~
Night must have passed because he woke up. Citra was there, but her presence made him feel odd. Like she should have been elsewhere. Somewhere, through the wall, he heard singing. It was from too far away. Why was she not with the others? The sound was distant, but the bubble rooms seemed to amplify the volume. He let the musical voices in. They were soft. They were gentle. He felt like going back to sleep.
His dream was unusual; both in content and by the fact that he remembered it vividly. He was lying on his back rubbing his eyes when he heard Citra.
“You look refreshed. Did you sleep well?”
She was looking at him, smirking. She must have wanted him to see that because the rest of her was not illuminated by her glow. Next to him was a meal; large leaves wrapped around smaller ones mixed in a sauce of some fish’s guts.
“Why do you ask?”
“Tell me what you dreamed and I will tell you a secret.”
“Why don’t you go bother the professor?”
She came closer leaning on his ledge.
“I know the power of song. It can inspire, it can refresh, it can arouse within a man courage he has never known…”
“I didn’t hear you singing.”
When he said this she sank back into the water. The lights illuminating her face dimmed quickly until she was dark. She crawled up onto the other platform and curled into a ball.
“And this food tastes like vomit.” He spit it out tossing the rest into the water.
“It can also drive a man mad. Make him tear his soul to bits. Be careful for your life Tuck.” She sniffled, “You don’t know the power of words.”
He felt a little bad for her. Despite his desperate situation she had treated him well. The others were cared for too. He gave in a bit.
“It was dark out. I was tied down, but I wasn’t scared. Must have been a full moon because it was dark except for the moon. There were voices. People moving around me. I was on some sort of table. Others were with me too. Friends maybe. A doctor walked by. He talked to me, but I didn’t understand him. Next to me was a woman. I couldn’t see her. She was blurry to me, but I knew it was a woman.”
“Did you ask her name?” She wiped the water from her face.
“No.”
“You should do that next time.”
“What do you mean?”
“The next time you dream. You should ask her.”
He let it go. Was she going to control his dreams from now on? Whatever she was he did not want to delve any further.
“Have you decided on a plan?”
“Yes.”
Their conversation stopped. The bubble was quiet allowing their emotions to settle.
“Tell me more of your dream?”
“What is it to you?”
“When others hear us sing, it is not often, strange things happen Tuck. Beautiful things. I don’t know your dream, but I know it was special…and real. Do not refuse it.”
Tuck eased up. Perhaps her generosity was genuine.
“Start from the beginning again.”
“Like I said, I was tied down…now that I think about it I think I was inside. There was a bright light from above. My shoulder stung, but nothing too bad. My shirt was off for some reason. There was a humming noise behind me. Two people talked in the distance. They were too far away. I couldn’t tell who they were. Someone nearby spoke, but I couldn’t see him or understand him. I was really tired.”
“Focus.”
He took a deep breath in, shut his eyes and through his mind’s eye looked forward into his thoughts.
“Someone else was there. In front of me…getting a tattoo. That’s it. I was getting a tattoo too. My are was tied because I requested it. We must have been getting the stars on our necks. The mark of our platoon. I bet it was after Isosceles. Our first real firefight. We bagged some coin for that one too. Wait…this was taking too long. The stars were simple. I don’t understand. This was something else. I saw my arms. The date…the date! It wasn’t there. This was before I got this one,” he stuck his arm out for her – and him – to confirm the date.”
“What does it mean?” she asked.
“It wasn’t the stars,” he muttered. “It was-.”
“Citra,” a foreign voice called through the bubble, “we’re ready.”
In another bubble Tuck was briefed on their plan. The mermaids were friends with various creatures of sea. Some great. Some small. One of the greater ones, Eallra, was to meet them at the mouth of the river. Eallra and two of his friends. There, the group would break into three. Each group accompanied by one mermaid. The great fishes would carry them across the sea to Cassidy’s home.
“But why the mermaids?” Pepla asked.
“For light, of course,” the professor answered for them.
“We’ll take good care of Brunhilda while you’re gone,” Pom said to him.”
That must have been the thing he was holding earlier. The remains of his mechanical wonder woman.
“Why not just swim us there yourselves?” Hermenes asked.
“Yes, why not?” The professor also wanted to know.
“Over the centuries, most of the mermaids and other sea creatures have become increasingly violent.” Citra spoke with sorrow in her eyes. “Should they discover our presence in the sea or our refuge in the lake, it would be the end of us. We must maintain our secrecy at all costs. Eallra affords us this opportunity.”
“What about my mecha suit? Will that fit inside your fish?”
Citra looked down. “Unfortunately, no it won’t. You’ll have to leave it behind. But do not fear…”
“That’s absurd! I’m not leaving it behind. I need it.”
“And it is key to our mission,” Avers jumped in. “Without it we have less bargaining power.”
“I’m sorry. You’re welcome to stay here if you like, but it simply won’t do to take it with.”
“Lady Avers,” Pepla said, “I think it will be OK. They have proved trustworthy thus far. Would it not be too much to trust them a bit more?”
Avers turned to Pepla, “You don’t understand the significance of a mecha suit.” Then she turned to Tuck, “Even if it’s not a Tiger.”
“You don’t really want me to stay here. And I can’t return from where we came. Are you sure there really is no way to take it with?”
Citra and Pom nodded silently.
“Fine then, but I will come back for it.”
The Miserable Planet #3 Page 3