Safi has been a pilot for years, never expecting to end her days on an interdicted planet, but blowing out her engines and lawn-darting into the ocean set her fate. She wakes and is told that her body will not last long enough to allow her to survive to a rescue, but there is an option. She can find a husband and join the underwater colony with a full transformation to water breathing, or she can die in under a week. For a woman whose prime personality trait is survival, it isn't too much of a choice.

Excerpt:

“Miss, be still. You have endured quite a bit of trauma. You can breathe. We installed some temporary organs that will help you survive in our fair city.” The man was middle-aged as Safi’s eyes measured it. 

“Where am I? How can I hear you?” She blinked when she realized that he hadn’t spoken out loud. 

“That is one of the organs we installed, a psi lobe for your brain. It gives you instant understanding.” He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but his attention was demanded from the doorway. “Please excuse me.” 

Safi sat up and examined her hands for signs of surgery. 

They had put her in a filmy green bodysuit, its pattern was marked with swirls of blue but it hugged her faithfully. A second skin. She couldn’t find any obvious damage to her flesh but if he was a competent physician, he would have sealed the wounds he made. 

Her body moved easily through the water, her arms felt slight resistance but not what she had been expecting. She moved slowly off the medical table she was lying on and stabilized herself before taking a few steps. 

Her body floated up slightly and she ended up rotating in place. 

A low chuckle got her attention. “You need to push with your arms and kick with your feet.” 

She turned her head and her body kept going, pressing her up against the new arrival. He was younger than the other man, but had the same greenish skin and dark hair. His smile was also a pleasant greeting to this peculiar world. 

“Where am I?” Her mouth moved but her thoughts propelled her question.