The constable of the Aquatic race was a surly sort. I attempted the ritual body movements of greeting that are common to various races of the deep (going back all the way to the days of the Mermaid Imperium), but this fellow merely hissed and splayed its gills, shooting out such a tremendous burst of bubbles I had no doubt he was either uninterested in or ignorant of any such forms of communication.

Administering its trident-shaped electric pain stick liberally, he herded me in the direction of the pink and green lights. I trudged on in my heavy boots and suit, dragging my air hose along, and wondered how we might reconcile this obvious misunderstanding.

As we reached the brightly lit part of the city, I beheld a tremendous midway, a carnival of games and tents, filled with students from the school! How wonderful the school's social outreach was already at work! And here were groups of students being herded like schools of fish down the concourses and into special tanks at the edge of the midway.

The constable drove me towards another of their species, an individual of high rank by the looks of its gaudy uniform and sitting on a tall chair, like a lifeguard. A few of its men at arms stood at the base of its chair, which was at the entrance to a silo filled with large bubbles. Over the open entryway were words in their own idiosyncratic writing system, followed by the words "Uncle Obed’s Breath Corral" in a fanciful gay script.

The Aquatic captain in the chair unleashed a fierce barking of clicks and squeals, and once again I attempted the Universal Aquanatics Dance of Gracious Supplication, this time with even more dramatic embellishment. However, upon leaping into the first pirouette, the men at arms all drew their tridents at once!

"Hear hear, my good creatures! There's no need for such roughhousing!"

But the tridents had already become entangled with my precious air hose, like forks in a plate of spaghetti. I leapt up to try and help, and came down with a heavy boot upon a flipper of one of the men at arms, causing him to flail about and strike another with its trident, while a third tried to intercede with its trident, resulting of the toppling of the very tall chair and its highly decorated occupant directly into the flimsy walls of the silo. It appeared to be merely made of netting, and in all the jostling and tomfoolery it had come quite loose. And with my air hose tangled up in it to boot!

"Oh, my. Terribly sorry about all this! I'm sure the Arcane Aquanatics Institute will be happy to pay for any damages!"

And the great sack of bubbles, my airhose, the very tall chair, and myself, all began to rise...

I entered the magnificent underwater city through what I took to be its back streets, empty at this time of night. The phenomenal lightshow that had drawn me here emanated from the far side of the city, shooting beams of light in all directions, casting a pink and green glow over the aquatic urban landscape.

Kicking up small clouds of dust with my heavy boots as I trod the streets, I looked up at the great monuments that rose above me. Upon closer inspection, they were not statues but technology--a bubbling factory of crystal tanks, each filled with a squirming mass of small fry--undoubtedly the embryonic stage of development of the Aquatic people themselves. They were, frankly told, somewhat disturbing, with their sharp, tiny fangs and empty, black eyes.

What ho! I see I have been spotted by a member of the Aquatic race! Perhaps a constable, by the look of his somewhat paramilitary garb, and long, trident shaped electric pain stick. It is time to make first contact, on behalf of the Arcane Aquanatics Institute.

Ow!

I have reached the bottom.

At 38,656 feet, it took many hose attachments let me tell you! Bought out all the hose at Psychic Costco! That gold card from the Arcane Aquanatics Institute certainly comes in handy.

My heavy boots kick up clouds of biogenic ooze as I march across the plain. My headlamps light up only about 15 feet around me, where I can see rocky debris and the occasional candy bar wrapper, but not much else.

Beyond, in the distance, however, a riotous cavalcade of color! Something so vibrant against the desolate darkness of the sea floor, shooting prismatic beams into the black depths all around it. Like Las Vegas!

I am continuing to march toward the light, and checking to make sure my trusty Polaroid is in working order. This will be the discovery of the century!

Passed the 1500' mark today, and awaiting additional hose attachments to allow me to continue my search for the source of the Aquatic culture. Who knew it was this deep? Not to worry! I have been keeping busy. My helmet light works wonderfully, though my crosswords have become quite soaked, and my pencil tends to tear the paper.

Now, I will nap, dangling at the end of this long hose, listening to the Psychic High School Girl's Choir sing Ave Maria through the speaking tube, floating in the deep, deep dark, alone.

It is a minor hardship in comparison with the stupendous revelations I will discover when I reach the city of the Aquatics! As no doubt depicted on the strange coins they toss upon our verdant shores. Every secret will be uncovered!

Based on the research of the adventurous @Les Tremendous, I have begun an ethnographic study of the Aquatic civilization. My diving suit and air compression system arrive tomorrow. Join me at noon for the dedication ceremony as we begin my descent of exploration!