Is it real? The surface is the layer most visible and may be the only layer but often it is a reflection or an opaque window of what is above or below. It is often both depending on the refraction or reflection of light. Think of the ocean’s color or what makes the sky blue.
Coming to the surface can be a part of the growth cycle. Some aquatic plants find their nutrients from above and below while they rest upon the water’s surface.
Surface is a but one plane in a multi-dimensional world. One would be foolish to assume that it holds all the answers.
My Second Act, Scene One 