Chapter 17: Chapter 17 - Atlantis Rises
<<<Superimposed over her imagination, time speeds ahead to Atlantis's competition.>>>
Pods of Sirens, Merfolk, Octopeople, Ray-Angles, & other transhuman beings of the seas converged on the mega-complex beneath the Atlantic Ocean. It spiraled outwards from the center, latticed with watery access paths & domed urban areas. Each section, added on in direct mathematical relationship to the Fibonacci sequence. Waterways in & between the domes, honeycombed & wound throughout the whole complex.
Many people began to stay there & within a year's time the continuously growing city-state beneath the sea grew to its current capacity of 5 million air breathing residents. However, Atlantis boasted a population in the water districts, of at least 8 million. Over 13 million human & transhuman alike were residents who lived together, sustainably. Tidal powers provided not just quick streams for the gilled, but also decentralized energy for the Atlantis Energy Grid.
It was the greatest human accomplishment of engineering ever created. But many didn't see it that way. Some people thought it had little to do with humanity anymore. But was a sunken city of bestiality & fornication created by beings who gave up their humanity for cursed flesh. Propaganda films were shown to many. Visuals of transhumanism, looking at humans through glass frightened many. Scaring people into believing transhumanists were acting as if they were the new dominant species, & humans were being shoved into zoos for the amusement of the, "newly evolved."
The city's center was currently being utilized as a 3 dimensional labyrinth for the games. 2 rings out from the central orb, Chadash's fins flowed around her, like fabric in the wind. She hadn't worn clothes since she dove off that bridge after that incident with her parents over a year ago. Lucii had grafted fish genes into Chadash to grow her fins. Chadash had redesigned herself into a multi-colored being with lengthy plumage of flowing fins. She'd become aquamarine at her back & arms, spots of purple on her sides, a yellow belly, breasts and underarms. From the reddish orange sea wings which were the same color of her hair to the flat toes extending outwards which looked more like tail fins when she moved, rather than webbed and flippered feet thinning at the ends to speed her movements. She was almost angelic, yet fish-like at the same time. This rainbow colored transhuman female seemed to dance across the arena. Her utility holster wrapped around her waist was empty of it's laser pistol. She could sense her opponents were near as her antenna twitched.
Quickly she turned and swam towards the hole that led to the final maze ring before the finishing orb. The Ray-people swam for the other hole as the last 2 Muluskfolk, an Octoman & a squid woman, both fired at the rays. A direct hit, both of the Muluskfolk hit the same Ray-person. "Shit, we both fired on the same one." grumbled the squid-lady. As the 2nd Ray slipped into the western passage it closed up behind him. Using all the power in their tentacles for speed, they split up to the east & south finding the other open holes into the final maze ring.
Chadash was waiting for the Octoman at the eastern entrance. She fired as he came through the passageway. Missed. The light almost stunned him making him spill his ink all around himself, making her 2nd & 3rd shots miss him altogether also. She could sense the Ray behind her & pushed herself off the wall as the beam from the ray's weapon discharges safety against the stone. Swirling around behind the ray was almost too easy, so she took the shot after banking hard. Somewhere on the outside of the arena, another 3 points are awarded to Chadash. Her antenna twitched again. She's in the sights of both Muluskfolk. Twin beams just miss her again as she dives for the winners circle. Line after line burn bubbles through the water next to her as she twirls & dips & spins & rises with speed & grace towards the last opening.
She thinks "If I can just make it there, before I get shot twice more, I can win." as a blast hits her tail fins scoring her Octoman opponent another 3 points & subtracting 1 from her own score. "UGH! It's too far with them covering the opening." she thought as she hid behind a rock wall outcropping.
The octoman makes his break for it with the squid-lady taking the lead. They were both diving for the center. If either of them make it, the Mollusk team will take the championships. Chadash steadied her aim & began to fire at them. She shot the squid-lady in the back of the head & heart from behind. "YEAH!" Chadash exclaimed as the squid-lady's consciousness was downloaded to LUCIIdity.
Moving out of hiding she tackled the Octoman & found herself in a cloud of ink. A tentacle wraps around her arm fins, then her legs. He had her. She was caught up & wrapped as she felt 6 of his tentacles around her. The other 2 tentacles wrestle her weapon from her. So she did the only thing she could think of when he moved his head in to laugh at her. She kissed him. Passionately! His embrace of her changed, and in that moment, she kicked out of his grip & swam from the blindness of the ink. When she opened her eyes, she saw she was looking in the opposite direction of where the winner's orb entrance was. Her opponent was between her & winning. His tentacles darted him towards the hole. She bolted off behind him, through the smoky clouds & right towards the blackest point, knowing that's where he was located. Blasting past & over him, she darted into the arena center most point.
She does it! The crowd erupts. She won, for herself & her team. She spins in joy through the small room, now turning into a glowing dais, rising through the opening of the arena. All lights were on her.
<<<Superimposed over her, time speeds ahead to the party later that night.>>>
All lights on her, for just a second as she's dancing in one of the large halls. DJSeering is spinning real records. & he's killing it. The Great Hall was filled with dancing & celebration. For a moment, their eyes lock across the dance floor. They give each other nods of respect. He to her, for the win earlier that day, & her to him, for dropping such nasty beats & shaking her ass with fun & hard hitting music.
As his set ends, she makes it a point to meet him. When they start talking together though it's almost odd. Neither of them know what to do or say after the initial pleasantries.
Both of them kind of got stuck in this strange moment, of each feeling like they are talking to a celebrity from a different world. & in their own rights, they were just that. Then they each had a good laugh at themselves & hugged. He couldn't believe how human she still smelled & how soft she felt. Not at all like the fish he thought she would feel like. She found herself in the embrace longer than she knew he would hold her for. They both felt good. She didn't want to stop. Neither did he. & so they just stood there, holding each other.
She looked up at him, & he just kept holding her. Her eyes were so beautiful, he thought. Meanwhile, she thought that if she didn't pull away, she might just fall in love with him right here, backstage from the performance area. He almost kissed her, but then remembered the face of the last guy she kissed. Just then they found themselves in the way of the stage hands & were asked to move. 3 guys came through with his DJ equipment, right in between the two of them. Separating their hug.
She couldn't believe how she was feeling & so she ducked out of there as he was asked the question of where he wanted his equipment stored. He stood there for a moment, unable to think straight. "Are you OK man? Come on, guy, where do you want this stuff?" Upon hearing the question a 2nd time he remembered quickly where he wanted his stuff placed & told them. In doing so he lost track of Chadash.
He got his luggage together with his equipment & placed on the transport, since he'd be leaving on in the morning. He was amazed at how efficient everything was around here. Good thing too. He'd need some efficiency to make sure he made it to Europe for his next show. At least that would be a paying gig. Then again, this experience was payment enough. Atlantis was the 21st century's answer to Disney world. & after being here for the last few weeks, DJSeering is thinking to himself how much of a culture shock Europe will be. At least he'll have some time to himself on the way in the re-pressurization process taking him to the surface for his transport to Portugal. Once there, it's just a hop, skip & a jump to Madrid and the party people & nightlife waiting for him. Being pure human & still spinning real records got him playing venues where digitally & genetically enhanced individuals couldn't even enter the country. Not if they expected to live long.
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