Aquarius [N0VA™ & IndiePrincess]

[N0VA]

The year is 2024 August 14... over the past several years there is a war between humans and alien sentient creatures. During this war teams that wore these nano-suits have been dispatched into the field and in combat against the alien creatures. After 2 years nano-suit 1.0 was already old and a replacement was needed... several researches and test were already made and a massive production line already setup... during one of the test of nano-suit 2.0 was a kinetic shock-wave blast test, first two tests were successful but the base was attacked by the aliens and further research canceled. During said test the alien discharged it's bio-energy weapon into the test machine and created a portal to another world... the nano-suit 2.0 and the whole compound were transferred there but not without price. Any organic creature that were not wearing a Nano-suit 2.0 suit armor had their atoms split apart and disappeared. Now in this new world Major Jacob "Witch Doctor" Addams is to survive on his own with no means of getting back home.

The Base that was transported from the normal world:
[spoili]

[/spoili]

The New World of Aquarius

The merpeople are a peaceful underwater race, similar in shape to humanoids, with the exception of powerful tails. These creatures make their home in a network of submerged cities that rival the legends of Atlantis in their splendor. They are ruled by a single king, Trokloreon, who has seven daughters. He is a kind king, but that kindness should not be mistaken for weakness, because he will strike down his foes without mercy if need be. He will do what it takes to protect his kingdom. The merpeople live primarily under the water, but there are a few who have the power to transform their tails into legs by sheer will. These merfolk keep the ability a secret, because it is considered to make them less pure. There is no need to use it either, because the rest of the planet that is not water is covered in a lush jungle, that holds dangers untold and many. The brave few that have grown legs and entered the jungle rarely return. One of the kings daughters has this secret ability, and does not hesitate to explore the humid jungle, but is sure to stay close to the shoreline so that she may escape quickly if danger arises

 

[N0VA]

I woke up after all of the aftermath had settled in, my head spun for awhile but I shook it off... I stood up and walked out of the test room. Looking around I found nothing but weapons and gear lying on the floor, nobody was where they should have been not even the aliens were here... which made me worry for a second. I gazed out the window to find the whole compound located in a whole different place, slowly I pieced the pieces of the puzzle together... I was teleported to a whole new different place along with the base. As far as I knew the base was self-sufficient and the A.I. should be still working... giving out a few commands it responded to me and gave my full base clearance. After a few days maintenance of the base and trying to figure out how everything worked, I managed to lift the security barriers around the base and defensive turrets online. I stocked the armory with the dropped gear I found around the base and prepared all of the vehicles that were there for movement, I haven't seen many creatures around the base and I truly did not want to eat vegetables only for the rest of my life and MRE's would probably last me about 5 years which is enough but what after that? I took my gear, equipment and weapons got into a truck and headed into the thick jungle that was just bellow the base. I found animals like pigs and cows, I managed to spot some sheep and horses and marked their spots on my PDA. Shortly moving through the jungle I reached the shore... this place was truly beautiful, but I still cannot figure out what happened to everyone? Where did they go and how did they disappear? I tried to look at the security footage but it did not show much as much of it was corrupt. I got out of my vehicle and sat on the beach looking at the morning sky that bounced light of the wast ocean... I decided to make a makeshift fishing rod and try my hand at fishing. I sat there with a small rod in my hand trying to catch some fish.

 

[waterboy]

I swim lazily on my back through the blue waters of my home, which are crystal clear and warm near the shore. I suppose I shouldn't be this near to the jungle, even if I am still in the water. Father would go ballistic, and I'd like to not be the cause of another underwater hurricane, but yet here I am. I use my tail to propel me along, the iridescent purple/black scales shimmering like an oil slick in the late morning sun, a mix of purples greens blues and golds. A slight disturbance in the water catches my attention, a few meters ahead of me, and a bit deeper. I swim towards it, and as I near i see it is a small silver object, curved and dangling below the surface of the water. It's an odd thing, one I haven't seen before. I hold out a hand to it, and touch the tip of my finger to the end, and jump back when it pricks me. I look at my finger, and see a bead of inky blood forming, dispelling into a cloud in the water. I look back at the silver object, and pull on it gently. When I let go, it snaps back a bit, and I notice the clear line attached to the non sharp end. I frown lightly. What the hell is this thing?

 

[N0VA]

I noticed my fishing rod line started to jitter... I slowly started pulling on it bit by bit and finally I pulled it in all. It was empty when I pulled it out, I was slightly disappointed... I started walking over to my vehicle and tossed the rod into the back seat. Though I decided to check out with my infrared view on my visor just to see if there are any fish in the sea... switching to infrared I gasped as I saw a picture of what looked at as a living being, a mermaid even! I ran towards the ocean and jumped in... trying to view through the water as I stirred it up with my jump. My underwater equipment started working on my suit, I was surprised by this thing offering unlimited air, must off been some dense recycle systems... the water cleared and I was in a shock when I noticed that it was really a mermaid that was there. I started swimming towards her, as I went deeper the thrusters activated slightly to help me with my swimming. I did not care who or what it was, I was happy it was a living being I only hopped it was friendly.

 

[waterboy]

The line quickly pulled away, and I watched it disappear toward the waterline with great curiosity. I was going to follow it when the water rippled as a large presence headed toward me. When it slowed a bit from water resistance I took the moments hesitation to turn and dive back into the deep waters, moving fast enough to cause a small shock wave when I take off. I don't look back until I'm well away from it and hiding in the reef on a sandbar about a mile from shore. My eyes can make out a small shape moving around there, but I am unable to determine what it is. I've never seen a creature shaped like that on land before. Or in the water.

 

[N0VA]

"Bah! Where did it go?!" I talked out loud, turning to the infrared vision I found a small blip of heat... I put the thrusters to maximum and headed in the way of the creature. It swam fast, but I swam faster... I chuckled to myself. I laughed to myself just a minute ago I was fishing for food and now I am running after what seems like a mermaid creature... I was not worried about the water pressure very much, this suit is peak indestructible, I rushed towards the creature and yelled at it "Hey! Wait, I just want to talk! Don't run!" I said as I continued to swim down towards it.

 

[waterboy]

I listened to the creatures speech pattern, inflection, and tone, picking up the entire language in just under ten seconds, automatically translating what I wanted to say into it's native one. I could do that with any creature, down to the most simple of languages, if a few sounds put together counted as a language. I blend into the reef, using the all the plants and coral and the chaotic mess of colors to disguise myself amongst it all. I see the thing swimming towards me, using some kind of machine to try and find me among the abundant wildlife in the reef. It's a large one, and takes up about a half mile in length and goes down quite far, a maze of rock, plants, and marine animals. I sink lower and lower, careful to keep my eyes on the odd creature as it swims around, now almost directly above me.

 

[N0VA]

It kept evading me even further and further... I turned on my visor to infrared and kept on moving towards here. It was swimming towards some kind of maze system underwater, rock plants and a few marine animals is all I saw. My thruster helped with keeping up with her, I almost was just behind her but at every moment she just took off on me. Looking at the depth meter on my visor it was getting, really, really deep, the suit could handle it so I kept on following her. I wasn't sure she understood me the first time so I tried again "Hey! Just stop! I'm not trying to hurt you! Please!" I yelled to the top of my lungs but it didn't seem as she was going to stop, never the less I kept on pushing towards her in hopes of reaching her.

 

[waterboy]

"What do you want?" I ask in its language, now directly behind him. My hair is floating in an indigo cloud behind me in the water, like a dark halo. I glare at this weird... thing... It's similar in shape to me, but has legs like the land animals. I can't tell if what it has on is a garment of some kind or if it is part of it's flesh. It's face though, is covered in some kind of mask, and I don't know if it's real or just that, a mask. It's disconcerting. "Well?" I press on. "What is it? What are you? Why are you here?"

 

[N0VA]

I turned to face it, it started talking to me finally... it had a female voice "Hey, you can understand me that's great! I'm a human, you are a mermaid aren't you?" I said with almost a happy tone in my voice it was nice to finally talk to someone other than the computer A.I at the base "Please, I don't want to hurt you or anything... I just wanted to talk to someone, I have dropped into this world because of an accident. I am not from here, this planet even this world." I looked at her through my visor it was very liberating to have only this suit in water rather than a whole scuba tank.

 

[waterboy]

I frown at the word he uses to describe me. "A.. a what? A mermaid?" I shake my head. "It doesn't matter what I am. What are you? In case you haven't noticed, you're in my world, so I should be asking you the questions. How do you 'accidentally' switch worlds?" He's not making sense, the babbling idiot. It's a fascinating specimen though, I must admit. By the tone of it's voice I think it's male, but I don't know how to tell for sure. I can grow legs when I leave the water if I wish too, but in the seas a tail is so much easier. And I don't need a device to breathe, on land or in water. It must be very cumbersome to need something to aid breathing. I peer at it, him, whatever, curiously. I find myself wanting to know more, though I know I shouldn't. I should swim as fast and far as I can, until I'm too lost in the depths to be found.

 

[N0VA]

I looked at her with a puzzled face "I am a human... homosapiens... how else do I explain it? I have two hands and two legs, unlike you I don't have a tail and I need a mask to breath underwater. Any other questions you might have? Oh, and it's a quite a long story... my world was at war with a sentient alien race from out of our world, while we were testing this thing I am currently wearing a accident happened that sent me here along with my base which is now my home" I tried to explain to her, I was wondering if there were anymore else like her? "Why are you here alone? Is it not dangerous to go around alone?" I tried to find out what she was doing alone.

 

[waterboy]

"And why should I tell you anything?" I reply with a raised eyebrow. I hardly saw why I should tell this, human, anything. It's not like I need the trouble; quite the opposite actually. There was plenty to do around here without this lost fool from a different world stumbling around the jungle in need my help. "I should just leave you to fend for yourself, or let the hyeriks get you. With those nasty buggers roaming around, you wouldn't last more than a few days, and that's only if you're lucky. Hyeriks are particularly nasty, but there's worse out there, and trust me, you don't want to catch their attention."

 

[N0VA]

I laughed at her, she obviously didn't know a dang thing about my suit "I will show you this and let you be the judge of me" I cloaked my suit "Try and find me now? It's hard is it not" I chuckled and appeared behind her "Boo!" I yelled softly, I moved in-front of her again slowly "So, anymore questions?" I said chuckling at her, I noticed that the sun was up high it must have been noon. I turned to face her again and waited for her response, she was taking her sweet time she was.

 

[waterboy]

"Of course I know you were there," I said bluntly. "The water pressure changed when you moved. And besides, the hyeriks are mostly blind. They use scent, hearing, and echo location, so they'd find you with or without that suit of yours." I'm bored with this human. He thinks he's so high and mighty with his suit, but without it he'd not last an hour in this world. "And another question. What do you want with me? You obviously have everything you need in that suit and in your 'base.' "

 

[N0VA]

Clever girl I thought to myself "That's true, though I wouldn't say the same when we would be on ground. Besides, I have the weapons to deal with those -hyeriks- or whatever you call them alone just fine" I turned to look at her again. Uhh... she got me there what did I want with her? "Uhh... I don't know... everyone from my base is missing... it's like they vaporized or something there was no-one and I mean no-one from a complex full of 168,000 people so... I just... wanted to talk to someone I guess?" I smiled at her, even though I know she wouldn't see my smiling. I turned to look at the sky again.

 

[waterboy]

I look at him blankly. "Okay, sure," I said with a shrug. "Why not. It's not like I have anything better to do today." I tilt my head a bit to the side. "What's it like? Having legs all the time, that is? I can't imagine it." Without waiting fr his response, I take off, swimming towards the surface of the water, where I wait for him with my head and shoulders above the water, using my arms and tail to tread water.

 

[N0VA]

As she swam up, I started swimming after her; not long and I popped up out of the water next to her "It's alright I guess... every disadvantage we have we can adjust by adding different objects... as swimming fins and stuff like that so I guess it's alright. I'm going to start heading to the beach now" I pointed at the beach and started swimming in it's direction... I turned to see once if she was following me and turned to continued swimming.

 

[waterboy]

I follow him, but stop a ways out, staying in the water as he pulls himself ashore. I don't know why, but I don't want him to know that I can grow legs. I watch with interest as he walks on the land with such confidence, one that I do not possess on two legs. I've only dared shed my tail twice, and each time only for a few minutes. I felt unstable teetering around with no balance, so I gave up trying after a few feeble attempts. I long to be able to walk around with such ease.

 

[N0VA]

I looked back at her as she staid in the water and I turned to face her fully "What's wrong, not coming out of the water? I thought you mermaids could transform you tail into legs?" I chuckled and waved to her twice to come here. I turned to face my vehicle and took out a MRE from the backpack that was on the back seat, I came back and sat on the beach looking at her and wondering if she would come out of the water.