try to send the submersible in..." he said, worried.

A chorus of objections met his ears. "It would cause a cave in, she would be trapped. I know Rachelle, she can make it. If she's not here in a few more minutes, I'll go down." said George, senior equipment manager."

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One minute later:

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"Sorry I'm late, guys! I got caught up in the excitement, the place was beautiful. And there was an air pocket! But you were right, it's not stable. The quartz looks almost like jewels in the video though!" she chatted happily into the microphone, sharing what little of her experience that she dared.

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Photo by Ahmed Adly from Pexels and edited by me to add my own original fractal artwork