The Octonauts and the Random Role Reversal

Chapter Eight

The growling, grumbling noises only seem to be getting louder as the crew split up, the Gup E soon disappearing in the murky waters as Tweak and Peso headed to the other side of the trench, medical alarm blaring as they went in an attempt to warn any creatures of the evacuation procedure.

Dashi breathed a little easier as they all set to work, the captain role a little lighter when she didn't have to actually instruct anyone for the moment. In fact, it felt nearly normal, as she and Shellington swam from crevice to crevice, lifting out prickly urchins with sore paws and stowing tiny sea stars in the temporary safety of the Gup A. She could hear the calm tones of Barnacles as he carried out much the same task, a reassuring monologue. "We need to evacuate this chasm," she heard him start gently for the fourth time, coaxing a group of scared fish from where they hid in the stark rock face.

She kicked her back paws as she struggled to fit her helmet through a particularly tight cave entrance, looking back and forth a couple of times to check for any occupants. "Hello?" she called, and, satisfied she wasn't missing anyone, squeezed herself out of the cave again.

The walls rumbled ominously as she swam on. She hoped it was her imagination, but there already seemed to be less light down here, and the vibrations were present through the fur of her paw pressed to the trench wall.

She wasn't sure whether she had done the right thing, sending Peso and Tweak alone into what was likely to be the area of the trench that crashed closed first, whereas this area was wider and doubtlessly safer. Barnacles and Kwazii would instinctively go wherever it was the most dangerous on a mission, she knew, but she knew she would be of more use here where she was still within radio range of the Octopod. Also, logically, sending the scientists to study how and why the trench was closing would be more effective the narrower side of the chasm.

That was the theory, at least.

How on earth did Barnacles make these decisions every day, without seeming at all ruffled by the process? Just practice, she presumed.

Shellington was looking a little more hopeful as they met up at the other side, the temporary lieutenant carrying an array of colourful sea stars and at least four or five spiky urchins which must have been hurting his paws, but he gallantly made no mention of it as they headed back to the Gup A to deposit their passengers. "I think we're getting everyone," he said optimistically.

"Let's check whether Tweak and Peso have found anything," Dashi decided, wanting to check up on them, and carefully placing her own gathering of crabs and baby clams into the back of the Gup A. They could already hear quiet, excited chatter amongst the deep sea residents at the change of scene.

She activated her radio, and headed a little way from the Gup. "Dashi to Tweak," she stated as calmly and as captainly as she could down the radio.

"Tweak here, Captain Dashi."

She ignored the emphasis. "How are you guys getting on over there?"

She could hear the smirk in her friend's voice as she responded. It's okay for her, she thought, only a little bitterly. She's not a photographer trying to be a captain.
"Well, given that it's been five minutes since we left you guys, we only just got to the other side," Tweak replied brightly. "But so far it's looking pretty empty. We might have the easier job."

Dashi chuckled ruefully. She was still getting used to this captain thing, evidently, and apparently also telling the time was proving to be a problem. She blamed the early morning. "Right, yeah."

"It's getting really narrow this side of the trench," Peso said into his own radio collar, sounding apprehensive, though she could hardly blame him. "The Gup E won't go any deeper, so we're about to get out and swim the rest of the way."

"Hopefully that means creatures won't be down there either," Dashi mused. "If you see the walls moving at all - I mean at all - or if at any point it looks too dangerous, don't go in."

"You got it, Dashi." Tweak's warm Southern accent was reassuring in her ear.

Dashi smiled, although she knew her friends couldn't see it. "Be careful, you two."

"You too." Tweak's voice cut out, and Dashi smiled a little nervously at Shellington as she returned to helping him heave a large clam from a small alcove in the rock. The water was still perilously dark, not helped by the depth of the waters which they were working in. Wistfully, she wished her first major mission as captain could have just been on a beach or something. A warm, preferably sunny beach.

* * *

Peso couldn't hide a shiver as they left the bobbing Gup and squeezed though the sharp rocky walls to make it right to the far end of the trench. He was fairly used to the cold waters having grown up in a climate that suited it, but the darkness of the water somehow made it feel a lot colder. He was glad of the company as he followed Tweak closely through the narrow trench to their destination.

"Brr," the rabbit murmured with a similar shiver as they came across the first collection of tiny caves and stopped for breath, treading water in the opening.

"It is cold," Peso agreed sympathetically, realising she would naturally feel it more than him. "And too quiet."

She looked warily around their new surroundings. "Anyone down here?" she called, her Southern twang echoing around the unfamiliar rock. Peso joined her, letting his own voice resonate for a second before he tried again, opening his beak as wide as he could.

There was no reply. "No," Tweak muttered. "It wouldn't be that easy, would it?"

These caves looked a lot smaller than the ones they had encountered at the far end of the trench where the others were. "I won't fit in any of those to check for creatures," Peso realised, dismayed. "What do we do?"

Tweak didn't look much more comfortable than he felt in the situation, her ears twitching restlessly. "Well, we're technically being Dashi and Shellington for today, so what would they do?"

Peso considered this. "They study this kind of thing. Maybe we should be trying to think like them."

"Not sure you can do anything 'bout tectonic plates, Peso," she responded, but more cheerfully as she swum over to the nearest cave and craned to look inside. "I wish I had brought a torch. Shellington only carries notebooks and his magnifying glass - very helpful in a crisis!"

Peso patted the camera hanging around his neck. "While I can snap a picture whenever I need to!"

They shared a quiet laugh. "So, being scientists," Tweak said thoughtfully, after another shout into the silent chasm gave no response. "We've called, and nobody's answering our calls. What can we conclude?"

Brainstorming ideas was a good idea by this point, Peso concluded, if the only idea they had. "Well, either that no-one's actually living in this side of the trench, or..."

"Or they've found somewhere else to hide," finished Tweak.

At this, both floating Octonauts turned to look with slight trepidation at the gap opposite to the one they had entered from - the narrowest part of the chasm, and also the deepest, the tiny gap leading straight down into the blackness below. Peso knew that their calls wouldn't have echoed down that far, and this was confirmed when Tweak put a paw on his arm as she fell still in the water, listening hard into something that only her keen hearing could possibly pick up.

"I can hear voices," she said after a moment, her voice low and worried. The scientist jerked her head, hiding another shiver as her fur bristled with the cold. "Down there."

"Dashi said not to go in if we weren't sure," Peso said slowly.

"Dashi also said to try and rescue anyone we could," Tweak replied, setting her jaw. They had both made their decision before either of them had voiced it, Peso already knew. They were Octonauts, and a creature needed help down there.

He smiled thinly, anxiously back. "Then what are we waiting for?"