2 The search heats up

Chapter Two THE SEARCH HEATS UP. A dashboard rose up from the Beagle's floor. Panels popped open to reveal screens and switches. The change was complete and the Beagle bobbed peacefully on the water. "Look at all these controls!" Connor said excitedly. "What do you think they do?" Roshni grinned. "Let's find out." Every time the Beagle changed to a new

vehicle, it took on new special features. Figuring out what everything did was half the fun. Connor pointed out a round screen with glowing green lights. "This must be the sonar," he said. "It uses sound waves to measure distances underwater." "I think this is for navigation," said Roshni, who was peering into a display. "There's us, look, and there's the seabed under us. It's like a satnav."

In the cupboards under the dashboard were energy bars, water bottles, and two wet suits with masks and oxygen tanks. "We can go on a dive!" Connor said. "Wait until you see the coral up close. It's amazing. So many colors. And the fish come right up to you!" "We'd better find the whales first," Roshni replied. "For sure," Connor agreed. They were here to help, he reminded himself. They didn't yet know what sort of help the whales needed, but the Exploration Station had sent them here for a reason. Roshni turned her seat to face the sonar screen. "Why don't you drive and I'll work the instruments?" "Cool!" Connor gripped the joystick with one

hand and the depth control with the other. He slowly brought the Beagle down below the surface. Lapping water rose around the glass bubble. Down in the green depths, everything was much quieter. Waves danced above them like a silver sheet. Light slanted down in faint rays. Soon, the only sound was the thrumming of the engines.

"See anything?" Connor asked. Roshni peered into the murk. "Not yet," she said. Connor took them deeper. Roshni frowned at the sonar screen. "Still nothing." "That's weird," Connor said. "I can't see any creatures at all down here. Not even a shrimp!" The cabin suddenly became much darker. Something was blotting out all the light. "Look!" Roshni pointed up. "Is that the whale pod?" High above them passed a huge shadow. "Could be," Connor said. "Let's take a look." But as they drew close, Connor soon saw it wasn't the whales at all.

Hanging over them was an enormous cloud of bright red algae. It made the sea look like tomato soup. The algae covered the water for what looked like miles in every direction. They surfaced in the middle of the stuff. Red liquid slid down the windows. "It's like the surface of Mars," Roshni whispered in amazement. "And about as much good for life," Connor said. "That's a red tide. Also known as an algal bloom."