Super Mario Sunshine

Chapter 8 - Gooper Blooper, Party Pooper

   The loud cries of seagulls mingled with the harsh sounds of clanging metal as Mario came out of Ricco Station and emerged into the wide open morning beyond. The air instantly smelled of fresh seafood, which greeted him like a wave; and possibly due to the shady atmosphere, the sun didn't beat down on him right away. The very first vibe he got was that this place was a busy one – at least most of the time.

   Never one to be dissuaded by talk of monsters, Mario had quickly left the quivering gossipers in the train station and come out to see for himself. Right away their fears had not seemed well-grounded; there was nothing dangerous that Mario could at first perceive. Only the typical hustle and bustle one would expect of a seaside harbor.

   Exiting the underground station he had found himself on a small fishing platform or port of some sort; they had come out on the far western side of the harbor, beside some enormous colorful storage warehouses against the overlooking rock wall. There was no shortage of piled crates and small fishing boats sitting around either – Mario saw with some surprise that some of the canoes nearby were filled with fresh-caught squid and clams, eyes still staring blankly. A couple of salty-looking sailors stood talking nearby – they appeared to have walked right into some big operation.

   Tilting his head up towards the cloudy sky, Mario inhaled the briny air and let it out with contentment. "Ahh, wonderful Ricco Harbor," he sighed.

   "You have been here before?" Fludd asked.

   Mario shrugged. "Well no, but you've gotta love the food!" he replied honestly.

   Fludd turned to the scene before them and immediately began his appraisal. "Ricco Harbor, Delfino's panoramic port city," he said. "Home to boats of all sizes and a thriving tourist trade. They have the freshest seafood for miles around, so most of Isle Delfino's delicacies come from here."

   "You had me at freshest seafood," Mario answered dreamily, glancing around as if expecting to find a restaurant at the nearest corner.

   "Yes, usually they run an impressive operation, but right now there appears to be some sort of hold up," his machine replied, all business. "I suppose we should take a look around."

   From here they could already see that the rest of the harbor was quite the hotspot – beyond the short ramp which sloped off into the rest of the surrounding water, two impressively enormous ocean liners sat parked idle by the dock, lapping waves beating against their sides. Extending behind that for a good ways was laid out the rest of Ricco: hanging over the water beside the port was a hodgepodge of metal framework, precarious catwalks and small platforms high above where a few piantas seemed to be working. From what Mario could see behind the boats, there was some sort of giant cage suspended in the center and an enormous rotor which appeared to control a hanging yellow submarine.

   If he needed any more convincing that this was a major building operation, the larger port on the left side, which consisted of a few large buildings against the rock wall, was cluttered with big piles of bricks and other building materials laid out across most of the blacktop. A seemingly unfinished tower of some kind stood at the nearest corner, apparently left alone for the time being in mid-construction. Aside from the few piantas he could see, the entire harbor felt strangely quiet. Where was everybody?

   Mario nodded in agreement. "Well, let's go!" Coming forward to where the two nearest sailors stood, Mario raised a hand in greeting. "Hey," he called.

   Surprised, the piantas looked up to see the young human coming out of the train station. He was small, even for a grown man; and the odd machine he had strapped to his back looked like something thrown together from a scrap heap. Lastly, he had 'tourist' written all over him. Surely he hadn't been sent to help with the construction or anything; he looked about as out of place as a pineapple at the watermelon festival.