OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

The Wild One, Forever

Some people can sense that a transition is imminent. They recognize the subtle tingle of intuition, inexplicably knowing that the winds of change are responsible for the gooseflesh prickling their skin.

Big Joe mistook these signs for hunger and re-filled his plate.

That was his go-to solution when external forces caused unusual activity in his belly. Normally, he just had to eat past the feelings, until the discomfort under his belt was the only thought left.

Harrison watched his compatriot shovel another helping of pickled herring onto his plate. It was a welcome distraction from the unwelcome premonition that something unseen, something huge, loomed in their immediate future.

Both of them could feel it, but neither knew what was coming for them, just out of their grasp and speeding over the horizon. It was unstoppable and it was near.

Harrison wasn't one to embrace change.

In fact, the last time he'd made a slight alteration to his routine, he wound up with Big Joe. He, of course, got used to his sausage-fingered friend, with his incessant chortling and the occasional off-tune maritime ditty. While that had worked out in his favor, Harrison wasn't willing to spend another five years adjusting to more change.

Instead, Harrison concentrated on meticulously charting the coordinates of their last encounter with one of the monstrous creatures inhabiting the depths of this waterlogged planet. Not that any of the self-proclaimed brain-cases aboard the Arc Cities cared to know about the man-made atrocities swimming a mere thousand leagues beneath their feet, but he tracked them all the same.

Harrison was sure this was an entirely new species, one that he hadn't sketched before. An icy shiver overtook his spine at the memory of the slimy beast.

It had sixteen rows of razor-sharp teeth ascending in order of size until the great tusks that protruded over its gaping mouth, reached the height of at least three full-grown men. The creature's immense size and its obsidian eyes, which somehow glowed with deadly lights, would reduce any regular person to terror-wracked sobs.

A single well-placed harpoon to its rear haunch would have been a passing thought. A mosquito bite to be swatted away. It was also, the last few life-saving seconds they'd needed to escape.

"It had six eyes." Big Joe corrected around a greasy mouthful of food.

The smile that followed oozed an oily slick to lubricate further conversation.

"I counted eight" Harrison smiled, still concentrating on his task.

"Two of those were gill slits." Big Joe snorted, spraying a fine mist of the adipose stuff on Harrison's paper.

"Next time, spend less time counting eyes and more time getting us the hell out of trouble."

"Next time?" Big Joe's brow arched, etching deep grooves into his wide, ruddy forehead. "Are we going back?"

"Scared?" Harrison challenged, the corners of his mouth splitting into a smug grin.

"Damn right! Unlike you, I don't confuse bravery with bat-shit crazy." Fat bemused tears rolled down Big Joe's cheeks, cutting salty tracks to frame his howling laughter. "I told you that place was too scary."

"I know," Harrison answered, more of a mutter than a declaration. "It still smells like shame and shit in here."

"How is that different from any other day in this steel tube?" Big Joe fired back.

Hell, Harrison conceded to himself, I might have leaked a little myself when that behemoth reared its colossal head.

That monster had meant to swallow their tiny ship like a sardine. It just might have too, if Big Joe hadn't banked into a submerged high-rise. When the concrete exploded into rubble, they managed to squeeze past the ruined building's steel bones to temporarily ensnared the giant.

From behind them the radar pinged, alerting Harrison that they'd reached their destination.

"Can you take us in?" Harrison called to his copilot, who was now on his third helping of herring.

"Yah," Big Joe agreed, "after I'm done."

"When will that be? When the ocean's out of fish?" Harrison cocked a smile, tossing a knowing glance at his rotund companion.

He didn't wait, passing by his still-chewing companion Harrison strode over to his ship's console to guide them in himself.

Big Joe would have replied, but he was satisfied with watching Harrison while he continued to gorge himself on the last of their food supplies. The bow of the ship swiveled in the trajectory of Arc City One's sea door.

A few keystrokes sounded out their intent to land and trade. Harrison guided the ship with his steady hand as he'd done so many times before, towards their destination.

Big Joe instinctually gripped the edges of his bowl so the remains of his lunch wouldn't spill out over the side. The herring already swimming in his stomach, schooled together with the movement of the ship, and he let out a wet belch to help them settle.

"Save it for the ladies!" Harrison called over his shoulder. "And get off your fat ass up here to release the catch."

Big Joe, as well as Harrison, knew the drill from here. No words were needed while they drifted closer and closer to the metal hull cradling false terra firma.

Within moments a door hidden from the naked eye opened from the middle, a dull glowing red dot above the entrance ominously illuminated the murky depths.

Their ship, the Black Marlin, coasted on its course.

Soon, the hatch would close and spew ocean water before regulating the pressure enough for them to emerge. Then, they'd be able to drop this stinking cargo, run a quick personal errand, refuel, and stock up in preparation for their next big score.

Harrison was keen to complete this mundane necessity and get the hell out of here, but he knew Big Joe had other itches to scratch.

Arc City One had only one public watering hole, and it was as lame as the so-called (more likely, self-proclaimed) advanced citizens aboard this floating conurbation. He knew it was much better to trade for liquor than bothering to pay extra for a pair of pretty eyes to over-ice and under-pour a drink or two.

There would be women (and men) who would ask to hear their stories, urging them to spare no detail of the world outside their perfect glass bowl. Sometimes their tales were valuable enough to earn them a round of free libations, in exchange for more tales, which was an even more austere price to pay than credits.

Here we go. He thought, immediately exhausted for what was to come.

Hello, You Rarely Spotted (and decidedly majestic) Unicorn of a Reader,

What do you think of Harrison and Big Joe? Personally, they are two of my favorite characters to write, so I'm excited to hear from readers as they get to know the story!!

The video above is from one of my favorite music artists of all time, Tom Petty. I listened to this track over and over when I was creating Harrison's character and his friendship with Big Joe. It was a goal of mine to see Tom Petty in concert, and I was able to fulfill that wish one week before he died. My fiance and I play his vinyl as well as his collaborations with The Traveling Wilburys (if you haven't heard of this band, go look them up, and you're welcome.)

THANK YOU so much for taking the time to read this story! To properly express my happiness, I am posting a gif of the most magic of creatures (who happens to accurately sum up my squishy mood), the uni-pug. I'll be posting again next Friday