by Marcus Sloss
During the pandemic of 2020, he had been slow to react. His instinct was to trust those in charge and stay in place. He got sick on a grocery run, which in turn infected his parents. Jarod mourned his lost loved ones like many others from that tragic virus. When the 2023 outbreak hit, he was living with his girlfriend and her parents. Another scenario where he could do something simple, like take a journey to the store, and people might die. He was prepared this time. The money he saved by living with her parents let him buy a sailboat. His girlfriend refused to join him when he refused to stay. The two reached an impossible impasse. He got on that boat without her and sailed away until the vaccine was ready.
When he came home, he vowed to avoid germs at all cost. Eventually, he met Jill. Jill was his rock. The grounding factor that life was not only worth living, but worth encouraging. Having Mary was something he never thought he would be able to accept. Bringing a child into this cruel world. Jill was just too convincing, and Jarod never regretted the tedious process required to produce Mary. Until this moment.
Now he was more than half a world away, in a land where he was going to be trapped. He could jump the ledge of his fourteen-floor balcony, and it would all be over. The thought was fought down. He had a plan, albeit a bad one, but a plan, nonetheless. His small travel case was already sealed and ready to go.
One last glance off the balcony told Jarod the way to the docks. Three blocks left, turn right, and he could see the boats bobbing in the harbor. He opened his travel case and looted the minifridge. Out went his business suit and extra shoes. Thank God the vending machines had card sliders. He stocked up on a few snacks. The water was jammed full, so he kept buying. More clothing left the case until it had only one spare shirt and shorts. He ran back to the room for the garbage sacks to fill with water bottles. He needed to hurry while, at the same time, preparing.
Jerod knew what humanity turned into when bodies piled in the streets. He understood the savagery of man. Descending the stairs was a pain, but his thin plastic sacks holding the water did not break. Once on the street, he found it was eerily quiet. Cars paused to watch the broadcasts on their Gpads. Jerod ignored the device filling with alerts. He ran for the docks as fast as possible.
When he arrived, he was a huffing mess. Sweat beads trailed down his forehead. He swallowed a few deep breaths to calm his beating heart. An old lady was holding open a coded gate that led to the docks. Jarod approached her with the intent of sneaking past as if he belonged.
“Oh good, you are here. You mentioned you would be a disheveled mess. Captains, all the same from my experience. Well, you are here now. Hurry up!” the old lady said with an American accent. She grew impatient, letting the gate close. “The Pearly Dream is a state of the art sailing yacht. The contract is for three months, but I want to extend the terms.”
Jarod squeezed through the opening before pushing the gate closed.
“Which boat is she?” Jerod asked.
“The end of the docks. Give me your Gpad. You now have permissions as the captain. If you could set a -” She glared at Jarod when her Gpad pinged an alert. She realized too late that he was not the captain she had hired.
Jarod shoved the old lady over the side railing. She screamed as she fell, with her flaying arms desperate for salvation. The descent a dozen feet down was brief. There was an awkward silence. To his everlasting regret, Jarod peered over the edge. Her head pulsed blood, her neck was at a jagged angle, and her eyes were wide open with a glazed terror. There was no rise or fall of her chest.
He watched intently for minutes, hoping to see her chest flare back to life. He heard running footsteps by the gate.
“Mrs. Demouth, I am here. Mrs. Demouth!” The man screamed her name. The actual captain was flustered. Jarod heard the man mutter, “End of the world prank maybe. She did pay me a bonus upfront though. Mrs. Demouth! I can’t believe I forgot to ask for the code. Hey you. Open this gate please.”
Jarod ignored the order and turned for The Pearly Dream. The captain screamed his demands a few more times before giving up. He left for someplace that Jarod would never care to know. With determination, Jarod boarded the bobbing ship at the end of the dock. He immediately untied the boat of the mooring lines.
The Pearly Dream had sails and an electric motor for navigating tight waters. He started the engine with his permissions. He dialed in a course on the captain’s station for Los Angeles. The boat had an estimate of twenty five days with good winds and using the motor with sails full. Less if the solar panels remained charged from constant sunshine. He hit accept.
The anchor raised itself with the winch whining and the chain clanking. The sails stayed furled. The moment the anchor locked, the self-driving boat took over. Jarod grinned. He was going home. Now it was time to check out the inside.
A yacht sailboat combo was the latest rage. Fully eco-friendly while still including luxury and technology. The old lady was an idiot. She could have set the information in herself. Then again, maybe she was an elitist. Manual tasks beneath her. Jarod grinned when he saw the leather living area. There was a fully stocked wet bar. Hell, there was a de-salinator on board. A massive suite was in the bow of the ship with auto-stabilizing pistons to let you sleep without a rocking motion. They had literally spared no expense on this lavish boat.
Jarod laughed loudly into the intricately decorated space. Then he cried while the sailboat slipped out of port. Finding his courage, he went to the bar. Mounted between bottles of expensive liquor was a tommy gun. The kind you saw in mobster movies, except it was different. The design was more streamlined with no metal. Hard colored plastic meshed with clear sections. The acrylic drum showcased three-inch darts perfect for killing fish. Jarod mulled it over, realizing you would lose every dart fired. He figured Mrs. Demouth probably didn’t care because the weapon was mostly ceremonial anyway. He shifted into the cupboards. Even preserved food for a few months. While that was fantastic, it was not what he was searching for. Eventually, he found the correct cabinet. Spare dart drums were arrayed neatly. Five death-dealing reloads of ammo ready and waiting. Perfect.
Jarod lifted the dart gun off the mantle, testing its weight. He surmised the darts had to be hollow because the entire thing weighed less than a few pounds. An extra look confirmed his theory. The grip was solid in his hand. When he shouldered it, the weapon felt natural. This was the exact opposite of what he expected.
He was a man of science. Violence was never in his nature. Jarod had always been able to talk himself out of every situation that bordered on turning into something beyond hostility. He prided himself on his negotiating skills. His introvert ways were far more important than confrontation.
All that changed though. Funny how aliens pushed him over the edge. This weapon was not what altered him, although it certainly brought him an inner warmth of pleasure to hold. The sheer power in his hands forced out a cackle of madness.
Killing an old defenseless woman unleashed a monster inside him. He had transitioned from a weakling coward to a survivalist at all costs. He was determined. Nothing would stand in his way to getting to Jill and Mary. This weapon was the guiding missile on his path to save them. Jarod realized he was getting a bit looney. He poured a whiskey neat into a very expensive crystal glass. He raised the drink and downed the liquid in a single sip. He gave a tip of the glass to salute Mrs. Demouth. May her sacrifice return him to his loving home.
∞∞∞
Jarod had stayed up all night watching the aliens arriving onto Earth. When the satellites were destroyed, the Gnet went down. Thankfully, the Pearly Dream was built for such scenarios. The loss of connection to the outside world meant no more updates for weather, news, and accurate mapping of sea lanes to warn of other traffic.
The Gpad for the ship itself could still track speed, direction, and drift through the yachts sensors. As long as he kept battery power, he could get home on autopilot. Thank goodness the sails had sewn-in solar cells; their intake had allowed the batteries
to stay fully charged. The rudder, sails, and adjustments were all automated as the yacht continued to sail forward.
Jarod left the captain’s chair to look at a falling construct up ahead. The massive building-shaped alien device had been descending from the atmosphere for hours. Before the news cut out, it did mention there would be more fourgates coming down to Earth. A few were slated to arrive on the ocean. The yacht sailed by the large alien structure before it landed. He watched the descent until it faded beyond the horizon.
Jarod was exhausted from staying up all night. With a long yawn that followed a big stretch, he went for the bedroom. Aliens were real, and they were on Earth. Telling himself this helped him rationalize snuggling with a deadly weapon. Sleep swiftly overtook him.
Jarod’s eyes shot open, a loud noise ripping him from sleep. There was a thud from the back of the boat. He instantly was frightened. He reached to tell Jill to get the bat she kept by the nightstand. Jill was not here. He was not at home. A panic set into him until he gripped the dart gun tightly. An ease washed over him. He could hide in the room. That was his first idea. The damn stabilizing gyros prevented him from going under the bed. The closet had locking shelving, so he could not hide there. A second glance revealed the cabin was simply a terrible place to hide.
The sound of soft talking - no, it was singing - hit his ears. The flat of something wet smacking the lush cabin carpet was louder than the chatter. They were in the main cabin. He could get behind them if he hurried.
Scared but determined, Jarod opened the hatch to the deck. He hauled himself onto the white decking. His eyes winced from the bright sunlight. Silently, he closed the latch. He locked the top down from this side. Now, whoever was on his ship was trapped in the cabin.
Jarod had never fired a gun. Blambo seven taught him to shoulder the weapon, aim down the barrel, and then squeeze. Never fire from the hip. Movie instructions were the best he had to go on.
He walked along the outer edge of the hull on his tippy-toes. Every step was subtle and carefully placed. The sound of items crashing onto the floor outside the cabin covered his movements. Jarod risked a quick peek into the captain’s stations.
A massively muscular man stood with a crackling trident. The being was more divine than the actors who portrayed mermen in the movies. Large gills flapped against the sides of his exposed body. There was no single tail. Instead, his hips went to knees down to shins. He had two long flippers instead of feet. A dorsal fin aligned his spine that was tucked tight against his body. The man-fish was not bothered by nudity as he dangled freely.
Jarod gulped. His opponent was armed with a magical weapon. Not only that, but he was also big enough to kill him with a single punch.
Jill… Jill… Mary… Mary… I must get home.
Psyching himself up worked.
One step forward gave him clear line of sight. The merman was yelling his song language into the interior, oblivious of the threat.
Jarod aimed the dart gun, closed his eyes, and pulled the trigger five times.
A thud sounded. Jarod peeked through his closed eyes to see the merman was dead in a pooling puddle of blood. The crimson red turned black. The black moved. Jarod tried to dodge the goop, but it gave him two options. Jump off the boat or let it attack. Too scared to leap off his moving boat, he accepted his fate.
His foot was covered in the black substance. He didn’t feel the material, alien, or whatever it was that touched him. When the black went into his body, he shivered. He was infected. One of his worst fears was now a reality. The long list of probable outcomes and what-ifs screamed in his mind.
The silence from the cabin was broken when song words turned into a wail of anguish. A female mermaid raced up from the cabin stairs to cling to the dead merman. Jarod aimed. Yet, he hesitated when he saw no weapon.
“Who are you?” Jarod asked.
“We are the -” squeaks, snaps, and a melody played from a white square-shaped device embedded above her ample chest. “You need to name me and our species.”
“Merfolk, why would I need to give you a name when you already have one?”
“We are merfolk. We are here -”
A second mermaid slapped her flippers up the stairs in a hurry. A kidney punch was savagely delivered by a black-haired black-eyed mermaid. The first one crashed to her knees. The trident was scooped up by the aggressor; a sparkle of electricity shot forward. The first mermaid fell to the deck with violent shaking.
“Put the weapon down,” Jarod ordered with a confidence he did not know he had.
“Yes, Master. She is a trickster. The other merlady below and I were deceived by her and the old Master. When our commune was raided and our males defeated, we knew we would need a new family. This devil convinced us to join her champion. He filled our contract with terms we didn’t comprehend at the time.”
Jarod let the mermaid vent. Well, she had knees and shins; he guessed merlady worked. She also was very naked with large swollen breasts, thick hips, and no hair anywhere besides on her head.
“There were theories on the Gnet that the aliens were here to capture humans. Is that true?”
“Yes, Master. Capture, raid, loot, pilfer, and more. It is the will of the gods to venture forth and take what others cannot defend. Do you have a name or prefer Master?”
“Jarod is my name. Do you have one?”
“I am selecting one from the translator now. I always wanted to pick my own name. I like to blow bubbles. Bubbles works,” Bubbles said with a bouncing clap. Jarod’s eyes couldn’t help but follow her jiggly tits.
“Bubbles certainly works.”
“Jarod, you have three options allowed by the gods,” Bubbles said. A third merlady exited the cabin with hands up. She was malnourished, with ribs and hips showing. Bubbles sat in the captain’s chair then pulled the frail one onto her lap.
“The gods?”
“We figured this was a new world the gods deemed in need of salvation. We saw no water cities and the fish were all wild. Funny thing is, I told him not to try to steal from a moving vessel. Surface dwellers get very defensive over their land on water.”
“You worship the aliens who created the portals?” Jarod asked.
“Yes, and the little aliens that keep us healthy. We have been hunting for treasures to trade for zinc. Our aliens are very excited. There is zinc all over this vessel. Part of why he was so distracted. When we have more time, I will educate you on the way of the gods.”
“Ah, the black goo that left him and entered me,” Jarod said, connecting the dots. “They eat zinc. Long term not great, the fiberglass will eventually degrade if it is stripped. What were my three choices?”
“You can set us free. Either right now or by waiting for the next trade rotation on the god-gates. You can kill us, which would be a waste. Now that we are free of our contract which bound us to this dead merman, we can bind into servitude for you. Finally, you can contract us to do your bidding, since we are at your mercy. We merfolk have a way of life. Our alpha men dominate then subjugate. If you give me a beneficial contract, I will happily accept your rule. You will have to provide for Coral and me. I will name her Jelly,” Bubbles said. Coral was on her lap, and Jelly was slowly breathing on the ground, still out from her electrocution.
“You are telling me you will become my servants?”
“Yes and more if you are good to us. I will please you like never -”
“I do not do physical interaction without covers. A plague killed my parents, and since then, I take extra precautions. As enticing as -”
“Silly, Jarod. The mini gods inside you will make you immune. You will never get sick again. Eventually, you will be all muscles like he was. A mighty warrior with a mighty weapon,” Bubbles said, pointing at the dart gun. “When we swear to you, a weapon will not be needed to keep us loyal. Jelly may force you to kill her though. Which if you do that, it will just mean food for the fishes. Four might be more than this vessel can handle anyway.”
<
br /> “You mean kill her?”
“Actually, yes. Prove yourself to me, Jarod. Then I will give you whatever contract you want,” Bubbles’ voice sang in his ears. My heart was filled with a desire to please her.
The weapon pointed at Jelly’s head. The snap of the dart discharging was drowned out by the splashing of brains splattering the deck. Bubbles clapped with a mad laugh. Coral joined Jarod as the three of them cackled in the daylight of the murdered body.
“Oh, Jarod. You sure know how to woo a lady. We are going to be quite the team. Place your hand over my translator,” Bubbles said, while tapping the white device over her large breasts.
Jared stepped forward to the sitting ladies. Coral started a soft sound that caused him to become aroused. His hand landed on the device. His mind whirled with information. While he was lusting and in an odd situation, Jared contained enough wits about him to see he was the master on the contract. The rest mattered little. He accepted before repeating the process with Coral.
“Thank you for sparing us, my Sea King. You will rule the oceans with us at your side. You honor the gods and will achieve great victories for their pleasure. Now, you’re due a reward for freeing us of that tyrant.”
Jarod was led to the cabin by the two merladies. They entered the shower, where a euphoric reality became so amazing it was magical.
An hour later, Jarod realized he did not feel contaminated. His phobia was gone. He tugged at it. He searched for that loathing of contact. When he asked Bubbles, she said he was a new man, one the worlds should fear.
Jarod smirked. Content, without a worry. Jill would be so impressed he finally was able to get better. She would love the new him.
AFTERWORD!
Wahoo! Let me start by saying thank you for finishing this book. This book should be my most polished book to date. I have worked very hard to get a quality product to you, the kickass reader you are. I answer every facebook message, read every review, and chat on my discord with people often. If you have a question about this book then feel free to come over and say hello.