《Fear of the Ocean》


 Chapter 1 – Scars and Sharp Teeth

    ¡®Liam. Welcome to Last Refuge. The place where I have been reborn. Don¡¯t you love me now? I have taken a new form. I¡¯m doing it. I¡¯m actually realising my dream. I¡¯ll become a true mermaid.¡¯ said the woman as she stood there naked and proud.


    The man paused in disgust, bile rising up from his throat as he saw the abdominal scars that had mostly recovered on the body of the woman who had once been his wife. His love and his first serious girlfriend. She had been a brilliant woman once, or one of the most famous and despised woman on the planet depending on your viewpoint.


    She¡¯d called him and he answered, all the way on the drive to this isolated lighthouse in the middle of nowhere next to the ocean. He walked through a series of unlocked security gates and past barbed wire fences to the door where she¡¯d been waiting for him in a pristine light blue dressing down.


    He¡¯d almost thrown up on the doormat when she¡¯d let her gown drop to the floor and showed off her naked form.


    ¡®Carissa. I don¡¯t hear from you for months. Nobody else has even heard from you in at least a year and you call me out to this isolated lighthouse for a strip show? Last Refuge? This isn¡¯t funny. Please, at least tell me that you¡¯ve been taking your medication. We can fix your body. Cutting yourself doesn¡¯t help anyone. Please.¡¯ said the man.


    She was a tall woman, her hair a strong mix of natural brown and reds with a rare beauty verging on the edge of unnaturalness.


    ¡®¡­Liam. I¡¯ve done it. Don¡¯t you understand? Why the self-regulation alone, I can control the flow and temperate of water within two metres of my person. I don¡¯t need the necessary body fat to survive. Granted the power drain means I need to consume a suitable number of calories but still aren¡¯t you happy for me? Medication? I was treated Liam. Don¡¯t you dare turn on me. I am refreshed. Reborn.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®A beautiful, intelligent woman who was once brilliant before she grew ill. A scientist who changed the face of our planet and enabled an environmental change that will enable us to carry on as a species. The woman that I loved, married, shared my life with decides to mutilate her own body through surgery out of some delusional sense of purpose and is standing in front of me naked. You need help Carissa. Serious treatment. I can help you. You called me for a reason, you know it as well.¡¯ the man replied.


    Liam felt bile rise up from his stomach. The scars were mostly healed but still fresh enough that she must have cut herself a few days ago at most. She had obviously been through serious physical surgery. The sutures rose from her lower pelvic region up to her breasts.


    Another time, when they had been together the thought might have aroused him once all he wanted was to throw up the meagre contents of his breakfast. He didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d called him but he wished he¡¯d never picked up her call.


    ¡®Liam. Beloved. You listened to me before I made you money, and now you¡¯re famous, rich and successful beyond your wildest dreams. Well, I don¡¯t need you now. I¡¯ll get my dream. Further alteration will have to wait until I¡¯ve healed but I¡¯ll do it Liam. Truly become a mermaid You don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve had to work for it, the sacrifices I¡¯ve made. The experiments.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She gazed at the man with a fierce intensity in her eyes, if he had noticed her face, then the man called Liam would have noticed her open smile, teeth sharper and whiter than any human teeth have a right to be.


    Her self-improvement on her body had not only been related to surgery and technology. A little genetic altering had made further changes.


    ¡®¡­Carrisa. If you ever thought that I loved you then please, come back with me. You have so much more brilliance to offer the world. Please. You¡¯re not alone. Do you even know what you¡¯ve done to your body? Are those scars even healed? We can find a facility, a ward to take you into just for recovery purposes. A second opinion from a medical doctor. Please. We can keep this private, between us. I¡¯m going to enter the door. Please. Let me come in and take care of you. This isn¡¯t too late to fix. Please Carissa.¡¯ responded Liam.


    ¡®Weakness and fear. I don¡¯t know why I expected anything else from you. Leave Liam. I thought you might¡­no. I don¡¯t need a companion who¡¯s too scared of his own failings to join me. You were barely anything before you met me. A research assistant at most with a keen eye for business. I¡¯ll grant you that. But you can get out right now. I¡¯m going to rearm the security protocols just in case you get any funny ideas about trying to force me out. Not that I¡¯ll be in this location much longer. The automated defences are going to be active, and I¡¯ll be reborn into the embrace of the only goddess this sad little planet has known. The mother of our species.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®Carissa¡­I have no clue of what you¡¯re talking about. You disappear from my life and the world for a year and all traces of you evaporated. In the world outside they think you died. This brilliant, beautiful scientist who came up with the method of cleaning the waters of the world, free of pollution and human degradation. Granted, a portion of the population hates you but they¡¯re poor. This...self-mutilation of your body. You don¡¯t need to do it out of guilt. You forget Carissa, we were married for eight years. I know you. This is wrong. You know deep inside that you¡¯re only hurting yourself out of anger.¡¯ said Liam.


    The woman turned away from the man. Her nude body slightly glistening in the light of the room.


    ¡®You¡¯ll find that it doesn¡¯t matter soon enough. I¡¯ve been working on a book that will include all my post-research notes on the ocean cleaning technology. Enough to keep you in the public eye for a few more decades and with as many women as you want to sleep with.¡¯ said Carrisa.


    ¡®Carrisa¡­I didn¡¯t want anyone else. You were my first and last. I¡¯ll leave but others will find you, they¡¯ll have traced my movements. You can¡¯t hide forever. Please let me come inside and we can discuss this. Please.¡¯ said Liam.


    ¡®Too late. I need a few more treatments and then I¡¯ll be ready. This prototype form can withstand far more than any base human. Field testing is my priority. Besides, I know you came here because you loved me once. I was prepared to share a new life with you. Nobody will find me. Unless¡­.you wanted to transform yourself as well. Become more. Live with me forever in the waters of our world.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®Goodbye Carrisa. I don¡¯t honestly know how to respond to your state of mind. You¡¯ve obviously made up your brilliant mind about this. If anyone on the planet could be successful it¡¯d be you. You are truly unique, a genius, you rose above everyone else and literally changed our world. Changed mine. You always did have an amazing talent in you but not like this. Not with your body. Your...transformation. I¡¯ll leave but you can call me. No. I¡¯m going to call you. One last attempt to change your mind. I¡¯ll call. Please, no testing. No. I changed my mind. Wait for me. I¡¯ll join you but it¡¯s going to take time to prepare. Will you wait for me Carissa?¡¯


    ¡®Goodbye Liam. I loved you. You always were a terrible liar. Goodbye my handsome man.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Not turning around to watch her ex-husband and once business partner depart as she hit a button on the wall with the palm of her hand setting the main door to close and reactivating the security systems.


    The doors would self-lock behind him and he¡¯d never try to approach her without direct permission. He was weak that way in her mind. Her thinking may have been affected by the gene therapy which had sharpened her teeth and mind but she knew his behaviour both inside and out. He¡¯d think and think before he took any final action. He had always been the hesitant one.


    A book title rose in her then. She had the thought as soon as Liam had left her. She watched him leave through a screen on the wall, hidden cameras tracking his movements as the security protection systems rearmed themselves once he walked past them.


    How much do you love the oceans? Thought Carissa to herself.


    A fitting title for her last span of time living as a human being living on the land. She picked up her fallen bathrobe and wrapped it around her nude form, tying it up as she walked. Her body still needed a little more time to adjust to the implants and she had always felt the cold, it was to be expected with the lack of moisture within the air.


    She¡¯d need to work on the book to get it finished and a copy left behind when the hate groups finally came storming down the gates of her last refuge. Carissa would make sure that Liam got a copy of the book as well, the unabridged version, she may not have loved him now but she¡¯d keep her promise.


    After all, without his intervention she would never have experienced an extreme push to finally transform herself into a true mermaid. The ocean was waiting for her entrance, all she needed was a little more time and the final test of a lifetime. A transformation into a being of higher beauty, a creature that would survive.


    Her body though would need a little more time to recover from the surgery as she had pushed herself a little bit when she¡¯d sent the message to Liam to come to her hidden place. Her Last Refuge against an uncaring world.


    Carissa put out a hand to the smooth wall on her house. In order to survive under colder waters, she¡¯d had to find a compromise for the lack of body fat that humans possessed and her sense of touch had worsened as a side effect.


    She passed her way through the structure that she had purchased, corridors and rooms empty and bare. Furniture removed and belongings that were casually tossed away without care nor concern. The emptiness of the house reflected her mind, minimal and uncaring.


    The purchase of the property had been a good choice, she had made sure that it was done privately without alerting those actively hostile to her for her supposed sins against the environment and the sanctity of the oceans. Time though, she knew would not be on her side. A few words would either leak and electronic traces would pick up her trail soon enough, those that hated her were more than a few for her supposed betrayal of the human race.


    ¡®Empty and¡­. soon to be fulfilled.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Carissa had toyed with the idea of following in the footsteps of an ancient Emperor who let his capital city burn to the ground while he watched. His actions remembered but his name long forgotten.


    She could have paid for a fixed demolitions of the building to go off on a fixed time, then as she lay in the cool arms of the deep ocean waters, she could watch her last material possessions literally go up in smoke.


    ¡®A waste of a life and time spent on worthless ideals.¡¯ Carissa talked aloud to herself.


    At this point anyone considering her living conditions would have either called her insane or not understood why for a woman who was meant to be mentally ill, the entire property was both immaculate and entirely minimal.


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    The only room inside the building which had any personal possessions of value was her small working office. A single dark gray sofa bed, desk, chair, lone bookshelf with her notes and final research materials and her writing materials. Sparse enough to be considered barely lived in, she¡¯d eaten her main meals in her research laboratory. Any form of electronics beyond basic lighting had long been stripped out and disposed of.


    A single piece of technology rested upon the top of the sofa, one of the more costly purchases which her ex-husband Liam had insisted upon. She had used it earlier to call him to come over to her and provide a secure form of communication along with her specific address.


    Other methods of communication with the outside world she no longer trusted, only holding onto an expensive modified security phone which she had been advised by experts to be encrypted and also secure without her biometrics to access.


    Carissa was not willing to be harassed any further by those who either hated her or lusted after her fame and beauty. To become a multi-billionaire at the relatively youthful age of twenty-five was unusual, even more so when she had never studied business in her life but had focused on the triple subject of biology, oceanography and technology.


    ¡®For the final touch, I¡¯ll need a decent book title. My last work for an uncaring surface world. Suitable...suitable...¡¯ said Carissa.


    Before Carissa had met her husband, she had made sure that all of her personal experimental materials were thoroughly destroyed and all of her genetic traces wiped clean.


    The furnace had disposed of the cloned test bodies and animal subjects and the ashes washed into the ocean waiting deep below.


    ¡®Liam wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. No. He¡¯d think and think. I don¡¯t care what he said. I am beautiful. I will be reborn.¡¯ said Carissa to herself.


    Showing him her transformed body was a moment of hubris she knew, but she had wanted to show it to someone, anyone just before she left the dirt world for one filled with watery wonders. Given Liam¡¯s emotional state she doubted that he would tell anyone immediately, he had also been catapulted into fame and riches but he wasn¡¯t arrogant and knew to keep his ego in check.


    No, for him it was all about having the resources to actually make a difference to the environmental state of the planet, it had been a large part of what had made him so attractive to Carissa in the first place. Ideals, and the strength and will to act on those ideals.


    An investigative and skilled research team might be able to find minor traces of her implants if they knew roughly what she had been working on but she also knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it bond with the human structure.


    At most they would have an inkling of a patch to create a superhuman which involved water, she had created false technology to throw them off the trail. Her entirely failed prototypes which were built to fail were scattered inside her research laboratory and in several of the notes hidden inside journals in the bookshelf in her small office.


    ¡®Enough. I can¡¯t keep waiting.¡¯ Carissa muttered aloud. She glanced at the modified security phone before she put it down.


    Running one finger across the desk she picked up the rough draft book that she had spent time writing. The title made her smile, it summed up her entire life and the words held real meaning. She was so tired now, not just physically but the long wait for her transformation had drained her emotionally and mentally.


    For a moment she held herself back from picking up the book concerned that Liam had been right and she was simply a woman who needed treatment. No. His concern might have been real but in listening to him she had made all of the major mistakes of her life, perhaps if she had been a little more experienced or a little less naive growing up, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen in love with him in the first place.


    Carissa undid her bathrobe and folded it neatly on the sofa. The ancients had tombs in which they left riches and hoped to be served in their second life. This house, this room would serve as her final giving to the world.


    Likely, given her current fame and status on the planet her last recorded words in the surface would polarise the population. She was sure that Liam would publish them in a final attempt to understand her.


    He had always called her a complicated but innocent woman. Even when he had cheated on her by stealing her research and producing the results and then selling the final products onto the global environmental markets, he had claimed that she was a genius.


    Liam would have been easier if he had found someone else to have a physical relationship with but they had both been virgins when they met and the thought of other partners had never crossed their minds.


    ¡®I¡¯m beautiful and in the process of transforming. My last words will be for you Liam.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Holding the book in one hand she opened a draw on her desk and pulled out an expensive gold-leaf pen and wrote one final personal brief message to her ex-husband. Rather than twist a knife in old wounds, she simply wrote that she had loved him and they deserved each other.


    ¡®Good enough. He¡¯ll get nothing else from me though.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Standing fully naked in her scarred body and letting her long hair hang loose she reached into the desk draw to take out an item of personal value. One was the wedding ring which Liam had given to her when he had proposed back in their university days. The ocean demanded sacrifice and had hungry gods, hungrier creatures. The source of life and the destroyer of worlds.


    All she had left would suffice. Money and other material possessions would have other little value. The only thing that she possessed in the immediate vicinity was the modified security phone.


    ¡®Messages and phone calls can be tracked. Even now. Off to the deep waters with you as well.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Carissa would dispose of it before she undertook her new journey, despite the fact that her injuries from the surgery had entirely yet to heal it would suffice. Rebirth would never be a price freely paid, there was always a cost.


    To make sure that the phone would suffer sufficient damage she would need to unlock the hard casing first, otherwise it would still be tracked by its opposite number which would be held by Liam. They were unique and costly but she had been trained in how to dismantle the essentials.


    Picking up the modified security phone Carissa held in her free hand. She placed the book down upon the table before considering to reset the security doors and access points which she had previously told Liam when he had left.


    ¡®No point. The vultures and scavengers will find me regardless. Eventually.¡¯ said Carissa with a flourish of her hand.


    For Carissa escaping into the deep waters of the world would free her from the terrors of the surface. Still, she would leave open the doors to this place. Her ex-husband would return and as word spread, they would find nothing except falsified research notes, a sterile and vacant surgical suite and a single copy of her hand-penned last book.


    Her hand vibrated as the phone gave Carissa an alert. Her mind paused for a moment before she considered that it had either an issue or Liam had decided to contact her again. He would, he was always needy in that way. The private security company had told her that the modified phone was only one of two unique prototypes in existence. Her absolute privacy should have been guaranteed except for being contacted by one other when she allowed it.


    Her deep green eyes which had shifted from a light blue to the viral load which had altered her physical structure gazed down to an unknown message. Her eyes focused in the light with the inner translucent eyelid protecting her eyeball unconsciously.


    [Candidate. Do you want to fix the oceans?]


    Carissa knew that this was another cruel joke. Liam had decided to use his rough grasp on her psychology to shock her instead, she was tired of him. Tired of everything.


    Her eyes fixed on the message Carissa spoke mostly to herself. ¡®No. I already did; all you need to do is pay for it. Sign your life away or pay with everything you own. Stupid Liam¡¯


    Carissa knew that talking aloud wouldn¡¯t make any difference. The message still felt odd. She felt a deep itch at the back of her mind, the alterations to her genetic structure had changed more than her physiology.


    She had needed to remove certain ethical constraints from her brain in order to be able to process proteins and fats. Cannibalism might have to be a necessity if she found a drowning sailor in the future. Anything living in the water knew how to maximise energy usage, the deeper down you went the less life-giving sunshine touched.


    Protein was protein. Best to plan for an emergency. Her own teeth would find it hard to get any purchase on her changing flesh. A buzzing sound rang out this time as one of the security measures on the modified phone warned her that an outside source had contacted her. She recalled that the tool security to dismantle it was inside the desk. A simple one-use mechanism designed to disable the phone and render it inoperable as all contents were wiped.


    ¡®Again. One is a joke, twice is an annoyance, three times is a threat to be removed.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Her eyes ran down to the screen once more as the same message repeated word for word.


    [Candidate. Do you want to fix the oceans?]


    ¡®Time is running out. I need to move.¡¯ said Carissa aloud to herself.


    Carissa had enough threats to her life previously to take it seriously enough. The word candidate meant that she had been marked, or targeted. Fixing the oceans indicated that whomever had contacted her knew of her, that was obvious enough. The alternative was that she was being recruited by a company or organization that she was unaware of.


    In order to break through the private connection to her modified phone which had cost her roughly the yearly entire food budget of the population of a small country they would need to be specialised. Threat or offer. She had no inclination for either. The phone would be making the trip with her, ideally, she would be deep enough for it to be lost.


    ¡®If the person who sent this message thinks they killed me then they¡¯ll regret their attempt.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Carissa needed to prepare earlier than originally planned. Reaching inside the desk her finger hurt, blood swiftly coagulating to avoid loss as her implants responded to her will and drew any excess moisture from the air around her.


    An old necklace with a single shark tooth on it, a reminder of the times when she had found it so hard to process her own emotions. The scars that had healed and been cut over and over until she had first met Liam. She had made many modifications to the tooth over the years, the shape remaining the same but reinforced and strengthened enough times to keep as she grew older.


    ¡®One last item for good luck¡¯. Said Carissa.


    Still entirely nude except for the necklace around her neck, the modified security phone on one hand and a gold ring on her finger she headed for the one place she knew that would be ignored and offer both her a quick exit, a place for prayer and the entry into her new world.


    The open top roof with the extended sea view platform, it would provide the means for her to enter the ocean without having to leap off. She¡¯d need to make sure that her implants and physical modifications worked fully, usually through a series of tests but as the message on her secure phone had shown her, time was not on her side.


    Carissa didn¡¯t know how much time she had left until her final bastion, her refuge would be found and she would be under pressure from either those who wanted her hidden secrets or individuals who would actually throw off her the edge, prepared or otherwise.


    Naked with her bare feet, Carissa walked into the elevator that would take her to the roof. The camera above scanned her identity before confirming and opening with a light chime. Her skin slightly tingled with soreness after her various treatments. As the elevator doors closed, she bid her old life farewell with a smile on her face.


    ¡®None will find me. Never again, I¡¯ll find my own true freedom.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Her sharpened teeth glistened in her reflection in the polished metal of the doors as she took the gold ring off her finger and let it slip through the gaps as they closed.


    She never heard the sound it made clattering to the ground. Carissa had always let her emotions be flexible. Adaptability was built into her.

 Chapter 2 – Mermaid Dreams

    As the elevator door opened and Carissa stepped out an ocean breeze lapped on her bare skin. Small droplets of rain fell from greying clouds. The water running down her face felt good and she opened her arms outspread to embrace it. The security phone held tight in one hand as her eyes roamed over the rippling waters far below.


    ¡®Beauty in nature, purity through water.¡¯ Carissa murmured lightly to herself touching her modified shark tooth necklace. The sharp edges on her toughened skin made her secure, more so than being fully dressed in a storm would.


    She allowed her nictating membrane to activate, stopped the rain from obscuring her vision. Part of her recent physical enhancements were active and present, the ones that she had put within her had been trickier to activate but she felt the temperature surrounding her remain constant. She would experience no cold unless she allowed herself to, humans after all, weren¡¯t designed to exist in freezing cold waters. Not with minimal body fat and skin protection, she would try and active the more advanced features when she was in the ocean proper.


    The security phone had failed to provide her with another message. Thankful that she didn¡¯t have to worry about more outside attempts to contact her she decided to enjoy the view. Her time had been almost entirely spent locked away either for gene treatments or self-surgery and a degree of pure fresh ocean air.


    When Carissa had purchased the property through a series of shell companies, she had been careful not to come into any contact with either the seller or the estate agent. The photos available didn¡¯t do the view enough justice.


    An isolated building, previously a private research facility which had been converted into an ocean view home for the wealthy and those who preferred their own space. Both of which she possessed in equal measure.


    ¡®Money never brought me true happiness, but the tools and materials progressed my great work.¡¯ said Carissa.


    If Liam had been standing next to to her, he would have gently reminded her that talking to oneself was a sign of mental instability. The weather in the skies began to change as they did on the coastal regions, clouds shifting as the wind pushed and pulled them and storms began to develop.


    Carissa had paid for her own specific changes to the extended sea view platform. A detachable viewing chamber designed to fit several people had been fitted in, a modified version of an underwater experience chamber.


    After Carissa''s successful technology began to clean and regulate the temperature of the oceans and effective ownership of them had shifted towards those rich and powerful to own the rights to clean waters personal viewing chambers had become somewhat of a trend.


    The fact that hers was detachable was nothing special, it was still fixed to the main building structure and was attached by multiple cables. The inside was suitably modified to cope with waters and was largely self-contained, emergency equipment would keep her secure in the case that there was a breakage and water flooded into the interior.


    ¡®The ocean. The place where we all come from and where we should all return.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Usually, there were strict limits placed on user safety but Carissa had spent a portion of her time in the dwelling making her own personal alterations. Where she needed her own privacy her own talent kicked in, allowing her to learn how to disable the necessary safeguards and allow the personal viewing chamber to detach and drift in the ocean.


    Although she was in a hurry, she needed to verify that her implants and genetic alterations worked perfectly. Live testing was so different to that under controlled conditions in her home laboratory. If Liam had been more amenable or open minded, he could have even joined her, Carissa was certain that while he might have refused, he still would have assisted her regardless but she hadn¡¯t been willing to take that chance.


    Despite the beautiful view, Carissa hadn¡¯t purchased the property for location alone. At least not only for its isolated location, the oceans around here were owned through the company that had been built through her breakthroughs and Liam¡¯s connections and efforts.


    Unless her location was broadcast to the world, she would have enough privacy here to get far out enough and then ensure that the viewing platform sank deep enough. Carissa considered that Liam would have thought her unstable enough to simply leap off the roof in a fit of madness but true clarity and purpose meant taking all the right steps.


    She would become a mermaid, a true one of her own design, but only through the steps that she provided herself. All traces of her presence gone, the alterations to the viewing platform would be considered a tragic accident. Not that she would be missed, perhaps by Liam and several others but not by the general population of her planet who saw her as the figurehead and main reason for monetizing a public resource.


    Carissa had allowed herself enough time to appreciate the view afforded to her and the chilled breeze of the salty winds on her flesh when she felt a sensation in her hand. The physical movement of the device came along with a sound that she wasn¡¯t interested in hearing again. Having forgotten to bring the tool from her desk inside her personal office she had little choice but to carry it along with her and drop it in the eventually sunken viewing chamber when it had drifted out enough.


    ¡®Another message. The same surely, repeated over by an automated system until I respond out of futility. The oceans were already fixed by my hand along with a man who stole my heart and designs out of a sense of guilt and opportunity.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Sighing to herself, the view and the pure sensation of nature being partially ruined. She preferred a simpler environment, one without demands beyond simple survival. The fact that she would have been classified as suffering from several severe psychological disorders was an afterthought. In her mind Carissa was aware that she wanted to fulfil her true dream, to become a beautiful mermaid who lived freely in the ocean.


    The viewing platform awaited Carissa, she had stripped most of the luxury items already including the leather seating and left supplies of her own design instead. A bodysuit to allow her recovering form to adapt before it could be removed and abandoned, made from cloned fungus it would dissolve eventually. Not that she was keen on using it, her body although naked and covered in rainwater experienced no inner cold. Her skin had been adapted comparable to a sharks or dolphins with the benefits of protecting her from environmental toxins and pathogens in saltwater.


    She would shed it once in the water, allowing her form to have streamlined speed for swimming. A mixture of shark¡¯s denticles within her genetics would further protect her from damage and parasites.


    The shark tooth necklace around her neck was a reminder of that.


    ¡®Predators evolved to survive as will I.,¡¯ said Carissa. Pressing the button to allow her direct access and providing both a retinal scan and DNA sample in the form of a drop of blood from her finger.


    She had learnt to be paranoid after her project had gone public, the security inside her current home would be enough to deter most intruders for long enough except for Liam.


    There was an exception in the system for him and him alone, as the doors opened Carissa let out a breath, she didn¡¯t know she had been holding. A few more steps towards her true freedom and life purpose.


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    I¡¯m going to do it Liam.


    As she walked inside her stomach ached, Carissa put a single bare hand on her naked and healing abdomen. She had followed a strict medical diet of her own creation and her implants and genetic alterations had worked well under strict, intense testing in her own laboratory and especially well on small mammals. Live testing was a priority.


    They had all been euthanised then cremated after being dissected and all mechanical parts removed and then reduced into ash and disposed of in the coastal storms. Given her process of physical enhancements Carissa had taken several bites to test how her changing form handled eating raw, uncooked flesh, her teeth and digestion had done a decent job.


    The implants within her were fuelled temporarily but she would need to eat far more in the oceans, luckily life was teeming and food was readily available. Humans didn¡¯t possess the necessary fat under their skin so Carissa had made a few changes to her own liver. She would not compromise her physical form more than necessary. Scars could heal over time.


    ¡®Proteins. I need¡­food. And water.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The viewing platform was stacked and organised with a selection of boxes. Taking one of them she ripped off the plastic top and took out a soft plastic squeezable container of water, it would rapidly degrade into a biodegradable form when submersed into water with a high enough salt percentage.


    Pouring the fresh water into her waiting throat, she took hold of a similar stacked box and repeated the process. This time she smelt fresh fish and blood which rapidly vanished into her mouth and splashed a little over her nose and eyes, Carissa made her nictating membrane reset back to normal once she wiped her face off with another water container.


    The materials would be found eventually as would the supplies. One of the alterations that Carissa had made to the viewing chamber had been to the connecting tether, it would catch and break when she flipped a switch inside the interior. For now, she pressed the relevant buttons to seal the doors and slowly begin her decent into the ocean. The platform would extend out from the roof before lowering down and far enough off the coast to avoid rocks and other storms, the software within processing the best location.


    ¡®Soon, I¡¯ll be free of the burdens of the surface. A freak mistake and an accident and I¡¯ll be alone. Free to swim the oceans and become a true mermaid.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She had dropped the security phone on the surface of another box during her replenishment. The buzzing sound rang out and rather than accept another message, Carissa picked it up and smashed it onto the hard metallic bare floor. The viewing chamber had been designed to drop deep enough into the oceans of her world, it would surely survive a little damage when a mostly unbreakable device was slammed into the floor.


    The chamber still shook slightly, her strength and reinforced body stronger than she had originally thought. She¡¯d need to be if she needed to kill sharks with her bare hands.


    A pain ached inside her again. Carissa understood the sensation. This time it was her implants. She would need to adapt to living with a degree of pain for a period of time until her body had fully recovered. Still, once they were fully operational within a marine environment, she would be able to affect her immediate environment and beyond.


    The security phone buzzed out again. The screen doubtfully even cracked, it had been designed to withstand high pressures, temperatures and other extreme situations. The view outside the viewing chamber shifted from the edge of the roof to the open oceans as it began to extend outwards in preparation for its final descent.


    ¡®Liam. Stop trying to contact me.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She was about to hit the switch to lower the platform when a sharp pain hit her eyes hard enough to force her to drop to the ground. The security device continued to buzz without stopping, a sign of an incoming call but Carissa was in sufficient pain that she was unable to consider answering.


    Her necklace. The way to stop pain was through pain. She wasn¡¯t clear on why her eyes hurt but she needed clarity of mind to work it out. Grabbing on tight enough to rip the necklace from her throat Carissa pulled the shark tooth directly into her shoulder, pushing it hard enough to draw blood and dig through. Her hands strong enough to pierce through the outer layers of skin and sinew of her reinforced body.


    ¡®Pain. Cancels. Pain.¡¯ said Carissa with her hands fully clenched tightly.


    Carissa struggled to breath but she felt the sharpness on her eyes lessen. The platform had been prepared to lower into the waiting ocean below and she had yet to change into the body suit purpose built for her body. She hadn¡¯t even noticed that during her movements she had knocked several of the boxes stacked up to the ground, including the one with the security phone.


    It continued to buzz until her foot touched it. Despite the pain she wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if Liam had directly contacted the company that produced it to locate an override signal in order to get in contact with her.


    The signal from the device had been overridden to incapacitate her and likely he would be on the way, even inside the building, to stop her from entering the viewing platform. Carissa wanted to curse herself for her stupidity, her act of vanity in showing off to him, in having a single observer of her life work.


    An audience. And he saw her new form, her body transforming into a true mermaid. No, he would have felt pride then pity and love for her, the type which meant that he would want her to recover, to be treated both physically and mentally.


    Thankfully, the lack of buzzing sound meant that Carissa had a brief period of respite. Carissa felt dampness on her face and touched her cheeks with her fingers. Wet but fresh with a copper like smell. Blood. Her blood.


    Her other senses remained keen and despite it being her own blood the coppery smell made her mouth water slightly. Shaking her head Carissa saw a box that was opened and full of water packs, grabbing one she tore it open roughly with two hands and poured it over her face before taking several more and repeating the process until she was clean and fresh again.


    ¡®Liam knew. He knew my location. He¡¯s here. Here to take me to a hospital again for treatment. Not this time. Not this close to my day of transformation.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The interior of the viewing chamber was becoming a messier one that she had originally planned. Crates and broken food and water packets scattered around and worse he had hurt her. He had tampered with her belongings without her permission and hurt her.


    The button. Carissa knew she would have a severely limited time before the security team that Liam had hired would reach her location. They may not be willing to fly in the storm this close to the edge but if he knew then so would others. The ones who blamed and hated her equally.


    She had two choices before her, she could either hit the button and disable the tether which would drop her into the ocean and risk direct injury or hit another which would lower the platform deep into the ocean. The second option meant that the platform could in theory still be overridden. The structure would be able to handle the impact, it would just mean that she would have less time to prepare herself for entering the freezing waters.


    In her case it was going to be a true case of sink or swim.


    ¡®I¡¯m not paranoid. I¡¯m not.¡¯ said Carissa aloud to the air.


    As she forced herself steady and her hand outreached a red warning light on the wall warned her that an override was in place. Slamming her open palm onto the emergency stop release Carissa managed to stop the retraction of the viewing platform.


    The small structure was dangling over the edge of the cliff now, deep ocean, rocks and waves far below her. The walls and floor including transparent features for better views.


    Her senses were beginning to adjust and she heard the low-level frequency before the security phone began to buzz at higher audible levels. She might not be able to break it and once she had hit the emergency stop the platform was in total lock down.


    Before she hit the switch to cut the tether and release her free-fall into the waiting stormy waters below, she grabbed the phone with both hands and screamed her frustration at Liam, at the world, at everyone who hated her before the message confused her and a darkness slammed into her brain, cutting off all conscious thought.


    [Direct Player-Candidate Override Initiated. Suitability Match 96%. Ocean Gateway Protocol began. Warning: Illegal Modifications detected ¨C Deactivation in Process. No cheats permitted. Penalty. Enabled. Welcome Carissa.]

 Chapter 3 – Embracing Waters

    Carissa¡¯s skin tingled. She curled up tightly. Long reddish-brown hair flowed gently behind her before it was sealed in. Darkness. Warmth and a presence. Her arms and legs began to cramp. Then she stretched her body out as a thin film broke open and a pure warmish liquid rushed over her body as she was directly exposed to the deep, warm depths.


    Water.


    Survive.


    The oceans were bright and transparent and despite being under the surface her body bobbed in a steady position, neither rising to the surface of sinking further but remaining several meters below.


    The remains of the once bubble began to stick over her naked skin and hair turning from luminescent white into Grey as it rapidly enveloped her waking form. Parts of it broke off and attached themselves to her legs, chest and lower back as it shifted and covered.


    Carissa¡¯s hair was enclosed as the pale mass of transparent jelly-like matter stuck to her mouth, nose and eyes before moving to cover the rest of her body. A small electrical jolt stimulated her unconscious body as it began to breath in and out and her limbs twitched.


    Her face rose up before falling once more, her mind trying to wake her up. Implants once active and genetic alterations failing to activate, shut off, powered down and all personal and unconscious control removed.


    Empty.


    Weak.


    Hollow.


    A gradual pressure reached forced itself across each inch of her body, her form no longer naked but covered in a skin-tight grey suit. Another electrical jolt shook her entire body and Carissa¡¯s eyes opened despite her nictating membrane refusing to emerge in unconscious response.


    Liam.


    No.


    Freedom.


    Struggling to awaken another electrical jolt went through Carissa and she immediately forced her eyes open, one hand rising to her mouth and the other to her eyes. Her legs kicking instinctively to drive her to the surface but her body remained in the same position despite her best efforts.


    Endless blue in front of her eyes, water clearer that she had remembered even as a girl swimming on her parents¡¯ boat in the pure oceans of her home world. An unknown artificial filter in front of her eyes that enabled her vision underwater, the sunlight from the surface clear enough for her to understand that she was only a relatively short distance from the surface.


    The darkness shouldn¡¯t have been an issue as her eyes would have made the necessary adjustments but given the relative abundance of light it didn¡¯t concern her presently.


    Her lungs failed to ache, full of air but Carrisa experienced a tightness around her body as though a second skin had been put over her. Similar to her the suit of her own design which she had prepared for use on board the viewing chamber.


    The chamber!


    Liam!


    Having free dived before Carissa was no stranger to finding herself under the surface of the water, there was no weight on her legs or anything holding her in place stopping her movements.


    Her nose and mouth had no sensation of liquid on them and she decided to risk it and open her mouth a fraction. Even if water rushed in, she could easily hold her breath for another twenty minutes if she applied static apnea to herself and restricted all unnecessary movements. Releasing beta blockers into her bloodstream would further increase the time but she knew there was something wrong with her body.


    A sensation of sheer emptiness and weakness. Her mouth opened a fraction and she breathed air in, although the process was similar to breaking through a thin piece of fabric. Stifled and difficult but perfectly usable, a new type of filter which she had little knowledge of.


    Not entirely comfortable but enough for her not to have to worry about a threat of drowning in the short-term. She¡¯d researched gills but found the concept of them aberrant when they needed to be built into her skin around either her chest, back or neck.


    Carissa had wanted her skin to be pure and unmarked, scars would heal and installing a respiratory organ into her body would have taken away resources from other areas. Touching the surface of her mouth and nose found that there was a covering over it, she viewed at her arms and legs.


    Despite not treading water she wasn¡¯t sinking but maintained a steady rate of buoyancy. The water was far clearer regarding visibility for her eyes than it should have been. In the near distance there was a vague white shape, large enough to be a threat to her but it stood there unmoving.


    Bobbing, similar to a jellyfish, but without tentacles, a shadow form within.


    Not a threat.


    Not yet.


    Below her grey covered feet, she saw a white sheen reminiscent of the outer layer of a jellyfish skin except on a massive scale, part of it remained attached to her foot and Carissa lowered her hand to touch it.


    This water is wrong.


    Around her mouth and nose she was breathing perfectly normally and regularly as though she was standing on land. The sensation was one of gently floating while underwater while her body performed regular functions.


    The white sheen was near a light pearl colour and when Carissa touched it, she realised that her hands were covered by the rest of the material covering her entire body, her hair had been sealed in. Resting down her back, not tight but comfortable enough.


    With a mental focus the skin-tight grey material slid itself from her hand allowing the water surrounding her to touch the bare skin on her fingers as she gently played with the remnants of the materials. A slight stinging sensation brushed her but vanished almost immediately as the remaining left overs streamed up her body.


    Carissa realised that her skin tight suit had the purposeful function of protecting her, enough to stop her from drowning and maintaining a steady rate of buoyancy that would stop her sinking further.


    She didn¡¯t yet know how it would fare with enhancing her own natural swimming ability nor how it would fare against predators but she still preferred her own suit. The sensation of the warmish waters on her fingers gave her a tingle when she had made her suit retract.


    Gathering her thoughts, Carissa thought it likely that she had been retracted within the viewing platform, captured and then brought to a government or company held facility and then examined before being dressed and placed into this situation.


    The message on the phone had been from a private group which had identified her as a candidate for their own experimentation. She had been as cautious as possible when purchasing her own materials and research subjects and had used various shell companies and intermediaries to hide traces of her own tracks but business had never been her strong suit.


    Spreading her arms and legs out, Carissa gave a few kicks and pushes and check if she could manually override the controls on the suit. As far as she knew this level of technology didn¡¯t exist or was only theoretical, it certainly wouldn¡¯t be available for public or private usage.


    Carissa had relatively free movement although it was akin to wearing a wetsuit, or one of sufficiently more advanced design.


    The entire suit felt like a second layer of skin that enveloped her entire body, and it had successfully disabled both her conscious and unconscious control of both her internal implants and physical alterations. Running her tongue across her own teeth, Carissa touched on the sharpness of each one.


    Her teeth functioned at least. They didn¡¯t decide to rip them out of her mouth or decided that she they provided little serious threat to their own experiments. Her body was weaker she knew, she would be unable to control the surrounding temperatures of the water if her implants were entirely non-functional but if her teeth weren¡¯t removed then other genetic alterations had only been suppressed.


    Unless they had the technology to clone her original baseline body and switch her into that then she would need to understand the treatment needed to fix it.


    The suit.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The suit is suppressing me.


    Carissa willed the suit to remove itself from her entire body as it had done with her fingers but the best that she was able to do was reduce her fingertips. Whoever controlled this either remotely or program wasn¡¯t going to give her easy access or quick answers.


    The words on the security phone message were stranger to her but she knew that it also provided her with an answer for the name of this experiment. Ocean Gateway Protocol. Either that or someone had finally caught up with her and decided to punish her. There was no way that Liam would have agreed to put her in an experiment.


    Gently kicking her legs, while floating in the water beneath the surface, Carissa experimented with her range of movement. She was able to move her head and legs as long as she wanted but her body refused to rise up towards the surface or sink deeper.


    Twisting her body, she moved around as several more of the vague white shapes filled her field of vision. They were spread out across some distance. Several of them opened and dissipated and she could recognise movement even if gradual.


    The same.


    The same as me.


    The experiment or study that Carissa had been thrown into wasn¡¯t an accident if she was called a candidate. That meant that where would be others alongside her who would also be experiencing the same, but in her case, she was used to being underwater inside specialised isolation tanks to adapt herself to the loneliness of a life in the oceans.


    My necklace.


    Carissa needed her necklace. The comforting touch of the shark tooth on her bare flesh and the pain that she experienced would relieve her. There. It was under the suit, but she couldn¡¯t touch it. She focused her mental thoughts on the suit moving away from the area of her upper neck but it refused to obey.


    Pain.


    I need pain.


    Failing other options with her body in near lock-down floating Carissa considered biting her tongue with her sharpened teeth, the taste of blood and saliva would be her own but it wasn¡¯t the type of pain relief that she wanted.


    The ritual of the shark tooth had been hers since she had been a teenager, a way to express her emotions through digging into the flesh of her arms or by her neck. Even her hands in an emergency.


    Liam had been the one who had convinced her to try and express her emotions and switch to more positive channels but with his continued absence from her life Carissa had lapsed back into old behaviours. And here she was, stuck underwater in an experiment as a candidate by an unknown captor in a body of water that she was unfamiliar with.


    Carissa flexed her hands, curling them tightly as she struggled to keep her breathing steady and in a steady rhythm. Although, breaking air through the suits covering was possible it wasn¡¯t comfortable and the fact that she was becoming emotionally distressed was making it worse.


    Her lack of control and her constant awareness was becoming an issue.


    Focus Carissa.


    Adapt. Learn. Survive.


    When she had run her own experiments as a scientist and through her own research, she had run variables on her own animal test subjects and finally herself. There was always a series of stages, this would only be stage one. Either the suits or monitors in the water would be checking on the physical and emotional states, they would even be checking on Carissa.


    And when this first stage ended, she would move onto the next. And eventually there would be group testing. Of course, she knew that this depended on the ethical constraints that they were following. There was a strict reason that Carissa had only experimented on herself and done her own surgery over time, she had her own issues she knew that, but she wasn¡¯t going to torture other sentient beings for the purposes of research.


    Kill them if they tried to steal her notes yes, but not torture. She had limits, which she was going to need to break if she wanted to get out of this experiment. Carissa would not be a subject, even an experimental one. She would become. Become more than human.


    Beautiful mermaid.


    As she continued to flex and open her hands while gently remaining in the same position, neither sinking or floating in spite of her best efforts a voice resonated within Carissa¡¯s head shutting off all other immediate thoughts.


    Dark coloured words with the appearance of flowing water appeared before her eyes. She was able to make out the text after blinking her eyes several times. To her senses the lenses or covering inside this advanced sea protection suit offered the option of text.


    The next stage begins.


    [Ocean Gateway Entry System Initiated. Registering Candidate Number. Verifying Health Status¡­Present Status: Not Dead. Further message shortly. Remain calm. Carissa]


    If Carissa had a single regret at being trapped in her underwater suit prison, it would be that she was unable to scream out or vent her frustrations. The monitoring control did in fact know her name, and her status as¡­not dead. This meant the suit acted as a health checker, not her mental state but her physical one.


    Again, the words Ocean Gateway. The name of the project, group or research team that had kidnapped her and brought her here. She was certain that she had failed to activate the tether release on the viewing chamber, the fact that she had been forced to unconscious as she was going to make her own descent meant that she had been watched. Likely through the security device. It hadn¡¯t been Liam after all.


    Stuck alone with her thoughts for company Carissa wasn¡¯t prepared for the next message to flow into her vision, still in the shape of watery dripping text.


    [You have been selected as a candidate by the Ocean Gateway Entry System. Introduction and Tutorial Removed due to increased difficulty level. Temporary water filter system is in place. HTS mode is engaged. Please wait for imminent surfacing. Candidate. Do not restrict your suit actions for your own safety. Carissa. Survive.]


    The pressure of the water finally began to act on her and slowly she was regaining freedom of movement in her limbs despite the suit clinging tightly to her skin surfaces and hair. Counting the seconds that it took for her to rise towards the surface and the distance that she was from the sunlight, Carissa estimated that she had been stuck underneath the water around ten to fifteen metres with twenty metres at most.


    She had previously free dived further than that, without equipment enjoying the pleasure when she reached past those limits and began to sink deeper rather than being pushed up again.


    In order to maintain a steady presence at this relatively shallow depth was in her mind not realistically feasible only wearing a suit, either the water had been altered somehow or there were other forces that she wasn¡¯t aware of.


    As she rose up, Carissa decided to tuck her limbs in, given her freedom of movement and tightly hugged herself. She had spent enough time underwater previously to know that her first breath when she reached the surface would be an experience.


    Like being born again.


    The breath of life.


    Carissa tried to slowly release breath, an old habit when free diving to avoid damage to her lungs when pressure was decreased. She counted down the seconds, the warmth of the sun on the surface of the ocean beginning to reach her form.


    Soon.


    Three.


    Two.


    Breath.


    Carissa surfaced, her body moved by an unknown force or through the external control of the suit. She didn¡¯t know which.


    As her head broke through the top of the water the sealed portion in front of her face and nose peeled backwards and from her eyes allowing her to take a deep breath. The sensation of fresh air on her face was nearly overwhelming to her senses.


    She spoke aloud, even if to hear to the sound of a human voice after being submerged.


    ¡®¡­. Hello? Is anyone there?¡¯ she called out.


    Carissa knew that it was a stupid thing to say, but if she was being monitored it would be the expected result. Humans would depend upon one another for support, especially in crises. And if she found that anyone was a threat to her immediate safety then she would react accordingly. Life had taught her this.


    She spoke again. This time raising her voice. Her body simply floated on the surface without any need for her to thread water. Her hair remained covered but her face stayed dry despite the splash of the light waves around her.


    ¡®Hello! Is there anyone there?¡¯ called Carissa.


    She saw no signs of any wreckage of boats or planes or anything. Just an endless blue sky above her head with the sun shining and an entire ocean of water.


    The burst of words in front of her eyes surprised her given that the lenses that had covered her eyes underwater had peeled back with the rest of her suit. She read the text several times to memorise it.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402 you have been provided with randomly chosen basic starter equipment.


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Body Modification (Disabled) basic starter equipment removed.


    -You are (Classless)


    -First Goal: Survive for 10 hours.


    -Bonus Goal: Find other Starter Candidates and Survive as a group for 10 hours


    -Reward: Basic bone-based weapon, Fishing Line, Bonus Goal: Harpoon with Leash, additional HTS mode enabled.]


    Carissa felt disappointed that this time it didn¡¯t end with her name but a number instead, but this time she had a better clue of her situation.


    ¡®A test subject. I¡¯m being turned into a bloody test subject.¡¯ she said muttering to herself.


    With full movement and the suit stopping her from sinking into the water, Carissa chose a random direction and began to swim breaststroke.


    ¡®A little exercise won¡¯t hurt me at this point. Time to find another candidate.¡¯ said Carissa as she tried to conserve her energy.

 Chapter 4 – Drowned Hopes

    Carissa had been swimming breaststroke at a medium pace, not enough for her to build up a sweat but her heart beating marginally and it gave her a little more time to work out the capabilities of the skin tight grey suit which had fixed itself to her.


    Friction was reduced although not to a massive degree and relying on her own swimming ability meant that she was able to make some distance in the random direction that she had chosen earlier. The water remained warm and the sun bright enough but the air itself tasted different in a way, purer even without any hint of pollution.


    The lack of salt in the water when she had tried a mouthful and found that it made the inside of her mouth tingle slightly but little other reaction was another sign that she was wary of.


    There was no signs of land or boats, noise carried well though across the waves and she heard vague sounds but nothing clear enough. The suit itself maintained her thirst and hunger though, that or she had been drugged and fed through a drip to make sure that her body was sufficiently full for the experiment.


    Stopping for a moment and letting the suit to the floating she lay on her back and gazed up into the blue skies. Carrisa was unable to gauge how far she had swum; it had been partially to de-stress given that she was unable to still access her shark tooth necklace.


    She did find though that by concentrating on her previous messages she was able to read through them once more. Besides her body modifications being restricted the rest of the messages made little sense to her aside from the set tasks that she was meant to perform.


    ¡®A test subject, or a candidate. The levels and equipment mean conflict especially when it comes to group survival.¡¯ said Carissa.


    It was then she heard a sound, a human voice calling out from a distance away. Given the water carried sound she wasn¡¯t sure how far away it would be, but it might provide her with some answers.


    At least it would progress her time in this experiment and if they proved a threat well her teeth were still sharp and she had more than enough experience dealing with those who saw themselves as predators in her old life. A female voice, younger than her but not by much. A few years at most. Not panicked but eager, not desperate though.


    ¡®Hello? I need to make a group, over here! We have a boat. I repeat, we have a boat! Join our group for safety!¡¯


    She saw in the distance a vague blob on the edge of her vision. Hard to make out but her brain was able to filter through unnecessary distractions and make out the colour.


    Yellow, bright yellow. Inflatable.


    Safety.


    Another test subject.


    Or a trap.


    The design was simple enough but it only looked large enough to hold two or three people at a time. Not quite a group unless that was want counted according to the instructions.


    Either way, Carissa had little choice. She had next to no equipment if she counted her suit, and any of her physical enhancements and augmentation had been disabled. To work out exactly what she been deactivated through drug use or surgery she would need to examine her own body and run several through checks.


    Even if she could remove her suit entirely, she would lose the floatation support it provided and lastly, she was stuck in a large body of water with no memory of how she arrived.


    A boat could provide her with the illusion of safety and perhaps even answers. And if the young woman and her friends or fellow group members proved a threat. Well, Carissa needed protein regardless. Her lack of hunger and thirst weren¡¯t going to last forever.


    ¡®Here! Over here!¡¯ shouted Carissa, pushing more than a little emotion into her voice.


    Liam had always said that her secondary calling should have been an actress the way that she could switch her voice and personality to match different situations. Still, it was emotionally draining and there was only so long that she could disguise herself. As long as the young woman didn¡¯t recognise her immediately on sight there was hope.


    ¡®I¡¯m here! I¡¯m going to swim towards you! Thank you so much! Please wait, don¡¯t leave me!¡¯ shouted Carissa.


    The young woman heard her shout and cupped her own hands to amplify her own voice across the waters in the vague direction of Carissa.


    ¡®I heard you, swim over to me, follow the sound of my¡­oh screw it. Follow the flare! You need to follow the flare before it runs out! Can you hear me! Wave your arms if you can hear me!¡¯


    Carissa complied by halting her swimming and waving both arms above her head. She had been expecting a large amount of colourful smoke to waft across the waves but was met with a single bright light shining on the ocean, sparks blazing outwards.


    ¡®Come over in my direction! The waves don¡¯t stop the suit, use the suit to move faster! I¡¯m here for you, come over here!¡¯ shouted the young woman.


    Carissa made the swift decision to continue with breaststroke but push herself harder to reach the small inflatable orange inflatable. She didn¡¯t trust the flare to not die out and although the skies were bright and clear she wanted visibility.


    Just in case this is a trap.


    For all Carissa knew, they could have several people waiting underwater as soon as she approached. She¡¯d try her best though. Rather than wasting her breath on replying to the young woman she kicked her legs harder and pulled her arms through the water, willing the suit to boost her swimming and found that the friction drag on her body had reduced.


    ¡®You¡¯re doing it! Great! Come here! We need to make a group! Follow the flare!¡¯ shouted the young woman, enthusiasm in her voice at the reaction from Carrisa.


    Despite the swimming going smoothly Carissa still had the sense of emptiness within her body and a greater fatigue placed on her body. Two dozen more metres and she¡¯d be within close reach of the woman. Her arms pulled harder and she kept her head pulled up out of the water swimming in a steady progressive motion.


    Details of the young woman and her boat became clearer. It was more of an emergency inflatable lifeboat but smaller than she had first imagined. No canopy, but a mixture of yellow and oranges, designed to enhance visibility when lost on the ocean. The figure came into Carissa¡¯s view as the water that splashed into her face fell off as soon as it touched her.


    Odd.


    ¡®Almost¡­almost there! You¡¯re doing it! Here, just here!¡¯ called out the young woman.


    To her surprise she tried standing up and waving the flare in one hand to make sure that Carissa knew where she was. Her actions on the relatively calm waters still almost made her tip off the small inflatable life raft and she swiftly sat down again.


    Her limbs were beginning to ache and the suit, while reducing friction as she swam through the water hadn¡¯t eliminated it entirely. Once she was in a dozen metres of the raft she stopped and waved a hand at the woman. Close enough for her to gain an initial impression but with enough distance in case this was part of the experiment.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡®Heya. Thanks for your flare, it really helped me find you fast. Are you by yourself or is there a group hanging around?¡¯ said Carissa with a bright smile and a casual waving hand as she tried to relax her posture in the water.


    The young women were better equipped than Carissa had been, she wore a grey skin-tight suit with a green life jacket, matching goggles, a hat and a colourful backpack. Her face showed her relative youth with an awkward smile attached.


    Enough fat on her body that the skin tight suit was packed tight but her eyes were bright with the energy of youth. As Carissa had been once, frizzy blonde hair tied back in a bun with her head, face and neck exposed to the elements.


    She bent down and carefully crouched over the side extending an arm for Carissa to grab onto. When Carissa didn¡¯t respond immediately, she spoke.


    ¡®Yeah, do you want to come on board? I¡¯m not here to fight, I¡¯m here to help and give you guidance and a safe place to stay for a few nights. My leader Mike, he¡¯s asks us to search other survivors so we can help each other a little in this crazy game. Wow, I¡¯m sorry, uh, if you swim over here, I can help you on board. Kind of a tight squeeze but we have more space back at the shelter. I¡¯m Sheri. My flare worked, you¡¯re my first new member of the group. Here, takes my arm.¡¯


    Tensing herself, Carissa allowed herself to float a moment longer. The young woman stopped and put her hand on her mouth.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know sign language. Can you talk? You understand what I¡¯m saying right? Some of us on the boat come from different places, I think. It¡¯s confusing.¡¯ she spoke softly.


    Carissa sighed and gently pushed herself forward as she swam the last dozen metres slowly and extended her arm out as the young woman pulled her onto the inflatable life raft. If it was a make that she knew she didn¡¯t recognise it nor the brand. As she was helped out of the ocean, water ran off Carissa in sheets and she emerged fully dry.


    Her face turned into a bright smile and she replied to the young woman. The pair of them took a seat inside the inflatable, making themselves comfortable before Carissa decided to extend a hand. The fact that the other woman was holding a flare was a minor threat but she hadn¡¯t used it to threaten.


    Yet.


    ¡®Hi there, thank you so much for saving me. I¡¯m Carissa. Goodness, this is a situation. I understand you perfectly.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The younger woman showed a degree of surprise on her face at Carissa¡¯s lack of equipment besides her suit but the smile put her at ease somewhat.


    ¡®Uh, did you lose your stuff when you were swimming? I¡¯ve got a spare bottle of water if you want but we¡¯re meant to be rationing as best as we can. Mike has more answers than I can give, he¡¯s there to help. We all are in our own way. Kinda odd that you started with nothing. Sorry, that came out wrong, I¡¯m not saying we won¡¯t help if you don¡¯t have anything. I¡¯ve been there, believe me.¡¯ said the young woman.


    Carissa made herself comfortable on the boat but paused at the open flare held in the young woman¡¯s hand. There was a flick of a wrist and the item vanished before it reappeared but unlit.


    ¡®Ah! I totally forgot that I was holding it, no wonder you kept your distance. Wait a second, it turns out by itself. The item description says that each one only has five uses at a time¡­there we go. Out now. Also, it said clearly that it can¡¯t be used as a weapon against Starter Candidates. Did you meet up with any other survivors?¡¯ asked the young woman.


    Shaking her head, Carissa pointed at the flare which she had watched a magic trick performed with. Or slight of hand.


    ¡®An item description? No, I didn¡¯t encounter anyone else. There were shapes beneath the water and my equipment¡­well I wasn¡¯t assigned any. Or it was lost when I was surfacing, I¡¯m not quite clear. There are others, can you bring me to the rest of your group? I¡¯d like to try and find a way out of this experiment before it gets dangerous.¡¯


    The young woman gave Carissa a curious look before shrugging her shoulders and putting the extinguished flare into her backpack. She had one hand inside and pulled it out offering a basic glass bottle of water with the top removed.


    ¡®Sorry, did you want a water? We can feed you a proper meal when we arrive at the refuge. Chas is a decent cook. You¡¯ll like him, although Mike is our leader Are you sure you didn¡¯t receive any system notifications yet?¡¯ said the young woman.


    Carissa focused her suit on peeling back from her head and hair, if this worked then she¡¯d try and free her arms and legs a little. The surgery recovery scars on her chest were best left covered in case they raised too many questions. It was a little odd how this woman Sherry had no recognition of her. She¡¯d been one of the most famous and hated figures on her planet depending on which side you took.


    ¡®...Sherry, do you know who I am? I¡¯m going to take off this suit and show myself better.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The grey tight suit retracted according to Carissa¡¯s will and her face, hair and neck showed. Anyone who had seen her image back on her home planet of Bephus would recognise her immediately. She waited for the reaction from Sherry, the boat was useful, so was the backpack and supplies within.


    She¡¯d prefer not to resort to violence early on but she was confident enough in underwater to at least find a workaround to the suit filtration systems. Experiment monitoring or not, there would be conflict eventually. Humans always did in her experience. It was part of what had drawn her to become a true mermaid when she had only been a girl.


    Sherry sat back and slid the glass bottle of water into her backpack holding it tight to her chest. Her face began to redden.


    ¡®.¡­Are you coming onto me? For saving your life? This is¡­uh, I¡¯m not clear on¡­uh. You are beautiful, oh my gosh. Are you a supermodel? Like, for real, are you an actual supermodel? You are so good looking. No, I need to be strong and put this aside. How about we first visit Mike? He¡¯s the leader of our group and has a better idea about your current situation. I¡¯m not comfortable trying to explain it clearly to someone...so fresh. Not everyone is accepting of their situation as you.. You might find it a little tricky to accept.¡¯ said the young woman.


    Turning her back Sherry reached down on one side of the inflatable life raft and pulled onto a cable before she tilted her head towards Carissa.


    ¡®I think we need to work together on this. You pull in the cord and I¡¯ll take this end, it¡¯s how we¡¯re attached to the main refuge. If we both put in the effort we can be there in fifteen minutes.¡¯ said Sherry before looking at Carissa¡¯s unmasked face and features. ¡®I¡¯d keep the suit on your hands for protection. I mean, you don¡¯t want to hurt yourself.¡¯


    Coming on to you?


    No. Not like that.


    Of all the reactions Carissa had expected she hadn¡¯t expected compliments and a blushing face in response to showing her features. She knew that she was a rare beauty, Liam had always made it clear how good-looking she always was and had encouraged her to dress well but still, Sherry showed a complete ignorance of who she was.


    ¡®Thank you, Sherry. I¡¯ll pull on the cord and reel it in, and while we¡¯re doing this why don¡¯t you take the time to tell me a little more about yourself and how you found yourself here.¡¯ replied Carissa.


    Carissa gave her a smile hiding part of her teeth to avoid discomfort.


    ¡®After all, we might become good friends. I mean, you did save my life.¡¯ said Carissa.


    In response Sherry flushed again and began the process of reeling the cable in out of the water and onto the small inflatable between her and Carissa.


    ¡®Um, I¡¯m a Gemini. I like seafood a lot and I get panic attacks sometimes. I was part of a team before but you won¡¯t understand what I¡¯m talking about. In happier days, one time in a restaurant my friends ordered this giant blue lobster as a practical joke on my birthday and¡­¡¯ began Sherry.


    Carissa listened to the younger woman prattle on as they both reeled in the line, drawing the inflatable boat closer to its destination. She needed to get clearer answers on the nature of this experiment from the leader of a group called Mike.


    Entirely elaborate but the fact that there was no engine attached to the inflatable boat aside from a cord didn¡¯t make any sense to Carissa. Not that she was going to question the oddness of it yet, given the emptiness of the surrounding ocean it didn¡¯t make any sense that it was able to randomly float exactly in her direction without either paddles or realistically an onboard engine.


    Her attention focused on the odd details she had no answers for Carissa nodded and agreed with the strange new woman as she listened as the inflatable raft made its way across the calm waters of the ocean to its destination. A message drifted across her eyes.


    [Candidate Number 5428119402


    -Warning HTS Mode (34:00 Hours Cooling Countdown)


    -Temporary Survivor Beacon Locator Activated]


    Suddenly, Carissa was aware of Sherry next to her. As another candidate of this game, the location of her fixed in her mind. Ignoring the message which she dismissed as a clever visual effect and another factor for this experiment, Carissa focused her energies on a most important task.


    Winding up the line as it was reeled in and making sure it was organised into a neat pile in the centre of the raft. The mindless chatting from Sherry continued as Carissa closed her eyes and tried her best to relax and slow her mind.

 Chapter 5 – Survival Sea Tales

    ¡®I¡¯ve was on worse situations before when my worker unit vehicle broke down in the coastal desert zone. I survived by lying underneath to take advantage of the shade and not moving from my position. Yes, it was hell but I was rescued by the Confederation and put back to work for my Overseer. Stupid of me to try and escape in the first place but that¡¯s beside the point. Deciding to move away from this vicinity by yourself is a far bigger danger than staying put. Trust me on this. You look like a good person, a kind person so I¡¯m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Everybody pulls their weight and I lead. We can give you support until we need to go deep below for your introductions from the ones who like to big-note themselves. Another convoy for another time. A deep pleasure to meet you, Carissa. Call me Mike or Kenzie.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa had made her way back to the main boat which Sherry had described in brief detail as a safe zone for their group and been subjected to a meaty handshake from a tanned man in his mid-fifties, once strong stomach muscles gradually turning into fat, with close cropped shaved hair and bright white teeth.


    His suit was patchy, parts of it missing with rough patches in place compared to her own sleep design. Hair on his head was closely shaved down to a fine stubble and his demeanour was relaxed. On the side of his hip a makeshift belt with a wooden club stuck through it added to his appearance.


    ¡®I¡¯m the leader of our little community Carissa if you want to join us. All candidates who aren¡¯t out to become pirates or raiders are most welcome. Providing you agree. Our main home is a constant work in progress. No bludgers allowed. Or you can choose to go straight back on a boat and make your own way deeper down later. You might not survive the experience though.¡¯ said Mike.


    The structure itself was a surprise to Carissa, she didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d been expecting but it was surely more than this. Sherry had described the main boat as a hub of activity when she hadn¡¯t kept talking about her social life and how much she appreciated the health benefits of seafood.


    ¡®We¡¯re in what you would call a welcome area. An inflatable boat docks here and we try to best judge new characters before we enter our custom-built tutorial up on the roof. More space there means less space for accidents or damage.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa was barely listening to the conversation, her mind trying to remember if she had seen designs of this boat before. It was familiar in a way but also different enough that it could have come from an artist¡¯s impression of an ocean-going floating community building.


    If Carissa had been asked to describe the main boat, she would have called it a miracle that it remained floating. Driftwood and various scavenged materials acted as a type of glue holding the structure together. Large enough to house at least several dozen people, it was a mixture of a houseboat and a shanty house. A refuge lying on this stretch of ocean which accommodated people who were lost and then found.


    Another part of the experiment.


    Build groups and create conflict for further study.


    ¡®Not much to look at unless you knew how it was built. And I¡¯d tell you and you wouldn¡¯t believe a word I¡¯m saying. You¡¯ll think I¡¯m making it up. Sherry thinks I¡¯m wasting my time but she¡¯d also tell you that I care too much.


    The interior was unknown to her, for all she knew, it could have been a high-level technological laboratory in disguise but she doubted it. The fact that when she had noticed that neither Mike or Sherry had been wearing shoes and when the topic arose and she asked she was told that they were generally a waste of time was a sign that this place, this mindset was different from her own.


    Wood and ropes had been mixed to build ladders but she doubted that the boat itself could actually be piloted in any direction, if she had a choice, she¡¯d call it more similar to a prototype floating village. The basis of one at least, the fact that there hadn¡¯t been any fishing nets or lobster pots had surprised her.


    Food and shelter were the immediate necessities for anyone, especially fresh water. More likely those functions deemed essential to their survival were kept deeper inside the boat, secure from both attackers and bad weather.


    ¡®Thank you, Mike, Sherry here rescued me when I¡­floated upward to the surface.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®No, Miss, she was doing her job. To find suitable beginner player candidates and bring them back here. If you tried to be aggressive with her and steal here boat then you¡¯d be unlikely to be alive. Some have tried and all have died. Just a little private joke of mine. Say, what¡¯s your Class? Your Skills? Are you willing to share them with me? No? Later then. Sherry come over here for our newly arrived guest.¡¯ replied Mike.


    Carissa was pleased to notice that Mike also had a complete lack of recognition of her. The sensation was pleasing although disconcerting. As though she had been shifted into a different reality to her own.


    ¡®Sherry, show her to Chas and then we need to have a talk about the next step once the others return. The rules of the game mean that we need to survive as long as possible. Take her direct though, we can have a look at the rest of the boat later. As long as she¡¯s willing to adapt to a new reality that is. You think the mighty ones would fix up the situation by now, we¡¯re flat out as usual.¡¯ said Mike.


    He gave a final nod to Sherry before he turned away and left into the wooden structure behind him.


    ¡®Carissa, follow me. Please avoid the other rooms, some are bedrooms and other¡­. private storage areas. Not all are safe. Trust me on this. Nobody wants you to have an accident this early on.¡¯ said Sherry.


    The pair left the tied-up inflatable behind them on the path, the size of the makeshift floating structure surprised Carissa, either it was larger than it appeared or appearances were deceiving. If there were true dangers here then they disguised them well.


    Carissa was going to meet the one in charge of the designated resource room, a place where all newly arrived players had to put their essential supplies according to Sherry as she chatted non-stop until they reached the designated community member.


    ¡®Right, so I¡¯m going to leave you here and then you need to make your own way to the roof. Do you remember the main path? If you don¡¯t, you¡¯re going to end up in one specific direction regardless. Mike designed it that way. We need to keep new people safe as much as we can. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t give more answers. Call out in an emergency and either myself or Mike will find you. Oh, and Chas is harmless as long as you don¡¯t try and steal anything.¡¯ said Sherry.


    A room with a closed door, the same as all the other rooms, made of driftwood with minor additions of plastic and metal, smaller pieces to make the door have its own unique style.


    Sherry put a hand in front of Carissa, stopping her moving forward before she gave the door a quick knock and grabbed the handle pulling it open. Sherry opened her mouth to talk before Carissa got a chance.


    ¡®Chas, this is Carissa. The one you told me to locate. She¡¯s in desperate need of answers but we need to process her as the others. Don¡¯t tell her more than she needs to hear for her own sake. Please. She has no equipment to store here as she began without any basic kit.¡¯ said Sherry.


    The man wore a bright Hawaiian shirt, matching shorts with messy black hair and had simply blocked Carissa from entering the small space by sitting in a cross-legged position and putting his hands out in front of him with palms facing up. The room behind him was stacked to the shelves with various items, mostly made of bone, glass with the occasional shine of metal.


    Despite its organised appearance Carissa recognised that something was off, the quality of the items was far lower than any supermarket shelf back home. They all looked either hand-crafted or vaguely archaic, closer to antiques than usable equipment.


    ¡®Hello pretty lady. You can look but you can¡¯t take without permission. We have stores of everything you need but not much of what you want. Shoes, we don¡¯t need shoes much.¡¯ said Chas as he gestured towards his own lack of footwear.


    His feet were bare and tanned but shiny, not painted nails but cleaner than they had a right to be considering that everyone here went around barefoot from her perspective. He simply nodded his head to an unheard rhythm while he clasped his hands together. Either in prayer or simply because he wanted to complete his own look.


    ¡®Sorry, but the group needs and the individual wants. The Ocean Gateway is always pushing us for more but we need to build to live. Fresh equipment helps. Strange messages in front of your eyes as well? I can delay it for a time to give you time to adjust. Not all gifts given can be held in the hands Lady C.,¡¯ said the man.


    Carissa nodded and the man smiled in agreement before crossing his arms and closing his eyes nodding his head again. Despite the fact that she hadn¡¯t even spoken in response the man carried on talking as though she had.


    ¡®Peace. Not everything is at it appears. And then it is. Mike knows the truth. We belong here, all of us do in our own way. Drowned Gods be willing. I¡¯m Chas. The same as you are Lady C to some. Not me though, you want the fierce woman with the tattoos and the hidden mind. Dangerous. Sharp teeth. Almost as sharp as yours.¡¯ said the man.


    The man had been friendly enough with Carissa but seemed overly laid back and content to sit in the shade that was provided with the makeshift roof coverings which appeared to have been taken from various canopies of inflatable boats.


    She¡¯d had no idea where the rest of the pieces of driftwood and random debris had come from but the man wasn¡¯t keen on answering her questions, he knew her but talked complete nonsense.


    ¡®So, Chas, how about you explain to me exactly what you know about this experiment we find ourselves stuck in? Also, why do none of you wear shoes or anything on your feet? Having foot protection comes across as a good way to avoid getting splinters at least or any form of fungal infection. Do you like being so cryptic all the time?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    ¡®Sometimes in times of extreme stress the human brain creates things which aren¡¯t actually there. Brother, you¡¯ll be fine. We all experience it sometimes. Shoes¡­. shoes are a binding on the human soul. The suit. The suit binds the soul. Gods Below. My words, they come from those who live in the Depths. One of them likes you. One of them hates you. Peace brother. Peace be on your mind for your stay here.¡¯ said Chas as he shrugged his shoulders towards Carissa.


    ¡®I¡¯m not your brother, I¡¯m a woma-¡¯ she started before the relaxed man waved his hands in her direction and settled back into his cross-legged posture.


    ¡®Easy brothers and sisters, we need to relax and enjoy the motion of the waves. Panic is only going to tip the boat. I plan to enjoy myself in the shade. Go with the flow. I¡¯m working here. Find your way. Not all of us want beauty. I want to work wonders and be left alone. Mike wants community and revenge. Sherry wants community and support. I don¡¯t...I don¡¯t want to talk. This room will remain closed when I leave for the benefit of us all. Do not open it. Gifts will be provided in time. Good luck fighting newbie. .He knows. He did it. Be safe Veronica. Be. Safe.¡¯ murmured the man.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    After that he had closed his eyes and begun humming to himself softly. The makeshift structure around him creaked slightly when she took a step towards him and he refused to respond to her any further, let alone answer any of her questions.


    ¡®I see. Good luck with your work then. Nice to meet you Chas.¡¯ said Carissa before adding his name as an afterthought of politeness.


    The fact that she had been led to a room full of equipment and been given nothing nor asked to contribute a single item was a mild surprise to her. It would make more sense for the creators of this experiment to fully control every aspect of this minor reality or world that they had built. Regressing economic activity to a barter level of trade was a good incentive to provide conflict. Not that Carissa had anything to offer.


    Carissa had left the man to his meditation and gone to try and find Mike, the relative size of the boat meant that he was usually in the top structure where a makeshift lookout tower had been built. She had to admit that the man was driven and committed despite his faith in complete strangers.


    Her path back out of the room had been fairly straightforward, the path itself remained unchanged even without markers or signs she was able to find her way back to where she had first been led in by Sherry. The complete lack of doorways was a mild surprise but then she¡¯d already had a fully bellyful of questions by this point.


    Carissa was aware that the structure could change, with enough smokes and mirrors it could even come across as far larger than she first imagined it. A single straight corridor with one exit led her to a wooden ladder which went straight up. The skies above her head were cloudier and darker than she had earlier noticed when she had first arrived here.


    Despite the time passing her stomach or body had shown no signs of hunger or thirst. Either drugs, time passing slower than her senses realised or her body still existed in a state of shock. The concept that this would be a dream fever brought on by her own brain failing crossed her mind but she discarded it.


    She had her own delusions and hallucinations when she had been by herself for extended periods of time and this wasn¡¯t one of them.


    Real.


    I¡¯m trapped and this is real.


    No.


    An experiment.


    He was talking to Sherry making large gestures with his hands as Carissa was climbing up the ladder.


    ¡®...Immediate priorities in immediate order are shelter, water and a source of food. You found a candidate for our group; we just need to hold it together for longer and we¡¯ll be rewarded. Everyone gets their fair share and¡­oh Carissa. I needed to talk to you. Sherry tells me that you lost your basic starter equipment. A shame but we could have used that. She tells me that you¡¯re a decent swimmer, would you be willing to put those skills to use until you get a class of your own?¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I need a basic answer first. And I¡¯d appreciate basic honesty. Sherry saved me and you¡¯re clearly making an effort. I would have asked Chas but he¡¯s in his own world a little.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Sherry frowned and whispered quick words in Mike¡¯s ear as he smiled a little.


    ¡®Ah, no I¡¯m not involved with Sherry. Not that way, I¡¯m more of a community leader. Also, she¡¯s too young for me. Not my type, neither are you. Sorry, that came out wrong. We¡¯re here to help new candidates. I¡¯m talking too much; you have a question? I¡¯ll try my best to answer honestly.¡¯ said Mike with a wry smile on his face.


    A frown began to form on his face after the smile washed away like a tide washing away a sandcastle on a beach when Sherry leaned in again and cupping her hand whispered into his ear again.


    ¡®...I¡¯m not attracted to women. I don¡¯t think I am. Given that I¡¯ve never tried. But this isn¡¯t about that particular topic. Do either of you actually know who I am? What I did? How my research was taken by my partner Liam and used for commercial purposes? I¡¯m not blaming either of you but a clear answer would be appreciated.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The silence was met with confusion on the parts of both Mike and Sherry. Turning towards Sherry, Mike frowned and his forehead creased, he rubbed a hand over his eyes.


    ¡®Sherry, don¡¯t tell me that you found a fresh fish and brought her here without giving her a full briefing. A newborn with no answers and questions is a bad mix. Especially for this place. We don¡¯t know how she¡¯s going to mix with the others. No, this is my responsibility. I gave you orders and you followed them, we¡¯re all human here. Some less so than others.¡¯ said Mike.


    Mike chuckled at his own joke. Sherry gave no response.


    ¡®Mostly. Heh. Sorry, you must be pretty confused. How about I answer your question with one of my own? Are you a big deal where you come from Carissa? A rich woman? Or a supermodel celebrity status? I¡¯m not only asking because of the way that you look but it¡¯s how you carry yourself. I know that body language, it strikes me as someone who¡¯s been at the top. My old Master and Mistress used to be the same. Tell you what, Sherry?¡¯ said Mike.


    Despite her lips tightening she looked at Mike¡¯s face.


    ¡®Mike?¡¯ said Sherry.


    ¡®I think we a need a strong drink to talk this out. You drink alcohol Carissa?¡¯ asked Mike.


    ¡®I can. Not my preference but I¡¯m willing to drink with you if you give answers. I¡¯m not going to go to bed with you though.¡¯ said Carissa with a firm face.


    Both Mike and Sherry spluttered at that. The face of Sherry blushed.


    ¡®Woah! No, no. If you¡¯re going to be a part of my community all I ask is that you share your workload. That sort of business is none of mine unless it creates conflict, also, you¡¯re not my type. Not gender I mean, not genetically. Not my type. Here, actions explain louder than words. Forget drinks, you need a more physical explanation to get through your mind.¡¯ said Mike.


    He lifted a hand in front of Carissa¡¯s face.


    ¡®Bite my hand. Not enough to chew through it but you can draw blood. You can¡¯t hide those teeth girl. I¡¯m older, not blind or stupid. Bite. Unless, you¡¯d prefer Sherry to put her hand there but her reaction might be a little different than mine. As in she would be hurt. Just bite. I¡¯m not poisonous. Also, Carissa. You need to work on your social skills, it takes a broken one to recognise another. Normal people don¡¯t respond like that.¡¯ said Mike.


    The silence around them was met with the creaking of the makeshift boat structure and the gentle sound of waves around them. Despite having enough capacity for at least a dozen, Carissa had only seen three people, Chas, Mike and Sherry.


    She had been told that the others were out scouting and would return in time but if she wanted to flee this place now was the time. Mike was armed with the wooden club on his belt but Sherry only had her backpack, goggles and the pair had the same basic suit as her.


    No weapons except for her hands and teeth. The choice was made. And she wanted answers badly enough to accept insane requests from near-complete strangers. Going back into the ocean waters to try swimming randomly wasn¡¯t going to get her any closer.


    ¡®Right Mike, I¡¯ll bite.¡¯ said Carissa. ¡®Give me your hand and I¡¯ll bare my teeth this time.¡¯ said Carissa.


    His hand was tanned and worn with age and the elements, he let it hang loosely, not drawing it back when she took it with two hands and bit into the flesh of the outside of his palm. Given his patchwork grey suit, parts of his body were fully exposed including his hands.


    She had expected her teeth to sink into her flesh with relative ease but the skin was tough and worn, Carissa had to fix her jaw and bite even harder. When her sharpened teeth bit through she tasted blood in her mouth and opened her mouth again before letting the hand drop.


    ¡®Done.¡¯ said Carissa. The blood had tasted off in a way, and the flesh was tough but it proved that her teeth could do the job. The rest of her might have been weakened by the suit, or a combination that reduced her capability for the experiment but her mind and will remained strong.


    Sherry stood there, slightly paled in her face underneath her goggles as she watched Carissa wipe a trace of blood off her mouth and stood back with a bright smile on her face, this time showing all her predatory teeth.


    ¡®Good. Carissa, watch this. I recognise one when I see one, you¡¯re not a killer. Not yet but you have a decent survival instinct. I have three lessons to teach you. Your first lesson is don¡¯t underestimate people. Look at my hand girl.¡¯ said Mike.


    Mike didn¡¯t show any signs of pain or discomfort as he held out his hand in front of her, teeth marks indented within the skin and blood dripping out. His other hand slipped to the wooden club on his belt.


    The broken skin on the hand began to repair itself before her eyes and the blood on the skin was absorbed until the hand showed no signs of damage or injury over the course of tens of seconds. Mike shook his hand and flexed his fingers into an open palm and a closed fist before he flourished it and showed the lack of damage.


    ¡®Lesson one Carissa, Sherry learnt this one early on, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ said Mike.


    Next to him, Sherry shook her head. Her eyes underneath her goggles watching closely at Carrisa reaction. A sound from below the lookout tower of a voice calling out caught their attention.


    ¡®I¡¯m back! Mike? I¡¯m back!¡¯ the voice called out louder this time from down below, near to where Sherry had tied up her own inflatable life raft. ¡®Hello? I¡¯m back!¡¯ came the voice. Feminine but the age was harder to place. Older than herself Carissa considered.


    ¡®A member of our little group had returned. Ideally with good news, if not then at least safe. Sherry, go and ask them to talk to Chas, would you? I need to finish here with Carissa. Don¡¯t look so worried, she won¡¯t die. The system won¡¯t allow it, not at this early stage. I mean she¡¯s practically a newborn baby by the look of her, the fact that she has no starter equipment is odd but the gods have their little games. Pretty sure, she¡¯s not an indigenous either, they wouldn¡¯t be given any of the starter suits, but she is a player. A new one, dangerous perhaps but not more so than anyone else beginning.¡¯ said Mike.


    Seeing Sherry¡¯s hesitance and the voice from below Mike turned towards Sherry and put a firm hand on her shoulder.


    ¡®Sherry, even if you like her, she needs to learn. We all did. You remember how I told you about the old days? How it used to be for the original players? This is the best we can do without a tutorial, I need to her, take care of her. Are we clear on this Sherry? I need to know that you¡¯re on-board with this.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like it, Mike. I understand why we have to do this but I don¡¯t like her. She¡¯s beautiful and innocent here. Do we have to do this yet? We could always protect her for a bit longer, she can be a scout or help us out in other ways.¡¯ said Sherry.


    ¡®Not on my main boat. We¡¯re not going down that road, I don¡¯t care how much you¡¯re attracted to her, I¡¯m not accepting anyone to live the life of a slave. Even a pampered one, I need you to go down and make sure that everything is stored away. Check your own provisions while you¡¯re at it, you can even do a full run through of your equipment.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa chose not to interrupt the conversation. She would have been called a wallflower in her previous life, in spite of her status, fame, wealth and derision.


    Her own time, her own research had always been her priority, but it had always annoyed her when people had assumed that she was a highly sociable or desirable person when they met her.


    Worse had been those who had tried to seduce her, the only person that she had ever been with was Liam and that was mainly due to the fact that they had met earlier in university before getting married.


    ¡®Girl, no. Carrisa. I promised you three lessons. Have you worked out the first one yet? Don¡¯t underestimate other people or you¡¯re going to die. Fast. I don¡¯t care how rich or powerful you were on your own planet but here, in this place you need to work harder to survive. Prepare yourself. I¡¯m going to see how you fight.¡¯ said Mike.


    Mike pulled the wooden club front his belt around his waist and held in front of him tensing his body. He drew one foot back and leaned forward with one hand bunched into a first and the other holding the weapon in an attacking position.


    ¡®This might hurt but it won¡¯t kill. Show me what you can do, fresh Player Candidate.¡¯ said Mike.

 Chapter 6 – False Tutorial

    The space on top of the makeshift wooden structure was large enough to give a clear view of the surrounding area. Mostly ocean but with various shades of blues and greens in waters around. The structure rocked slightly beneath her feet, not entirely stable but not enough to make her stumble. She had grown up on a houseboat after all.


    A place of refuge in an ocean populated by a total of three people that Carissa had met, one was Sherry, a younger woman than her who liked to talk about herself, a man called Chas wearing a Hawaiian shirt with matching shorts and bare feet who was laid back and said cryptic comments to her that made little sense and the final one was the leader of their small community.


    Mike. He stood in front of her with a wooden club and asking her to take action, to fight. In barefoot, she had a clearer understanding of why Mike, Sherry and Chas all went around without anything on their feet. It enabled them a better grip on the surface.


    Her own suit covered her feet though and had done since she had been pulled out of the water by Sherry. The grip that she felt on the wooden surface was decent besides the dampness.


    ¡®I wanted answers and all of you keep giving me nonsense. Who designed this experiment and how do we leave this place?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    She had prepared her own stance and taken several steps backward from Mike while keeping her own hands out. She willed the suit to cover her bare hands and face once more.


    Her weakness inside her was apparent, she still felt hollowed out and removed.


    ¡®Good, you¡¯re learning. You know how to use the basics of the suit. Not enough though, not enough at all.¡¯ said Mike.


    Mike rushed towards her with the club, without any weapons of her own, Carissa decided to get in close to him and stepped in close grabbing onto his arm to try and block any attacks.


    She immediately regretted it when Mike simply took a single step backwards and smashed the wooden club straight into her ribs on her right. The pain was diminished by the suit but not entirely eliminated.


    Mike reversed his grip on the wooden club and swept under her leg making Carissa stumble and fall to the ground.


    ¡®Second lesson. Stop ignoring system messages. They¡¯re real and can save your life. When was the last time you saw words made of water appear in front of your eyes?¡¯ said Mike.


    Pushing herself back onto her feet Carissa settled into a wrestler¡¯s stance, boxing wasn¡¯t going to work when the man could smash the club into her balled up fist. She needed to get close and take him onto the ground, then she could use fists against him.


    ¡®You¡¯ve had some training, not military but likely private. I don¡¯t recognise the style but I can see the confidence in your posture. If you don¡¯t try and fight then I need to come to you. Which would you prefer Lady Carrisa?¡¯ said Mike.


    Holding the club and patting it lightly in one hand Mike kept his distance from Carissa before he moved forward and slashed the club in her direction making her back off.


    ¡®Getting in close, a good plan but you¡¯re too focused on me and not your environment. This is my main boat. Do you think that I call it that out of a sense of privilege or to indulge my ego?¡¯ said Mike.


    Taking the wooden club Mike slammed it on the floor and stared at Carissa. One of the floor planks from the wooden structure of the lookout tower next to them bent as it loosened, broke off and wrapped itself around Carissa¡¯s ankle. Her movement immediately became restricted in her leg and she resisted the temptation to try and pull it off.


    She remained crouched; hands up ready to charge in. Mike lifted up the wooden club and his posture slacked slightly as he rested the weapon on a shoulder. He took in a deep breath and released it, sighing.


    ¡®Carissa. Do you think you¡¯re in your own reality? You¡¯re not even worth fighting, not because of your physical abilities, or rather the lack of them, but to be honest everything about you is screaming prey to my senses. What¡¯s left of them after arriving to this place.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I keep hearing various hints and pieces. What is this place? This experiment? Why were we taken here? Why was I taken here?¡¯ questioned Carissa.


    She still circled Mike, keeping a healthy gap beneath herself and him, with one eye on the central lookout tower that lay in the middle of the roof. The wooden plank wrapped around her leg made it difficult to move but she was more concerned about exactly how he did it.


    ¡®That trick with the wood, this whole structure, Sherry, you, it¡¯s all designed to test me, is it? You know who I am and this is some kind of sick game to make me suffer. Did Liam convince you to do this? HOW MUCH WERE YOU PAID FOR THIS? I WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE!¡¯ shouted out Carissa.


    Mike stopped in his tracks and placed his wooden club back into his belt.


    ¡®.¡­We need a drink. I need a drink. Another crazy one, a bit broken but crazy. I can see that trying to beat some sense into you isn¡¯t going to work. Fine, this is going take some explaining to Sherry but¡­here we go. I¡¯m not trying to hurt you; nobody is trying to hurt you. Well, not here at least. You follow my rules and the rules of the community and we all protect each other.¡¯ said Mike as he rubbed his eyes with both hands.


    Carissa ignored the wood wrapped around her ankle and rushed at Mike, her teeth bared and her hands open as she snarled towards him when he dropped both hands to the floor and the wood beneath her feet peeled up and wrapped around her legs and arms causing her to fall to the floor face first.


    ¡®Lady, I really don¡¯t want to have to silence you or restrict you any more than absolutely necessary. We¡¯re going to sit down and I¡¯ll bring Sherry back and everyone else and we can have a peaceful, meaningful conversation. How does that sound?¡¯ said Mike.


    Her mind had been stretched to her absolute limits; she had lost track of how much time had passed in this place. Carissa did the only thing she was able to do. She sucked in a breath and began to scream.


    ¡®I see. The hard way it is. This is going to hurt a little for both of us. You need to learn your suit can¡¯t protect you from everything. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll reset quickly enough and you won¡¯t drown. Take a deep breath Carissa. It¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ said Mike. A look flashed through his eyes, perhaps sadness.


    The wooden decking beneath Carissa shifted and creaked as it created a hole for her to drop through, taken by surprise her body involuntary took a breath inwards as she went into free-fall and after a few seconds fell into a body of the same sea water in which she had found herself in when she had first arrived with one difference.


    Her restricted movements meant that she was unable to turn around and her screaming had left her mouth wide open to swallow water. The water was deep enough for to sink down into but when had body had fallen sufficiently to the bottom, she was able to make out wooden boards beneath here before she began to rise back to the surface.


    Her skintight suit only responding to her will when she focused on it. Both the shock of the fall, the restriction and the earlier blow from the wooden club had disorientated her enough that she panicked in the moment.


    Carissa involuntary swallowed an amount of the water as a portion went both into her lungs and stomach causing her pain when it combined with the intake of breath she had taken earlier. The grey skin suit refused to respond to her as her mind remained confused, there was a disconnect a part that was refusing to engage.


    Part her training, deep down inside her, reacted and she closed her mouth. Fighting through the impulse to spit the water out of her mouth she forced herself to swallow it before she willed her intent on the skintight suit to close over her face and mouth. This time it responded.


    Carissa remained bound in her fixed position, her legs and arms still wrapped around with wood from the lookout deck but she was able to breath and her eyes were protected. Her body became buoyant as she floated to the surface and she was turned around onto her back as her bindings shifted and lifted up above the water.


    The pool was deep enough that she heard his voice with a slight echo to it, he was above her, high enough up that she couldn¡¯t see him. She didn¡¯t understand how he appeared here so fast but he could have used the same trick as with her.


    The voice of the same man who had tried putting her through a combat assessment before he lost patience and she temporarily lost control of her own emotions.


    ¡®I can¡¯t see you. This place¡­is this a moon pool?¡¯ she asked.


    A deep hole in the bottom of a boat or a research vessel designed for divers to make their way into the water directly and which also provided stability to the boat. One this size also explained why the motion of the main structure wasn¡¯t overly affected by the motion of the waves. The rational part of her mind kicking in, trying to analyse to understand, anything to restrict any further outburst of emotion. It fed her information without her understanding, her mind trying to gauge the size and purpose of this one.


    ¡®Clever guess. Yes, we use it for our essential dives into the ocean. We make a few trips here and there when we need supplies or materials. You¡¯ll find out tomorrow when we¡­well. You appear to have cooled down far faster than I originally anticipated. Interesting.¡¯ said Mike.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡®A moon pool. For trips underneath the surface. But this one is surrounded by wood. Remove my restraints. As relaxing as it is lying on my back, I¡¯d prefer we have a face-to-face conversation. At least let me climb out of here.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®Not my favourite trick to try but you needed to cool down Carissa, badly. I¡¯m not working with many options here. Frankly, we don¡¯t have the facilities or help that you need. You¡¯re either a junkie or something very important to you has been removed. Lying down isn¡¯t helping you. I¡¯ll fix that.¡¯ said Mike.


    He left the edge of her sight and her back was pushed up out of the water as the wooden restraints on her body loosened and drifted away from her body and she found herself able to tread water. Putting her face down she saw nothing below her except wooden boards, deep enough for her to swim down, at least several metres but no sign of an open ocean.


    ¡®No. This doesn¡¯t make any sense. The air pressure means that the moon pool needs to be exposes openly to the water below your boat, not covered with bare wood. This space needs to be an open shaft. You did this?¡¯ questioned Carissa as she treads water and swam her way around the space.


    Several metres wide and far down enough that she could see the ceiling several metres above her head, no signs of any ladders or chains to lower any equipment to the pool from what she could see.


    ¡®Your suit has basic functionality but it¡¯s not designed to protect you in combat between players or much else in this place. In other words, you won¡¯t drown as long it maintains enough cohesive material, take enough treads though and sploosh!¡¯ said Mike as he gestured a mock explosion with his fingers.


    ¡®As for the wet porch, or moon pool as you call it, we don¡¯t want any unwelcome visitors making their way through it and up into the main structure. I told you; this place is more dangerous than you think. As for the air pressure, you¡¯ll find that the water in this place is special. The gods essentially control it. Magic, science or nonsense. Regardless, it works. You had enough of treading water?¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa looked up while treading water and saw his face appear over the edge, arms crossed. He looked down at her, a pitying expression on his face before he ran a hand over the stubble on his head and gestured as a wooden ladder appeared from the sides of the walls.


    ¡®Here you go. Climb up and I promise, no more tricks. I¡¯ll even step back and give you some distance, even make a few chairs so we can have a nice, polite and civil chat.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa heard his footsteps as she gently pushed herself to the ladder, water rapidly drying on her body as she climbed up, one hand and foot on each rung. None were slippery as her covered feet made good purchase on each one.


    Only when she had climbed to the top of the ladder, she could see exactly how far she had dropped and the hole in the ceiling which had vanished as though it had never been there.


    A long drop, at least fifteen metres from the top down into the bottom of the pool. She had been lucky not to have hurt herself on the sides or Mike had planned well for it. Her hands reached onto the ledge and she clambered up and over to see two beautifully decorated chairs further away from the edge.


    Mike pushed one chair away from the other and backed off, both hands up in a universal sign of peace. He gestured towards one chair while taking a seat in the other, crossing a leg over and sitting up straight.


    Carissa took a seat on the other chair. Wary if this was going to be another trick, she managed to shift her own chair further away from the edge of the moon pool, closer towards the wall. The lightness of the wood surprised her but when she took a seat it was more comfortable than she had been anticipating.


    ¡®Chas, you can bring the drinks in now. Take it out of my personal ration allowance this time. She won¡¯t see you as a threat and this young lady needs a calm voice. Chas!¡¯


    Carissa hadn¡¯t noticed the movement, her eyes fixed on the main threat to her, as Chas walked in the room, his movements slow and calm. His previous Hawaiian shirt changed into a brighter yellow one, the expression on his face disinterested.


    Chas plopped himself down on the floor between both chairs and crossed his legs, each hand holding a grey medium sized opaque container.


    He gave Carissa an awkward smile and hand wave. He rocked side to side as though riding a wave.


    She willed the mouth and nose on her suit to peel backwards, but kept her brown-reddish hair covered. Her beautiful hair would remain clean. A comb, she was in desperate need or a comb.


    ¡®Gods will you find your way pretty lady. This place isn¡¯t yours. No peace for you until you find your path. Beauty and power.¡¯ said Chas.


    Shaking his head side to side slowly his messy black hair shook and he settled down both containers to his side before closing his eyes.


    ¡®Great, you know what I don¡¯t need to hear at this moment? More of your cryptic junk. Either let me go or throw me back into the water. I¡¯m done with you, done with this place, done with¡­all this.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She¡¯d met the man before and all he offered her was nonsense. All everyone was offering her was nonsense. No clear answers, no explanations that made sense. All this talk of candidates and players and even gods. Nonsense the lot of it.


    ¡®The gods demand but they give. Transformation is available to those with the power. Beauty and power. You can demand both. Or you can choose the one with the sharpened teeth.¡¯ said Chas.


    ¡®Chas, settle down. You made your point but given that everyone is due to be back here soon we need to resolve this issue before we make a final choice. You know why I built this place and what we stand for. Everything would be a whole lot easier if the tutorial was still functioning but the gods love their little tricks. Mm, Carissa, let me ask you a single question.¡¯


    Mike paused for a moment, he crossed his legs and folded his arms before tilting his head to the side.


    ¡®You can choose to answer me or not but if you answer me honestly, we¡¯re going to sit here, I¡¯m going to drink, you¡¯re welcome to have some if you like and I¡¯ll answer all of your questions. We can even give you some food for your empty stomach. You can deny physical hunger with energy from the suit on but your body is going to need sustenance soon. It¡¯s an aid not a life support device, we know this from experience.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Food. Give me something to eat and I¡¯ll answer. You bring me here, question me, beat me and then you try to torture and shock me? Food first. Fresh. Protein.¡¯ growled Carissa.


    ¡®We¡¯re getting somewhere. Chas, bring me that bucket back there with the fresh squid. It was caught earlier, dead but relatively fresh. Also, you¡¯re going be the one feeding her and don¡¯t give me that look, you could have had the decency to offer her anything to eat or drink. Carissa, don¡¯t try to hurt Chas, he¡¯s harmless if a little mad. He turned up here after a few ordeals more than you did. Also, we have chum water or plain water. Do you have a preference?¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Food and water first. No more talking.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®Chas, just get the bucket and take the chum water bottle. I think the lady here prefers the taste of blood given how she bit into my hand earlier. Doesn¡¯t hurt by the way, all healed up.¡¯ said Mike.


    Opening his eyes slowly, Chas uncrossed his legs and went back into the doorway with a small metal bucket which exuded a strong smell, Carissa knew it well, squid.


    He took one of the grey opaque containers and walked over to her keeping himself at a distance as he pulled out part of a chopped squid and held it close to her mouth.


    Carissa bit into it and let the rest slide deep into her stomach, the water from earlier was still there and she wanted to throw it up and kept biting as she was fed from the bucket by hand until it was finished.


    ¡®Drink.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®The water, it changes and limits. Don¡¯t stay in the water. Your drink.¡¯ said Chas.


    He opened the seal and held it gingerly to her mouth, allowing Carissa to take small gulps of the liquid within. As promised it was a mixture of diluted fish blood and water.


    She hadn¡¯t known how much her body needed the food and drink until her limbs began to ache less and her mood immediately settled down.


    ¡®There we go. Peace, gods be willing that you find your way. This is the start. A full stomach soothes savage tempers.¡¯ said Chas as he recapped the container and picked up the now empty bucket before walking back through the doorway.


    ¡®Stick it back in storage to be cleaned by another member of the group Chas and see if the others have arrived back yet. I need Sherry to stay with them until we¡¯re ready to introduce Carissa to our little clan. But this all depends on her decision; we¡¯re not going to keep her here if she doesn¡¯t want to.¡¯ said Mike.¡¯


    ¡®Empty words from a man who keeps a woman bound against her will after dropping her into a pool of water face first.¡¯ said Carissa.


    As an afterthought she called after Chas as he walked through the same door that he entered.


    ¡®Thank you for the food and drink Chas. That was sweet of you.¡¯ she softly spoke.


    Mike smiled and relaxed in his chair stretching out.


    ¡®You do have manners. And now for my question, it¡¯s really simple and you don¡¯t even have to tell me everything about yourself. A one-word answer. I promise I¡¯ll loosen your restraints and we can have a civilised conversation as long as you don¡¯t try to attack me. Even answer your questions and give you answers that you never knew you wanted. Good deal, right?¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa hardened her features. Her stomach and thirst were quenched and while the mixture of the ocean water was causing her stomach some discomfort, she was sure it would pass.


    ¡®I have my own question first.¡¯ she asked.


    Mike nodded his head.


    ¡®Always the same, every single candidate who wears that suit and turns up here asks me the same question after we feed them. Your waste and urine are processed by the suit and released as the same ocean water surrounding us. A good way to avoid detection by predators, I don¡¯t know how it works only that it does. Some of us prefer the old-fashioned ways though, best way to secure decent fertilizer and¡­we¡¯re wasting time. I¡¯m going to cut to it and ask you outright. What¡¯s the name of the planet where you came from?¡¯


    Carissa was confused. Out of all the questions that she had anticipated, this wasn¡¯t one of them. Her hands tightened their grip on the chair handles beneath her.


    ¡®Excuse me?¡¯ she asked.


    ¡®.¡­Carissa, what is the name of the planet you came from?¡¯ asked Mike. He rested a hand on his head as though he was tired and he squeezed his eyelids tightly for a second.


    ¡®Bephus. I¡¯m from Bephus. Why, what planet are you from?¡¯ replied Carissa.


    ¡®..Doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ said Mike. His features saddened slightly.

 Chapter 7 – Vitamin Sea

    ¡®I hoped but..forget it. Bephus¡­.Bephus¡­hmm. Familiar. We¡¯ve got all kinds of people from all kinds of places who wash up on this planet. You¡¯re from a planet called Bephus and I¡¯m¡­.not. And we end up with the third lesson which I was trying to teach you before you had a complete breakdown. Not all your fault though, I pushed you too hard. A problem of mine, I push people beyond their limits early on.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®No. what planet do you come from?¡¯ asked Carissa as her brain tried to catch up with the conversation.


    Experiment or not, she would be better served to buy into his words during this place and time rather than fight. At least for now. She would need to verify this with other people.


    Liam would have called her naive but he had always appreciated her ability to both imagine and adapt to circumstances. She¡¯d try her best.


    ¡®We¡¯re on another planet. And you expect me to take this at face value? Sorry if I don¡¯t implicitly trust your words after all of your actions. I won¡¯t fight or scream but I need to verify this, to understand it better before I can accept. I was a scientist once and not a trusting one at that. Do you get my point Mike?¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®An understandable one but still¡­the third lesson is that this isn¡¯t your reality. Not your planet, not your plane of existence, not an experiment by a bunch of rich people with nothing better to do then make people suffer. My home planet is nothing special, got an ocean much as yours does I imagine. Except for the clone slave batches privately owned by companies. Surprised they never got together and decided to change the name of the planet in the name of capital flows¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®And the name?¡¯ Carissa questioned.


    ¡®Both have oceans. Try to imagine something different, there are a bunch of gods. Can you imagine that? Beings of power and ability who get bored one day, a whole load of them who are supposed water or ocean related gods decide to begin flooding planets for the purposes of a game. The winner becomes another god. Or you can get be a runner-up and become a demi-god. Those are real by the way. Dangerous and you need to stay far, far away from them until you get strong enough.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Gods¡­ocean gods¡­this is a game? They flooded an entire world for a game?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    ¡®In short yes, they designed it and normally you¡¯d have a tutorial stage and everything but something went wrong. They got bored and all the original players died out or were transformed into demi-gods. In short, they upped the difficulty level. The system which they designed was¡­altered in some way. I¡¯m not clear on it, I heard all of this from one of the original players. A survivor. This guy survived to a high point in the game but refused to become a demi-god so they sort of left him alone. You might even meet the guy later, he¡¯s immortal. Sort-of. Loves sharks.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®No. This is a lie, a fabrication, you¡¯re¡­¡¯ started Carissa before they were interrupted by the voice of Sherry calling through the doorway.


    ¡®Mike, everyone is back. Did you find out where Carissa is from so I can share it with everyone? She could meet someone from her own reality. They could help her.¡¯ said Sherry.


    Mike turned his head back from his chair and shouted back through the doorway.


    ¡®Bephus. She¡¯s from somewhere called Bephus. The name sounds familiar to me so share it around with the others. No, wait. Hold off on that, Carissa needs her own privacy. She can share when fully prepared. None of them listen, they need to listen and understand but none of them do. This one is no different to any others. Carissa. Focus on me. Damn it.¡¯


    He refocused his attention on Carissa. Her attention began to break down as she absorbed the words he spoke so casually. The scientist part of her wanted evidence, trial and error but the part of her who had was in the process of being transformed into a new being rejoiced at the news. It felt opportunity.


    Against her own will, Carissa¡¯s tongue ran over her sharpened teeth. Hunger ran through her body. She struggled to gain conscious hold over her actions, forcing herself to listen to the spoken words of this man who was either mad, an actor or telling the complete truth to a stranger whom he barely knew.


    ¡®You need to listen to me carefully. This place is real, we¡¯re living in a world flooded by gods who want us to play a game and win. There are supports for players in the device called system but there is another way. You don¡¯t need to play to win. There are gates, ocean gateways which were used to flood the world. Reverse or destroy them and the gods lose their power. Bear in mind that this is only what one of the original players told me. Are you following me? I can call in everyone else if you need to accept this as reality. Or you¡¯re welcome to go out on an inflatable raft with Sherry and find out the truth.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I¡¯m supposed to accept this? You abuse me, restrict me and I¡¯m your guest in a chair next to a moon pool. I appreciate your best efforts but you need to explain more or this conversation is finished.¡¯ replied Carissa.


    The wooden structure around them creaked and swayed gently and Mike touched the wooden floor that he was sitting on as he leaned down in his chair. The doorway in which Chas had passed through closed as a door swung shut.


    ¡®A guest without restriction. I think that we¡¯ve been more than reasonable up to this point. Sherry rescued you from the ocean and we¡¯ve invited you here without requesting anything in return. Not even a promise to work for us but an opportunity to put skills to short, the test. Last chance, you shut up and listen or you can stand up from that chair, jump back into that pool and go straight through the bottom of my craft into the open ocean. You¡¯ll survive for a while with your new suit and find another group or not. The only reason that I¡¯ve tolerated you up to now is the fact that we¡¯ve all been there and without a tutorial we¡¯re trying our best to help others to survive. Agree or don¡¯t. Make a decision Carissa.¡¯


    Given her circumstances Carissa decided to take the survival decision. This was it, Her new reality then. A drowned world with so-called gods and their own game. She would have to learn how to adapt, to restore herself and become the one object of true beauty she wanted. Her implants and other physical modifications were damaged, the words she had seen in front of her eyes what seemed like days ago made clearer sense.


    By using internal enhancements, she was breaking the rules of the game. Using a form of hydro kinesis of her own design with her physical abilities boosted beyond human levels would put here above a large number of other starting players.


    The answer to make it fair was simple in her case, she was punished by having them disabled and not being provided basic survival equipment.


    From what she had seen of Mike having the ability to control the surrounding wooden structure with his bare hands, magic was a possibility here, which meant that mermaids could be real. The chairs, the ladder, the hole in the floor. All of it obeyed him.


    ¡®Your ability, to control the wood of this ship when you touch it with your hands. Is that magic? An ability of a player in this flooded game world? A water god provided it to you when you prayed? Is that how it works?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    ¡®You know Carissa, when you ask another player for direct information about their abilities you¡¯re going to find a hostile reception. I¡¯d also keep your own close to your chest, having secrets means power in this place. I myself am vaguely aware of the powers of those around me. But my abilities are related to three things, this boat and community, control of the wooden structure and the ability to find more wood to add to it. A god provided the electrical power¡­in a way.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Driftwood. You can control driftwood. Or you can use it to build.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    She allowed herself to relax a little in the chair.


    ¡®To a degree. Usually, the stuff is so contaminated that it¡¯s not fit to use but in this place the rules are a little different. I¡¯m able to have a steady flow to build and repair as it flows on the oceans towards me, not enough as I¡¯d like but the whims of the gods are fickle. They have all the power unless a player was to eventually join their ranks and change their minds. We¡¯re getting beside the point here. I need you to stop ignoring the system, accept the messages and the slight pull in your mind. The brain...undergoes a few changes when you first arrive here. You lot are far luckier than me and my original crew were though. Less pain.¡¯ said Mike.


    With a little concentration Carissa acknowledged the tug on the edge of her mind, she had been fighting against it unconsciously, either out of shock or anger but when she allowed it the familiar words made of water appeared in front of her eyes. The text had changed, barely.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402 you have been provided with randomly chosen basic starter equipment.


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Body Modification (Disabled) basic starter equipment removed.


    -You are status: Player-Candidate


    -First Goal: Survive for 7 hours.


    -Bonus Goal: Find other Starter Candidates and Survive as a group for 7 hours


    -Reward: Basic bone-based weapon, Fishing Line, Bonus Goal: Harpoon with Leash, additional HTS mode enabled for Player-Candidate 5428119402. Carissa. You need to live to meet me. A friend.]


    The last portion of the message was odd, given how Mike was looking at her with a thoughtful gaze as her eyes effectively read invisible message to his eyes, she was showing visible physical signs of reading the text. Even if it was only inside her own brain.


    ¡®...Can you read the message? Does it become visible to you? Do I need to find a way to block other people from reading these¡­system messages from this game of gods?¡¯ questioned Carissa.


    Mike shook his head gently; a sad smile came across his face.


    ¡®Carissa, I¡¯ve been here for a long, long time. I¡¯m an old man. Older than you would believe. The game doesn¡¯t change, not in these early stages, there are variations yes but the essentials are the same. I could even read it out mostly word for word. The Ocean Gateway system is a tool of the water gods. There are stages involved, the first is when you click on the floating icon that drags you to this place, it offers opportunity and adventure and most press without thinking. Given that you¡¯ve already located fellow survivors or candidates you¡¯re on a countdown to acquire a bone weapon. Am I close?¡¯


    The last part of the message was odd, it addressed her directly and although Mike had been rough and abrupt he hadn¡¯t actively tried to hurt her.


    ¡®Mike, you said that there are variations from this¡­Ocean Gateway. Does that include personal messages directly to players?¡¯


    Frowning, Mike sat back in his wooden seat, relaxed and placed both hands behind his back before clicking his tongue a few times.


    ¡®No. Not unless¡­. no. I¡¯m not going into that. I¡¯m sorry, I promised answers. I can tell you this, the Drowned gods are varied and choose their own champions, eventually. You¡¯d be surprised at what tricks they can do when inclined, the demi-gods are pure examples of that. Dreams turned reality. Messy though from what I¡¯ve heard. What you most wish for granted reality doesn¡¯t always turn out well. All of them are highly dangerous though, at this point you¡¯d be dead within seconds trying to fight one. I¡¯m getting off track here, personal messages to players are entirely personal. I¡¯d advise not sharing that information with others, not even those you can trust. Yet.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa frowned. She had seen messages previously but had assumed that it was the work of the suit using an augmented reality overlay on her eyes. Part of an experiment. She hadn¡¯t been wrong; it was just that the experiment was a game by gods. Insane gods of the ocean.


    She raised her gaze towards Mike. Willing the suit to retract further, this time it responded flowing back over the surfaces of her skin so it only covered her torso and lower body, her legs and arms were exposed as was her face, nose and hair.


    ¡®I had a dream once. A purpose to become something more beautiful than anything and live a life of total freedom. Do you think that using the magic of the gods it¡¯s possible?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    Mike sat back on his chair and rubbed his chin with one hand.


    ¡®Freedom¡­in this place you need power. Would you like to know where we are presently? I mean the location in this game of the gods, not my own attempt at a refuge for players lacking tutorials.¡¯ Mike said.


    Carissa frowned. She ran a hand through her long reddish-hair, not all of her genetic alterations failed given her glossy hair had barely any impact from being soaked in the water or either via the suit.


    She recalled that Mike had demanded her to bite her hand.


    ¡®Your hand, it healed. I knew I drew blood with my teeth and it healed almost instantly, the blood never flowed out of here.¡¯ she said.


    Mike smiled and held up his hand.


    ¡®Still hurt though. Remember that I told you that we¡¯re mostly human here. I don¡¯t think the ocean gods want pure baseline humans in their game, at least not only them, they like to mix things up a little. Hi, I¡¯m Mike, a genetically modified slave caste. Designed to operate on the ocean for extended periods of time, don¡¯t get hungry or thirsty, no sunburn and my wounds heal quickly. But a lot of the good stuff was taken out of me, my technological mount was removed along with a few others pieces. The gods don¡¯t want anyone having an easy ride. Believe me, you¡¯re lucky that Sherry picked you up when she did. Some of the encounters in this place are bad, a few of the inhabitants even worse. We need to eat now, that¡¯s enough time chatting.¡¯ said Mike.


    Mike held both hands up in an attempt to placate her.


    ¡®All we¡¯re trying to do is give you what the non-existent tutorial should have given you. A stable place to recover, learn how to use a few skills and then you make your choices. In return you offer your support and class abilities to us for a relatively short time.¡¯


    Carissa had a puzzled expression on her face as she ran her fingers through her hair. She¡¯d need a comb, a decent one to undo any tangles. The alterations should have stopped it but combing her own hair would relax her.


    ¡®I don¡¯t understand your kindness but I¡¯ll accept your terms. Are you planning on feeding me bloodied water and raw seafood again?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    ¡®Forgive me, but I don¡¯t think I want to keep sitting in your chair of exile. Time to meet the rest of your community.¡¯ she stated with hands on her hips.


    She¡¯d had enough questions that hadn¡¯t been answered but they would over time, she¡¯d need to adjust herself to this new reality, this new place. She stood up and made herself over to the closed door.


    ¡®Great, follow me. And give yourself time to adjust, everyone sinks the first time. As long as you remember that I can only offer you support and guidance, danger is going to exist no matter what I want.¡¯ said Mike.


    He stood up and squatted down, placing both hands on the ground and both chairs receded back into the wooden driftwood floor. The wooden club on his makeshift belt shifting as his movement.


    ¡®Your sharp teeth. They¡¯re not standard design on your world are they? I was altered before I was even grown, you¡¯ve got a similar look as one who was generated. I hope your Master or Mistress didn¡¯t get angry at their loss. I¡¯m going to introduce you to the rest of my community and we¡¯re not going to have any more conflict, are we? At least, not the physical kind. Everyone else has player status unless they¡¯re new born like yourself so my advice is not to get involved.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa decided not to respond, she had enough to digest in her own thoughts and letting her emotions settle a bit would help her mind clear up. The room itself that she first been dropped into the water was bare in nature, the moon pool in the middle had been large enough to fit far more than her. Perhaps it would give a chance to explore, to research and discover more in this new world from a position of relative safety.


    As Mike opened the closed door and stepped through Carissa heard voices up ahead, following him, she heard the voices of Sherry and Chas which she recognised but several others she didn¡¯t.


    Putting a bright smile on her face without showing too much of her teeth and ensuring that her hair was flowing behind her she walked to meet the rest of the inhabitants on this floating driftwood boat.

 Chapter 8 – Betrayer of Worlds

    The wooden doors were inlaid with different patterns, each one with seashells, rocks, polished colourful stones and random broken parts of sea creatures which Carissa failed to recognise. Each door had the same type of wooden, identical to her eye.


    Each door that she had seen was closed, barring her vision of what lay inside. The open doorway behind her had rippled as a door that had disguised its surface ripped and closed the open doorway.


    Farewell to the torture and exile room.


    He¡¯d never threatened her with it, not directly as in he¡¯d carry it out if she failed to follow his instructions Mike would remove the wooden boards remove, drop her directly into the waiting ocean and let the currents wash her away, the same as he would with any other detritus.


    The main part which Carissa didn¡¯t understand was why the leader Mike was giving her more than enough opportunities to survive and learn. She had little to offer, and even if she did have basic starter equipment, he was a player with abilities far beyond her own. He surely had enough gear of his own that having hers meant little. All of this had to do with the lack of a tutorial but he was still out to give her a degree of basic protection and training.


    But the way in which he had beaten her earlier and taken action without pause made her understand that he was a leader to deal with the rest of their threats.


    ¡®.¡­Carissa? You still with me? I asked if you had any thoughts about the doors. Not the style that I preferred but it¡¯s a solution that we came up with over the years. Can¡¯t raid a castle easily if you have no idea where everything is stored. At least weapons and protection equipment wise, good deterrent for raiders and pirates. We do have limited protection within this region, in no way it¡¯s as bad as the others, but it pays off being careful.¡¯ asked Mike as he strode ahead of her, taking his time to place a hand on the driftwood walls occasionally.


    ¡®.¡­I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention. The part when you had me trapped underwater against my will after beating me around trying to gauge my capabilities as a fantasy player in a game took a little energy out of me. Oh, and the makeshift interrogation on your chair of exile added to the flavour. All of this after you promised me answers.¡¯ said Carissa, pausing in following Mike.


    Despite just leaving the doorway behind her, once the opening had closed the rest of the inside of the structure was the same style. They could have walked in a full circle and she wouldn¡¯t have known. Brushing a hand through her hair she stopped walking and corrected her posture, standing straight.


    An ache came into her brain as images made of flowing water filled her vision. Carissa stopped herself putting a hand to the side of the wall and tried her best to look through the words, to focus her attention on Mike and prove her own point.


    The message continued, words demanding her attention and understanding.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402 you have been provided with randomly chosen basic starter equipment.


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Body Modification (Disabled) basic starter equipment removed.


    -You are status: Player-Candidate


    -First Goal: Survive for 6 hours.


    -Bonus Goal: Removed due to Candidate Penalties.


    -Reward: Basic bone-based weapon, Fishing Line, Bonus Goal: Harpoon with Leash, additional HTS mode enabled for Player-Candidate 5428119402. Carissa. Follow him.]


    The words were different again with another personal message directly put at her. Either there was someone who had hijacked the Ocean Gateway System a was directly targeting her or she was the chosen of a god. Either way she didn¡¯t care much and shrugged her shoulders, she was getting to grips with the language that was spoken her easily enough.


    ¡®Ocean Gateway system message, reminder to survive for six hours for a reward.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Her hands playing with her long hair before she flicked it behind her, letting it flow behind her back. She¡¯d tie it up or cut it short.


    Mike gave her a strange look before he shrugged his own shoulders and began walking again. This time keeping one hand on the wooden club on his belt and trailing another barely touching the walls with his fingers.


    After another two metres he stopped in front of another door. This one a similar style and design as the rest except for one difference. There were voices from within, Carissa recognised two of them as Sherry and Chas. One was busy chatting and the other was slower, minimum. The other voices she didn¡¯t recognise. Male, female any. It didn¡¯t matter.


    Waiting around wasn¡¯t going to solve anything. Carissa pushed in front of Mike and knocked on the door, loudly and the voices within stopped.


    ¡®...We have a rule. One single rule. And you just broke it. Joking, joking. Please enter freely. The rest of our little crew is happy to meet you and while our numbers do vary at least you¡¯ve already met the main three.¡¯ said Mike.


    He gestured with his hand as Carissa pushed open the door to find a larger room than she had been expecting with a large table bench with rows of chairs on each side, a kitchen or food preparation area and a table large set with metal plates, cutlery, jugs and various dishes and drinks set in front.


    Smaller plates of what looked to her eyes made of carved bone held a variety of snacks including eyeballs of various sea creatures. A figure worked down the end at the kitchen but was facing away from her and all she saw was a shimmering blue robe and an apron along with tied back brown hair.


    Likely Chas but harder to tell from the back as she couldn¡¯t tell easily without getting closer and her own senses told her that she needed sustenance. Barely holding in her own saliva at the sight of freshly prepared food she stepped into the room.


    The smell drew her in, hot cooked food was always a salve to those in survival situations and eating it would boost her mentally and physically.


    ¡®Please, take a seat. We can do the introductions when we¡¯re eating and drinking. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to find any more new candidates today.¡¯ said Mike as he positioned himself on the inner side of the doorway.


    He busied himself closing the door behind him and running his bare hands over it before he took a seat at the head of the table and took a larger metal plate and a jug for himself, eating and drinking without making additional conversation.


    The table had several more people than Carissa had originally been expecting, two of them she knew, Chas giving her a nod and sitting opposite him was Sherry who gave her a small smile and a wave before reaching out for more snacks to put on her own plate.


    Sitting next to her was a middle-aged man with balding hair and a slight paunch who was shaking in his seat as he kept talking to Sherry. He wore the same suit as hers, just as new without any signs of damage and a standard backpack covered in wave and turtle patterns.


    Carissa heard his conversation briefly before she took in the rest of the room, his voice was loud enough to hear over the rest of the conversations. Sherry just nodded her head and patted the man on the shoulder, her clear dislike for his attention on her face.


    ¡®.¡­What about the voices? I know I¡¯m not crazy but it¡¯s hard to ignore what we can see in front of our eyes. Everyone else has heard them, right? I¡¯m not the only one having a breakdown in front of complete strangers? Please, tell me I¡¯m not. Please¡­. I¡­I¡­¡¯ said the man as he sucked in a deep breath when he saw Carissa enter the room.


    Either he was taken aback from her appearance or he was surprised to see another person dressed the same as him. Carissa had little interest in the man personally, the fact that he had the same suit as her and a backpack simply meant that he was another candidate, one more unwilling player in this game of the gods. His skin was oddly pale though, not that she wanted to ask him directly.


    Inwardly sighing, Carissa took a seat. Although she had attended enough social functions in her own world, she had wanted freedom from the responsibility from them. To focus on her own life and her own dreams of becoming a true mermaid. For now, she would follow basic etiquette and manners, sitting next to either Chas or Sherry would mean that she would show herself to be familiar with only those she knew.


    Being expressive and sociable was another weapon in her toolbox, the ability to make connections and friendly relationships always came easier if you acted with confidence and had a good-looking physical appearance.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    She took a seat next to a woman wearing the same type of suit with extra clothing covering her body and a calmer appearance on her face.


    There was no backpack of other equipment with her and she wore a flowery pink t-shirt on with pink dolphins on the front along with a pair of shorts. Her feet were bare. She had shorter blond hair and a heavier muscular build than Carissa.


    ¡®I¡¯m taking a seat here. Nice to meet everyone, I¡¯m Carissa. You OK with me taking a seat here? From the looks of it, we¡¯ve got plenty of space and not enough to fill it up!¡¯ Practising her own heavily weakened own sense of humour, Carissa chuckled lightly as she took her own bone plate and filled it up with several of the snacks.


    She tried an eyeball first, enjoying the spiced flavour as it popped inside her mouth, the juices running down her throat and into her waiting stomach. The earlier meal of fresh squid and mixed blood and water having settled and mixed entire with the ocean water she had swallowed.


    Mike had told her that the suit made it easier to relieve yourself and would process waste so she had already tried earlier when they had been walking to this room. Not the most comfortable impression but efficient enough for an emergency, once she had eaten and drunk more, she¡¯d ask to use their bathroom facilities such as they were.


    Piling more snacks on her plate she reached for a piece of freshly roasted fish when the woman sitting next to her gripped her own outstretched hand and turned her face towards Carissa.


    A frown formed on Carissa¡¯s face and she focused on making the suit flow outwards again to protect her own skin from the grip of the other woman but her stomach growled with additional hunger stopping her mental action.


    She¡¯d already had a decent dose of conflict and been warned by Mike that she needed to be more aware of directly fighting against other players unless she was confident in her own skills and experience.


    Carissa turned her head and flashed a smile barely showing her teeth when she saw the face of the other woman blank over and her eyes dulled. This must have been how Mike had seen her own features when she had received a message from the Ocean Gateway system.


    Either that, or the woman was having a medical emergency or had been poisoned and was having a reaction. The food wasn¡¯t going to cause serious harm to her own constitution, altered as it was.


    Eating raw fish and drinking watered down sea creature blood had little effect either, although Carissa still wasn¡¯t sure if it was her own body giving the protection or the suit.


    ¡®Excuse me, you¡¯re holding onto my arm. Is the fish dangerous to eat or do we have another problem here?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    The features of the woman¡¯s face twitched as her eyes shifted and she let go of Carissa¡¯s arm before she turned towards Mike sitting at the top of the table and crossed her arms.


    ¡®Mike. We have an issue here. This woman, this¡­figure. You can¡¯t trust her. I¡¯ve received my own message from the Ocean Gateway system. Also, I know her, she¡¯s from my planet. Bephus. My home reality. She¡¯s a bad person. Close to being a criminal except everyone said she died. Or at least her poor ex-husband did. Such a lovely man. Tricked by a complete cow. I heard she had links with the Tourism Board.¡¯ said the woman as she made a gesture with her hands.


    His face partially stuffed with food, Mike took a metal jug with two hands and poured it into his mouth before he wiped his face clean with one rough skinned hand.


    ¡®I know Bonnie. She told me she¡¯s from Bephus Once, just once, I¡¯d like someone else to come from my own reality. Too many variants out there. It¡¯d make my pop culture references easier to understand. Bonnie, we stick to our rules here. This is a safe haven for tutorial of new players and we don¡¯t start physical fights. Either of you wants to leave this place and find your way to a Floating City then go for it but don¡¯t push it here. You¡¯d have to find your own way deep below or be forcefully dragged. I wouldn¡¯t wish that on a new Player Candidate.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I can appreciate that you found me and what your goals are but even with your strict training I¡¯m telling you that you don¡¯t want this woman here. She¡¯s a threat and completely insane. There were rumours spreading about her and her worthless husband, what she did with all the money she made, experiments on herself, trying to become a sea monster. She¡¯s insane. Evil and greedy. The woman is pure evil. You need to make her leave. I hate her.¡¯ said the woman as she crossed her arms and ignored Carissa.


    Mike pulled another metal jug and took a deep drink, this time breathing out hard as one hand patted his stomach in satisfaction.


    ¡®Sherry, Chas, you see this why I keep needed to have a strong drink with a little extra added. We work and work and nothing is appreciated. Bonnie, she¡¯s not an issue right now. Focus on your own training and class choices, then you need to level up and make your own choices. This is a community meal, we come here to eat, drink and have a chat. Bonnie, keep it calm. Sherry is there to listen you but she¡¯s still a human being. You can come and talk to me after we finish eating but keep it calm. Direk, the food isn¡¯t bad right? Meet Carissa, another new candidate, same as you. Mostly. Got her own message which she clicked on before she ended up in this place I bet.¡¯ said Mike.


    The man sitting next to Sherry had been nervously picking at his food, taking small bites and then putting the leftovers onto a larger plate next to him. He had several eyeballs on his plate left entirely untouched and a plastic cup next to him.


    ¡®Wait, you¡¯re talking about auditory hallucinations, right? Messages which only you can see? I¡¯m not crazy. Wait, are you talking about her?¡¯ said the man as he pointed towards Bonnie.


    Shaking her head she tightened her crossed arms and tilted her shoulder towards Carissa sitting next to her.


    ¡®No. And shut up about how you¡¯re suffering a nervous breakdown. Go and cry in your room again and shut the door. None of us want to keep hearing your nonsense. This woman is a direct threat to our immediate safety, she¡¯s not crazy like you, she¡¯s insane.¡¯ said the woman.


    Carissa, having listened to the woman constantly deriding her and then further insulting the other new candidate, who even if he was weak, didn¡¯t deserve her scorn stood up. Swallowing the food inside her mouth gulping it down her throat she turned her attention in the direction of Sherry and Chas.


    ¡®Excuse me. My name is Carissa. If you don¡¯t need me here then I¡¯ll leave. Sink or swim. This place is a joke. An experiment. I wasn¡¯t expecting one of you to be here, one of the radicals who blame me for all my actions. The oceans of our planet are clean once again. And we¡¯re done with this conversation. Thanks for the food and the rescue. I can find my own answers.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Sherry to come to her immediate rescue but she failed to mention a single word, just putting her hand on shoulder of the man sitting next to her and pushing him back into his seat. She whispered to him with a cupped hand before making a hand gesture towards Mike.


    ¡®We¡¯re done here then. Finish your food and head to your room, either myself, Chas or Sherry will show to you to your lodgings. Bonnie, you know the rules, no leaving your room unless essential and one of us will be in the next room along if you need help.¡¯ said Mike as he also stood up.


    ¡®I don¡¯t say this often enough but nobody listens. I tell you how dangerous this place is and all you do is fight, scream or keep talking about how this reality is false. Chas, take care of Bonnie, Sherry, you go with Direk and make sure he calms down enough to get some rest. I¡¯ll take Carissa to her quarters. Oh, and since we¡¯re all here a gift is in order. Welcome to the flooded game of the gods, a token of our appreciation for your continued survival. Sell it, break it or use it. The Ocean Gateway system will identify it for you.¡¯ said Mike.


    Stooping down he reached his arms under the table and came up with three small wooden dolls, each carved in the likeness of the three player candidates.


    ¡®Catch or don¡¯t my little newborn players.¡¯ he threw them in turn and they landed on the table neatly in front of Carissa, Direk and Bonnie.


    Picking hers up immediately to study its Carissa received a mild headache and another message, this time a mixture of driftwood and water effects.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Player: Mike


    -Second-Life Statuette


    -Will absorb significant physical/mental damage.


    -Single Usage only.


    -Self-Destruction Upon Usage.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.]


    No personal messages this time.


    ¡®Thanks for the gift. Do these quarters have locks on the inside? I¡¯m asking for the sake of our personal safety. Also, not in the mood for anything else.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The small statuette shrunk slightly and wrapped a bracelet around her wrist, hanging off securely.


    Waving a hand, Mike dismissed her attempt at a joke.


    ¡®Yes. They lock on the inside and you have my word that you won¡¯t be disturbed. None of you will. When the two of you finish your food follow Sherry and Chas, they know the way. Carissa, with me please. We¡¯re leaving first to avoid any¡­complications with your friend from the same reality.¡¯ said Mike.


    Chas and Sherry agreed. Given that he hadn¡¯t said a single word during the entire time Carissa was wondering how he would communicate with the woman called Bonnie but given her temperament he might have been smarter to keep his mouth shut.


    Sherry gave her full attention towards the man called Direk as she shifted closer along her seat to him and gave him a shoulder massage which raised a surprised eyebrow from Carissa.


    The woman wanted contact with someone and likely she had been put off due to the actions of Carissa. Not that she was interested in that way to begin with. Or she other plans.


    None of my business as long as they don''t try to drown me when I''m asleep.


    Rather than talking she grabbed a jug of her own off the table and poured the contents into her mouth much as Mike had, the strong alcoholic liquid within burning her throat as it went into her stomach.


    ¡®Time for bed. Good night, everyone.¡¯ said Carissa with a smile and her own casual wave as she followed Mike out of the community eating room. She didn¡¯t wait for a verbal reply or care to listen to empty conversation any further.

 Chapter 9 – Hidden Friends Sink Deep

    The walk itself had been surprisingly short, even more so than when they had initially left the interrogation and exile room. The pattern of this place confused her senses though, each door was similar yet slightly different with no signs or words describing which each room was.


    As she walked, the wooden floor softened under her own feet, that or the high-quality alcohol that was entering her bloodstream was affecting her own judgement. She was more. relaxed at least.


    The food had been fresh and hot and filled her stomach and despite the outburst from the short-haired blonde woman called Bonnie and the nervous wreck calling himself Direk expressing his own clear psychological fears it had been nice to eat in the company of other humans.


    Suddenly, Mike stopped in front of a door, much the same as all the others. Carissa had been certain that they had walked all of five metres of less before stopping but the passageway was different in a way. Not familiar to her. The wooden ceiling above her head and floor below her feet bare and plain.


    ¡®It¡¯s one of my little tricks if you¡¯re wondering¡¯ said Mike as he pushed open the door to reveal a well-lit room with a single bed, glowing organic style bulb on the ceiling and a wooden chest next to it.


    A smaller enclosed area held a stand-up shower and toilet from what Carissa could see. A basic type of room, but she had been raised on a house boat and was used to the smaller space.


    ¡®All yours, a wooden space of her own, don¡¯t worry, the mattress and pillow are sponge and the sheets are freshly produced. We destroy them each day and grow new ones. Also, got your own shower and toilet, small though but it should suffice. The door locks from the inside and either I or the others enter only in an extreme emergency.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa stayed by the doorway as she listened to him talk further. She¡¯d go in on her terms once he stepped away rather than risk being locked inside against her will.


    ¡®Don¡¯t want any more conversation? I don¡¯t blame you, if I met someone from my home planet depending on their economic level they¡¯d have a few choice words for me. Think I was a genetic servant for them to boss around or worse, act as their bodyguard. Here, in this place we¡¯re all in danger but it also brings us a type of freedom of our own. Do you understand that?¡¯ said Mike as he leaned back on the opposite wall from the open door.


    ¡®I would prefer to be left alone if possible but more information is always welcome until we go our separate ways.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She had one foot inside the door and the other outside so she could make sure that the door opened and closed under her own control and not others. The day had been tiring enough on her body and mind already.


    ¡®I¡¯ll give you a breakdown, this place is technically owned by me but also according to the whims of the gods. We¡¯ve suffered raids before even though we¡¯re only a small community and the structure is constantly altering itself and rearranging. I think you¡¯ve had enough conversation, unless you¡¯d like to talk directly to Chas and Sherry, I think would prefer to be matched with you personally but she needs to take care of that other candidate at the moment. All of this, is part of the makeshift tutorial that we can come up with.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®And I¡¯ve just told you that I want to be left alone. If I had a weapon for self-protection, it would be a different matter. You¡¯re expecting me to go into a room and not be able to keep myself safe in case someone decides to break in or drops me into the water. That isn¡¯t a bedroom, more of a trap.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®Concentrate on your messages. You should be receiving one any second. Time inside this little community of ours tend to flow a little faster than most new players are aware of. The item I gave you will keep you safe in an emergency but check your own messages and check that chest by the bed. A bit of paranoia is healthy here, too much and you¡¯ll be scared to leave your room. I won¡¯t move an inch from this spot. Here, my hands are up.¡¯ said Mike.


    Holding both hands in front of him he leaned back against the wooden wall, a sad smile on his face told Carissa that he had done this before with other candidates he guessed. How many, she¡¯d never know unless he told her.


    ¡®Don¡¯t move.¡¯ she muttered as she focused her attention on the Ocean Gateway system messages.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa


    -(Classless)


    -First Goal Achieved! Survive for 7 hours.


    -Bonus Goal Achieved! Find other Starter Candidates and Survive as a group for 7 hours


    -Reward Accessible in Nearest Storage Area: Random Basic bone-based weapon, fishing line, Bonus Goal: Removed due to strict limits on Player Candidate.]


    No personal messages directed towards her again. Not that she was overly surprised, given how the man had been talking about hallucinations in that dining area she was aware that humans always tried to find connections even when none in fact existed.


    ¡®Good, you¡¯ve passed the first hurdle. No, I can¡¯t read your messages but I¡¯ve been through these enough times to guess what yo-¡¯. Mike stopped mid-sentence, his face frowning as his eyes flickered and he received his own message.


    ¡®Fine. I¡¯ve been¡­instructed that you need to check out the box in your room as it¡¯s filled with a few more items which you were cheated out of. Apparently. Please don¡¯t ask for more details. I¡¯m here to do my job and keep this micro-community secure. See you for breakfast, I¡¯ll be outside waiting when you¡¯re dressed and ready to go.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Wait!¡¯ said Carissa, her voice hurried.


    ¡®Lady, I¡¯ve had an extremely exhausting day and I¡¯m an old man. I¡¯d like to take my hands down if you¡¯re secure. Answers, questions, conflict, how about you let me go my room which is next to yours and we call it a night? Get a decent sleep and then breakfast, I need to go and brief Sherry and Chas before my work is done.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®One last question. Please.¡¯ Urged Carissa.


    ¡®Yes, the toilet works and the shower is fresh. A change of clothes is provided in the storage next to your bed. I don¡¯t choose them, Chas does. If you want to remove your suit and I highly recommend you don¡¯t, then you can get changed. Or just wear them on top of the suit, it should fit to the skin from what I remember. I¡¯m out of here, good night. Close your own door.¡¯ said Mike as he stumbled off down the corridor in the opposite direction they had arrived.


    Carissa watched him leave, still keeping one foot wedged inside the door as she grabbed the handle and closed it from the front before opening it again. She tried this several times and when only when she was certain that the door wouldn¡¯t lock behind her easily did, she step inside.


    The inner part of the door held a bolt that slid straight down across and a personal lock which she clicked shut. The metal that it was made off was similar to the same as she had seen in the community dining area. The bolt made of refined bone. Strong enough to be hard to break through but Carissa had watched Mike alter the wood using his bare hands.


    The room itself was a place to sleep but not a place of safety, Mike had told her repeatedly that there was no safe place here. His lesson was kept. Once she had secured the door Carissa willed the suit to peel back further until she was entirely naked by herself in the room. The only item remaining on her body was the small statue hanging around her wrist.


    The suit itself came off her skin and folded itself into a rectangular shape. Useful for transportation at least but given the protection she offered Carissa wouldn¡¯t have traded it for anything else. Not that she had been offered anything and Mike and his two friends showed little interest in the capabilities of it.


    As she held it between her bare hands, flakes of it brushed off and drifted down to the floor of her bedroom. The loss was barely apparent but it showed her that according to wear and tear the outfit provided for this game would eventually break down. It made sense to her that the gods wouldn¡¯t provide an essential resource for players without an expiry date.


    Carissa would truly appreciate the bathroom as long as it had a decent mirror. Her scars were healing but she was still beautiful, transformed and in a true state of becoming the object of her dreams.


    She would use this time wisely to work out how the messages from the Ocean Gateway worked, there had to be a far more efficient way of processing messages than have a physical limitation. If she had to fight or be in an emergency situation then it could be critical to avoid that situation where words obscured her vision or pain affected her mind, no matter how small.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡®Anyone here?¡¯ she called aloud. Mike had told her that he would be next door but the walls could have been thin enough for conversation or another means of listening to her.


    Instead, the small wooden statue which she had been gifted vibrated and when she touched it an impression came into her mind. The system at work again but this time identifying item, the same as previously but with additional information.


    [Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Player: Mike


    -Second-Life Statuette


    -Will absorb significant physical/mental damage.


    -Single Usage only.


    -Self-Destruction Upon Usage.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    -Secondary Use Detected: Physical Health Monitor


    This statue detects the physical health of the owner and provides feedback to the maker within a limited distance.]


    ¡®Another type of health monitor. Makes sense given that he¡¯s taking care of new players.¡¯ said Carissa aloud. For several seconds, she was tempted to break it, just to avoid being another form of tracking before she sighed and left it hanging around her wrist.


    Heading over to the shower and toilet area she stood inside to find more familiar looking metal inside. The door again was lockable and she closed it, finding a clean sponge towel and a wooden container filled with a type of body wash and turned it on, the flow of water flowing over her naked body and washing away her frustrations and anger.


    The water was burning hot on her skin and she lost track of how long she stood in the shower for. Her fingers ran across the scars on her abdomen and body, remembering how she had performed surgery on herself and all in vain up to this point.


    She¡¯d tried her best to ignore her own lack of ability but any thought of her own type of hydro kinesis was a waste of time. Her body failed to respond to the most basic of physical reactions and she wasn¡¯t even aware of how much she¡¯d been reduced.


    Still, she¡¯d began her life as a normal human and through training and self-discipline she¡¯d improve.


    All she needed was a decent workshop and sufficient tools and materials depending on the technological level of this flooded planet. A future project which Carissa mentally stored away, the flow of the water beginning to wrinkle her skin.


    All thoughts of her immediate plans put aside as the initial deluge from the slower began to slow to a trickle and finally end. Grabbing a towel Carissa touched the shower handle and it began to flow when she touched it and swiftly ended when she removed her touch.


    Interesting.


    A type of training.


    Carissa was used to the water, far more than most people usually were. Having been born onto a house boat she had learned to swim in the oceans of her world far before she had been able to even take her first steps.


    Water for her was almost second nature. And with the practical abilities of the suit when she wore it to provide a flow of enough air while being submerged, the downside was that she didn¡¯t know how much usage it would have left.


    Ignoring the shower towel hanging up Carissa walked out naked, water dripping off her long red-brown hair and onto the wooden floor. Her priority was the folded rectangular grey skin suit which had given her so much protection, then she could check the wooden chest for any useful materials. Items could be lost, taken or traded but the suit was an overlooked and highly valued piece of equipment. Weapons of bone and t-shirts could wait.


    Focusing her attention as she eld it in her hands she drew on the same ache in her brain which signalled the Ocean Gateway System. This was part of her, or it been installed as a piece of software within her physical form.


    All she had to was¡­take control. In the same way that her implants and genetic alterations had caused her so much pain initially, this would be the same. She would harness the power and make it her own.


    Mike had mentioned demi-gods, humans transformed by ocean gods into new forms. Her dream, usurped by insanity, by a game. An activity played for amusement.


    Murmuring to herself while holding the suit, Carissa didn¡¯t notice the tears that fell from her eyes.


    ¡®Dreams turned reality. He said dreams turned reality. I make my own reality. I MAKE MY OWN REALITY!¡¯ she cried out.


    The suit. She needed to pay attention to the suit, not her own hopes and dreams. If this failed, she¡¯d need the towel and the shower. Pain was something to either recover from or work through. Not to be accepted.


    ¡®Give me the details of the suit. I want details of the suit, capabilities, usage, how long it has before it breaks down. Give me details.¡¯ she said.


    As the water on her naked skin slowly evaporated, she shivered slightly, the steam inside the room from the shower cooling down her environment.


    Her eyes ached, the pain lessened somewhat as a message appeared in her immediate vision.


    Carissa fought through, trying to make her own vision adapt to the message. She needed it either non-visual or have a smaller range so she could see past it.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402


    -Carissa. No Cheating. Keep the Suit.]


    A personal message with her name. A reaction, the message left her vision and her eyes watered as she gripped the grey suit tighter with both hands, her fingernails digging deeper into the material with little effect.


    ¡®I need details of the suit. Give me the suit.¡¯ she spoke to herself.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402 Carissa


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Usage of the Ocean Gateway Entry System Candidate will be punished.


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Usage of the Ocean Gateway Entry System Candidate will be punished.


    Warning: Ocean Gateway grante-


    Warning: Due to Illegal Usage of the Ocean Gateway Entry System Candidate will be punished.


    Temporary physical penalty enabled.


    Warning: Further attempts to coopt Ocean Gateway System authority will receive further punishment.


    Warning: A Drowned Goddess is paying direct attention to the punishment.


    Carissa. Stop. Stop. Rest. Chest. Open. Sorry.]


    Pain. Immense pain struck her head in waves, each one hitting harder than the previously one causing Carissa to fall down to the floor. Unable to control her own physical movements her body twitched and trashed about before she was able to gain control of her own emotions.


    A smell came into her nose. An acrid smell, she had lost control and urinated over herself and the wooden floor of her bedroom. Lying on her side she curled up involuntarily, tears in her eyes and a taste of copper in her mouth as her sharpened teeth found purchase on her own tongue.


    Tears fell from her eyes, stress and pain filled her body and she opened her mouth to scream before finding that her voice was gone, taken away, air rapidly leaving her lungs before she was released.


    Carissa had experienced discomfort before and the pain was an experience for her as opposed to a punishment but she found the lack of physical control humiliating.


    Her clenched palms open as she forced her hands onto the floor, face still inhaling the smell of her own urine as her body had lost total control and crawled into the shower.


    Even if gods were responsible for this, Carissa would find them, find them and punish them eventually. She had known despair before and sadness but hate, true hate filled her veins now.


    She wasn¡¯t a toy for their amusement. Gripping the walls of the shower, Carissa grabbed the handle and activated it with a touch. Once the hot water fell on her skin and she was becoming steady enough to stand Carissa took the shower towel.


    If they wanted restrictions on her after removing so much of her hard-earned abilities then she would adapt. She would train herself to see through the system messages and make sure her body refused to respond physically. The wooden storage chest could wait a little longer.


    Once the towel was fully soaked, she wrapped it around her face, leaving enough air for her nose and a tiny gap for her mouth to gasp enough air under the flood of water. The sensation reminded her of her time inside isolation chambers in her youth.


    Positioning both of her hands and feet to avoid collapsing again she focused herself on the previous messages from the Ocean Gateway System.


    Slowly teaching herself under pressure and lack of oxygen with hot water blasting from the shower to alter the messages so they no longer appeared in her vision but her mind¡¯s eye.


    The last apology from the final message meant little but Carissa gleamed one meaning from it.


    Carissa held value in the eyes of a higher being. One of the Ocean Gods had an eye on her personally.

 Chapter 10 – Deep Item Diving

    She had slept well, even exhausted and drained, Carissa had always slept well when she had achieved a self-set goal. Part of what made her a winner according to her ex-husband.


    Mike had been right when he had told her that time flowed differently inside the wooden structure. The knock at the door alerted her and the familiar voice called out, this time it was Sherry, asking her to wake up and have breakfast.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be back in around thirty minutes, enough time for you to wake up and get dressed. Hope you had a decent night¡¯s sleep though; we¡¯re going to have breakfast before another training tutorial. This one will be a whole lot more fun though. I promise, no fighting or endless talking.¡¯ said Sherry through the door.


    ¡®Thanks¡­Sherry.¡¯ said Carissa. Her voice loud enough to carry through the wood.


    She had decided to sleep naked or she had simply been so exhausted after her own training efforts. Either way, she had slept well and preserved the use of the suit for longer than necessary.


    The full capabilities of the suit needed to be used sparingly. Or until she found an alternative. It was though; the goods inside the wooden storage area that had made for a pleasant surprise when she completed her own personal training.


    A description of each item had appeared in her mind¡¯s eye rather than in her own vision, the words appeared the same, made out of water, bone or wood, it entirely depended on the material of the object in question.


    The bone weapon was both basic and unique, perfect for someone who had no real clue on how to fight with weapons. Carissa wanted the tutorial today, which was meant to be fun to include basic weapons training.


    Being beaten around when she was trying out her hand-to-hand combat skills had been an experience certainly but also a strong reminder of her own lack of ability to handle fights in this place.


    When she had picked up the bone item, the same basic message appeared in her mind¡¯s eye.


    [Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Bone Toothed Blade/Club


    -Inflicts physical damage.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    -Presently bound to Player Candidate Carissa.


    A simple weapon grown from a piece of bone, teeth and sheath included.


    -Growth Potential]


    ¡®A weapon. I have a weapon at last. A piece of bone with sharp edges. In short better than nothing.¡¯ said Carissa as she rested the blade in its wooden sheath.


    The characteristics of it failed to impress her but her mind concentrated on the last sentence of the description. The fact that the weapon hadn¡¯t been built but had been grown. The last two words interested her mildly.


    Touching the edges they failed to pierce through her own bare skin but if applied with more force they drew blood. At least she wouldn¡¯t be at risk of cutting herself each time she used it.


    The wooden sheath and attached strap were far more useful in her own opinion. She could strap the blade to her back and practice withdrawing it or tie it around her waist. Once she dressed herself she would.


    ¡®No magic or special abilities, just a standard weapon designed to be used as a club or to block attacks.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Given with what had happened when she had tried to forcefully examine the grey suit, she decided that it would be a better option not to try and force it further for any hidden abilities or traits linked with the weapon.


    She put aside the other two items that were related to her as a candidate and grabbed the clothes that had been inside the chest, those had been useful enough but none of them could be examined in the same way that the weapon or other two items had been.


    Carissa had only taken a brief glance at them before closing her eyes and trying to use the Ocean Gateway System to gain further messages without success.


    The first item had been a diving suit, a swimming suit rather than exposed her arms and legs but kept her chest and body mostly covered. The scars from her self-surgery were evident on her form but it didn¡¯t mean that Carissa wanted to show them off.


    Not unless she chose to do so.


    A deep blue, shiny with a hint of mermaid scales attached. No, Carissa knew this suit. The style of it at least, it had been what she used to wear as a girl when swimming during her parents were busy with their own work as marine biologists on the family house boat.


    ¡®A copy. No, a replica of my own suit.¡¯ Carissa murmured as she put it over her own body.


    The grey suit needed to be kept secure as long as possible, not unless she had found an alternative and it could be stored in one of the candidate or player items she had received.


    The suit fit perfectly, exactly her height, width and body type when she slipped it on. Mike had earlier made no mention of clothing that was suited to her, he had only mentioned clothes in passing. The wooden statue bracelet on her hand simply slipped off and on easily enough when she had changed her clothing.


    Aware of time, Carissa put on one of the other two items, one was a bright pink t-shirt with yet another mermaid on the front, this time in a more cartoonish style. Slightly baggy over her body it allowed her relative ease of movement and was large enough to go down to her waist, allowing her legs to show.


    The last was a pair of women¡¯s water shoes. Coverings for her feet which she could wear when fully submerged in water. She held these close to her, despite the lack of examination from the Ocean Gateway System, Carissa knew that these needed to be checked for hidden any hidden qualities.


    The outside of the shoes and the tips were an exact copy of her own feet and toes, the style was a mixture of pinks and purples with two single names embossed into the inside of each shoe. Near impossible to remove without destroying the shoes themselves. Two names.


    Despite the shoes themselves appearing nearly pristine as though they had been freshly produces, they should have shown signs of wear and tear. The names inside confirmed it for her, these were no copies, not even a replica. She had been there when they had put them inside, her and Liam. Two names. Hers and that of her ex-husbands.


    He had custom-built these shoes for her birthday, by his own hand under the watchful eye of an expert shoe crafter. Carissa had watched the entire process on video as part of her twenty-third birthday from Liam.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡®These are my shoes. I wore them.¡¯ said Carissa as she cradled them gently in her hands and rubbed them with her fingers.


    The same indents, the same marks and scuffs were there as though protected but in pristine condition.


    It didn¡¯t make sense to her but then not much else in this world did. Not unless she was chosen as a candidate, or it this was meant to be an apology to her for trying to force system messages on the grey suit.


    A knock at the door startled her then. The voice of Sherry again.


    ¡®Um, are you OK in there? I knocked on the door ten minutes ago and had no answer. Mike and Chas have prepared breakfast for everyone. If you¡¯re dressed, we need to head to the community dining room. Carissa? Everything OK?¡¯ said Sherry.


    Slipping both the shoes on her feet, Carissa, grabbed the last two items in the wooden box before she examined both of them in her mind¡¯s eye before making sure her equipment was secure.


    One was a torch on an adjustable necklace which she slipped around her neck. The bottom part of it was removable and contained a space to insert a smaller item. A good place to store a hidden note but Carissa was disappointed to find it empty. No clues for her so easily given, she¡¯d need to find her own answers then.


    [Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Water Powered Torch


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    Torch recharges when submerged in water.]


    ¡®I¡¯m getting dressed. Give me a few more minutes to prepare myself.¡¯ said Carissa, louder to ensure that Sherry heard her through the door.


    The last item she had examined but not explored, it had puzzled her a little and was another sign of the fact that magic or special abilities were fairly common in this place. But it was hers and to her alone it would stay, the basic survival instinct of any human was to keep their belongings safe and this would be far more useful to her than the torch.


    Her water shoes were comfortable on her feet, even more so than when Carissa had been wearing the skin tight grey suit. That was a given item, these were hers and she had worn them for years. A familiar part of her, they had been almost moulded to the exact shape of her own feet. These she would not part with.


    The shoes could be examined later when she was back in her room or in a position of relative safety, such that it was.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Dry Bag, Spatial Container


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    Can only be opened by Owner.]


    Two straps on the back to slide her arms into and another one that could be fixed around her chest it was grey and large enough to comfortably fit on her back without restriction her movements. It was only when Carissa had opened it, she had been surprised, a bag like this would usually contain emergency equipment but when she put her hand inside it only felt a material that she hadn¡¯t been expecting.


    ¡®Uh, we need to get a move on. Sorry for the rush but we have a schedule to stick to. I promise today will be better than yesterday, at least with training. I told you last night that it¡¯d be fun. Do you need any help with your equipment? Carissa?¡¯ said Sherry as she knocked on the door.


    ¡®Almost. Just one minute. Thanks Sherry!¡¯. said Carissa as she willed the bag to fully open, slinging it onto one shoulder with her hand inside she pulled out a magazine. The cover showed a man and woman smiling in front of a company logo, she didn¡¯t recognise the title or the location but the contents talked about business. Boring enough to her mind she stuck her hand in and pulled out a larger stack of them, all different types of magazines ranging from beauty tips to holiday travel, technology and nature.


    To her eyes, the contents were odd. Similar but odd. She didn¡¯t recognise the fashions that the people were wearing nor the locations, it was as though they had been manufactured in a reality that she didn¡¯t know which was likely enough.


    ¡®Carissa! We need to go. Mike is going to give me punishment detail for this and I don¡¯t need that. You¡¯re cute but there are limits. You need to open this door and we need to eat breakfast. I don¡¯t like giving warnings but I¡¯ll override the door if I need to.¡¯ said Sherry, her voice hardening from its usual cheerful tone.


    The small wooden statue bracelet vibrated as Carissa hurriedly stuffed all the magazines back into the dry bag, smoothing down her t-shirt and running her fingers through her hair trying to make it as tidy as possible. She stuffed the bone toothed club in the bag as it fit without filling up the space inside easily, the grey suit and the necklace torch.


    It had been disappointing that she hadn¡¯t even been provided with basic survival supplies or emergency food and drink rations but the magazines had been provided for a clear reason.


    Likely a joke from the Ocean Gateway System in her mind. Or a punishment gift. Too many questions and still too few answers.


    She had entirely forgotten to ask for a comb, if there was time during breakfast, she¡¯d make a point of asking Sherry. She doubted that Mike had one with his lack of hair and Chas was a total mess.


    ¡®Coming!¡¯ Carissa nearly shouted and she half-leapt to the door, unlocking it and removing the bolt, yanking it open to reveal a surprised young woman with a blush on her face.


    Sherry wore a red life jacket on this time, matching her tinted goggles with the standard grey suit.


    ¡®Hi. Sorry about the wait, I needed to run through everything. Breakfast sounds great. How are you? I love your new life-jacket, red is your colour. So is green actually, you carry them both off so well.¡¯ said Carissa with a bright toothless smile and her head tilted to the side, both hands holding onto the straps of her newly acquired dry bag.


    Although she didn¡¯t consider that she needed to be overly sociable, Carissa was going to try another approach today. Hostility yesterday had earned her a beating, dropped into a pool of water and strapped into a chair.


    Despite the answers, she needed more than this to survive. Not openly holding a weapon as Mike did, along with a decent hot shower and a change of clothes would make her more presentable.


    Carissa often forgot how good looking and young she actually was. Appearance was a small part of her life and Liam had told her that when she wanted to be sociable and turn on the charm, she could work wonders.


    Attempting her best at being mild coy and overly friendly she grabbed onto Sherry¡¯s arm, surprising her.


    ¡®Breakfast. And you said that Mike and Chas made it? That¡¯s so sweet. I¡¯m so sorry about yesterday, I had this whole shock to my body and well¡­it was a lot to take in. Would you forgive me for not talking to you much?¡¯ said Carissa.


    She had a bit of equipment to her name; a weapon and her training had stopped her body betraying her each time she had a message from a system created by bored ocean gods.


    Being a little more easy-going would work for her, even it was going to be temporary.


    She had a strong instinct after a sleep and an acceptance of her new reality that the three main members of this small community were players. But it begged the question in her mind, that if each of them was powerful enough then why were they stuck inside a driftwood boat structure helping three newborn candidates.


    ¡®Never mind. Breakfast will be great; do you mind if I sit next to you this time? I¡¯d prefer not to make any more bad blood between me and... what was her name again¡­?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    Sherry¡¯s face had transformed from a blush into a bright red.


    ¡®Bonnie. Oh, thanks for noticing. I like mix and match my equipment. I love your t-shirt, and you¡¯re not wearing your suit. I mean, you don¡¯t need to but it does help. Look at you! Equipment at last! You¡¯re going to be a player. Wait, I don¡¯t mean it that way. Yeah, we should get breakfast, Chas makes the best pancakes. Do you have those where you come from? Mike told me you¡¯re from a place called Bephus.¡¯


    Inwardly Carissa stiffened as she faked her way through the conversation, her tongue latched onto one of her teeth and she pushed hard enough to draw a drop of blood as she kept the smile on her face.


    She held tightly onto Sherry¡¯s arm as they walked, Carissa nodding and smiling as she heard the other woman¡¯s face light up with chatting.


    Liam was right. I need to use my looks to my own advantages.


    True beauty within and without.

 Chapter 11 – Hostile Looks

    When they had entered the community eating area again, Carissa had been expecting a hostile reaction from the women with short blonde hair called Bonnie but not being defended by the other candidate called Direk.


    He appeared more confident than yesterday, stronger and he held himself upright with a brazen look in his eyes. When Carissa had entered, he had finished chewing the pancake and washed it down with liquid inside a metal cup swallowing as he patted his stomach.


    At the far end of the room by the kitchen and preparation area Carissa saw Chas and Mike both wearing black aprons, their backs facing towards her as they fixed up meals.


    Neither responded when Carissa and Sherry entered the large room. Bonnie was wearing the outfit as yesterday, t-shirt and grey skin suit although Direk sported a Hawaiian shirt similar in appearance to Chas.


    Direk spoke aloud flipping both palms up.


    ¡®I think we got two crazy people in this boat lady. All she did was look at you and you start screaming about how you know her and she ruined the planet? I don¡¯t know you or this lady but I know you got some serious issues. How about you get off the boat as well?¡¯ said Direk


    Bonnie responded with a nervous twitch on one of her eyes. A bone plate was in front of her although it was entirely empty, not a scrap of food in sight. An empty metal jug rested alongside it.


    ¡®What did she just say? She knows something about this, is this your hobby you rich cow? You like to kidnap people and dump them onto your owned part of the ocean for fun? Tell me! You coward, tell me!¡¯ half-shouted Bonnie.


    ¡®No. I don¡¯t think I will. Chas, I¡¯d like some more pancakes. I didn¡¯t know savoury ones tasted so good.¡¯ said Direk as he nodded in Carissa¡¯s direction.


    Sherry moved forward, sitting next to Bonnie but giving her a degree of breathing space as she tried to put a hand on her shoulder before it swatted away.


    ¡®Don¡¯t touch me. DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡¯ screamed out Bonnie.


    Carissa stood by the doorway, reluctant to take a chair before Sherry made a come-here gesture and pointed at the head seat of the long table where Mike had been sitting yesterday.


    She took the hint and grabbed a seat and a bone plate, the lack of cutlery or other utensils made a little more sense when a new candidate behaved as Bonnie did. As she had herself only the day before. Irrational and scared.


    ¡®You can blame and hate all you want. But this isn¡¯t our reality. Our home. I¡¯m stuck here the same as you and I¡¯d like to have breakfast.¡¯ Carissa imitated the same calm tone that Direk had used when asking for pancakes.


    ¡®Chas! I¡¯d also like some pancakes please. And don¡¯t forget the lovely Sherry or the handsome Mike. Our fellow candidate needs to eat as well. If she¡¯s going to be training with us today.¡¯ said Carissa, ignoring the look that Sherry was giving her, shaking her own head with a small enough movement to be recognised.


    She''d tried to make it clear earlier that she wasn''t interested in the name, actions or behaviour of Bonnie. Not that Carissa would be the initiator of violent action. She''d leave that to the woman having her own private breakdown. No point judging another so she simply smiled and waved in the direction of Mike and Chas. Both of them were quiet and clearly not interested in getting involved yet from her perspective.


    ¡®Why does she get to be so quiet? The look she¡¯s giving us scares me. I think we need to ask her to leave first, just leave what you can entered, spare and leave us alone. I¡¯m seen those eyes before when I worked in a psychiatric ward. Trust me, we don¡¯t want someone like her in our group. Mad, she¡¯s mad.¡¯ said Bonnie.


    Her temper inside her chest and frustration building, Carissa smoothed out her pink mermaid t-shirt and gave the short-haired blonde woman a blank look. This was the same situation as dealing with an environmental pressure group who had come to her house and demanded answers and an immediate response. Ignore them and it would get worse and then she would need to step up even further.


    But this time, she wouldn¡¯t be the instigator, and when they were alone and outside Carissa would like to find out how much damage exactly the grey skin suit could take before it sank in the ocean.


    Carissa was in bad need for a comb and considered asking for one for a change of conversation and to redirect the raw aggression upon herself but Sherry interrupted first.


    ¡®Bonnie. I need you to calm down. The training is for everyone and after today¡­you can make your own choices. Every candidate deserves at least two nights of rest. Gods know that we did.¡¯ said Sherry, this time putting her hand firmly onto Bonnie''s hand, pinning it onto the wooden table.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know you! I don¡¯t know any of you! Just let me go home! I want to go home to my kids! My husband! Her crimes¡­the entire ocean, she can stay here and rot! Let me go home! Please¡­please let...me¡­please...,¡¯ cried Bonnie.


    The short-haired woman clutched onto her t-shirt and pulled it into her face as she began to weep and rested her hair on the table with Sherry gently rubbing her back with one hand while shaking her head at Carissa and Direk.


    ¡®Both of you should¡­I give up. Breakfast is good and aside from waking up in a new world and experiencing crazy things and people life is good. Much better than my old life. Chas, may I please have some pancakes? The first batch was most delicious.¡¯ said Direk.


    The smell of freshly cooked food wafted over to Carissa¡¯s nose causing her stomach to cramp in hunger pains and her mouth to involuntary open to salivate. Her sharpened teeth were shown but as long as she wasn¡¯t acting in a threatening or violent manner, she doubted any action would be taken. There seemed to be various unspoken rules on this floating community and Carissa was beginning to understand several of them.


    She opened her mouth to add in her opinion.


    ¡®Life is what we make of it. The food smells delicious and I was told that our training today will be fun! I do hope that it¡¯ll be a lot more fun than yesterday. Does anyone mind if I take a drink or does this jug already belong to someone?¡¯


    Bonnie still sobbing ignored her with both of her hands on her face as she continued to cry but Carissa no longer cared if she was upset. She had tried to provoke and created her own mess. She¡¯d let Sherry deal with it.


    Chas and Mike arrived at the table with both hands holding hot pans and spatulas equally, they both wore black cooking plain cooking aprons on top of their suits and Chas had swapped his bright Hawaiian shirt for a plainer charcoal one. A bulge on his side indicated to Carissa that Mike had his wooden club with him wrapped into his belt, as least she would prefer if it that was the case.


    Chas flourished the food and raised the hot pan into the air giving his spatula a little wave as though providing a blessing to the people sitting on the table.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The gesture reminded Carissa a little of the image of a priest she remembered who had been trying to convert her parents to the rule of the four gods. They¡¯d politely asked him to leave and he had but not before winking at their daughter.


    ¡®Food fills the soul, the mind and stops the energy pains. Eat and be blessed by the gods of the ocean friends. Brothers and sisters, we are here to eat and learn to live again, renewed and fresh for another day of learning.¡¯ said Chas with a subdued smile on his face.


    Mike had piled the pancakes from his own hot pan upon several larger metal plates in the centre of the community dining table without a single word or even a glance in the direction of the three candidates. Once he had returned back to the kitchen area, he raised his voice without turning his back, busying himself preparing more food to be served.


    ¡®Please eat and then we train. Today should be a better day. Tomorrow can wait.¡¯ he murmured.


    His voice clearly audible despite the distance made Carissa pause for a brief second before her appetite compelled her to take a handful of the hot, freshly cooked pancakes and take a swift bite. The sensation burning into her throat and stomach as she digested it.


    The taste was different, a degree of spice and sweetness but with a hint of seaweed as an aftertaste. The only consideration she had was that her body wanted more so she took another handful and devoured them, giving herself the chance to replenish her energy.


    Carissa hadn¡¯t noticed that Chas stood there, not moving, his hot pan and spatula both out of his hands as he clasped his hands together and closed his eyes with his head bowed.


    The gesture was odd to Carissa, familiar yet not, she had seen priests before but they had always used their words and expressive gestures but she was sure that he was praying.


    ¡®As long as the pancakes keep coming, you got a happy worker right her-¡¯ started Direk as he stopped.


    The physical reaction on his face and response were certain signs that Carissa knew after her practice in her bedroom shower the night before, it had been hard to change from the physical to the mental but she was clear on it. He was receiving a message from the Ocean Gateway System, either that or he was choking or had suffered a heart failure.


    ¡®Yes. I agree with you. The gods of the water, the rain and the depths are¡­. amazing. I appreciate the bounty they have provided and I understand the opportunity that they offer us to play their game. We are blessed. All of us are blessed.¡¯ said Direk.


    The sudden change in his behaviour gave Carissa pause during her mid-bite of another pancake. There were the signs already displayed and she had failed to pay attention.


    Everything in this world revolved around this game of the gods for which she and the others with her were candidates, classless players. Chas was a priest; Sherry was the support worker and Mike was the trainer. All for a makeshift tutorial which was apparently non-existent.


    ¡®I agree with you.¡¯ Copying the behaviour of Chas, she swallowed the last remains of her own pancake, her throat needed liquid to wash it down but ignoring the discomfort she clasped her own hands together and made her own prayer to the gods.


    Carissa would find one of these gods and kill them. Strip of them of all of their power and teach them their own lesson. Failing that, one of their transformed human demi-gods. She would become her own goddess, that of the most beautiful mermaid this world or any other had seen.


    ¡®Ocean Gods. Hear my prayer.¡¯ she whispered under her breath.


    The Ocean Gateway System gave her a message in her minds eyes, not a notification but a personal one directed to her. The contents made her blink her own eyes in confusion.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God has answered your prayer with the following message.


    Dry them out Carissa. Dry them all out.]


    A god knew her. It knew of her implants and what they had been designed to do. Perhaps even responsible for her coming to this world and ruining her life beyond her own personal plans.


    She attempted to send a message in return but only received a mild headache and decided not to push it further. Under her breath she murmured her own half-nonsense prayers towards the gods of her own world Bephus. They had no gods on her own planet, not after the legends that a stager has scared them away with a magic bag and power beyond them but people still worshipped out of belief and fear of the unknown.


    ¡®Ocean, water, depths, gods be gone or discovered. Deepness, fear of


    the darkness banished within.¡¯ whispered Carissa under her breath.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw that the room had become silent. The woman Bonnie had stopped crying and was watching Carissa with red eyes as were the others who had held their breath.


    Then a half perfectly preserved fish head fell from the air above her head when it had been floating and fell onto the table directly in front of her.


    Chas clasped his hands and began to pray harder; his eyes open wide and wild.


    ¡®Blessed. We have a blessed already. But the god had hidden their identity.¡¯ he nearly shouted before two strong hands rested on his own and pulled them apart.


    ¡®No Chas, we have three candidates who need to be able to survive a little bit more training and choose their own classes as players as we once did. Granted, it was a long, long, long time ago. If everyone had finished eating then we¡¯re done here. Direk and Carissa, finish your own food and collect up the dishes. A little bit of team-work washing and drying up won¡¯t hurt anyone. We¡¯re going to have a busy day ahead of us.¡¯ said Mike.


    The preserved fish head was lying on its side on the table one eye facing up to the ceiling. Carissa was certain that it had just winked when she touched it but before she could examine it further or raise any questions, she was cut off by Mike again.


    ¡®Sherry, give Bonnie a tincture. Not as strong as the one you gave Direk but enough to take the edge off. Questions can wait. That¡­thing can be stored if you want or I¡¯m sure Chas will be willing to trade it with you later. Throw it in your bag for now Carissa, a gift from a god always has some value. Even if it is a mockery.¡¯ said Mike.


    Not wanting to come across as any further source of conflict, Carissa unclipped the bag from her back and threw the large preserved fish head inside once she had focused on it opening and dropped a few more pancakes along with it leaving the bone plate on the table.


    She took a deep drink from the jug in front of her before pushing her chair back and beginning to tidy up the empty plates, the ones with any pancakes remaining she poured into her bag.


    Direk followed her actions almost exactly although he was slower than her finishing his own jug and wiping his mouth clean with his hand as he took a larger plate of the pancakes and poured them into her own opening of the bag.


    He had reached for another large plate covered in them to find a hand blocking his path and Sherry shaking her head at him.


    ¡®I need to save some for Bonnie, she left her own bag in her room but I¡¯ll pass them onto her.¡¯ she said.


    Waving her hand over the plate, the pancakes simply disappeared into thin air. Gone as though they had already been devoured.


    ¡®Just a trick. Nothing special, when you three become players, you¡¯ll be capable of so much more than this.¡¯ she said.


    Flicking her wrist a small glass bottle appeared in her empty hand and she held it out towards Bonnie who was still gazing at Carissa with reddened eyes and a strange type of half-crooked smile.


    ¡®Mad, we¡¯re all mad.¡¯ said Bonnie.


    ¡®No sweetie you¡¯re not. We just have to learn to live a little differently to survive, you need to drink this or I¡¯ll have to make you like I did with Direk. He didn¡¯t like it and neither did I. I promise you¡¯ll immediately calm down a little and we will try something fun today. The first part anyway.¡¯ said Sherry.


    Her eyes not leaving the sight of Carissa tidying up the dishes, Bonnie lethargically took the bottle and drank the entire contents in a single gulp. Blinking her eyes she looked down at her t-shirt before following Carissa and Direk in tidying up the food and stacking the plates neatly.

 Chapter 12 – Underwater Tour

    Carissa wondered what activities that they had to occupy themselves with if this was going to be considered fun.


    ¡®A diving bell. Made of driftwood, metal and scraps and¡­skin?¡¯ said Carissa as she pushed her hands against the various materials, they were flexible but strong.


    ¡®Well, we don¡¯t have the current technology to make anything better. I mean they used to on this planet, you¡¯ll see that soon enough but it was flooded so¡­I guess Sherry could build something better and Chas could reinforce it with his prayers.¡¯ said Mike as he shrugged his shoulders.


    The three candidates and their respective guardians responsible for them were back inside the same room which Carissa had been in previously with the large pool of water inside the room with wooden boards sinking into the floor and providing a base.


    ¡®Prayers, you meant to tell us that this thing is held together by prayers to dead fish heads?¡¯ said Bonnie.


    The tincture which she had drank in the dining area had rapidly calmed down her nerves but her body still gave involuntary minor twitches in reaction. Her eyes remained reddened after crying.


    ¡®We who are blessed by the gods reject the one made from the flesh of people and the head of a fish.¡¯ said Chas. His hands clasped in prayer as he sat cross-legged on the floor, refusing to sit in a chair.


    ¡®Is that a no? Does he mean it doesn¡¯t work with prayer? I¡¯d like a straight answer. Back to my room, I could go back to my room while the rest of you play make-believe. I. I don¡¯t know. I think I need fresh air.¡¯ said Connie.


    Mike spun around his wooden club in one hand before throwing it up into the air and catching it with another.


    ¡®Where we¡¯re going, you¡¯ll find that you¡¯ll care about fresh air a whole lot less than you think. Still, would you like to accompany me to the roof while Sherry works on her home-made project? Carissa? Derek?¡¯ said Mike as he relaxed in his chair.


    When he failed to receive any response, he just sighed and sank even deeper into his wooden chair than appeared humanly possible. Carissa considered that with his power over the main structure of this floating boat it was more than likely that he used it instinctively.


    Her attention was drawn to the centrepiece of the entire room, hanging up on various chains and attachments which seemed rather backward to her given that she had been initially rescued in a modern inflatable lifeboat.


    At the very top of the moon pool, gently swaying despite being fixed was a contraption that Carissa would have described as belonging in a cultural heritage centre. One featuring in ancient and exotic finds, it was large enough to fit at least five people with plenty of space to spare for additional equipment.


    In a way it reminded her of the early humans on Bephus and how they had built vast temple complexes under the oceans through using such devices but on a much larger scale.


    ¡®If it works, then it works. We can¡¯t keep relying on the usability of the suits forever. There must be a catch though, you¡¯re not going to send us underwater for a tour, are you?¡¯ Carissa asked.


    None of the equipment had been inside this room earlier but judging from the way that her own dry bag was able to fit in larger items without expanding or filling up they had also been a place of similar storage. Or another special magical ability.


    Mike had mentioned to her that the rooms changed locations and the doors had no visible signs as a form of protection. Sea monsters, pirates or other raiders. Which meant that this place wasn¡¯t safe from attack.


    ¡®I asked a question, is nobody else going to respond or are the two of you going to keep staring?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    Direk was examining the various items of equipment on the racks, holding each in his hand and occasionally giving out a wistful sigh. He had one hand on his bag, seemingly ready to open his own spatial storage and throw things inside but he was also wary of offending his hosts.


    ¡®Can we take anything from here? A few of these are so similar to my own designs and prototypes but I never had the funding to make them reality. Come to think of it, can we trade? I have these coins in my bag. A few other items that you might be interested in. I know that we¡¯re basically freeloading at this point what with the accommodation, food and training but I¡¯d be happy to swap the few things which the Ocean Gateway system hasn¡¯t imposed limits on.¡¯ said Direk.


    ¡®I¡¯m not getting inside that thing. Not without another drink to calm my nerves. I don¡¯t know what the stuff that she gave me was but it worked wonders. Also, not safe. The thing is literally made out of pieces of organic matter, how is that meant to work with the electronic components and the chains? I don¡¯t want a sightseeing tour. I¡¯d like to go home.¡¯ said Bonnie.


    She moved towards Chas and he stood up from his sitting position reaching his hands forward and gave her a strong hug. The pair of them sat down and he clasped her hands and closed his eyes and began to pray silently.


    ¡®Dear, you need to accept the waters of the world as fresh streams for you to experience and leave the old behind. Home, sanctuary, a true return is a gift from the gods. Pray with me and learn their names.¡¯ muttered Chas.


    Shaking his head from his seat Mike gave out a small chuckle.


    ''You''d think that after all this time I''d be used to this but I''m not. Similar fears and concerns every single time. The decapitated fish head was new though. Chas doesn''t get this full-on religious this early on, until after a worthy player candidate chooses a priest class. To answer your spoken and unspoken questions, Direk, you can trade for equipment after this, Bonnie the device is safe and no home yet. Possible yes but not yet. Depends on how high you rise. Carissa. Beautiful Carissa, touch the damn thing and learn what it does according to Ocean Gateway System rules. Hesitation can mean death in this place.'' Mike said.


    Carissa kept her mouth shut at this one and realised that Mike had the right idea taking a seat and not getting involved. It wasn¡¯t as though she was going to try and use equipment in the open water which she hadn¡¯t personally tested several times although no matter what she wanted all three of them could force her into the diving bell if necessary.


    ¡®Sherry? Everything prepared for our little trip yet? You know the rules, one stays and two accompany. Chas, you can quit it with the prayer. Ocean gods or not we need to make sure the tutorial gets finished. Or at least as close as we can manage it. Please check out our little candidate with the wandering eyes and hands.¡¯ said Mike.


    He received a nod from the woman wearing goggles who had moved over to Direk, gently pushing him away from the equipment with tools and with her voice lowered entered in a conversation with her that the others were unable to hear.


    Carissa saw his face frown slightly before he shook his head and then her shoulders slumped a little and he pointed in her direction several times. Reaching into her own backpack, she pulled out another vial, similar to the one that had been given at the dining table but Direk out his hands in front of him pushing it away.


    This time he pointed towards Bonnie who was hesitating to touch the diving bell, given the response from Mike Carissa accepted it direct permission. Her fingers grabbing onto the outer surface of the material as a message appeared in her mind¡¯s eye.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Diving Platform from Ocean Gateway System


    -Designate Tutorial Use Only


    -Item usable by ??? and performs???


    -Protection and Security Protection Blessing


    -Provided???


    Bonded to Player Designate: Sherry


    Class: Inventor???


    Level: ???]


    ¡®I wish you two candidates would learn from Carissa. She adapts. Pretty quickly from what I can see.¡¯ said Mike.


    Despite his lack of proximity to her and the fact that he was still lying deep in his own chair he had recognised her complete lack of physical reaction to the message from the Ocean Gateway System. Either he could see through the surrounding wood or he simply had physical abilities beyond her own.


    The little bit of information from the diving bell was far more engaging for Carissa, she wasn¡¯t able to see past the question marks and risk blood running from her nose or having her physical control removed again and urinating on herself wasn¡¯t a plan.


    The fact that she was finally able to discover a class meant more to her, Sherry was an inventor. Not that she could gleam any more than that.


    So deep in her own thoughts she hadn¡¯t even visually or physically noticed the presence of Mike right behind her until his hand lightly clamped on her shoulder.


    ¡®Well done. You want to tell the others what class Sherry holds? At least, you might have found out even more information that that from the device but it¡¯s best to hold a few secrets in reserve and I won¡¯t push any further.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Mike! It¡¯s too early for that! We agree to slow down the process until they. Make their own choice. You know what they need to face. None of them are fully prepared yet.¡¯ exclaimed Sherry.


    She had guided Direk away from the equipment and they were both standing in front of the diving bell in what Carissa assumed to be the entrance. She couldn¡¯t see a visible part of it and there was no connecting board to the swaying device. Only the moon pool lay several metres below.


    ¡®Direk. You and me go first. Chas! Stop it with the prayers, I know priests give support but she needs to make her own choices. They all do. Eventually. Let her learn the true nature of this world on her on. She deserves it.¡¯ said Sherry.


    Chas opened his eyes, still sitting down and gently tugged back his hands from the short-haired blonde woman sitting opposite him. Her face had softened and clearly relaxed from what Carissa had seen, they had been conversing too quietly for her to hear though.


    Turning to give her own smile to Chas she leaned forward and hugged him before putting her hand on the wooden floor and pushing herself onto her feet.


    ¡®I understand our situation better. To return home is a goal, not a possibility. Direk, you can trust them. They¡¯re trying to help us. Gods. The gods are real.¡¯ said Bonnie.


    Crossing his arms Mike just gave Chas a hard stare before he turned his attention towards Direk and Sherry.


    ¡®No powers. What I did was in an emergency situation, no active powers on candidates. Chas, you and me need to have words when this is done with. Do not try that with Direk. Or even Carissa. An early realisation can be a rough ride. ¡®Mike winked at her.


    Before she could speak up Mike carried on talking, cutting off any chance of conversation from her side.


    ¡®You might bite off more than you can chew. Seriously, here¡¯s what we need to do so listen up, I¡¯m going to give all three of you candidates a quick briefing on our next steps. This device built by our talented Sherry is designed to take you to greater depths. Once down there you¡¯ll experience, learn and choose. And you will be safe. As long as you listen to the instructions given by either myself, Direk or Sherry. I¡¯m not permitted to say more than that but the three of you should be thankful. It¡¯s more than I ever got when I arrived.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Or a threat. There are dangers below the depths as above.¡¯ questioned Carissa.


    ¡®Direk, you have a choice, you can either jump into the moon pool or climb down the ladder. Chas and Direk will both go with you while I stay here and then we¡¯ll switch. Either way is fine with me. When you enter the water, allow your body to get used to it and submerge yourself a little. The training you¡¯ve had with your suit will give you enough protection, or you can choose to be like Carissa here and leave it inside her backpack. Then you¡¯ll enter the diving equipment and ascend for a time before coming back here.¡¯ said Mike as he did a little jump with his feet before mimicking swimming with his arms.


    The fact that Mike didn¡¯t bother to respond to her and focused his attention purely on Direk was a reply in itself. He had given enough warnings and was simply following a process at this point.


    This would be another training session. More dangerous than others, either that or an introduction to the waters of this world. All she needed to do was adapt and learn. She had already harnessed part of the workings of the Ocean Gateway system message and having physical contact with an object she wanted to review often worked better and with less pain.


    Stepping forward he surprised Direk by grabbing him in a hug and lifting him off the ground, pinning his arms to his sides before he put him down and stepped back again.


    ¡®Good luck. No matter what you experience or see we¡¯ll be around to help. Are you clear on that? You need to ask Chas and Sherry for assistance. They¡¯ve been through this more times than you¡¯ve eaten food in our little community.¡¯ said Mike.


    Surprised by the sudden hug, Direk rubbed his arms and looked back.


    ¡®We¡¯ve only had two meals here!¡¯ he exclaimed.


    ¡®A little joke. Trust in Sherry, time to move. Chas, no tricks. He needs the full experience, not a watered-down version like you just tried to pull with Bonnie. No short-cuts, the gods don¡¯t like cheaters. What are you waiting for? Get down the ladder or jump in!¡¯ said Mike.


    Letting one hand slip to his waist, Carissa noticed that he was holding onto the wooden club and his body language was entirely tensed up. He would force them, she was sure, just as he done the same with her when she had lost all rationality. Not because he cared for them, but as though he was following a structure of activities in which he had to follow.


    All their well-being, the emotional and mental support provided, all of this was for a purpose. The makeshift tutorial in his words.


    ¡®No.¡¯ said Carissa as she put her own hand on his wrist holding onto the wooden club.


    ¡®Excuse me? We need to follow this. Or the gods¡­the gods. I can¡¯t explain this to you. This is the best that we can do in the circumstances. There are others, out there, doing the exact same as me, each with their own method but we¡¯re trying our best to help you survive. All three of you are baby chocks alone in on a desert island filled with monsters. Don¡¯t block me Carissa, I don¡¯t want to have to fight again.¡¯ said Mike.


    Her hand held onto his wrist tighter this time, she let her nails dig in tightly, this time aware that his pain threshold was at the minimum higher than a base level human. Her grip felt flesh pierced with no response on his face.


    ¡®I said no. I¡¯m going first. Direk, Bonnie, Sherry had a class. She has skills and abilities which we don¡¯t as simple candidates. Chas does as well give how he just calmed you down Bonnie with holding your hands and a few simple words. Mike here¡­has his own hidden abilities. For a start he¡¯s been the only one actively armed this entire time with that wooden club of his and neither of you have even mentioned it once.¡¯ said Carrisa.


    When they only looked at her with a mixture of shock and confusion she turned to Mike, let go of his wrist and took a step next to him, holding onto his shoulder tightly. She grabbed harder and pulled him back to give her the precious seconds she would need and to delay his reaction before he could stop her.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be the first to go. You¡¯ll be with me. Sherry or Chas can make their own choice.¡¯ said Carissa before she ran forward.


    Avoiding the edge of the diving bell with her body but scraping the edge with the backpack on her back and dived down towards the depths of the moon pool.


    The waters below waited for her. It had been a message which had tried to ignore which had prompted her immediate actions.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God sends the following message.


    Food. Drink. Escape. Carissa. Now!]

 Chapter 13 – Relived Trauma

    The waters of the moon pool were far colder this time on Carissa''s skin. The t-shirt, completely soaked through exerted a light weight on her body as she treaded water.


    Her immediate view above her was obscured by the diving bell but as she considered swimming over to the ladder to hold onto and conserve her active energy levels, she heard shouting from above.


    The voices were muffled enough for her to hear but there was shouting. Relaxing she let herself float on her back, eyes on the diving bell as she let herself sink backwards and the water flow over her face and mouth. The backpack neither restricting or adding additional, her legs and arms remained exposed with her swimming costume.


    Holding her breath wasn¡¯t a chore for her, and she had desperately wanted some space to herself. A place where she didn¡¯t have to keep trying to learn, to adapt to the rules of others. To take a little time and finally relax. Her long hair streamed behind her.


    As her face submerged beneath the deep water of the moon pool, the muffled shouts up above were entirely blocked out. The air inside her lungs enough for her to settle for a little.


    Closing her eyes, the water played over the surface of her body, she lightly kicker her legs and pushed her arms, just enough for her to stay buoyant and below the surface but not so that she would sink deeper.


    A movement in the water, an object hitting it, caused vibrations that rocked the water around her before it rapidly settled. Then several more, not large enough shift her but to create an impact on the water surface.


    A message came into her mind¡¯s eye, further disturbing her. Peace, it seemed was going to be a distant memory unless she was able either follow through or become strong enough to no longer have to care about the tasks of others.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God sends the following message.


    Refuse. Gods. No. Suit. Wear.]


    Another order. Another task.


    Mentally sighing she opened her eyes under the water, not entirely uncomfortable but marginally blurred. An ocean god had taken an interest in her, but didn¡¯t offer anything besides orders and vague messages.


    Above the surface of the waters, a large shape was descending downwards towards her direction. The construct made by Sherry at the top was being lowered regardless, slowly, likely on the tethers which had attached it further up.


    Carissa assumed that her actions had forced the hands of the three players. Raising herself into a treading water position she avoided the temptation to wipe the water from her eyes and took a breath of fresh air in her lungs before swimming over to the ladder and taking hold of the rungs.


    She wasn¡¯t planning on climbing back up but she would try and maintain a margin of safety.


    The food and drink.


    As the construct lowered, a figure leaned over the side but moved back fast enough for her to avoid verifying their identity.


    Given her circumstances, Carissa, wanted to react. When she had identities the diving bell, Mike had applauded her efforts. Her initiative. On Bephus, she had played the role of high society victim and simply tried to avoid blame and conflict hoisted upon her. In this place she needed to take charge.


    The food and drink.


    Drugged.


    Holding onto the ladder rung by hooking her foot through she was able to balance herself in the water. She needed two hands free for this little trick, if it worked then she¡¯d have another option available.


    One hand released the strap of her backpack while the other grabbed hold of her soaking wet-shirt and held it tight. Even balancing it¡¯d be difficult for her to strip it off and she wanted to keep it. She quite liked the pink mermaid design.


    Opening the top of the bag she focused on the t-shirt and willed it inside the bag. The Ocean Gateway system had plenty of loop-holes or rules which she hadn¡¯t been introduced to. If Sherry could make items appear then the reverse would be true as well unless it required a special ability.


    Ideally, the bag would filter out unnecessary items such as large amount of water, but she imagined that it had been constructed with such concepts in mind. Otherwise, the stacks of magazines held within would have been completely ruined. She¡¯d keep those for the promise of later trading for useful equipment which Sherry had promised.


    After holding her position and a sensation of mild cramp from her foot Carissa looked up and saw the diving platform still descending at a slow pace, she still had a little bit of time left then.


    ¡®Get into the bag. Bag, accept item.¡¯ muttered Carissa as some of the water from the moon pool splashed from her movements onto her face.


    Holding the bag, she concentrated as the description appeared in her mind.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Dry Bag/Spatial Storage Container


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    Can only be opened by Owner.]


    Nothing for her to further identity or alter. She furrowed her brow, her stuck foot beginning to ache in the rung. She¡¯d force it.


    Blood began to run from her nose as a headache came began behind her eyes.


    ¡®Get in the bag. Take the t-shirt.¡¯ Carissa said.


    With no response Carissa, she slipped her backpack around her neck and pulled at the t-shirt. The soaked through material proved resistant until she pulled a portion of it up to her teeth and bit hard into it, causing a rip to appear.


    With her hands she tore further and the t-shirt ripped into two pieces, grabbing hold of them before they could sink into the depths of the moon pool, she stuck them inside her bag and felt around for the skin suit inside.


    ¡®Skin suit. I need the skin suit.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The bag responded to her commands this time and her outstretched hand inside it connected to the neatly folder suit inside, as it transferred itself to her hand and then along her arm the coldness of the water began to recede and it flowed over her entire body covering the blue swimsuit.


    A small amount of warmth came from the suit and Carissa willed it over her head, nose and mouth.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Once her eyes were fully protected once more, she closed off the bag and slung it over her back, connecting the straps to keep it fixed in place.


    Her body now fully protected against the chilly waters of the moon pool, Carissa looked above her head and observed that the descending diving bell was only two or so metres from her position.


    The longer she waited, the less opportunity she would have to explore.


    Carissa unhooked her foot and massaged it before she held onto the bottom rung of the ladder which lay beneath the surface of the water and kicked off, propelling her body down deeper into the depths of the moon pool.


    The first time that she had been dropped inside here, she had explored a little, but then given the wooden boards, even with her bare hands and nails she had only been able to scratch a little.


    As she kicked deeper, she grabbed her backpack, reaching over with one arm and opening it, straining her arm to reach inside and procure the one item that she could actually use.


    Above her the construction of the diving platform impacted with the water causing a splash, but she was deep enough and focused on pushing her way deeper with one arm while the other strained even harder to reach inside the contents of her bag.


    All she needed was one item in particular, the suit would regulate her air intake, uncomfortable though it was.


    Her movements were limited but as Carissa continued kicking, she succeeded in reaching the base of the moon pool. As before it was covered entirely in wooden planks, the same as the surface, the rooms and all of the floor on this makeshift boat.


    But if the controller and owner of the material was occupied, she would have sufficient time to make a gap of her own. Enough for her to slip through and find her own way.


    First though, she had to cause enough damage. Her hand closed on occupied, the item she needed and she saw the description in her mind as she brought it swinging through the water at a slow pace towards the wood.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Weapon received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Bone Toothed Blade/Club


    -Inflicts physical damage.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    A simple weapon grown from a piece of unknown sea predator bone, teeth and sheath included.]


    As a club it had little use fighting underwater unless the rules changes and she gained the ability to fight without the usual limitations of fighting in a pure liquid environment. But it was the particular aspect that interested her more, which would surely be able to cause damage to wood. The bone teeth of the weapon could be used as a saw. Still a limited use but Carissa wanted to take initiative.


    The message in the Ocean Gateway System from an apparent unknown god which either refused to disclose its identity or was restricted from doing so was still clear in her mind. She wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if it had provided her with this weapon for this exact purpose.


    Allies would be few and the ocean gods were meant to be powerful beings. She could refrain herself from considering killing at least one higher being. Eventually. For now, though, she would act within the power that she had.


    As the bone teeth bit into the wood, they wedged a little, and Carissa was thankful for the visibility that the moon pool gave when she was wearing the suit. Her own genetic implants were still entirely deactivated and barely worth considering in this place.


    She raised one hand to her stomach and willed the suit to retract around her upper abdomen, the chill water touching her skin even through her swimming suit as she touched the slightly raised edges of the scars that had accompanied her self-surgery.


    Not even tested in real conditions.


    Carissa didn¡¯t pause to watch the shadows above her, nor the two bodies that landed into the pool, several metres above her head despite diving deep beneath the surface of the moon pool.


    She grabbed the bone toothed weapon with both hands and tried to force it deeper into the wood as it bit in. Her movements remained restricted but she had a strict limit.


    They would know that she had gone underwater and likely Mike would detect her attack on the wooden underside of the boat, unless his powers of awareness were restricted underwater.


    The wooden surface began to splinter under her efforts and she saw a small gap between two planks, holding tightly onto her bone weapon with one hand she wedged her fingers and slid her hand into the wood and tried to rip it open.


    It refused to move easily but she managed to get a larger hold as she wedged in the bone tooth weapon in an attempt to create a large enough hole for her to escape but a motion in the water alerted Carissa to a larger object descending above her as the diving bell came down above her head.


    A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist as another hand took the weapon from her hand and grabbed the arm holding it before she was pulled roughly away from the wooden surface. As she was taken away Carissa was certain that she had seen a glint or a glow under the boards in the gap she had made.


    She tried to move her free arm to grab back her weapon, to make sure if she didn¡¯t use it then at least have ownership back over it. This was hers. What belonged to her couldn¡¯t be taken away by anyone else unless she gave them her permission.


    With her legs free Carissa twisted and tried to turn but the hands gripping her waist had pinned one of her arms to her side, the grip wasn¡¯t painful enough to alarm, only strong enough that she was unable to move. Her suit provided with her with a degree of protection.


    The temperature of the water below her feet, near where the crack in the wood was beginning to rise and the small glow which she had noticed earlier increased in intensity. Heat. There was heat below the wood. Enough to begin to warm the water surrounding her, not enough to be a threat but she remembered that sensation.


    When her main implant was active during a trial she had tried it once inside her bath, the water had begun to evaporate after several hours. The effort had drained her badly enough and the burns on her body and internal damage had made her remove and redesign, adding more months of both recovery and testing.


    She recognised that sensation. The heat. The water. But it wasn¡¯t her power, close, very close to her own but different in a way. As though someone had taken control from outside of her body and activated it without full awareness of the effects.


    The arms and hands that gripped her and lifted her upwards in the water were all but forgotten under Carissa experiencing what she had once lost, what had been taken from her, through the wooden floor she had control.


    Then her body shook, involuntary as her eyes rolled back and her arms and legs became slack. Fighting against the state of forced unconsciousness, Carissa retained enough awareness to keep her breathing regular as the outside water was filled through the mask.


    Her body suffered a near imediate lack of control which she recognised as having come from the Ocean Gateway System but Carissa was certain that she hadn¡¯t triggered it.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God sends the following message.


    Cheat! You dare to cheat in my domain! YOU DARE TO CHEAT! YOU BRING TECHNOLOGY TO MY GAME! YOU DARE!]


    A new type of message. Which accused her.


    No, she had seen this message before or one similar to it.


    So what? Break your rules then so-called ocean god.


    One of your own told me to dry you all out.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God sends the following me-


    Sender Restricted. Message Removed. Er-Error. Wait. Safe. Wait.]


    All living creatures have enemies.


    Even the gods themselves.


    Energy left her body, her physical attributes weakened enough from the attempt to shock her again, this time she wouldn¡¯t fight back. All weaker prey knew when it was time to play dead and when to fight back. She let her arms and legs hang loose and dropped her head.


    Despite being pulled upwards by either one or two people she allowed her body to become dead weight and conserve what she had left.


    It was unlikely that any of the three players would hurt her but if one of them received a message from an ocean god they might take matters into their own hands.


    Carissa closed her eyes and shut out the pain.

 Chapter 14 – Storm Gods

    ¡®.¡­-ssible. We can¡¯t carry on if this keeps happening. I¡¯m not going to risk the lives of everyone on this community for the sake of a single madwoman. It doesn¡¯t matter how much it¡¯s offering us. Veronica died. End of conversation. All we¡¯re left with is a ghost. Besides, we¡¯ve got two others to process if we want to keep living. I¡¯m not going back into the game, not again. Damn, she¡¯s up. And listening, no, her eyes, they¡¯re twitching. She¡¯s awake and listening but I¡¯ve no idea of how much she heard, not that it matters. The outside world is a mess right now, this is the safest place for her until that god calms down. Carissa. You can open your eyes, believe me, you don¡¯t want to miss this bit.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa awoke to find herself surrounded by a gentle pulsing light, her eyes took time to adjust and warm air played on the surface of her skin. Waves of blue and red light flickered above her face and she fully awoke.


    She would hope that they had not been referring to her as a madwoman. Her teeth remained sharp as did her appetite for protein. Her body remained drained of energy while her body remained unresponsive to her will.


    Reaching out her instincts and mind for the Ocean Gateway System and the messages it had provided her she nearly physically recoiled as a pure sensation of hate and rage directed towards her cut her off before she was able to connect.


    ¡®She¡¯s a lucky one. Not many survive the wrath of a goddess this early in the game. Although it makes me wonder exactly what she did what caused it. The mermaid goddess likes the beautiful ones. Even favours them...but then I wouldn¡¯t know anything about that. I¡¯m just a simple trainer. Carissa, you can get up now. I¡¯d give your mind a decent break from the system. Believe me, it¡¯s not worth it. Also, congratulations on not dying.¡¯ said the voice of Mike.


    Struggling to push herself up she found herself lying down in a curled-up position inside a partially transparent dome, with two familiar faces looking down at her. Touching her body her grey skin suit was attached but her face uncovered, her equipment untouched.


    She had expected Sherry but instead she saw Chas and Mike. The former was sitting in a cross-legged position with his hands clasped together and his eyes firmly shut. His hair was tied back neatly in a bob on the back of his head.


    His change of clothing surprised Carissa, a robe, deep blue and with a shimmering effect which covered his neck and down past his legs overflowing on the floor of the dome. His presence was far different than previously, nearly regal. A dark red light shone from one of his eyes and he gave her a grin showing his teeth.


    ¡®The Blessed Lady awakes...or the Cursed Mermaid Devours. I wonder which one you will choos-¡¯ started Chas with his hands clasped and his head bowed before he was interrupted by the voice of Mike.


    ¡®I love you like my own vat-born brother Chas but the scientist who was my goddess and mother combined would have advised me to tell you to shut the dry land up. Do not push me on this. We¡¯ve already had to perform one ritual to calm down one particular goddess, I¡¯m not going to give up more of my blood or even my manhood just so you can sprout mindless crap. Scratch that, useful, mindless crap. Carissa, pretend that Chas talks complete nonsense. Especially when you...meet the avatars. I¡¯m already pushing the limits of what we¡¯re allowed in the tutorial zone, or at least our version of it. Please. Don¡¯t ask me or Chas any questions which we can¡¯t answer. To make it simple this world has rules, specific rules regarding the game of the drowned gods and you almost broke one. I don¡¯t know how and I honestly don¡¯t want to know. Oh, and take a look outside. The view will cheer you up a little.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®The Drowned Ones choose their ones for vengeance or transformation. Also, you need a drink old man. I had Sherry bring a few spare bottles on board when you were performing the ritual. Blessed is those who care for themselves.¡¯ said Chas.


    This time with a slight smirk on his face and a glint in his eye which Carissa had never seen before. At least as far as she knew he¡¯d never talked normally in her presence, which made her consider how much of his idiot savant appearance was a social mask.


    She¡¯d give her response in kind to show her own hidden depths. Beauty such as hers didn¡¯t translate into stupidity or a shallow mind.


    ¡®The Depths provide us with shade from the harsh sun and protection from those who wish us harm. Their flesh upon our lips we live and bring storms to their dwellings. Blessed be the ever-living beauties.¡¯ replied Carissa.


    ¡®I knew I liked you for a good reason. And it certainly wasn¡¯t your looks regardless of what that mermaid goddess thinks about me. I¡¯m a man of hidden trenches and simple desires. Did one of the Drowned Gods impart it to you during your oh-so brief period of


    unconsciousness? Ah, you can¡¯t see outside yet. My mistake, Sherry likes her extra layers of protection after all. Still, we¡¯re safe enough here.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Boss, you want her to see how deep we are?¡¯ said Chas.


    ¡®You only call me than when shameful. You stole those bottles from my personal stash didn¡¯t you. I bet Sherry told you that she wanted them for Carissa, her little way of throwing a tantrum for not coming along. She gets far too attached to the candidates. I mean if they¡¯re attracted to each other, it¡¯s fine but...I¡¯m off topic. We still have our own bundle of surprises here to teach a little more. No, this isn¡¯t a physical lesson or a beating again. You took initiative by diving into that pool and even more so by trying to break out. Stupid. Very stupid but decent initiative. Carissa, you know what class Sherry is after working it out. Any ideas about what Chas or I am? It¡¯ll give you a clue as to where we¡¯re heading towards.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Give me more time to recover. I need a little to think¡¯ replied Carissa as the pair nodded and moved over to the other side of the mostly minimal dome where a series of boxes and bottles had been stored.


    Rather than talk further Carissa took the time to observe her surroundings. The walls remained opaque but at times became marginally translucent allowing shimmer of both red and blue lights to shine through. The dome shape was a larger size than the construct which she had seen previously inside the room with the moon pool.


    If it was the same diving bell then it had been enlarged several times with enough room for three people to stand comfortably and several metres across. The wooden floor she recognised as the same type of material which had made up the floating structure above.


    No signs or furniture though aside from the pile of boxes and other items which Chas and Mike had moved towards. There was a light rocking motion which she became more aware of as full control over her body and senses slowly returned to her.


    More questions and more nonsense about gods from those two.


    She wasn¡¯t clear if the pair was choosing to talk to try and distract her from her present situation or if they were simply nervous about her actions. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. She was certain that she was out of the floating wood that made up their respective homes.


    This game of flooded world gods was confusing for her to say the least but she had an inkling of why the goddess, or mermaid goddess had chosen to accuse her cheating.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Technology. This place, this world, this game system frowned upon the use of advanced technology.


    She had seen nothing on board the boat which couldn¡¯t have been built either by hand or required sufficiently advanced preparation. But she did know one fact which almost make her smile involuntary.


    This world that had been drowned must have had a higher degree of technology than she originally thought. Not one where people used wood and bone to scavenge but educated, advanced levels. And if the world had been drowned then it had been for a good reason.


    Humans themselves were able to create their own vessels to discover the depths of the oceans. Even use them for warfare between nations. Her own world certainly had.


    And if this world was anything like hers then paranoid men had built submersibles designed to attack and destroy. She recalled when she had watched the news once and a war had broken out between the major continents and one had launched a nuclear missile.


    Thankfully the weapon had been shot down in time before causing mass devastation but if she could find a similar level of technology here buried beneath the waves then a certain mermaid goddess would find her own anger and hate would be returned by her ten-thousand-fold.


    Even become the captain of her own vessel. A fitting way to punish those who didn¡¯t deserve her true beauty.


    ¡®Carissa. You¡¯re smiling. Body and mind recovered enough or are you thinking or ways to get revenge on me for failing in my duties as a combat testing tutor yesterday? We¡¯ve still got a way to go still so you might as well join us for a drink and a snack.¡¯ said Mike as his voice reached into Carissa¡¯s thoughts and pulled her out of dark visions of underwater nuclear destruction.


    ¡®Mike. Who is Veronica?¡¯ called out Carissa. Her throat was slightly parched and her limbs weak and even though they were only several metres away on the other side of the dome her body betrayed her and she fell down, hand stretched outwards to break her fall.


    The wooden floor rose up to meet her and Carissa raised her eyes to observe Mike standing next to Chas. Initially his eyes cooled sharply when he heard her say the name before he put a smile on his face.


    Both of his hands equally occupied with a bottle and a cooked fish head in the other as the wood beneath Carissa¡¯s body stopped her fall and lifted her back up into a standing position where a piece of wooden board extended into her hand like a walking stick.


    ¡®Carissa. Guess she got you worse than we thought. Chas, you up to using a bit of healing on our beloved and brave candidate? I don¡¯t think the mermaid goddess would take offence to that. Not at this stage at least. Not when the rest of the gods are waiting for us in avatar form. And that name...is none of your concern. She¡¯s dead. It happens.¡¯ said Mike as he took a deep swill of the bottle in one hand and crunched down hard on the cooked fish head filling his mouth.


    He waved in her direction and another wooden walking stick extended into her other hand and wrapping around, guided her forwards while giving her a form of support.


    Carissa noticed that his wooden club was nowhere to be seen. Not on his belt, not tucked behind him.


    He doesn¡¯t need the club or contact to use his¡­. magic and control over drift wood.


    He lied.


    Or he did it on purpose to make me think the threat was...no.


    Protein and liquid. Fill the stomach, refresh the mind.


    Learn Carissa.


    Survive and learn.


    ¡®Thank you. I¡¯ll be...fine. Yes, my meeting with a goddess was an experience. I just need to eat and drink. Would you mind using your powers to make me a chair? As interesting as it is to be pulled forward by two walking sticks, I think we should sit down and have a chat and you can tell me how deep we are and a little about our final destination. I think I deserve a few more answers and at least a single bottle of the good stuff you hide away. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry your friend died. Or your lover.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Mike swallowed the fish head with a deep gulp and took another deep swig from the wine as he placed the bottle down on the boxes behind him and nodded towards Chas.


    The other man had placed a bottle between his hands and had both eyes closed as though in prayer. Carissa considered that his robe appeared to shimmer more than before and a hint of sea spines appeared across the surface as they vanished.


    The man was a predator and she was still prey. Both of them were. While she was only a tiny sea creature, barely formed, barely aware of the dangers of the deep. Chas was more of an unknown quantity but he hadn¡¯t reacted to her with any form of hostile intent and his words earlier were clearly the sign of a man who was far more intelligent than he wanted to let on.


    ¡®Chas? You up to it? Drinks, snacks and questions and answers? This is the safest that she¡¯s going to be on the entire planet for a good long time. We have all the direct attention of the Drowned Gods after all. Or at least their avatars. As long as we don¡¯t talk than about the t-word then we should be fine. And Carissa, this is the last time I need to talk about her. Veronica wasn¡¯t my friend. She was family to us all and none of your business. Clear? I¡¯ve tolerated enough by this point.¡¯ said Mike as he waved his hands theatrically and three equally sized chair and a single small table in the centre appeared in the middle of the dome.


    After grabbing two crates from the small pile behind him and heaving them upwards Mike gave Chas a light kick on his back lifting his leg up and pushing the man forward.


    ¡®Chas. Give her a bottle. She doesn¡¯t know, she¡¯s barely a newborn. Just give her a bottle.¡¯ said Mike.


    When he received no response, he raised his leg again when Chas opened his eyes and gave Carissa a deep look and a smile on his face as he presented the bottle between his hands with a flourish like a magician in her direction.


    ¡®Magic. Makes. Wonders.¡¯ said Chas as he gathered a fistful of his robe in one hand and strode forward to one of the chairs and placed the bottle with a singular flourish on the small centre table.


    He was swiftly followed by Mike who dumped both boxes on the side of the table then grabbed one seat and made another gesture as the walking sticks wrapped themselves around Carissa¡¯s hands and pulled her sharply forward towards the single vacant wooden chair.


    ¡®It does. To be honest it also makes us lazy bastards on occasion. I can freely say that without Sherry listening in. Or she¡¯d be after the both of us. After all, we¡¯re here prepared to eat and drink and talk while she has to play baby-sitter on the surface to those two. A coward and a depressed woman who misses her family. No sense of adventure in these new candidates...not like our Carissa here. A treasure indeed. Small wonder the drowned gods take interest in her. Even the one of beauty gives her such divine hatred. But her actions tested their patience. Dangers without and deep within her.¡¯ said Chas.


    He sat back in his chair, stretching out his arms, folding his arms and closed his eyes.


    ¡®Carissa. I¡¯m truly sorry that you landed in this world. I told you before, us damaged people can recognise each other. I¡¯ll tell you one thing though, if we don¡¯t put on a good show for the tutorial stage up on the surface for the drowned gods and their attendants then they could make it worse. Much, much worse. For now, though, grab a cooked fish head and a bottle which hasn¡¯t been enhanced into a bottle of healing liquid and therefore takes like fake cheap quality rain piss and settle down for a few moments. Then me and Chas will answer more questions.¡¯ said Mike.


    He nodded his head towards Chas who was sitting forward in his own chair. His shimmering robe began to tighten around his body like a second skin and fishy scales of various colours formed. Then it rippled creating a colourful pattern which reflected the light.


    ¡®Show off.¡¯ said Mike as Carissa reached for the bottle on the table to take a drink.

 Chapter 15 – Cast Adrift

    ¡®The drink. The healing effect, it¡¯s not what you think it is. Also, my apologies for it tasting like rain piss. At least this way when you reach a city, you¡¯ll be used to it¡¯s...unique flavour. Blessed the Drowned Ones who gift us with their presence and their love for their candidates and followers in this world of water and life.¡¯ said Chas.


    Carissa respected his honestly, the drink was surely one of the worst that she¡¯d had in her life. The taste was as though someone had taken a bottle of alcohol and then filtered it through their own urine in a makeshift water distillation machine, drank it, urinated it back into the machine and then drank it again.


    ¡®Rain piss. The taste is apt.,¡¯ said Carissa. Regardless of the flavour, the drink had worked wonders on her mind and body. Both were equally refreshed as though she¡¯d had a long hot shower, full body massage and then a good night¡¯s sleep.


    His eyes still closed and his arms folded Mike called out as he sat in his chair. His legs folded over and his head slumped forward.


    ¡®Carissa. Do me a favour, when you get offered real Rain Piss don¡¯t drink it. In fact, if the person offers you a drink of it, even a single glass then I want you to kick them in the balls and then get away from them as soon as possible. And if it¡¯s a woman then kick them in the ovaries. And if they¡¯re in between then just smash the bottle or glass in their face and run. Trust me on this one. You''ll thank me for it.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®MIKE!¡¯ shouted out Chas. As he turned towards the other man while mimicking a hand sliding across his own throat.


    ¡®What? Not a spoiler. Don¡¯t you remember what happened to us when we tried some? That was some adventure back then, the four of us were pretty stupid and then Ronnie...well it¡¯s past history now. I think it¡¯s the best piece of advice you can give any new candidate. Refuse the Rain Piss quest. Or mission. No idea if the gods are still forcing it on new players but it¡¯s worth remembering.¡¯ said Mike as he kept his eyes closed and his posture unmoving. A piece of wood rose up from his chair and formed a bridge under his chin as he slumped forward even further, caught from falling forward by the wood.


    Carissa turned to Chas as she noticed his scaled robe had shifted to what she would have classified as shark denticle skin or an approximation of it.


    Copying his actions she folded her own hands together in an attempt at a prayer and bowed forward, remaining seated, as she closed her own eyes.


    ¡®Thank you blessed priest.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®I told you she identified your class. Guess the Ocean Gateway System is open to you again. It should be restricted inside this place according to our lovely creator. Do you have anything you want to say to Sherry? We can try and pass on a message while we¡¯re still descending, might as well make the use of the time that we have left.¡¯ said Mike.


    Now that her body and mind had been refreshed, Carissa cast her eyes around the dome surrounding them. The rounded ceilings were high enough above her head but once she paid attention to the opaque walls, she was certain that there was a degree of flexing.


    The materials of the walls and ceilings made tiny inward and outward movements. A motion of movement was under her feet but far more noticeable when she paid attention to it sitting in her chair.


    ¡®Questions and answers. I¡¯m not strong enough to fight either of you but what¡¯s this about. We fight, get fed, rest and then get taken to a place to dive beneath the surface of the ocean. We are beneath the surface, aren¡¯t we?¡¯ said Carissa.


    Mike held up a hand to stop Chas from answering.


    ¡®My turn Chas. You might think that we delay for a good reason and distract and talk and talk all this nonsense but did you ever think that we¡¯re trying to protect you? After all, the drowned ocean gods hate cheaters. We could give you answers and you¡¯d soon be dead. Either from the pressure or we¡¯d be forced to take action. However!¡¯ said Mike as he held up a finger and the wooden bridge beneath his chin receded back into the chair.


    ¡®We can give you some answers. For one, the t-word is technology. To make it clear, it¡¯s not encouraged here. There is a certain individual who is a mighty big fan of it and due to his unique position on this mostly flooded planet can get away with it. My advice is you shut up and put thoughts of building yourself a fleet capable of wiping out sea leviathans out of your mind. Yes, we are underwater. I¡¯d tell you the speed that we¡¯re travelling at but the fact is I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not in control of this vessel right now. Nobody mortal is. At least not when we go beneath the surface.¡¯ said Mike.


    Over the course of the conversation on the side, Chas had managed to drink his way through several bottles but when he¡¯d offered it to Mike been refused. Carissa recognised the signs of drunkenness when she saw them. Her own parents had drunk, but mostly in moderation. Liam and her had never been that interested in the relaxing benefits of alcohol.


    ¡®...Youse. Always lying Mike. Blessed gods of the puddle. You¡¯re a cow-coward. Tell her the truth Mike. She¡¯d go-going to die. They always do. Ronnie, she...she. You. Fault. Mostly...I think...I..I... think I¡¯ve drunk too much. Im''ma sleep over there. Good cul-luck Carissa...blessed...Irma sleep there.¡¯ said Chas.


    Mike moved before Carissa even noticed, his body moving with unusually fast speed. No human she knew of could react that fast, not even with body enhancing drugs or technology.


    Close yes, but he moved before she had even blinked. He caught hold of Chas before the robed man fell out of his wooden chair and hoisted him up over a shoulder before carrying him over to the boxes and laying him down with relative ease.


    Mike spoke to Carissa as he was putting a cloth under the head of the Chas as he began to snore.


    ¡®We¡¯re not human. I believe you¡¯d call us enhanced ones. You were once, before you came to this place. I don¡¯t know why you made the choice but you can regain all that strength and energy that once filled you. I¡¯ve seen how you move, how you react. I¡¯m far stronger, tougher, faster than you think I am. It¡¯s in my bloodstream. Inside the waters of my body. Chas is right. I am weak, but I¡¯m not a coward. I just want to protect what¡¯s left of my party.¡¯ said Mike.


    Once he had settled Chas and adjusted the man¡¯s blue robe with care, he took a seat opposite Carissa and took hold of one of the boxes lying next to the centre table and ripped off the wooden lid with his bare hands before casually tossing it to the side.


    ¡®I could break you with a single hand. Most of your bones with one single hit. Possibly your spine although I imagine that your skin or internals have been reinforced somewhat. Nanotechnology which got disabled on your arrival but the after effects are still there. Judging from the look on your face I reckon I¡¯m right. No other reason the water bag filled gods got so angry at you. They consider it cheating. Naughty, naughty.¡¯ said Mike with a sad smile.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Holding the box between two open palms on each side he slammed them shut and the wooden nearly exploded apart as cooked fish heads flew through the air. Before Carissa could respond, Mike snatched a dozen of them and placed them on the table.


    ¡®And I¡¯m weak in comparison to a lot of others. The demi-gods for one. You could call me a higher-middle grade class. One day, if you live, you¡¯ll be able to crush me too. Physical strength isn¡¯t always the best choice in this place but we all have our own part to play. Tell you what, you do me a favour and I¡¯ll try and explain our present situation a little better. And no, I¡¯m not trying to threaten you in terms of violence. I told you once that you¡¯re not my type and it¡¯s not because I prefer men. I was grown in a lab and prefer those of my own kind. Do we have a deal, Carissa?¡¯ said Mike.


    Given that her present situation was stuck inside a floating bubble, descending below the surface and she was alone with a man who had destroyed a wooden crate with his hands easily while the other more reasonable one had drunk himself into unconsciousness Carissa had little choice.


    She stopped for a moment before considering her response.


    ¡®And if I say you can go and drown yourself. What would you say to that?¡¯ said Carissa.


    Carissa didn¡¯t know what reaction she had been expecting but a bright smile wasn¡¯t one of them. Neither was the fact that Mike was clapping his hands in loud applause, uncaring of Chas snoring away on the floor near the boxes.


    ¡®Yes. YES!¡¯ Mike cheered.


    ¡®We have ourselves a serious one here. I¡¯ve pulled that exact same trick with the wooden boxes hundreds of times and only rarely do I get the response I want. I¡¯ll tell you where we¡¯re heading. The ocean gods like to choose their own candidates ahead of time, the whole bunch of them are in a competition after all to elevate a mortal into their own unique group. A god. They want to turn one of us into a god like them. One with affinity with water. All we¡¯re doing in the tutorial and up on the surface is trying to give every new candidate a little preparation while not spoiling the entertainment of the gods.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Entertainment. We¡¯re here to amuse so-called ocean gods. All of this game and pain and confusion is for their personal entertainment. Are they watching you right now? Are they watching me?¡¯ asked Carissa spreading her arms out wide. The fabric of her grey suit stretched accordingly to her movements.


    ¡®Since you were rescued by Sherry yes. And if you drowned upon arrival of this world then you just become another. Wait. I¡¯m not allowed to say that. You die. Basically, you die. I¡¯m going to let you find out that detail for yourself. Heh. Number one tip, don¡¯t die. I had friends once who died and... well they carried on after a fashion. Veronica for one, her case was a little different though. We got lucky. The other poor bastards...you¡¯ll find out for yourself. The gods are watching us descend, as they¡¯re likely watching ten thousand others or more in their own makeshift tutorial areas also descend to the first real choice that you can partially control.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I see...if they can see us then why aren¡¯t I being attacked again or why weren¡¯t you attacked when you mentioned nanotechnology?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    Her hand took several of the cooked fish heads on the table and she took a deep bite out of one, partially to fill her stomach but also to give the gods a show of how little she cared for their observing.


    ¡®Ah. Yeah, I made that mistake once too when I was new to this place. My trainer had finished her own tutorial, they had the Ocean Gateway System regulate everything and it was organised. Not this mess we find ourselves in. You see Carissa, the ocean gods know full well what technology does and how it works. They are gods. They chose this planet and covered it in water, but when you¡¯re a god it works a little bit differently. There¡¯s still a massive amount available on this planet but they chose to deactivate it. Aside from one but he¡¯s a special case and I would prefer not to discuss him under so many watchful eyes. Also, he¡¯s kind of a prick who... well likes cold revenge. You¡¯d like him.¡¯ said Mike finishing with a wink.


    Carissa was munching her way through the cooked fish heads and took a random unopened bottle that had fallen off the table before pulling off the top and taking a drink. When she proffered the bottle to Mike he had just pointed at the sleeping, snoring Chas and shook his head.


    ¡®And we¡¯re going to meet the gods?¡¯ said Carissa. She times her talking with her mouth full of the wine and cooked fish head so the spluttered-out food and drink with the last word.


    Distasteful times called for distasteful measures in her own mind.


    ¡®Avatars of them. Most of them. The ones who can be bothered, I mean they¡¯re all watching but unless you¡¯re lucky and nobody chooses you then you get to meet a god who agrees to give you a portion of power in exchange for being their chosen representative. Not much choice there but you¡¯ve already made the mermaid goddess angry so being unaffiliated could be your best bet. Less power and resources but more relative freedom.¡¯ said Mike.


    Taking more bites and stuffing her mouth with more wine in preparation for spitting out food as she spoke Carissa nodded her head when her mouth as well in agreement.


    ¡®Burn you and dry out the ocean gods.¡¯ said Carissa as she waved out the bottle in front of her and stood up on her feet in front of her chair.


    ¡®That¡¯ll do it. The Shark God would be proud to call you his champion, maybe the jellyfish one but I don¡¯t think you have a preference for tentacles. Not if you wanted to keep your own appearance humanoid.¡¯ said Mike.


    As he finished speaking the floor and walls shook as Carissa stumbled and grabbed onto the edge of the chair to keep herself upright. The sudden jolting had shocked her but Mike was fully prepared and barely budged in his seat aside from a quick glance to make sure that Chas hadn¡¯t rolled over.


    ¡®Arrived then. I agree with you in spirit though, you¡¯d think all-powerful gods of the seas would rise from the oceans to impress us but this is the way they prefer it. We need to visit one of their unified ocean temples, handcrafted and decorated with all the gold, jewels and sea related imagery they could imagine. It is a good sight though, always impressive the first time. Here we go, the first step is to get changed. All of us. Prepare to be beautified beyond your dreams Carissa and show off that figure of yours.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Some of us¡¯ he said, slapping his stomach ¡®Don¡¯t have the same looks but we can look decent enough. Chas has it easy, his robe will change according to the will of the gods as soon as we can both wake him up.¡¯ said Mike.


    Carrisa turned her attention to the walls of the dome around them but it still remained opaque.


    ¡®You were going to show me the Temple of the Ocean gods as we descended?¡¯ she asked.


    ¡®I was, but I¡¯m pretty tired of them showing off all the time. This way you get to see the real thing in person. We¡¯ve got a little bit of time before the outside dome begins to break down so we better get tidying up a little. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a broom and spare bags in one of the boxes. You go and slap Chas awake out of his sleep and I¡¯ll get to cleaning this mess. Fair is fair.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have an issue with domestic cleaning and I can take care of my own messes.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Mike nodded as he stepped over to the boxes and with a wave of his hand made all three chairs and the table meld back into the wooden floor, leaving behind broken wooden fragments, empty bottles and a number of fish heads lying around.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure. But the gods are barely watching and I¡¯d be in some deep trouble if I asked a new player candidate to clean up the mess I made. Besides, the next part is going to be fun. Less talking and more action. Remember how I tested your combat ability on the surface?¡¯ said Mike.


    Carissa frowned in response at the question. She had moved over to Chas but he continued snoring despite her shaking.


    ¡®The gods want those who are both mentally and physically strong. Hold yourself in a few fights and... I¡¯ll just get to tidying up. Wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise. Found it!¡¯ said Mike as he flourished a rough looking wooden broom and a handful of large empty bags made of a similar material to the robe Chas was wearing.


    Sighing inwardly, Carissa took to her task of trying to wake up the sleeping priest while she began to mentally prepare herself for her next challenge.

 Chapter 16 – False Dry Land

    The underwater temple was pristine, the air itself sparkled but it was the sheer scale that impressed on Carissa the most. The size of the structure was large enough to be an arena, at least as far as she could see, the surrounding area glowed bright enough for her to be unable to make out surroundings clearly.


    The walls of the diving bell had increased in transparency, enough for her to see visibly outside but the temple remained at a reasonable distance from their present location. From her perception of scale, the pillars alone reached several hundred meters up into the waters above. The water was present but also clear enough for her to see through.


    If she had been told that she would be taken against her will to another world, thrown underwater and then physically and mentally shocked before being taken deep under the ocean to a massive underwater temple filled with bio-luminescent lights then Carissa would have assumed that the person talking to her was either suffering a severe delusion or a design for a new film trilogy.


    ¡®It takes your breath away doesn¡¯t it. The lights are actually tiny sea creatures, I¡¯m guessing the gods don¡¯t want us to see what lays beyond the reaches of one of their underwater temples. Well, I know what¡¯s beyond it, I did a few guard quests during my middle-levels with my crew of four but nothing you want or care to hear about, I¡¯m sure. No, you¡¯re all about demanding the answers and trying to work your way out of this situation. The problem is that there isn¡¯t one, from this point you leave this place as a newly fledged player dedicated to one of the Drowned Gods or as chum. Fish chum.¡¯ came the voice of Mike from behind Carissa.


    They had finished their journey and the diving bell had retracted inwards before an entrance doorway formed in a wall. The mess that had been made from their drinking and eating session was cleaned up in rapid order by Mike as Chas had woken by himself and given his own help with a twist of magic reducing the food, bottles, drinks and broken crates into water which washed across the base of the diving bell.


    ¡®Leave her alone. You keep saying how you can¡¯t help her with this and that but you talk and talk and talk. Besides, my head hurts from that crap you brought aboard. Cherry would have brought better quality stuff and even fresh water. Not the stuff that knocks you out. Knocked me out at least. Pretty Lady, please ignore the crazy old man. Time for the appearance of the helpers and I need to clean myself up a little better.¡¯ said Chas as he stood by the doorway making a series of gestures before he bowed deeply.


    Carissa held her tongue shut. She would listen to their bickering and try to gleam as much information as she could in this place. Despite her efforts though she still had further questions, one in particular had been stuck in her head during the entire trip beneath the water.


    ¡®Where do the others go? Cherry and the others? Does the diving bell return back to your...sanctuary and they make another journey?¡¯ queried Carissa.


    She turned her gaze towards the lights but they were only accompanying the main site of the ocean temple. Try as she might she was unable to see anything past them, tiny glimmers of light magnified and increased when she focused her attention on them.


    ¡®I need to clean up as well. They¡¯re here Carissa. Or they will be soon. We were asked to watch you a little closer than normal, given...an incident that happened this early in your game. The gods have their own reasons for their actions but it doesn¡¯t mean that they like to work together all the time. When the avatars make their appearance, you¡¯ll see it. The conflict. Oh, and right, don¡¯t let go of your personal storage bag. In fact, it would be best to wear the grey suit, store away your Ocean Gateway provided weapon and keep it shut the entire time. Food and drink will be provided as will clothes. Weapons and armour too if needed. And I¡¯m done. Anything else to add Chas?¡¯ said Mike.


    Chas had completed his series of hand gestures and movements, ending with a deep bow towards the entrance as a light glow came over his robes causing them to shift into a series of rainbow scales.


    Shaking his head he simply walked through the doorway and out of the diving bell not bothering to respond to Mike or Carissa. His entire form vanished as he entered the doorway as though he had never been there in the first place. Carissa couldn¡¯t even hear the sound of his movements outside.


    ¡®And here we go again. He never forgave me. But the place of a priest is with their chosen avatar so he¡¯ll do his own thing. Come on girl, time for the gods to take their measure. I¡¯ve helped more than enough. Ah, I forgot. Don¡¯t fight it, it won¡¯t hurt you. The gods like to take their measure. Did I say that already? I¡¯m getting old. See you on the other side. You¡¯ll find the Ocean Gateway System will become active. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m restricted from saying more.¡¯ said Mike.


    With his last conversation to Carissa, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder giving it the tiniest squeeze before a sad gaze passed his face.


    He murmured words as he walked through the doorway of the diving bell but Carissa picked them up. Whether they were addressed to her or to himself she wasn¡¯t certain as he vanished from her view.


    ¡®Get stuffed for doing this to us¡­the fear of the gods made manifest.¡¯ said Mike.


    Turning her gaze around the diving bell, the transparency dropped away as her view of the outside world was blocked off. Left with only the open doorway and the promise of lights and the memory of the vastness of the temple she clutched tightly onto her bag, making sure its fastenings were attached to her covered body.


    She took a hand and placed it on the shark tooth necklace but there was no need for her to clutch it tighter. Mike had mentioned to her about the alcohol that they had shared having an effect but her emotions were calm and still as a salted ocean without waves or wind.


    Carissa took a single step towards the doorway when a memory came upon her. A beach with her parents when they had moved their houseboat to the coast for a week to make simple repairs and give her time to play with other children her age.


    Shaking her head to dislodge the memory from her consciousness Carissa took the rest of the steps through the open doorway, fully expecting to see a mass of lights under the ocean surrounding her and a clear path towards the underwater temple.


    Instead, her feet were bare and warm, a warm sun shone from above and clear skies above her as a voice called her to her. A voice she hadn¡¯t heard in a decade, not since she lost contact with them and focused on her own studies.


    Long before she met Liam but during a brief period of time when she was happy with herself before her parents rebuked her behaviour and her emotions began to run rampant again. Before she needed the shark tooth.


    Fifteen.


    She had turned fifteen earlier in the year.


    A teenage girl, slimmer and shorter than Carissa with one side of her head shaved and the other at length and black wearing a pair of black shorts, a matching crop top and a pair of beach sandals stood before Carissa.


    Her face smiled at the memory before the voice hit her.


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    ¡®Rissa? When did you get here ahead of me? You promised you¡¯d meet me by the shops at the top and we¡¯d walk down together. You had better have found a good place for our stuff. Girl, we¡¯re going to have so much fun!¡¯ came the teenage girl¡¯s voice.


    No. Carissa recognised that voice but she had been about to step through...step through.


    I was. I was¡­. Laci?


    When did Laci get here?


    I forgot to meet her.


    The sun warmed her skin and the waves on the beach comforted her enough that she ignored the odd sensation of an itch deep inside her mind, a splinter trying and failing to grab her attention.


    Instead, she smiled and called out the name of her best summer friend. The only one who had made her smile, who had never focused her on beauty or her background.


    ¡®Laci! I found us a great place, not too far from the entrance but enough to give us a little privacy and store our stuff so we can go swimming.¡¯ said Carissa.


    As she walked along the beach towards her friend, there was a sensation of someone watching her. Turning around the beach was barely full at this early hour, they had both planned to arrive earlier to beat the crowds and make the most of the day.


    Carissa had begged her parents for the spare cash to buy equipment, secure beach tent, fresh towels and swim gear and she had even been given the day off from her studies. Her parents were always in a better mood when they were at home together, their houseboat moored a little further along the coast.


    ¡®Brilliant. I mean you¡¯re brilliant as well ¡®Rissa but mainly because you found a good spot. Otherwise, you¡¯d be a dummy like me.¡¯ said Rissa as she stepped forward with sandals on her feet and a sturdy backpack wrapped around her.


    The two teenagers gave each other a sudden hug as Carissa held on to her summer friend a little tighter than normal, a little harder than she would usually hug. A tear rolled down one of her cheeks from her eye and wetted the face of Laci.


    ¡®Rissa? Are you...crying? I¡¯m here. I¡¯m not going anywhere and I¡¯m yours for the day. Come on, you can show me the great spot you found while I tell you about this guy who tried to hassle me when I was buying food. Such a jerk, accused me of being underage when I tried to buy a bottle of cider. I mean I am underage but he didn¡¯t need to make a big deal out of it. I gave up on the cider and decided to get a bottle of shandy instead. Doesn¡¯t have quite the same kick but we¡¯re here to enjoy the beach, not get plastered. ¡®Rissa, did someone talk to you again? Did a random sicko try to hit on you on the way here? You can tell me.¡¯ said Laci as she held Carissa¡¯s hand tightly.


    The two girls walked further along the quiet beach in the early morning as Carissa experienced the same sensation again of being watched. She decided to ignore it, if there was a man with a telescopic lens high up on the cliffs watching her who lusted after a beautiful teenage girl like herself there was little to do about it.


    Bringing up her free hand she swore in a random direction, hoping the man would get the hint and leave them alone. This was her time with Laci and the rest of the world could go and jump off the ocean depths until they drowned.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. Thank you so much for bringing the food along, I managed to convince my parents to let me buy new equipment. I mean we have everything we need on the boat but I didn¡¯t like to use our old and used stuff.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Laci brought one hand to her face in a laugh.


    ¡®Rissa, you¡¯re fifteen now. Soon to be sixteen. A beautiful proud young woman and you still need to talk to your parents about buying things? They have like, way too much control over your life. The result of being homeschooled, I guess. Have you ever been clubbing before?¡¯ said Laci as she shook her backpack.


    Shaking her head Carissa frowned. She didn¡¯t want Laci to stop liking her but neither did she want to agree with everything she said. She had always found it difficult to make good friends, they always approached her first but when they rapidly lost contact afterwards.


    None of them were genuine though, they assumed she was pretty and stupid or a show-off. And the boys just wanted her to laugh at their stupid jokes and attempts to show off. She needed to learn how to find a balance this time. Not enough to offend but enough to show that she wasn¡¯t without her own opinion.


    ¡®My parents care about me when they¡¯re not busy working. And no, I haven¡¯t been clubbing before. You know that. I mean, I¡¯ve been to the theatre and toured a few of the coastal cities during the days but never been out at nights. Too much noise and...and¡­¡¯ said Carissa before she began to stumble on her words.


    ¡®...Too much physical attention.¡¯ completed Laci. ¡®The price of being beautiful, a shame though because you would easily make everyone offer you buy you a drink. Boys and girls alike. We almost there ¡®Rissa?¡¯


    They had walked a relative distance from the coastal entrance to the beach. The walk down had been mildly steep with a popular and well-stocked shop at the main car park and bus entrance.


    Laci grabbed hold of Carissa''s hands and began dancing around her singing a song which Carissa wasn¡¯t familiar but she felt the urge to join in. Both girls skipped around the beach, feet stepping closer to the edges of the shore, laughing together as they held hands once again and carried on walking.


    ¡®Imagine if we could swim out in the ocean and stay there. Living out on the waters, exploring, surviving and lounging on the surface...forever. Oh right, we¡¯re here. What do you think Laci?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    ¡®I think it needs to be fixed. The oceans I mean...who¡¯d want to live out there on a boat all the time with all the damage and pollution we caused? But I don¡¯t care about that ¡®Rissa. I¡¯m here. You¡¯re here. We¡¯re going to have the best day out on the beach today. Ugh, one of them. I don¡¯t get why they do it. Old men with nothing to do all day. I mean it¡¯s not as though he¡¯s looking at us but why does he have to do it so close to our beach site? He¡¯d got a whole coast to choose from. Whatever. I¡¯ll just tell him to find somewhere else.¡¯ said Laci.


    The site Carissa had chosen had a beach style tent set up with a secure lock on the tent linked to her own genetic code, her few personal belongings were inside but she hadn¡¯t felt confident leaving them outside even this early in the morning.


    ¡®No. I¡¯ll talk to him; you just unpack the food and I¡¯ll unlock the tent first.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The smell of the salty water and the warmth of the sand and sun on her skin made her comfortable. More so than normal. Holding Laci¡¯s hand and the hug they shared had also helped Carissa to be more settled than normal. Enough so she could talk to a random beach searcher with his detector to move on a little further down the beach and give her and Laci a little privacy.


    As the waves splashed forward as the tide was slowly drawing back in, she took in the sight of the man, used to taking in appearances before making judgements. He was slightly blurry from this distance, likely due to the heat on the sand. For a moment his form was familiar to her before it shifted and her eyes unconsciously avoided him.


    Besides, she needed to be careful. Her parents had always warned her of the risk of talking to strangers. At fifteen she was taller than both her mother and father and had physically developed earlier than most her age but her mind still needed to mature.


    Mainly, she hated the attention she got from grown up men. It made her sick inside but she was able to escape it when on her houseboat. A good reason for her to avoid cities and inhabited areas.


    Soon enough, she¡¯d be old enough to focus on her own studies and academics with her own choice of universities. One benefit of being raised by ocean scientists and supported in education by their colleagues across the world. A few more years and she could begin to find the freedom she had always wanted, to find her own way.


    ¡®Rissa! Stop day-dreaming and ask the old man to leave. He¡¯s not looking at us but I don¡¯t like how he¡¯s hanging around. I¡¯ve got some weird old man deterrent in my bag if we need it. I¡¯m going to talk to him and ask him to leave if you don¡¯t.¡¯ huffed out Laci.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. A quick talk and... let me unlock the tent first.¡¯ said Carissa as she bent down and gave a drop of her own blood to the small security device unlocking it. She popped inside for a brief check of her belongings before a noise caused her to head straight outside.

 Chapter 17 – A Taste of Eating Lotus

    ¡®Listen old man. My friend and I are here for a day on the beach. You can choose somewhere else to search for your junk, don¡¯t use it as an excuse to stare at teenage girls. You¡¯re sick. A pervert. We don¡¯t need or want you here. Get out of here or I¡¯ll¡­¡¯ stated Laci.


    Carissa had exited the small tent after she had checked over her belongings, out of a sense of reassurance she had grabbed her favourite shark tooth necklace. An impulse she wasn¡¯t even aware of deep down has made her take it. As she fastened it around her neck, she observed her summer friend arguing with the man who was a beachcomber.


    Taking in the sight of him, he wore relatively nicer clothing considering they were on the beach. She had been expecting a man dressed in old, worn-out clothes or lower-end quality products. He was around her own height, wearing a pair of grey tight khaki trousers with a white shirt sleeve shirt with several buttons undone. One his face a pair of sunglasses and a trimmed beard.


    On his back he had a canvas bag with several scanning devices which Carissa recognised from her parents¡¯ colleagues. He looked more like an off-duty scientist than a beach comber and was holding both hands up and taking several steps back towards the shoreline and the waiting waves.


    ¡®Ouch, I¡¯m old yeah but not that old. I¡¯m not here to chat you up or cause any issues young ladies. Is that offensive to say? I¡¯m a little old. I saw the tent parked here and was curious as to whose it was. Besides, I just need to say something. Several words and I¡¯m out of here and you two can enjoy your day at the beach. Say, don¡¯t both of you think it¡¯s quiet today? I mean this is pretty early but you¡¯d think more people would turn up during a lovely summer day like this.¡¯ said the man.


    ¡®Take another step back. Hands up and take another step back.¡¯ said Laci.


    She had reached inside her backpack and pulled out a spray and an alarm from what Carissa could make out.


    ¡®Carissa. Stay by the tent. Don¡¯t move away, you don¡¯t need to listen to him talk. I can make him leave and we can stay here. I¡¯ve got enough tasty food, snacks, plenty of water and enough sun cream we can last out here until sundown.¡¯ said Laci.


    ¡®...Laci? You never call me Carissa. Do you know this man?¡¯ queried Carissa.


    Laci stood still, one hand loosening her backpack as she let it drop to the sand beside the tent.


    ¡®Rissa. You deserve a single day of happiness. A single dry day of happiness. Please. You don¡¯t need to talk to him. You can stay here with me. Please.¡¯ said Laci as she held one hand out towards Carissa.


    Her slim frame shook as she shook her head. The sensation of being watched came over Carissa again as in the distant horizon a storm brewed, grey clouds far in the distance gave out rumbling thunder.


    The man sighed and kept his hands up in the air.


    ¡®They found me. Yanh. Stay out of this. I don¡¯t interfere in your business so back off. All of you owe me...and I sound like a crazy person talking to myself with my hands in the air. Hey ladies, how about this? I back off even more and Lady C answers a single question of mine. Nothing personal, nothing perverted or rude but it might sound like that. Please. Laci. You know what you are don¡¯t you? I¡¯m so sorry, you shouldn¡¯t have gained awareness like this but I had to interfere. We don¡¯t have time. You¡¯re her friend, one of the few she made and Carissa? I never looked. I promise you that I never looked. I¡¯m guessing from what I can see right here and right now. I¡¯m backing off. We¡¯re all good.¡¯ said the man.


    ¡®I know you. Your voice. I know your voice.¡¯ murmured Carissa. She brought one hand to her shark tooth necklace, fingers playing with the sharp edges.


    ¡®I really, really should not have done this but I¡¯m getting desperate. They¡¯re going to find you and Grumera wants you dead. The eternal aged beauty wants her wrath sated. Fed to the sea beasts outside the temple which is basically the same thing. None of this is going to make sense to you. Didn¡¯t Mike explain anything about this? Forget it. We don¡¯t have time. Laci, as a construct and her friend you care about Rissa here, don¡¯t you? I stopped them from bringing you entirely to this world but we took a minor copy.¡¯ said the man.


    Storm clouds on the distant horizon began to darken even further and three words came unbidden into Carissa¡¯s mind.


    ¡®Ocean. Gateway. System. What does that even mean?¡¯ queried Carissa.


    She had never noticed the sheer emptiness of the beach, the lack of everyone else on what should have been a bright sunny summer¡¯s day. The skies above turned cloudy as the warmth of the sun was blocked out and the tides which had been receding began to draw back in towards the shore.


    A storm was beginning to brew and her and Laci would be soaked entirely through.


    Their special day out, one of the last times she had been in contact with her summer friend at the age of fifteen who had chosen to befriend a single girl sitting by herself outside a shop gently crying to herself.


    On the waters of the beach, where the waves were beginning to rise and fall and the wind increased Carissa was sure that she saw a man on the waves. Standing impossibly on the very top of each wave as it crashed down. Watching them. Even from the distance Carissa knew he had been the very presence who had been watching her and Laci the entire time.


    ¡®Impossible.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The man with the grey khakis and white shirt sleeve shirt along with the canvas bag swung from one shoulder and his electronic equipment was standing deeper in the water on the shore now. He either didn¡¯t notice the waters reaching up to his waist or he didn¡¯t care but he raised his voice now to shout his question at Carissa.


    ¡®WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? WHY HAVEN¡¯T YOU LOOKED DOWN AT YOURSELF TO SEE WHAT YOU¡¯RE WEARING?¡¯


    Laci stepped in front of Carissa. A tear rolling down one cheek as she turned her back to the man and the shore and held both of Carissa¡¯s hands squeezing them tight.


    ¡®I never knew why you didn¡¯t come back the next day. I waited at the entrance. I asked so many people if they¡¯d seen you, a beautiful, intelligent and wonderful girl who became my amazing friend over a few days and then left from my life. I never knew until now. I¡¯m sorry Carissa, it must hurt you so much.¡¯ said Laci as she lunged forward and grabbed Carissa into a tight hug.


    Her hot breath on Carissa¡¯s ear as she whispered.


    ¡®Dry them out Carissa. They deserve it. Don¡¯t forget Liam. Time¡¯s up. I¡¯m glad we met together again. Find me Carissa. Find me again. Please. Remember who you are.¡¯


    The oncoming storm began to become louder as thunder resounded throughout the skies and over the shoulder of Laci Carissa was barely able to make out the figure of the man who had told them shirt. He was waving a hand as the tides continued to rise far above his head and then he vanished beneath one as it crashed over him.


    Carissa put her arms around Laci to return the close hug when she finally noticed her body, it was covered in a grey skin suit which she hadn¡¯t remembered wearing.


    Not on that day.


    Her body stretched and altered as a pain inside her grew, her teeth lengthened and sharpened as Carissa became an adult holding the teenage girl whose form softened and turned into water. The figure of Laci in the same posture hugging Carissa held for a moment before she fell apart and splashed Carissa¡¯s bare feet on the sandy beach.


    ¡®No. No. Laci? LACI? This isn¡¯t funny, where are you, Laci?¡¯ stumbled out Carissa.


    The storm grew larger as waves metres high rose on the edge of the shore and approached before crashing down across the entire beach. The last thing Carissa heard was the sound of rushing water approaching, thunder in the skies above and her own fading screams as she lost consciousness.


    [Ocean Gateway System Deep Scan Complete


    Memory Correction in Place.


    -Player Candidate Designate: Carissa prepared for Temporary Depths.


    The Ocean Gods welcome you Player-Candidate. Wake Up. Stop your beautiful dream. Wake Up.]


    A hand held her down. Pinning her shoulder to the floor. Another one covered her mouth but removed itself as soon as she sucked in a breath of fresh air.


    Her hair was wet and a strong smell of salt lingered on her grey suit. Her eyes closed as tight as she could make them given her last image of her friend as a teenager turning into a human shape made of water before a huge tidal wave collapsed on top of her.


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    Gasping in another deep breath of air into her lungs a voice called to her. This one she knew. Her hands clenched by her sides as she recalled the violence, he had visited upon her and then the hospitality he had shown later.


    The duality of his personality had confused her but, on this world, in this place perhaps he had shown her the most kindness and understanding for survival.


    There was a rush of sound around her as she regained consciousness, a cacophony of conversation and people hurriedly talking passed through her senses. The area that she was in was far more crowded than she had initially expected.


    The sound of so many people conversing almost drowned out the tightness within her own chest and the ache of her healing body.


    Whatever walking through the gate had done it was akin to a reinforcement of her waking up underwater. Carissa knew her limbs were weaker and her implants and genetics had both been tampered with yet again and her own physical strength and traits limited once more before she had a chance to adapt.


    Taking in her own body, she wore the same grey suit with her bonded bag resting on her stomach. She looped an arm through it to avoid it falling onto the floor. Her shark tooth necklace wasn¡¯t exposed but lay under her suit next to her bare skin around her neck.


    For the first time since she was fifteen Carissa there was no urge to hold it tightly, to push it through the surface of her skin and draw blood. Part of her was relieved while another was humiliated and shocked at the intrusion into her mind, her soul. Entering through that doorway had removed a weight from her.


    Reaching up to her neck she willed the suit to release and then dropped it into her bonded spatial bag quickly before she sealed it. She was both thankful and full of hate. There were no quick fixes for the human brain and despite an alteration being made she wasn¡¯t clear what damage had been done. Still, this wasn¡¯t the time for her to consider it.


    ¡®You need to let the lady go.¡¯ came another voice. This one was far more threatening with a far more subtle undertone of direct violence if action was taken.


    ¡®And you need to shut up, you stupid bludger. She doesn¡¯t need a white knight in shiny armour to come and save her so be a good little fresh water born and piss off. Do you know who I am? Ask your minder who saved you from becoming shark bait and then come back to me and challenge me again. Even the Drowned Gods know my name so do me a favour and piss off. Mate.¡¯ came the voice of Mike.


    ¡®No, I¡¯m not going to back down. You¡¯re hurting her. You need to let the lady stand on her own two feet and then we can discuss this directly just you and me. Aussie.¡¯ said the male voice.


    Mike spoke directly to Carissa.


    ¡®Listen Lady C. You had a bad one, I¡¯m not able to explain it right now but if we pretend that it was a seriously bad acid trip or a nightmare. The worst nightmare of your life but it¡¯s over and done with. I need you to get up and shake it off. Mr White Knight who thinks he can save a pretty lady over there is going to be the least of our concerns if you don¡¯t get moving. Hey kid. Who told you about me?¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®Avalon. I hail from the shores of Holy Avalon.¡¯ said the voice.


    ¡®The Lady wants to stand up. As you¡¯re so concerned about me hurting her or causing upset Mr Knight then you can give some real assistance and put one hand under her other arm and we can lift her up. She had a bad experience going through the gateway, guess she didn¡¯t have any good memories to live through after all. Either help or piss off. And kid, you call me an Aussie again and I¡¯ll shove your teeth back to Holy Avalon express freight.¡¯ said Mike.


    One of his tanned arms slipped under Carissa¡¯s armpit lifting her as another hand ever so gently supported the back of her head with such tenderness which she wouldn¡¯t have believed Mike capable of.


    Another hand, gloved this time like her own grey suit along with a young man with platinum white hair, with a compact build in his late teenage years came into her field of vision slipped underneath her other armpit taking on her weight.


    Before she was able to take in more, she experienced another wave of nausea wash over her head and the nightmare which had woken up began to force itself back into her memories. Her recollections were thankfully interrupted by the young man.


    ¡®Knights of Avalon save those who need rescuing from the sea demons. I will assist those in need without recourse.¡¯ said the young man.


    ¡®One, two, three and lift.¡¯ said Mike as Carissa was first pulled up into a sitting position and both men lifted her up onto her feet. The young man released his grip and took several steps back before nodding his head at both Carissa and Mike before he gestured in her direction.


    ¡®Does the lady need provisions? Her equipment is clearly missing aside from her bag. We were told the trials will begin shortly after an introduction from the Gods themselves. I am keen to assist if needed.¡¯ said the young man.


    Carissa still slightly unsteady on her feet took in the young man. He was wearing the same grey style suit. At his hip was a looped belt and a hilt with a single sword with a bag hanging loosely tied on the opposite side of his hip. It didn¡¯t make sense to her how the sword wasn¡¯t being restricted inside the bag but likely it had its own limitations on usage.


    The room around them was large enough to fit hundreds but was bare aside from sea blue marble walls and flooring. The ceiling was high enough that she was able to sense the sheer vastness of this place. There was lighting but she wasn¡¯t clear on how it worked inside the room, the cleanliness of the surfaces was surprising to her as though it had been freshly polished before their arrival.


    Carissa smiled at the man politely keeping her mouth closed and tilting her had to the side before she dipped her head marginally in thanks.


    His face showed little change in expression despite his apparent politeness. No anger, no sense of friendliness just a general appearance of being on his guard.


    Mike intervened before Carissa could talk pulling Carissa harder onto her feet and then squeezing her lower arm before he released her and took his own steady posture. He nodded back to the young man before giving him a once over and focusing his gaze into the near distance.


    ¡®Thanks for the assist kid. Now, you just go and pop back to your own minder and tell them Mike said thanks. I¡¯m not going to owe you a favour for this minor assist but I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice which I give to everyone. Focus on your own needs and wants. Trust whomever you want as long as you¡¯re prepared to pay the price. I¡¯d also recommend forming a party as soon as you can to get past this stage. Carissa here can say her own piece so I¡¯m going to shut up now and let her talk by herself. She deserves more respect than this. I need to find Chas, Sherry and our other two fresh candidates to give them a brief run down before the main event starts.¡¯ said Mike.


    ¡®The Lady did not talk...I would prefer to respect her wishes but I will listen.¡¯ said the young man with a frown forming on his face.


    Leaning in towards Carissa he whispered in her ear.


    ¡®I¡¯m not going to be stupid enough to tell you what to do and how to behave but you¡¯d be better served waiting with us a group for a little longer. I know Bonnie and Direk have their own issues but at least they sat down for a meal with you. This one isn¡¯t trouble but he¡¯s worse. An eternal optimist.¡¯


    Carissa adapted her own pose and smile and surprised Mike by giving him a tight hug using her own strength to pull him in as hard as she could before she whispered in his ear.


    ¡®You ever try to grab my body again and I¡¯ll bite your ear off. And thanks for the support. I¡¯ll stay right here and do my own part until you return with Chas and Sherry. I appreciate your help.¡¯


    A grin broke out on Mike¡¯s face unbidden, his tanned skin creasing as wrinkles formed on his face.


    ¡®Thank for the offer...Knight of Avalon, was it? But I¡¯m clearly fine as you can see. Try and survive at least and we might see each other again.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She wasn¡¯t clear exactly why Mike was so hostile to the young man who had good intent but she had little reason to trust easily inside this place. Even those who were her allies like Mike were erratic as best and hostile or broken in the case of Bonnie and Direk. Carissa missed neither of their company.


    ¡®We¡¯re done here. Carissa remembers what I said about a group. Failing that, this young idiot could come in handy but remember that you barely know him. Don¡¯t fall for one of the handsome ones by mistake. I wish I¡¯d learnt that lesson during my own time this early in the game.¡¯ said Mike.


    He and put an arm around the shoulder of the young man walked with him towards a nearby small group of people dressed in grey suits while making gestures with one hand and then removing his arm and giving the young man a shove on the back before he walked off.


    Carissa lost track of his movements swiftly as Mike increased his speed and approached a larger group fifty metres away. Drawing her gaze away him Carissa took stock for a moment.


    Holding herself steady Carissa took in a deep breath and attempted to rationally consider the situation.


    She had experienced a memory, one of her best ones when she was a teenager with her best friend of several days Laci before they had been interrupted by two figures and an oncoming storm and beach tidal waves.


    Questions.


    Always questions and little answers.


    I hate them.


    Mike had suggested that she wait for the rest of the group to come to her so she would do that. A chance to stop and pretend that she was in a social event would allow her to settle her own emotions a little.


    Carissa stopped and took in the grey suited figures surrounding her resisting the urge to grab onto her own shark tooth necklace. The reassuring sensation would have to wait until she was in a more private setting. Nobody paid her any attention as she forced herself to stand with confidence and adapted a bored expression on her face.


    She never noticed the sudden appearance of the armed guards inside the room who appeared in the corners without noise or reaction from the waiting grey suited crowds. A message made of water appeared in front of her eyes distracting her attention as it did every other individual waiting inside the room.


    The sea blue marble flooring and walls flickered with softly glowing lights for the barest seconds before Carissa was able to internalise the message rather than use her eyes.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    The Ocean Gods request all weapons put into storage bags.


    Prepare for the arrival of the Drowned Ones.


    Congratulations all Candidates for making it to a Deep Temple.


    -All usage of weapons and direct provocation of fellow candidates is temporarily banned.]

 Chapter 18 – God Level Depths

    Out of all her experiences and trials that she experienced on the new reality of this Drowned World that she faced, this had been one of the most normal and calming. In a sense it reminded Carissa of a standard scientific conference despite the slightly altered attire of most of the individuals.


    Scientists were as a breed in her experiences a fairly sociable group, she had personally experienced plenty of attempts of both men and women interested in either connecting with her research or on a more personal level.


    This event was no different, a larger than average crowd of random strangers brought together for a single purpose and then divided into groups. Excited, scared or prepared for whatever presentation would take place.


    Carissa had decided to try and ignore any attempts at talking to her, she would wait for Mike, Sherry and Chas along with the other man and woman she had met briefly before they had all been told to descend below the surface of the ocean.


    The Ocean Gateway System is active once again.


    There had been a decent chunk of time where it had been either turned off or rendered inoperable. For Carissa it was more than that, she had simply ignored the fact that it existed.


    She had her bone weapon inside her system provided bag and her suit but her brain had simply skipped over them, even the suit had become an afterthought.


    The only personal item which belonged to her, the shark tooth necklace she had remembered but it had personal and emotional relevance to her alone.


    My brain.


    They did something directly to my brain.


    Either a form of hypnosis but if they were able to directly access her own genetic structure and simply turn off functions without compromising her immune system and the technological implants deep within her then altering her own perception of reality would be a simple affair.


    ¡®Blessed. Blessed one. Survive and we will meet. Survive.¡¯ came a whispering voice from just behind her ear.


    Forcing herself not to flinch or spin around Carissa spoke aloud. She was certain that it was a woman who had just spoken but there had been something in her tone that made her uncomfortable. A wariness came over her and deep within her altered brain a trace of her genetic changes warned her of a predator, a direct possible threat.


    Dangerous.


    Wary.


    ¡®I¡¯m not interested. I¡¯m waiting for friends.¡¯ said Carissa. ¡®Back off.¡¯


    ¡®...Good luck with your trials. He is watching over you...¡¯ said the voice as it trailed off.


    This time Carissa turned around to find the space behind her vacant except for a group of fellow suited candidates ten metres away from their current position. Several of them talked to each other and pointed towards her shaking their heads.


    For all Carissa knew she had simply experienced a waking vision or another hallucination, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she had simply been talking aloud to herself and her actions made others hesitate to do so.


    Shaking her own head and letting her hair loosen out Carissa raised her own voice pointing at the group who had been clearly discussing her at least in her own opinion.


    She¡¯d had enough of being told to stand by herself inside an area filled with people who were conversing. If they thought she was mad then she would act so within reason.


    ¡®Do you like what you¡¯re looking at? You want to see the beautiful lady react when she talks to herself? Why don¡¯t you come over here and talk directly to my face then? Cowards.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The large numbers of people around her in the open space began to withdraw further into their own groups. Several of them glanced in her direction but kept their gazes fast and shallow as though to avoid interacting with Carissa or paying her undue attention.


    The sensation caused her to experience a mild wave of nausea, if they chose to treat her as a crazy woman who spoke aloud to herself then she¡¯d choose to indulge them a little more.


    ¡®I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s watching over me. I don¡¯t even know who he is? Am I the only person here who wants to question this whole situation? Are the rest of you such passive sea slugs that you like to lay back and be eaten by a wandering crustacean? Weak. YOU HEAR ME? I¡¯M CALLING YOU WEAK!¡¯ began Carissa.


    A migraine began to build up behind Carissa¡¯s eyes as a watery series of words flowed directly in front of her field of vision. Her previous practice back in the wooden refuge had come in useful and she was able to shrug off the effect, holding onto the contents of the message while still keeping a decent awareness of her direct surroundings.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -Do not provoke other candidates.


    -This is your first warning. Further warnings will result in further punishment.]


    I¡¯m the only one who reacts with a sense of reality and sanity and the Ocean Gateway System decides to punish my actions.


    The sound of approaching footsteps caused Carissa¡¯s attention to come back to her position. Surrounding her was now a large area of pure silence, her actions had done far more than she had originally considered as most of the population of grey suited individuals interspersed with others in different styles of outfits had stopped talking and now looked in her direction.


    For better or worse she had the direct attention of the people waiting here. Her position of isolation was going to be a position of strength or weakness depending on how her next few minutes ended up.


    The footsteps grew louder and a large form, clearly tall enough to tower over the existing humans stopped in front of Carissa. A shadow formed behind her as an impossible light bloomed into existence behind the figure, partially blinding her vision and making it far harder for her to make out the full features of the individual.


    ¡®Did you call me weak?¡¯ came the voice.


    Raising a hand above her eyes Carissa experienced the light behind the figure dim a little. The crowds of people surrounding her stopped all conversation, even murmured, and absolute silence reigned.


    A pressure formed over her body and her heartbeat began to increase against her will. If she had experienced a threat before from an unknown figure earlier who had spoken to her as a predator this was on an entirely different scale.


    The one who had called her blessed one had come across as a threat but not directed in her presence and not with an imminent sensation of violence.


    ¡®I asked you a question candidate. Did you call me weak?¡¯ came the voice again. This time the voice promised an undertone of action if a response wasn¡¯t provided.


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    With both hands above her eyes, Carissa was able to take in the figure before her. Carissa assumed the figure was male given the height, muscle mass and build but the clothing was harder to distinguish. Black and white skintight layers covered the body of the figure with a head that was more of an amalgamation of various types of sharks.


    The eyes remained the same but the face gradually shifted itself into different forms until it settled on the face of a human with short cropped hair with a deep unhealed scar on the cheek.


    Pale grey skin with red eyes and a mouth full of more sharpened teeth was closed when the figure took a step closer to her. Given the figure towered over her in both height and size Carissa refused to back down and let her own teeth show in response.


    Her heartbeat increased even faster and she involuntary placed her other hand on her chest, gripping the grey suit material in an attempt to control her own heart rate and forcefully slow it.


    ¡®No. You didn¡¯t call me weak. Not you. I like you. You¡¯re like me. Not entirely though...nothing a little home-made surgery won¡¯t fix. Ah, I¡¯ve done it again. We can¡¯t interfere yet.¡¯ said the man.


    Water began to pool around his feet as the man flashed her a toothy smile, cocked his head to the side and promptly sank down into the floor, with a final wave of his hand the massive figure vanished from her sight only leaving a deep pool of water where he had once stood.


    Her heart-rate hadn¡¯t slowed even a little as Carissa gripped tighter with her hand, this wasn¡¯t enough to cause her an anxiety attack but she recognised the signs. Her body was trying to sweat but the second any perspiration appeared on her skin the grey suit absorbed all traces of it.


    A hand grabbed onto her shoulder causing Carissa to turn around and this time she raised a hand and twisting on her hip gave out a straight punch before it landed directly in the face of a person who she had had a meal with earlier. The man Direk had tried to move his body at the last movement and Carissa¡¯s punch had landed on the side of his head rather than directly in his face.


    Behind him she saw Mike struggling not to laugh with one tanned, calloused hand covering his mouth and Bonnie moving forward quickly to assist Direk in standing back onto his feet.


    A look of sheer hatred passed over her face as she pointedly looking in Carissa¡¯s direction.


    Chas simply stared in her direction and smiled when he pointed at the deep pool of water that had been left behind her.


    He swiftly walked past Carissa and plunged both of his hands deeper until he was up to the elbows of his robe and on both of his knees. He knelt down in supplication as the water rose into the air and began to be absorbed by the fabric of his clothing.


    ¡®The mark of the gods is only left for those truly chosen. You are truly a blessed one. If only you disdain the evil uses of the old ways, you would easily find a sponsor amongst the Drowned Ones. Or you¡¯re just lucky he wasn¡¯t hungry. An interesting question to ask oneself when confronted by the true nature of the divine.¡¯ said Chas.


    Mike moved forward with relaxed arms on his side, there was no sign of his usual wooden weapon on his belt.


    ¡®Direk, I told you to stay away from her. She needs to find her own path and way. I understand in a roomful of strangers a familiar face is always welcome but I advise a little bit more distance. Carissa, you need to try and breath through it. Your heart will pound in your chest for a little bit more but just breath as much as you can and it¡¯ll pass. Do you need assistance?¡¯ asked Mike as he gestured with his hands with palms facing up.


    ¡®Ugly cow. She decided to go off on her own and do spirits know what in her spare time. How do we know she isn¡¯t going to snap and attack any of us? Direk, you agree with me, don¡¯t you?¡¯ came the voice of Bonnie.


    Walking past Mike, she lifted Direk to her feet keeping her distance from Carissa. The look on her creased face made little difference to Carissa¡¯s emotions. The woman had made her opinions clear when they had shared a meal previously and she¡¯d already experienced enough hatred directed at her back on her home world.


    ¡®I don¡¯t like to be touched.¡¯ said Carissa. ¡®Or grabbed by a random man who I barely know. That includes you, Mike. Tolerating it doesn¡¯t mean accepting it.¡¯ said Carissa shaking her head.


    She¡¯d be better served ignoring the others and focusing on the immediate situation.


    ¡®I¡¯m fine. Ocean Gods rainfall, I¡¯m fine. Just a little bit shocked that¡¯s all. It¡¯s my fault. Sometimes when you see someone you recognise and you¡¯re surrounded by strangers...no. That was my fault. Sorry. Bonnie, you can let go of me now. Please.¡¯ said Direk as he massaged the side of his face and stood to his feet.


    He gently shook off Bonnie¡¯s grip on his arm and turned towards Chas.


    ¡®That...man. Was that one of them? Truly one of them?¡¯ he asked gently.


    The pool of water on the floor was entirely drained and the surface beneath didn¡¯t show a single trace of excess moisture.


    Chas simply nodded his head as he walked over to Mike and leaned into him, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering directly into his ear.


    The expression on Mike¡¯s face shifted slightly. Carissa was able to tell that it was either revulsion or uncertainty. Either way the emotion was strange on the face of the man who kept his face usually certain and purposeful.


    He nodded his head and stood there with Chas, reluctant to speak further.


    Focusing, Carissa tried to draw upon the Ocean Gateway System in an attempt to further understand the situation before she saw a flicker in the eyes of Bonnie and Direk. Both of their faces clouded over slightly as she understood that they were receiving their own messages. The faces of Chas and Mike remained the same but they turned towards her with a more serious expression that she was used to.


    Despite trying again, there was a gap between her ability to call upon the system and actually willing it into her own personal reality. A small tug on her mind was there but she remained unable to access it.


    Instead, she turned her attention towards the other groups inside the Drowned Temple. The ceiling and walls had begun to glow with florescent lighting. She took notice of the figures in armour who stood in their own corners in the room, each one was dressed in similar weapons and equipment to those of their own grouping but distinct from the other groups.


    Her eyes paid attention to the particular themes of the figures, they wore ocean themed gear, some were close to crustaceans whilst others were covered in various spines. None of them held weapons in preparedness but wore them on the sides in attached hilts.


    The majority of the figures dressed akin to her own outfit made it easier to identify the differences between those who were meant to be player candidates and the armed soldiers or cultists who served the Ocean Gods.


    None of the armed figures took any further movement or actions beyond standing and watching over the grey suited individuals in their own groups.


    It was then that Carissa noticed the expression on both Chas and Mike¡¯s face had darkened slightly, both of their faces had turned into frowned as they both at the same time bent one knee down to the floor and bowed their heads forwards.


    A pain came into Carissa¡¯s mind, not sharp enough to make her cry out but uncomfortable to be physically noticeable. A sound rang through the air, a low monotonous chanting with words which she was unable to identify in a language which was entirely familiar to her.


    As she raised a hand to her temple to massage the painful headache a little a movement filled the entire room as every single grey suited player candidate and their minders flicked their heads before in turn as one bent their own knees onto the floor with a thud.


    The grey materials of their suit dampening the sound of the slight impact as each one, with unfocused eyes clearly was in the process of viewing messages from the Ocean Gateway System which was presently restricted to Carrisa.


    Several seconds later, the pain inside her head deepened as words forced themselves into her mind¡¯s eye. Not made of flowing water but this time with a tint of florescent lighting surrounding them. Carissa read the message as she realised that she was the only player candidate standing except for the armed figures in their ocean sea creature style outfits.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God has answered your prayer with the following message.


    Copy them. On your knees. Please Carissa. Only once.]


    She had never been someone who was interested in following orders or being directed by others, taking her own initiative was her personal preference but she would listen this time, if only to stop the slowly increasing pain that was building inside her head.


    Carissa refused to let herself drop and knelt down on one knee placing her hands to the side to steady her movements before kneeling on both knees. She kept her head and gaze paying attention to the crowd of grey suited player candidates who continued to show signs of a message being sent directly into their field of vision.


    The chanting carried on until it began to rise in volume and the florescent lights turned off, leaving the entire room in complete darkness.


    Unconscious flooded through Carissa as her hands felt water on the floor and she collapsed down onto her side as though a switch in her brain has been deactivated. The last sensation she experienced was the taste of warm water rising onto her face as it continued to rise.

 Chapter 19 – Fish in a Tank

    A vision came into the eyes of Carissa, an entire planet not overly different to her own home world of Belphus but there were recognisable differences. Fashion, technology and culture including how people dressed and acted were notable examples.


    Her eyes roamed across a city which she had never seen before, streets busy with vehicles and people before it shifted into a war-torn place. Screams and cries as weapons were used from planes, military and missile strikes between warring armies which caused mass death and destruction.


    Then the view shifted again, this time to massive factories, far larger than she had ever seen which both belched smoke and pollution directly into the air and the waterways and oceans.


    Mountains of discarded clothing and purchased products and those who worked inside the factories with their ill health and difficult lives.


    A single worker from the factory stood up and walked outside into an open concrete area as grey clouds began to form and heavy rain began to fall from the skies, the drops of water washing away the clothing of the worker leaving them bare and naked as they began to laugh and dance naked in the rains.


    Giant figures, their forms reaching beyond the clouds in the sky looked down at the worker as they turned their gazes towards the populated city, the war-torn region and the polluting factories. An impossibly large scaled hand reached out and brushed the clouds as torrential rain began to fall down, flooding the areas.


    Carissa felt a sense of wrongness at the scene. At her own mind, but all she was able to do was watch. All sense of her own physical presence was gone as though she was simply an observer able to watch.


    The people inside the city began to laugh and cry, throwing down their bags and strange items to the ground as they spread open arms welcoming the floods and the waters which continued to pour down from the skies. Even as the city began to crack and crumble, they continued to laugh and those that could tried their best to swim and stay afloat as others sank beneath the rising waters.


    Her view was ripped away once more this time to the armies which had been fighting each other with weapons of war, the soldiers and their commanding officers did not laugh as the rains fell down but instead shouted and screamed towards the cloudy skies as rain began to pour down on them as well, pooling onto the ground and flooding.


    They raised their guns and shot as the skies. Carissa saw underground facilities filled with men and woman who surrounded missiles bunched together in rows as they pressed buttons and adjusted computers and sent them into the heavens in an attempt to stop the downpour.


    The facilities and soldiers, the scientists and military officers, the members of government all screamed as they rising waters filled their facilities and flooded them entirely. This time, none of them were able to swim and she saw as they instead drowned in their hundreds as their hands grasped for the surface.


    The giant figures were pleased. Carissa knew this, they enjoyed their actions and the emotional sensation flowed into her in turn. The power and the ability to flood an entire planet washed away all traces of fear and weakness. Then she experienced a single thought, the Drowned Gods wanted another to become one of them. An individual with the power to surpass the rules of their game and attain true divinity. There was a wrongness about their actions in her view, they...no. This wasn¡¯t her memories. This wasn¡¯t even her view.


    Get out of my mind.


    I need to open my eyes. Breath. I need to breath.


    Wake up Carissa.


    Open your eyes and take a breath.


    A voice called inside her vision, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was her own but she responded nonetheless and forced her eyes open to find that she was floating, her limbs and hair hung loosely and she was fully submerged inside the same room. This time it was filled with water and she was floating a fair distance from the floor below.


    The florescent lights were activated once more giving the walls a brightness which provided her with clear visibility. Focusing her intent, her body refused to respond but she was able to move her eyes, forcing them to the sides and up and down to get a better picture.


    Her mouth was entirely covered with the material of the grey suit once more, she could breathe with a little effort but it was mildly uncomfortable. For several seconds, her mind told her that she was underwater in the ocean once more as the memory of waking up in this world revisited her unbidden.


    A sense of a small electrical surge flowed through her limbs and Carissa was able to move her fingers and then her head, limbs and body in turn. As she turned, she saw other grey suited player candidates wake up in turn, each one twitching as she had in response to a surge as they floated.


    Several not far from her location appeared to panic and either and either grab hold of the mask covering their faces or their necks as others simply let themselves float and drift in the water without any current or drift.


    As more and more Player Candidates began to wake up, the water level began to drop in the room at a steady pace as fresh air appeared above them. Carissa turned to observe the floor but couldn¡¯t see any noticeable mechanical systems or vents in which the water was being released.


    Relaxing her body, she hung loosely before deciding to kick her legs and pull her arms to reach the floor first. The mask covering her face gave her enough oxygen in adjustment to her actions as she swam down. The water continued to drain at faster rate sinking into the floor below her and as she reached the surface Carissa heard deep intakes and cries of breath from others who had pulled their masks off their faces.


    The vision from before had unsettled her a little but she had either been shown a memory or recorded footage. The impossibly large figures were likely to have been the Drowned Gods.


    The city, the factories and war zone their attempts to explain what they had done to this world. Either way, it was just further questions to her to solve when she had the capacity to do so. Right now, she needed to get to grips with control over her suit.


    Carissa settled herself down into a crouched position and closed her own eyes, willing the mask off her face and back into the main part of the suit. When it had flowed down, she stood up to examine her surroundings. The room had changed little except for the lack of presence of anyone else who wasn¡¯t equipped in a grey suit. Small pieces of conversation began to grow as the waiting crowd began to talk to each other.


    Remembering her own possessions, she gripped a hand to her side where her spatial bag was equipped. The opening remained fastened despite her efforts to open it.


    A message appeared in her mind¡¯s eye; water words again flowed reminding her of the presence of the system.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    Storage Bags are Temporarily Locked.


    Congratulations for passing Initial Testing and Vetting Stages.


    All Player Candidates will enter an Ocean Gate for immediate combat testing.


    Initial Placement groupings are accepted but not mandatory.


    Please form groups or be randomised.


    The Ocean Gods blessings be upon you all.]


    Carissa noticed that her suit was surprisingly good at soaking up any excess water on her body and absorbing it. She turned around the room, not paying much attention to the rest of the grey suited ocean candidates.


    The message had mentioned combat testing and she¡¯d already had an experience with the man Mike which had resulted in her being beaten easily and taught a lesson about her own capabilities. Although he mentioned that he was a far higher player than herself, likely his physical capabilities were boosted by the rules of the system.


    Either way, right now Carissa had a choice to make. She could try and join in an existing group, likely by finding Direk and Bonnie who would be in this space, form her own, join another or accept being randomised.


    Then she heard a voice call out not overly far from her own location.


    ¡®Groups? We need to form a group? Combat in a group? Anyone with combat experience?¡¯ called out the voice.


    ¡®Soldiers, military or private contractors form on me!¡¯ called another.


    A cacophony of voices all called out as Carissa ignored them as she saw various figures begin to form into various groups of between four and six people.


    Another message came from the Ocean Gateway System informing Carissa and the other player candidates of further information.


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    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    All groups have a limit of exactly four player candidates.


    Minimum of two player candidates per group.


    All usage of the Ocean Gateway System for personal purposes will remain restricted.


    Ocean Gates will form when all groups are prepared.


    Optional: Set a Group Name.]


    ¡®Of course they are. A group name is a waste of time with complete strangers though. Might as well call themselves Dead Weight or Sunken Losses.¡¯ muttered Carissa as she put on hand onto her spatial bag. She understood the main reason that none of them were allowed to access them at this point, they could either pull out a weapon or be robbed or their own equipment.


    Not that she likely had much compared to the others. She was lacking even the basic starting kit besides a single weapon. Carissa wondered where Sherry had gotten to, she would have likely brought down Direk and Bonnie to this place by herself but she hadn¡¯t been with Mike or Chas earlier.


    Likely, when she¡¯d been forced unconsciousness and the room flooded, they¡¯d likely left or gone back to their floating wooden home, preparing for the next bunch of unlucky people to be dumped on this flooded world with insane gods who wanted to play a game.


    ¡®Groups! Trying to form a group here, I¡¯ve got the basic starter kit and a decent weapon. No classes chosen yet. Any takers?¡¯ called a voice in the distance.


    A man walked out towards her accompanied by another man and a woman. They hesitated for a moment when they saw the expression on Carissa¡¯s face but pushed forward when the man and woman nudged the man with their elbows in unison.


    ¡®Uh, hi. We saw that you were hanging out by yourself. Have you formed a group yet?¡¯ started the man before Carissa held up a hand.


    ¡®Not. Interested. Thanks for the offer though.¡¯ Carissa responded with a toothless smile and her head titled to the side. ¡®Good luck with everything! I¡¯m sure you¡¯re find the right person for your group.¡¯


    She heard the woman mutter to the man next to her and straining her hearing Carissa was able to make out a few barely audible words.


    ¡®...no¡­. too crazy. Insane loner....onnie. Leave...safer.¡¯


    ¡®Why yes, I am a little bit crazy it seems. I guess you saw my display earlier of the mad woman shouting aloud. Bye!¡¯ waved Carrisa and she walked away in a random direction away from the man and his two companions.


    Groups inside the sea blue coloured form were forming but Carissa paid it little interest. As long as she had a weapon then she¡¯d be able to fight. Footsteps approached behind her; this time she tensed up but prepared herself not to strike hard in this particular situation.


    Simply brushing off a hand that grabbed her would be enough if everyone in the room would be facing combat soon. The message had never specified if was to be against other player candidates or other opponents, human or non-human.


    Stopping in her tracks without turning around Carissa heard the footsteps stop as she spoke aloud.


    ¡®I¡¯m not interested in being in a group and I don¡¯t like to be touched. There¡¯s nothing you can offer me which I¡¯m interested in so take your offer and leave.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The footsteps stopped and she heard a small movement before her before a voice called out to her. One that she had heard earlier when she had woken up inside this place from her nightmare.


    ¡®Pardon me. True beauty deserves to be protected. Or if you would prefer, I was told to come here. A group of two is sufficient and I will give you no trouble and share my provisions as necessary. Trust in this place appears to be the most precious commodity of all. I was told that you lack experience in combat, I offer to freely provide training without request or want in return. After all a trade has been made and a promise given in the name of my Lady.¡¯ came the voice.


    Carissa turned around taking in the young man with the white platinum hair and expressionless face. The relative youth of him surprised her a little given his degree of conversation, she¡¯d been expecting less than this.


    ¡®I¡¯m not your Lady, you¡¯re a little young and I have no interest. A grouping isn¡¯t a bad idea though as long as you keep your distance. What kind of deal did Mike make with you to train with in the use of a weapon? Did he tell you how he beat me easily?¡¯ said Carissa.


    The space around them settled a little as smaller groups of grey suited individuals began to form. Nobody else had bothered to approach her again since the last group and it suited Carissa fine.


    She didn¡¯t see any sign of Bonnie or Direk but it wasn¡¯t as though they were close or even overly familiar with each other. She¡¯d much prefer to deal with someone who had been either paid or bribed to support her in turn.


    Florescent lighting shifted a little and focused on one side of the large space they were in, the sea blue colours of the walls dimmed and brightened on one wall.


    ¡®Mike? No, he told me that you were extremely dangerous and a hazard to my personal safety and I¡¯d be better served keeping my distance from you. He called me a woozer for trying to help you and I shoul-¡¯


    The young man¡¯s eyes flickered for a moment before a familiar expression passed his face. For Carissa it simply appeared in her mind¡¯s eye once again rather than in her field of vision.


    Another reminder or a threat again?


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    All groups need to be formed with consensual verbal agreement.


    Ocean Gateway System Functions will remain in limited mode until next stage entered.


    Please form groups immediately.]


    ¡®From the look in your eyes it looks like you received a message as well. Do you want to form a group with me then? Time could be running out for all I know and I¡¯ve no desire to remain trapped inside this place in case it floods again but the gods decide to deactivate our suit breathing functions out of sheer boredom or annoyance.¡¯ said Carissa.


    She remained waiting for a response as the young man¡¯s face remained vacant and his eyes continued to flicker. Several shouts rang out as people began to directly vocalise their consent for groups.


    Likely Carissa had been right, they had been dumped on the oceans of this world, then fed and watered and given a talk, accompanied to this place then given visions and now they needed to enter gates for combat purposes.


    She knew that if she was in charge of the situation, she would have grown bored. Gods wanted entertainment after all, or to find their own purposes.


    A focus came back into the eyes of the young man as he shook his white platinum hair to the side, the sword attached to the belt remained fixed as did his own storage back. Carissa put a hand to her own to make sure it was still there but despite her efforts once again she was unable to open it or access any direct system functions.


    The bag remained a bag. Even if she pushed her mind a little to try and get the system to give her a scan of the young man in front of her all she did was end of staring.


    ¡®Are you done yet? I verbally agree to form a party of my own free will with...I don¡¯t even know your name. And if Mike wasn¡¯t the one who told you to join with me to form a group, then who was it? That shark man? Chas or Sherry? She seemed caring enough out of the three of them.¡¯ asked Carissa.


    Her patience was beginning to wear thin as she held back her tongue from snapping at the young man. She¡¯d already had one outburst and another wouldn¡¯t solve her immediate concerns.


    At the front of the room circles created from water began to form, each one uniform in a row and spaced evenly. The size of each was taller and wide than her, likely enough to fit a small group through. The display wasn¡¯t for her benefit alone though as the various groups in the room keeping their distance from each other moved towards the forming circles.


    ¡®Ah. My forgiveness, the messages slow the mind and leaden the limbs. My name is Matthias. I am a Knight in Training of Avalon. I was tasked to assist you during the next stage by a woman with tattoos who wore a robe covering her form. She was quite clear on how I needed to assist you and the result of failure. As for what she promised me, that was a deal between myself and her. Please be assured that it had nothing to do with you in any sense of the matter, aside from rendering my assistance. She told me that I would need your help during the next stage due to my unfamiliarity with mechanical tools.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Carissa held back a snort and an instinct to laugh at the mannerisms of the young man, he had been clearly trained to be courteous and polite but it came at odds with his age.


    ¡®Matthias. What was her name then? This lady wearing a robe with tattoos. Did she have any other distinctive features about her? A Knight in Training. Of course you are. How sweet of you to come to my aid and help me out. Tell me Matthias, do you find me beautiful? Do you desire me?¡¯ said Carissa.


    As the large water circles completed the process of forming at the front of the vast room, groups began to shift towards them with conversation once more picking up. Carissa glanced over at the movement and was sure that she saw Bonnie and Direk in one group heading towards them. She swiftly turned her gave back towards Matthias.


    ¡®I, Carissa Acqua, formally accept to form a group with the Knight in Training named Matthias.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The young man with white platinum hair bowed formally towards her as his sword on his belt rose up pushing hilt first into his ribs.


    ¡®You are comparable to the Lady. I desire none during this time except mutual survival. The woman with tattoos¡­.it was odd. She never called you by your name, not that I would do so either. She warned me against it. No, she told me that you were a blessed one and I owed you respect in turn. Ah, my tongue wanders. I was always scolded during training drills for my lack of attention. I, Matthias Fischer, wish to form a party with the candidate named Carissa Acqua. I believe we should head to the portals now. Several groups have already entered and left this space.¡¯ said Matthias as he straightened up from his bow and gestured one hand towards the fully formed circles of water which had begun to brighten with an unseen light. The surfaces of them rippled.


    The Ocean Gateway System provided a message for both of them, this time it was visible in between the young man and Carissa.


    A green algae covered coral edge provided a boundary around the flowing watery words as they formed in the air.


    [Player-Candidates: Matthias and Carissa.


    A party of Two has been formed.


    Make your way to an Ocean Gate for combat testing.


    May you prove yourself before the Drowned Gods.]


    ¡®Sounds like an order doesn¡¯t its Matthias. Come along then, let¡¯s find out what combat means and you can show me how well you can use that sword of yours. You first please and don¡¯t call me Lady. Carissa will suffice.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Matthias bowed again formally before he walked in front of her and the pair walked to take their turn queuing along with the other groups to enter one of the glowing water circles at the front of the room.

 Chapter 20 – Survivors of a Drowned World

    Carissa didn¡¯t know exactly what she been expecting when she had entered the glowing water portal with the young man calling himself Matthias but entering a locked metallic room with dim lighting with a wire enclosed red light flashing above a locked steel door hadn¡¯t been the first thought in her mind.


    The dampness and the sensation of the cold metal beneath her fingertips reminded her of a place she had been to when she was a girl, visiting a colleague of her parents. Even the air itself was stale and had clearly been recycled several times. There was almost a taste to it.


    Combat for her meant that her group would be paired against others in an area or a place to display their own worth before the insane ocean gods which had stuck her in this place.


    For his part, Matthias was proving to be an inquisitive young man if somewhat ineffectual given his lack of understanding of their environment.


    ¡®A dungeon. The Ocean Gods have placed in a dungeon and we are to escape and kill enough monsters or fight players for our eventual success. Or a trial of our abilities to escape. Stand back a little, this metal door looks strong enough but it¡¯s worth trying to break through it.¡¯ said Matthias as he took the blade from his hip and stood in a combat stance.


    He appeared prepared to try and cut his way through the door regardless of his present situation, Carissa had considered that the young man would have been trained enough to think regarding his surroundings but likely the same as her he was panicked a little and trying his best not to show it. The enemy of anxiety was action after all.


    ¡®Stop it. I have an idea of where we are. Or rather the type of place we¡¯re in. A rough idea at least and trying to smash through the metal door isn¡¯t a valid one. Firstly, I don¡¯t even remember the last time that I was hungry or thirsty. Do you Matthias? We should try and eat and drink even if to normalise ourselves a little before we take action.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Her words caused the young man to pause his actions for a moment before he released his grip on the sword with one hand and with a swift action put it back into his belt. He turned and bowed in her direction, the flashing red light above the doorway illuminating his platinum hair as his features softened slightly.


    ¡®My apologies...Carissa. I considered that our immediate situation would necessitate combat. But I admit I am a little confused, we were told that we would be placed in a situation where we need to fight and we remain inside a locked room? Is there a strict time limit before we are released and a swarm of monsters attacks us or are we to fight our way through this dungeon to the final boss?¡¯ said Matthias.


    Carissa turned her attention to the walls and floor of the small room. She took several steps to gauge the size of it, it was several metres across and the ceiling was taller than both of them but only just. A fairly cramped space, pipes ran across the ceiling and the metal door showed no signs or any locking or opening mechanism.


    There was a subtle vibration and a thrum of machinery beneath her feet. Through the grey suit her own senses were enhanced but still far more reduced than they should have been. Her own genetic enhancements remained disabled and placing a hand on her scarred abdomen covered by the suit the technological implants remained inactive.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what type of world you¡¯ve come from Matthias, but we don¡¯t have dungeons where I¡¯m from. Nor monsters, not unless you count the ones who take human form. As for final bosses it sounds more like a movie plot to me. Sit down with me and take a moment to think, you said you¡¯d share your provisions with me. I¡¯d appreciate a bottle of water and any form of protein which is edible.¡¯ said Carissa as she walked over to the wall opposite the metal door and sat down with her back to it letting her legs hang loose.


    As a second thought she focused her attention to her grey suit, willing it off her fingers and hands. The suit responded to her thoughts as it peeled back and revealed her bare hands. At least this time she had a measure of control.


    She¡¯d need to try her spatial bag next and then try examining with the rules of the system to get a better grasp on her situation. Even scan Matthias to try and get more permission as they were now in a designated group.


    ¡®Yes, I¡­yes. I promised I would share and assist you with fighting technique and I. Forgive me. I am still lacking as a true Knight of Avalon.¡¯ said Matthias as he followed Carissa''s approach and sat down next to her with his own back against the wall.


    He removed his sword and placed it on his side carefully, within grabbing reach if necessary. Then he took unclipped his own spatial bag from his belt and opened it, as he reached in, he pulled out two containers bottle shaped but formed of an earthy material and two dark green wrapped packages.


    Passing one of each to Carissa he cracked open the top of one of the bottle shaped containers and drank deeply from it before peeling open the wrapped package to reveal a roasted fish and several other foodstuffs which appeared to be nuts of a type she failed to recognise. Familiar yet not.


    ¡®I can eat and drink first, if to prove to you that none of this is poisoned. If you prefer you can wait and see if I have a reaction before you eat. I was given a variety of vittles by my...what would you call them. Like the man you called Mike, mine was a woman who was tough but fair. She rescued me from the rough sea before she gave me accommodation and we shared a meal. And then we were taken down below the surface of the oceans into the Deep Temple as she called it before she told me to wait until further instructions came.¡¯ said Matthias as he alternated between bites of the food and taking drinks from his container.


    Carissa accepted her own food package and opened it, the smell was fragrant to her senses with a hint of spice which was familiar but different at the same time.


    Rather than pick at her food she took the roasted fish and bit into it, letting her sharpened teeth slice through and swallowed it almost entirely in several gulps before the hunger from her body kicked in and she devoured every last piece of the package.


    Still hungry she decided to take a bite of the dark green wrapping to find it was made of seaweed. Carissa wanted all the nutrition she could absorb and found that her body was still hungry.


    Licking her fingers clean she cradled the bottle shaped container in both hands, it wasn¡¯t made of plastic but more like a clay like material. The top of it cracked open easily and she took a small sip as a taste. She had been expecting simple water but it had a sweetness to it, likely electrolytes or added minerals with a hint of mint.


    Gulping down the entire container without taking a breath she set it to her side letting her body absorb the food and drink. The fact that she hadn¡¯t experienced any signs or thirst of hunger since being taken below the depths of the water by Chas and Mike wasn¡¯t a huge surprise to her. Likely another benefit of wearing the grey suit although she wasn¡¯t clear if it only delayed her need for sustenance and water or offset it somehow.


    Given their situation didn¡¯t demand for immediate action, even the Ocean Gods would have given the player candidates a brief moment of respite before being forced into a combat situation she decided to first thank Matthias and satisfy her curiosity a little at the same time.


    The vision from before had taught her that the ones calling themselves Ocean Gods had flooded a world and she had only seen the merest portion of it, normal people had been thankful and those in the military, armed forces or scientists had chosen to fight back with no result. That or she was simply being subjected to a propaganda message designed to indoctrinate her as a new player candidate. Not that any of it mattered.


    The red light inside the room hadn¡¯t dimmed and continued to flash during the brief meal Matthias and Carissa shared. She waited until Matthias had finished her own food before asking him a question.


    ¡®Matthias, do you know the functions of your suit? Or even the Ocean Gateway System? I¡¯m going to try something with your permission and ask it to give me an answer.¡¯ asked Carissa.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡®I believe that the¡­. system as you call it is a response to prayer to the Ocean Gods. As for the suit, it simply functions as both protection and guidance. Our armour in Avalon functioned much the same way. The Lady gave her blessings to us and we responded in turn. Those who disobeyed were suitably punished for their actions. My concern is leaving this room. Staying here longer will only bring more danger upon ourselves surely. I believe the more time we rest here the higher the number of monsters outside will increase.¡¯ said Matthias as he took both his empty wrapping and both his and Carissa¡¯s bottle containers and put them both back inside his own storage bag on his waist.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m expecting a system announcement to begin. This isn¡¯t right. When you want to run a series of trials or tests you need to give notifications to the test subjects in advance. No scientist would simply wait and see unless the experiment had been halted for a time.¡¯ said Carissa as she stood up and walked towards the steel door.


    Examining it and the red light above and given her earlier observations of the vibrations and quality of the air with its dampness she pushed the door to find it was securely fastened. Planting her feet against the metal floor she pushed even harder with no success.


    ¡®I¡¯m guessing we¡¯re no longer being directed and need to find our own initiative a little once more. Here, come and stand by the door, just in case I get distracted or it opens suddenly. I don¡¯t want to face a group of other player candidates rushing me without a little preparation.¡¯ said Carissa.


    ¡®Hesitation can kill as easily as direct action. Only by facing danger first can we truly learn out to fight.¡¯ said Matthias as he stood to his feet and grasped his sword in one hand.


    ¡®You need to take out your weapon and prepare yourself. I will assist you as best as I can but the best teacher is always true experience. I will stand by the door and be your protection but you need to be prepared first. I don¡¯t believe the Ocean Gods would wait for us to stay in a dungeon cell as we starve to death.¡¯ said Matthias.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t a dungeon Matthias. Not in the way you think it is, we¡¯re underwater. Either in a facility or a submersible. You can tell from the damp and air that¡¯s been recycled or filtered. Fine, we¡¯ll play it your way then. I¡¯ll take out my weapon and then we push the door together.¡¯ said Carissa as she reached into her bag half expecting it being unable to open due to restrictions from the Ocean Gateway System.


    Her hand sunk deep into the spatial pocket which filled her bag, a hilt came into contact with her finger tips as she grasped onto the bone weapon which Carissa had been gifted with.


    She remembered the second life statue which was meant to act as a degree of protection and give her protection from physical harm at least once. Not that she had experienced any need for it since going beneath the waves.


    ¡®A fine weapon. A club with teeth is a good weapon for any amateur. Ah, my mistake, I mean to say it suits you. I don¡¯t think you need too much support in its usage Carissa.¡¯ said Matthias.


    ¡®I know an insult when I hear one. Like it or not we¡¯re operating as a group. So shut up and stand there with your sword and the pointy end facing towards the door as I try to check my current control of the system.¡¯ said Carissa as she gingerly touched the toothed edges of her weapon.


    Matthias had been right in a way; she had not been trained in the use of hand-to-hand weaponry but had taken enough self-defence training to be able to fight away a single attacker or two.


    Her sharpened teeth and altered mind would give her an edge when it came down to it. Most people had little inclination for violence in a stressful situation. For her, it would simply be clear survival and action.


    When her hands were on the bone toothed club the description of it flowed into her mind¡¯s eye. Keeping her visual senses on both the metal door and Matthias she took in the system description she had viewed in what felt like an age ago.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Weapon Received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Bone Toothed Blade/Club


    -Inflicts physical damage.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    A simple weapon grown from a piece of bone, teeth and sheath included.


    -Growth Potential]


    The sheath for the club was one she had yet to see but likely it was what assisted her in placing it inside the spatial bag.


    ¡®A moment Matthias. I just need one more item and then we¡¯ll try the door together.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The entire metal room shifted, shaking both Matthias and Carissa nearly causing both of them to stumble. Grasping her hold on the bone weapon and tightening her grip Carissa put a hand to the wall to steady herself.


    ¡®I believe the Ocean Gods do not want our hesitation, Carissa. With both of us, we can open this door and begin to face the true dangers of this dungeon.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Carissa knew that it wasn¡¯t a reaction from insane water-based gods but another movement. Worse, the red flashing light above their heads had visibly dimmed. Sticking her hand inside her spatial bag her hands locked around the statuette which she had been given as a gift.


    Without taking it out of the bag she viewed the description.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Gift Received from Player: Mike


    -Second-Life Statuette


    -Will absorb significant physical/mental damage.


    -Single Usage only.


    -Self-Destruction Upon Usage.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.]


    A useful item, if she had any clue about how to use it. Ideally, given the game like mechanics which the Ocean Gods had created with their system and rules then it would automatically activate when she was injured. Or she could have been handed it out of pity to give her a false hope. Likely, Bonnie and Direk had both been given similar items.


    Carissa knew that it would be best to rely on her own abilities and experiences rather than rely on others. She had forced the system to work for her at the cost of physical and mental pain and the ire of one of the Ocean Gods but it had worked.


    The system they created had limits and the mysterious messages from her unknown benefactor lent credence to that idea. She had trained herself to visualise the messages not using her eyes but with her mind by using a soaking towel over her eyes, mouth and nose and a steady flow of water with practice.


    ¡®I¡¯m prepared Matthias. Why don¡¯t we ask the system for an update on nature of this combat? As a knight you must have taken quests. I doubt this is any different, we just need to learn how to behave on our own terms.¡¯ asked Carissa.


    A sudden shift inside the room that had shaken them a little was a secondary concern. The metal room they found themselves inside though was modern, not packed full of technology as Carissa recognised it was bidden enough but still relatively modern. Given the apparent hatred of the Ocean Gods for any reliance on technology it was a strange situation.


    She¡¯d risk the pain this time for the sake of moving forwards.


    ¡®I believe our immediate action should be to either force or open this door where we will fight. All dungeons have a starting room and this is ours. As for what manner of creatures we face I don¡¯t have a clue but we will fight and win. We can ask later.¡¯ said Matthias as he placed a hand on the metal door and began to push.


    Carissa took her own free hand and placed it on the door and a creaking sound emanated from the door as it began to swing outwards. As she took in a deep breath and continued to push forwards a klaxon alarm began to ring out as a voice called out from an unknown intercom loudspeaker.


    <THIS IS NOT A DRILL. A SECURITY LOCK-DOWN HAS BEEN INITIATED. ALL SCIENTISTS RETURN TO WORKSTATIONS. SECURITY CHECKS ARE NOW MANDATORY FOR ALL AIR LOCKS. REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. A SECURITY LOCK-DOWN IS IN PLACE. ALL MILITARY PERSONNEL REPORT TO CHECK POINTS. REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THERE ARE INTRUDERS IN THE FACILITY.>

 Chapter 21 – Hostile Intent

    In comparison to the room, they had found themselves in the exterior corridor was a marked difference, pristine white walls and ceiling with lines of strip lights running down. Various metal doors with labels Carissa were unable to make out were further down from their current position.


    Matthias readied his sword and with an alert gaze gave Carissa one glance before he turned his attention to the sides of the corridor. The voice of the intercom speaker came on again and it caused him to flinch but he kept his grip on his sword and his attention focused on danger.


    <ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL MOVE TO CODE ZETA. REPEAT. ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL MOVE TO CODE ZETA. THERE HAS BEEN A BIOSECURITY INCIDENT. I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO CODE ZETA. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CODE ZETA IS IN IMMEDIATE EFFECT. LOCK-DOWN PROTOCOLS INITIATED. ALL SCIENTISTS RETURN TO SECURE WORKSTATIONS. CODE ZETA IS ENABLED.>


    Carissa searched for the exact sound of the intercom, if there was a degree of sufficient of technology inside this place then it stood that they would have other security systems in place. Either shatter-proof glass to lock down areas or likely security cameras to track their movements.


    If her and Matthias had both been identified as intruders then the usage of combat was more than likely but she wasn¡¯t sure how well her bone tooth club and Matthias''s sword would stand up to modern weaponry.


    The situation was strange, even stranger given what Mike had explained to her and how she had received a message from an unknown god about cheating.


    Even the shark faced huge man who was likely an avatar or a representative of the gods back in the Deep Temple has told her she would need surgery to meet his needs.


    None of the Ocean Gods wanted technology and all were hostile in various degrees except one. And for all she knew that one was purposefully trying to direct her to dance like a puppet on strings for their own amusement.


    ¡®Matthias, do you come from a world filled with technology or do you consider it witchcraft?¡¯ asked Carissa.


    The empty corridor unnerved in her in a way. As though any moment a dozen armed security staff would come rushing out and attack them.


    Strange.


    There was something there in the back of her mind but she couldn¡¯t understand it.


    Matthias had jumped when he had heard the intercom but hadn¡¯t cursed it out as a tool of the spirits. So, it was more than likely he had an understanding of technology.


    ¡®My world? No, we obey the laws of the Lady above all. She disdains the mechanical and the sciences for the most part but there are some who choose to dabble. Generally, we think them mad and leave them alone in isolation inside their remote towers. I¡¯m not a luddite idiot Carissa, the Ocean Gods gave me a basic understanding of what this world once was. You think I jump at the sound of a spoken machine out of fear? No, I don¡¯t quite recognise the words but I know a call to arms when I hear it. We are intruders in this dungeon, the monsters will soon be upon us.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Holding her own bone tooth club, Carissa switched it to her other hand. Cramp was beginning to set in from the weight and she¡¯d yet to get used to holding it for long enough.


    ¡®A valid point. Apologies for my assumption, my own world used technology to an advanced degree. I¡¯m in turn not used to having to work with my hands with...basic tools like these. Not that I had to defend myself, I usually paid for private security or Liam arranged it on my behalf. Sort of a money and fame solve a lot of problems. But this thing? I¡¯m finding it difficult to hold.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Matthias gave her the smallest of nods to acknowledge and then put a finger to his lips and pointed down one direction of the pristine white corridor.


    ¡®When you are given a weapon, you need to adapt to using it. Make it your own, keep it with you, sleep next to it and learn the balance to make it part of your own body. Remember the Ocean Gods gave you such a weapon for a reason, there is magic in this place and it plays many roles. For now, we need to know more. This dungeon will have either enemy to fight or innocents to learn from. I heard movement from that direction, we should follow this route. Are we in agreement Carissa?¡¯ said Matthias.


    ¡®A useful lesson to learn but I have a faster option.¡¯ said Carissa. ¡®None of this makes sense but we opened the door through action so further action will deliver us results. System, give us our quest. Our mission. Activate combat testing scenario. Ocean Gateway turn on. Insane Water God answer my prayer,¡¯ said Carissa.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God has answered your prayer with the following message.


    Hello Carissa. We need to talk. I¡¯m going to borrow your friend for a second. Keep calm.]


    Threat.


    Stall.


    ¡®No. No we don¡¯t need to talk. Matthias! Put your sword down and get back into that room. We¡¯re going back inside but we need to leave the door open.¡¯ said Carissa as she grabbed the arm of Matthias which wasn¡¯t holding a sword and dragged him back.


    She kept her own bone tooth club away to avoid scraping him by accident as she pulled him harder when he resisted her grip.


    ¡®Matthias. Talk to me.¡¯ said Carissa, her voice beginning to tremble.


    She didn¡¯t need an insane god of sufficient power to take over the body of the one person she was grouped with inside an unknown advanced facility which was already aware of her presence. Whatever code Zeta was it wasn¡¯t something she wanted to deal with just yet.


    ¡®Into the room. Get inside the room Matthias!¡¯ started Carissa as she stopped her voice from raising into a shout.


    The intercom for the facility rang out again as the sound carried itself across the corridors. There was still no sign of action or any form of movement which concerned Carissa but she had more immediate concerns to directly deal with.


    <THIS IS NOT A DRILL. CODE ZETA IS IN PROCESS OF INITIATION. ALL WRANGLER SECURITY MOVE TO INCUBATION FACILITY. FIND A SECURE LOCATION AND HOLD UP. REPEAT. CODE ZETA IS IN PROCESS OF INITIATION. HOSTILE INTRUDERS HAVE BEEN DETECTED. REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.>


    Matthias¡¯s body had begun to twitch although his hand kept a tight hold onto his sword but his arms dropped loosely to the side.


    After rapidly opening her own spatial bag and stuffing the bone tooth weapon back inside Carissa locked her own arms under the armpits of Matthias and clasped her hands around his chest, his body began to sag as an alarm klaxon rang out on the corridor again.


    This time the above strip ceiling lights shifted into a pale red colour dimming the entire environment. The open metal door was close to her reach as Carissa took on the body weight of Matthias who was rapidly approaching unconsciousness as his arms and legs twitched.


    Pushing the door open enough she dragged Matthias into the bare, sterile metal room leaving it open. There had been no means of sealing it from the inside so the best she could do was move to the back of the room to give them a degree of security.


    Carissa briefly considered propping or forcing the door open using her bone tooth weapon but either way it wasn¡¯t going to make a big difference. This wasn¡¯t designed to be a location which she could defend easily and the other metal doors down the corridor was too far away.


    She knew that during her own time as a scientist when a lockdown was in place, security measures would usually automatically lock down all doors to protect and inhibit the spread in case of emergency.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡®Matthias. Can you hear me? I need to you talk if you can hear the sound of my voice. Matthias!¡¯ said Carissa as she raised her voice.


    Given the klaxon alarms outside raising nobody was going to notice when she shouted. A pain began to rise behind her eyes but Carissa ignored it as a familiar pressure began to reach inside her body and squeeze.


    The sensation was similar to when she had been inside the Drowned Temple facing the massive figure with the shark head who had sank into a deep pool of water on the floor. Chas had called it a measure of the divine, this experience was similar but different.


    A missing part of her, her technological implants inside her body which allowed for regulation of water temperature on her skin and outside her body began to awaken.


    Carissa¡¯s own body shook for a moment as her genetic enhancement began to reactivate partially, smell, sights and sound became heightened senses and she could taste blood inside her mouth.


    Struggling to talk she pulled Matthias to the back of the room and lay him down; his body twitching had appeared to have stopped but he remained unresponsive.


    Keeping her distance from the sword in his hand she crouched down and ignoring her enhanced senses and her body demanding immediate sources of protein she put her head to his mouth to find he was still breathing although marginally shallowly.


    She turned him onto his side and gripped his fingers trying to peel them away from the sword he held but Matthias had a death grip of them and his hand refused to move and even twitched away from her own.


    ¡®A knight until the end then eh Matthias.¡¯ said Carissa as she struggled to control her own breathing.


    The situation was getting difficult, she had a supposed ally who was going to be inhabited or controlled by an insane ocean god, klaxon alarms outside ringing in a thankfully still empty corridor and a room in which she couldn¡¯t even close the door.


    Adding in her own pain at her alterations and technology being forcefully activated Carrisa forcefully dampened her own emotional state and took several rapid breaths to calm herself.


    ¡®Damn your ocean god. I don¡¯t need your assistance if this what prayer gets me.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The taste of blood in her mouth had ignited a hunger deep within that she had been suppressing.


    Recalling the strength of the grey suit she raised a covered hand to her mouth and bit down hard. As she was focused on trying to control her own body Carissa failed to notice that Matthias¡¯s eyes had shot open, blinking several times. His free hand opened and closed several times but the hand with the sword had failed to move.


    ¡®¡­. ah...breathing. Flesh and bone. I had forgotten the pain that comes with a physical body. Right, I just need to limit the damage a little bit before his Mistress gets too angry at me. Lucky for her this one is young and tough, he¡¯ll heal quick enough. How¡¯s my timing? Oops, got a little carried away there. Sorry.¡¯ came the voice from the unconscious body of Matthias.


    Carissa had experienced enough now not to be overly surprised by the situation. The insane drowned world and game of the gods had thrown enough at her but she knew that voice, she recognised that voice.


    ¡®I know you. The beach. The man on the beach with Rissa, the one who was bothering us. I remember you when I was fifteen. Why are you inside my memories? You. It was you who turned her into water, the storm...the waves...you drowned me. You drowned me. I don¡¯t¡­. how are you inside my memories?¡¯ started Carissa as waves of pain and shock ran through her body and mind.


    ¡®Ah...the reactionary nature of my power. Hard to control at times and it¡¯s been a very, very long time since I¡¯ve had to reign it in. Not a single avatar in all this time, acolytes yes and... interesting. You¡¯re bonded to it on a cellular level, genius level tech. The alterations are quite impressive but the wrong choice for this place, the connections alone will cause immediate rejections from the others. Stop moving around. I can¡¯t fix it if you keep moving around. Or at least limit it again. The pain is quite real though, let¡¯s make an adjustment for that.¡¯ came the voice from the body of Matthias.


    A flood of endorphins came into Carissa''s brain blocking off the pain signals to her body. A sense of relief fell into her but her rational mind still tasted the blood in her mouth, as she bit down on her grey suit covered hand once again to relieve her emotional stress.


    ¡®I¡¯d examine it if I had the time but I don¡¯t. I understand why Grumera hates you though. Beauty and brains. I¡¯d wager you worked extremely hard for your results Carissa. Good genes, mad science and training are always a good mix. You know me, Carissa. I¡¯ve been trying to assist you for a good long time but I¡¯ve been noticed and paid attention to and I¡¯m only a single god. I don¡¯t have the sheer, raw power to take on the others when they decide to interfere but this level is my domain. Try to relax and you¡¯re going to have a little shock to your system. Literally.¡¯ said the voice.


    As the endorphins continued to flow, Carrisa recognised that her body was in severe pain. Everything was too bright, too raw for her to fully process. Part of her had become entirely detached, the rational section of her mind knew that her body had in effect been hijacked and taken control of by an outside force.


    Not direct physical control but the materials that made up her body, both flesh and technology were being altered without her control.


    The scientist in her found it an interesting process, as she observed the grey suit on her body began to melt off and pool onto the floor revealing her bare flesh. Her shark tooth necklace had been revealed underneath and her face flushed with anger at her most cherished personal possession revealed openly. Her spatial bag remained untouched.


    Carissa knew then that she would repay the favour in turn, she would affect direct change on the being that did this to her. She wouldn¡¯t need to kill or do it out of malice but simply to let it experience what she was going through.


    Humiliation returned in kind with a dose of extra pain.


    ¡®For what it¡¯s worth I¡¯m sorry about this. I usually work with those who try and bring technology with them through the Ocean Gateway System or even those who¡¯ve been altered on a genetic level. Your trainer Mike was one of the latter, a simple matter for his physical enhancements to be turned off until he earned them back again. But he was one the early players, so rules were a little bit loose back then. In your case Carissa, you¡¯re more of a¡­. unique biological sample. Remember this, the rest of the Ocean Gods will do worse if you allow them. The demi-gods for one. Poor beings...and we¡¯re nearing completion. Don¡¯t those klaxons annoy you? I don¡¯t know what I was thinking when I designed this zone.¡¯ came the voice using Matthias''s vocal cords.


    The sound outside muted immediately, there was a thin vibration in the air which Carissa experienced on the surface of her now bare skin but her ears failed to pick up anything.


    ¡®Ah, the door as well. We might as well add a few bonuses to this room as well, not as though it¡¯s going to ruin your experience as a player candidate having an improved starting room. The door needs to be shut tight though. As long as you¡¯re unable to take the resources from here I think we should be comfortable. I¡¯m going to have to leave this body soon, despite his youth and strength, he can¡¯t take much more of my embodied presence. Besides, I¡¯m not having the Lady get angry at me. She ignored the invitation from the rest of them but she still has a soft spot in my heart for accepting the bare minimum of technology into her domain. I mean the idiots don¡¯t produce anything overly useful but she¡¯s not drowning them in her lake just because they have divergent interests and a brain.¡¯ came the voice.


    Her own nudity didn¡¯t bother her, nor did the fact that her massive abdominal scar was exposed. The fact that this was done against her will. She had ended up being thrown around enough and played with and guided or pushed along strict paths. Anger began to grow deep within her, a fierce burning which overcame the rational part of her mind. The grey suit had pooled itself at her becoming a mess of liquid and solid.


    Despite the presence that threatened to overwhelm her senses she planted one hand on the floor and began to push herself up with her bare back against the cold metal of the wall behind her. Forcing her legs to stand upright she took control of her raw throat and loosened her fingers first before she clenched her hand into a fist.


    ¡®Shut up. You¡¯re not going to make me fall into an unconscious state again so you can dig through my memories or try to indoctrinate me into how you and your fellow gods choose to...drown an entire planet for a game.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Her fingernails began to dig into the palm of her skin as she clenched her other hand tight and forced herself to stand away from the wall.


    ¡®You took me. You push me. You hurt me and tell me, and I don¡¯t need it. Power runs both ways. You will do two things at my order. Leave the body of Matthias and then tell me what you want from me. I hear you helped me. What do you want from me? I know the gods want another of their kind. You look for the harvest from the crops but you failed. But not you. You want something from me. I know it. You told me. Tell me now or leave,¡¯ said Carissa.


    The room became absolute silence. Carissa¡¯s ears and senses almost turned off. She was unable to hear the sound of her own breathing and her rapid heartbeat as the red flashing light in the room dimmed to near darkness.


    Matthias stretched out limbs and rose up as he hung in the air and rotated around to face her, a grin was on his face. It was hard to make out in the darkness of the room but his glowing eyes revealed it wasn¡¯t him who was in control, another was using him as a puppet. The sword which he had been gripping for so long fell clattering down onto the metal floor, the being inhabiting his body ignored it.


    ¡®Very well. I don¡¯t care about their game. They made me build the operating system for it, no. Bits of it at least. We traded some of it from some freaks who managed to take over their sectional reality and became their own player gods. Someplace called Beneath Nightmare Dungeon. Parts of it were a gift from a Mining company called Overmind. I need to turn you into a goddess to return a few favours as well as fulfil a promise to being who likes noodles. But first pass this level. Or die trying. Joke. You won¡¯t die easily. Not in my territory. Not in my place of power. Or maybe you will. Bye!¡¯ said the being inhabiting Matthias''s body.


    He jerked again for a moment before like a puppet with his strings cut, he dropped to the ground without a sound. The dim room turned into absolute darkness and all Carissa could hear once again was the sound of her breathing and sharp intakes of breath from Matthias.

 Chapter 22 – Dark Waters

    Carissa had expected to enter an unconscious state but this time she was thankful that the absolute darkness gave her enough personal privacy to grip the shark tooth necklace around her neck and grip it. The palms of her hands had been cut by her own tight grip but she ignored it. Another small pain which would eventually pass.


    No. It had been the sheer presence and power of the thing which had inhabited the body of Matthias. The eyes saw her as an insect, an experiment gone wrong.


    No. I am me.


    I am me.


    I remain my own.


    A will stronger than her own had tried to suppress her own sense of identity without malice, without even trying to make the threat or perhaps even on purpose.


    Carissa vaguely recognised the words power level; she had never been into video games when she was younger but Liam had tried introducing her to a few of the most popular when they had been at university for the sake of party conversation.


    Matthias.


    She needed to check on Matthias. Check if he was still breathing and how much physical and mental damage had been done to the young man by the presence of the being that likely was one of the drowned gods. It had never introduced itself as such or even given her a name directly but that could be been out of protection for them both.


    In the unlikely event that she met an ocean god then all she¡¯d be able to say or if she had her own memories scanned was that another god had wanted to kill them all.


    Out of boredom or madness or self-hatred. Not that much of it mattered. Carissa needed to survive this place first.


    ¡®Matthias.¡¯ queried Carissa.


    Her bare feet on the cold of the metal floor Carissa concentrated her attention on the grey suit which had half melted and half flowed off her skin to pool on the floor.


    If she was granted it by the ocean gods, the same as her weapon and spatial bag then it would belong to her and anything that was hers in this place would respond to her will if she focused.


    ¡®Back onto me. Cover me entirely as protection but leave my hands and face free.¡¯ murmured Carissa.


    She highly doubted that this room would be flooded with water and they would need to survive. This time was meant to be a combat situation, not a swimming lesson.


    ¡®Move. You belong to me. Not anyone else, not a god or goddess, you belong to me.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The sensation was similar to a jellyfish but without the risk of a dangerous sting to her bare sting. If the grey suit had flowed off her easily, then as it tried to reattach itself to her body it struggled to remain attached to her skin before it would peel off.


    Crouching to her feet Carissa tried to adjust her eyes to the absolute darkness but found little purchase, this was more than a simple absence of light in the room. She knew her eyes were wide open but they simply didn¡¯t work. Unless the so-called god had disconnected her optic nerves temporarily this was down to more magic tricks and the results of the ocean gateway system.


    Her hearing remained perfectly functional if limited. She hadn¡¯t heard the metal door to the room close, nor had she heard any trace of the alarm klaxons that had rung outside since the being had said it would turn them off. Her own voice was entirely clear to her ears.


    ¡®Matthias. I¡¯m here. Your sword. He forced you to drop your sword but I can¡¯t pick it up for you. He turned off all visible spectrums of light to my own visibility.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Refocusing her available energies on the suit there was a sensation by her foot again but this time progress was made as it stuck entirely on her lower leg.


    The suit began to climb onto her bare form, slowly covering her skin on both of her legs, then her lower abdomen and finally the rest it flowed over her shoulders leaving her head and hair exposed.


    ¡®Better. Are you still here ocean god? I¡¯m not making prayers to you. You told me you¡¯d release Matthias and then leave us to complete our mission. Unless our goal is to face you directly in combat and I think we¡¯re a little bit unprepared at this point. You want to help me? Provide us with enough food and drink and give Matthias medical aid. You inhabiting his brain might offend his...Lady.¡¯ said Carissa.


    An itch on her brain rather than pain this time filled her senses. It was more akin to someone politely knocking on the door on her consciousness and then waiting for a response.


    The itch came once again and Carissa silently gave her own permission as a message from the Ocean Gateway System flowed into her mind¡¯s eye. This time the message was different as there was no trace of water but a series of wires and lights, interconnected but ancient in a way.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402 Carissa


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Usage of the Ocean Gateway Entry System Candidate will be pu-


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Usage of the Ocean Gateway Entry System Candidate will be punish-


    -Warning: Due to Illegal Usage of the Ocean Gateway Entry System Candidate is being rewarded by temporary Demi-Goddess-Level Administration Access.


    Error. Error.


    Correction Access Revoked.


    Direct Override from O-O-Ocean God.


    Access Granted.


    Permanent Personal Ownership Available as bonus reward for completion of hidden quest objectives.]


    Another message followed suit.


    [Nice to meet you in borrowed flesh. Your friend will be fine or his Lady will have her own revenge. I left you a present, temporary activation for this stage only. You¡¯ll need it. And congratulations on your promotion in the system. I want to understand what your tech can do given the right incentive. I repeat temporary access only.]


    Carissa then knew with certainly that the grey suit was her possession, the statue, the bone tooth blade, the spatial bag with the few sundry items inside were hers and hers alone. An item which she had long neglected came into her mind, the time in the Deep Temple, the trip down and the events inside this place hadn¡¯t given her enough time to think, to consider.


    The message from the unknown being had queried Carissa with one question. It was keen to assist her, to turn her into a goddess but it had never told her its name.


    Another god had been named if she recalled, Grumera. Unfamiliar to her but all of the players had been brought from their own worlds to this place.


    Either summoned or forced her as in her case.


    ¡®Unknown Ocean God with your plans. You clearly don¡¯t want to tell me your name out of safety, but where are you from? A planet? An ocean, a reality? It¡¯s not as though I¡¯m going to know the name and I highly doubt that your fellow gods care much either. A mighty god with the power to command, destroy and alter base reality refuses to tell me? Only a weak god would refuse to give any form of answer. I appreciate the gift although I don¡¯t understand why the system tells me permanent and then you repeat temporary access.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Freely allowing her mind to receive a form of message Carissa waited expectedly. She was certain the unknown god was male. But regardless of gender she would appeal to the one thing those with power had a weakness for.


    Ego.


    ¡®I¡¯m not praying. I don¡¯t care if it goes against the rules you made. I¡¯ll pray when you turn the lights on and Matthias is settled and well once more.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Another message flowed, this one made of copper wire and clay with sparks of electricity forming the words.


    [Player-Candidate Number 5428119402.


    -An unknown Ocean God has answered your prayer with the following message.


    Names are dangerous things to express. Even on this stage. Call me¡­.Apkallu.]


    ¡®Apkallu? Your name is Apkallu? Or a title? Thank you for the response. Can you reactivate the lights in this room? I would think you¡¯re scared for me to face combat for a specific reason.¡¯ said Carissa.


    The room was still entirely dark to her senses aside from breathing. Her only voice was the sound that she could hear. The isolation would have affected her more had Carissa not spent a decent amount of time by herself working in her home of Last Refuge and then trained herself to handle isolation tanks.


    If necessary, she could run through the schematics for the technology implants within her and the changes to her own genetic structure. Memories of how she had experimented with cloned half-baked copies formed from her own borrowed flesh would keep her mind occupied.


    Her stomach was mostly full from the meal which Matthias had shared with her but she knew that the experiences and the pain of reactivation meant her body needed more calories and although the grey suit limited her appetite or reduced it in a way it wasn¡¯t a clear substitute.


    ¡®Gone. All gone. Not an issue. I¡¯m not going to keep talking... Apkallu.¡¯ said Carissa as the suit flexed across her movements.


    Recalling the location of her spatial bag she fumbled for a moment before releasing it and plunging a hand inside and taking out the item she had been given an age ago in the floating wooden base belonging to Mike. A simple torch.


    The description of it clear in her mind¡¯s eye.


    [Player-Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System


    -Water Powered Torch


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    Torch recharges when submerged in water.]


    She considered that the gods weren¡¯t stupid enough to give her an item without use and she had been soaked in water several times for long enough since she had received it. Logic told her it would have a full charge.


    Holding it in her hand she made sure she held in her bare hands, careful not to drop it in the absolute darkness. There was no catch or button in her fingers but as with the suit, it would operate according to her own intent and will. If she had Ocean Gateway System control over her own possessions and belongings in her name then this would work.


    A hunger struck Carissa then, an ache deep inside her body which called out to an animalistic part of her mind which demanded calories, proteins and fats. The surfaces of the skin on her hands began to warm up as did the skin on her exposed face.


    Energy.


    She required energy if she was going to be expending it. Placing a hand on her grey suit covered abdomen she felt a pulsation deep within. Ignoring it, she put her hands on the torch and willed it to turn on. Light appeared with the pure darkness of the room. It was no longer bare as before with stacks of boxes along one of the sides.


    Several of them had been torn open with discarded packages dumped on top. There was a familiarity to them but Carissa had another aim in mind. She needed to find her companion, the one in her team who was acting as her ally.


    Matthias stood in a corner holding his sword in both hands, raised and visibly shaking. When Carissa shined the light of the torch on his eyes he blinked rapidly and almost immediately put a hand to his eyes to reduce the strength of the light in his eyes.


    With the torch on his face, Carissa recognised tears in his eyes and a sheen of sweat across his face. His grey suit unlike hers had remained completely unchanged, his hands and feet were covered and his face was open with his short platinum hair showing.


    ¡®CARISSA! A DEMON! THERE WAS A DEMON!¡¯ Matthias began to frantically call out.


    When someone was experiencing a rapid influx of emotion, Carissa knew that talking calmly was one of the best actions to take. But when the person was a young man clearly armed with a sword, combat trained and they were stuck inside a dark room together with the only exit locked then she needed to think a little.


    ¡®Matthias¡­¡¯ began Carissa.


    She didn¡¯t need to know him well enough to understand his type of mindset. His understanding of modern technology had been either implanted in him by the Ocean Gods, the Ocean Gateway System or from his own divine patron she only knew as the Lady.


    ¡®You promised to protect me Matthias. To give me training in combat and support by working as part of a group. Is this how a Knight in Training from blessed Avalon acts when faced with extreme danger? There was a... presence yes but we need to work together. The room is dark but I have a light source. A torch. I¡¯m going to count to ten inside my head and you need to do the same and calm yourself down. Can you do that for me Matthias?¡¯ cooed Carissa.


    Keeping her own voice at a higher pitch than normal with a touch of a commanding tone ought to do the trick. Matthias in her view was a young man used to being guided and then following others, she wasn¡¯t clear why he had been chosen for this flooded world but it was clearly a challenge for him.


    Cracks didn¡¯t always show on the surface. Only deeper down with greater pressure would any flaws be found.


    ¡®Matthias...remember your promise to me. Remember your opportunity from Mike. Believe in his words. We need to work together, as the group in which we formed. I need your help and protection in case anything else comes out of the dark or that doorway.¡¯ said Carissa.


    Without waiting for his permission, she touched the top of the torch using her hand which had rested on her stomach, there remained a low-level ache within her body but she ignored it.


    The lens on the torch slid apart to increase the width of the light. Slowly moving it away from Matthias''s face she moved it towards where she remembered the doorway had been. A small sliver of light appeared from the door which lay slightly ajar.


    Putting the torch on the floor so it brightened up a decent part of the room without shining directly in the face of Matthias Carissa focused her attention on it. If this item gifted by the Ocean Gateway System belonged to her then she could do with it what she wanted, even overpowering it a little.


    Light began to spill from the sides of the torch as small cracks appeared, the metal room began to illuminate further and both Matthias and Carissa had shadows form behind both of them. Matthias had removed his sword and placed it back inside the storage bag which was attached to his belt. He held both hands up and bowed in the direction of Carissa.


    ¡®My...apologies. The demon...no the presence which took me over reduced me to a mere observer inside my own mortal flesh. I have heard talk of other Knights who have experienced direct conversation with the blessed Lady but this was far different. I will keep to my promise, can your torch sustain the light for long? I have a memory of a man with a suit who promised us a starting gift and then a difficult trial ahead. He was on a beach I frequented as a young boy with my deceased father. A gift of sustenance for us both.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Carissa smiled. The training of the young man or conditioning had done a decent job to enable him to so rapidly calm down his own emotions after nearly screaming to her about demons.


    She gestured to the boxes inside the room, a sense of familiarity about them tugged at her senses.


    ¡®I think we should inspect these gifts first as long as the torch has remaining power. I¡¯m overcharging it, more light for a reduced life expectancy but I think we need to inspect them and get out of this room as soon as possible.¡¯ Carissa said as she gestured towards one of the stacked crates.


    Matthias took slow, steady steps as he walked next to her. He continued to turn his head towards the doorway at regular intervals as he placed and kept a hand on the storage bag on his waist.

 Chapter 23 – Deep Water Purification Facility

    With the light emitting from the cracked torch and the crack of light from the barely open metal door, Matthias and Carissa were able to discern the nature of the stacks of crates in the room.


    Carissa was thankful for the patches of darkness in the room, her face remained partially covered in shadow when she had held one of the packages from a stacked box.


    It had been torn open and the contents mostly wasted but a small trickle of liquid fell out onto her arm as she held it closer to examine it carefully.


    There were no markings or branding on the water-packs. Carissa had paid for them especially custom made and delivered by remote vehicle to Last Refuge as a means of protecting her final barriers of privacy. Even the purchases had been disguised through a series of shell companies, it could have been one of the reasons that Liam was able to track her down and send a team after her but Carissa swiftly disregarded the thought.


    ¡®Carissa? Are these safe to drink? It appears as water, but the demon could have given us a false gift.¡¯ questioned Matthias when he saw Clarissa''s apparent hesitance.


    The water packs were laced with enough vitamins and minerals to give enough sustenance combined with the protein packs to keep a human body or even a genetically and technologically altered one healthy and strong.


    ¡®You can drink it Matthias. The taste might not be the same as what you¡¯re used to but the water it perfectly safe and will give your health benefits.¡¯ said Carissa as she took the torn open water pack and opening her spatial bag stuffed it inside.


    Just in case I need to remind myself that I didn¡¯t have an hallucination.


    ¡®The demon...sorry...being told me that we were to be provided a gift. And one in particular for you as a reward for your efforts this far. He told me as a vision, I retain an impression of him inside my vision. I will try this water and trust you as my ally and group member Carissa. I believe this dungeon will offer both of us great dangers ahead. Trust is an essential factor for comrades.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Picking up an entire crate, Matthias settled himself into a corner as he carefully tore open the corner of one water pack and dipped a finger inside to test the effect on his gloved hand.


    When Carissa glared at him, he shrugged his soldiers and poured the contents of the water pack into his mouth, letting it swill around before he swallowed deeply.


    ¡®Delicious. Water but...with a touch of Mana. Infused Mana water, a precious bounty indeed. The demon knows the Lady. No longer will I call it demon but a powerful benefactor.¡¯ said Matthias.


    He gestured towards his own water-pack filled crate and gestured to the stack on the opposite side of the room. The light from the torch left on the floor was enough to make out the stacks and their contents but not close enough to read labels.


    ¡®I believe we will have been provided with both a source of water and food from our benefactor. Let me drink another, then I will fill my own storage bag with enough to last us for the duration of this dungeon. I would suggest you do the same. Unless the flavour is not to your taste Carissa?¡¯ said Matthias.


    Shaking her head Carissa considered explaining how the water packs and the crates were from her home reality and in fact she had drunk from one a short time before she had found herself in this world. It was far easier to agree with the young man and exit this room to find their combat opponents. Time wasn¡¯t on their side. She decided to keep it simple.


    ¡®These water packs are from my home world, that¡¯s why I was staring at one and why I know about them. Why don¡¯t you just empty the entire crate worth inside your spatial bag and then go and check out the stacks on the other side? I have a good idea of what those are going to contain already if these are water. Although, you may not be the biggest fan of them. They¡¯re likely to contain a mixture of animal blood and fish parts. Pure in proteins with a few other necessary boosts the body needs.¡¯ said Carissa as she ripped off the plastic top of the crate in front of her and began to stuff as many water packs as she could fit in her hands into her open spatial bag.


    The light coming out of the cracked torch flickered for a moment before it settled back into the same bright glow which illuminated the room enough for them to make out a degree of light within the room. The same force which kept it in darkness was only repelled by the light from the torch asides from the crack of light from the barely open doorway.


    A noise came from the stack of crates on the opposite side of the room where Matthias had gone to check through the ones which would contain enhanced protein packs of her own personal blend and design.


    Carissa hoped Mathias didn¡¯t have a weak stomach but either way he¡¯d have to learn to stomach blood and fish along with an assortment of minerals to satisfy her own needs. The fact that neither of them had needed to use the bathroom in all this time was likely down to another factor of the grey suits in her view.


    When the cracked torch dimmed again and rocked ever so slightly to the side, Carissa finished putting the last of the water packs from the final empty crate into her spatial bag and put her attention to it.


    The description of the torch came into her mind¡¯s eye just as Matthias called out to her.


    ¡®Carissa¡­. this food source...is this meant to be food? The taste is...raw. Provisions are meant to be solid, not this...liquid mess.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Without turning her gaze away from the torch in the centre of the room Carissa stopped herself from shaking her head. When a person had little choice except hunger, then raw forms of protein worked best.


    Deep within her own abdomen heat rose up to the surface of her skin despite the covering of the grey suit. Forcing herself not to place a hand on her stomach again, Carissa pushed the sensation down. Pain inside her reminded her of the need for energy in her present condition.


    She had planned to take enough of the protein substance to ease the use of her implants and gradually control the power generated when she was able to enter the oceans freely.


    ¡®As long as you leave enough for me then it¡¯s not an issue. As a Knight in training of Avalon, didn¡¯t you ever experience hunger? True hunger? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in a position to be fussy right now. Either pack it away in your spatial bag and eat a bag or two or you can leave the rest for me. We need to be out of this room. I don¡¯t like the darkness and the silence.¡¯ said Carissa as she refocused her attention on the description of the torch hanging in front of her eyes.


    [Candidate Designate: Carissa.


    Tool Received from Ocean Gateway System


    - Damaged Water Powered Torch


    -Warning: Overuse is causing permanent damage to this item.


    -Warning: Advise to turn off torch before power source overloads.


    -Item cannot be transferred or sold to other players.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    -Torch recharges when submerged in water.]


    ¡®Carissa?¡¯ queried Mathias again. He held placed three of the crates on the side and had filled his own spatial bag.


    ¡®What? I¡¯m not here to hold your hand. Our only light source is going to either explode or break, bring over a few of those crates or leave enough for me to fill. I¡¯m getting increasingly hungry and I don¡¯t need it to become an issue between group members.¡¯ said Carissa.


    As her abdomen burned hotter, Carissa pushed back her thoughts of hunger deeper within the recesses of her conscious mind. She focused on reducing the power output of the torch as it continued to flicker. A sound which was both familiar to her and entirely unwanted echoed inside the metal room.


    A buzzing noise which angered her but made enough sense.


    ¡®There is a small machine here. It doesn¡¯t open or do anything but it makes the same vibrations as a Clipper Bee from my homeland. They are dangerous insects with jaws large and strong enough to slice through the forearm of one without armour. The peasants often make requests for their extermination across the realm as they can destroy a large number of crops if they spread their numbers.¡¯ said Matthias as he stuffed more of the protein meal bags into his own spatial bag.


    Although the light of the torch continued to flicker, Carissa was able to make out the sight of Matthias stood over the crates, his posture bent over as he was observing a device out of view of Carissa.


    The buzzing sound rang out again, Carissa was overly familiar with it. There were only meant to be two in existence, two items barely even considered prototypes which had cost a fortune and their own private encrypted satellite network.


    ¡®Carissa? The machine. There are words but I can¡¯t read them. And no, I¡¯m not illiterate but the words...they¡¯re strange. Different even. More like markings and the screen glows. I know this is a device for communication but I don¡¯t understand the type. Should I break it? Is this another threat to us from our...benefactor?¡¯ said Matthias.


    The torch flickered and the brightness that shone from it nearly illuminated the entire room before it began to emit deeper glows as cracks along the length of the torch began to extend.


    Focusing her attention on the torch, Carissa willed the power held within the torch to reduce, cracks continued to form but the light emitting from within the device began to recede.


    ¡®Pick it up, stuff the rest of the protein bags inside your spatial bag and we¡¯re getting out of this room Matthias. Also, you¡¯re from a world with knights and magic and yet you recognise a machine used for communication? I suppose being possessed by an Ocean God will do that for you. I¡¯m trying my best to hold back the power supply inside the torch but I¡¯ve overcharged it and it¡¯s damaged.¡¯ said Carissa as she kept her eyes on the torch while using the light emitting from it to move swiftly to the barely open metal door.


    ¡®Carissa¡­.¡¯ said Matthias.


    Despite the torch, the doorway was harder to make out then she had first thought. The crack of light from the outside corridor was enough for her to make out an opening.


    ¡®Matthias. I need you over here, the door only opens fully when we push it together. We need to get out of this room. I can¡¯t control the torch and we need to begin our combat experience as a group.¡¯ said Carissa.


    With both of her hands on the metal door, despite planting both of her feet planted on the floor and pushing hard against the door to force it opens there was an unknown force opposing her actions.


    ¡®Carissa¡­.¡¯ said Matthias again. His voice sounded lost in thought.


    ¡®Matthias. You¡¯ve said my name twice now, say it again and we¡¯re going to be caught inside this room when the energy source powering the torch goes off. The thing is meant to be powered by submersion in water, so we either drown or it explodes. Get over here and open the door to the...dungeon with me. The quest, remember the promise given to you by Mike. Remember your Lady. You are meant to protect me and guide me in combat. So, MOVE IT!¡¯ said Carissa.


    A rush of wind brushed against the surface of her hair as Matthias appeared next to her. This close, Carissa could see how ashen white his face actually was. His chalk-like complexion mingled with his platinum hair but he distinctly lacked colour in his cheeks. She¡¯d need to make sure he took his fill of food and drink before they carried on too far, otherwise, she¡¯d be at risk of losing her only ally in this place.


    ¡®Push on three. One. Two¡­¡¯ said Carissa as she marshalled her own strength, an ache from deep within her abdomen grew and spread through her body as she pushed harder against the door with both hands. Next to her Matthias had put one hand on the door and had another deep within his own spatial bag attached to his belt.


    Preparing his sword at the ready.


    A hot-blooded knight in training.


    Or a foolish young man.


    The metal door began to groan and creak open and as the pair pushed harder it swung open to reveal the same corridor, they had barely begun to explore in what felt like an age ago.


    A watery message intermingled with bronze cabling and sparks of electricity appeared in the air of both of them as the door opened and Carissa and Matthias collapsed to the pristine flood. With the doorway behind both of them, it swung shut of its own volition as a dull crump and a sound of rushing water came from behind them inside the room.


    The sound was audible through the door before there was a noise like an industrial strength vacuum and the doorway behind them sealed off and left both of them in the empty corridor.


    Matthias began to try and talk to Carissa before she held out a hand and signalled for him to focus on the message in front of both of their eyes. The words were visible in a different form than her mind¡¯s eye. These were there to clearly be read as part of their combat quest.


    Nodding his head Matthias held an object cradled in his arms before he opened his spatial bag and stored it away.


    The contents of the message were different this time and more surprising than Carissa would have assumed.


    [Player-Candidate Designates:


    Group: Carissa Acqua and Matthias Fischer


    You¡¯ve entered one of the worst excesses of technology and madness this planet has to offer.


    Commonly known as Defence Lab 56 to the general public, the Deep-Water Purification Facility hides both hidden secrets and scientific horrors.


    Funded through a combination of private investors, siphoned public and military funding experiments on the nature of the human form were done here deep under the ocean, far from oversight and transparency.


    Survive through trial of combat by using your skills, experience and knowledge from your own worlds.


    Your immediate mission is to survive until the destruction of the facility either through the hands of the player candidates or the actions of base personnel.


    Additional rewards are offered for recovery or collection of any data relating to the facility and current news.


    Main Quest Objective: Survive. Escape is not a valid option. Kill or be killed.


    Secondary Quest Objective: Enable self-destruction of facility or deploy fail-safe option.


    Tertiary Objective: Assist Ocean God Believers in their own trials.


    Quest Rewards: Removal of Player-Candidate Status and establishment of full Player Status.


    Additional Rewards depend on performance on completion of level.


    Individual Ocean Gods may grant bonus rewards for selected player-candidates only.


    The Ocean Gods blessings be upon you all. Remember, the Drowned Gods reward the faithful and punish the heretics.]


    As Carissa and Matthias finished digesting the contents of the message from the Ocean Gateway System the same familiar klaxon rang out again along the length of the sterile corridor.


    <CODE ZETA IS ACTIVE. REPEAT. CODE ZETA IS ACTIVE. ALL CIVILIANS REPORT ANY UNKNOWN PERSONNEL TO BASE SECURITY. ARMED PATROLS ARE NOW IN EFFECT. ALL WRANGLERS REPORT TO HOLDING SECTION IMMEDIATELY. CODE ZETA IS ACTIVE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.>