Thee Salty Nut didn't just slow down as it entered the Dead Zone; it felt like the ship was being dragged into a swamp of invisible lead. The water around them stopped rippling and became as flat and heavy as a sheet of mercury. Ahead, a massive, jagged fragment of the old Ark sat wedged between two sea-stacks, its white hull cracked and leaking a strange, violet distortion that warped the very air.
"Mei, the pressure gauges are lying!" Pip shouted from the helm. She was standing on her tiptoes, pulling the steering wheel with her entire body weight just to keep the prow straight. "The dial says we’re at sea level, but my knees feel like they’re about to snap! Everything is too heavy!"
Mei ran to the bridge, her face pale. She dropped a heavy wrench, and instead of bouncing, it hit the
