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Ode to the Ocean

It was something that the humans of earth barely had any time to prepare for. The day a piece of space crashed into the ocean, the piece was swimming with stars and galaxies and dyed the ocean the spectrum of light. It was so tragic that the polar caps melted at an alarming rate and the land became covered in less than a year, from chasms and plains, to the hills and the mountains.

To remedy the loss of land, A single unified government was organized in haste and put forth the effort to have the most advanced technology to be put to use and large floating countries were born, they are call Hydro Islands.

The Hydro Islands are domed shape and are designed to protect their inhabitants, from humans, to agriculture and horticulture. There are fisheries and lakes as well. Life returned to normal for humans, school and work and everything in between. The earth suffers from Super Mega Water Hurricanes that can last for days, weeks and/or months and the islands are designed to embed into the sea bed to withstand the attack.

However the ocean was not so lucky. Along with its change to the spectrum of the color of light, there was an even more drastic tragedy. The Oceans Marine life mutated and the humans that were never counted for and could never escape in time had also been affected by this, they morphed into mermaids and mermens. They came together and created a kingdom in the depths of the ocean. They hide during the Super Mega Water Hurricanes since they sweep up the ocean in a huge vortex and anything that swims in the water.

Thus the earth had become one huge salty orb of the light spectrum with stars and galaxies in it. The Earth lost its identity by name and became known as Galaxy Ocean.

One Hundred Years pass and the Hydro Islands still float with no sign of land to be found among the Galaxy Ocean.

Two very different species will cross paths from two very different worlds in an effort to communicate.

Scientific Words and their Definitions


Hydro Islands Mega floats that were created to escape the rising oceans that swallowed the Earth.

reserved

Hawkeye Shiki


He leveled his gaze at the group before him as they stood over in shock and amazement at being this close to the Galaxy Ocean. Why him? Really, why him? Why did he have to babysit these newbies? This first time research group? Sure the pay was good and he was allowed to have free housing and untaxable living and food on top of that. But they were not paying him enough to watch these interns!

"Alright. Listen up! Everything you learned in your training is only the basics, you will be learning on a whole knew level, like you went from crawling to college in one huge leap. Remain calm, don't get too excited and keep your wits about you. We will only be observing and gathering information. This is only a 24 hour stint. You are only dipping your toes in. Go suit up."

Yes, why him? And then he himself went to suit up in his gear. "Check your air gauge and other functions , make sure to double check your connection with the communications line, we will be on an automated watch by the system here." He indicated to the panel inside the bridge. "Also, make sure that if you get swept up by an unknown current to keep calm, breathe slow and once you come to a stop, then return to the surface and the Mini Research Island and If you don't see your buddy, return to the island. I am watching you all so you all must watch for me. Follow me." And he dropped into the ocean.

He was swallowed instantly into the cosmic world of the Galaxy Ocean, its glamorous glory that once held him captive no longer kept him in that state. It was dull and seemed lifeless. He could see the lights of the face displays and the glow of the other lights on the suits around him. "We only have eight hours of air, we will keep the talk light and if you spot a species, call its name and observe its movements, make mental notes. I will call once every hour for a head count and we'll leave thirty minutes before time ends."

So Hawkeye and the group of intern students floated just 250 meters below the surface, watching the mutated marine species and their movements. And on the hour he called for a head count. Seven hours went by when he felt it coming, it was a quick and sharp current rushing out of nowhere and called for the students to surface quickly. He too began his ascent when the current whiplashed about caught him up and pulled him along. It forced him even deeper below and he could see his face display dip in depth. He kept his breathing slow and light. When the current abruptly ended, Hawkeye got himself oriented and began to follow his communications line back. Telling the students that he is on the way and they should return to the float for the time and decompress.

He halted when he found his communications line wrapped around Snow Coral. A large dead tree turned into petrified stone. This was a hard choice, cut the line and surface with the beacon so the students can come get him or untangle the line from the multiple branches and make the way back. He checked the air gauge. Not good. Given the depth, he would have to do a forced surface if cutting the line or untangle it and have the lines auto reel system pull him back once he did. Ten Minutes and less counting.

The situation was bleak and he needed to make the choice in the next minute.

Alikia Tsuki

Hawkeye Shiki

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Ten Minutes and less counting.

It turned into such a bleak situation. One where he had to make one of two choices to save his life. Untangle the communications line and activate the auto reel system to pull him back to the float or cut the line and inflate the buoy system with beacon to breach the surface so the interns can come get him.

And he had to make the choice in the next minute.

Hawkeye was about to move his hands, not even so mush as a finger twitch when he could see an alarming sight that stilled his breath into awe. What was he looking at? What was this creature? Intelligent creature? Working so deftly in untangling his communications line.

When they came into full view his eyes went wide and he could not draw breath. It was human like covered in shimmering and gleaming scales of a striking blue, as he drank in the creatures features, he could make out a fish tail on the lower half. What? How? A legend? A myth? Was real?

His whole buddy refused to move, thinking that any possible unknown action could frighten this alarmingly and wonderful beast away. He could only resort to default mode and observe in fascination. Was he dreaming?

Hawkeye wanted to pinch himself over this to make sure but he could not deny what was in front of him. Then they locked eyes. And he was sure, that the creature was real. Fascinatingly. Wonderful. Striking. Creature.

He continued to stare at the creature, unblinking.

Then the air indicator began flashing wildly and he realized how thin his oxygen had gotten but by then, he felt heavy and starved in the brain to breathe. His eyes blinked multiple times and then closed. He could feel and hear his heart beat dip. If only he could the reach the auto reel button tucked next to his right hip.

Everything was fading...going black....

Alikia Tsuki

Hawkeye Shiki

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It was through glimpses that he could see things flash before him.

The darkness becoming lighter and brighter and then he closed his eyes.

Hawkeye came too. He recognized the decompression chamber he was in and the fresh supply of oxygen that was filling his lungs and feeding his blood to his starved brain. Sure enough that he was in the hospital.

Two hours later after all the blood testing, coordination and motorized tests and sterilization, he could lean back into the pillows of the hospital bed. That was the most tiring. There was a knock at the door and he looked to see the director enter, she teased him about the incident.

"There is a first for everything. I simply began to start the untangling and I had just gotten done with it and began that ascent, I passed out upon hitting the surface." There was no way Hawkeye could tell his director about the creature he had seen. "It took even longer to untangle because the Snow Coral had more branches. You'll have the report on your desk when I return to work."

The female director shrugged and sighed, saying she knew all too well how Snow Coral could be dangerous to the marine biologist divers and left after giving him a basket full of oranges. "How in the heck am I going to eat all of these?" He gave a frustrated groan as she left.

The Interns he had been watching all slowly profiled in in a line with heads hanging low. He saw their pitiful plight. "Hey, heads up." Hawkeye tossed them each a citrus fruit. "I am a alive. You followed procedure and decompressed first then went to go locate me. Anyways, go fill out your reports and hand them into me when I return." And they were gone.

Hawkeye contemplated during his time confined to the bed how to launch a new research topic and get the granting money for it and the tools needed. His new goal was to obtain first communication with the intelligent creature.

The mermaid from below.

Alikia Tsuki

Hawkeye Shiki

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Hawkeye would have an excuse to leave but his coworkers and underlings were so overwhelmed with joy that he had returned to work and he could see why. During his absence everything had fallen into disarray and chaos. Hawkeye shook his head in disbelief and began instructing them to sort out the most uncommon work and organize going up to the least common. When the sorting was done, he continued to inform them take care of the short term work first and then do the long term.

Once the headache was cleared up, Hawkeye went to his office to work on his report and pile his next manuscript for a grant. Though he had unlimited funds at his disposal, to have a particular grant at his disposal could prove useful in getting the gear he needed. He only stopped to read the apprehensive interns reports. And commended them for doing well in keeping watch and mentally cataloging creatures movements and their ability to follow pre and post dive inspections. Saying he'll send them to respective teams that will help prepare them for experience for the rest of their internship.

With his report and manuscript in hand after lunch, went to the Directors office. She read the report and said that he had done well, even though he lied to protect the mermaid. Then she was pulled in by the manuscript and asked if he had the list of equipment needed of which he handed it over with out delay. "Thank you, I would not disappoint." And left with the grant approval.

This was to be a two month trek. He was on a Special Research Mini Hydro Island that is geared towards scouting for the missing mountains and triangulating location between the sun, stars and geolocation. Its new goal is now to gather information in regards to creature communication and the sounds they create.

For Hawkeye, this was his chance to communicate with the mermaid. And he had a mini-sub for his use and a new modal of his dive suit.

Wanting to try out the mini sub to get a feel for the surroundings around him, he dove for the first time, using his own personal equipment for communication. Hawkeye sat at 400 meters below the surface, waiting for second contact.

Alikia Tsuki