DARK TIDE
holD ON!
By Jon Wesley Huff
LUCIE!! TO WHAT, EXACTLY? Part Two
AS You can see doctor, youR friend is quite safe.
OH.
yes, i’m beginning to see a number of things. you’re welcome.
To Me. great-we can get a quick cuddle in befo--
SPLO
! H S O if you’ll escuse me... of course, go on--
i’ll be right behind you.
PLAGUE?!
don’t take this the wrong way... but why is everyone bothering to recover that stuff?
arestian plague? where are you and the doctor from?
quarantine shut the whole system down.
the war drove everyone away... the plague kept them away. for over a hundred years.
looks ancient.
practically is. but the plauge hasn’t left us much--
a hundred? but why haven’t you--
her mind? like you did when we fell?
i remember my great grandfather telling me stories...
i don’t know--
made your own stuff?
how his mother would make the broken bits of coral dance. shaping the water with her mind... the way he described it...
we never left the ocean.
because we can’t. you have to understand...
my people used to have a simple life.
we had no need of buildings. or envirosuits.
or vid screens.
can you all do that? oh no. you see, that’s my “gift.” less and less of us can talk to the waters these days.
which is why i have no choice. not really. i’ll have to join them.
kela. the youngest of the architects. i’ve--
the architects.
i’m sorry, gahrman panka. I am. it’s strange though--
they live below the city. sedated. hooked up to machines.
in a dreamless sleep, forming the city with their minds...
i’ve known her since she was a bud on her mother’s back.
tell me, lucie. what sort of life is that?
not a drop anywhere else.
we passed through a weakfield to get in.
A small, focused amount of water,
with enough concentrated pressure to be allowed entry through the weakfield.
keeps the water out, but let’s us in. pressure point sensitive.
the ones who chose to stay in the ocean? n-not since the peace accords. do you-- do you really think after all this time--
I- I won’t allow it doctor. i won’t. my father’s father sacrificed too much so we could live our lives the way we choose! if they want a battle, we’re more than--
she was drowned. the water overwhelmed her respiratory system.
never touched her gills, so she coudln’t extract the oxygen that way.
the water... it’s only covering her mouth.
tell me gahrman, how long has it been since you have been in contact with the rest of your people?
now wait, gahrman. don’t break out the war drums just yet. right now it’s only a theory. one of many.
Maybe the doctor and i can help get your father to listen to you-i wish i could believe that.
look, let me get the doctor. then we can continue this little chat.
well, we could try.
oh, and kyril...
moments later... OY! don’t trouble yourself worrying on my account. perfectly fine, me.
no. i know what it means. to him. to everyone.
please. just leave it.
GLITTERING
thank you.
LISTEn
hello?
MIND
who?
the time is at hand, water talker. the shadow has rested too long on our backs. do you understand our need? do you understand what we ask?
i hear you.
yes. it is a sacrifice, we know we understand if you are hesitant in any way. it all went so wrong. but we understand now. we understand our mistake.
. p r l-u
SP
i think i understand.
HGkkk. gl-glkkk
lucie miller! I never had a doubt otherwise.
Ms. miller, where is my son? watching his last sunset.
which, by the way, is so thoroughly messed up i-why, how dare you!
well someone needs to--
e! Aieeeee
it came from the beach!
what?
gahrman panka! i’m so sorry.
we headed back... and he was--
it’s kyril. but i just left him... he’s so still.
just lying there...
oh my god. doctor...
doctor, the water!
his face... ANd...
what’s happening to the water?
doctor! no, lucie, look. he is moving.
we are the falls.
whirlpools. oceans inside. the rushing.
LISTEn LISTEn
LISTEn
LISTEn
we’ve an army of creepy water zombie things.
LISTEn
LISTEn LISTEn LISTEn
the breaking. and the dark, dark tide.
alright, doctor.
LISTEn
LISTEn
what do we do?
“do,” lucie? i don’t say this often-but if i’m right in my thinking-(and frankly, I usually am)
we “do” absolutely. nothing.
to be concluded...