Choppy waves splash over the boardwalk where we stand, overlooking a windy, starlit sea. It would be nice if the salty spray wasn't constantly hitting my face.
"The no-man's-land ends here," Jim tells Travis and I. "The autoturrets won't attack anything past the shore."
"It's all dark and wavey," Travis says. "Reminds me of those riptide trials we had to run last year."
"Ugh, don't remind me." I look at Jim. "Hey, what are we doing out here? Where's the seaplace?"
"Seaburgs." He points at a roundish thing floating a ways out on the water. "We'll enter through there."
I scrunch my nose in disgust. "People live in there? That's worse than Pex's hideout."
"That's a maintenance deck, not a homestead," Jim corrects me. "They're the only other way into the Seaburgs besides the standard route. No one is up there right now, though… guess that makes sense considering the hour. I'll go get a boat."
I roll my eyes and promptly raise my wings. "Through those waves? No way. Trav, get his other arm!"
"Your skin feels like clay now," Travis notes as he grabs on.
"Yep. I can freely mold and solidify my arms and legs as needed," Jim clarifies. "Perfect for moving earth, right?"
"Wild." We start carrying him over the waves to the maintenance deck. "Don't think I've ever seen something like that before."
"Right? I guess that also explains why you aren't collapsing under your own weight," Travis nods.
"It can't be that farfetched, can it? After all, your wings have similar shape-changing properties," Jim points out.
"What? No way," I reply. "Birds do the same thing as us."
"Have you actually paid attention to how your wings transform? Bird wings definitely don't do what yours do," he tells us. "Have you even seen a bird up close?"
"Er… only while flying…" I shake my head and quickly change the subject. "So! Back to earthmovers. You're one of a set, right? What's the deal with the others?"
"I'm not affiliated with them, if that's what you're worried about," Jim replies.
"What? That's not an answer." After setting him down, I land next to him – or try to, anyway. "WHOA," I yell as the violent bobbing knocks me over.
Jim, unshaken, steadily walks up to the deck's entry port, using his mass to stay grounded. Travis is crawling behind him, maintaining a low center of gravity.
I try to mimic Jim's movements and only succeed in falling over again, nearly sliding off the edge into the water a couple of meters below. I quickly stabilize myself with my wings, then flyff into the air. The other two have already disappeared into the maintenance deck. "Forget this," I mutter, flying up to the opening.
After gauging the deck's movement, I drop straight down, falling cleanly into the shaft. WHAM! Turns out Travis was still on the ladder. We both land on the metallic mesh floor.
"Ow," Travis grunts.
"I didn't dent your helmet again, you'll be fine," I tell him.
"Whatever."
"This way, you two." Jim is standing in front of some steel doors.
"Hey, it isn't shaky anymore," I realize.
"The maintenance decks are buoyant to account for tides and waves," Jim explains, "otherwise they would be constantly submerged." He clicks on an interface, and the doors swing open. Beyond them is a wide shaft with ladders and platforms going further down.
"Hey, nice." Travis and I fly into the open area, enjoying the space. "Why's this place so big?"
"How do you think we get shipments down to the Seaburgs?" Jim points up at the shaft's ceiling. "That gate up there sits just below the water's surface. Maybe you noticed the flags sticking out of the sea?"
"Uhm… no," I admit.
"Were we supposed to?" Travis asks.
"Never mind. The entrance to the aquarail is at the bottom."
As we leisurely fly down the shaft, Jim jumps and plummets past us, extending his legs to absorb the impact and landing with a quiet whumf.
I give Travis a surprised look. He shrugs, and we both dive down to meet him.
At the bottom is a round gate much larger than the one up top. By the time we land near him, it's already rotating open, revealing a giant transparent tube with lights and rails running through it, disappearing into the darkness of the undersea in both directions.
"And this is the aquarail," Jim states.
Travis peers down the aquarail's path. "So, if we head straight down this way, we'll reach the Seaburgs? Or, is it the other way?"
"Trams periodically run along it, just so you know," Jim replies. "We'll take one of those."
"What! But look! Plenty of fly room, right?" I gesture to the spacious tube. "We can just dodge the trams if that's what you're worried about."
"While carrying me? I'd seriously rather not." Jim presses a button on the gate's exterior interface. "The next tram will stop for us. I promise it'll be faster than flying."
I cross my arms, then reluctantly step back. "Fine… but only if it's faster."
Unfortunately, Jim is right about the tram… it zooms along the aquarail, maintaining a clip about fifty percent faster than my top cruising speed. Through the tube's clear walls, I catch glimpses of strange streaming lights and shapes through the dark water.
I sit back, arms crossed. "Hmph… I guess it's a LITTLE faster," I mutter.
"Y'know, it's nice to be able to relax while also going places," Travis muses. "It's like turning on easy mode."
Flummoxed, I throw Travis a look. "H-heresy! We'll get fat if we laze around too much," I stammer.
"You still believe that? You know we're biotools," Travis says. "We probably couldn't get fat even if we wanted to."
"Now approaching #6 Shellshuck," an intercom says. "Please watch your step as you disembark. Welcome to the Seaburgs."
Shellshuck? "How many burgs are there in total?" I ask Jim.
"If you count the north as well… seventeen, at least in this area," Jim answers. "The aquarail connects all of them."
"Um… have you been to all of them?"
"Probably? I move around a lot."
The tram opens directly into an airlock that then opens to a mostly-submerged plaza with a clear roof, showing off the stars above. A large gate at the other end of the plaza sits open, the sign above it reading #6 - WELCOME TO SHELLSHUCK. My first Seaburg… despite my general dislike for being underwater, I've really been finding myself in the depths lately. I hope it doesn't become a trend.
As we walk through the gate towards Shellshuck, a peppy-looking guide approaches us. "Welcome, travelers! I'm Teresa Wu," she bubbles. "Welcome back, Mr. Hanks. I assume you'll be handling their onboarding?"
"Onboarding?" Travis and I look at him.
"Actually, we're here to meet with the seer," Jim replies, nonplussed. "Shouldn't take long."
Teresa's smile turns derisive. "Ah, yes. She's down in the solitary ward right now. Poor lady just keeps getting worse, raving about her dreams and foresights and nonsense. Are these children her new wards?"
"No. Just take us there." Jim's voice doesn't change.
"Also, we're not children," I add.
"Of course, of course. You're such a big girl," she replies. "Right this way!"
"Wh…?! Don't patronize me!" I point at her. "I'm probably almost the same age as you!"
"Spoken like someone who doesn't really know how old they are," she titters. "With that mindset… and that size… honestly, who can blame me?"
As she continues walking, I grit my teeth, my rage mounting.
"Don't kill her," Jim whispers. "It'll be more trouble than it's worth."
I realize that my vibroblades are active. "This is tiny woman erasure," I grumble, turning them off.
"Ah, just ignore her," Travis tells me. "If anyone can give us answers, it'll be that seer, right? No matter how crazy she is."
"Yeah," I nod. "Just gotta focus on the goal."
As we continue following her, something on Jim's person starts beeping.
"Shoot. I gotta take this," he says. "Teresa, no funny business."
Teresa laughs lightly. "It's not me you should be warning."
I narrow my eyes at her. "What are you…"
"Eh, we'll be fine. Probably," Travis assures me. "At the very least, we can take her in a fight."
"Hmph."
After a few more minutes of walking, we stop in front of a metal door.
"Right in here," Teresa chirps. "I strongly suggest NOT exciting her. Or stressing her out. Or humoring her. Or talking to her in general. You have been warned. Bye!"
"Er, huh?" I look over at her, but she's already gone. "What's she so afraid of?" Travis opens the door. Inside is a woman sitting cross-legged on a bean chair. She's holding a dagger in one hand and a handgun in the other. Her grey eyes are a strange mix of dazed and focused.
"Hum…?" I gaze at her hair – curly, silver, covered by a blue bandanna. "Trav, take off your helmet."
Travis complies, shaking out his equally curly-and-grey hair. "What is it?"
"Yeah. She kind of looks like you," I tell him. "You can't tell?"
"I don't have my face memorized."
The seer's gaze suddenly snaps to Travis. "Ah-HA," she shouts, jumping to her feet. Then she dashes towards Travis, gun and dagger raised.
I start to react, raising my gauntlets, then realize I'm not detecting any bloodlust.
Sure enough, the seer's arms catch Travis in an embrace, the gun and dagger still firmly in her grip. it would be heartwarming if not for that. Well, it still kind of is heartwarming.
Travis frees himself from her grip. "W-wait… are you my mom? Uhh… something Borohon," he asks.
"Melinda," she nods. "And you are Travis… hmhmhmhm, finally… after all these dreams, all this talk… well, I'm sure you've heard what certain others think of me. Just some madwoman, wasting away in the bottom of Shellshuck." She casually waves her gun, and I instinctively tense up. there's a non-zero chance it's loaded, and the dagger is definitely extremely sharp.
"Don't say that if you don't believe it! I doubt just waiting for me would cause such problems," Travis tells her.
"Hm-hmhm, oh, I believe it alright. It's the dreams, you see. They've been plaguing me for so long that I've…" She looks away for a moment. then her eyes refocus. "Travis. Show me your wings."
"Oh. Uhh, sure." He raises his wings – light grey scales, white underskin.
"Yes… I see… charming appendages," Melinda mutters. "Strong and tough. Not very big."
"W-well, birds aren't big," I tell her.
"Yeah. We're… three meters from tip-to-tip, I think? Same proportions, probably," Travis supplies.
"The colors are curious, too. Why would your scales match your hair?" She taps her chin with her gun. "Is hair feathers? Are scales hair? Why aren't the wings themselves the same color? What are the wings even made of? It's all so strange to consider."
I contemplate her musings, silently twirling a ponytail.
"Hey Mom, I just got an idea. Why don't you come with us?" Travis proposes. "We're looking for Atticus. We suspect he's a major lead to the truth we're trying to find. And with your foresight, we can corner him in no time!"
"Atticus…" Melinda looks shell-shocked as she slumps back into her bean chair. "You know of him. You're already doomed, then."
"What? Why would you say that?"
"I used to be rich, you know. Me and Damiel… I mean, your father… we lived in Sirius Tower, in the highest penthouse. Quite the view, it was. Of course, it's not there anymore… funny how that of all things came to mind."
"You escaped, though, didn't you? You can still help us fight," Travis insists.
"I remember feeling hopeful, once. It was just after your father gave his life to help me escape. As my home collapsed into the waters, I swore to get my revenge. But then… then the dreams got worse."
"You keep talking about dreams. What's your deal with them?"
"They're… a blessing and a curse. Hm-hmhm, and they've helped me avoid my demise for all this time." Melinda's gaze grows distant. "I suppose I should be thankful, then… I finally got to see you before my time ran out."
"Huh?"
'The seals can only delay the inevitable. Mr. Adams knew this when he first gave them to us… but then, even a few minutes can make a world of difference, hmhm." she drops her weapons, holding both hands to her chest.
"Wait… Adams…?" I quickly sift through my memories, then realize it– "Travis, get back! I think she has a flare sigil!"
"Mom does?! How – wait, no!"
Melinda's gaze focuses on Travis once more. "Ah… to see your face… is all this madwoman could ask for—"
CRAKOOOM!!
"Wah!" I shield myself from the heat and light. "Crap, I knew it."
"No-! Mom, our only lead, no, no!" Travis falls to his knees, staring at the ashen husk. "How could this happen… no…"
"Those higher ups… installing bomb things on their people all willy-nilly," I grumble, tapping my foot. "What are they hiding that's so important?"
"Dammit… dammit! You were the only reason we came this far, and you had to go and DIE like this? I hate you," Travis shouts at the husk.
"Trav, come on. It's not her fault," I tell him, exasperated. "We just… need to figure something else out, somehow."
"This is literally the worst possible outcome! All this searching, all this effort, gone in an instant!" He's now clutching his helmet tightly.
"Look at it like this! Uhm…" I think for a moment, then fall silent. Rurin is normally our pep talk guy, now that I recall…
Teresa saunters in, that stupid oblivious-but-condescending smile still on her face. "Hello! Having fun?"
"There you are! Melinda just died," I tell her.
"Oh, I heard! Suicide at her age is such a tragedy, but not a surprise considering her mental state," she chirps. "She will probably be missed."
"What do you mean, suicide?! She friccing exploded!"
"She open-carried dangerous weapons on the daily," Teresa states. "A firebomb is not so unexpected."
"Gahh, what is with you?" I notice that my vibroblades are out again and promptly deactivate them. "Never mind! Never mind… I need to blow off steam. Let's go, Travis." I brush past her.
Teresa turns. "Go where?" She asks.
"Explore Shellshuck, clear my head a bit. The hell do you care?"
"You're aeronauts, aren't you?" Teresa slyly giggles. "And you want answers, right?"
I stop dead in my tracks. "What…?"
"I'm listening," Travis says.
"It's simple," Teresa cheerily tells us. "Instead of running from your purpose… why not run to it?"
I knew it. I knew this lady was trouble!! "No! Nononono, this is sus as hell! Who ARE you?" I point a vibroblade at her. "If you're just some random helper in Shellshuck, and we only showed our wings to Melinda, then how did you know we were aeronauts?!"
"Well, it's not like we were seriously trying to hide them," Travis mutters.
Teresa gleefully laughs. "Why so serious? You have nothing to lose, right? Your only other option is to keep running around in circles, chasing empty leads and hitting dead ends."
Travis slowly stands, then puts on his helmet. "So, what are you proposing?"
"Just come with me," Teresa smiles. "I know some people who can give you what you need the most."
"Cool. I'm in," he nods.
"W-w-what! No! Stop," I splutter. "How does she know what we need?! She's never even SEEN us before today!"
"She has answers, Kit! We came here for answers, didn't we? And I don't want to end up back at square one after everything we've lost," Travis retorts.
"I don't trust her! And anyways, we need to meet back up with Rurin and Vernicia to compare notes," I reply. "Maybe they had better luck than we did."
"Well, YOU can go back. I can't let this chance get away," he resolves.
"Ugh! Will you listen to your gut for once? Something stinks here, and I don't like it!"
"I'm tired of grasping at clouds, okay? We need something, anything! Even if it means taking risks!"
Teresa calmly smiles. "Why don't you two spend the night here to sort out your thoughts? It's pretty late, after all. Your suites for tonight have already been prepared, courtesy of Jim." She holds out two keycards.
I rub my forehead, then take the card. "Gah… fine."
The room isn't far, which is a relief. I'm exhausted.
Compiling known information. My current altitude is approximately 80 meters below sea level. The lead we had set out to find is dead. Our only bit of extra info is… that tower, and also Atticus is maybe bad. Note: Travis is convinced this suspicious smiley lady has the answers we need. Note: I haven't seen Jim since he got that call earlier. What happened? Note: Brainpower is low. Sleep recharge pending.
I slump into the bed, sinking into the mattress.
What the… this is way softer than I'm used to… I should scout the area tonight as a ghost… ugh, too tired… bed's too soft… can't focus…