The sun beamed down and painted the seas a brilliant blue. The neighborhood basked in the sleepy lull of Saturday afternoon, except for the fishes that darted about, their vibrant hues popping out amidst the pinks of the coral walls.

Outside Dea's house, the sea cow whirled around and rubbed against the dome's glass, emitting a volley of clicks.

"Burpy, stop!" Dea laughed, the sound bubbling away in the calm waters. "It's just a collar. It's going to be a bit itchy till you get used to it."

She reached out and scratched his neck under the collar—a black band studded with pink starfish. Satisfied chirps emanated from the chubby animal. Then he rolled over.

"I'm going on a long trip tomorrow, so you're going to have to behave, okay?" She giggled and rubbed the ample tummy. "Hima's gonna look after you. You like her, don't you?"

A squeaky bark came in response.

Dea flung her arms around the cow's wide girth and gave him a squeeze. The preparations for her upcoming quest had eaten up her entire morning. Now that everything was set, a maelstrom swirled inside—ranging from fear to elation.

Burpy seemed to appreciate the hug, judging by another bark. Dea mimicked it and burst into gurgles of laughter.

"Dea?" Gramma's voice called. "Are you back early?"

"I didn't go to class today, Gramma. I dropped by school to collect something."

"Collect what? Come inside, child. I can barely hear you."

"Just this permit for my FYP," Dea said with an air of nonchalance as she swam into the airlock.

"What was that?"

"Permit for my FYP."

"Permit?" A pot clattered in the kitchen, announcing Gramma's post-lunch cleanup. "For what?"

Dea kicked her tail flukes to stay vertical while the water drained from the chamber. "I just have to visit this factory up north to gather data."

"I don't like this at all," Gramma grumbled. "It's not safe to venture out with those humans infesting the seas."

"It's not far..."

"What kind of project are you doing?"

Dea scrunched up her face while the cogs turned in her brain. "It's, um, on modern factory automation and its effects on the job market."

Another clatter rippled out from the kitchen. When the airlock 's inner doors slid open, Dea drifted into the living room—a tiny space largely occupied by a worn, grey watercouch.

"You had no other topic for this thesis?" Gramma asked, emerging from the kitchen. "It had to be about...factories?"

Dea shrugged and weaved past the couch on her way to her room.

"Wait just a minute, young lady."

"Huh?"

"With all that you've been up to this week—the cyclone on Tuesday and—"

"That was Monday, Gramma."

"Was it, now?" Gramma plopped down on the couch with a sigh, and the water-filled cushion sagged under her weight. "I didn't get a chance to speak to you about your birthday."

"Oh." Dea furrowed her brow. "What about it?"

"I can't believe your birthday is tomorrow..." The old merwoman shook her head, gray bun jiggling with the motion. "And you're all grown-up now. It was like yesterday that you were a pipsqueak the size of an otter."

Dea nodded. "Yep, I'm not a kid anymore."

"Mhmm. Get your food and sit down. My neck's going to pop with all this craning."

Frown deepening, Dea paddled to the kitchen to grab her lunch. What's Gramma up to?

A minute later, she perched on the remaining space on the couch and tucked into spicy noodles, swimming in a bowl of hot seaweed soup.

"You and that cow are quite similar when it comes to food," Gramma muttered, watching her puffed-out cheeks.

"Mm, mm."

"When are you going to learn proper etiquette?"

"Mm." She held back from rolling her eyes. "What were you going to tell me?"

"Tomorrow, you're a legal adult. And that means you're going to inherit...quite a few things."

Dea's ears perked up, and she gulped down the mouthful. "Mom and Dad left me something?"

Gramma leaned back. "They have indeed."

Oh, so cryptic, Gramma. Why can't you just tell me? A wave of sadness rolled over her when she thought about her parents. She'd been living with Gramma as far back as she could remember, and the old merwoman refused to talk about her son, except on rare occasions. The epidemic that swept the city when she was just a baby had claimed their lives. If only I got to know them better. If only...

Gramma interrupted her thoughts, "The other thing is, child..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm not going to be living forever. Your future has been weighing on my mind."

"You don't have to worry about—"

"To coincide with the big day tomorrow, there's something I want you to do."

Dea stilled the hand about to deliver a skein of noodles into her mouth and lowered the chork back into the bowl. "What?"

"There's a young man from a very respectable family I'd like you to meet. In fact, his family is one of the oldest aristocratic families living in Sirye. Wait—let me finish, child!"

Dea closed her mouth and jabbed at the noodles again. Of course, some flipping proposal thing. Argh. How did Gramma set this up anyways? No wonder she's been going on and on about etiquette.

Gramma fixed her with a stern look. "It's not like anyone's going to marry you off now. This is just an early arrangement, and we have a reputation to uphold."

"Of course." Dea shoveled in a mouthful and chewed, the piquant meal no longer enjoyable.

"You're already doing well with your studies. Just some other things we need to look into..."

She went on chewing. A gurgle outside informed her that Burpy was close by. Bringing the bowl to her mouth, she downed the soup.

When no response was forthcoming, Gramma regarded her. "We will be meeting this family tomorrow as well."

"Sounds like an epic birthday then." Dea dropped her chork into the empty bowl and got to her tail. "I'm not interested in this dude and his aristocratic family."

"Don't be ridiculous, child. This is the best—"

"Whatever."

Dea ignored the angry clicks that buffeted her and dashed to the kitchen. Part of her wanted to flat out refuse, but that would only result in Gramma's endless nagging and fuming. Well, I'm not going to be around tomorrow.

The rest of the day wore on at an uneventful crawl. Dea was glad she no longer had the evening class, now that the exams were almost over. Her thoughts strayed to an alternate universe where her parents were still alive. It wasn't the first time she had escaped into that fantasy—after all, in that reality, she didn't even have to do a part-time job.

When the waters darkened outside, Dea eagerly waited for Hima to come online after her gym session at Flipping Flukes.

"Dea, hey!" Hima said the instant the video call connected. "So, tell me everything."

"Well," Dea began, switching on her night lamp, "other than the fact that Gramma's done some matchmaking for me—"

"What?"

"Yeah, a guy from some VIP family."

"Sounds like you hit the jackpot." Hima giggled. "Maybe you forget the human and settle for this sugar daddy."

"Shuddup." Dea burst into laughter. "Anyways, about the trip."

Her mirth waned to a whisper, "So...you're really going through with this, huh?"

"Yes!"

"I dunno—I'm just a bit nervous here. The deep is scary, Dea!"

Dea stared at her friend. A tendril of doubt snaked its way from the depths of her mind. She gave her head a quick shake, making her hair bobble like a shiny pink anemone.

"And what if the Sea Witch is a psycho or something?" Hima went on.

"Just 'cause the state considers them criminals, it doesn't mean they're evil, Hima! They were probably pro-human—why else would they make land gear?"

"Hm," the other girl murmured. "Okay, so you rented a DSV?"

"Yep."

"And the money?"

"All in cash."

"Wait, what?" Hima straightened up. "How did you—"

Dea smiled at the stupefied face blinking at her on the screen. Then she cast a glance in the direction of her tiny vanity, which once contained the gold starfish jewelry in her possession. I promise I'll get your jewelry back, Mom. Thank you for making this possible.

The first light of dawn dipped into the murky waters of Calliathron when Dea stole out of the little smart dome like a fleeing shadow.

Her traitorous heart drummed against her chest, threatening to give her away. It was partly due to the exertion of lugging the heavy travel sack tethered to her waist while her backpack clung onto her shoulders. She let out a few discreet clicks to locate Burpy, but he was nowhere to be found. Maybe he went off to the field to do his business...or for an early brekkie.

She experienced a twinge of sadness at having to leave without saying goodbye to her cow. Not like I can leave a note like I did for Gramma. Maybe it's for the best—he might try to follow me or wake everyone up.

Now in the swimway that led to the nearest train station, she powered through the water like a torpedo. The susurrus of morning fishes whispered in her ears, enhanced by the hydrophone built into the ogi's earpiece. She had maxed out the settings for her covert operation.

It wasn't long before the domed station loomed ahead, radiating a pinkish glow against the darkened waters.

When she arrived at its yawning entrance, she found parrotfish scavenging around, their scales shining under the illumination in flamboyant yellows and pinks. They darted away as she headed directly to a ticketing kiosk, which came alive at her approach. She leveled her ogi for syncing and tapped out the payment.

A digital token obtained, she hurried to the open platform, where Hima's fidgety form floated up and down. The sight of her friend was a salve on her nerves.

Dea swam faster and burbled, "Hima, you're early!"

"Maybe you can just abandon the mission and go home?" Hima asked hopefully, pearl hair rippling greenish under the algae lamp.

"No way." She laughed and bumped the proffered fist. "Did you get all the supplies?"

"Yep." Hima jerked a thumb at the duffel bag resting on the platform. "What did Burpy say?"

"He's probably out pooping." She sighed. "Take good care of him, okay? He knows how to find his way to the meadows, but just—"

"I know, I know—make sure he eats a gazillion times a day."

A low boom drowned out Dea's giggle.

They turned towards the railway track, which disappeared behind a rocky outcrop mottled with mobile homes. The train slithered into view like a reticulated sea snake, gleaming metallic under the pools of lamplight.

It turned out to be as deserted as the station. They settled down in a first class compartment and took a sip from the oxy-hoses.

"Traveling in style," Hima said, stretching out her tail with a sigh of satisfaction.

Dea followed suit, flukes resting of the opposite seat. "Mhmm."

The journey to the northern border of Calliathron zipped by in a flash. The train pulled to a halt at Karmant, the industrial district of the city, where the primary port was located.

When they alighted, electronics and vehicles replaced the biological noise and formed an ever-present thrum that invaded their ears.

"Whoa, change of scenery indeed," Dea mumbled, gazing at the monochrome picture, surging with activity—even at that early hour.

Following the ogi's directions, they swam past a swathe of a junkyard and arrived at their destination.

It was a structure akin to a warehouse. Visible through its open roller doors were deep-submergence vehicles, their glass viewports glinting like giant eyes under the lighting. A bearded merman hurried forward to welcome them.

Dea bottled her nervousness and attempted a smile. "I came here yesterday to—"

"Oh, yes. It's ready. Come this way."

They followed the merman through an airlock to a partially-inundated hangar. He led them to a corner, where a circular pod of a submersible resided—the smallest in their fleet.

"We call it," he announced, waving his arm with a flourish, "the Little Angler."

"Ooh..." Dea stroked the surface, which reflected a distortion of her black-and-mauve ensemble.

Hima nodded next to her, eyes shining. "Neat."

"It's our newest model—it doesn't get more compact than that. The viewport is eco acrylic glass made to withstand extreme pressure." The merman gave the craft a fond pat. "And it comes with this extendable arm equipped with a flashlight. Great for exploration."

"Thank you!" Dea smiled. "It's perfect."

He reciprocated the gesture. "Just drive to the doors over there when you're ready to go."

After he paddled away, the two girls stowed the bags into the cramped interior.

"Dea..."

She turned to stare at Hima's wide eyes. "What?"

"No way at all I can talk you out of this madness?"

Dea forced a laugh, as shrill as a gull squawk.

Hima suddenly reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. "If that Sea Witch's lair gives you the creeps, you turn right back, okay?"

"Okay...don't crush...me."

Relinquishing her hold, Hima rummaged in her backpack and produced a blue parcel, tied with ribbon.

"Ooh, what's this?" Dea asked.

"Happy birthday!" She grinned and pushed it into her hands. "Open it later."

Grinning back, Dea gave her another hug. "Thank you. For everything."

"Uhuh. Get moving already! You want a head start or not?"

The gift clasped to her chest, Dea clambered into the tiny craft.

Location: Seagrass Meadow

https://youtu.be/VRs4gLh3OtA