Cara Part 9: The Sub Mariness Part I

[Cara Lace]

The Sub-Mariness
Part I

Prologue 800 B.C.

Once long ago, mankind accepted the simple truth that they were not alone in this universe. A web of mystical energies known as the Galactic Laylines stretched out across the cosmos between the galaxies and between the very worlds themselves. Some worlds, man believed to be home to their gods and others they knew to fear as terrible and powerful forces used the Laylines to bring death and destruction upon them.

From a world of ice and darkness came Ceto and the Phorcydes. An immensely powerful sea serpent with her army of sea monsters, Ceto was jealous and hateful of the dry land so she swore to reclaim it and drown all of mankind beneath the seas.

But, humanity would not face this threat alone.

Amphitrite, the noble Queen of an ancient water world known as Polaron, sent her armies to the human realm to wage a mighty war against these creatures. Among them were the Nereides; an elite group of fifty Sea Nymphs and the Queen’s finest warriors. Led by her sister, the Sub Mariness Ianeira, the Queen’s army and the Nereides finally drove Ceto and her monsters back to their underwater fortress near the frozen southern pole. Their armies battled in the depths outside while Ianeira pursued the evil serpent and her three strongest Phorcydes deep into their icy lair where the final battle began. In the end the serpent fell when Ianeira used her enchanted Trident and sacrificed herself to collapse the very fortress on top of them, burying them all deep in the ice. So deep that no one would ever find them.

With the Great War ended, Amphitrite gathered a council of elders from all the ancient races across the universe and for a single moment they agreed to withdraw from the human world. And so, man’s Gods departed, leaving them to forge their own destiny as The Nereides and other beings returned to their own worlds and realms. The Galactic Layline leading to the realms of man was severed so none could ever return and so Ceto could never leave should the day ever come that she escapes her eternal tomb of ice.

Though they have now fallen into man’s myths and legends, the creatures of Earth’s oceans still echo tales of Ianeira and the Nereides, and how they brought peace between land and sea.

Metropolis
Present Day

The sounds of construction work mingles with that of the busy streets as work crews continue to clear debris and repair roads and buildings for the citizens of Metropolis. A month has passed since Brainiac’s invasion forces were fought to a standstill and life is slowly returning to normal in The Big Apricot. Inside her penthouse in the central building of Glenmorgan Square, Jenny Styger continues what has been yet another all night-er. Since the destruction of her Robotics Plant and subsequent capture by Brainiac, combined with her discovery of the Clockwork Angel and all it has shown her, Jenny has become a new woman of sorts. Deciding it best to keep the secrets of her armor a secret, she has converted the entire back half of the middle level in her extravagant penthouse into a laboratory and workshop. Standing in her grease smudged jeans and what was a bright yellow Professor Zoom T-Shirt, she smiles and gazes proudly on her creations.

Before the young genius stand three high-tech containment chambers, each holding a variation of her fantastic Iron Beauty armor. The first holds her original ‘walking tank’, the Mark One. Polished and shining you would never know that it pushed an alien space craft into orbit just a few weeks ago. On the other end is the Mark Three Heavy Artillery Armor. Complete with huge shoulder mounted rocket launchers, it’s not designed for melee combat like the Mark One but it can take out fortified targets from long range. Between them in the middle chamber is the Mark Seven ‘Rapid Fire’ Armor. Sleek in its design it is capable of putting out extreme amounts of damage in a short period of time, but it consumes so much power that Jenny herself can become drained to exhaustion if she is not careful.

Taking a shop rag from her back pocket Jenny wipes her hands and turns to a fourth containment chamber in the center of the room and her newest project, the Mark Ten Hyper Velocity Combat Armor. It is a thing of beauty, able to put out high damage in melee or ranged combat with extreme power efficiency through a variety of projectile and energy weapons. Equipped with Jenny’s new prototype Omni-Directional Pulse Thruster, it is capable of space and underwater flight as well as reaching speeds in excess of mach four, at least in theory.

“How’s the data look, D?” Jenny asks the ever present DANIEL.

“As usual Madame, your math is impeccable. All simulations indicate a twenty three percent increase in damage output while also reporting a fifty four percent decrease in power consumption rates. Energy efficiency has increased one hundred and four percent. The Mark Ten should be able to…as you say, go all day.” DANIEL answers her.

“Of course it can, I was directly involved in the construction.” Jenny says giving DANIEL the ‘double barrel’ finger point. “What do ya say we take her for test drive?”

“Madame, may I remind you that you’ve been awake for nearly thirty two hours?” DANIEL says like a mother hen.

“You’re no fun, DANIEL.” Jenny teases and slumps down into the Corinthian leather chair at her computer desk.

“You did not program me for ‘fun’, Madame.” DANIEL states.

“No, but your sarcasm is functioning perfectly.” Jenny says turning to examine the latest readouts on her computer.

“Madame, Doctor Cartwright is on the line.” DANIEL announces.

“Ebony? It’s like three in the morning on the Watchtower. What in the world is she doing up?” Jenny wonders as she touches a key on her holographic keyboard. “What’s up, Doc?”

Doctor Ebony Cartwright appears in a window on Jenny’s screen, her bright red hair has such a bad case of ‘bed head’ that Jenny has to stifle a giggle.

“Terribly sorry to disturb you Ms. Styger.” She begins in her slight English accent.

“No problem, Doc. I have a firm open door policy.” Jenny says smiling. Ebony has worked for Styger Industries since she graduated at the top of her class. Not only is she Jenny’s top medical researcher and personal physician but also acts as liaison to the Justice Girls and coordinates the day to day operations of Styger Industries.

“It seems we have a slight mystery on our hands. The Metropolis Harbor Master just called and said two of our Styger Automated Transport ships have gone missing.” Ebony says.

“The SATs can handle any natural hazards; I designed them.” Jenny says puzzled. “Could it be a malfunction on our end?” She wonders out loud.

“None found at our monitoring stations, so it would have to be a malfunction that occurred on both ships at the same time.” Ebony answers.

“Not likely.” Jenny says to herself under her breath. “DANIEL, bring up their cargo manifests and last known position.”

In the center of her workshop a holographic globe of the Earth appears along with two floating windows that display all the information available on the each missing unmanned automated cargo vessels from size and fuel capacity to their complete cargo lists.

“The Styger SATCOM One satellite shows the last telemetry data for the missing freighters was received two hours ago.” DANIEL pauses for a moment as the holo globe spins in mid air to orient itself to Jenny as she sits in her chair. Legs crossed, fingers joined with her chin resting on them and a gleam in her eyes, she looks at two glowing points. “Mapping coordinates as follows, latitude sixty four degrees fifty three minutes eighteen seconds by longitude seventy nine degrees twenty seven minutes eleven seconds.”

“That’s near the Antarctic, below Australia. Looks like I’ll get that nap after all, D. Maybe even an in-flight movie.” Jenny says with a grin.

“Creating a flight plan for Australia.” DANIEL responds.

“Do you want me to see if any Justice Girls are here to go with you?” Ebony asks.

“Nah, those freighters were headed for Australia anyways and probably just went off course. Besides, according to the manifests they were just carrying farm equipment so unless Old Macdonald has turned into a super villain there’s nothing that should attract trouble. I’ll round ‘em up real fast and be back before dinner.” Jenny says almost carefree. “By the way, how are things coming on the project we discussed?”

“I am still looking into it. Your requirements are a bit unique.” Ebony answers.

“I have faith in you.” Jenny compliments her friend. “Now get back to sleep you work-a-holic!”

“You will check in, right?” Ebony asks meekly.

“Sure thing Doc, and relax, you worry too much. It’s me.” Jenny reassures with a smile and a wink as she switches off Ebony’s video channel. Standing up she looks over the Mark Ten. “Get the new girl here prepped and ready, D. I’m going to grab a quick shower.”

“Flight plan complete, uploading to the Mark Ten armor. Estimated flight time is 6 hours.” DANIEL announces as Jenny disappears into her bathroom.


Somewhere between Australia and Antarctica
5 Hour Later

“…madame..?”
“…Madame..?”
“…MADAME..?!”

DANIEL’s voice, along with the flashing red HUD with annoying alarm klaxon, finally rouses Jenny from a surprisingly deep sleep. “Ungh, alright… alright I got it, kill the… the alarm…”

“Atmospheric re-entry complete, I recommend initiating deceleration.” DANIEL advises.

Iron Beauty jets through the sky leaving a thin wispy vapor trail behind her while Jenny checks over her HUD. The red flashing stops and the alarm silences. She looks beneath her at the frigid ocean racing past and she grins. With just a thought and a sudden added surge of her electrical might and Iron Beauty’s thruster flares even brighter and roars as she explodes forward in a burst of even more speed.

“Madame, you can slow down any time.” DANIEL states calmly.

“I’m testing the armors inertial dampeners; it’s for science ya sissy.” Jenny teases playfully.

“And if the dampeners fail, you will be testing the effects of your body being thrown into a brick wall at two thousand eight hundred and eighty miles per hour.” DANIEL replies.

“That does sound unpleasant.” She says almost under breath when an area of the ocean in the distance ahead of her suddenly lights up on her screen.

“Destination coordinates directly ahead.” DANIEL informs. “You will overshoot them in three, two…”

“…One!” Jenny shouts and all at once her Omni-Directional Thruster shifts vents to reverse thrust as a series of flaps deploy from Iron Beauty’s arms, legs and back. The armor comes to a complete stop directly over its intended target and hovers softly.

Opening one eye and then the other, Jenny grins. “And I didn’t feel a thing.” she says. “I’m the best.”

“If you say so, Madame.” DANIEL concedes.

“Ok, let’s get down to business. See any signs of our missing freighters?” Jenny asks.

“Scanning…” DANIEL says as Jenny’s HUD lights up with numerous animations and data readouts. “No debris or trace fuel elements detected.”

“So they didn’t sink apparently.” Jenny ponders. “DANIEL, access the Watchtower’s monitor array and chart the wind and ocean current patterns in the area for the last 8 hours.”

A new window on Jenny’s HUD appears and zooms in on the area as eight hours of air and water flow patterns are displayed in a time lapse replay.

“Good, now assume the ships lost power right here and calculate a search grid.” Jenny commands and the display changes to include a highlighted area stretching south of her current position.

“Search grid complete, Madame.” DANIEL says.

“Let’s take a look.” Jenny says as her thruster fires and Iron Beauty rockets southward.

In the center of the search grid display, a small dot appears.

“Madame, I’ve detected a surface object within the search grid.” DANIEL informs the young genius. “Composition scan reads it as a small iceberg.”

“We’re in the Antarctic, D. Icebergs are pretty common around here I would think.” Jenny responds dismissively.

“Yes Madame, however this iceberg does not appear on the National Ice Center’s latest report of the area.” DANIEL responds.

“Then again, icebergs don’t just appear out of nowhere. Ok, I’ll bite.” Jenny says and alters her course towards DANIEL’s new target.

As the literal tip of the iceberg emerges from the horizon, Jenny is actually stunned by what she sees and zooms in tight.

“Okaaay..! That’s……not normal. I am…awake, right D?” Jenny mumbles in disbelief.

“I lack the ability to pinch you to make sure, Madame. However you are seeing things as they appear.” DANIEL states.

Iron Beauty flies right up to the iceberg and stops abruptly, hovering in mid air. The HUD lights up with tracking scanners and sensor reticules and three dimensional holographic models, all confirming what Jenny already knows. The iceberg is more like a huge ice chunk, as big as the Gotham Knights Dome and roundish in shape, it bobs up and down slowly in the gentle frigid water. Atop its highest point, like a giant set of old style ‘rabbit-ears’ TV antennae, the massive metal sterns of the two Styger Automated Transport ships rise out of the ice and their huge propellers slowly turn in the ocean wind. Sunlight glints off the many long tears that crisscross their hulls, as if they were made by claws or teeth.

“DANIEL, what are we dealing with here?” Jenny asks as looking over the flood of data displays across her HUD.

“I can find no record of any natural phenomena that could produce this effect. This sort of event falls more in the super powered category unfortunately.” DANIEL responds.

“Cross reference the parameters it would take to do this against the Justice Girls mainframe. List all known villains with that kind of power.” Jenny orders her faithful co-pilot.

“Cross reference complete, Madame. Assuming magic was not involved, only Killer Frost or Mister Freeze has this level of power.” He answers.

“Frost has been active in Gotham for weeks and Freeze is locked up at Arkham. Couldn’t have been either of them, so that leaves us with…..” Jenny pauses at the sudden beeping of a perimeter alarm. “…a new kid on the playground.”

“Unknown contact detected, Madame.” DANIEL alerts suddenly, zooming Jenny’s view in to a spot below.

“Now what?” Jenny says to herself softly.

Jenny brings the Iron Beauty down softly to the surface of the iceberg in between the two massive ships rising above. There she finds the figure of a woman sprawled on her back and unconscious, apparently the loser in some recent battle. She is muscular and large, similar in size to an Amazon, with soft olive colored skin and short jet black hair crowned by an elegant circlet. She wears only what looks like a bikini with a large leather strap across her chest, the soft sea green color of her outfit almost seems to give off its own light. In her right hand is a fantastic looking Trident which also seems to pulse with power, while twin daggers rest in their sheaths on each side of her belt. Her sleek boots are not made of a material that Jenny can identify, nor explain the odd set of wings on each of the heels.

“Terrific, an Atlantean. No one else could survive out here wearing that!” Jenny says to DANIEL. “Is she alive?”

“Scanning…” DANIEL says. “This creature’s composition is not consistent with Atlantean physiology, but yes she is alive.”

“If she’s not Atlantean then what is she? A mermaid? Mermazon?” Jenny asks puzzled.

“I can find no match to any of the known amphibious races. In fact, the structure of her DNA is unique from any life form indigenous to Earth.” DANIEL reports.

“She’s alien?” Jenny asks, if only to state the obvious. “Run every scan you’ve got, upload it all to my private server.”

Multiple data windows open before Jenny’s eyes and terabytes of data begin scrolling down them as DANIEL performs his tasks. She watches the results and is amazed by much of the findings.

“Her molecular density is incredibly high, on par with Superman yet she’s not Kryptonian either.” Jenny says with some amazement. “That doesn’t just happen every day.”

Without warning, the strange woman’s eyes pop open and see Iron Beauty standing over her. She kips up, flipping backward into the air and catching Jenny completely off guard as her strangely armored boot connects with Jenny’s chin sending her off her feet and slamming her back down on the ice. Iron Beauty starts to rise but is presented with the tip of the woman’s Trident pointing directly between her eye slits.

“Declare te, quoddam mortale faciem ira mea!” The woman says in strong and regal sounding tone.

“Language recognized as Latin, Madame.” DANIEL informs Jenny.

“Nobody speaks Latin, DANIEL. It’s a dead language.” Jenny says holding her palm up as she slowly rises to her feet.

“If you say so Madame, however if she were speaking Latin she would be asking who you are, rather forcefully. She also referred to you as ‘mortal’.” DANIEL says with an almost digital smugness.

“Fine, begin active translation and turn on the external acoustics.” Jenny orders.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t quite catch your name… before you clobbered me… or why you turned my freighters into popsicles.” Jenny says to the woman as DANIEL adjusts the audio of her words into Latin. Somehow she manages to sound sarcastic even in another language.

“Your words are strange to me Mortal.” She says slowly backing away, but never taking her eyes or the point of her Trident off of Iron Beauty. “I am Ianeira of Polaron! Sub Mariness of the Nereides, sister to Queen Amphitrite. If you are the handler of these metal beasts then tend to them. I can suffer no more delays.” With that, she slowly begins to rise into the air.

“Oh no you don’t!” Jenny says to herself and with a thought her thruster fires just enough to propel her into the air and hovering in the path of the departing stranger.

“Hey now, where do you think you’re going?” Jenny says with arms crossed and her head tilted slightly to the left, blocking the woman’s way.

“Mortal, get out of my way!” she says in a commanding tone.

“Look, Sub Mariness or whatever your name is, I don’t know what exactly is going on here but…” Jenny begins.

“BUT NOTHING!!” Ianeira says loudly, cutting Jenny off in mid sentence and spinning her fantastic Trident in one hand, winding up and preparing to strike.

Jenny is a tad faster and raises her right palm to the warrior woman and firing a single pulse blast directly into her face. She tumbles back end over end and crashes back down into the ice below. She glares up at the Iron Beauty still hovering with palm blaster raised.

“That was just a tap! You gonna calm down so we can talk or do I need to turn it up to eleven?” Jenny says, raising her other palm at her adversary for effect.

“You DARE attack me, Mortal?” She shouts, spinning her Trident as fast as the blades on a helicopter. “You wish to pit your might against mine? I shall show you why your people worship me as a goddess of the sea!”

Ianeira thrusts the tip of her Trident into the air and a frosty white beam of energy erupts from it and envelops Iron Beauty before Jenny has time to react. In seconds a thick coating of ice builds up around her as Jenny struggles amidst the symphony of beeping alarms flashing red across her HUD.

“What sorcery is this?!” The Sub Mariness shouts in surprise. “Water is mine to command, why now does it become ice?”

“Warning, external temperature is approaching absolute zero.” DANIEL alerts Jenny inside her helmet.

“Errgh!!... It’s just like what…. Super Power can do!” Jenny says as she struggles against the encasing ice.

“It matters not! You are still no match for the mighty Sub Mariness!!” the water princess declares in frustration and confusion. She pulls hard on the icy energy cord and yanks Iron Beauty down directly towards her ready fist.

“Uh oh.” Jenny utters and braces herself as the Sub Mariness shatters the ice encasing her armor in a single mighty blow. The sheer force of Ianeira’s punch sends the Iron Beauty tumbling and bouncing across the surface of the water like a skipping stone. A half mile goes by before Jenny can stabilize herself and bring Iron Beauty to a stop, hovering just above the water.

“Uhngh….how are we, D?” Jenny asks.

“The Sub Mariness has damaged several quantum-nano circuits. Shield efficiency is down twelve percent; however the extreme cold from her attack has created a super conducting effect between you and the armor. Electrical resistance factors have been reduced to zero.” DANIEL reports.

An almost evil grin crosses Jenny’s lips. “Is that so..?”

Jenny’s thruster roars to life and Iron Beauty rockets straight for Ianeira. As she closes on her target, Jenny summons a massive amount of her electric power and feeds it directly to her armor.

“Power at four hundred percent capacity.” DANIEL states.

The Sub Mariness braces for the attack as at the last moment, Jenny kicks her armored feet out in front of her and slams them into Ianeira’s chest. The impact sends the emerald sea goddess flying into the hull of one of the impaled ships, leaving a noticeable dent.

“You like that, Fish n Chips?” Jenny says arrogantly in her helmet. “And really DANIEL, the Sub Mariness? That’s what we’re gonna call her?”

“Apparently it is her title, Madame.” DANIEL responds. “And you started it.”

“Yea, but…I mean that was…. whatever.” Jenny concedes as Ianeira rises with her Trident in hand.

“It’s not possible! Mortals are not possessed of such strength. Has my own diminished thus?” She ponders and resumes her battle stance. “Nay! I am still Ianeira! I am still the Sub Mariness!”

Jenny points her fists at the warrior Princess who lurches forward charging straight at Iron Beauty with her Trident’s blade out front. Several panels slide and pop open along Iron Beauty’s arms and shoulders, locking a variety of weapons on her rapidly approaching opponent.

They close within mere feet of each other when they are each suddenly surrounded by a soft field of purple colored energy and suspended in mid air.

“Hey!” a voice shouts to them both. “That’s enough!!”

Equally shocked at being held motionless, the pair turns to see a beautiful figure in aqua marine armor and long brilliant red hair standing on the edge of the ice chunk with one hand raised. Lifting effortlessly a few feet off the ice she glides over toward the two combatants. Lowering her hand, the energy bubbles drop the two adversaries softly to the ice and disappear. Jenny smiles as she recognizes the new arrival immediately as Alana, captain of the Atlantean royal guard, protégé to Queen Mera and member of the Justice Girls known in the surface world as Atlantis Girl.

“Stay back, Atlantean! I fought to save this realm and you mortals from extinction and this is how you welcome me?!”
Ianeira shouts angrily.

“She said she….” Jenny starts to tell Atlantis Girl.

“I heard her, IB.” Alana responds, much to Jenny’s surprise.

“Am I the only one who doesn’t speak Latin?” Jenny fumes to herself.

Atlantis Girl continues in Latin and DANIEL translates her words for Jenny as well. “If that is true, Mighty Sub Mariness, then prove it and put that weapon down.”

“I take no commands from mortals! I will stay my hand when the metal one does the same.” Ianeria responds while casting an ominous stare at the Iron Beauty.

“Stand down, Iron Beauty.” Atantis Girl says firmly.

Jenny pauses for a moment, keeping her stance and her weapons trained on the Sub Mariness. Then, the soft whir of panels and gears sound as Iron Beauty’s arsenal disappears back into her armor. Lowering her hands, Jenny looks at Ianeira. “No hard feelings, Subby. You pack a mean punch.”

“You speak in my tongue yet many of your words are unknown to me.” Ianeira says, slowly lowering her Trident.

“I can help you to understand our language, if you will permit.” Atlantis Girl offers.

“I am a Princess of Polaron; I do not need help from mortals.” The Sub Mariness says indignantly.

“I mean that it would help to us to better understand you. Will you help us?” Alana responds like a master diplomat.

“Atlantis was an ally in the Great War and its warriors noble. ” Ianeira says. “If you need my help then I shall grant it but I warn you, I will bode no treachery.”

Atlantis Girl closes her eyes and gently touches a finger to Ianeira’s temple. The Sub Mariness closes her eyes as well and gives a slight wince. Alana’s mind mixes with Ianeira’s for a moment as they exchange knowledge and a few base memories. The Sub Mariness learns every language Atlantis Girl knows and Alana in turn watches the memories of a mighty battle with a giant serpent, and ice; endless and unforgiving ice.

As Alana breaks her touch, the Princess opens her eyes once more. Her expression is a mixture of shock, amazement and sadness. “By the waters of Polaron… has it been that long?” she utters softly in English.

“I am sorry, Ianeira. It has.” Atlantis Girl responds softly, equally surprised and amazed at what she has learned of the Sub Mariness.

“No wonder mortals have forgotten the gods; you have become gods yourselves.” Ianeira laments.

“We’ve come a long way and there are now many beings on Earth who possess powers that could be considered godlike. Some choose to be champions, others choose to be villains, but we are still just mortals. We are born, we live, we die.” Atlantis girl says, sounding far to wise for her age.

“Aye, do not we all?” The Sub Mariness agrees. “In Polaron we live much longer than you, thousands upon thousands of your years, unless we grow sick or fall in battle. Sometimes we forget this and allow younger species to worship us as gods. The better of us try to be worthy of such adoration, while others simply abuse it for their own purpose.”

“Yeah, I hate to rain on your fish school reunion and all but…” Iron Beauty interrupts pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the giant freighters sticking out of the ice like toys. “….but could we get back this?”

The mighty Sub Mariness raises an eyebrow as she looks at Jenny. “Your automaton can be most annoying, Atlantean.”

“She’s not an automaton.” Atlantis Girls says clearly holding back a snicker.

Iron Beauty’s faceplate raises up revealing the very indignant look on Jenny’s face. “…AND, not annoying right? Well OK, so a little annoying. Jenny Styger, genius, billionaire, philanthropist, playgirl.”

“Interesting. Like Hephaestus you forged a mighty suit of armor and encase your mortal frailty within it.” Ianeira says.

“Hmmph! Mortal frailty that took your best shot.” Jenny grumps back.

“Hahaha. I mean no disrespect Jenny of Styger, you are indeed a formidable foe.” The Princess assures her. “As to your great beasts, it was not I who felled them.”

“What?” Jenny asks.

“It was the three, wasn’t it? The three I saw in your memory.” Atlantis Girl asks.

“Aye, the last of the Phorcydes.” Ianeira responds turning stone serious once more.

“Wait, the ‘who-what-sies’?” Jenny asks.

“Nay, the Phorcydes.” The Princess responds. “An army of fierce sea creatures twisted and deformed into hideous monsters by the serpent Ceto.”

“I know this story. It’s an Atlantean myth taught to children about the great serpent and her army of sea monsters that tried to swallow all the land and the sea nymphs and goddesses that stopped them.” Atlantis Girl says awe of this realization.

“It is no myth I assure you.” The Sub Mariness continues. “I trapped the foul Ceto and her three monster generals under mountains of ice at the cost of what I thought would be my own life. Whatever cataclysm that secured my freedom also released them, and though Ceto sleeps still, the Phorcydes will not rest until their master is free as well.”

“That would be bad I take it?” Jenny asks.

“Ceto is a cosmic being. Even if her power has diminished over the millennia as mine has, she will crack your mighty continents to rubble and sink them to the bottom of her ocean.” Ianeira says in an ominous tone.

“So you’re saying that three sea monsters powerful enough to do THIS…” pointing behind her “...to my ships are out there trying to raise a giant sea serpent to destroy the world?” Jenny says summing up the situation.

“Aye.” Ianeira simply says.

“And I thought this trip was going to be boring.” Jenny says rhetorically.

“Go on, Ianeira. Tell us what happened.” Alana says softly, casting a sideways glance at Jenny.

“I remember shaking and rumbling, being swept down a tunnel in a river of ice and water. Finally I was spat out into sea, barely awake I must have drifted for days until I happened across your metal beasts. They were fleeing from some threat so I moved closer to see what troubled them so, and that is when I saw them!” Ianeira says with disgust in her voice.

“The generals you spoke of, these Phorcydes?” Atlantis Girl asks.

“Aye.” The Princess replies with a snarl. “I tried to help the beasts but in my weakened state I was caught up in the Phorcydes attack and awoke to the Beauty of Iron standing over me.”

“That explains why my ships went off course. Evade and defense protocols would have kicked in when these ‘whatchamacallits’ attacked.” Jenny surmises.

“Even in your own tongue, your words are strange to me metal one.” Ianeira says to Jenny. “I have no time to dwell on their meaning however; I must find the Phorcyde Generals and put an end to their evil.”

“Subby is right.” Jenny agrees, looking at Atlantis Girl. “These ships were automated and unmanned, but they could have just as easily been cruise ships full of people.”

“Agreed, but where do we look? We don’t even know how much of a head start they have.” Atlantis Girl ponders.

“You now see my dilemma, for I called upon the noble creatures of the sea to help me find the Phorcydes but now even they have fallen silent.” Ianeira says.

“You can communicate with sea life?” Atlantis Girl asks and the Sub Mariness nods yes. “That would explain how Queen Mera knew to send me here. They must have told her of your appearance.”

“I may be myth to mortals, but the sea still remembers the Sub Mariness.” Ianeira responds proudly.

“Wait, you said the sea life has gone silent?” Jenny suddenly interrupts.

“Aye, and ‘tis strange indeed. I heard their songs plainly before I encountered the foul monsters but now there is nothing.” Ianeira says gazing out into the open water.

“I don’t hear them anymore either.” Atlantis Girl offers. “It’s like all sea life in this area is just gone!”

“Not gone, just preoccupied apparently.” Jenny says and flips open a panel on her right forearm. Pushing a button, she projects a hologram of the Earth into the air before her companions.

“What sorcery is this?” The Sub Mariness asks in awe as she reaches out to touch the hologram and is confused when her hand passes through it.

“Not sorcery, Subby. Technology.” Jenny answers.

The Earth hologram spins around and then zooms in on an area several hundred miles northwest of their current location. A large red area highlights, shifting a moving.

“There! Looks like Atlantis is having a town meeting.” Jenny says with some wonder.

“That’s not Atlantis, it’s the city of Mermadia.” Alana says touching the small Justice Girls communicator behind her ear. “Mermaid? It’s Atlantis Girl. Come in…..”

Static erupts from Atlantis Girl’s communicator for a moment until a faint voice breaks through. “Alana? Thank the depths!! We…under attack...monsters…turned…the sea against us…” the voice trails off and is once again lost to static.

“We have to get word to the Justice Girls!” Atlantis Girl says urgently.

“DANIEL, get me the Paragon!” Jenny orders her computerized companion.

“I am unable to raise the Paragon or the Watchtower, Madame. An energy field has just appeared and is dampening all communications.” DANIEL responds.

“Can’t call out, looks like it’s just us for now.” Jenny says as her faceplate slams shut and her eyes slits light back up with an intense glow.

“Who is this Daniel? Surely there cannot be two of you mortals within that magic suit of armor.” The Sub Mariness says in wonder.

“There’s no such thing as magic. It’s technology, and DANIEL isn’t a ‘mortal’ he’s…well...never mind.” Jenny says after seeing the look on Ianeira’s face as that of a deer in headlights.

“Indeed, let’s not delay!” The mighty Sub Mariness proclaims with her Trident in hand. “Take me to this city of Mermadia and by the waters of Polaron, the Phorcydes will taste my Trident’s blade!”

“IB, you take the Sub Mariness to Mermadia. I am going to get us a little more help and meet you there.” Atlantis Girl says before leaping into the air and with a graceful somersault she disappears beneath dark water.

“Come friend Styger, lead the way.” Ianeira says almost gleefully. “It has been too long since I experienced the thrill of battle.”

“Engage protocol Water Wings, D. We’re about to get wet on this ride.” Jenny commands and her HUD spins out of view to her right as a new display spins in from the left. Air pressure, oxygen and depth readouts replace altimeters and airspeed indicators. A soft whir can be heard from the various vents closing and seals engaging along Iron Beauty’s exterior.

“Make haste, Beauty of Iron! I shall hold back my speed to follow you.” Ianeira shouts leaping into the frigid waters as if it were a warm bath.

“Oh yea, Subby?” Jenny says as her thruster roars to life and raises the Iron Beauty effortlessly off the ice and moves to hover for a moment inches above the surface of the sea. “You better hope you can even keep up.”

Iron Beauty suddenly explodes forward. Her backwash sends a spray of water into Ianeira’s face as she watches the streak of red and gold skim the surface of the water for a few hundred yards, then dip gracefully beneath the waves and disappear.

The mighty Sub Mariness bobs in the water for a moment, awestruck. “Truly remarkable ‘technology’ indeed.”

Silently, she too disappears beneath the water with barely a ripple.


To be continued….

[SisterRoseMarie]

Ha!!! She called Jenny an "annoying automaton" hehehehehehehehe

I liked it!!! When's part 2 coming??? :D

[Aquata Siren]

yay definitly loved it! love sub mariness even more now very interesting character!

[Gatkowski]

And when I get home from training, a new chapter awaits me from the Cara Archives. Perfect afternoon read!

And we shall call her Fish n Chips (oh, my lungs, my dear lungs, how strained they became from laughing out loud). Henceforth, these adventures shall be known as The Chronicles of Fish n Chips and The Annoying Automaton!

I sense more and more 'fish' characters are going to make an appearance as this story progresses... :D

[Super Power]

I love this!!!!!!! your sooo talented

[Cara Lace]

thx all