Above World - By Jenn Reese Page 0,82

world of incredible beauty,” Fathom said, motioning to the Upgraders surrounding them. “A new civilization of advanced Humans. Faster, stronger, and more durable. The best parts from all the races and splinters!”

Fathom bent over in a flash, his head was just half a meter from Aluna’s. Up close, she could see his Human brown eyes more clearly, could see the lines around his mouth, the wrinkles near his eyes.

“You see, not all of us are weaker than our father,” he said quietly. “Some of us, like me, are his betters. Do you not marvel at the improvements I have made?” He stood up and spread his arms wide, displaying all his fleshy add-ons and oddly integrated parts. “When the time comes, we shall see who sits upon the throne of the new age. Yes? We shall see.”

He stood there for a moment, grinning. Was he waiting for her to cheer? To clap? To proclaim her allegiance? All she could think about was running, and all she could focus on was keeping her legs from doing just that.

“Enough chitchat,” Fathom said. “I have removed the mermaid’s collar. Now take the pill. Take it now, or I will destroy you both and collect more samples from your precious coral city.”

The Upgraders raised their guns and swords and knives and needles, and Aluna had no choice. She pressed her hand against the plastic of Daphine’s enclosure, trying to draw strength from her sister’s presence.

“Don’t do this, Aluna,” Daphine said quietly, the scope on her left eye whirring as it focused. “He already has me. There’s still time for you to escape.”

“The Kampii need you,” Aluna said. Her brothers, her father, the entire colony — they were all better off with Daphine than with her. No one could argue with that logic. Before she could change her mind, before she let the fear overtake her, she dropped the Ocean Seed into her mouth and swallowed.

At first, the seed felt like a rock lodged in her throat. She wanted to choke, to cough it back up and spit it on the ground. It tasted like poison. It was poison. There was no cure for a tail. There was no reverse seed. And then it was down, an ugly lump in her stomach ready to wreak its chaos on her insides.

“Someone get me a fresh collar,” Fathom said to his Upgraders. He turned to Aluna. “I have a new slave.”

Two of the Upgraders left the clearing.

Collar. Slave.

“No, no, no,” Daphine said, shaking her head. She sank to the bottom of her tank. “No, no, no.”

“Don’t worry, Daphine,” Aluna said. “I’ll be okay.”

She’d never lied to Daphine, not about anything important, not until now. But her sister was still too fragile from her ordeal. Too broken. She wasn’t the same Kampii who’d raised Aluna from a youngling and kept four headstrong men in line every day. If Fathom kept his promise, Daphine would return to the City of Shifting Tides. Under the water, surrounded by her friends and family, she’d find her strength again.

Fathom pointed to another pair of Upgraders. “You two. Get one of my medteks and bring the recording equipment. Fast. If she so much as sprouts a scale before you get back, you’ll be dragging yourself around with your elbows!”

The Upgraders grunted and fled the area. Four gone, Aluna thought, but eight was still too many, even if she could find a way to defeat Fathom himself.

It would be so much easier to give up. To stop looking for solutions to an unsolvable problem. Fathom was too strong, his army too big. The seed could render her helpless at any moment, and Daphine was useless in her current state. Aluna had no allies, since she’d stupidly turned away Hoku and Dash, even after they’d begged to help.

She was finally out of options.

METAL CLANGED against metal. Behind Hoku, Dash fought the Upgraders at the door, keeping them outside, giving him time. Hoku didn’t look. He couldn’t. Dash’s survival depended on it.

“Zorro, start all the power,” Hoku said. “Zorro, restore power to the Kampii city. Zorro, shut down the Upgraders!”

None of it worked. Zorro’s head was frozen at a tilt, and his eyes alternated between red and yellow flashes.

“Fathom is redirecting the dome’s power,” he said to himself. A gout of flame shot through the room. He could feel it singe his back. A second later, a huge piece of metal clanged to the floor and the flames stopped.

Dash had a shield covering his broken arm