by Jim McCann
“I’m sure it wasn’t, but you and me, we’re even now. I saved you; you saved my dad. We’re done.” Arthur turned to tend to his father.
“Your half brother, Orm, king of Atlantis, wants war with the surface world!”
“Nothing I can do about that except stay here and protect my friends and family.” Arthur was firm.
The woman crossed her arms. “The son of Atlanna turns his back on his people and chooses to bury his head in the sand like an oyster?”
“They are not my people! Vulko already tried this speech and I turned him down. You’re not getting a different answer from me, lady. Go back to Atlantis and be with your own kind.”
“I am not Atlantean. I am Princess Y’Mera Xebella Challa.” She stood proudly.
Arthur gave her a curious look. “Xebellian? Even more reason for you to go back. Get your kind to stop Orm, Princess.”
“Mera’s fine. And I can’t. My relationship with Orm and Atlantis is . . . complicated.”
Arthur scoffed. “And I’m supposed to uncomplicate it?”
“You’re supposed to take your rightful place on the throne as the firstborn son of Queen Atlanna.”
Arthur raged. “How many times do I have to say this? Atlantis killed my mother. What makes you think they’d accept her bastard on the throne? I’m no king.”
“I agree,” Mera said flatly. “But you could be. Vulko thinks so, at least.”
Arthur shook his head. “Vulko has delusions of grandeur when it comes to me. Always has.”
Tom placed his hand on his son’s face and turned it toward him. “Arthur. You have the pride of your mother. I’ve always said that. Now tap into her compassion and honor.” His voice grew stronger. “She returned because it was her duty.”
“My duty is to stay here and protect you,” Arthur protested.
“Protect me, protect all of us, by making sure something like tonight’s tragedy never happens again.”
Mera’s voice echoed Tom’s sentiments. “This was Orm’s doing. It will only get worse as his war against the surface grows.”
Arthur stood to face her. “You saved my father and probably a lot more people tonight. Thank you.”
“You’ll come with me?” Mera was hopeful.
Arthur’s face hardened. “Not for you,” he said, his voice turning grave. “I’m going with you to stop my brother before he hurts anyone else.”
Arthur helped his father to his feet, Mera following them. Arthur’s mind was filled with dark thoughts, knowing he would be dragged to a land he never wanted to see, to face a brother he never wanted to meet.
Hundreds of miles off the coastline, floating in international waters, David Kane was once again lying atop his stealth mini-sub as it floated on the water. He wondered, as he had for over a week now, when the Atlanteans would fulfill their end of the bargain. He listened as the talking heads on the news debated about the nature of the catastrophic—and baffling—series of tidal waves that had flooded coastal cities.
“. . . unprecedented reports from all over the world continue to pour in,” said one.
“The US, Great Britain, Canada, China. Images of warships and civilian crafts washed ashore. Mounds of waste and barrels dumped into the ocean now forced back on land as if the sea suddenly has a mind of its own,” blared another.
“. . . no way this could have been natural. Not only is it unprecedented, but it goes against the very laws of physics. Could this have been coordinated? If so, by who . . . or what?” The news anchor who had reported the Russian submarine rescue had Dr. Shin on his show once again.
The doctor was speaking calmly now. The global tides seeming to attack as one gave him a renewed sense of affirmation and validity. “You’re correct. These were not natural. Every city attacked had warships docked. All are world powers. This clearly was an attack.”
“Are you proposing your Atlantis theory again, Doctor?” The reporter seemed slightly less skeptical this time.
“I’m sure you can agree, sir, this is no longer a theory. Tonight, Atlantis made itself known, and its agenda is clear. This was a declaration of war!” Dr. Shin sat back to let his words sink in for the viewers around the world watching.
David gave a rare smile. The world was in chaos, and it refused to believe what he knew was a fact: Dr. Shin was one hundred percent right. And David was at the center of it all.
His moment of revelry was broken by the sight of the sea suddenly lit beneath him. Looking overboard, he saw an enormous foreign craft just below his sub. It was magnificent: technology light-years beyond anything the surface had accomplished. At last, he thought, reward.
He turned in time to see Murk walking across the water and onto David’s ship. He carried a large sack, David noted. “It worked?”
“That should be obvious to you. But you have a different question in mind. One that can be answered by my king.” Murk took out a device and tossed it onto the water’s surface. Immediately, the water rose up and arranged itself to form a figure, regal and strong.
Orm, a water hologram of him at least, addressed David. “Your assistance is appreciated. The submarine attack did what was needed. I thought it would have been intact, though. My men nearly noticed the gaping hole in its side.”
“You’re lucky I was able to even salvage that, much less get the remote systems online to pilot it from here,” David said, irritated. “And that ‘gaping hole’ is where your Aquaman left my father to die!”
Orm’s face contorted briefly before regaining its composure. His annoyance was clear, even through the water-churned vocal projector. “He has nothing to do with this. Murk, give the man his payment. Our business is concluded.”
“Wait!” David yelled as the water hologram dissolved into mist before his eyes. “What about my revenge?”
Orm’s disembodied voice came from the disc floating on the sea. “This should cover enough for you to wage your personal war. I have more global matters to attend.” With that, the lights switched off. David’s audience with the king of Atlantis was over.
Murk dropped the sack on the hull of the ship. The moonlight caught the glint of hundreds of gold coins inside.
“You promised me Aquaman.” David scowled at Murk.
“I said you would have your chance.” He pointed to the gold. “Here is your means to that.”
“I want that fish-face’s head!” David yelled at Murk’s back as the Atlantean walked from the sub. As Murk began to sink into the sea to his own vessel, a grin spread across his face. Orm believed he could take care of Aquaman should the need arise, but Murk knew they had just bought something better: a pawn.
Five
The unlikely trio had made their way back to the lighthouse—a woman who lived beneath the sea, a surface dweller, and his son, who straddled both worlds. Arthur was tending to Tom’s injuries—minor scrapes and bruises, remarkably—when he heard Mera’s voice coming from the living room.
“Yes, the safe house near Gateway Bridge. He is joining us, Vulko . . . for vengeance now, but once he is there . . . Yes, that’s my hope as well. We’ll see you soon.” Mera clicked off her communicator just as Arthur leaned against the doorway, clearing his throat.
“Vulko, huh? I should’ve figured you two were tag-teaming me.” Arthur didn’t seem surprised.
Mera looked at him, exasperated. “We only want what is best for Atlantis, and for you.”
“Fine,” she continued. “If not for Atlantis, then for your precious surface world. This is the only way to—”
“‘End a war, save the world, blah blah.’ Heard it from Vulko, and gods know you’ve drilled it into my head.” Arthur rolled his eyes.
The two stared at each other, as if daring the other to push further. Mera broke her gaze and began to walk out. Arthur followed.
The full moon shone bright on the pair as they stood on the pier. The storm had passed, after causing so much destruction. Arthur turned his gaze to the rocky cliffs nearby, his gaze going farth
er, deeper, than just a passing glance.
“That is where my father found my mother. It was storming, like earlier.” His voice was soft. It changed quickly, though, growing bitter. “It’s also where Atlantis came to retrieve her.”
“I-I’ve heard the stories of her time here. Of your birth.” Mera tried to connect with him, but this seemed only to turn his anger toward her.
“I’m a legend, then? My mother said I would be . . . before Atlantis demanded their queen. Before they killed her,” Arthur said through gritted teeth.
Mera knew not to push him on the matter. He was coming to Atlantis, which was her mission. She heard a strange sound come from him: a chuckle.
“What?” she asked.
“It’s also the place where another Atlantean came to me and asked me to take a dive.” Arthur smiled. “Gods, I was young. And stupid.”
His voice trailed off at the memory, lost in thoughts of years long past.
A thirteen-year-old Arthur Curry climbed the rocks of his home shore and made his way to the top of a cliff. He walked to the man standing at the edge, waiting for him. The man’s tunic and pants were impeccably tailored and shimmered in the noon light, as though made of delicate fish scales. Arthur looked down from the cliff, the sea’s tide going in and out, crashing upon rocks. The ocean stretched out, vast and powerful, all the way to the horizon, where water met sky.
“Are you sure about this, Vulko?” Arthur asked, his hair whipping in the wind.
His voice as calm as the low tide, Vulko turned to his pupil. “You must forget all the teachings of the surface world. Do not think about oxygen—you already know you can breathe underwater. Do not worry about pressures from the depths; they can’t hurt you—your true Atlantean nature lies deep near the bottom of the sea.”
“But I already know how to swim.” Arthur eyed the drop-off with caution.
Vulko smiled. “Not even close.”
Raising his arms, Vulko looked at Arthur. “Do as I do. Ready . . . and jump!”
Arthur raised his arms and followed his mentor’s instructions. His legs, more powerful than any average teen’s, vaulted him up and over the cliff. He saw Vulko enter the water without a splash. Arthur tucked his head instinctively, and his body formed a perfect line, allowing him to slice through the ocean surface without disturbing it and propel deeper than he’d gone before. He had reached the depth where he would normally turn back, the place where the light dimmed in the sea, when a hand stopped him.
“Being Atlantean means more than just being able to breathe underwater,” Vulko said. Arthur was constantly amazed that he could hear him and speak without breathing. “Your body is equipped to withstand freezing depths.”
The pair dived deeper, until the sun barely penetrated the waters.
“Let your eyes adjust to your surroundings. You don’t need light to see an entirely different world exists here.” Arthur followed Vulko’s instructions and felt his sight shift. His eyes turned a golden hue, and his vision cleared, revealing an entirely new world. Suddenly, the ocean came alive! Bright, bold colors of coral. Exotic fish that never came near the surface swam in schools. Algae lit the rocks they clung to. Arthur could feel a rhythm to the way everything seemed to sway and ebb and flow. There was order, there was harmony, and there was even danger. This was truly a different world, and he was a part of it.
“This is awesome!” Arthur beamed.
“Oh, would you like to see awesome?” Vulko grinned, turned away from his rapt student, and—BOOOOM!—he was tearing through the water, leaving a circular wake behind him.
Challenge accepted, thought Arthur, as he let his body take over. With a similar boom, he jetted off in Vulko’s direction, his feet moving impossibly fast, propelling him after his teacher.
Together they swam up and over great white sharks, around a herd of hammerhead sharks, alongside a group of turtles migrating, until Vulko turned down, going deeper. Without warning, he shot back up, body ramrod straight, headed for the surface. Arthur mimicked the older man’s actions and felt the surface of the water crack as he broke through, soaring fifty feet into the air.
Oxygen filling his lungs, Arthur let out a “WHOOO-HOOO!” like only a thirteen-year-old could. He looked down and saw a funnel of water trailing behind him, droplets falling on the rocks below.
Day turned to night, and Arthur had spent the whole time exploring the sea and honing his newfound skills. He could feel the animal life and he sensed they welcomed him as part of their world below the surface. He came face-to-nose with a dolphin and gently reached out. The dolphin nuzzled him and swam closer. From his spot on the beach, Vulko saw Arthur break the surface, astride the dolphin’s back. Arthur steered it to the pier he knew so well. Home.
Vulko was sitting at the edge, smiling with pride.
“Vulko,” Arthur began, “when can I meet my mother?”
Vulko’s smile strained. “Soon, my young prince. When you’re ready, I’ll take you to Atlantis to meet the queen.”
Arthur let out yet another whoop—Vulko had lost count of how many times he’d heard the boy yelp in excitement that day—and rode the dolphin farther out.
“Just so we’re clear,” Arthur said, turning his attention back to the present, “I’ll help you stop this war, but then I’m done. Out.”
Mera faced him, her annoyance clearly showing. “Perhaps that’s for the best,” she spat back.
“A war, huh? I think you’ll need this, then.” Tom’s calm voice broke the tension as the two turned to look at the man walking down the pier. He was holding a familiar object in his hand.
“Mother’s trident.” Arthur cocked an eyebrow at his father.
“She’d rather you use it than it be a fancy wall decoration.” Tom smiled.
Mera tried to hide her awe at the sight. “Queen Atlanna’s trident. She was one of Atlantis’s fiercest warriors, especially with that in her hand.”
“She was. And will be again.” Tom’s unwavering faith in her return deflected any questioning glances either of the other two threw his way.
“You sure you’re okay, Dad? That was a crazy undertow,” Arthur asked, taking the trident from his father.
Tom smiled and playfully swatted his son’s hand away from the bandage on his head. “I’ve lived through worse. Believe me.” He turned to Mera.
“This young man is destined to be more than just a tool for stopping a war. You make sure he fulfills what destiny awaits him.” Tom’s voice had turned serious.
Mera placed a closed fist over her heart and gave a brief nod, a silent vow. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Arthur.
“I’m going down for one thing, and then it’s back to here. There’s no Terry’s in Atlantis.” Arthur smiled and pulled his father in tight. “Can’t leave my best friend alone up here.”
Tom tousled his son’s long brown hair and smiled. “I love you, too. Now go make your mother and me proud.”
Arthur turned away, and though he would deny it, a slight tear welled up briefly.
“Where’s your ship?” he muttered to Mera.
“Dive down. I’ll lead,” she answered. As Arthur dived into the water, Mera looked back to see Tom. The man had two reasons to rise and greet the dawn on this pier now. She silently prayed that she could bring one of them back safely.
Arthur Curry was immovable. He looked at the Xebellian submersible—a craft that looked like it had an exoskeleton and razor-sharp fins—but it wasn’t an objection to the ship itself that kept him from entering it. Rather, it was where Mera had chosen to hide it that had Arthur digging his heels in. The sunken cargo container was a clever idea; Arthur had to give her credit there. However, it had tipped over in the tidal wave attacks and was now coated with dead fish.
“Holy mackerel!” Arthur’s exclamation came from both surprise at the craft’s sleek and unique design as well as at seeing the layer of dead fish.
“Fish puns? Now? Really?” Mera scowled as she reached into her craft an
d turned it on. As the lights began to glow, a slight hum started. The fish were blown off at once.
Arthur smiled, knowing he was getting under her skin. It was the least he could do, considering she was taking him to the one place he’d sworn he would never go.
He entered the craft on the passenger side. Mera’s ship shot out of the container before Arthur was even settled.
Traveling at a speed faster than Arthur had ever swum, Mera’s sub rocketed through the depths of the water.
“This is probably the farthest down you’ve ever been.” It was not a question.
“Not quite,” Arthur said. A moment later, he saw a sea creature he had never laid eyes upon before.
“Okay, I take it back. This is the farthest I’ve been.”
Mera revved the engine faster and did not bother trying to hide her smile. “It only gets deeper before we reach Atlantis.”
Arthur managed not to throw up his dinner. “Wonderful.”
Fortunately, he didn’t have to hold it down much longer. The ship slowed suddenly and smoothly. Arthur, who had vowed for years that he would never set foot here, who had cursed its existence and sworn himself an enemy of the place, now took in his first glimpse of Atlantis. He couldn’t contain the slight gasp as his breath caught.
“Welcome home,” Mera said, without looking at him, a smile tugging at her lips. “Arthur, prince and rightful heir to the throne of Atlantis.”
Six
As a child, Arthur dreamt of Atlantis, imagining a place of wonder and, most important, his mother. As an adult, Atlantis plagued his nightmares, a twisted and corrupted undersea nation responsible for killing his mother. As he looked upon it at last, Arthur realized he had never known Atlantis. No one could.
Atlantis was beyond anything in the realm of imagination.
Stretching for miles, built upon giant rock and coral formations, nestled in a vast canyon, interconnected by active pathways, were buildings that looked as though they had been pulled from the ocean floor and crafted into shining, multilevel dwellings. Illuminating the city with a bioluminescent glow were tens of thousands of jellyfish, ranging in size from a foot in diameter to one hundred feet across, floating in place. Surrounding the capital city was a massive wall; the only entrance flanked by two impossibly large statues, each a proud warrior.