Man-In-Sea

Scene 10

CLAY

The wooden podium seemed about a thousand miles through the dark. There was applause when my name was announced. I walked across that long, empty stage and I laid out my cards on the podium. Be careful if you have to be quick. Dad told me that. Make sure these cards don’t get out of order and screw up the whole speech. I pictured everyone on the toilet. Mom told me that.

Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here in Mexico City.  My father, Edwin  Link regrets that he could not join us this year. Many of you know my father from his work in the flight simulator industry. Currently he is testing an inflatable submarine escape tent off the coast of Bimini. Under my father’s supervision, divers will spend two days at a depth of 430 feet.

At this depth, water pressure exceeds 200lbs per square inch, which no human body has been made to endure for this extended length of time. Ordinary clothing is pressed paper thin. Divers must wear a waterproof dry suit over their clothing at all times, though no time will be spent in open water. Ordinary SCUBA equipment would be impossible to use at this depth, as air tanks would need to be the size of railroad cars to supply enough air at this pressure. My father is working with a team of researchers to determine appropriate mixtures of helium and oxygen to use at corresponding depths as well as reliable instruments to alert divers to the conditions of the gasses they are breathing.  The human body is capable of withstanding any pressure, as long as it is allowed to absorb gasses slowly.

To put the current dives in perspective, if all of New York City were to be flooded to the depths the Link team is working, only the tallest buildings would protrude from the water.

My father will not be one of the divers as he was during the Man-In-Sea project that preceded this. In 1962, he stayed submerged for 26 hours at a depth of 200 feet. Since that time, deeper dives have been made possible in submersibles. My father believes the work he is doing now will advance our ability in deep sea exploration by leaps and bounds. Once again, on behalf of my father, I would like to thank you for inviting us to speak at this convention. Thank you, and good night.

Scene 11

Man-In-Sea

Cast of Characters:

LINK
An inventor. Also, Ed’s father.

ED
As Link remembers himself himself.

MARION
Ed’s wife.

CLAY
Ed and Marion’s second son.