The Penny Drops (Sea the Depths Book 1)

by Karmon Kuhn

  Her posture shifted, and I could tell that she was standing straighter in an aggressive response. Her forked tongue darted from her lips before she answered. “You would be wise to manage your resources better. I will send more, but do not waste it.”

  “Yes, Zhoṣuṣùssss. Thank you, Zhoṣuṣùssss.”

  “Where is your lodging?”

  “I rest at the Inamorata Inn behind door two hundred seven.”

  She paused to record this and then continued still at full height and menacing, “What will you do today to recruit?”

  “I plan to contact the tsùges̈ss.”

  “Yes. Expect contact from a seasoned trialist today as well,” she said and then narrowed her gaze to add, “Expedite this process and preserve your resources. Another misstep, and I will not hesitate to send you for reprogramming.”

  “Yes, Zhoṣuṣùssss. Thank you, Zhoṣuṣùssss.”

  The communication ended abruptly, and I retreated to the beach, my skin pimpling with the cold and teeth chattering against each other. I walked back to the inn from the beach, and there were eyes on me. The attention hardly registered as my mind was occupied. Reprogramming. I would not be sent to the eṣäth. Back to my homeland. I would not be demoted from my research position in the language labs at the tsez̈ø. I. WOULD. NOT. BE. A. RIHEGúS. A failure. An embarrassment. Failure was not an option.

  ***

  Back in the room, I rolled myself up in the thick, coarse blanket from the bed and stared at the screen of my device. I clicked through screens without success and tapped every icon I could see. Each one brought up unfamiliar functions, and after sufficient struggle, I pulled my hand back, primed to throw the device full force into the wall.

  Instead, a long breath streamed from my nostrils, and I placed the device onto the padded sleep surface next to me. I was tempted to curl up in the stained blanket and sleep, but as I leaned back into the lumpy cushion of the bed, the fold of the blanket released a puff of stench. My nose curled up, and I felt the skin of my face tighten. I pulled the blanket from me and sniffed. It was my human body! How could my own senses find the natural smells of my body so offensive?

  I threw the blanket onto the bed and dragged myself to the wash area called a "tub." I pulled and then pressed the levers above the tub but to no avail. Next, I tried turning them and was shot in the face with a spray of ice cold water.

  I sputtered and fell back into the basin. In seconds, my clothing was saturated and heavy. I could barely see through the torrent of water draining down into my face. I crawled forward and flailed until I hit something that redirected the water flow to a spout beneath the levers. To my chagrin, I noticed that all of the water was draining immediately from the basin rather than collecting for me to wash in.

  After a bit more struggle I was able to discern the temperature controls, and I fashioned a plug out of a coarse swath of fabric provided in the washroom. Once the tub was full, I stepped in and was soothed by the warm ripples of water. At this temperature, it was comforting and made the skin feel supple and soft rather than frozen and slimy as it had felt on the beach.

  The inn provided a bottle that was called bubble bath. I smelled it, unable to recognize the scent. However, it was quite pleasant, so I poured it into the water as it filled around my feet, legs, and hips.

  Just as anticipated, bubbles began to multiply over the surface, and the scent magnified. I rubbed them on my skin, hoping that the perfume would persist. I knew that tsùges̈sss would not be able to resist this kind of decadence.

  For the first time since modification, I was finally able to observe my body. I inspected my arms, much darker and intricately patterned compared to the bronze of the rest of me. As one of the few in my community with residual species’ markings in human form, my back was solid pitch and the top of my arms was covered in a pattern of onyx scales down to the back of my hands.

  My fingers explored the surfaces of my human form from my smooth feet to the hair covered legs and feminine parts. The rear of my human body was fleshy around the hips and thighs, and there were some divots and striations in the skin that were slightly darker than the surrounding area. My belly was full and slightly rounded, and the breasts above them were quite the mystery. Having spent my life as part of a species more akin to reptiles than mammals, they were a bit of a shock to my senses.

  I continued to skim my body up the smooth skin of my neck and then through the lush, black mane of hair. Having had nothing like it before, I was unsure of how to manage it. And what was its purpose? Practical or decorative?

  Then, I touched my fingertips to the ears that now protruded in cartilage flaps rather than close-cropped holes. I found my nose, much the same, having transformed from nostril slits to a fleshy mass in the middle of my face. The eyelids over my closed eyes were soft and bristly where they met with lashes. So unlike the brille that had protected the eyes of my born body. Last, I felt my lips. They were soft and plump except across the arch on the left side where I was marked.

  The scar from my childhood that blemished my born body, a slash from lip to chin, was still present in my human body. I startled to find this and was unsettled. Physical presentation was an important part of success in the land trials, and humans were quite shallow. They would not often associate with an anomalous member of their kind.

  I ran a finger along the healed gash and relived the moment. The net, the scrambling fish, the fisherman, and the fear in his eyes. I’d nearly died that day as a curious, young creature. As much as I’d writhed and twisted my abnormally forgiving joints, I was hopelessly trapped for an eternity that only a child can imagine. Even dislocating my shoulder hadn’t made me slim enough to slide through the net’s holes. It was the fisherman’s fear that gave me the scar but also that cut the cords of the net and set me free. I was haunted even now by the pain and procedure of my mother popping the joint back into place as we both cried.

  As much as I hated the feeling, I was renewed by it. The fisherman taught me how dangerous the humans could be, and it was my duty to learn from them and protect my people from their malice.

  After a bit of scrubbing, I felt clean and new and removed the cloth plug to drain the water. The hair atop my head dripped onto the washroom floor even after I patted it dry with the dry fabric swaths provided by the inn. This concerned me. I hadn’t seen a single wet-haired human in the city, and I had no idea how to address it. In the meantime, I went to my satchel and removed items of clothing like those that I’d worn from the hospital.

  The top was easy enough, but when I inspected the bottoms, I was unsure of how to cover each leg simultaneously. At first, I laid them on the floor and tried jumping in and then pulling, but I just got tangled and then toppled over. Then, I tried one leg in with the other in the air and crashed onto the floor. I leaned on the bed next and found that if I lifted my legs into the air, I could pull the clothing over both legs at once.

  I took a moment in front of the mirror to straighten the wrinkles with my hands and felt satisfied, only lingering to check my eye color. They’d looked a broody blue underwater, but on the surface they were a beautiful crystal gray color. Clear and bright.

  Now that I was clean with an improved mood, I addressed the device again. Rather than contacting Penny, though, I saw that I had a message. Luckily, opening contacts sent to me was intuitive. The simple text read.

  Find me behind door one hundred twenty-eight. -Darius

  ***

  I knocked on the door at room 128 and received an answer from a tall human with tawny eyes; dark, plaited hair; and skin that was several shades deeper than my own. I hadn’t seen much variation in skin tone at the tsez̈ø, so this made his appearance intriguing. He had the look of a creature in poor health. His frame was muscular, but the skin was stretched taut and a bit sallow. His eyes were sunken in their sockets with dark bags underneath.

  As intriguing as I found his appearance, his scent sparked even more c
uriosity. It was evident that he was not human just as I was not, but there was a hint of some foreignness. Something earthy, rich, and fresh, and he lacked the distinct salty scent that my people had hidden beneath their human fragrance.

  Even so, he had symmetrical features and a rather attractive, confident demeanor about him. He also had “tattooing” displayed along the ripples of his arms. Thick bands of a deep and almost iridescent ebony trailed his forearms and biceps up to his short sleeved t-shirt. I even noticed a band of color peeking out of the top of his shirt around his neck. Just below it hung an etched piece of sea glass with a symbol.It looked like a crest of some kind, featuring two figures giving offerings. I was fluent in over 20,000 of the symbols of my language, and this didn’t resemble anything that I recognized.

  He moved aside to allow me in and raised his chin in a sign of good will. I looked around the room. It was much like mine except ill-kempt. Clothing was spread across the floor, empty food packaging littered the tables beside the bed, and there were smudges on every visible surface.

  “Hello, Tsuṣuṣe, my fellow, Darius. Thank you for meeting with me.” I bowed my head to him. “How long have you been landside?”

  “Long enough.”

  “And what is the status?”

  “I have a few options, but I am still acclimating.”

  I sensed his lack of commitment in his answers but also his tense posture. Why was he so reluctant to share with me?

  “How have your interactions been?” I asked.

  “They have been somewhat limited. I find the humans disagreeable overall. They expect silence or trivial blather from me, and some of them treat me as a thief or act frightened of me. I cannot gauge what is required, and I dislike the guessing games,” He answered.

  “Have you forgotten to pay for an article? The humans here expect payment for everything.” I aimed to be helpful, but he clearly did not see my tip this way.

  “I am no thief!” His posture straightened, and he stood even taller somehow, flexing his chest.

  “I apologize, fellow. I did not mean to suggest intent. I simply want to understand why the humans would treat you poorly. Surely, there is some because that can be avoided.”

  His eyes glinted and became slits among the sharp features of his face. “This is their way. My actions play no role. It is what I am that they hate. You would do better to have your own concerns in mind. Although, as a lighter-skinned human and female at that, I doubt that you will suffer as much on this mission as I.”

  I stood silent for a moment and puzzled over what he’d just said. How could housing a female reproductive make some kind of difference? Humans were hardly sexually dimorphic, certainly not like my people with the size differential clearly favoring females. Perhaps females were culturally dominant here.

  He also made mention of skin tone. The population of humans was full of diverse features and colorations all mixed in single communities. How could that be if skin color had deleterious connotations? How could they survive together if they were truly so different as that idea suggested?

  He continued to stare at me as I thought, so I needed to change the trajectory of the discussion. “Where have you focused your efforts?”

  “I have primarily spent time in local commercial areas. I was told that bars and stores were good places for hunting. I also noticed many young human women entering an animal sanctuary, so perhaps, I will investigate there tomorrow.”

  “That is a clever idea. Perhaps there is voluntary work available there. The hospital has such work available. Those who participate are called candy stripers,” I said, offering the suggestion.

  “Hospital? A house of illness?” he asked, his eyebrows raising and spine straightening.

  Embarrassed, I explained, “Yes. The modification was physically very stressful for me, so I was taken to one while unconscious. However, I met a candy striper there and was able to begin the bonding process. Perhaps, you could meet one there as well.”

  The intent behind the glint in his eyes was hard to identify, but his rigid posture and stiff jaw suggested aggression, perhaps competitiveness. Regardless, I didn't know how to reassure him that I was an ally here. I often had this problem at the tsez̈ø, feeling a bit out of place in my desire to appease and reconcile. While my colleagues and fellows were vital to my life in many ways, I desired a certain closeness that they did not need.

  “Do you have suggestions for me?” I asked, trying to make amends.

  “No. I was instructed to provide you with some more resources, though.” He dug through the pile of clothing on the ground and pulled out a thick wad of bills, then handed them to me. “Purchase new clothing. How you display your body matters.”

  The way that he looked at me from the top of my head to my feet and back up reminded me of the man in the inn who’d shouted at me. I was unsure of what to make of it. Judgement?

  “May I ask you a question, fellow?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is the meaning of ‘towel head’? I am proficient in English, but I do not know the meaning of this phrase.”

  He let a puff of air out of his nostrils and closed his eyes. His posture slackened slightly and then he stood up straight again, “It is a slur. Perhaps your skin tone is not light enough to afford you an easy mission. If you find that the humans are disagreeable and treat you badly for any reason, or should you hear that phrase again, please call upon me. I know of someone who may be interested in your case, if you struggle.”

  “I see. Thank you, Tsuṣuṣe. I wish you good luck in your mission,” I said, walking back to the door.

  “And you,” he said, opening it and closing it swiftly as soon as my feet were outside of its swinging path.

  Chapter 4

  A

  fter the short meeting, I returned to my room, tired and sore. I needed to eat. I searched the satchel for rations and found an emergency pack. After the delectable fish sandwich from the day before, I found the flavor bland and texture disagreeable, but I made it through the package of waterlogged foodstuffs regardless. And, I was better for it, as I felt much improved quickly after.

  Now that I’d made a connection with another trialist and eaten, I was ready to challenge the device again. After I’d used it to contact Darius, it was easier to find the correct screen. I tapped through and created several nonsensical words before successfully inputting the message:

  Penny, are you available to meet today?

  I sat back on the blankets, still soggy from earlier, and waited. The room had so many marvels to catch my attention in the meantime, but I had no use for them without knowing their purpose. A large screen like that of my device hung on the wall across from the bed. Beneath it was a rectangular piece of furniture that I assumed was for some kind of storage. When I leaned over the bed and pulled on it, there were compartments inside that were all empty. I had no intention of filling all of that space, but it was nice to have somewhere to put my things.

  Before I could investigate the small metal box atop the storage furniture, there was a buzz from the device on the bed. I tapped the screen until I was able to read:

  Sure! What time?

  Time? I hadn’t been aware of the time so far. I knew that humans regarded a 24-hour clock similar to ours, but how could that help me, if I didn’t have a reference point right now? I let the device go dark as I thought, and as if in answer, a series of numbers spanned the screen: 9:10. If it was currently 9:10, what time would be advantageous? How would I need to prepare?

  I sniffed myself again and found that I had not reverted back to the horrible stench from earlier, so I would not need to bathe. I had also eaten. What else? I looked down at my body and decided I should take Darius’ advice and purchase clothing fit for meeting with a tribute like Penny. I guessed a time that seemed far enough in the future.

  4:00

  This time the wait for a reply was short. My device screen lit up with a notification al
most immediately.

  Great! Do you want to meet at Mug and Muffins?

  Unsure of what a Mug and Muffins was, I agreed. I needed to appear pleasant and agreeable.

  Yes.

  ***

  Down the street from the inn, I found a clothing store with a great deal of fashion options. The name “Alt Peeps” displayed on the store window. The clothing was quite different from the pictures of human clothing that I'd seen in many of the book and magazine remnants that I’d studied, but I imagined that I would find items that worked well enough. To be sure that I would appear a desirable match to possible tsùges̈sss, I would need assistance.

  So, I called on an attendant to help me. She wore dark clothing and decorative jewelry all over her face. I was fascinated as jewelry-making had been a hobby of mine since I was a child. I knew that she would be a good fit for helping me choose clothing just based on her interest in such fine jewelry pieces. If only I had one of my own fine sea glass pieces and some tools to fashion my own facial jewelry.

  “Hey!” she said as she approached. “I love your tattoos!”

  “Thank you,” I answered with a nod. I was proud at their warm reception as my instructors and colleagues had seen the hyperpigmentation as a source of unwanted attention. To me, the black, inky scales on my arms were a reminder of home.

  “You have many choices for clothing. What do you suggest?” I asked.

  She leaned over the counter where she stood and began, “Well, you definitely look like you could use an upgrade.”

  I felt her eyes look my body up and down much like Darius's had. I stood up straighter and bared my teeth. In response, she stood up from her leaning and held her hands in front of her chest.

  “Wow. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just meant that we have some cool stuff here. What’s your budget like? Our prices can be pretty steep.”

  Again, I saw her eyes take in my clothing. I tried to straighten my defensive expression into a smile, but her uncertainty and defensive position told me that I must not have properly shifted. In my kindest voice, I said, “I have this.”