The Neptune Project Read Online Free

mother teaches me about marine biology and oceanography are more interesting than those I have to learn at school about the rise of the Western Collective and the devastation created around the world by global warming. But over the past few months, her lessons have been getting longer and harder.
    When she comes inside a short time later, I gesture to her list. “I don’t see why I have to learn about giant squid and how to treat lionfish stings. I’m not going to run into a lionfish working as a coastal dolphin trainer.”
    â€œYour oceanography lessons are more important than ever.” I’m surprised by the strain I hear in my mother’s voice. “What I teach you now might save your life someday.”
    I open my mouth to argue, but something in her face stops me. She’s been looking haunted for months now—it’s even worse than when my father died or when my big brother, James, disappeared last year. She stays up late, working and pacing the cottage long into the night. I’ve tried to ask what’s bothering her, but Gillian has always had her secrets.
    I bend my head and go back to reading while she chops vegetables and stirs the lobster stew we’ll be eating later. When she’s finished cooking, she quizzes me on my navigation skills and assigns one final article on ocean vents. I keep reading the article while we have an early dinner. A couple of times Gillian looks like she wants to say something, but then she doesn’t. Even for my mother, she’s acting strange.
    When the silence gets too awkward, I decide to break it. “Has Ben heard anything about James?”
    Her expression goes from distracted to closed. “No,” she says.
    I stare hard at my plate. One morning we woke up to find that James had disappeared with the sailboat he’d made by himself. I know he’d been in fights at school, and he’d had some awful arguments with my mother, but I still can’t believe he just left us. The secret police came looking for him because James had cut out his locator chip, but we couldn’t tell them where he’d gone.
    He’s always loved the Channel Islands, though, and I think he’s hiding out there.
    I look up from my plate. “Why can’t we take the zode out to the islands and look for him?” I ask, even though I’ve already asked her this question a dozen times.
    â€œSweetling, I know you miss him. I miss him, too,” she says with a catch in her voice. “I promise we’ll both go look for him soon, but now is not the right time,” she adds, with such finality I know there’s no point in arguing with her.
    I stand up and blink back my tears before she can see them. James can be grumpy and impatient sometimes, but still, he’s my big brother, and I wonder all the time if he’s okay. Now our cottage seems twice as empty and quiet, with both him and my father gone.
    After dinner, I go down to the dolphin dock for a long swim with the pod. When I’m ready for sleep, Gillian comes to sit beside me on my bed.
    â€œBen really was impressed with the dolphins last week. You’ve done a wonderful job since you took over their training on your own.”
    â€œThanks,” is all I can think to say. I wish we weren’t so awkward together. James made everything easier. He knew how to make her smile and laugh.
    â€œWell, sweetling, you get some rest. Tomorrow’s likely to be a hard day. I’m going to be up late tonight.” She kisses me on the forehead and blows out my lamp.
    I’m just starting to doze when I hear a sound I dread. She’s dragging our table across the floor, and I swear to myself. Then I hear her roll our rug back and pull the trapdoor open. I know Gillian is about to climb down the wooden ladder that leads to her secret, forbidden lab full of secret, forbidden lab equipment and computers that we speak of even more rarely than we speak of