The Sphere

Morning. Polly woke up under a tarp. The ship smelled of coffee.

On the deck, the small submarine was under bright lights. The crew were working.

A man with grey hair was beside the submarine. He had a small light in his mouth. He worked slowly.

Polly hopped closer. The man saw her. "Hello," he said. Then he went back to work.

He was checking the round room inside the submarine. The room is small and round. The walls are very thick.

"Why is it round?" Polly asked. "Because the water pushes from every side," he said. "A box would break. A ball does not."

The little windows were thick. They were made of plastic, not glass. Glass would crack.

The man checked the windows. He said they were tested in a big tank first. They had to be safe before the submarine went to sea.

"How long can the pilot stay?" Polly asked. "Four days if needed. The dive is about ten hours," he said.

Polly watched his hands. They were strong and careful. Only a few people in the world build these submarines.

The man finished. "There are only two of these in the world," he said. He patted the submarine and walked away.

Polly stayed. She looked at the small round room. It would soon go to the bottom of the deepest place on Earth.