by L. M. Fry
Theo hated submarines. Fancy décor didn’t change the fact that the Manta Ray was a metal tube at the bottom of the ocean. The Captain sat with them at every meal, otherwise, she would have avoided him all together. Unfortunately, meals were the only time she was allowed out of her room, and, although, she and her mom’s relationship improved daily, she wanted to interact with other people. She couldn’t even speak with Valera and Julia in her head because of the damned blue algae – another favorite topic of Captain Stoddlemeyer. At least, Valera, Julia, and Nessie were at the meals, although Eli was strangely absent.
Theo had been disappointed when she’d learned that Benji and Adora were gone. She hadn’t seen them since the Order in Pacifica City and worried about how they fared in the fighting. Her mother said that they were back with Harmony and doing well, but Theo missed them nonetheless.
“Sit up,” Victoria barked at Valera.
Valera shifted in her chair, but minutes later was slouching again. Lately, Victoria had resorted to pinching her daughter into submission. Valera seemed tired. Theo wanted to zap Victoria into oblivion for treating Valera so badly. Instead, Theo crossed her eyes at Valera and made her giggle.
“Is there a problem, Theo? Perhaps it would be best if you kept your eyes on your plate,” Victoria hissed.
Her venom seemed to be aimed at everyone but Dr. Lawless. Marjorie stopped chewing. With squinted eyes, she glared at Victoria.
“If you have a problem with my daughter, I would appreciate it if you would address me,” Marjorie said.
Theo kept score.
Marjorie 1 – Victoria 0
“If you’d taught your child manners in the first place then maybe I wouldn’t have a problem with her.”
Victoria 1 – Marjorie 1
Marjorie gripped her fork tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Theo worried that there would be a brawl… although it would be intriguing to watch. Marjorie could totally take on the stuffy Victoria. However, Theo doubted that Victoria would fight fair. Julia smiled at the exchange. Valera kept her eyes glued to the table.
“Ahem,” Parmelia interrupted. “I believe Captain Stoddlemeyer has something to say.”
And the winner is: Parmelia by a landslide.
The Captain stood at the head of the table and raised his glass of wine. “Our voyage is almost at an end, so I’d like to take this time to thank you all for entrusting me with your safe passage.” He cleared his throat, covering his mouth with his hand. Theo thought she saw a hint of a smile. He seemed happy to see them go. “Of course… ah…” He eyed the room as if determining what he wanted to say next. “Yes, well… You are all welcome on the Manta Ray any time.”
The passengers gave him a round of applause, which he received with gracious bows and no-no-it-was-nothing-but-keep-clapping head shakes. After a significant amount of time, he popped back into his seat and ordered another round of drinks. The repartee between adults continued, minus the bickering under Parmelia’s watchful eye. Then, at the usual time, the adults condemned the girls to an evening of staring at stateroom walls.
Inside the boring blue box, Theo sank onto the bed with an exaggerated sigh. One more night and she was free – of the submarine at least. She couldn’t wait to get off the ship. Much of Aetherland Isle remained an unknown. Victoria still seemed to believe she had control over them, which she didn’t. They could play-pretend for a little while, but once it was time to go, they’d go with or without Victoria’s permission.
“You want to play checkers?” Theo’s mom asked.
“No thanks. I think I’m just going to go to bed.”
Her mom sat beside her. “I’m sorry about dinner. I don’t know what’s gotten into Victoria. She’s been so… awful lately.”
“When has she ever been nice?”
Theo’s mom frowned. “Now that’s not fair. She’s done a lot for us. Your father would be dead without her help. She’s just under a lot of pressure.” Marjorie kissed Theo’s forehead and stood up.
“I guess.”
Theo flopped backward on her bunk. Her mom sat at the small desk in their room and opened a book. Theo watched as her mom read and scribbled notes in the margins. The simple ritual of watching her mom intently devour a book was soothing and nostalgic.
“Why do you do that?” She asked.
“Do what, honey?”
Her mom didn’t even lift her head from the pages. Theo smiled. All she needed was the smell of peppermint tea and stacks of worn books, and they’d be back in her mother’s office in their old Victorian home in Boulder.
“Write all over the books that you’re read. I still have your copy of Frankenstein back in Aetherland. It’s almost unreadable.”
Her mom laughed. “Old habit, I suppose. I don’t just read the books. I study them. There is a lot of truth behind fiction.” Her mom nibbled on the back of her pen. “By the way, I’d like that book back if you don’t mind.”
“I love you, Mom.”
Her mom’s head popped up. Her eyes were moist, and her smile was soft.
“I love you, too.”
Theo grinned, rolled over, and gave into her sleepiness.
*
Theo woke up the next morning to people lumbering down the hallway with luggage banging against the walls. The Manta Ray had reached the Atlantic Island Aerodrome and was surfacing. Her ears popped, making her head ache. She covered her head with a blanket and moaned.
“Get up, Lazy Bones. We’re here. I swear you could sleep through the end of the world,” her mother chirped.
Theo rubbed her eyes and groaned, “I’m up… I’m up.”
They packed and joined the fray in the hall. On the balcony of the grand lobby, Theo watched chaos erupting below. Most of the passengers waited patiently for the doors to open, but one grumbled and complained. Victoria pushed her way through the crowd to the gangway doors. Two uniformed stewards were holding the crowd at bay, until the crew completed the proper docking procedures. The poor men tried to tell Victoria to wait, but her new companion, Dr. Lawless, rudely knocked them aside.
Ever since the hospital, Dr. Lawless had weaseled his way into Victoria’s esteem, and, over course of the voyage, he had become her faithful lap dog, sucking up to her at every occasion. The whole relationship made Theo uneasy. His games were growing tiresome. Any trust she had in him was gone by the time they docked.
“Open this door immediately,” Victoria shouted.
“Ma’am we can’t. The—
“Out of the way,” Dr. Lawless demanded. He took the handle and cranked it. The gears churned. With each bolt loosening, a strange gurgle and hiss filled the room.
The two stewards shrunk back away from the door, and Victoria’s eyes grew wide. She tried to step back, but the lobby was crowded with passengers. With a loud slurp, the door flew inward, knocking Dr. Lawless onto the floor. A film bubbled into the room and popped like a giant blue pimple. Blue sludge exploded into the lobby. Passengers screamed. Victoria got the worst of the blast and looked like a shimmering smurf. She shrieked and spat the blue algae onto the floor.
“What’s the meaning of this?” She wiped slime from her face.
“Ma’am, we warned you not to open the door before the bio film extraction,” one uniformed man yelled back.
A long bellow erupted at the back of the room. Captain Stoddlemeyer rushed to the door, picked up handfuls of the algae, and held them as if they were babies. “Do you realize what you’ve done? It takes months to cultivate a proper layer of aether-grown blue algae over the hull. You’ve created a gap in it. It’s dying!”
Victoria pulled a stringy chunk of goo from her head. “How dare you! I’ve never! This is unacceptable.”
Victoria huffed and puffed, and left the ship with Dr. Lawless in tow. Julia and Valera were on the lower level, safely tucked away behind a mass of people, laughing. Theo waved to them and started laughing too. Her mother nudged her in the back and frowned.
“Now’s not the tim
e,” she whispered, but smiled.
Passengers filed off the ship in a single line, stepping over blobs of algae. Theo and Marjorie were two of the last people to leave. On the way out, Theo passed Captain Stoddlemeyer examining the damage done to the Manta Ray. His face was red from grief. Theo couldn’t understand how a person could love something so much. Still, she felt bad for him. Dried up algae covered the inside walls and floor of the lobby. The algae around gaping hole in the side of the ship shriveled and dried. Theo picked up a piece of it and held it in her hand.
“Captain, how exactly is this grown using aether? And how does it stick to the ship?”
“Huh? Oh, Theo…” He sighed. “The plant is submerged in salt water tanks and aether gas is pumped through the saline. The aether gives it the iridescent quality, which helps camouflage and stabilize the hull of the ship. It’s applied to a thin layer of breathable film over the ship. That’s why the extraction process is so important. It moves the film layer from the doors without killing the algae and allows for pressure differentiation.” He held out a piece of clear plastic. “The pressure ruptured the membrane and killed the algae.”
Theo stared at the blue flecks in her hand and had an idea. “Can you fix it?”
“We can fix the film, but growing the algae takes time and can’t be done without the proper equipment.”
“I think I can help with that. Have someone fix the door. I just need you to trust me.”
The Captain’s eyebrows shot up. “I suppose you can’t cause any more damage. I’ll have them work on the door right away.”
Theo turned to her mother. “Mom, can you get me some ocean water in a vase or something.”
“Sure, honey.”
Theo gathered an armload of the algae from the lobby and took it outside. Captain Stoddlemeyer watched her work, wringing his hands. Some of the passengers, who waited for the transport ship, turned to see what she was doing. Her mom brought a jug full of briny water.
I need your help, Theo sent out to Julia and Valera. It felt good to be able to talk to them again.
Julia whispered in Parmelia’s ear. The old woman nodded, and Julia joined Theo on the dock. Valera pulled away from her mother. Before Victoria could throw a fit, Parmelia stepped in.
“Let them work.”
Theo put the dried algae in the jug. Together they each put a hand in the water.
Let aether pass through the water. Imagine the algae growing in your mind, Theo said.
The other two nodded. The crowd stood by, barely breathing. Theo called on aether and the smell of rain filled her nose. Closing her eyes, she let it flow through her into the jug and algae. She sensed Julia and Valera doing the same, and after a few minutes, the crowd gasped. Theo opened her eyes and watched slimy blue algae creeping over the sides of the bucket.
“Oh, by Danu’s light! It’s a miracle,” Captain Stoddlemeyer shouted.
“We need more water,” Julia said, pulling her hand out of the algae and shaking it off. “I hope this stuff doesn’t stain.”
Captain Stoddlemeyer ushered his men to get every bucket, jug, and vase in the ship. The ship’s engineer took the overflowing bucket and gingerly plastered the algae on the new film. Captain Stoddlemeyer gathered the dried algae from inside the ship. The girls regrew algae over and over again until the door was covered and their hands were dark blue. By the time they were done, the transport was waiting. None of the passengers had boarded it. They all chattered about the girls, clapping and cheering. Captain Stoddlemeyer grabbed Theo, Valera, and Julia in his arms and squeezed them.
“I won’t forget this, you wondrous creatures. In fact, I will tell everyone I know of this marvel. You will all be hailed as heroes,” he gushed.
“Please don’t,” Theo squeaked. She’d had enough of that in Pacifica City.
Parmelia came forward and urged the Captain to release the girls. Then she pulled him aside and talked to him. He nodded enthusiastically to everything she said. When they returned, he was all smiles.
“You are welcome aboard my ship any time. No charge… ever! Goodbye, girls.”
He and his men returned to the Manta Ray. The ship submerged, creating massive bubbles on the surface. Parmelia patted Theo’s back.
“Well done, my dear.”
Parmelia took Julia’s and Theo’s arms and took the winding stairs to the upper deck where the aerial vessels docked. They moved to the front of the group of passengers waiting to board the transport ship. The small aerial vessel filled with people and scuttled up to the floating island of Aetherland. Once it docked, people filed off the transport and integrated into the villagers. Alongside the transport, Nessie’s dry-docked ship, the Cornelius, appeared lonely and empty of people.
Upon arrival, the girls’ reception was less than friendly – not that Theo expected a fanfare. But after their departure from Pacifica, Aetherland felt… ordinary.
“I’ve got business to attend to here in the village. You will return home with Parmelia,” Victoria ordered them. She turned to Dr. Lawless and softened. “Ellwood, would you mind joining me?”
Theo gagged. The two of them were growing more insufferable every second. Dr. Lawless followed Victoria down the street, carrying the bag of relics.
Shouldn’t those be with us? Julia hissed.
Theo grumbled, Yes.
“Girls, please speak aloud. Keeping track of your chatter in my head gives me a headache,” Parmelia scolded. “The relics will be kept in a safe place. Now, shall we?”
She gestured toward the fountain where the mechanical horse and carriage were parked. Theo had forgotten that Parmelia could hear them if they didn’t block her. The old woman ushered the girls forward.
The closer they moved to the carriage, the more Theo’s stomach fluttered. Her dad was here. Vivi was here. Victor was here. She couldn’t wait to see them, especially Victor. Their last departure went horribly bad, and she wanted to fix things. Perhaps, if she could explain herself better, he’d forgive her for leaving him.
“Pssst, come here.”
Theo looked around for the voice. Jesse, Vivi’s young friend, was hiding between buildings, waving at Theo. As usual he looked mischievous.
“I’ll be right back,” she said to her mother and pointed to the little boy.
Marjorie smiled and nodded. “Don’t take too long.”
Theo snuck between the buildings and dropped to one knee. “Hey, Jesse! How are you doing?” She ruffled his hair. “Thanks for helping me escape before. I hope you didn’t get into too much trouble.”
“Naw, they didn’t even know I was fakin’ it. I’m not supposed to talk to you, but I’m hopin’ you can give Vivi a note.” He held up a small slip of paper with blocky handwriting on it. “She can’t come play with me anymore, and the mean people won’t let me near her house. Can you give it to her?”
Theo smiled, “Of course, I will.”
“But don’t read it!” Jesse’s plopped his tartan cap on his head and added, “It ain’t mushy or nothin’, just secret.”
“I promise not to read it.” She crossed her fingers over her heart. “Take care, kid.”
He gave her a gap-toothed smile and ran off. His prosthetic leg squeaking. Theo slipped the note in her pocket and returned to the others, who were already getting into the carriage.
“Thanks,” she said to Parmelia. “He’s a good friend.”
“Yes, as I recall he’s quite the little actor.”
Theo’s face felt like fire. Parmelia seemed to know the truth about everything. Thankfully, Julia’s grandmother was on their side. Theo reached out to Valera and Julia, making sure to block out Parmelia.
I can’t wait to see my dad, she mused.
Julia shifted on the crimson velvet chair. As long as we don’t stay long. I don’t want to escape one prison just to get stuck in another.
Theo groaned. We won’t.
I hope Gideon is doing better. Mother wouldn’t say much about him. When I asked, she kept
telling me that I’m not to see “that boy.” All she would say was that Victor’s watching over him.
Theo sighed. I hope Victor will forgive me. We didn’t exactly see eye to eye when it came to helping you.
Sorry about that… but, I say you’re better off. He’s such a bore, Julia quipped, then added, No offense, Valera.
Offense taken. Geez, he is my twin.
Julia smirked. Like I said, he’s a bore.
Valera scowled. Ha, ha, ha. Funny. I know Victor can be stubborn, but he’s a good guy.
I know. I know. I’m kidding… kind of. Anyway, what do you think of my—
“If you girls are finished gabbing. We’ve arrived at the mansion,” Parmelia said with a hint of a smile. “Don’t look so shocked. You may have blocked me, but I’ve never met teenage girls who sat silently and stared at nothing while in the presence of friends.”
Marjorie laughed in agreement. Theo cringed. She’d have to watch out for Parmelia. The carriage stopped at the base of the marble stairs. The mansion was as impressive as ever, and oddly it felt like home to Theo. The Stein family automaton butler, CHAD-4, stood in the doorway, waiting for them to enter. Victor was nowhere to be seen.
“It is a pleasure to see you again, M…m…m…Miss Valera, Miss Theodora, Mistress Marjorie, Mistress Par… par… par…Parmelia.” CHAD-4 looked at Julia and blinked. “Pardon me, we have not been properly introduced. I am CHAD-4, and you… you… you are?”
“This is Julia, my granddaughter.”
“Thank you, Mistress Parmelia. Nice… n… n… nice to meet you Miss Julia, granddaughter to Mistress Parmelia. Welcome to the Stein Family est… est…estate.”
Julia leaned toward Theo and whispered, “What’s wrong with him?”
“Marcus,” Theo replied.
“Enough said.”
Her first visit to the mansion felt like a different lifetime. She remembered the horrible sound of CHAD-4 ripping apart after Valera’s step-uncle Marcus pushed him down the stairs. Now, she was back, Marcus was dead, and the sound of him falling into the volcanic vent echoed in her mind. It was karmic really. Just like CHAD-4, she’d never be the same.
