A Mermaid's Tale:
This story was a request. It has taken far longer than I planned for it to reach fruition. I was intrigued and wanted to try someone different. I also wanted to do my best. I hope you enjoy it. This one is set in the Shawverse and has characters from other stories as well as a few new ones. It also has a story within a story. When I was a professional storyteller, I created it, I hope you enjoy that one as well. Well, that is about it. Please vote and comment as the spirit moves you. Without further delay a Mermaid's Tail... er Tale.
Now: A tenable moment of time occurring in the ever present now.
One million gallons of water. The aquarium was one of the largest in the world and yet it was nearly empty. She swims alone. This tank is closed to the public. While the families watch the sharks and other aquatic wildlife swim in carefully prepared ecosystems she swims alone. Only a few and all of them extremely wealthy visit her and watch her swim. She is alone because she is to be moved soon to a military black site for training. If she musters out successfully, she will be the mother of the next generation of aquatic warriors. But for now, she swims alone.
A solitary figure stands near the thick glass wall watching her frolic and swim. The hood is up, dressed casually in jeans, and brand-new tennis shoes. The figure reaches out and a loud clack of a wedding band strikes the glass. She moves like a living torpedo and hovers near the other. Her long mane of colorless hair hangs behind her like a cloud of spider silk or fine-spun glass. She places her webbed hand against the glass mirroring the solitary figure.
"You do not remember me, do you?" The figure asks and sees the blank expression on the mermaid's face. Her eyes, protected by nictating membranes, are gorgeous yet empty. "They took your long-term memory did they. Pity. I am leaving. They are coming for you soon. They are going to turn you into a weapon. You are going to kill until, if you are lucky, they will breed you like a racehorse." The bitterness is like poison and she flinches and swims away. "You will never be able to swim fast enough to escape them." The sound of a door banging alerted the hooded figure. They dash silently to an access tunnel and flee with a smile on their lips.
"There she is gentleman," the barrel-chested man known only as the General harumphed as he and six others approach the aquarium. "She has to be kept alone. When she is placed with fish she goes on a killing spree. Vicious bitch really."
"A good beginning." The man in the thousand euro suit chuckled. "I hear she performed at the Zoo for a time."
"That was our initial cover for her. She performed well enough." The General snickered. "That was before the chemical lobotomy became necessary. She went psychotic. She killed the lead developer and had to be put down, per se."
"They never found his body, did they?" The American asked as he placed a THC patch on the side of his neck. "Anyone?" He offered from an open platinum case containing more patches. "Takes the edge off."
"That would be the crew," the General rumbled as the double doors leading to this aquarium burst open and a crew wheeling a glass and metal cylinder entered. "She is all yours gentlemen. Do you wish to stay and watch or perhaps you would prefer lunch at my club?"
"I have never been to the Janus Club," the American said his voice tinged with a dreamy quality. The rest chose food over watching the mermaid be drugged, netted, and stuck into the portable tank.
Big News Day: Three Months Earlier
George Inkpen sat in his kitchen reading his morning paper. The kitchen is small and simple despite his vast wealth he prefers not to flaunt his riches. He remembered how his father had pissed off his friends and neighbors for no better reason than because he could. He had hated it then and even though his father was long dead the memory remained. A low rumble of distant thunder and blackening horizon seemed to mirror his mood. He harrumphed to himself and raised the paper to blot out the darkening skies outside his kitchen window. The thin graphene sheets had their own individual WIFI connection allowing them to display the latest stories from news, social media, and any other sources the user designated. They were also capable of playing videos from streaming sites if desired. The strong flexible material allowed him to fold it when not in use and tuck it under his arm. He felt it was a perfect blend of tradition and technology. George gave the newspaper a shake which sent a command to look for new items of interest.
"Well, I will be damned," he cursed. "They passed it." His gunmetal grey eyebrows furrowed.
"Passed what?" Ivy Rainwater asked as she stumbled down from her bedroom. "Morning dad." She said as she yawned and stretched.
"Morning? It is two in the afternoon girl." George informed his half-dressed daughter. "Parliament passed the CGTA. This will not end well mark my words." He stated as he reached for his cup and sipped his tea.
"What is a CG...?" Ivy stumbled over the acronym still only half awake.
"Cosmetic Genetic Therapy Act," George explained. "It means that folks can take on non-human characteristics." He said making a distasteful noise. "Can you imagine cat girls, dog boys, and god knows what all else?"
"Oh my god," Ivy said the color draining from her face. "That explains everything. She knew. Somehow she knew it would pass."
"Care to fill me in?" George asked remarking how much she looked like her mother. 'Gods how I miss her.' He thought as Ivy explained.
"The club I dance at," Ivy began and saw the look of disapproval on her father's face. "It pays the bills. Speaking of... here is this month rent." She said as she dug out folded bills from inside her panties. Ivy had been reduced to dancing when her wealthy father cut off her allowance when he saw what it was being spent on. To say that he did not approve of her hedonistic lifestyle was putting it mildly. She needed to learn the value of money. Pity she chose to expose her body to men with too much money on their hands. He prayed she was not sleeping with those same me for more cash.
" Just lovely," He said and pointed at the corner of the kitchen table. "I wish you would get a real job. You are smarter than this. No. Do not give me that. You and your sister graduated top of your class at university. I can ask around. You wanted to be a doctor. You still can be."
