《Technoquatics series》


 Solaria Rising - Chapter 1: Coming of Age

    The trading post hummed with energy, crowds of school-agers eagerly browsing all the coming-of-age deals. Off to one side, against a moldy wall dripping from disrepair, Calistya traced the sleek lines of the full-gill, open-ocean enhancement set. Her pretty reflection along the shimmering edges spoke to its quality, adding contrast to the discount district vibe.


    ¡°There¡¯s probably something wrong with it. Must be fake,¡± she whispered to herself.


    But despite her surroundings, the merchandise itself was top-of-the-line, unaffordably so, and she knew it. She felt a knot of anxiety as she thought about what it would take to get her hands on it. To have it installed, and to experience the fullness of life it promised.


    Everything would change, if she dared make the decision¡ªthe most monumental choice any Technoquatic would ever make. No longer could she spend any time in the dry zones, which encompassed some thirty-percent of their city, including all the youth habitats. She¡¯d never be able to walk again, which meant giving up one of her favorite hobbies¡ªjogging along the merchant¡¯s promenade.


    But the tradeoffs¡­the tradeoffs were more than worth the struggle. To be able to glide through the open ocean for as long as she wanted. No oxy-tanks to encumber her, no flippers or quasi-gillslats forcing what should be so natural. No more swim instructors¡ªtheir own flippers full and strong and marvelous¡ªtelling her how she needed to take it slow, stop trying to race the full-ones, and remember that she wasn¡¯t a mermaid yet.


    Calistya wished her parents could be alive to see it. She¡¯d never known them. They had passed on during the great dying, at a time when nearly half the population had perished. She¡¯d been at school when she received the word, and before she knew it she¡¯d been placed in a care-community with thirty-four others of various ages and backgrounds. It wasn¡¯t a horrid place, but it wasn¡¯t home, and it wasn¡¯t family. Techno-mers weren¡¯t known for having large extended families, so there simply hadn¡¯t been any place else for her to go.


    She often wondered if things might¡¯ve been different up on the surface. There were stories and legends about extended human families up there. Grandparents, aunts and uncles. Hundreds of dancing, running cousins to play with¡ªif the children of the care-community could be believed. Calistya often wondered, since they were so adept at spinning tall tales. But it sounded wonderful.


    As life settled down, the great dying passing into memory, then history, some of the children began to get picked up. From well-to-do families looking to be charitable, or couples who¡¯d dreamt of having a child but could not. Offers came from proper homes almost daily. But Calistya, being one of the oldest, was almost always passed over.


    She had met with a couple or two, awkward exchanges where she would eagerly tell them about her top marks in school, her dreams about going full-gill so she could ¡®help save the seas¡¯ (a vague aspiration she hadn''t quite figured out yet), hypervigilantly feeling them out and trying in vain to impress. Then came the realization that she was getting nowhere, plunging her into an anxious silence. She would float there at a loss, not knowing what to say to save things. Her hopeful dream, that they¡¯d suddenly exclaim, ¡®You¡¯re perfect. Let¡¯s go!¡¯, would fade into despair as the minutes passed, and they would finally excuse themselves without saying much.


    Her best friend in the community, and the one she most counted on when times got tough, was a girl named Khrystal. Not much for school life, this girl was a troublemaker and then some. Always teasing about what she¡¯s going to do with her undersea unicorn once she finds it and catches it and tames it for her own. How that was going to be her ticket to get out of here. Far, far from the school and all it¡¯s rules. Not that there really was such a thing as a unicorn, not in all the seven seas as far as anyone knew. But that didn¡¯t stop her from dreaming of an ethereal creature with a technicolor mane and a flowing tail, ready to carry her away to a safe place.


    Calistya asked her once if she¡¯d been talking about a Narwhal ¡ª not native to their part of the world, but at least a for-real creature that might actually, you know, exist. But Khrystal was adamant that she wasn¡¯t talking about a fish. That a unicorn was known to inhabit the warm waters of the south, and yes it had gills and could swim and everything else. And it would take her away from here. Then they spent an hour or so making up stories about what they¡¯d do with such a fine steed.


    Khrystal was fun that way, and good at keeping Calistya¡¯s mind off of sad things. Things like thinking about her parents, or how much she wanted to escape. Not that it was a terrible, or even a bad place. It was just the loneliness that came with it. Especially at night. When the waters went dark and they had to close up the place from predators, that was when reality really started to sink in. Luckily she and Khrystal shared a common room between their bedrooms, and on non-school nights they could stay up late. So they often shared unicorn stories and whatever other fun topics they could come up with.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°What¡¯d you wanna do with your life when you¡¯re a fully-grown?¡± Khrystal asked suddenly one night.


    She snapped Calistya right out of her sad reverie with that question, and the mergirl had to think for a minute. Khrystal, being a year older, had obviously given the matter some thought.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought so much about that, really,¡± Calistya had to admit, ¡°but I guess I¡¯d like to be a teacher. Help other mergirls with their math and oceanography, that kind of thing.¡±


    Khrystal wrinkled her nose. She wasn¡¯t the finest student.


    ¡°Well, what about you? What do you want to do when you get out of here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Khrystal said with a sigh, ¡°lots of things, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Calistya prodded, ¡°there¡¯s got to be something that really excites you. Something special.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stupid really,¡± said her friend, ¡°and impossible anyway, so¡­¡±


    Calistya moved closer, intrigued.


    Khrystal¡¯s voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned closer to Calistya and said, ¡°What I really want to be is a sentry.¡±


    Calistya recoiled at the very idea of a mergirl sentry. It wasn¡¯t exactly forbidden for females to fight. But it wasn¡¯t in their nature, generally, and it was so dangerous. Merfolk were a peaceful lot, by and large, but there was cause for keeping an army. What with all the dangers in the seas, and above, how could they not. But it was usually the boys¡ªonce they grew into strong mermen, of course¡ªwho went off to fight. But even for them it was a burden, not a pleasure. And Khrystal wanted that?


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Calistya said, taking in a deep breath and reaching down to blow bubbles into the common pool. ¡°You¡¯d really want to do that?¡±


    Khrystal backed off, looking fairly stricken by her friend¡¯s response. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was a smart idea. Just a dream is all.¡±


    ¡°A dream to get yourself killed,¡± Calistya said, ¡°or kill someone else.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Khrystal replied, ¡°you know perfectly well it¡¯s mostly shark-defense and border protection. That sort of thing. The sentries hardly ever fight head-on any more. It¡¯s just a way to protect the community is all. I think it¡¯s brave.¡±


    ¡°It is brave,¡± Calistya admitted. ¡°I just never thought you. I mean, what are you going to do, ride in on your unicorn and kill all our enemies?¡±


    The two mergirls laughed.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Khrystal said. ¡°A sentry¡¯s got to have some kind of steed after all. Not everyone can ride dolphins into battle.¡±


    They started laughing harder, picturing the picture books they¡¯d been given in first year, those old tales of mermen (and women, to be fair) riding off to fight the sea-devils and humans and killer whales with two tamed dolphins underfin. It was a fantasy from start to finish, but it¡¯d been more impressive when they were little, and they¡¯d almost believed those tall tales.


    * * *


    The two girls discussed full-gill enhancements a number of times. There were pros and cons to either choice, and not every Technoquatic opted for it even if they did quality. There were serious limitations, after all. It was one thing to put on the gear and enjoy the sea, but a whole other matter to have to stay there for the rest of your life.


    Little things changed forever. Like how you slept or how you ate. The way you cleaned and groomed yourself. Even bathroom breaks, gross as that sounded. It was just different. You could say it was like becoming another person, really. From a groundwalker to a seaswimmer was no small transition.


    ¡°Cali, it¡¯s not all that,¡± Khrystal would say. ¡°First, you can¡¯t afford it, besides which you have to give up your socializing. You really want to miss out on clubbing with me, when we¡¯re old enough?¡±


    ¡°They have events on the seafloor, Khrys,¡± Calistya would argue, though she knew her friend had a point. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s what we were meant to be.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a fairy tale,¡± Khrystal said, ¡°we were meant to be right where we¡¯re at. And it¡¯s dangerous, too.¡±


    ¡°Not that dangerous,¡± Calistya said weakly, feeling she was losing the argument. ¡°I thought you wanted it, too.¡±


    ¡°I did, but¡­¡±


    Her friend didn¡¯t have to finish the sentiment. They both knew the reality, and it was just as true for the both of them. It was crazy expensive, and an indulgence neither could afford. Not as orphans, at any rate. Who was going to pay for some pathetic kids to get the enhancements, when people with actual money were willing to shell out for them?

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 2: Questions and Consequences

    ¡°Mr. Albi?¡±


    Khrystal had one hand raised, elbow propped atop her other wrist¡ªa pose which reflected a pre-planned obstinacy.


    The teacher peered out over unstylish glasses, pausing his lecture mid-sentence, then nodded permission.


    ¡°How come none of us ever moved out to the open sea? How come we¡¯re stuck here by the shelf? How come there¡¯re so few techno cities along the old coast? Why haven¡¯t we gone places like the history books say we did before?¡±


    Her teacher absorbed the rapid-fire grilling without expression. A patient sort, with an affinity for hard-luck cases, he¡¯d always listen willingly, though he was less likely to actually take the bait.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, Ms. Khrystal, what¡¯s say you and I meet up after class and have a good long search for those answers. Okay?¡±


    Khrystal deflated. After class? Seriously? Her disruption technique had failed so thoroughly. She tapped her fingers on the desk, scowling as Mr. Albi moved on. Fine, she thought. Be boring about it.


    Calistya¡¯s hand shot up. ¡°I¡¯ll join you guys, if it¡¯s okay.¡±


    A ripple of relief gave Khrystal a calming feeling. It was just like her best bestie to volunteer for extra duty. She knew Khrys needed her. She had a passing thought, I¡¯d do the same in Cali¡¯s shoes, but the rise of yuck in her throat told her otherwise.


    She kept quiet for the rest of the class, making sure not to get any additional punishments tacked on. When the last chime sounded and everyone else filtered out, she went straight to the teacher¡¯s desk and sat down.


    Mr. Albi waved at her to move it, and took the seat for himself, rubbing his legs and wincing.


    ¡°Mr. Albi, why didn¡¯t you ever get the full works?¡± Khrystal asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t wanna be whole?¡±


    Coming from another, it might¡¯ve been seen as offensive¡ªbut Khrystal was nothing if not curious. She wasn¡¯t purposefully offensive.


    Knowing that, he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve just always liked my legs right where they were, I suppose. I mean, we can always suit up, can¡¯t we? I suppose I just found the limitations outweighed the benefits.¡±


    The limitations were real. Full technoquatic ¡®merfolk¡¯ couldn¡¯t move about in neighborhoods with lots of dry space, for instance. Pools and tanks had had to be installed to accommodate them in the early days, something Mr. Albi himself had taught them.


    Their school for the orphaned had several full-mers on staff, in fact, and a few classrooms featured a teaching tank for just that reason. As those were the nicest rooms, the teachers sometimes complained about unfairness when they thought the students weren¡¯t listening. ¡®mer privilege¡¯ and the like.


    ¡®Maybe that¡¯s why Mr. Albi stays half-tech¡¯, Khrystal thought. ¡®To have something to complain about¡¯. She laughed inwardly.


    But the tanks were unobtrusive, built right into the rooms. When no one was swimming them, they made for nice decorations. Like fishtanks with no fish. Most places were like that. And there were amazing benefits: the cool factor, for one. It really was prestigious to be a mer. Plus all the fully aquatic zones that were supposedly all-access, but being geared up wasn¡¯t practical. Most of all, the ability to live a fully 3D lifestyle, embracing their environment like an ocean dweller should. Khrystal couldn¡¯t see much downside.


    "When they let me, I¡¯m getting the full treatment," Khrystal announced, though her confidence wavered inside. Visions of the gold and shiny treasures it would take sank her spirits, but she pushed them down and raised her voice. "I will be a mermaid, you just watch me." The words felt as much for herself as for the room.


    ¡°And that¡¯ll be very good for you, my dear. It¡¯s just not for everybody. Now, let¡¯s turn to our chronology text. Who can tell me about the time expansion effect of the pelagic calendar? Not a one of you? Right, well, the resurgence of migratory patterns following the restoration of ecosystems in the southern¡­¡±


    * * *


    The headmaster and Mr. Albi spoke often about what to do with Khrystal. Her marks were extraordinary. Extraordinarily bad. History class was the only course she was passing at all, and that had something to do with Albi¡¯s rather generous grading curve. Her other courses were abysmal, and it seemed likely that she¡¯d fail out of school altogether. As it stood, her skillset pointed to a custodial role. Nothing to be ashamed of, but hardly an aspirational position. More a position to take for a period of time, before higher education for instance, rather than the end result of a scholastic career.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But there it was. She was in trouble.


    ¡°Is there any¡­I don¡¯t know. Any extra-curricular interests that might suit our girl?¡± the headmaster asked.


    Mr. Albi chuckled. ¡°Is sea-unicorn riding an extra-curricular activity we might consider starting up?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Just thinking aloud. No, I think our Ms. Khrystal will just have to work things out for herself. I fear her path lies elsewhere from academics. Perhaps one of the trades?¡±


    * * *


    The headmaster met with all the primary teachers for all the students periodically, and as vexing as the Khrystal situation was, he had other pupils to attend to.


    Today he was meeting with Calistya¡¯s primary, Ms. Terri, which proved to be a far more uplifting conference. Calistya was one of the school¡¯s most promising students, with high marks in just about every subject, save literature. Given the fact that Ms. Terri was her literature teacher as well as primary, it would give them a good chance to discuss how to get Calistya¡¯s marks in literature in line with everything else.


    Calistya held so much promise, it was possible she could become the school¡¯s only higher-education candidate. Higher-education was normally a field reserved for wealthy merfolk and their offspring. With a degree from the higher learning center, one could find themselves working as a city planner, a healer perhaps, or even mayor one day. For an orphan such as Calistya, these opportunities were a phenomenal break from the usual merchant-class lifestyle such youngsters generally settled into.


    Ms. Terri was expressing concern for Calistya¡¯s budding relationship with the one-year-older Khrystal.


    ¡°Ah, Khrystal. Yes, that certainly is a worry,¡± said the headmaster, ¡°wouldn¡¯t want any bad influences to gum up the works. That poor girl is going nowhere, and the last thing we want is for our Calistya to follow her down.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re very close,¡± Ms. Terri said, ¡°and I¡¯d hate to break them apart without good reason. They don¡¯t have many friends outside of each other.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, Calistya should be encouraged to spend time with other high achievers. Like herself.¡±


    Ms. Terri nodded, but she knew that was easier said than done. Calistya was flighty, and didn¡¯t take to others so easily. She¡¯d been distant from all the merkids until she and Khrystal had grown close.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can,¡± Ms. Terri promised, ¡°see if I can¡¯t get Khrystal to start following Calistya¡¯s lead, rather than the other way ¡®round.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Saw Ms. Terri going into Headmaster Oliver¡¯s office,¡± Khrystal said. ¡°Becha they¡¯re talkin¡¯ about us.¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Calistya said. ¡°There¡¯s a million students they need to deal with. We¡¯re quiet and keep to ourselves. What¡¯s to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Khrystal said, laughing, ¡°I¡¯m not quiet, and I make everybody¡¯s business mine.¡± She laughed harder, kicking up her feet.


    ¡°Watch it!¡± said Calistya. ¡°You¡¯ve got sand.¡±


    ¡°Do not.¡±


    ¡°Do too. You went swimming at lunch, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Who didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve got sand.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywheres near sand,¡± Khrystal retorted, examining her feet. ¡°And besides, I wore a fin. Where would the sand go?¡±


    ¡°It gets everywhere. I hate it.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she sputtered, on the defensive, ¡°who doesn¡¯t?¡°


    Calistya¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Actually, I read somewhere about beach sand. It¡¯s supposed to be nice. Fine. Pure white sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well we¡¯ve got no beaches down here. And what there is is all wet and soppy. And I didn¡¯t get any on myself, thank you much.¡±


    Whatever,¡± Calistya said, her voice growing distracted. ¡°So you think the headmaster¡¯s talking about us, do you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not us. Just me. He hates me you know. Wants to expel me. He¡¯s got it all worked out.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. They want you to do better, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll get him first though.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I set him up. Wrote a letter to the city, saying he,¡±¡ªshe started giggling mock-maniacally¡ª¡±he beats us and tortures us and we can¡¯t get away!¡±


    ¡°You did not!¡±


    ¡°Did.¡± She smirked, holding out a notebook. Across the top, in her messy scrawl, were the words: ¡®Dear Magistrate of the City,¡¯. It felt ridiculous, even to her¡ªbut she loved the way it sounded, and the sense of control it promised, even if it was just a fantasy.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to send it, are you?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Maybe if he ticks me off enough,¡± Khrystal answered, pensive now.


    ¡°That¡¯s awful,¡± Calistya said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±


    Khrystal made as if tired of the conversation, though the emotional sinking feeling she had was of a friend¡¯s disapproval. Calistya had a way of making her feel small, without meaning to.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Tear it up.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Good. Feel like a swim tomorrow after class?¡± Calistya asked, trying to ease Khrystal¡¯s discomfort by changing the subject. ¡°A real swim, head to the aquacenter and stretch our fins.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not real, you know. We don¡¯t actually have fins.¡±


    The condescension was uncalled for, and Cali felt a wave of shame hit her for daring to entertain the fantasy, nevermind that Khrystal went along with it most days. She was just in a mood, they both said ¡®fins¡¯ all the time, dreaming of a time they could truly say it. Lots of young people did.


    ¡°Fine, we don¡¯t. Do you want to swim anyways, or not?¡±


    Khrystal shrugged. ¡°Sure, I guess. Why not.¡±


    Calistya sighed, rolling away from her friend. ¡°Would it kill you to show a little enthusiasm?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Khrys replied. ¡°I¡¯ll try it sometime. See if I drop dead.¡± Her laughter filled the room as she kicked sand over onto Cali¡¯s kelp-frond woven bedding.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 3: Currents and Crossroads

    No school, thanks to the latest blackout. Citywide outages weren¡¯t so rare, but this time the hydrogrid was down bad enough to send kids home early, curtail market hours, and leave the city eerily silent under the emergency lights. Khrystal was thrilled¡ªa day off was worth any disruption¡ªbut Calistya couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. So, into the city or out to sea? Their argument was already stewing before the school doors shut behind them.


    Khrystal, the material girl, pushed for a downtown hangout. But Cali wanted open waters, somewhere the day¡¯s stress couldn¡¯t reach. ¡®Is everything always going to break down? It¡¯s worse than ever,¡¯ she thought, her eyes drifting towards the gates like they always did when things went wrong.


    They took their full gear along. Just because they were in the city didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t a million ways to be a technoquatic. There were certain sections of the waterways and pools that were, generally speaking, full-gill exclusive, but the majority of the channels and lakes¨Cand the entire midtown aquacenter¨Cwere open to everyone.


    Sometimes one would swim while the other ran, a popular mix. Since the roadside channels were designed so that a swimmer and a walker could move along together, there was rarely a spot of pavement that wasn¡¯t complimenting a channel, or a park that didn¡¯t boast a meandering moat. Everything in the city was designed to be the best of both worlds.


    ¡°Nope, hang on,¡± Khrystal said, looking at her route scanner, ¡°midtown¡¯s on hiatus already. Damn, I thought they wouldn¡¯t shut it ¡®til 3. Stupid. Guess they¡¯re even running low on reserve hydro. Why¡¯d they make us do that stupid conservation initiative crap if it wasn¡¯t even going to keep the boutiques open!¡±


    Calistya sighed. ¡°Well, yeah, but I get it. They can only do so much.¡± She kept her stronger opinions to herself, those involving her fondness for the initiative Khrystal was insulting, and her hope that it might make things better someday.


    Khrystal shrugged. ¡°They can¡¯t even keep the stores open, and you think that¡¯s enough? Maybe I should be running the city.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah? Maybe I could,¡± Calistya shot back, laughing.


    ¡°Doubt it. I could run the city better than you.¡±


    ¡°Right. You can¡¯t even run your classes, nevermind the city.¡±


    Khrystal frowned, crossing her arms. ¡°Supportive.¡±


    Calistya, feigning the sarcastic bravado of her friend, grinned. ¡°Come on, race you to the central gardens. At least they won¡¯t be closed.¡±


    The pair did a quick rock/seaweed/shard to determine who got which position, and Khrystal suited up as the swimmer. When she was ready and in the channel, Calystya hopped on her back, and they were off.


    * * *


    The gardens were, as predicted, operational¡ªthough ¡®barely holding together¡¯ might have been a better way to put it. The crisis was evident at every turn. The waterjets were on intermittently, and parts of the facility were in blackout. They took turns swimming the waterways that flowed well enough, not enough to really stretch their limbs properly, then resorted to walking where the channels ran dry. But it wasn¡¯t as pretty as it used to be, either, because there were bold, official-looking signs posted all around.


    Your Energy! Your Future!


    Early to Sleep and Early to Risin, No More Blackouts on the Horizin!


    Did you reduce your flow today?


    ¡°Early to risin?¡± Khrystal snorted, her voice dripping with distain. She made a stick-finger-down-throat motion, then added, ¡°What kind of idiot wrote this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for little kids, I guess,¡± Calistya retorted, though she was cringing too.


    They were as eco-friendly as the next techno¡¯s, but tired of hearing about all the woes of their city. The situation had deteriorated since the drop in sea-levels had rendered the huge plants useless. Everyone knew that. But there wasn¡¯t much they could do, and besides, their school for orphaned technoquatics was about as eco-friendly as it could be.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    They tried ignoring the signage, but then there were city workers, walkers and swimmers both, coming up to hand over informational pamphlets. The day was becoming a bore, and Cali regretted not speaking up more about the open sea option. There was plenty enough to do out there, and no intrusive-minded park workers to contend with.


    ¡°You know what?¡± Calistya said. ¡°This isn¡¯t working. Let¡¯s head out.¡±


    ¡°Out? To sea? All the way from here? But we came all this way¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we came all this way to have fun, not to get lectured to,¡± she said, knowing that her friend would take to that argument. A lump of shame rose in her throat. She hated how easily she¡¯d betrayed her own beliefs¡ªand her friend¡ªin the same breath.


    Yet she continued. ¡°We might as well¡¯ve just stayed in school. You¡¯re right, Krys, this whole city¡¯s a joke. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    And then, without giving her friend any say in the matter, Calistya suited up and got ready for a long swim. This required a certain amount of stretching, and a lot of fin-fanning if you did it the right way, which Calistya always did.


    Khrystal shrugged and started gearing-up herself, mouthing ¡®show off¡¯ under her breath as she watched her friend preen. She didn¡¯t mind a long haul, not really, but she did prefer the city. But she didn¡¯t feel like starting a fight, so she stayed quiet as they got themselves ready.


    Properly prepared, they headed for the nearest channel and dipped their fins.


    ¡°You want to check the route?¡± Calistya asked, trying to be nice now that she¡¯d gotten her way.


    ¡°No, whatever. We can just detour if we have to.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calistya said, slipping into the channel.


    The channel outflow, built to streamline commuter traffic, flowed at a steady but throttled-back pace during the day, giving the girls a welcome boost. Although they were stuck with detours three times along the way, all thanks to hydroelectric power outages ¡®impossible to avoid¡¯, they got themselves out of the city in less than an hour.


    * * *


    Adult technos could leave the gates freely, but for youngsters, check-in with the sentries was mandatory. Each pair had to prove they were traveling with a buddy, and provide parental permission.


    This proved a hassle for Calistya and Khrystal, being orphans. They had to show their school ID¡¯s, and the school would have to be notified. However, there was one sentry, Marla, who¡¯d grown fond of her frequent adventurers. After checking in with the school a number of times, always with an all clear, she¡¯d taken to registering them without the formalities.


    Marla being on duty, they got through to the open sea hassle-free. Past the city limits, there were no more conservation warnings, no more detours. Nothing to stop them from having a good time.


    As they swam out, the city¡¯s din gave way to the calming rippling of water¡ªwaves rolling above, the faint crackle of distant breakers, and the blubs and bloops of a basin full of sea-stuff, as if the whole of it were breathing in and out.


    Although Khrystal had been reluctant, she was as pleased as Calistya to be out in the open, enjoying the currents and overwaves, and seeing all the sealife. They headed out a ways, since they had the whole day, and dared to deep dive perilously close to the dark.


    ¡®The Dark¡¯ marked the boundary between sunlight and the abyss of eternal night¡ªa foreboding, uncharted expanse. Even the strongest swimmers were advised against venturing down there, and for the children, it was strictly forbidden. ¡®No plunging into the dark, and no surfacing.¡¯ Those two extremes were disallowed, and for good reason. The girls knew the rules, but skirted the boundaries all the same, reveling in the thrill of defiance.


    The sunlight above dimmed as they dove deeper, the edge of The Dark looming like a heavy curtain. Calistya¡¯s pulse intensified, but she indicated nothing, unwilling to break the fragile spell.


    They spent hours trading swim-off techniques, practicing underwater calisthenics, and sampling the sparse plants sprouting just below the contamination zone. Most were rubbery and bitter¡ªfar from the delicacies they¡¯d imagined. They also spent time relaxing, floating and watching sea creatures, allowing their cares to dissolve into the expanse all around.


    Exhausted but satisfied, they began their slow journey back, the rhythmic flick of their fins echoing into the endless ripples. By the time the sentry gate came into view, the dusky hues of twilight had electrified the water in shimmering sparkles. Calistya paused, suspended in the open sea, weightless and free. The constraints of life back home loomed again, the rules, the sentry gates, the endless noise. Out here, it was just easier. She wasn¡¯t ready to go back.


    But Khrystal gave her arm a tug, uneasy about being caught out once nightfall came, another of the myriad restrictions they had to live with. It was funny, sometimes she was the one worried about the rules, sometimes her friend. They¡¯d be in trouble if they both decided they didn¡¯t care at the same time.


    Following her friend¡¯s lead, she headed back, noticing that Marla¡¯s smiling face was no longer at the checkpoint. Instead, a surly guard with sharp eyes watched their approach. The last flickers of sundown saved them from a reprimand¡ªthis time. Calistya glanced at Khrystal, who rolled her eyes. Back to the grind, Cali thought, her mind¡¯s eye lingering on the inky curtain that spoke to her that day.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 4: The Breaking Point

    Following their forbidden swim to the edge of The Deep, a fragile quiet had settled over Calistya and Khrystal¡¯s world. The pair talked often about their amazing day off, dreaming of another escape, but the normal run of lessons and report-ins didn¡¯t allow for it. At any rate they needn¡¯t have worried, for the stillness didn¡¯t last long¡ªand this time, it wasn¡¯t the grid.


    The alert system was color-coordinated, designed to be visible even to swimmers moving through the city. Audible alerts were impractical underwater, so the system relied heavily on shifting hues¡ªminor alerts, such as power grid watches, changed the calming, oceanic blues to a more yellowish hue, subtle enough to blend with the natural light.


    The cascading alert system then followed a predictable pattern¡ªthe more they intensified, the more serious, though still incremental, keeping the population on an even keel. The riots of Pelagic Year 104, the participants of which had inadvertently caused a breach, led to major shifts in crisis management. As the last of the floodwaters were pumped back out to sea, city leadership voted to overhaul the system ¡®from stem to stern¡¯, intent on preserving societal equilibrium at all costs. The calming escalation of alert hues was just one tangible result of their efforts.


    The shock of the classroom flaring a fiery red didn''t set off immediate panic. Instead, there was an excited buzz¡ªit felt like something out of the history books. But Mr. Albi¡¯s frozen expression, radiating concern of the utmost gravity, shifted the mood more effectively than emergency lights ever could.


    Then, shaking his head to clear it, he sprang for the door, far faster than his usual, deliberate pace, and yelled for them to get moving. Chairs scraped against the floor as the entire class complied without hesitation.


    The Shallows was on red alert.


    * * *


    Red alerts were so rare that the electrodes buzzed with neglect, dust filtering down off the suddenly hot bulbs. No gentle transition here, the soft hues of various conditions were integrated and fine-tuned, but these were a riot of antiquity. They were rumored to signal breaches, catastrophic air system failures, or worse¡ªthreats from the outside. Though the wartimes were long past, other settlements and societies were still a concern, theoretically.


    The students, drilled but never tested, streamed out of the building, teachers barked orders as they went: ¡°Single file! Single file! Stay calm!¡±


    They were ushered out the doors and towards the air shelter.


    ¡°Down the corridor out the doors! Out the doors! Out the doors!¡±


    The unified voices of well-trained teachers rang out, all of them looking stern as steel, but there were hints that they were just trying to keep it together themselves. Ms. Terri, usually such a calming presence, voiced her commands in a raspy, shaky voice, while Mr. Albi moved with the intensity of someone who¡¯d dealt with this kind of chaos before.


    The oxy-shelters were placed strategically throughout the city, and the one nearest the school was just a few minutes'' walk¡ªor swim. The students walked calmly, though it quickly became noticeable that other citizens were heading in the same direction, the younger ones looking rather more excited about it, the elders moving faster with each step.


    This prompted everyone around them to step up the pace as well, and the crowds grew. People were filtering out of work buildings and homes, the crowds growing larger, the single-file order quickly dissolving.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    When they reached the oxy-shelter, audible sirens had welled up, adding to the confused, heightened sense of tension all the redness was producing. Someone from high up must¡¯ve ordered that, the screeching sirens of old. It was as if the whole place had been slammed into survival mode.


    Aquasentinels were already positioned in front, clipboards in hand, looking stern and questioning the people who were reaching for proof of local residency. Only locals were allowed in, normally, though they were supposed to allow everyone through in an emergency. This was not happening.


    People were coughing, body to body now. The stench of fright and sweat mixed with an acrid, sickly sweet smell like burning rubber, filling the air and adding to the sense of imminent danger. A baby screeched somewhere in the crowd, and people started jostling one another, their movements becoming less organized by the second.


    With the students mixed in now, the trickle of people being allowed through included a few of them as well, though the teachers yelled for them to wait. Corralling the students before it was too late, they pushed them to the side. Twenty per class, six classes. A good number of them were already inside, but the rest were being told to wait. The students, of course, carried no IDs, but the teachers had their validation, and all of them were entitled to enter.


    At that point, the smell was beginning to nauseate people, and the panic grew. As the throngs intensified and the shelter filled up, Mr. Albi stepped forward and demanded that the students be allowed to in. ¡°¡­it being their local sector, of course.¡± He leaned in and listened, nodding. ¡°Yes, we''re from the Shallows Orphanage.¡±¡ªhis indignation grew, rising up against the curt replies he was receiving¡ª¡°These are the students. We need to get them inside!¡±


    ¡°Just hold on,¡± the sentinel barked. ¡°There''s too many of you at once. I can''t ID every student. Let me get the others inside first.¡±


    Albi¡¯s eyes widened and he balled his fists, raising his voice in protest.


    ¡°These children are residents of this district. They have the right to be sheltered immediately!¡±


    He matched the intensity of his words with a defiant posture, which the sentinel took for aggression. They both moved at once, and in the confusion Albi never saw the other sentinel, moving fast, until he cried out in pain as a stun-baton was thrust into his side, dropping the older man in a heartbeat.


    The sight of Mr. Albi crumpling to the ground froze the students in place, the momentary shock then giving way to frightened murmurs. Some cried, while others clutched their classmates, unsure whether to move or stay rooted where they were.


    The sight of more sentinels moving in made their decision for them. They scattered in all directions, running on instinct and adrenaline, any ideas of getting into the shelter abandoned. Khrystal grabbed Calistya¡¯s arm, her heart pounding. ¡°Out the gates,¡± she whispered. ¡°Now!¡±


    * * *


    Weaving through the streets, one leading the other, grasping each other''s hands tightly, they made their way through the crowds, working against the flow until they got away from the air shelter. The air grew clearer as they ran, the sharp, acrid fumes giving way to the familiar, salty-briny normalcy they were used to. It wasn''t the whole city that was affected, at least.


    They ran full-on, all the way to the checkpoint, stopping only to gear up. Calistya was shaking, unable to work the seams in her confusion. But Khrystal got her suit on in record time, then helped her friend.


    Martha¡¯s familiar greeted them at the gate, though her expression wasn¡¯t jovial this time. ¡°What are you two up to?¡± Martha¡¯s voice was calm, but her brow furrowed as she peered at the red lights. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out here. The shelters¡ª¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re full,¡± Khrystal cut her off. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Just please let us through.¡±


    Martha hesitated, her eyes examining their faces. ¡°You girls stay out of trouble, understand? Stay in range, and come right back at the all-clear.¡±


    Still hesitating as she lifted the barrier, the girls mumbled thanks and reassurances, then plunged through and out of her sight.


    They swam hard, faster than they¡¯d been running thanks to their gear enhancements. In an effort to put some distance between themselves and the chaos, they dispensed with any of the usual semi-vertical stream-flowing and instead relied on their mechanicals to push them at top velocity. This was a strain on the environmentals, but they weren¡¯t thinking ahead.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 5: Legacies Unearthed

    Pelagic 91 - two generations prior to the rise of the Solarians


    Danelia attended a prestigious school in the capital city of the western shelf. With a drive to become a politician and ''make things better for everyone'', she excelled in school, outshining her peer group and even stumping the teachers now and again. She had a knack for the ¡®old continentals¡¯¡ªher treatise on the dark times untangled a web of half-truths and political machinations which predated the great ecological collapse by decades.


    But her true academic passion lay beneath the waves. In particular, her own culture of techno-mers. Though she¡¯d opted out of the full-gill treatment, she loved the seas as much as any techno could, and spent her precious free time outside, surfing the big waves. Unlike in eastern regions, the west coast surface was safe to swim, and she enjoyed the ups and downs, not to mention the thrill of deep dives, from the surface to the abyss. There were moments, floating in silence, when she could almost sense something out there. Not dangerous. Just¡­watching.


    There were concerns about such primitives, so she and her friends had to stay a ways out. She never caught sight of them, though she¡¯d heard plenty of ghost-stories. How they¡¯d come crashing into the sea to take a young mergirl straight out of the water, never to be seen again. But most of the students realized that was little more than tall tales.


    Though she saw no such monsters, she did catch sight of ancient technology she wished she could¡¯ve gotten a closer look at. Power stations, thought to generate enough juice to drive entire ancient cities, stood rotting along the shores in many a popular surfing region.


    Beyond the simple work of her treatise, Danelia was considering a more intensive study. This involved the feasibility of getting some of those power stations up and running again. It had been many decades since the last of their kind had retreated back beneath the waves. It seemed logical to consider alternative power sources. The geo and hydrothermal power they now relied on was good enough, to a point, but their civilization was on the rise, and these limited sources wouldn¡¯t last forever.


    They had a hard and fast rule against fossil energy, given how the demise of civilization had played out around their misuse. But wind and solar were safe, well documented, and available to anyone willing to fund an expedition. That plus these mysterious, ancient stations that lined the shores, these behemoths that may have been nuclear, or some sort of sophisticated hybrid¡ªbut at any rate might be of great use for any sea dwelllers willing to make a go of it.


    Despite her efforts, Danelia was the only one truly interested in those antiquated technologies. There was still a great deal of fear. Society had ¡®advanced¡¯, their way was the best and only way. All else was deemed excessive and dangerous.


    But Dalelia had heard different stories, of a method of merging the old with the new, ancient wisdom that seemed to come from the sea, wisdom which had saved them, then slipped back beneath the waves. In that sense, these ways were all part of a continuum, with it¡¯s own place and purpose.


    There were reasons to revisit these resources, too. They had enough to get by now, yes, but down the road they¡¯d be looking at shortages, and finally collapse. So she persisted. She even proposed a shore excursion, so that the engineers could get a look at the old technologies. Perhaps even attempt to integrate some of it into their usual facilities.


    When she got no response from the department head of her school, she took matters into her own hands. With a handful of fellow students along for the ride, Danelia petitioned for shore access, a difficult to obtain privilege few merfolk took advantage of. In fact, only the department of anthropology even accepted such requests, so that was who they went through.


    The anthropology people were an interesting lot. They occasionally made near-shore excursions, so they were familiar enough with the ancient power stations in question. They¡¯d not explored them yet, but they knew how to find them. So she¡¯d be heading up with a few of their scholars along with her own friends. One big happy shore-leaving party, and all for the benefit of a technology most everyone refused to have any part in. Danelia was growing accustomed to being on the fringes of society, and she wasn¡¯t yet twenty years old.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    * * *


    The shore-excursion party numbered eight souls. Five in Danelia¡¯s group, and three others courtesy of the anthropology school. Allowing those bone-collectors into the fold was the only way to compose a full complement, so Danelia had reluctantly allowed them in. They had little use for technology, but were more than willing to explore the structures. They hoped to come across some glove or article of clothing, something worthy of being stuck in a museum. Or a book, even better. There were ancient-text libraries that would kill for a fresh copy of something or other to put on display.


    The trip to shore was uneventful, almost tediously so. Strict orders required them to scrub at the first sign of danger¡ªwhether it be natives, wildlife, or worst of all blackened vegetation or soil discoloration. Radiation remained the gravest concern, even after so many years.


    None of their fears came to pass. The shoreline was barren and cold, and still as a tomb. Any hints of vegetation were far distant, and hardly noteworthy. A solitary tree, a stripped clump of shrubbery. No hint of vibrancy along the entire shore.


    The anthropologists were busy at work, scouring the dunes for any sign of human relics. Their excitement was contagious, though Danelia felt an urge to order them back. Struggling to catch a decent breath, she tugged at her wetsuit collar. It was one thing to discuss an excursion in the abstract, but a whole other experience to abandon the safety of home. Then to find a place both familiar and alien at the same time, it was unnerving.


    Once the group composed itself and made ready to explore the structure, they first made a survey of the perimeter. There were barriers around the whole of the edifice, though fractured and broken in several spots. Getting inside wouldn¡¯t pose any problem. Danelia¡¯s group had little to do while they looked over the place, though the anthros had a field day picking off bits of metal and material from the fencing.


    Finally, they approached the entrance closest to the shore, allowing for a quick escape if needed. Danelia¡¯s colleagues all held light sources, as did Danelia herself, and they lit them up before venturing into the gaping hole in the side of the structure. It looked as though a bomb had gone off, though there was no significant radiation signatures to indicate that was so. It was likely just a symptom of age, though they¡¯d learn more once they got inside.


    The place dripped with water damage everywhere one turned, and the dank smell was at once musty and ocean-like. It might almost have felt like a power station at home, if not for the lack of creak-heavy ocean sounds that all true cities had. In place of that, there was an almost lighter-than-air clink-clank sound of wind against the outer walls, vastly more noticeable than what they were accustomed to.


    The corridors themselves were dull and utilitarian, offering little in the way of souvenirs for the anthros. As for Danelia¡¯s group, they were there for one reason alone, to get a look at the control center. From there they would determine if further study was warranted, or if the place was so far gone it was beyond any notion of repair.


    When they finally got to the large chamber that surely represented the heart of the place, Danelia¡¯s three halted, taking in the measurements and configuration for their report. The anthros had no such compunction to hold back. This place was a virtual treasure-trove of man-made junk. Random tools, clipboards, and personal items were strewn about, occupying just about every workstation. It was so much that they couldn¡¯t handle it all, and set about creating a triage system so they could determine what was essential, and what could be left behind.


    None of that mattered to Danelia, who set eyes on exactly what she was after straight away¡ªthe main control station. From there the vital functions of this power station were monitored and adjusted, and it was there that she would find the answers to her deepest questions.


    The blare of an alarm shocked the eight of them motionless. Overhead, lights flickered and fizzled, casting ghostly shadows in the cavernous space. Later, they would realize that one of the anthros must have tripped the alarm while trying to pry a wedged spanner loose from an emergency-stop mechanism. At the time, though, none of them understood what had gone wrong.


    Then came a grinding, frightful screeching noise, and the place lit up with flashing reds and whites that blinded them. Panic set in. Danelia later regretted not ordering them to stay put, at least until she could get a handle on what they were dealing with¡ªand maybe even how to make use of it. But that was hindsight. In the moment, she was just as scared as the others.


    They didn¡¯t stop running until they were out of the facility, past the fences, across the beach, and safely beneath the sea.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 6: Fault Lines

    With the shock of their escape still fresh, Calistya and Khrystal flirted with danger like never before. This time, they weren¡¯t careful when they got to The Deep. Feigning boldness, each daring the other to swim closer, they goaded each other to go first. They wanted in. Or out. Just.. away, really. Away from the violence, away from the harsh environs. Away to someplace calm. For ones who¡¯d lost parents, nothing could be more appealing.


    It wasn¡¯t as if there was anything for them in there. Not really. But as a surface runaway might feel a taste of freedom in crossing city boundaries, so they believed, beyond reason, that there was salvation down there¡ªif they could only gather the courage.


    There wasn¡¯t a lot of marine life this far down, the region being rather barren compared to a little closer to the sun. It was also cold down there, though their slipsuits took up most of the work in keeping the technos warm. As inhospitable as their sudden change in pressure might be, they enjoyed it. Their hearts pounded as they closed in on that looming shadowy beyond that promised adventure, and escape.


    ¡°Hey, you down there!¡±


    The authoritative voice was so commanding, the girls immediately stopped, arms by their sides in a reticent floating motion. Moments ago, they¡¯d believed they were in the right. Now they realized they¡¯d gone too far. And in doing so, had caught the attention of some border patrol sentinels.


    ¡°You girls want us to call your parents?¡± an imposing second guard transmitted, swimming up to join the first.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have parents,¡± Khrystal said, her tone sharper than it should have been.


    ¡°Oh?¡± said the first guard, ¡°from the school, are you? Which one of you is Calistya?¡±


    Cal raised her hand, a sheepish gesture, and hard to execute while treading.


    ¡°That¡¯d make you Khrystal,¡± said another, pointing with a neoprene-gloved finger. ¡°Yep, these are the ones.¡±


    The girls looked at each other with confused expressions, quickly turning fearful as the gravity of the situation grew clear. They¡¯d gone from escaping trouble to becoming the cause of it in quick succession.


    Still another of the authoritarian-looking aquasentinels descended in a cascade of bubbles, joining the first two to form a semi-circle. It smacked of confinement. The girls¡¯ breath fogged the inside of their glassplates as fear took hold.


    ¡°Your orphanage reported you missing an hour ago,¡± said the new arrival, ¡°as if we didn¡¯t have enough problems today. Drag us all the way to The Deep when half the city¡¯s on alert¡ªI¡¯ve half a mind to site you both for vagrancy.¡±


    He didn¡¯t sound angry. Just irritated. He looked over at his fellow guards.


    ¡°Orphans, huh?¡± the first guard one, his tone softening. ¡°Not worth the paperwork, I guess. Let¡¯s get you back before you cause more trouble.¡±


    * * *


    The girls were cast as runaways, not escapees of a near-riot, and they had no choice but to comply. What else could an orphan do in such circumstances? Scapegoats were needed, and the aquasentinels treated them as such, marching them back with a flourish of faux concern and rigid authority.


    A calm had fallen across The Shallows in their absence, as if nothing had happened at all. But whispers in the dorms suggested otherwise. Things had calmed down after Mr. Albi was struck down. Hospitalized rather than arrested, the authorities had scrambled to de-escalate, sidestepping blame as much as possible. The ventilation system had been restored in record time, and a desperate ¡®all is well¡¯ facade was quickly enacted.


    The rest of the students had stood around a while, forced to wait for the Aquasentinels to take statements. All but the ones involved in the altercation, Khrystal overheard. They¡¯d been taken away for their own debrief. The incident was being treated with some seriousness, at least, though there was no indication that they were going to be making any sweeping changes, either. They all just wanted to quietly put things back the way they were, no questions asked.


    * * *


    Calistya didn¡¯t see much of Khrystal the rest of the week. Both had lost privileges for having left the scene without permission and had been grilled separately, leaving no chance to compare notes. Calistya was warned against following friends blindly. Khrystal, she imagined, got a talking to for overly influencing a younger girl.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Since she¡¯d lost swim privileges, there wasn¡¯t much else to do besides schoolwork. Literature class was her favorite, thanks to Ms. Terri, a young, milky-skinned woman with a love for her subject. She was so sweet, too, prompting the students put out something extra so as not to disappoint her. Even Khrystal had remarked that it¡¯d been her favorite go-around the year before, giving Calistya something to look forward to. Most of Khrystal¡¯s other reviews weren¡¯t so glowing.


    Calistya sat and poured over the stories, Ms. Terri explaining complex passages from an obscure writer a hundred years gone. Although Ms. Terri¡¯s explanations made sense, Calistya sensed that others couldn¡¯t see the point. It just seemed like so many hard words and long phrases to most of them, but she loved it.


    ¡°Imagine this, class,¡± Ms. Terri said, her voice turning wistful, ¡°the author is talking about the old times, before the submersion, when we walked heavy on the land and had to bear the burden of farming the endless plains. He¡¯s explaining how coming down here was a liberation, that we¡¯d found our true calling. That we were meant to return from whence we came.¡±


    ¡°Lest we travail no more, to the depths and sweet surround, and through the bounty not of loam nor firmament, thus spake the truthseeker¡­¡± The words, resonant in her ears, swam in front of her eyes as her teardrops hit the page. Calistya slammed the book shut, horrified that she might¡¯ve ruined it.


    Ms. Terri looked hurt, misunderstanding Cali¡¯s reaction. ¡°Alright Cali, that¡¯s enough for today. I hope I¡¯ve made some sense of things, anyway.¡±


    As the others filed out, Calistya stepped forward, head bowed in shame. ¡°You made sense, Ms. Terri,¡± Calistya said, ¡°it¡¯s just a tough read is all.¡± She looked down at the book, now clutched to her chest, embarrassed that she¡¯d slammed it. But she didn¡¯t want to admit that the story of liberation had rung so false. The sea might well be their place of liberation, but not this school. And not The Shallows, either. No place but the open sea would do for her anymore¡ªhe¡¯d had too great a taste of it.


    * * *


    It wasn¡¯t until the end of the week that she caught up with Khrystal. By that time her worries about her outburst in literature class had been superseded by a wanderlust, making her all the more disappointed when Khrystal announced that she wouldn¡¯t be swimming a while.


    ¡°What are you talking about? The curfew was only a week. We can swim at next light.¡±


    ¡°Not me. I¡¯ve got things to do,¡± Khrystal replied, her tone clipped.


    ¡°What things?¡± Calistya pressed.


    Khrystal paused a moment, then said, ¡°Just things, that¡¯s all. Stuff I have to do. You should get busy with your schoolwork anyway. You¡¯re doing terrible in oceanography, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Calistya had almost forgotten about that annoying rocks and seaweed class, so she bristled at the mention of it. ¡°I¡¯m not that bad. I went for tutoring.¡±


    ¡°Good. You need it. Now leave me alone a while. I¡¯ve got stuff to do.¡±


    Calistya felt a hot rush fill up her cheeks. Her friend had never talked to her like this before. She wondered if she¡¯d done something. But other than their mistaken swim¡ªsomething they¡¯d both agreed upon¡ªshe had nothing else.


    ¡°Did they say something to you? About us? You mad?¡±


    Khrystal shook her head, then rolled her eyes. ¡°Look, Cal, you wouldn¡¯t understand okay. It¡¯s something for older technos. Mermaids really.¡±


    Khrystal paused, glancing at her friend as if she wanted to say more. But then her face hardened, and she shook her head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t get it, okay? Just¡­ go do your homework or something.¡±


    Calistya felt on the verge of tears all over again. She fought to keep the quiver from her lips as she said, ¡°Okay, fine. That¡¯s the way you want it¡­fine.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t fine. Not for Calistya. But what could she say? If her friend didn¡¯t want to be around her anymore, what could she do about it? She suspected it had something to do with the headmaster¡¯s comments, but she couldn¡¯t know for sure.


    Khrystal stormed off, just as upset as Calistya, though it¡¯d been all Khrys¡¯ fault. Cali had no idea what the cruelty was all about, but she wasn¡¯t about to go running after her. Khrystal wanted her friend to swim without her, fine. Calistya would swim alone.


    But as she sliced through the water, the reality of isolation robbed her of any enjoyment, the motions felt like work, the head-down silence, a solitary expanse. She felt both trapped and outcast at the same time. She finished quickly and climbed back onto land, her oh-so-human shivering and those chubby legs reminding her of all she was not. Just a lonely girl, hardly a maid of the sea, just trying to cope with rejection.


    * * *


    Calistya went out for her swim in the late afternoon, Khrystal watching her go. She¡¯d been watching all day, from the viewport in the headmaster¡¯s office where she¡¯d been ordered to report daily.


    She¡¯d kept quiet about her past troubles, for the same reason. For going to the breach, and for diving too close to the darkness. That it wasn¡¯t her first encounter with the border patrol, and that her punishment was far harsher than Calistya knew.


    Worse, she¡¯d been accused of being a bad influence. She couldn¡¯t admit that to her friend, it was too risky. She¡¯d hoped they¡¯d let it go, since the girls had so few friends to begin with. But this breach had proved the last straw. They were threatening to kick her out. And for an orphan, that meant very few options. She could forget about recreational swimming. Disgraced technos had to work, cleaning up the city drainage system or some other demeaning labor. If she didn¡¯t want that to happen, she¡¯d have to mind herself, and stay away from ¡®friends¡¯ who were always getting into trouble.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 7: From the Dark

    Calistya could barely see her way forward, her eyes squeezing shut involuntarily. Khrystal¡¯s biting words rolled around in her mind, a painful replaying that triggered head-shakes and muscle tension, making the effort of swimming an uncomfortable chore.


    She pressed on, swimming as hard as she could, striving for emotional release. She barely registered reaching the city limits and passing the gate with just a wave from her sentinel friend Marla. She never realized that Marla was heading for trouble herself, given that she had simply assumed Calistya was with her usual buddy, not noticing that Cali was with no partner at all. Such was their casual trust, which Cali had just mistakenly violated.


    Khrystal doesn¡¯t understand, Cali thought. She can¡¯t even. How would she know what it feels like to be so trapped? To feel crushed under every rule, every denial, all those walls closing in on me?


    With each stroke, Calistya imagined breaking through those walls, leaving everyone and everything behind. Forgetting that she¡¯d ever even been a Technoquatic.


    Mechanical mermaids, she thought bitterly, what a joke.


    Thoughts of home¡ªits meaningless rules, suffocating barriers, and sterile routines¡ªtightened her throat. Even the name grated on her. The Shallows, what was that even supposed to mean?


    She hardly noticed her trajectory, pushing downward purely on instinct. She didn¡¯t even notice the moment she passed through the twilight and down, down further into the darkness.


    She became aware of her surroundings only when the bioluminescence sprang up all around her path, coming up from somewhere deep below, swirling around her as she dove. The sudden glow startled her, threads of electric blue and green weaving through the water, snapping her out of her compulsive downward rhythm. She looked back, suddenly aware of how far she¡¯d come. And what the ramifications might be. If the aquasentinels showed up now, she¡¯d be in more trouble than she¡¯d ever known.


    A fearful pause later, she decided she didn¡¯t care.


    It was intoxicating down here, plying the forbidden zone. And the sealife was fascinating. Her upset fading, she started swimming more slowly, curving around and stretching luxuriously, pulling herself further down, further than even the stories she¡¯d heard, from older technos who¡¯d been down before.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Maybe I can stay for a while, go a little deeper even. The darkness felt like a run for freedom¡ªuntouched by the harsh glare of civilization, hers to claim and hers alone.


    Why not, what can it hurt?


    Going for broke, she swam hard again, pushing herself even more, feeling the surge of momentum as she sliced her way down into the darkness. She looked back once, her stomach dropping at the sight of the line between twilight and dark, now a frightening distance away. Still she continued¡ªto hell with the headmaster, the school. And with Khrystal, too. To hell with them all.


    She examined the rock formations that made up the sides of what seemed to be a chasm, arching downward in a narrowing wall. The glowing creatures clung to the sides for the most part, a few floating lazily here and there. No large fish to be found, though she saw motion far below that she assumed must be bottom dwellers. They usually minded their own business, but one couldn¡¯t be too careful. A wrong finfall, and they¡¯d make their presence known.


    Still, she wasn¡¯t sure where the bottom might be, so far down into the darkness the chasm stretched. She decided to take a little more risk, go down a bit more and have a look. After all, she was already breaking the rules, wasn¡¯t she? So what was the difference if she went a little further? Enjoy the swim and see what else there is to see.


    A surge of upcurrent pushed Calistya, forcing her into a violent reverse-tuck. She righted herself expertly, only to flail backwards as a rushing shift of water displacement revealed a shadowy figure. Her gasp overwhelmed the oxy-regulator, which chirped in protest. There, floating before her, impossibly deep for a free-dive, was a boy.


    Calistya¡¯s mind started spinning, trying to make sense of things. If he couldn¡¯t have swam down, he must have come from below. But that made no sense either. Having risen up out of the darkness alone, he must have been a wayward too, as impossible as that seemed.


    Looking him over, though, she felt a fresh surge of disbelief. He was wearing no oxyquipment at all.


    Could he really be gill enhanced? At his age?


    She peered at his neck, but where there should be scars from the implants, she saw only gills. Natural gills. As if he were born with them! It was patently impossible, and yet that¡¯s what she was seeing.


    The boy looked back at her with a mixture of expressions, perplexed and amused. He had bone-white skin and tapered, piercing eyes. She wondered if he were one of the exchange merkids they¡¯d hosted so many years back. But they¡¯d all gone home. At any rate this boy was less a familiar outsider than a truly unearthly presence. Like a ghost.


    And just like a ghost, he turned and vanished. Only bubbles left behind, reassuring Calistya that she hadn¡¯t seen an apparition. Not that her people believed in such things at any rate. They were too evolved for such tales. But the sight of him did give her pause. She had to know more, but she didn¡¯t dare swim down any further. And it had seemed as if he¡¯d swum back down. Down to a mystery more powerful than any pull to return home.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 8: Circling Sharks

    Pelagic 91


    Sentinel duty wasn¡¯t as perilous as it once was, but Marla still worried about her father. He took his duties seriously, not ceremoniously, and even now an attack on the city wasn¡¯t totally unthinkable.


    In the olden times, when the city was new, there were more oceanic threats, and occasional ships from the land-dwellers who still attempted to keep alive. They would send divers from time to time, and it was to the sentries to turn them back.


    Now, the role of Aquasentinel of the Gate served as a check-in system for city dwellers out for a day. They could be seen to if anything went wrong. More rescuers than warriors, they would take to the seas to help the stranded and stricken, though still ready as ever to fight if needed.


    When Marla¡¯s father came home, she always greeted him with an enthusiastic hug. Then she¡¯d demand to hear stories of comings and goings at the gate, practically before he¡¯d even gotten his work gear off. Her mother would scold, gently, insisting that she leave her father alone to have a rest. But in truth he didn¡¯t mind.


    Marla assumed that some of his stories were embellished. Who would believe that every sentinel watch included encounters with a giant squid, out to grab passersby and try to gain entry into the city. Or that a rarer-than-rare sailing ship would¡¯ve happened by, dropping off divers who were intent upon striking up trade with the city fathers, start up negotiating with the sentries, including Marla¡¯s lucky father.


    He told tales of normal comings and goings too, of course. Of children packed together in school pods, and families out for an excursion, some from as far away as the eastern shelf. And all manner of merfolk, both suited up and the full-gill variety, checking in with the sentries and then setting off on their sea-day adventure. Her father made the hustle and bustle of the sentinel gate appealing in the extreme. Even from a young age, she¡¯d decided that¡¯s what she wanted to do, too.


    When she¡¯d say that, though, her father would discourage her. ¡°It¡¯s really not all that it¡¯s cracked up to be, love,¡± he¡¯d say. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of tedium, manning the gates all day. And you¡¯ve got to stand watch for hours on end. You¡¯re better off going into the trades, or get yourself a higher education and maybe be a teacher or something. You don¡¯t want to do sentinel duty, love. Believe me.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t let his discouraging words get her down. She¡¯d heard the stories, and she wanted that for herself. It sounded adventurous and exciting enough, occasional bouts of boredom notwithstanding.


    The day Marla¡¯s father announced that he¡¯d be bringing her to work next week, she¡¯d just about lost it in her happiness. A whole day at the sentinel gate sounded like heaven. It was all a new program, too, allowing kids to see what the workaday world was like. It¡¯d been determined that the sentinel post was no longer a potential danger zone, at least not so much that children had to be banned.


    The day of the visit, Marla woke first, and pattered around the house. She was beside herself when her father announced that they¡¯d be taking the commuting channel, via water chute, rather than the long and boring walk. She readied herself with her swim equipment and waved goodbye to her mother, and they were off for the edge of the city.


    In truth, the main watch was fairly tedious, though she would never admit as much. He checked on groups and signed people in and out, and in between times he would stand the watch, looking out into the vast ocean. But it seemed to Marla that her father would rather be out there, swimming and having a time of it, rather than standing at post as he was, looking quite tired on his feet for so early in the day.


    When the call came forth that a group of children was in danger, Marla¡¯s first instinct was to follow her father out to sea. He gave her a stern look as he pointed at the sentinel station, where the oldest of them remained behind to watch the other children. She went back with a reluctant sigh, and then her father disappeared for almost an hour. When he returned, along with the other sentries, it was with a child over each shoulder, six in all attended by the three sentries.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    The other children of sentries looked just as impressed as Marla surely was, as they rested the children down on the ledge and began breathing life into them. They¡¯d been caught in an undertow, and their equipment had gone past its useful lifespan.


    Looking back on the incident, Marla knew that if it hadn¡¯t been for her father and his colleagues, these six children would have perished. She went from idolizing him to genuine hero worship at that point, and as soon as she grew old enough, she began to apply for the Aquasentinel Cadet program.


    * * *


    But it was another, more shocking incident¡ªduring which her life changed forever¡ªthat gave Marla the true drive to succeed. It went without saying that she attended the children¡¯s day every year, and her father brought her along proudly each time, introducing her around to his colleagues and informing them that she, too, wanted to be a sentinel when she was old enough.


    That final day, during which her father proudly announced that she¡¯d been accepted into the cadet program, was the day she lost him.


    The day had started out perfectly¡ªsunlight shimmering above to the surface, her father beaming just as brilliantly with pride for his daughter, introducing her to everyone he laid eyes on. Marla felt loved and protected. Then the alarm clanged, breaking the illusion of security, and a terse all fins to sea call blared out on top of it.


    This time she was experienced enough for her father to allow a swim along. Perhaps he¡¯d wanted the company, or maybe he expected her to help. A sort of beginner training, perhaps. She couldn¡¯t know, but she was thrilled to be tagging along.


    The coast wasn¡¯t known for shark attacks, but at any rate the merfolk had developed effective shark repellant technologies and coverings that made for effective deterrents. But that day, a group of reckless boys had ignored every protocol. They¡¯d gone out with spears, baiting the dangerous beasts for a thrill. Thinking they might bag a trophy, perhaps, or just enjoy the frenzy. They were breaking the law, but the Aquasentinels attended to their safety first and foremost, even at risk to their own.


    Marla spotted the boys first, huddled like prey inside a darkened cave as sharks circled its mouth. Under normal circumstances, they would merely sound off the sharks, or use their repelling equipment. But to Marla¡¯s horror she recognized why none of that would work. A red plume was spreading fast through the water. One of the youngsters had cut himself on the jagged cave entrance.


    With blood in the water, the sharks wouldn¡¯t be deterred. They might have to be killed.


    The sentries were equipped with deadly weapons for such occasions, but even they were reluctant to use them unless absolutely necessary. Living in harmony with the oceans was one of the primary tenets of merfolk society, born of a need to come into balance with their environs. Thus the respect for all creatures. But not to the peril of their own citizens. Marla¡¯s father and his fellow sentries swam forward to confront the sharks.


    Her father¡¯s weapon clicked¡ªnothing. Marla¡¯s heart thudded hard, and she screamed into her breathing gear. She started forward to try and save him but was held back by another sentry, just as the shark surged forward and blood filled her vision.


    The others killed the shark quickly, but the damage was done. The bite severed a major artery, and Marla¡¯s father slipped away shortly after, back at the sentry station.


    * * *


    The sentinel training program was akin to a peace academy, though with more of a focus on the pomp and circumstance of a ritualized role. There were more drills, both land and sea, and an attention to snap and polish detail that marked the proud heritage of a Aquasentinel of the Gate.


    Such positions hearkened back to the very beginnings of merfolk society, and sentries were highly respected among the populace. They were often requested to speak at schools and civic functions, offering talks on public safety and respect for the oceans. They were also a constant presence at citywide events and public ceremonies.


    Marla enjoyed every bit of it, but nothing made her prouder than the training sessions at the city gates. She and her fellow recruits would drill for hours on proper watch techniques. Though not permitted to guard as of yet, they took their auxiliary functions seriously, and were gearing up for more just as soon as graduation day was upon them.


    Though they weren¡¯t yet permitted to guard, they did participate in rescue drills, the kind which Marla was all too familiar with. Those reckless boys hadn¡¯t paid the price for their hubris¡ªher father had. But Marla carried no resentment. He¡¯d done his duty. Saved their lives. She would do the same.


    Marla saw the role of a sentinel as more than a job¡ªit was a chance to educate and inspire. Her public speaking engagements, especially with children, were just as fulfilling as posting the gates. With her signature enthusiasm, she captivated every audience, no matter their age, but the school visits were her favorite. ''Teach ¡®em young and get ¡®em out there''¡ªthat was her motto. Advisor. Protector. Aquasentinel.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 9: Friendship and Consequences

    Much as she was still ticked off at Khrystal, now that she had a mystery on her hands, Calistya was eager to bring her friend into it. If they could get back to getting along. And in order to do that, she had to find out what had set her friend off so badly. She needed to know why she¡¯d gotten into such trouble. So the first order of business was to ask. Point blank.


    Surprisingly, Khyrstal had thought it over, and had decided to spill the truth.


    ¡°I was never even supposed to make friends with you, Cal,¡± Khrystal admitted, her voice low. ¡°The headmaster and them all told me to back off. Said I was a bad influence. Because of my grades or whatever.¡± She looked down. ¡°And my attitude, getting in trouble all those times. They knew you were a good kid, and didn¡¯t want you to get into it I guess.¡±


    Her guilt lingered a moment, then her eyes flashed defiance as she leaned in conspiratorially and said, ¡°They said next time they¡¯d kick me out, but I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±


    Calistya¡¯s eyes widened. She¡¯d never suspected there was so much more to the story. Kick her out? ¡°After all that, after they told you to stay away and the¡¯d kick you out, you still wanted to be friends?¡±


    ¡°I know. Stupid, right?¡± She laughed. ¡°I like you, Cal. We¡¯re friends. I didn¡¯t want to stop hanging out. And I wanted to tell them where they could stick it, but this last time, when we were in so much trouble¡­well, the headmaster told me if you got in any deeper it could cost you your place in school. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t hang around with each other any more. I hope you understand.¡±


    Calistya had heard enough. ¡°Hey Khrys, how about you let me decide who I can hang around with, and what kind of danger I¡¯m willing to face, school or whatever. We are friends, and that means a lot. Maybe I don¡¯t care what they think. Maybe I¡¯m not afraid of that stupid old headmaster. We¡¯ll be friends in school, or we¡¯ll be friends on the city-sweeper crew. Whatever. So you just stop worrying about that, okay?¡±


    Khrystal looked as if a thousand pound weight were lifted off her narrow shoulders. She smiled, looking goofy in her crooked front teeth. The technos both laughed, and the stress was over.


    ¡°Now,¡± said Calistya, ¡°if you¡¯re ready for some real trouble, I¡¯ve got something to show you.¡±


    * * *


    Shadows flickered beneath the city lights, struggling to stay at full-beam. They girls used that for cover, darting through quieter channels, their whispers drowned out by the hum of the pipeworks. Now that Calistya was aware of the school¡¯s rules, she understood why her friend had been so reluctant to be seen with her. While she was certainly insulted by the fact that the administration seemed to be babying her, she was also keenly aware that they held all the power. If the technogirl pair were caught together, they¡¯d never be allowed within a fathom of each other. Assuming they weren¡¯t kicked out of school altogether.


    It still seemed patently unfair, and particularly now, when Calistya was the one who was causing the trouble rather than the other way around. Still, she got a little thrill from that fact, and almost wished she could shout it from the reeftops. Just so all those idiots who ran the school would know who the real bad girl was.


    She gestured for Khrystal to hurry, surging ahead with powerful strokes to escape the city¡¯s watchful eyes. Once past the gates, they only need worry about the aquasentinels, but even they wouldn¡¯t dare go where Calistya was taking her friend. The notion of being so bad gave her a rush, and she swam even faster, prompting her friend to call to her to slow up.


    Calistya did so, slightly, then when she hit the range of that ridge she suddenly dove.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Wait,¡± came Khrystal¡¯s voice, ¡°I can¡¯t keep up with you!¡±


    But Calistya was on a tear. She wanted to get down there as soon as possible, get away from all the merfolk who were causing her such misery. Find that boy with her friend and ask him where he¡¯d come from. She¡¯d all but determined by now that he wasn¡¯t from the city. He was too different. Too exotic. And his oxyquipment was like something she¡¯d never seen. It¡¯s couldn¡¯t be natural, even if that was how it looked. She wanted a second opinion from her friend, though she couldn¡¯t possibly know if he¡¯d even be down there again.


    They had reached the cusp of the dark.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Krystal screamed. ¡°Where are you going Cal? Cal!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Cal! Show down!¡± Khrystal¡¯s voice quivered over the ¡®com, her strokes reversing direction. She wanted to believe her friend, to trust her like before¡ªbut the admonitions they¡¯d drilled into her held her in place, whispering of dangers she couldn¡¯t identify.


    Calistya didn¡¯t wait for her friend, plunging headlong until she was back in that glowing, eerie ink in which she¡¯d found him. She heard her friend calling after her, and half-turned to go back, but just that moment Khrystal appeared.


    ¡°Screwed up your courage, did you?¡± Calistya said, laughing. Her voice was distorted from the breather.


    ¡°Are you crazy? The Deep is too dangerous? Did you come down here before?¡±


    Calistya shushed her, then turned to head further down, looking for that chasm where she¡¯d first seen the merboy.


    Khrystal made sounds of protest, but followed her friend.


    Calistya was surprised it was so far down. The first time, driven by impulse, she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to how far down it really was. This time the journey felt endless, and she still couldn¡¯t make out the chasm. She almost called out, but rejected the impulse. There might be other creatures down here. Not so friendly to swimmers lurking where they ought not be.


    ¡°You sure about this?¡± Khrystal said, her voice quivering.


    ¡°Yeah, I came down here before. It¡¯s alright. Just a little way¡¯s deeper.¡±


    She didn¡¯t actually know, but Khrystal¡¯s nervousness made her feel guilty.


    After a few more tens of meters, they arrived at that sweeping chasm, and the two technos stopped for a rest.


    ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± Khrystal whispered.


    ¡°Something incredible,¡± Calistya answered, ¡°if it¡¯s still there.¡±


    She turned quickly and stared, hoping to catch a glimpse.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Calistya started swimming again, powerful strokes putting her way ahead of the older girl. Khystal didn¡¯t call out, though, but simply kept struggling to keep up. Cali knew she must be nervous. In truth Calistya was too. It wasn¡¯t like that first time when everything was so new. Now it was familiar, and the hints of dangers on wall and below were making themselves known. Mermaids were far from invulnerable, particularly the young.


    She got down to around where she¡¯d seen the boy, and floating there a minute, she peered down to see if he¡¯d emerge. Khrystal arrived a minute later, out of breath and full of bubbles.


    ¡°Okay already,¡± she breathed, ¡°what was so all-fire exciting that you had to drag me all the way down here.¡± She looked around, as if sensing the same danger that Calistya was. It wasn¡¯t an inviting place, that was for sure, particularly not the inky part below their fins.


    The walls maintained their slight glow, from whatever embedded creatures might be stuck in there, but otherwise no light sources were obvious. And the whole place might¡¯ve had a kind of eerie charm to it, if it weren¡¯t for the danger.


    ¡°What then?¡± Khrystal hissed. ¡°What¡¯re we waiting for Cali?


    Calistya waved her off, listening. She seemed to remember a whooshing sound just before the boy appeared last. She strained her ears, holding her breath. Was it? A faint whooshing sound seemed to rise up, but she couldn¡¯t say if it was from out there or inside her own helmet, maybe the rushing of blood in her skull. Or perhaps nothing at all.


    She waited some more. Looked around again. Even swam a little further into the black, prompting a gasp from her friend.


    But eventually she swam back. It was no use. If the merboy was nearby, he wasn¡¯t making himself known. Perhaps their sudden arrival had scared him off. Or perhaps he came from a traveling clan, one that was no longer in these parts.


    But she didn¡¯t think so. He seemed so at home, there in the darkness, as if he felt protected by it. Then, as if The Deep itself had swallowed him up, he vanished.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Calistya said, eyes cast downward, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± She refused to use the word ¡®home¡¯, as if a residence for technos could ever really be a home.


    They crossed the threshold and were grabbed roughly by the aquasentinels before they¡¯d even come into the light. Their iron grip reminded her that any illusion of freedom was just that. The rules, the enforcers, the walls of the city itself, all kept her where they could control her, along with everybody else she knew. She fought back the urge to struggle, going limp instead so they had to work to drag her along.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 10: Guilt Beneath the Surface

    The condemnation came swifter this time, with less of a sense of kindly tolerance. They separated the girls at once, like before, only this time Khrystal didn¡¯t return after the initial interrogation. Cali waited most of the night for her to return, tears welling up as she thought about how much Khrystal must hate her for all this. Just because she was so damned curious, and had she really chosen some stranger boy over her best friend? Maybe Khrystal had a right to want out. The thought of being abandoned sank her spirits to the lowest lows.


    Desperate to find a way to get Khrystal out of hot water, Calistya appealed to her teachers ¡°I¡¯m the one who egged her on,¡± Calistya said. ¡°I should be punished. I went down there before. I was just showing her is all. Kick me out, not her.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue, girl,¡± one of the water-sports coaches said, ¡°else it really will be you. And not a trade, either. Both of you will be out on your butts.¡±


    Calistya rode out the threat without retort, but pressed on with other teachers. Beside herself with guilt over Khrystal paying the price, she couldn¡¯t just let it go. Determined, she resolved to confront the headmaster the next morning.


    The city guards who¡¯d returned them this time were outside the office again when Calistya arrived. What¡¯s that all about? She wondered. She could hardly just walk up and ask them, so she took a seat outside the door.


    She could hear raised voices, one of them Khrystal¡¯s defiant alto, trying to mount a defense but getting shouted down. When she came out, they weren¡¯t allowed to exchange so much as a glance before the guards took her by the arms and marched her off. Though Calistya didn¡¯t realize it at the time, they were taking her to clean out her room, while Calistya was preoccupied in the headmasters room making ineffective apologies.


    By the time she got out, Khrystal was gone. She only knew from second-hand reports, other girls who saw her packing up. They were going to send her to the trade school across town, that was the scuttlebutt around the school.


    Calistya couldn¡¯t escape the crushing truth: this was all her fault. Khrystal, with her fiery courage, had always stood by her¡ªand this was how Calistya had repaid her?


    Without the ability to attract the attention of those that could potentially do something, she resorted to telling the tale to her classmates. Maybe she was hoping they¡¯d go back and tell their teachers. The headmaster, even. Though Cali hardly thought it¡¯d do much good. Khrys was already out of the program. Probably already settled in somewhere. Justice was swift when it came, and they seemed to be blaming her for everything. Why else then wouldn¡¯t Calistya herself have been kicked out too? She¡¯d been just as bad, broken the same rules. Even gotten caught twice with the same person. Couldn¡¯t they see there was a logic in punishing them both?


    And yet here she stayed. And they weren¡¯t even treating her badly. The students least of all. They, too, seemed to have decided that Khrystal was the bad influence. Clearly the teachers had been spreading lies, and Cali didn¡¯t know how to stop the lies from growing. She¡¯s already shouted herself hoarse. Nobody was listening.


    So against all rules and logic, in the face of an almost certain censure by the headmaster, despite the fact that she¡¯d gotten in trouble for it once already, Calistya headed for the dark. She was sick to death of being ignored, and not a little upset over the fact that she¡¯d escaped punishment. If they needed someone to blame, why not her? Who else, right?


    Thinking back, she realized that her escape was too easy. In fact, they hadn¡¯t even confiscated her breathing equipment. How foolish was that? She should¡¯ve known this was some sort of game they were playing. They were avoiding punishment for a reason. A reason she couldn¡¯t fathom but it felt calculated, like they were waiting to see what she¡¯d do next. And they seemed bent on allowing her to continue on the misbehaving way she¡¯d been doing with her friend. Again, for what reason she could only guess. Not even that¡ªshe hadn¡¯t a clue.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    She got to the dark line and looked around, daring the city guards to come forth and take her in. She almost wanted it, in a perverse way. If she were locked up, it¡¯d seem somewhat more fair that poor Khrystal would only be stuck with trade school. If she were thrown to the wolves, then the real punishment would finally fit the crime. If they came to take her in, though she saw no sign of them yet.


    So she dove back down. Down out of the shadows above, down into the glowing spaces that were fast becoming familiar. Down to where the sea creatures glowed with eerie luminescence, casting the chasm in a spectral light. A special, secret place where her merboy lived. She believed it now. He lived down there, somewhere¡ªthe real article, like in the history books.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long for him to appear. And the way he looked around as he came whooshing up, she knew he¡¯d been nearby the last time, too. Watching, but not emerging. For fear of Khrystal, Calistya supposed, though why he¡¯d be afraid of her she had no idea.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she gurgled.


    The sound seemed to startle him, and he zipped backwards and down slightly. Lord was he fast.


    Calistya giggled at the sight of his discomfort. She realized that he wasn¡¯t much for talking.


    Or, maybe he just didn¡¯t speak the language?


    She pointed to her mouth, opening and closing it to mime speech.


    The merboy smiled, turned away, and sped off. In moments he was back, a head of kelp in his fist. He held it out with an awkward reverence, as if he were offering something sacred. But this wasn¡¯t ceremonial or symbolic. He was offering her food.


    She giggled and pushed it away.


    ¡°Talk,¡± she said, softly as she could manage in a watery setting, ¡°Can you?¡±


    He froze, his sharp cerulean eyes locking on hers. This time, he didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, he looked closely at her lips, pointed to his own, and said, ¡°Ghoi Nyu. Hya Kaial.¡±


    Calistya had no earthly idea what he¡¯d said, but it sounded beautiful and lyrical all the same. She tried to imitate it.


    ¡°Goi Nyoo. Is that your name?¡± Goi?¡±


    His smile flickered, hesitant, as if weighing her understanding.


    ¡°Hyhya Kaial,¡± he said finally, with a nod.


    He looked so thoughtful, she almost wished she could reply. Instead she said, ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. You¡¯re saying you¡¯re Kyle?¡±


    He nodded again, but looked disappointed. Well, she thought, at least the kid¡¯s not scared of my voice anymore. And he was a kid, she could see that now. At least a handful of years younger than herself, though muscular and fit. He could pass for an adult at a distance. Being a seafarer tended to do that, she recognized, which made identification hard. Now that she was up close, though, she could see it clearly.


    He had an angelic face. Soft golden curls bounced in the surf. The rest of his chest and torso was chiseled and smooth, down to the fin, which was a deep green. He held his flipper behind his body, so it was hard to see the end of it, but if this were a mechanical thing she couldn¡¯t see the works behind it. It was some amazingly sophisticated technology no matter how you examined it. She wanted to ask him about it, but knew that level of conversation was beyond them for now. So she started simply.


    ¡°Calistya,¡± she said, pointing at herself. ¡°Cal-is-tia.¡±


    The boy looked amused, and made no attempt to mimic. He swam slightly backwards with a bemused expression. Then he grabbed her wrist, oriented towards the chasm, and swam the both of them downward.


    It was so sudden, Calistya had no thought to scream, but it did seem rather invasive, so she pulled up and started swimming the other way. This made her wrist hurt where the boy had taken hold, and still they were on their way down. For a smaller child, he was extremely strong. She didn¡¯t want to hurt him, fighting back like that, but she suddenly dreaded what she might find at the bottom of the chasm.


    She pulled hard and broke his hold. She didn¡¯t want to lose sight of the boy, but neither did she want to lose track of the light-line above. Bioluminescent creatures were pretty enough, but they weren¡¯t nearly sufficient to see which way was up, and she was feeling rather disoriented down here. Or perhaps it was simply her nerves.


    The merboy continued downward, undeterred. He barely even gave Calistya a backward glance as he made his way down. With a sinking sense of disappointment, she realized that she was going to lose him again. He wouldn¡¯t be coming back. It was almost as if he had an instinctual urge. Quite the opposite from her own, in fact. Beings of the sea generally flocked to the light, not the other way around. Not unless you were one of these glowing creatures she was seeing by on the rock-face.


    As his figure disappeared into the abyss, Calistya¡¯s chest tightened. The currents swirled emptily around her, and she was left wondering.


    Regret weighing her down, Calistya reluctantly pushed upward toward the thin sliver of light high above. She¡¯d managed her orientation easily enough, but now the inky depths where her mystery boy had fled were lost to her. Would she ever see him again? The lure was too great¡ªshe had to know more.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 11: Depths Unseen

    Pelagic 100


    Orwen Albi had pushed his solitary research as far as he could. Now he needed institutional support to advance his efforts.


    The Exploration of Marine Intelligence program, or EMI, was an elite field of research, biologists and neuroscientists representing the cream of the crop. Locating mythical Merfolk wasn¡¯t on EMI¡¯s agenda, and for a small timer from The Shallows, cracking into their elite circles was a daunting task¡ªeven for those without a reputation for crackpot theories.


    But Orwen had done his homework, and knew he had to play the game, at least at first. He reluctantly focused on aquatic mammals¡ªthe ¡®mundane smarties¡¯, as he saw them¡ªand quickly rose to the top of his field. Credentials in hand, he¡¯d won his way into the program. Once there, he ignored the research instructions they gave him and carved out his own agenda.


    He had no concrete evidence that such life even existed, but he had an inkling that something might just be lurking out there, beyond the reach of his meager research capabilities. It was painstaking, dangerous work. Normally such efforts were accomplished in shifts and teams, but he did it all by himself, segment by segment.


    He split his efforts between book work and field work, using the written records as leads. And the ancient records did indeed point to civilizations on the outskirts of The Shallows, though such records were spotty, mostly from the land-dwellers¡¯ research, and always to be taken with a grain of salt. The land-dwellers didn¡¯t believe their own eyes and instruments, most of the time, chalking encounters up to errant divers, or even undocumented sea creatures, rather than accept the obvious at face value.


    There were some mentions in the Shelfton records as well, early on in the history of technomer-society, when they first set legs down below and began to pattern their lives after the mysterious creatures none knew very well. There were recorded encounters from time to time, but generally speaking it amounted to spotty documentation, documentation that faded out after a sighting or two.


    Orwen began to notice patterns in these documents, given the fact that those who¡¯d seen something once or twice must have surely wished to see it again. And yet it seemed as though they, collectively as one, gave up and moved on without further investigation. This was odd in itself, and made him think there was something to do with the beings themselves that caused his own people to lose track. Some form of mind control, unbelievable though it seemed, would make sense in such cases of collective amnesia.


    He wondered, too, why these beings didn¡¯t wish for any sort of relations at some higher level. Surely they wanted the leaders of the cities, and the humans that came before them, to be aware of their presence. Otherwise, what was to stop civilization from encroaching on their territory? But then, it occurred to him that such arrangements might also be accomplished through mind control, at least at the level of city planning. And it was a truism that the cities had always remained firmly attached to the continental shelves, on both east coast and west, and rarely if ever ventured much further into the sea. They all had edges off of which merfolk could swim out, but technology was never allowed to spread. A curious fact that he¡¯d never given much thought to, until this scientific wild tuna chase he found himself on.


    * * *


    The day that Orwen encountered a true mermaid, he¡¯d all but given up on ever seeing one face-to-face. His research having fallen down a black hole, he was wrapping things up and preparing to move on. There was little more to be gleaned from mysterious sightings and vague references, and he had real work to do.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The reason he¡¯d found himself out to sea that day had little to do with the mermaid research at any rate, but instead was a gathering which had broken up early, leaving him with time on his hands and a wish to stretch his fins a bit before his next bit round of research came to the fore.


    He was traveling alone, skirting the bottom of the sea, enjoying the feel of the current on the bare parts of his skin, just north of the dark line. When the creature rose up, he fearfully thought it was predator at first. It appeared so swiftly and silently, he really thought he was done for.


    The mermaid was longer than he, with a dark greenish, whip-smooth fin and a face framed in red hair. She took one look at him, and smiled. Actually smiled. Immediately his fears were gone, replaced by a new one.


    Please let me remember you, he chanted to himself, feeling foolish for engaging in such fanciful mind-games.


    But she smiled more broadly, and shook her head ¡®yes¡¯. He felt his words had been understood, though he knew she didn¡¯t speak his language. He also felt, somehow, that she did have the power to erase his recollections, even his whole memory¡ªbut would refrain if he promised never to reveal details of their encounter. He found himself agreeing. Not verbally, and yet she understood, and that was that. She turned tail and vanished into The Deep.


    * * *


    His promise never to reveal the where¡¯s and how¡¯s was unbreakable, but there was nothing forbidding Orwen from documenting his findings in a general way. And he was far from the only merman who was looking into the mysteries of the deep. He approached one of the leaders in his field, Professor Lachlan was his name, to obtain permission to write on the subject. Surprisingly, Lachlan had an even bolder initiative in mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m launching a deep-sea expedition to find hard evidence,¡± Lachlan announced, leaving Orwen stunned. ¡°I¡¯d like you to join me.¡±


    This put Orwen in a difficult position. Given that he¡¯d already had an encounter, he was aware of the general territory of her people, and could easily lead Professor Lachlan in the right direction. His promise to the mermaid bound him, but he wouldn¡¯t lead him astray either. That hardly seemed fair. The third option, opting out altogether, was the safest choice, but left him feeling ill at ease. So he compromised¡ªhe would assist, but leave it to the professor to choose the where and how. That way he could participate without breaking his promise.


    Hedging his bets, Orwen wrote down every detail he could recall, in case he should run into the more hostile members of her pod. He put the writings someplace he was sure to find, if he forgot everything else, and then set out on the hunt.


    They searched in tandem that day, and for several days after, combing the ocean floor in search of vents or other evidence of mer-life. Orwen dutifully followed the professor, but never volunteered any information about where the merfolk might reside. However, even in keeping his secret with great care, they eventually found themselves in the region where he¡¯d met his redhaired beauty. Orwen felt a sinking feeling that he was betraying her, but he could¡¯ve very well lie to the professor, or otherwise attempt to veer him off a path he¡¯d clearly chosen himself.


    But Orwen had nothing to be concerned about. For all the searching, overturning just about every stone there was, churning up the seafloor in their efforts, no sign of mer-life was to be found.


    What Orwen came to believe later on in the course of his research was that no mer-life could be found unless they willed it to be. It had to be that way, because there was no way the mermaid he¡¯d met had appeared out of nowhere. And they were just about on top of where he¡¯d encountered her, so there should¡¯ve been some evidence.


    Orwen felt that there might well have been evidence, right under their fins, but that they were being nudged away from it by the very creatures they sought to engage.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we could¡¯ve expected anything more,¡± the professor said, disappointment clear in his tone. ¡°If they exist at all, it must be far from the city, where they can hide properly.¡±


    Orwen shared the professors disappointment. He¡¯d been hoping to encounter that mermaid again, and perhaps even open a dialogue. But he couldn¡¯t let the professor in on his feelings, nor the fact that they¡¯d been far closer to success than the professor had known.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 12: A Deeper Call

    When Calistya returned to the school, nobody was there to greet her, nevermind punish her. As much as she¡¯d tried to implicate herself, it seemed that nobody was paying much attention. Left to her own devices, she didn¡¯t know whether to feel neglected or relieved. At least she didn¡¯t have to talk to anyone, not to authority figures, nor those so-called ¡®friends¡¯ who ignored her wishes when she begged them to tell the teachers it was her fault.


    Being left alone was a blessing, to be sure, but it was lonely without Khrys. Calistya had to wonder what she was up to, given her new situation and all. Was she in trouble? Was she regretting ever having met up with her wayward friend? Did she hate Calistya now? Cali hoped not, but she imagined she¡¯d feel pretty rotten if the seashell-tops were turned.


    She knew it¡¯d be impossible to do so today, but she made up her mind to seek Khystal out at her earliest change. If nothing else, she had to apologize to her friend for her role in this entire dreadful affair. Had to remind her that she¡¯d done nothing wrong, even as everyone else had sought to accuse her.


    Feeling emotion well up inside again, Calistya entered her room and threw herself on the bed. It accepted her tossed frame with indifference, the soft materials springing beneath her and almost returning her to an upright position. She reached down and removed her inner-flippers, the ones most everyone left on any day they were planning to swim at all. It wasn¡¯t much of a day if the merfolk didn¡¯t take a swim, though sometimes people did get tied up with one thing or the other, neglecting both the art and the exercise of it.


    With her feet unburdened, she thought about that boy again. She wanted to say ¡®merboy¡¯, but he hadn¡¯t been quite the same. Not exactly. He seemed like a natural merboy, something she knew couldn¡¯t exist. Could it? He hadn¡¯t been surgically enhanced, nor had his contours appeared ¡®worn¡¯ in any way. Nothing like her oxy-tanks and artificial flipper extensions. Not even like the permanent enhancements adult merfolk would sometimes opt for. None of that fit what she¡¯d seen. It was like an illusion. Like the boy were really part-fish. Impossible.


    There had to be a more simple explanation. Perhaps he came from a rich family, one that could afford cutting-edge technology she¡¯d not yet seen. That notion that he was a transient sprang to mind again. Perhaps he was using exotics from some other region. Part of a submersible crew, perhaps. The child of explorers.


    But then, it didn¡¯t make much sense that he¡¯d sink into the depths of a chasm. It would seem more reasonable that he¡¯d swim away towards the open sea, away from civilization. A submersible machine couldn¡¯t be kept in some small space like that, could it?


    It hardly seemed a space fit for man nor beast, never mind some elaborate machines. And at any rate, she¡¯d never seen so much as a single submersible in her life. She was only peripherally aware of them through her historical studies. Studies which outlines the times of humans, their ancestors, and their mighty machines and their deadly wars, and how they¡¯d eventually wiped out most all the life on the surface, and forced the rest of humanity to become creatures of the sea.


    So the boy wasn¡¯t the son of a submersible crewman. And he wasn¡¯t from any city she was aware of, nor did he look anything like the people she knew. What, then? What was this boy all about, this purebred merboy with so many mysTerrious qualities?


    * * *


    On her way home, Calistya spotted her favorite sentinel at the entryway, a statuesque mermaid named Marla. The girls often stopped and chatted, when they weren¡¯t up to something, and the sentries were generally friendly folk. More of a volunteer mission than anything to do with the city guards, they kept watch for danger, but more often than that served as guides to the lost, and hosts to the city proper when strangers approached.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Best be gettin¡¯ a move on hon,¡± Marla said, it¡¯s almost dusk now. Don¡¯t want to be caught outside the city after dark.¡±


    If she only knew, Calistya thought with a dark inward grin.


    ¡°I will,¡± she replied, ¡°slow day today?¡±


    ¡°Not many ins and outs. Just you merkids. Older ones, just all work and no play these days. Shame really. What better way to spend your time, right? She swept an arm toward the vastness beyond her checkpoint.


    Marla was a full mermaid, completely enhanced, right down to the single fin/no legs beauty. Calistya though it was the most beautiful image imaginable. It just seemed right. And the boy¡ªthat much moreso for his natural appeal.


    It occurred to Cali that she was glad Marla hadn¡¯t been on duty when they were dragged back into the city by the city guards. That would¡¯ve been too much embarrassment to stomach, on her frequent goings to and fro. She hadn¡¯t even noticed who¡¯d been on duty when she was brought in, but she¡¯d have known if it were Marla or not. And surely Marla would¡¯ve had something to say. She clearly couldn¡¯t have heard about it.


    ¡°Anything unusual today?¡± Calistya asked casually, trying not to sound too eager.


    ¡°Unusual? Nope. Nothing unusual going on these days. Pretty boring, if I¡¯m being honest about it. Still, can¡¯t beat the scenery,¡±¡ªshe looked out with a sigh¡ª¡±Every now and then, something really unusual passes through¡ªkeeps things interesting.¡±


    The mermaid winked at Calistya, hinting was time to end the chat. Cali took the hint and headed for school. Just like so often, she felt a wave of gratitude for it being so nicely situated, so close to the gate. She wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.


    * * *


    Calistya spent her study time with Ms. Terri the next day grilling her on mermaids of the open sea. It wasn¡¯t a topic that was verboten, exactly, but nor was it thoroughly covered in their textbooks. Although Ms. Terri was in charge of literature, strictly speaking, that field of study did tend to encompass all others, and so she wasn¡¯t averse to the questions. However, she didn¡¯t have much more information to offer than did Calistya herself. So they started through the available literature to see if there was anything to be found.


    There was plenty, rafts of it really, when it came to fictional accounts, but not much in the way of real-life documentation. No biographies or historical texts, nothing that went beyond the ordinary city life of their city and the numerous others that ringed the coastlines.


    They¡¯d almost given up hope when Ms. Terri came upon something intriguing. The tome, Merpeople¡¯s of The Deep, sounded like fiction at first-glance, but its forward claimed it chronicled a real counterpart culture to the technoquatic societies of the continental shelves.


    In rejecting an attachment to the coastline, and as such a rejection to past history, these merpeople travelled far from the cities in order to forge a life for themselves in the deep. While they were rarely heard from again, tales of great biological and technological achievements have made their way back to the ordinary realms from time to time.


    As a subspecies of ourselves, they possess the same physical attributes, though we have heard tell of groups who abandoned our reliance on breathing gear and swim-enhancements in favor of more natural remedies. Whether that makes for a superior swimmer or fisherman is unclear, though it doesn¡¯t seem to matter overmuch as they¡¯re very much reliant on pack hunting and other cooperative techniques.


    By the third page, the books scholarly tone had her stuck in a thick brainfog. But Ms. Terri seemed intrigued by it all, particularly the biological descriptions. Cali was dying to tell her about the merboy, and her theories about his origins, but she felt it might damage her chances of getting back out there and seeing him again.


    The thought of confessing made her stomach churn. She was too jealous of the connection with that boy¡ªnot ready to trade it for punishment. Even the justified kind.


    It¡¯s true, I *was* out in the forbidden zone again, she told herself. But how could I have met him otherwise?


    No, she wasn¡¯t going to sabotage that. She kept her mouth carefully shut, and let the conversation fade. As far as Ms. Terri was concerned, she¡¯d already answered. Besides, Calistya had her own ¡®extended research project¡¯ to work on, and Ms. Terri could have nothing to do with it.


    Her secret was safe. For now. But if the merboy was hiding in The Deep, she¡¯d need to go deeper still to get her answers¡ªno matter the risk.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 13: The Guiding Current

    Calistya went to the chasm with a mission. She had no reason to think the boy would return or linger, but this time, she was ready to follow. Wherever he was from, she wanted to see it for herself.


    She nodded to the sentries with feigned nonchalance, but her heart gave a thud as she noticed Marla¡¯s absence. It always felt easier with her there. Guilty feelings sliced through her middle like a scalpel, a self-recrimination for betraying Marla¡¯s kindness, but it was quickly dissolved by her determination.


    But this time, even Marla wouldn¡¯t have endorsed Calistya¡¯s plan. This time, she was going to outright defy them all. No partner, no swim-plan, no estimated time of return. Marla had overlooked a thing or two out of casual kindness, sure, but even she would have taken note of this blatant disregard for every rule.


    Calistya made her way to the usual spot, looked around for the city guards, pretended she was waiting for someone until they lost interest, and dove through the sentinel-only channel when they weren¡¯t looking.


    Huh, she thought, almost laughing at the ease of it. Guess it¡¯s more of an honor system thing. She again felt the tug of conflicting emotions: half relief, half disappointment. They didn¡¯t really care, which dashed her image of the friendly protectors making sure she was safe. But, she could swim alone, safety be damned, and it was her life anyway.


    Growing accustomed to the plunge, she found it invigorating this time. The water temperature was colder, and though her equipment compensated for actual extremes, the fluctuation did pierce through. She shivered violently, then laughed it off. It was hard to tell if it was the temperature or the excitement anyway, really.


    She swam boldly through that curtain that enshrined The Deep, then slowed, squinting into the dimness. It was as pretty as ever, and she was beginning to really feel at home. She almost felt as if the creatures lit up the walls just for her.


    She waited at the mouth of the chasm for a long time. There wasn¡¯t much to do, so she hummed into the void, making up a tune. She wondered if the sound would carry, maybe get his attention. It was hard to tell, but perhaps the boy could detect her presence from the way she agitated the water, or¡ª


    There was a slight ripple that made her hold her breath, then another.


    But no. There was no boy. Not this time.


    Okay then. Do some exploring? More slowly than before, methodically checking for lurking danger, she plunged lower, deeper into the chasm.


    The bioluminescence dimmed, their scattered glows shrinking into pin-light against the void. Without their light, it should have been nothing but blackness, but there remained an eerie glow, somehow coming from further down? It didn¡¯t seem possible, but the fact was, she could still see. The space grew tighter, and Calistya¡¯s heart thumped as the walls seemed to close in.


    Nevermind, she said, voice-calming her nervous system. She pressed on.


    One thing was for certain. There were no submersibles down here. No machinery. Not possible, nothing would even fit. There was barely enough for a smallish techno like herself. No adult could possibly get through, so the boy must have done it alone.


    When she finally reached the chasm floor, the walls came together into a ¡®V¡¯ shape. She had only room enough for her arms now, palms-down on the sandy bottom. But first she checked for bottom dwellers. Down here, poisonous creatures were more common. So she had to be sure. Once more she had to talk herself calm, as her heart began to thump hard enough to push against the inner fabric of her suit.


    The sand was fine as dust, and felt nice slipping through her fingers. That calmed her as well, but she hadn¡¯t come all this way to play in the sand. She began hand-walking across the chasm floor, feeling her way along. She proceeded that way for a while, long enough to become bored. Then something shifted, shocking her, and with a turbulent whoosh, the entire bottom gave way.Stolen story; please report.


    She backtreaded in panic, acting on instinct, horrified to see the bottom rushing downward like sand through an hourglass. It almost prompted her to flee. Almost. But she¡¯d come this far. Still holding her own against the flow, she gave one more upward glance, then kicked downward and surrendered to the current, allowing it to take her straight through the sand.


    She slid downward for an eternity, rushing ever faster, protected in the core of the powerful flow so that it felt less like a force of nature, more like the guiding hand of the sea itself.


    When the current finally released her, she tumbled gently to rest in a cavern so vast it seemed to stretch beyond sight. Her breath caught at the sight of that same strange, otherworldly glow, almost sun-warming in its intensity now, reflecting off walls of crystal and marble and shell, as if she¡¯d plunged into an alternate universe, vastly more spectacular than her own.


    * * *


    When Calistya didn¡¯t show up for dinner, it didn¡¯t immediately ring any alarm bells. Students were occasionally held up, in tutoring sessions or extra-curriculars. There was usually a good excuse to be had, so the kitchen staff hadn¡¯t brought it to the administration straight away. Even as late as night-check, there wasn¡¯t any alert given, though at this point it was the fault of a lax administration more than anything else. She¡¯d been known to be a wayward soul, and her recent interactions with the troublemaker Khrystal had given them plenty of cause for concern. However, she was not reported as missing until the final lights-out.


    Lights-out check was the only time where every student was required to be exactly where they were meant to be. In this case, bed. And it was plain to see that one mergirl was missing among the ranks of her classmates. When Calistya¡¯s name sprang forth, only then did the administrator on duty put two and two together, and hurriedly placed a call to the headmaster.


    Within twenty minutes, the entire staff was assembled in the headmaster¡¯s office. They were careful to enter quietly so as not to wake the students in the dormitories. But when they got inside, all hell broke loose.


    ¡°Did she say anything to you?¡± the headmaster challenged Ms. Terri. ¡°You and she have tutoring sessions this term, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ms. Terri nodded, but had nothing more to add. Thoughtful, she did say, ¡°She¡¯s been asking some odd questions, about merfolk out to sea, that sort of thing. You don¡¯t think¡­¡±


    ¡°Think what?¡± the headmaster snapped. ¡°That she¡¯s gone swimming in the open ocean? What do you take me for?¡±


    ¡°I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s around here someplace. Somewhere in the school, most likely. Around the city at the very least. So we¡¯ve got to find her before we¡¯ve got to get the authorities involved. Got it?¡±


    The other teachers, with Ms. Terri in the lead as Calistya¡¯s primary, headed back out to search the school. They were less concerned with keeping quiet now, as the headmaster had ordered an all-hands search to be taken. That would certainly rouse the dorms at any rate, but it might not be such a bad idea to get the students involved.


    An hour of frantic searching later, during which they¡¯d disturbed the bulk of the student body, they were no closer to finding Calistya¡¯s whereabouts. They had narrowed it down, realizing that the last she¡¯d been seen was during Ms. Terri¡¯s tutoring session. So she¡¯d been missing for some seven hours now, and with it dark outside to boot. She could be anywhere, but there was no way to search the city without the help of the city guards. So the headmaster, reluctantly, put out the word.


    Within a short span of time, the city guards were all over the school, taking it upon themselves to search the same territory all over again, as if the faculty had no idea what they were doing. This wasn¡¯t far from the truth, however, as it should never have been such a long time between disappearance and realization.


    Ms. Terri was beside herself. She blamed herself for not noticing, though as several of her colleagues pointed out, she couldn¡¯t be expected to notice every clue. And there was little to be done if the girl couldn¡¯t stay put. All a teacher could do was encourage her to stay the course. Which, of course, Ms. Terri had done.


    The headmaster was cooperating, dredging up files and photo-records. These came as a surprise¡ªCalistya had a backstory he¡¯d never known about. Taken in under mysterious circumstances, with no record of her parents. The child seemed to have just appeared one day. A call had gone out to locate the parents, city guards brought in and the like. To no avail. She might as well have been a ghost.


    And now, she was a ghost yet again. The officers had already begun to search the city, but at this late hour, after nightfall, there wasn¡¯t much hope in finding her.


    ¡°She probably crawled into a corner and went to sleep,¡± one of the officers suggested.


    ¡°Yeah, or she might¡¯ve made her way up to the fin section. Sometimes little merkids like to hang around up there with the swimmers. She could¡¯ve found herself in an unfamiliar place and hunkered down.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep looking, but our best chance is morning. She¡¯ll likely come out for food.¡±


    But as the city guards began wrapping up the paperwork, Ms. Terri couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Calistya wasn¡¯t just lost¡ªshe was drifting further out of reach with every moment that passed.

 Solaria Rising - Chapter 14: Recalling Rumors

    Pelagic 101


    Before he became the respected Headmaster of The Shallows Colony School for Orphans, Oliver had been an idealistic apprentice at the very school he would one day lead. He was among the first to take up residence there and accept the full-time rigors a place for the downtrodden deserved. A school had long been needed, as mergirls often slipped through the cracks, becoming channel surfers or worse¡ªgutterstuck, a term for those unable to swim, left to struggle on the streets alone.


    The inability to swim, something so innocuous in the human world, was a great handicap among technoquatics. Even babies were waterbound, straight into the birthing pools. Oliver aimed to fix that, planning a program of rehabilitation and welfare programs, so they wouldn¡¯t wind up on the streets.


    Oliver was joined by Headmaster Callen and a team of fresh and ready teachers who wanted nothing but the best for the girls. However, they were in for a shock when word came down that funding had been slashed, before the school had even opened its doors.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡± one of the newer teachers asked, ¡°we had hardly enough resources to run things beforehand. How are we even going to feed and clothe them with these cuts?¡±


    The other teachers, Oliver included, nodded in glum agreement. It felt as though their grand experiment was over before it¡¯d even begun.


    ¡°Is it because of the missing ones? They know full well it wasn¡¯t out fault. It¡¯s not fair for them to withhold funding when everyone knows they were lured out by¡­¡±


    ¡°Now hang on,¡± Callen said, raising a steady hand to quiet the group. ¡°Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, we¡¯re fine. The funding cuts don¡¯t go into effect until next quarter. Meanwhile, we set up the school as planned, and take it one step at a time. We¡¯ve got students to greet, facilities to tend to. So let me worry about the finances, and you all just worry about the students. Does that sound reasonable?¡±


    Leaving the meeting, Oliver thought they¡¯d really lucked out. Their headmaster was the calm, collected sort a school like this required. There would always be financial issues. It was how they handled it that mattered, and Headmaster Callen was just the technoquatic for the job.


    When Oliver walked in to find Callen quietly weeping, then, he froze¡ªfeeling as if he¡¯d entered the wrong room.


    He turned to leave, but Callen sniffed and waved him in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oliver. Caught me in a moment, I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Are you alright, Headmaster?¡±


    ¡°I will be,¡±¡ªhe took a deep breath, then grabbed for some paper and blew his nose¡ª¡±it¡¯s just, well¡­you know how it can be. Things get to you. Things you can¡¯t change. And you just want to make it better but it never goes easy.¡±


    ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, Oliver, what¡¯d you want to see me about.¡±


    Oliver considered whether to bring up money, decided against it, and took a seat. ¡°I just wanted to see how you were holding up. Thought you might need an ear to bend.¡±


    ¡°As a matter of fact, I could use just that. And I¡¯ve been meaning to have a conversation with you anyway, we have things we need to discuss¡­


    * * *


    Their conversation didn¡¯t simply last the day, but turned into a series of deep talks, ranging from the welfare of the young ones in their charge, to who was controlling the purse-strings, and what those powers-that-be expected of the school, and her headmaster. All told, Callen had taken Oliver under his wing for the better part of a Pelagic Year, in order to properly prepare him for a role he''d never expected, nor particularly wanted.


    But that¡¯s why it has to be you,¡± Callen had said in response to any objections. ¡°I need someone to succeed me who realizes how damaging the position can be, if the desire to play fast and loose were to come into this office for even a moment. And in the end, the girls would be the ones who would lose. That¡¯s nothing to trifle with. The school had been through enough already, with wayward orphans having gone missing at an alarming rate, so much so that the administrators of The Shallows had put pressure on since before Oliver had arrived for a change of leadership. Though he¡¯d only learned about that slowly, and in bits and pieces.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    * * *


    When Oliver sat with his boss a final time, surveying the office that might soon be his, the "Headmaster" plaque on the desk a daunting reminder of the position he was being considered for, he still didn¡¯t feel ready. He ran his hands along the smooth, worn desk¡ªone of the few remaining relics from the shoretimes¡ªas if its groovelines might reveal secrets about the job he''d soon inherit.


    At only 45 pels, he was considered young for such a role. The lifecurrent of a modern technoquatic often stretched past the pelagic centurion mark, meaning younger ones often had to bide their time. But sometimes circumstances dictated change, and because of that the job was his, now¡ªif he wanted it. Time would tell whether the elevation would be bold, or premature.


    Headmaster Callen, his mentor and predecessor, was a figure as solid as the coral pillars that braced the city walls. Callen¡¯s greying streaks and weathered skin told the story of years spent keeping this orphan school afloat, even as the ebbs and flows of politics and economics threatened to tear it apart.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the verdict?¡± Callen asked, arms crossed, his voice conveying a calm Oliver had grown accustomed to. ¡°Are you going to dart, or do I finally get to retire?¡±


    Oliver gave a shaky laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Just wish I¡¯d known what a sinking ship we¡¯ve been steering.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all at the helm of sinking ships, my friend,¡± Callen said, his gaze drifting to the window where channel-water rippled through the glass. ¡°In one form or another. Question is, can you keep it from going under?¡±


    Oliver felt a gnawing pain that betrayed his lack of confidence, but he nodded positively anyway, ignoring his gut. But as the pain intensified, he realized how much more they had to discuss.


    ¡°What about the seafloor rumors? How¡¯s that going to change things?¡±


    The headmaster chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Rumors are always a grain of truth away, aren¡¯t they? That¡¯s the way they want it though, make it so we don¡¯t know what to think.¡±


    Oliver looked at his mentor, curious as to what he¡¯d say next. His boss had a way of leading up.


    ¡°They¡¯re going to cordon off the deeper zones. Keep us away from any ¡®dangerous sealife¡¯ that might threaten our survival. Or, more to the point, our perspectives on things.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true? Oliver asked. ¡°The mindreaders they captured from the chasm, and then all hell broke loose?¡±


    Rumors of mindreaders and the chasm''s depths felt like fables, but why then did every mention spark a fragment of memory, as if he too had brushed the edge of the unknown?


    ¡°Until they formed a truce. Yes. And we retreated to our familiar spaces. Oh, they¡¯ll allow the grown Technoquatics access to limited areas out there, but we all know the rules now. We need to keep the children safe, though. The idea is to keep it from them. Let the rumors subside and fade, so that within a generation or two we¡¯ll have no more danger of interaction with those¡ªcreatures.¡±


    Oliver shivered. He never knew his mentor to be prejudiced, over the years, though opinions on the threat the mindreaders posed was mixed. The simple fact that encountering them could be the start of a sudden bout of forgetfulness that extended beyond the encounter itself was troubling, but at the same time, reports of their request that they be left alone made it clear they weren¡¯t out to do damage. Still, this was a power that frightened even the most hardened of technos, that some being could simply get into their heads like that.


    Still, to refer to such beings as ¡®creatures¡¯ spoke to something primal, and visceral. Oliver didn¡¯t know Callen was such a person.


    Then it struck him. ¡°You¡¯ve seen them, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± the headmaster answered, his voice drifting, ¡°I really couldn¡¯t say. I seem to remember. It all seems so clear. But then, it¡¯s as if it couldn¡¯t have been. Like it was from another life, or¡­¡±


    The words hung in the air, a story told to a group of pre-schoolers around a cooking pit, a warning of unfamiliarity. Yet from the collective memory at the same time.


    It made sense. Strange things like that happened whenever rumors of encounters were brought about. People couldn¡¯t quite recall, though they had some vague inkling.


    The headmaster drew a sharp breath and looked up. ¡°But one word still resonates in my heart from that memory¡ªor whatever it was. One word, I got it from them. Unspoken.¡±


    Oliver wanted to stay respectfully silent, but his curiosity needed an answer. He made as if to ask, but the headmaster stopped him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, Oliver. But I warn you. Once you hear it, you won¡¯t forget. And trust me, you¡¯ll want to.¡±


    Second guessing, Oliver wondered if he should just end the conversation. But they¡¯d gone this far.


    ¡°Was the word the same one they told us when we were little? The one everyone was told to forget before they made us forget.


    Callen nodded. ¡°The same. You know it, then? You remember.¡±


    "Solarian," they whispered together, bonding to each other in a sublime moment of understanding. The word, hanging in the air like an enchantment, promised wonder, but at the expense of all that was familiar.


    ¡°That, I remember,¡± Callen went on. ¡°Like it was yesterday. Solarian. But the rest¡­¡±


    ¡°Like seeing a ghost?¡±


    Callen nodded, his face pale.