Aquata Cove Ch. 20

"Ah shit, wut??" Jamal said as he turned up the volume. There was then a picture of footage of the ocean, turning black from a massive spill of oil in the water.

"-Just last night, the drill for the excavation accelerated almost FOUR times the speed it is initially is supposed to go, and thus caused a collapse on the ocean floor, and leaked a major vein of oil. Here to bring you the inside scoop on the oil, Julia Laden on the scene with oil foreman to tell us all about it. Julia?-"

"- Thank you, Gary. I'm standing here at the oil drill station where the foreman here is about to report on the repercussion of the incident,-" She held the microphone to the man with a hard yellow hat.

"-Yeah, it was just awful. One of the workers misdialed the controls on the drill, and it just tore up the ocean floor-" There was a graphical map about the location and an animation on the drill. Adam gasped quietly as he watched.

"... That's where his pod is supposed to head..." Adam whispered quietly as he felt a tinge of terror in his stomach.

"-The frenzy just went on all night. We were testing this autopilot for the drill, but the numbering has screwed up the computer. We've already begun sending word to the EPA to take counter measures, but unfortunately, it's going to take some time-"

"-Unfortunate indeed-" Julia said as she faced the camera again. Adam panted as he stared, feeling a sense of dread and anxiety inside him, "-Luckily though, the ocean has suffered an oil spill before, and the EPA has already reported on measures that can take action..." As the reported talked on, Adam started into the blackened ocean, feeling his chest heave as he shook. His eyes widened as he saw an outline of a dark, human-fish shape - barely visible, but still saw it.

"JAMAL get dressed!" Adam said as he ran into his room.

"Wait- Wut- Huh?? Adam, what'chu talkin bout?!"

~~~

"Adam, are you fuckin TRIPPIN?!" Jamal said as Adam got him to climb into Yuri's father's boat, "If she eva finds out bout this, she'll kill us!"

"I'll take the wrap, Jamal," Adam said hastily as he climbed up on it, wearing only his swimming trunks, and tossing his flippers onto the boat.

"Look, Adam," Jamal said, "Will you at LEAST tell me why you wanna go out to the middle of the ocean, INTO the oil spill?!"

"I can't tell you right now!!" Adam said, "Just please drive the boat! Yuri never taught me, I need you to do this for me!" He pleaded. Jamal crossed his arms as he looked at Adam.

"I ain't leavin till you tell me." He said. Adam groaned as he ruffled his hair, and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Jamal, just..." His heart pounded, and looked Jamal straight in the eye, "I can't explain..." He said, trying to stay calm, "But this is a matter of life and death..." Jamal blinked as his face softened a little, "Please, Jamal... I need to do this... And I need your help, please..."Adam's eyes began to water, "I WILL tell you when this is done, but I need you to do this for me... Please..."

After a short pause, Jamal scowled as he turned around, and rumbled the boat into life, "You BETTA make this quick, man." With that, the boat rode away into the sea.

~~~

Over half an hour passes by, and Adam is at the front, looking over the untainted sea. The motorboat sped along the water's surface. "HOW YOU EVEN KNOW WHERE TO GO??!!" Jamal shouted over the loud motor.

"I DON'T!! JUST TRUST ME ON THIS!" Adam called back.

"YOU *REALLY* TESTING US ON THIS, MAN!"

"I KNOW!!" Adam said.

Ten more minutes, Adam felt the boat slow down. He looked both sides, and turned around, "He-Hey-Hey, what're you doing, Jamal?!"

"Coast guard," Jamal said as he pointed to a far-away police boat, "He go any farther, and we in trouble."

"Agghhh, alright," Adam said as he sat on the bench, and stretched on the rubber diver flippers, "I'll go in from here." Jamal turned at him and widened his eyes.

"Wait, wait wait wait, yall... You ain't gonna swim in dat oil?!"

"Why do you think I brought these?" Adam said as he pulled out his goggles out of his trunks. Jamal groaned in exasperation as he felt the back of his neck, bending over, and leaning back.

"Adam! This is crazy! Crazy, crazy, bat-shit crazy stuff you goin on about!" He said, "Why is you doin this?! If you get cause swimming in the oil, you gonna get arrested!"

"No I won't!" Adam said as he stepped over the railing of the boat, "I'll stay under the water the whole time."

"You gotta come up for air, man! You not snorklin here!" He said as Adam put on his goggles.

"No, I don't," Adam said, panting as his heartrate is elevated, "I'll explain later but... I don't have to go up for air..." Jamal shook his head slowly.

"Adam... Tell me what you doin..." Adam sighed as he looked at his roommate.

"Just... Trust me on this... I'll explain EVERYTHING when this is done..." He looked into the water, then back at the black male, "If I'm not back in 20 minutes, go ahead and leave without me, tell Yuri I'm at Aquata Cove again."

"Wut???"

With that, Adam moved off the boat, and into the water.

~^~^~^~

Adam paddled his legs as hard as he could. Chances are, Merrick's pod would've determined a route around the oil spill, and are probably on their way to whatever destination the Triton has decided for the Pod.

Adam winced as he saw the massive black cloud, and felt himself swimming straight into it. He can feel the water around him feel change in an unpleasant way as he moved through the dark purge. He swam further as his flippers allowed him to go faster. His eyes scanned around in the contaminated ocean, the oil feeling like he's swimming in a disgusting pool of death, like maybe the River Styx.

He knows this is insane, that he shouldn't be dragging Jamal into this mess over a sudden whim. Who's to say that wasn't a dolphin or a shark he spotted on the news? It could've been anything. He could be wasting his time over an obsessive feeling. He shouldn't be here, he and Merrick are done, and there can't be a chance they will get back together...

So why is he even here?

Something is driving him to search this area. He has no idea why, but he feels way too worried to sit idly by after hearing that news report.

~~~

Jamal paced around the boat, huffing and walking around, having half a mind to just ditch Adam, just to teach him a lesson about all this. A few years ago, maybe he would've done just that, but not now. Not after all he and Adam went through. This is obviously important to him but...

What could be so damn important to hijack Yuri's father's motorboat, and ride it to the middle of the ocean??? Especially during an oil spill?

Jamal gasped and turned his head as he heard the police siren bleep twice. Then, an officer called out to him over an intercom.

"Excuse me sir, you're going to have to move your boat! We're quarantining this area!" Jamal groaned as he fumbled for the speaker, turned it on and spoke into it.

"A-Aight! J-J-Just tryin to decide where ta fish! Got it..." He put the speaker away, and turned on the boat He turned it, and drove it to about 20 feet away, and stopped. The officer nodded in approval, and drove off in the police boat.

Jamal sighed and looked at his cellphone for the time, "C'mon, maaan... Where ARE you?"

~~~

Adam swam more and more into the oily nightmare. He suddenly gasped as he sensed something massive beside him! He looked and jumbled as a large shark floated by. It didn't attack him, or even turned at him. It just moved along, motionless as it floated passed him, dead.

Adam's heart throbbed horribly as he continued to swim.

He has no idea where he's going - he's just swimming in a particular direction, like an invisible compass in his forehead, directing him on where to swim.

He moved until he saw a figure, straight ahead. He waved his flippers up and down to glide him quickly ahead. His heart pounded as he moved, swimming as fast as he can to the odd figure.

Adam's eyes widened as he eventually made out the image of a merman! It's blue and silver, wearing some white scallop shells on his shoulders, on one on a kelp band around his forehead, below the field of spiky fins on his head. The ruffle-like membranes on either side of his long tail are jet black instead of translucent white.

The human kicked as hard as he could when he saw a glint of silver coming from the small bracelet on the merman's left wrist, which like his right arm, are hanging motionless from him. The merman is floating in mid-water, his frontside facing up like a dead fish, but not floating on the surface. His mouth ajar with a small red cloud floating from his lips, and a red wisps hovering around the gills on the side of his head.

Adam came up to him, and looked him over. He felt his eyes tear up immediately as he saw wisps of crimson linger from the merman's mouth. He wrapped his arms around the still merman, and paddled his legs as hard as he can.

~~~

Jamal looked worriedly at his cellphone again, "Come on, Adam..." He groaned, "Where you at, man??"

He paced around the boat again. It's been 40 minutes since Adam dove in. Just what is he up to in there? Why is he taking so long? He's not REALLY swimming around in the oil, is he??

He moaned as he sat down on the bench of the rocking boat. One thing's for sure. He's not just going to leave him behind-

His head lifted up as he heard some coughing. He shot up from the seat, and looked over the boat!

"Adam!" He said angrily, "Where the HELL you at, man?!" He then spotted Adam's arm wrapped around a very large blue and silvery fish, "Ah hell naw!" He glared at Adam, "You mean you drag us out here to go FISHING?!"

Adam coughed as he came up to the boat, "In a matter of speaking," He grunted as he tried to heave himself and the fish onto the boat, "Help me!"

"Oh, uh-uh, uh-uh!" Jamal said as he turned around and crossed his arms, "You got me to jack Yuri's boat, you get yo own damn fish on it! You any idea how berserk she gonna get when she finds out-"

"JUST FUCKING HELP ME!!" Adam shouted. Jamal groaned as he rolled his eyes, and turned around. He bent over, and pulled Adam up onto the boat.

"I swear to God, man you owe me-" His eyes bugged out as he then saw an unconscious fish-like humanoid slip onto the boat. "HOLY FUCKIN SHIT!" He toppled over as Adam and the fish creature fell onto the boat. Adam hissed and groaned in pain as he got up, yanking off his flippers and throwing his goggles off, "WUT IS DAT?! What the hell IS that?!" Adam ignored him, and put his head to the creatures chest "Adam, you wanna tell me what the HELL you just got on the boat?!"

"It's Merrick, alright??" Adam retorted, "Start the boat!"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa! That ain't Merrick!" Jamal said as he looked at the merman, looking up at the long tail that is held up at the edge of the boat, "THAT. AIN'T. NO. Merrick!! That's some, freaky fish thing!"

"JAMAL!!" Adam said as he glared up at Jamal, "Please just drive the freaking boat!!" Adam roared. The black guy hastily got up, and started up the motor, soon turning around and rode away from the massive oil spill.

"Merrick! Merrick!" Adam called, putting his arm under the lifeless merman, and lightly slapping the Adra's cheek, "Wake up, Merrick! Baby, please wake up!" New tears rolled from Adam's eyes ad a dribble of blood dripped from the corner of Merrick's lips. "Please, don't do this, baby," Adam sobbed as he carefully shook Merrick, "Please wake up! I'm right here, your mistake! I found you, please don't die on me now!"

As the boat sped on, Jamal looked over his shoulder, seeing Adam down next to the fishy creature. He looked onto its left arm, and spotted the silver bracelet on its left - the very same simple chain Adam got for Merrick after they came home from the pier.

"Merrick... Please... Wake up..." Adam said as his tears continue to drip onto Merrick's face.

"Unnngghhh..." Adam gasped as he saw those eyelids move slowly up. Adam sobbed as those weak, weary, darkened sapphires peaked open.

"Merrick?! MERRICK!"

"... Ah... Adam..." He croaked very weakly. He lift up a trembling, webbed hand to the human's cheek, "My Adam..." Adam sniffled and wept as he took Merrick's cold, oily hand, and held it in place against his cheek.

"Merrick..." Adam sobbed as tears rolled down his face.

"Adam... You came for me..." Merrick uttered weakly, "I broke your heart..." Glimmering white tears formed around the Adra's eyes as he looked up at the human, "And you came for me...?"

"Merrick..." Adam said as he pulled the headband off of his head, "I love you... I love you..." pressing his forehead against the other, "I'm never letting you go again..." He held Merrick close to him, holding him tight, "Never, never never..." Adam said as he cried even more.