"Yes, I have been working on Aquashell, a sugar-based building solution. It is really amazing stuff, and I am sure it will be of great use to us," Amanda said as she smiled up at me.
I grinned back and nodded before responding. "Aquashell sounds like something truly revolutionary! I am actually installing a plant here in the city. Hilda had been researching it and was trying to implement it before I even got here. I think that it is really going to change the way things are done. I am surprised that you just didn't make normal plastic?"
"Aquashell is biodegradable, and I have enough memories to know that crude oil-based plastics are just a mess waiting to happen. There are also no abundant sources of oil anywhere, even if we wanted to. We have done a pretty going job of keeping the world and ocean clean, but I am not sure if it would matter even if we did," Amanda explained, and I frowned.
"Why wouldn't it matter? It's not like the ocean cleans itself!" I laughed, but Amanda didn't laugh. "Right?"
"Have you ever tried to swim down to the bottom of the ocean past the ledge?" Amanda asked, and my frown deepened.
"No, I haven't been out that far; why? What does that have to do with the ocean cleaning itself?" I asked.
"There is no bottom. It also has a very little salt in the water," Amanda explained, and I grinned.
"Well, there is a lack of male whales to help, haha!" I laughed, but then The Creator bit me. "Hey! Biting is not a form of communication!"
"Then don't be stupid! You know that isn't why the water is salty! It comes from the landmasses and the salt that is left behind when the ocean evaporates," Amanda explained as she crossed her arms.
"I think I know, but I still don't understand why all these matters for Aquashell? It doesn't really make sense to me," I said, and Amanda rolled her eyes.
"It matters because Aquashell replaces a lot of the stuff we currently use. Not only that, but it doesn't pollute the way that normal plastic does, so it is good for the environment long term. That is why everybody else here is so excited about it, but not my point," Amanda said before sighing. "The problem is that the ocean should be saltier than it is. I can discount things like no sea floor, but I have measured the rain, and it has the expected levels of salt in it."
"Back up. How do you know there is no bottom to the ocean?" I asked, and Amanda rolled her eyes, and then looked like she was about to bite me again. "Hey, I know how you could figure it out! I'm not stupid, but there is more than one way to skin a rabbit!"
Amanda gave me a disgusted look, and then she pulled out a map she just happened to have in her back pocket before pointing to a large area on the edge of the world. "This is where I went to measure the salt levels. There is no landmass here; it's just an infinite pit that goes straight down into the center of the ocean. We have been using some really advanced sonar tech to try and figure out what is going on with the seafloor, but so far, nothing."
I blinked in surprise, not expecting such a clear answer, and then looked around at everybody else who seemed to be just as curious as I was.
"Gee whiz, golem girl! That really is something," I said before looking back to Amanda. "You are right, that is super messed up. Have you tried going down?"
Amanda scowled and was about to speak, but I snapped my hand up and caught Ochalla's foot just before her heel hit my cheek. Simultaneously, my other hand snapped up to catch Draconia's fist that also came for my face. Instantly, both Orc and Dragon Goddesses went on the full physical assault at blinding speeds, but I just blocked and parried as the girls went at me.
"You can keep going. These two aren't going to stop anytime soon, and I have to go get the plans for the city," I said, and then open-palmed Ochalle better the breasts, sending her flying as Draconia jumped back.
I raised a hand and created a fire barrier around Amanda and me as Draconia drew in a large breath that made her massive chest glow fiery red.
"That's where it gets even stranger!" Amanda shouted as Draconia exhaled and bathed us in fire. "We have been down over thirty times, and each time we get deeper, then it should be possible. Then three years ago, we reached 150,000 feet-" Amanda said, but I cut her off.
"What?! 150,000 feet?! What kind of ship could survive at that depth! That is a stupidly high number!" I exclaim and then summon water to hose down the dragon, and then three rock golems of mine start to fight with the Orc.
"That's where it gets even stranger. There is no pressure change. There is no stopping for adjusting; there is nothing to change for. The strangest thing was that at that depth, the island ended completely flat, and there were bubble islands below the continent. I sent drones to explore one of them, but all 6 of them went dead the moment they entered. Bubble island might not be right, but from what we can see that is what it looks like. The bubbles are translucent at best, but it has an electromagnetic current around it that is being produced from the inside," Amanda said.
"Bubble islands? How is that possible? Those things shouldn't even exist," I said in shock as my golems finished pummeling the Orc and the dragon into submission.
"Neither should the deep sea fast-moving currents, or the lack of upper currents from the key points where surface oceans lead to the oceanic streams. Yet, all of it is true. We have no idea what is going on down there, but it's something more than our minds can comprehend yet," Amanda said before looking up at me.