Set in tandem at the very point of the bow of the ship, located between the forward missile battery, were two huge spindles rolled with cables and pressure hoses. Both lines fed to an even larger spool of cable that connected directly to the ball. From his briefing, Emile knew that these were the lifelines of his transport, designed to keep him comfortably supplied with air and power until reaching his destination: Old Dome, a bubblecity some hundreds of meters below on the bottom of the ocean. He found the concept intriguing. To be that much closer to the very heart of Mother Earth. Licking his stiff whiskers clean, Grand nuzzled his master’s cheek with a rumble of contentment.