[u][i][b]Mallaidh [/b][/i][/u]

"My apologies... [i]Lady...[/i]... Lady-[i]zzzz[/i]!" He took a step back, opening one palm toward each woman with a sparkle in his eye. 

Rozalind looked over Mallaidh carefully with her good eye. She said nothing, then followed Twain.

Twain would lead them through a strange door. Well, two sets of doors. Twain had to get the three of them past the first door, and it seemed important to close the first door before opening the second. There were other buttons and levers to be pressed, strange noises and metallic bleeps, shifting metals on the other side of the wall. 

Behind the second door was a small room with large windows...

Outside the windows was the deep deep ocean. 

It was dark, save for the lights that seemed to be lining the outside of the windows. One might think it was simply night, until a strange fish would pass by. There were also some barnacles growing on the windows, a starfish stuck to the port side, kelp trailing from the seams of the starboard windows like dark green hair blowing in a gentle wind.

There were a few seats around the edge of this very small room by the window. One seat was facing the opposite way, and was occupied by a woman wearing a strange helmet. Once the door was closed, she and Twain talked briefly. 

Then the room [i]moved.[/i]

Rozalind sat down as far away from Twain as possible. Twain kept catting with the helmeted woman who steered the craft. 

Through the windows they could see themselves gently float away from the door they had just walked through. 

Anyone who was, unlike Mallaidh, from earth would recognize that this was a submarine of some sort. And that the trio were passengers in a smaller submarine or pod.

It wasn't long before the craft pulled up beside a second submarine. There was a similar door on it's starboard side. The captain easily aligned the door of the pod to the door of the larger submarine. 

Twain thanked the captain with a charming wink. Then, opened the first door, waited for the two women to step inside and the door shut tight behind them, then he flipped leavers and buttons, then opened the second door.


[u][i][b]THE MEETING ROOM[/b][/i][/u]

Twain, Mallaidh, and Rozalind stepped into the conference room (through the same door that Zesiro had used minutes before). There were a few windows peering out into the deep ocean that surrounded them. Inside the room was Zesiro, passing out coffee and pastries with a frown. And everyone else who had gathered into the meeting room.

Twain threw a glance back toward Mallaidh. "Coffee? Tea?" he picked up two of the blue cups from the table and offered her the choice. 

"I don't think everyone is here yet, but, I think we can start getting comfortable." He spoke to those assembled. "Where is that old guy? Is he still sleeping or something?"