The Sea of Tranquility 2.0, Book Four

Monica and Sikandar, along with the Gang of Eight, open the first pipeline to siphon seawater to the Sea of Tranquility 2.0. Will it work? Scientists are divided on the theory of a nine-foot wide pipe reaching 156 miles across the desert that will actually pull water from the ocean unassisted by any pumps. If it works, the new City of Tranquility will flourish; if not, the desert will reclaim what little work has been done.

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From Chapter Sixteen

The flotation devices for the islands were large blocks of Plastifoam. Each block measured two meters by six meters and one meter thick. They were to be joined together in any desired shape–circles, squares, triangles, crescents, stars–and the islands could be expanded by adding additional blocks. The crescent was the most popular, because it left a beautiful lagoon for swimming and a place to dock the sailboats.

The Plastifoam is made from polystyrene and mostly air, but durable enough to last for hundreds of years. And it’s nontoxic to sea life.

Once the blocks were lashed together into a large, floating island, they supported a substantial weight. We covered them with a half-meter of sand, then built a chalet cabin, with the roof made of solar panels. A small desalination plant provided fresh water. Each cabin had a different floor plan, consisting of a living room, kitchen, bath, and one to three bedrooms.

Once construction of the cabin was complete, the island was seeded with centipede grass, which, given enough water, does well in sand.

The solar cells on the roof, along with a small wind turbine and storage batteries, provided more than enough power to run the desalination plant, refrigerator, lights, and air conditioner.

We also planted a dozen small palm trees and crape myrtles in ceramic pots sunk into the sand.