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Literature Text
Chapter 10: The Rapid Retreat
-A-
...But only for a second or so before his composure returned.
"And who would call off a full-scale attack simply on the grounds that it'd end up killing a child?"
-S-
"Someone with a heart," the mer-osprey returned.
-A-
"You don't need a heart when you're at war."
Alt's eyes narrowed. "Sherbie, go ahead and snap his neck."
-S-
"Better idea."
Sherbie quickly felt around in his pockets and gave his gun to Alt, then marched towards a window.
"I doubt they'll want to kill one of their own. The moment they fire towards us I'll kill him."
Pandion's eyes were narrowing.
She finally whispered something into Ohm's ear, and his eyes widened.
As a last resort, they could attempt to use Androctonus's personal escape pods. It required his voice, so they would have to hack it, but they weren't shown outside the base, so the mers couldn't have interfered, and even Pandion wasn't meant to know about them, so she doubted Nicholas would.
-A-
Nicholas was fearless.
One mer spotted Sherbie and Nicholas, stared for a moment at them and those behind them, then smiled and swam off. What was going on here?
-S-
Ohm whispered something to Alt, who transmitted it to Sherbie.
Sherbie nodded vaguely, and as Nicholas suspiciously turned his head, Sherbie bonked him on the head, stunning him and tossing him bodily out the room, locking the door; they all then piled to the back, and Pandion fiddled with controls (which a lot of mental help from Alt) before a large panel opened, with four small one-man pods.
"It'll be a tight squeeze!" Sherbie warned, pushing Alt and Beacon firmly into the first one, Nebula and Figment into the next. He piled into one with Franklin, leaving Ohm and Pandion with the fourth. Sherbie and Franklin motioned to Tidal to clamber in with them.
"Alt, try and send us to Technuloji! Ohm, contact the mainland to pick us up!"
-A-
"No."
Alt turned and got back out.
"We can't leave yet. We're jumping the gun. There's at least one thing we have to do first. We have to find that device-- the one Nicholas used to give himself legs."
"I'm siding with the Queen on this one," Ohm insisted as he did the same. "I'm not leaving Dr. Pandion stuck the way she is for the rest of her life if we can help it."
-S-
Sherbie grinned despite himself.
"Scorps said he had it, so-"
"Here."
Androctonus suddenly leapt up, pad and octahedron in hand, grinned, then pelted out the door.
Sherbie caught Alt's wrist, pulling her back as there was a great sucking noise, as if...
"Water! It's in! Alt, later! We have to go or we'll either drown or the pressure change will damage us!"
Sherbie pulled her back over to hers, where Beacon was leaning out of his pod, reaching out.
"Mummy, please!"
Sherbie vaulted into his, squashing Franklin, as that ominous sucking sound grew closer.
-A-
Alt needed to hear no more. Once everyone was back in and the equipment was loaded, she launched them. Ohm was taking care of things on his end, too.
-S-
It was indeed a tight fit in them all; Alt and Beacon were the best off.
Sherbie and Franklin and Tidal were the most cramped, all struggling to breathe as they were jettisoned in the direction of the mainland.
Ohm and Hannah were surprisingly cramped, considering her long, pretty tail had to curl up and over in a coil.
-A-
And Figment and Nebula?
-S-
They were pretty cozy, but still awkwardly cramped.
Androctonus plugged it all into Nicholas' computer, and activated it; and barely in time.
His legs fused just as the door broke open and flooded.
Androctonus was briefly stunned, but then came back to his senses; to find he had a sinfully black tail, with a deadly barb on the tip.
The computer and pad were waterlogged now, and useless; perhaps fixeable, but only in time.
Disconnecting it, he snatched the octahedron up too, and then hid himself in the flooded ventilation shafts, waiting until the coast was clear to make a bid for freedom.
The pods finally bobbed to the surface, and several D83's arrived as the hatches opened.
-A-
Everyone carefully climbed out of their pods and stood on top of them, ready for transportation. Alt hugged Beacon tightly in her arms, while Ohm carried Dr. Pandion gently.
-S-
She glanced down into the water, and gasped.
"Watch it! They're down th-"
Just as the orange light bathed them, several mers leapt clear out the water, clawing for them; but they clutched, thankfully, at empty air.
For now anyway.
The D83's dropped their cargo off at the medical facility, Sherbie personally amazed he wasn't mortally injured. But he wasn't complaining.
They regrouped briefly, all relieved to be out of that underwater prison alive, when Pandion finally spoke up.
"Um...I'm sorry. I just...Androctonus. I didn't know how to warn you two to leave before he pulled something."
-A-
"Just forget it," Ohm assured Dr. Pandion. "We're safe now, this incident is all over, and that's all that matters."
Nebula shook her head. "I wish I could agree with you, Ohm, but I suspect otherwise."
-S-
Sherbie nodded, scooping up Alt and Beacon all at once.
"What about Tesla?"
Pandion (or perhaps Hannah now that she didn't have to fear Androctonus anymore) spoke up again.
"...I'm sorry I'm fussing, but...my tail and gills are drying out. It hurts."
-A-
Ohm was on it. He picked Hannah up and ran out the door with her, reaching the shoreline in record time.
-S-
Sherbie grinned wildly.
Did you s- DID YOU SEE THAT?! Ohm has finally lost his heart!
-A-
Alt wasn't sure how to interpret that.
Ohm masterfully dunked Hannah in the water. He got a little wet himself, but he didn't mind.
-S-
Hannah wriggled her tail blissfully, twisting and then lifting it, dripping wet, sparkling all colours of the rainbow on the glimmering white scales, before splashing it in again.
She leaned down and breathed in a few mouthfuls before massaging the sides of her neck gingerly.
-A-
Ohm couldn't help but smile. He almost wished he could join in.
"Hey!"
That was Tidal. She was just stepping into the water herself.
"Having fun, Dr. Pandion?"
-S-
"This is wonderful!" she nodded, splashing herself with more water before gazing up into the sky; dotted puffs of cloud, medium blue sky and a gently glowing sun.
She smiled.
"I've spent so long in the darkness, I've almost forgotten what the sunlight on your face feels like."
-A-
Ohm sat on the pier.
"You're welcome to stay here with us, Dr. Pandion. I'm sure the Queen wouldn't mind, and that base is kaput now anyhow."
-S-
The mer-osprey looked up at the rooster, smiling.
"Hannah's fine."
-A-
"Right... Hannah."
Looking up, Ohm spotted something on the horizon. He grabbed his binoculars and looked; it was the very boat Alt and Sherbie had piloted out to sea before getting involved in this whole mess.
-S-
Hannah sat up from her position in the surf, her tank top sodden, eagle-vision picking it up easily.
"Is that...coming towards us?"
-A-
"Looks like it."
The boat was definitely coming towards the shore, but he couldn't see who was piloting it, if anyone.
-A-
...But only for a second or so before his composure returned.
"And who would call off a full-scale attack simply on the grounds that it'd end up killing a child?"
-S-
"Someone with a heart," the mer-osprey returned.
-A-
"You don't need a heart when you're at war."
Alt's eyes narrowed. "Sherbie, go ahead and snap his neck."
-S-
"Better idea."
Sherbie quickly felt around in his pockets and gave his gun to Alt, then marched towards a window.
"I doubt they'll want to kill one of their own. The moment they fire towards us I'll kill him."
Pandion's eyes were narrowing.
She finally whispered something into Ohm's ear, and his eyes widened.
As a last resort, they could attempt to use Androctonus's personal escape pods. It required his voice, so they would have to hack it, but they weren't shown outside the base, so the mers couldn't have interfered, and even Pandion wasn't meant to know about them, so she doubted Nicholas would.
-A-
Nicholas was fearless.
One mer spotted Sherbie and Nicholas, stared for a moment at them and those behind them, then smiled and swam off. What was going on here?
-S-
Ohm whispered something to Alt, who transmitted it to Sherbie.
Sherbie nodded vaguely, and as Nicholas suspiciously turned his head, Sherbie bonked him on the head, stunning him and tossing him bodily out the room, locking the door; they all then piled to the back, and Pandion fiddled with controls (which a lot of mental help from Alt) before a large panel opened, with four small one-man pods.
"It'll be a tight squeeze!" Sherbie warned, pushing Alt and Beacon firmly into the first one, Nebula and Figment into the next. He piled into one with Franklin, leaving Ohm and Pandion with the fourth. Sherbie and Franklin motioned to Tidal to clamber in with them.
"Alt, try and send us to Technuloji! Ohm, contact the mainland to pick us up!"
-A-
"No."
Alt turned and got back out.
"We can't leave yet. We're jumping the gun. There's at least one thing we have to do first. We have to find that device-- the one Nicholas used to give himself legs."
"I'm siding with the Queen on this one," Ohm insisted as he did the same. "I'm not leaving Dr. Pandion stuck the way she is for the rest of her life if we can help it."
-S-
Sherbie grinned despite himself.
"Scorps said he had it, so-"
"Here."
Androctonus suddenly leapt up, pad and octahedron in hand, grinned, then pelted out the door.
Sherbie caught Alt's wrist, pulling her back as there was a great sucking noise, as if...
"Water! It's in! Alt, later! We have to go or we'll either drown or the pressure change will damage us!"
Sherbie pulled her back over to hers, where Beacon was leaning out of his pod, reaching out.
"Mummy, please!"
Sherbie vaulted into his, squashing Franklin, as that ominous sucking sound grew closer.
-A-
Alt needed to hear no more. Once everyone was back in and the equipment was loaded, she launched them. Ohm was taking care of things on his end, too.
-S-
It was indeed a tight fit in them all; Alt and Beacon were the best off.
Sherbie and Franklin and Tidal were the most cramped, all struggling to breathe as they were jettisoned in the direction of the mainland.
Ohm and Hannah were surprisingly cramped, considering her long, pretty tail had to curl up and over in a coil.
-A-
And Figment and Nebula?
-S-
They were pretty cozy, but still awkwardly cramped.
Androctonus plugged it all into Nicholas' computer, and activated it; and barely in time.
His legs fused just as the door broke open and flooded.
Androctonus was briefly stunned, but then came back to his senses; to find he had a sinfully black tail, with a deadly barb on the tip.
The computer and pad were waterlogged now, and useless; perhaps fixeable, but only in time.
Disconnecting it, he snatched the octahedron up too, and then hid himself in the flooded ventilation shafts, waiting until the coast was clear to make a bid for freedom.
The pods finally bobbed to the surface, and several D83's arrived as the hatches opened.
-A-
Everyone carefully climbed out of their pods and stood on top of them, ready for transportation. Alt hugged Beacon tightly in her arms, while Ohm carried Dr. Pandion gently.
-S-
She glanced down into the water, and gasped.
"Watch it! They're down th-"
Just as the orange light bathed them, several mers leapt clear out the water, clawing for them; but they clutched, thankfully, at empty air.
For now anyway.
The D83's dropped their cargo off at the medical facility, Sherbie personally amazed he wasn't mortally injured. But he wasn't complaining.
They regrouped briefly, all relieved to be out of that underwater prison alive, when Pandion finally spoke up.
"Um...I'm sorry. I just...Androctonus. I didn't know how to warn you two to leave before he pulled something."
-A-
"Just forget it," Ohm assured Dr. Pandion. "We're safe now, this incident is all over, and that's all that matters."
Nebula shook her head. "I wish I could agree with you, Ohm, but I suspect otherwise."
-S-
Sherbie nodded, scooping up Alt and Beacon all at once.
"What about Tesla?"
Pandion (or perhaps Hannah now that she didn't have to fear Androctonus anymore) spoke up again.
"...I'm sorry I'm fussing, but...my tail and gills are drying out. It hurts."
-A-
Ohm was on it. He picked Hannah up and ran out the door with her, reaching the shoreline in record time.
-S-
Sherbie grinned wildly.
Did you s- DID YOU SEE THAT?! Ohm has finally lost his heart!
-A-
Alt wasn't sure how to interpret that.
Ohm masterfully dunked Hannah in the water. He got a little wet himself, but he didn't mind.
-S-
Hannah wriggled her tail blissfully, twisting and then lifting it, dripping wet, sparkling all colours of the rainbow on the glimmering white scales, before splashing it in again.
She leaned down and breathed in a few mouthfuls before massaging the sides of her neck gingerly.
-A-
Ohm couldn't help but smile. He almost wished he could join in.
"Hey!"
That was Tidal. She was just stepping into the water herself.
"Having fun, Dr. Pandion?"
-S-
"This is wonderful!" she nodded, splashing herself with more water before gazing up into the sky; dotted puffs of cloud, medium blue sky and a gently glowing sun.
She smiled.
"I've spent so long in the darkness, I've almost forgotten what the sunlight on your face feels like."
-A-
Ohm sat on the pier.
"You're welcome to stay here with us, Dr. Pandion. I'm sure the Queen wouldn't mind, and that base is kaput now anyhow."
-S-
The mer-osprey looked up at the rooster, smiling.
"Hannah's fine."
-A-
"Right... Hannah."
Looking up, Ohm spotted something on the horizon. He grabbed his binoculars and looked; it was the very boat Alt and Sherbie had piloted out to sea before getting involved in this whole mess.
-S-
Hannah sat up from her position in the surf, her tank top sodden, eagle-vision picking it up easily.
"Is that...coming towards us?"
-A-
"Looks like it."
The boat was definitely coming towards the shore, but he couldn't see who was piloting it, if anyone.
Suggested Collections
Chapter 1: [link]
Chapter 9: [link]
Chapter 11: [link]
Chapter ten; I'm glad I finally got a chance to upload it. The action comes to a stop... of course, the action starts and stops a lot where Amaramis and I are concerned.
I don't know why Amaramis always goes out of the way to describe what the tails of newly turned mers look like. I wonder if she's expecting me to do the same.
Tech series and all involved concepts ©
and me
Chapter 9: [link]
Chapter 11: [link]
Chapter ten; I'm glad I finally got a chance to upload it. The action comes to a stop... of course, the action starts and stops a lot where Amaramis and I are concerned.
I don't know why Amaramis always goes out of the way to describe what the tails of newly turned mers look like. I wonder if she's expecting me to do the same.
Tech series and all involved concepts ©
and me © 2010 - 2024 sonicinterface
Comments2
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Because description is good here and there; we don't describe the sunshine and sky and water like most do, and I really think we should add more; a little here and there is good.