Ever After #7: Waves of Scales

Chapter 4.1 The Power

THREE DAYS AFTER Asceia’s abduction, the Crown of the Order, Mother Senthuria called the elder of each Family for a meeting. They were again gathered inside the cave where they held a very serious discussion through telepathy.

“Our kind is threatened. It is just a matter of time before they will come for us and destroy our world. We need to get to the surface and attack now,” the Father of Senticeans strongly suggested.

“We can’t,” the Father of Curaceans disagreed. “We don’t know what weapons or forces could be waiting for us there. They could be figuring out how to kill us all with one move. They have our people.”

“I agree.” Mother Senthuria nodded. “It is too reckless to attack and send our forces. This is war and wars could last for years. We need to carefully lay out a plan. We will ignite battles that will lessen their forcers but will strengthen ours.”

“If they have weapons, we also have ours,” the Mother of Faunaceans said hinting at the most powerful weapon they have been keeping. “We can’t waste any moment. Time is the most valuable resource in every battle.”

“Are you pertaining to the creatures of the trench? No. They were buried there for a reason. We can’t risk unleashing those. Who knows what they are capable of,” The Father of Curaceans argued.

“No. No one’s unleashing anything.”

“We will attack now, but in a different way. This time, let’s give what our Mother Nature wants...her revenge. She can help us the most. Let’s put an end to this.”

Fuelled by rage and desperation, they all agreed to cripple their enemy. Mother Senthuria explained everything they needed to do. Together, they held their hands and linked their minds. Closing their eyes, their mind spread throughout the whole Philippine Seas, merging the minds of every sercean into one shared mind, where they relayed their plans and implanted them into their brain.

••°°••

HOURS LATER, THE Senticeans, Guardians of the Ocean, roamed the Philippine waters and sabotaged all of the fishing vessels. They destroyed the boats, tore their fishing lines, and freed their catch. With the aid of Faunaceans that controlled all of the marine animals, they easily cut off the supply of fish to the big companies and fish market, greatly affecting the consumption of humans. This lasted for days and still, their plan to starve the human consumers was still ongoing.

The following day, Curaceans and Floraceans banded together to cause harmful algal blooms and eutrophication on the coasts. Which also affects the livelihood and the consumption of humans. They created thick algal blooms that resulted in weird water discoloration, nauseating smell, and bad water quality that drove the fishes and other marine organisms away.

The scientists and the Filipinos were baffled by these algal bloom outbreaks that stretched from Batanes to Sulo, the exponential decrease of catch, and the seafood poisoning cases. These phenomena attracted foreign scientists and reporters. But for the common people, the widespread algal bloom was a bad omen, a sign from their god---a warning for something disastrous to come.

°°••°°

AROUND NINE O’CLOCK in the morning, a chopper reached Heart Island, a privately owned property near the Visayas, Philippines. It only has a five-story building in the center surrounded by high and thick walls and guarded by armed men. The chopper landed on the helipad on the rooftop. The vehicle’s rotor blades stopped and the doors opened, giving way to a man and a woman who stepped out wearing an elegant dresses.

“Welcome to Herozoan Genetics, Mr. Diaz and Mrs. Rodriguez,” a man in a guard uniform welcomed them. “They're waiting for you,” he said, leading them to the elevator and bringing them to the basement.

The doors opened and they found themselves inside the elegant room where rich and powerful people known for their status were gathered. They wore formal and expensive dresses while casually talking and enjoying the food and drinks. Mr. Diaz took a glass of champagne and before he could even talk to one of the guests, his smartwatch vibrated. He checked the message and his gaze was thrown to the other side of the room, to the guard who just opened a red door.

He followed the other notified persons and they went into the red door. He was the last one to enter and the door was closed behind him. He just followed the hallway in silence, until he reached the end, where he stopped in front of a metal door. He took his key card out of his pocket and put it on the scanner. The door opened and led him to a room with black walls and a black ceiling. Inside, there was only one glass table in the center where drinks were served. The source of light came under the floor made of thick transparent glass, where they saw the movement of scientists and doctors preparing for something.

“I’ve seen you’re enjoying the party,” said the man that emerged from the dark.

He approached him. “Mr. Santos,” he greeted him with a handshake.

“Mr. Diaz, thank you for joining us today and for your valuable contribution to our research. Without you, today will be impossible.”

“It’s nothing, as long as you’ll give us what we need.” He smiled and glanced at the others.

“While my men are busy preparing, I’d like to tell you the story on you of what we have accomplished with the fifty-three mermaids in our hands. Don’t worry you’ll see the most interesting part at any minute.” Mr. Santos pressed a button on his remote. On their left side, the wall lit up and showed a naked body of a woman with a broken head lying on the metal table. “This is subject 0-0-1. The first mermaid that we have obtained. It was caught in a road accident and lost its life instantly. In the hospital, the doctors found her body to be different, it exhibited unusual things like weird body temperature. Out of curiosity, they performed tests on her and they found out that it was not a human. They brought it to me and there I started exploring its kind.” He showed the images of the mermaids stored inside cylindrical tanks. “With the recent innovations in our technology, for months, we have yielded peptides from these mermaids that are now under clinical trials, we are steps away from curing cancer.”

“That’s very interesting, Mr. Santos. Could you please skip to the end where you show us what we really paid for?” a woman in her late fifties interrupted.

Mr. Santos looked at the transparent floor and nodded. “Ah yes, sure. I think they are ready.”