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Literature
Commission: A Tail of Alien Abduction
A Tail of Alien Abduction
Although she had been born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico, Vera Armijo was always skeptical of the notion that a UFO had crashed near the city years before. There were a number of reasons she felt that way, and not just because her parents had noticed and encouraged at an early age her uncommon interest in things scientific and mechanical. Her level of interest was not only higher than that of most girls in her high school, but of the majority of boys as well, and she pursued her somewhat iconoclastic interests without ever coming across as nerdy.
Even so, whenever anyone asked, she always maintained a skeptical attitude when asked if she believed that an alien spacecraft had crashed outside the city, and if she believed that humans had ever been abducted by aliens from another world.
"Have you ever noticed there never seem to be any witnesses, and they are never willing to be tested to back up their claims?" she would sometimes say as a way
Literature
Dovah's Breakout
There was no sound coming from the monitors. Phantom crossed her legs, tapping one finger to her lips. Her eyes rapidly moved over the various monitors. Some of them were older, physical screens. Others were floating panes of information, not truly there but instead existing as a representation of information she was gaining directly from the systems. One or two were flat panes of glass with the information projected onto it. Someone nearby made a squeaking sound. She jerked her head backwards to see another employee walking in her hobble-skirt and blouse. Phantom narrowed her eyes slightly. The skirt was attractive; a shiny black wit...
Literature
Career Change
Career Change
Part 1…
First light was just barely peeking over the horizon when I met up with my buddy Jason. We were about to do one of our favorite things: a sunrise blast up the coast. I had my usual yellow Saab 900 convertible, but Jason pulled up in something different than his normal Impreza. It was a teal and white GMC Typhoon.
“Where did you get that thing,” I asked as he pulled into the gas station and started filling the tank.
“Boss let me barrow it. He told me to go have fun,” my friend replied. “I’m doing just that. Heck, he’s even paying for the fuel.”
“Sounds like a good guy. Come on. Let’s get rolling. In another hour this place will be crawling with tourists and we won’t be able to move.”
“Lead on. You know this road better than I do.”
The surfers getting ready didn’t know what to make of it as two blurs of color rocketed past. They did hear the sounds of howling tires, screaming turbos, and laughing drivers. Just two more people enjoying the beach in a different way.
Bang… bang… as I dropped two gears coming into a hairpin turn. The was a pop and a whoosh from the waste gate as I let off the throttle. Right about now, I was in heaven. The stress of life began to melt away with each passing corner.
Jason looked through the windshield as Carl’s Saab danced through the curves. He knew his friend had poured his heart and soul into rebuilding clapped out chassis into something he could call his own. For him, it was a form of therapy, a break from his crazy job in the tech world.
“How fast were we going,” I asked my friend as we pulled into our favorite diner in Portsmouth.
“Don’t know and I don’t care,” my friend replied. “We definitely have the most interesting vehicles in the parking lot this morning.”
“You aren’t kidding. Come on. I’m starving.”
Jason and I had been friends for years. Our schedules had gotten more hectic since our younger days, but the passion for cars and driving remained the same. That’s why we made the effort to do this coast run whenever we could.
“So how’s the job at BitWerks going,” my friend asked. “Last I heard, they were treating you well and you were happy.”
I took a sip of my coffee and gathered my thoughts. My friend had been honest with me throughout his own struggles. Now it was time to come clean with mine.
“Jay, I’m stressed beyond belief. I need a job badly,” I said to my friend.
Part 2…
Jason nearly spit out his coffee as Carl explained the situation. He had gotten caught up in the owner’s bad decisions. When he confronted them about it, they kicked him to the curb like so much trash.
“Bro, I am absolutely on the ragged edge. We’re scraping by on what Jenny’s making and my unemployment benefits, but more and more we’ve had to dip into our savings just to pay the bills,” I said to my friend.
“And I know you have triplets on the way,” he replied. “Any bites on the job search?”
“A few nibbles, but it’s tough out there. Sounds like they’re treating you well at the Calder Institute.”
“Yes they are. Even though I mainly handle personnel, I get to do a bit of everything. The only downside is that I lost my taste for seafood years ago. Same problem with many of the senior staff. We just look as fish more as friends, not food.”
“They pay you pretty well?”
“Yeah. One of the rare nonprofits that pays better than the private sector. Even then, finding good people has been tough.”
“I hate to ask this, but could you set me up with an interview with your boss?”
Jason pondered for a couple moments. Carl had several positive things going for him. He originally started doing tech support, then moved on to sales management. He also had some serious mechanical skills. Not only had re rebuilt that Saab, he had also done several upgrades to his house.
“What are you looking for,” Jason inquired of his friend as they munched on breakfast.
“I’m honestly not sure. I do know I want to work somewhere where integrity and honesty are appreciated. I thought about going back into car sales, but at this point I’d take anything that paid decently,” I responded as I stared into the black abyss of my coffee mug.
“Let me see what I can do,” said Jason as he pulled out his credit card. “Stu’s paying for breakfast too.”
“How are you going to pull that off?”
“Because you inquired about a job, that means it comes out of our recruitment pot.”
“You’re joking?”
“Nope. Stu does things a bit differently from most guys. He hires more on character than skill set. I’m the perfect example of that.”
My friend was right. He used to drive a truck for a living. Now he managed the personnel department and helped out in other various areas if needed. As he explained, the senior staff had to be versatile.
Stu was in the kitchen when he heard a throaty turbocharged V6 pull into the garage. “Jason! How was your adventure this morning,” he asked his friend as he walked in and grabbed a soda from the fridge. “Is your friend Carl doing well?”
“For the most part, yes. But he’s stressed out beyond belief,” Jason replied. “Triplets on the way and he got canned from BitWerks.”
Stu stopped dead in his tracks. The sudden collapse of BitWerks had sent shockwaves through the tech industry. One of their employees had found some serious irregularities in their payroll and raw accounting data. The company vanished almost overnight leaving thousands of people in the lurch.
“Your friend got caught up in that mess,” he asked Jason.
“Actually, he was the one that blew the whistle,” his friend replied. “It took him a few months before he went to the executives because he wanted solid data to back up his findings.”
“He had the balls to confront his boss even if was going to cost him his job?”
“Carl did it because it was the morally correct thing to do. He only found out about the triplets the week after he was terminated.”
“Mr. Laurier sounds like the type of man we need on staff here. How come you haven’t offered him a job already?”
“I was a bit hesitant to do so. I’m not sure where he’d fit.”
“Jay, I’ve been working with you for quite a while now. I know the company you keep outside of the Institute. You flew across the country at the drop of a hat to comfort a friend in need without hesitation. Not many people would do that.”
“What are you saying?”
“Schedule him in for an interview.”
Part 3…
“Jenny, are you sure you’re going to be fine for the day,” I asked as I started heading out the door.
“I’m pregnant, not an invalid. I’ll be fine,” my wife replied as she kissed me. “Go. This sounds like a great opportunity.”
“Thanks. Hopefully the traffic isn’t too bad.”
I let the Saab warm up for a bit as I put the top down. Over the last few years, I had taken the bare shell to a finely tuned machine. Every nut, bolt, and screw had my fingerprints on it. The car had become my therapy away from the crazy world and the garage my fortress of solitude.
When Jason called me a few days ago, he was a bit coy about what exactly the position was. All he said was it could potentially be on the senior staff. That scared me a bit. I knew exactly zero about running an aquarium. I did enjoy a good swim in the ocean, but that was the closest I’d come.
My friend had been a bit cryptic about how to get to the Institute. All he said was “Follow the fish once you get off the highway.”
Follow the fish? Okay then… At first they started out as simple silhouettes, but with each passing turn they got larger and more colorful. However, the big granite sign at the end of Clownfish Way was very subtle. Just a huge fish shaped slab with the words “Calder Institute” and an arrow engraved on it.
“Whoa…” I uttered in awe as I pulled up and found a place to park. “Jason works here?”
“Mr. Laurier, I presume,” said a man with a simple blue work shirt and healthy Australian accent. He came walking up to greet me with a relaxed confidence in his step
“Yes I am. I’m looking for Stuart Calder,” I replied. “Do you know where to find him?”
“You just did. Welcome to the Institute. May I also presume that’s your car? Monte Carlo yellow, correct?”
“Why yes. You know your Saabs.”
“Not really. Had a friend who used to have one. Both he and the car were unforgettable. Mind showing me what you’ve done? Jason was telling me about both you and the car.”
Stu listened as the man started geeking out about what he had done. It was a beautiful blend old and new. Yet it was crafted so subtly that you would have to really know the marque to know what was factory and what wasn’t for the year.
So this was THE Stu Calder Jason told me about? Seemed like a pretty relaxed guy so far. Had the interview even started yet? I was warned that things were different around here.
“You showed me your passion. May I show you mine,” he asked me.
“May I presume that since you’re the one interviewing me and your name is on the sign out front it’s something to do with fish?”
“Good guess,” Stu said with a wry grin.
I was in awe when he ushered me into the building. Fish of every shape and size boggled the mind. When I took a peek at the directory, it looked like there were exhibits for the Red Sea, California coast, Caribbean, Australia, and Hawaii. Those were just the big tanks too.
“We also have a 400 room hotel, conference space, and a few restaurants in the building too,” explained Stu.
“Just how BIG is this place,” I asked slack jawed.
“Right now, we have about 60 million gallons of aquatic exhibits.”
“I don’t even want to know how much it costs to maintain or the man hours it takes. You must have staff here 24/7.”
“Yes we do. Some of us, including your friend, live on the property as well.”
Stu and I talked a bit more as he showed me around. The scale of this place was beyond belief. There was also a lot more to the property including a 200 foot deep dive center, sculpture park, and an amphitheater.
Stu was beginning to get a sense of what Mr. Laurier’s skill set might be. The Saab explained that he had some mechanical skills and attention to detail. What he had done at BitWerks demonstrated that his moral backbone was strong. In addition to all that, his background check was right in line with what he expected.
“Stu, let’s get down to business here. What’s the offer on the table and what position would you like me for,” I inquired sternly.
“Based on our conversation, I think you would be a good fit in our operations department,” Stu replied with a smile. “Sadly, I have to get one more seal of approval before I can make the offer official.”
“You’re the guy running this place and you need someone else to sign off?”
“Yes. Without him, this place wouldn’t exist. Follow me.”
I was lead into the “backstage” area where the normal guests weren’t allowed. There was a beautiful web of pipes, wires, and corridors that kept this place humming along. Everything was so neat and labeled too. Someone had taken a lot of care when doing the design.
Stu opened a door labeled “animal care” and brought me in. This was getting a bit weird, at least for a job interview. Then again, I was a tech guy who was interviewing for a job at an aquarium.
“Alright Earl, onto the scale. I need to get your weight,” said Val as the harbor seal shuffled on. “Good boy. 335 pounds. Stu’s been feeding you well. And speaking of the guy…”
“Good morning Dr. Marin,” Stu greeted the Latina doctor warmly. “Can I spare Earl and Reia for a minute?”
It took me a minute. This Latina lady looked familiar. I had met her once or twice. “Val! I didn’t realized you worked here,” I said with a startle.
“Carl! Isn’t this a pleasant surprise,” Val replied. “Congratulations! TRIPLETS?”
“Yes. The in vitro fertilization worked a bit too well.”
“Carl, meet Earl,” said Stu as the seal shuffled over. “Go ahead and say hello.”
Okay then… Seal of approval. I got it. This had to be some sort of crazy joke, but I went along with it. I looked over the beautiful creature with great spotted fur and coal black eyes. Nervously, I let him sniff me and he let me scratch his chin.
“I’ve never been up close to a harbor seal before,” I said with awe. “He’s friendly.”
“That’s because he likes you,” replied Val.
“I have learned that animals are excellent unbiased judges of character. If an animal doesn’t like a person, then they’re not worth my time,” Stu explained. “It also says a lot about Jason. He has chosen his friends well.”
Now that this little test was over, we had to talk some business…
Part 4…
“Now that I have your seal’s approval, let’s talk,” I said as I sat in Stu’s office. It was spacious, but not obscene like some I’d seen over the years. It did strike me a bit odd that there was a pool in it.
“Very well Carl. Are you interested in the job,” Stu asked me. “I’m going to warn you, it’s not a nine to five. The good news is that I make sure my staff is compensated well for their time and effort.”
“Can you give me some numbers here?”
“Why yes. In anticipation of your interest, I have prepared something.”
He handed me a folder with some paperwork. My eyes just about bulged out of my head when I saw the numbers. In addition to a very healthy salary package, the benefits were amazing. Any medical was covered 100% for myself and immediate family. There was a bunch of other stuff too.
There was one other thing that caught my attention. Something called a “wet side rotation bonus.” At this point, any extra money was going to be needed. Preparing for three kids all at once was not going to be cheap.
“Stu, what’s up with this wet side thing? You mentioned something about being on call. Does it have anything to do with that,” I inquired.
Before he could answer, something popped up from the pool in his office. It appeared to be a man with the tail of a killer whale. What the heck? This had to be real because I definitely wasn’t dreaming.
“Sorry Stu. Didn’t realize you had a visitor,” the man, or was it merman, he said in a Norwegian accent.
“Oh it’s quite alright. Mr. Laurier here might be your new assistant,” replied Stu. “You have been complaining that you need some help.”
“Please. Call me Carl. You name was,” I replied as I got over the shock.
“Dr. Terje Havlman. Director of operations,” he replied. “What’s your background?”
“Refugee from the tech industry,” I said with a morbid curiosity as I turned to the two other men. “What the heck is this?”
“A very practical but extreme way of keeping everything humming along. Think of it as proprietary hardware we’ve had to custom build for our unique task, explained Stu. “You’re transformed at the beginning of your wet side rotation and back when you’re done. It’s actually quite safe.”
“I’m guessing that unique task is the maintenance of those massive fish tanks. What about the weeks I’m not on call? Just regular scuba diving with those bubble helmets I saw earlier?”
“You got it. Everyone on the senior staff helps out with animal care.”
“Has anyone else besides the staff been crazy enough to this?”
“Yes. We have a few select friends of friends in on the secret. There’s about 40 people total who have taken the plunge.”
“Between the main staff, there’s been thousands of transformations,” replied Terje. “At the most, it’s three weeks and then your body needs time to recover.”
“The choice to do a wet side rotation is totally up to you and always on the table,” Stu said. “I still want to bring you on.”
At this point, what did I have to loose? I had a family to support…
“Okay. I accept your offer,” I replied as I looked at the two men.
“Welcome aboard,” said Terje as he shook my hand. “Don‘t worry. I had no idea what I was getting into either.”
Part of me was excited, part of me was scared stiff…
Part 5…
“Carl! How did everything go,” asked Jason as I walked into the personnel office.
“It looks like you have a new assistant director of operations,” I replied nervously. “I owe you for opening the door.”
“No need. You’ve been saying for a while that you wanted a change from the tech world.”
“Funny you should mention change… You didn’t mention anything about radical body alterations.”
“You mean the whole mermaid thing?”
“Yep. How did you find out about that?”
“Terje popped in unexpectedly while I was talking with Stu in his office. This is place is full of surprises. Earl was one of them.”
Jason sat back as he helped Carl work through the stack of paperwork that came along with every new hire. The bulk of the staff knew about the whole situation, especially those who worked in animal care or on aquatic maintenance. Those who worked in the “body shop” and actually crafted the tails kept to themselves. They knew most people wouldn’t understand and be weirded out by the process.
“Alright my friend, you’re all set. This badge will give you full access to the facility,” said Jason.
I began looking it over. It looked pretty standard when compared to the ones I had seen at any other tech company. It had my name, position, and my picture. However, at the bottom there were three tiny icons. One looked like a scuba mask and snorkel. One was a steering wheel. The last one was a tiny silhouette a fish.
“What are these for,” I asked.
“Easy. Right off the bat, you are authorized dive in the tanks, to drive a company vehicle, and for a wet side rotation,” my friend replied.
“But I haven’t done two out of the three!”
“I can only go by the paperwork I have. On the diving thing, one of the other senior staff will be with you until you feel comfortable going solo. For the wet side rotation, just let me know when you’re ready and I’ll put you on the schedule. Anything else?”
I looked at my watch. It had already been a crazy morning. “Yeah. How about lunch?”
“Oh yes. One of the other perks of working here…”
My friend explained that the cafe was open 24/7 to feed the hungry staff. The vast majority worked the day shift, but there was always something going on. It took a small army to keep the massive facility humming along.
There was a nice variety of food as well on the hot bar. Plus there was a small squad of cooks making items to order. Heck, it was nicer than any other corporate cafe I’d eaten at. I ended up with a gyro and my friend went Japanese with the classic beef yakisoba.
“Jay, I’m not sure if I can handle this,” I said to my friend. “It seems like a lot of responsibility.”
“You’ll be fine. With the exception of a few people, none of us knew squat about our jobs when we started,” my friend replied. “You’ll grow into it.”
“Seems like a weird way to run a place like this.”
“I warned you flat out that we did things differently here. Stu can be eccentric, but his heart is in the right place.”
After lunch I decided to head for home. It had been a pretty wild day. On the plus side, I had a job capable of supporting my family and then some. On the downside, I would have to get used to a totally new way of thinking. I still wasn’t quite sold on the whole merman thing, but that was the only sticking point.
“How did everything go,” Jenny asked me as I came in the house.
“They hired me to be the assistant director of operations,” I replied with pride.
“Congratulations! Give me the details.”
I did my best to lay everything out, except the merman thing. She was just happy that I had found a job. I was getting pretty miserable being around the house all day. That last part was definitely tough because she worked from home.
“So when are you going to start,” my wife asked.
“They said whenever I’m ready. Thinking maybe as early as tomorrow morning,” I replied.
“I know you’re nervous, but you’ll be fine.”
I texted Jason my decision and my plan for the morning. It took a bit, but I finally got a response. “Meet me and Stu for breakfast at Alvin. 6 am please.”
The next morning, I found myself back at the Institute early. For my wardrobe choice, I played it conservative but casual based on what I had seen. I tossed on a simple light blue polo shirt, jeans, and a good pair of sneakers. I had a feeling that I was going to be on my feet a good chunk of the day.
“What did I get myself into,” I muttered to myself as stopped in front of one of the massive viewing panels. Fish if all shapes, sizes, and colors began to boggle the mind. It was a pretty accurate reflection of the chaos in my head at the moment.
“Morning Carl,” greeted Jason warmly as he came up behind me. “Ready for your adventure to begin?”
“As ready as I’m going to be,” I replied nervously.
In reality, I was scared shitless…
Part 6…
“Carl! A pleasure to see you this morning,” said Stu as I sat down to breakfast at Alvin. Like Stu’s office, it was decorated in a subtle nautical theme. It was modern yet timeless. I found it very tastefully done with wood floors, stainless steel railings, and simple furniture.
Joining Stu, Jason, and myself were the lead exhibits curator, Dr. Akinyi Warui, Val, and Justin Staz, the assistant maintenance director. This was making sense so far. A nice casual breakfast meeting to help ease me in.
“What exactly are your expectations of me,” I inquired as the coffee started coursing through my veins.
“Pretty simple actually,” replied Stu. “I don’t expect perfection. I expect you to do the best you can. Rely on us for advice.”
“Can you be a bit more concrete with that?”
“Officially, your task is to help coordinate operations on the dry side. Maintenance and animal care handle the wet side. Mostly logistics and guest services,” explained Jason. “If you see a problem or something you think can be improved, work with other departments and fix it.”
“I also want to you to help take the workload off of Terje,” chimed in Stu. “His OCD tendencies can make him a bit high strung at times.”
“We all work together as a team here. You might get snagged to help with guest services or even the hotel if something unexpected happens,” said Akinyi. “It’s quite fun actually.”
Hmmm… Things were beginning to come into focus here.
“What do you say we give Carl an inside tour,” said Justin as he nodded towards the massive viewing panel. “Might as well get his feet wet.”
“Yeah, the rest of him too,” shot back Akinyi with a grin. “What do you know about fish and aquariums?”
“I know that I’m about to learn more than I ever dreamed,” I replied.
“Yes you are,” chimed in Jason. “Come on! Let’s get you over to wardrobe and suited up.”
It wasn’t long before I found myself with my colleagues in the prep area. The wetsuit on my back fit so well that it was like a thicker second skin. Even though the waters were tropical in nature, I would appreciate the warmth it provided.
The techs helped hoist the twin air tanks onto my back and shoulder yoke over my head. At at same time, my friends began explaining some of the cool features in the gear. There was a heads display with depth and duration remaining, four channel radio system, and a couple other things.
“I’m ready,” I said to my friends. With those words, the tech placed the fish bowl shaped helmet over my head and locked it in. Within seconds I could hear the gentle hiss of cool air flowing from the tanks on my back.
“Looks like everyone is ready,” said Stu.
“Really tossing me into the deep end,” I replied with a stiff chuckle as the platform lowered us into the water. “What’s the maximum depth of these tanks?”
“About 60 feet to the very bottom below the sand substrates,” explained Justin.
I held onto the railing until the platform came to a complete stop and took a moment. Air supply was good. Communication system was good. I was feeling warm enough with that neoprene skin around me.
“Holy freaking…” I uttered in awe as we entered the Great Barrier Reef tank. “How big is it?”
“10 million gallons,” replied Val as she handed me and the rest of a squeeze bottle. “This is the middle child of our big tanks. The Hawaiian and Kelp forest tanks are three and five million respectively. The Red Sea and Caribbean ones max out at 12 and 15.”
“What’s this for?”
“It’s feeding time. Don’t worry. This is for the vegetarian and omnivorous species. Give it a small squeeze and watch.”
“Now comes the fun part,” said Stu. “Let’s spread out a bit.”
In an instant, I was surrounded by a school of fish in all sizes and colors arriving for the buffet. There was a true living kaleidoscope and I was beginning to understand Stu’s fascination with the creatures.
“No wonder you need all hands on deck at times,” I said as I began to relax a bit.
“Around here, “not my job” should never be in your lexicon,” explained Stu. “There are days I’ve had to play shuttle driver, janitor, and bell boy amongst other things. If it’s obvious it needs to be done, just do it.”
“He’s right,” chimed in Jason. “Stu’s style of leadership means you set the example. Now, how would you like to meet some of the other staff?”
After a quick check of my air remaining, I followed most of my coworkers into the kelp forest tank. Val and Akinyi were staying in the reef tank to feed some of the other fish.
“Is this real? Feels like something out of a science fiction movie,” I said in awe as I swam between the inky green leaves. At the same time, a curious sea otter came over greet me.
“Very much so. This is based off an ecosystem from the California coast,” explained Justin. “The kelp is also an integral part the life support system just as in the real ocean. It helps oxygenate the water.”
Down near the bottom of the tank, I spotted someone that looked half man and half harbor seal. At the same time, I heard a string of curses with a strong Boston twang. He appeared to be looking inside one of the rock formations.”
“Hey Ralph! Got a sec,” shouted Jason.
“Not really, but I will anyway,” he replied with a roughness in his voice. “Great. Another freaking new guy?”
“Go easy on him. That’s my assistant you’re talking to,” said Terje as he swam up. This time around, I had a chance to get a better look at his tail. “Carl, meet Ralph Killpatrick. He’s our maintenance head. He and I started here together.
Ralph began sizing up the new guy. Even under the gear, he could tell that this man had come from an office job, possibly the tech world. Probably drove a BMW or Audi too.
“I’ll shake your hand if I think you can hack it tech boy,” he said with a snarky attitude.
“Ralph! That’s incredibly rude of you,” said a lady with a purple spotted tail as she swam up. “I’m Bridgid Gaurino. Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you,” I replied as I shook her hand. “What’s your role in this beautiful place?”
“I’m the guest services director,” she said with a grin. “I believe we’ll be working together.”
“Ralph, after my dive, meet me in my office,” Stu said with a rare anger in his voice. “Terje and Jason, I want you in on this as well.”
Before, I knew it, I was down to my reserve air and it was time to surface. Today was already getting interesting…
Part 7…
“So Jay, what would you like me to do next,” I asked my friend as we changed back into our street clothes.
“I gotta go deal with that situation with Ralph,” replied Jason. “Swing by the medical office for a quick exam and then go exploring. Meet me for lunch at the cafe.”
“Well Mr. Laurier, you seem to be in good health,” said Dr. Shimizu as I sat on the exam table in her office. “You’re cleared for the dive center and the transformation process.”
“I’m still on the fence about that one,” I replied as I put my shirt back on. “Still having trouble believing it’s real, but I know it is. I’ve now seen three different merfolk with the tails of an orca, harbor seal, and purple tang. What’s next? A lawyer with the tail of a shark?”
“Sadly, no. We found that those don’t work in the process. The tails have to be inspired by something with an actual skeleton,” she replied very deadpan. “Besides, when Stu’s lawyer drops in, she has the tail of a barracuda.”
“Very funny.”
“Actually I’m serious. Each individual tail has been inspired by a real aquatic species. No two are alike. The body shop is responsible for growing and maintaining them.”
“Okay Doc, IF I decide to go through with the process, do I get to choose my tail?”
“No. Stu and I have granted them full control over who gets what. Heck, even I don’t know what a first timer will get until it’s attached. Each one is individually crafted to your bodily dimensions and anatomy.”
Well, there had to be some mysteries in life. Mizuki did her best to answer a few more questions I had about the process. It still seemed a bit weird, but my mind was slowly becoming more open to it.
Down in Stu’s office…
“Ralph… You’re killing me here,” Stu said with a rare gruffness in his voice. “What’s on your mind? You’ve never disrespected a new guy like that before!”
“Come on man. Carl is my friend here. Would you please at least ATTEMPT to be nice,” shot back Jason. “Heck, you know that trying to find good help for this place has been a pain.”
“And that last point is exactly why I did what I did,” Ralph replied confidently. “I’ve seen too many techs come and go lately that I don’t want to get invested emotionally.”
“I get what you’re driving at, but that’s not what I want expect of you or any of my staff here,” Stu said with exasperation.
“Ralph, you and I have been friends a long time. You’ve expressed serious disgust at some of the “tech bros” as you describe them have changed Boston for the worst,” replied Terje. “However, that is no reason to take it out on Carl.”
“Just remember, it was the tech world that provided the funding for this place after I sold my company,” Stu shot back. “Without it, you would still be slinging hash at the Miss Worcester.”
“Heck, none of us would be here,” replied Jason. “This place has given us purpose again. It’s putting food on the tables for many families in the area. Hell, it even provided a gateway for you reconnect with your daughter.”
“That’s a low blow and you know it,” shouted Ralph.
“Just stating the facts. Call it brutal if you will, but it is the truth!”
“Stop it RIGHT NOW,” Stu screamed as he slammed his fist on the desk. “Let’s cut the crap! The bottom line is that I expect Carl to be treated with the same respect you give any other staff member. Am I being clear?”
The other three men looked on in shock. Stu never got angry like this. Heck, it was of the most even tempered people that ever met.
They had obviously tripped his trigger in a bad way…
“Chrystal clear chief,” replied Ralph. “I’ll try and give the guy a shot.”
“Good. This is going to be a learning curve for me as well. I need to learn how to loosen up a bit,” said Terje. “The only thing that’s black and white around here is my tail.”
As the men left, Stu was tense. He knew he had to blow off some steam and he’d already done a dive this morning. The open road was calling his name…
My mind was a blur. Yes I wanted a change, but it felt like too much all at once. I found myself under the dome of the Hawaiian tank just looking at the fish swimming around me. I had the triplets coming. Trying to decide if I wanted to do a wet side rotation…
In the midst of all this, a big brown and white pit Bull came waddling up towards the bench and made his home in my lap. There was a badge on his collar that read “Dozer, Human care assistant.” At the moment, his warm bulk was just what I needed.
“Dozer, what the hell did I get myself into,” I said as I began stroking his short coarse fur.
“There you are Dozer! I wondered where you ran off to,” said a lady as she came up behind him. “Looks like you found someone to help. I’m sorry, I don’t believe I’ve seen you around here before. I’m April Staz, the in house counselor.”
“Carl Laurier. I just started here today. I’ll be working with Terje in Ops,” I replied. “Staz… Any relation to Justin? I met him earlier.”
“Yes, I’m his wife. Welcome aboard. Having a rough day? Dozer obviously knows something I don’t. Animals have a way of doing that.”
Yes they do… Okay, I could understand the in house doctor, but not many places had their own mental health professional.
How crazy was this place?!?
Part 8…
“So why would an aquarium have a counselor,” I asked as April sat down on the other end of the bench.
“The bottom line was that I came in the package when Stu hired Justin,” replied April as she scratched Dozer’s ear. “However, we have found it’s been quite valuable. Sometimes just knowing there’s someone there can be helpful. Dozer has earned his keep as well.”
“I can tell. This is going to be a heck of a transition.”
“Wait until you do a wet side rotation.”
I had some serious questions for about that…
“Ralph, I’m still wondering why the hell you went off on Carl like that this morning. It’s his first day for cripe sakes,” said Terje as he swim with his friend inspecting the Caribbean reef tank. “Heck, I have NEVER seen Stu that pissed!”
“I’m calling it like I see it,” replied Ralph. “I’ve emotionally invested myself into too many people recently who been worthless in the long run. I’ve had it!”
“Yeah. We have had a high turnover lately. Jason is getting annoyed too, but you don’t see him blowing a gasket! Do you know why Jason is sticking his neck out for the guy?”
“No.”
“First of all, he’s a friend he’s known for many years. Second, Carl has triplets on the way. And third, you heard of the BitWerks collapse, right?”
“Yeah. The company vanished overnight after the Feds started investigating.”
“Carl was the catalyst for that. He knew it was the morally right thing to do in his heart. That speaks to the guy’s character.”
“Yeah, but he cost thousands of people their jobs!”
“Pull your head out of your ass and look at it a different way. He had the guts to call out a couple of egotistical jerks. For the record, you have done the exact same thing to Stu on more than one occasion. That’s why he likes you. He likes people in his inner circle who don’t hesitate to keep him in check.”
“And why are you going to bat for the guy?”
“Because if I don’t get some help soon, the stress is going to drive me to the bottle again. That’ll be almost a decade of sobriety up in smoke. Ogden would have my scalp if I did that.”
“I thought the Iroquois were more known for that than the Ojibwa.”
“Do you get my point?”
“Kind of.”
“Good. When Stu calms down, I HIGHLY recommend you apologize. You better plan on doing it to Jason and Carl too.”
Across town, Guy St. Cyr’s phone pinged with a new message from Stu. “Need to get away for a bit. Can I use the camp,” it read.
“Of course,” he replied.
“What’s the code for the gate?”
“867 5309… All I ask is you refuel the toys and the generator when you get done. Instruction manual is on the shelf by the door.”
“Thanks.”
Stu carefully packed his large duffel bag and tossed in the back seat of his WRX. He might have a shot of making it to camp by dark if he put the hammer down…
After my talk with April and Dozer, I had some more time to look around. From what I observed, Terje had done an excellent job of setting this place up over the years. In fact, the whole facility seemed to be running like a well oiled machine.
“I’m beginning to wonder if I have a place here,” I admitted to my coworkers over lunch. “If you pardon the cliche, I feel like a fish out of water.”
“You’re not alone. We all did when we first started working here,” replied Jason. “It takes time to adjust.”
I hoped my friend was right…
Part 9…
“How did it go,” asked Jenny as I arrived home.
“It was definitely interesting to say the least,” I replied as I gently kissed her. “How did the ultrasound go?”
“So far, so good. There’s three strong heartbeats and they appear to be developing normally. There’s talk about possibly being on bed rest for the last month or so.”
“Ouch. Looks like I’ll have to put in a couple weeks on call to help pad our bank account.”
“What do you mean on call?”
“Part of the job is living at the Institute for a week or two in an on call rotation. It’s something all the senior staff do. On the plus side, Stu adds a hefty bonus for doing so.”
Jenny was a touch bewildered. How was he going to live at the aquarium? Did he mean inside the tanks or did they have some other accommodations?
“Can you come home when you’re on call if there’s an emergency here,” she inquired.
“Sadly no. I’ll be living inside the tanks for a week or two at shot,” I replied.
“You’re joking.”
I pulled up the Rolling Stone cover from a couple months prior, the one with the Ice Cats on the cover. “What I’m about to tell you stays between you and me. Those weren’t costumes.”
“You’re not joking.”
“Remember how you had that uncle who worked as a diver in the offshore oil industry? You know the one who would be gone for a month or so?”
“Yeah. He said he was a saturation diver or something.”
“This is akin to that.”
“You mean you would be transformed into a merman or something and actually living IN the tanks? How big is this damn place?”
“Huge. The biggest tank is 15 million gallons.”
Jenny paused for a minute. Her day job was a sales representative for a company that made equipment for the biotech industry. She had heard whispers of bleeding edge research that could someday lead to pushing the boundaries like this. But her husband as a merman? It seemed like something out of a fairy tale.
At the same time, she realized why Carl was willing to take the risk. He worked his tail off, even when he was unemployed, to take care of her. Now with three more mouths to feed on the way, he was amping up that drive.
“How risky is the process,” she asked. “We’re talking some pretty wild body modifications here.”
“From what I understand, the only lasting side effect is a loss of taste for any seafood products. I’m still debating if I’m going to do it. The base salary is pretty good as is.”
“You told me a while back that you wanted to break out of your old rut. It seems like Jason is helping you to do just that. What do you have to loose?”
It was late afternoon by the time Stu reached the camp. He had to stop on the way up and grab some food, but it was an uneventful trip otherwise. Well, uneventful right up until the moose walked out in front of his car.
“867 5309… Why does that number seem familiar,” Stu muttered to himself as the gate slid open. “Something about calling a girl for a good time?”
He stepped out of car and took a deep breath of mountain air. This was a heck of a camp. The modest log structure had obviously been well maintained and upgraded over the years. There were solar panels on the roof and another large array off to the side. Just behind, he could see the lake and a boathouse.
Once he got inside and stashed the groceries in the fridge, he took a long look around the inside. It was a classic open floor plan with a simple functional kitchen, a couple of bedrooms, and a big living room with huge windows. Upstairs was a loft that could serve as additional sleeping space, but also acted as a small library and music room.
One wall next to the wood stove held another surprise. From the looks of it, this place had been in Guy’s family at least four generations. There were even some pictures of the place in wintertime with some snowmobiles parked on the roof after a heavy snowstorm.
“Thanks Guy. I owe you huge for this,” Stu said to himself as he stepped out on to the deck and into the stillness surrounding him. He then looked at his phone. Zero bars of service. Perfect…
Mizuki was getting ready to prepare dinner for the crew when she found Stu’s note on the fridge. “Need to recharge. Gone to Maine. Will let you know when I’m coming back to civilization. Guy will know where to find me.”
The doctor had to smile a bit. She and April had been noticing he had been a bit moody lately. If he didn’t do something, they would. As medical professionals, they had the authority to lock him out of the main building if needed.
“Yeah Stu, you definitely need a break,” she said to herself as she started chopping a mess of veggies for a stir fry. “Stay safe my friend.”
Part 10…
Stu had a restless night. Demons of the past began haunting his dreams. He was beginning to blame himself for the whole BitWerks disaster and by extension its failure. He had provided some of the seed money for the company in the first place.
What finally woke him up for the day was the call of the loons echoing across the lake. The mist hanging over the water was hauntingly beautiful with the sun streaking through it. An oasis of calm in contrast to his swirling thoughts. When he got back to the Institute, he was going to need April’s help.
Over the next few days, I slowly got my bearings. The rest of the staff was extremely helpful as I got used to the operations of the facility. Heck, I even took Stu’s example and started learning about every aspect of the facility and the jobs it entailed.
“Hey Carl! Got a minute,” said Jason as he came into my office.
“Sure. I was just hanging up some artwork,” I replied. “What’s on your mind?”
“Working on the wet side schedule for next week. Terje’s going into the final week of his rotation and I figure it’ll be a great opportunity for you to start learning the ropes on that side of the operation.”
“Sounds good to me. Didn’t you say you wanted to get me checked out in the dive center too?”
“Sure. We can get your dry suit training knocked out at the same time. They’ve been using it for some arctic dive testing so it’ll be a good opportunity. Good idea. Report to Mizuki tomorrow morning and she’ll outfit you with something that’ll you definitely need for it.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask.”
Up in Maine, Stu was beginning to find some peace. He had grabbed one of the kayaks from the garage and spent the last few mornings exploring the lake. The jagged shoreline had several hidden waterfalls that were a joy to discover. For him, this was pure meditation. The time alone in nature was the medicine he needed.
The next morning, I found myself in the dive center’s medical office. The doctor had several small packages laid out on the table when I arrived. This made me more curious and nervous.
“Doc, what are these things for,” I inquired.
“To make sure I get the right fit. These are getting applied to a very sensitive area. You’re going to be in that dry suit a good chunk of the day with no access to the facilities,” she replied. “Per OSHA regulations, you need some sort of…”
“I get it. Where does the other end of that little tube connect to?”
“A one way valve on the thigh of your dry suit.”
“Is this all really necessary?”
“Yes it is. As I stressed to you before, proper hydration is key to keeping up your performance and safety. All that extra water has to go somewhere. Okay, you’re all set. When you come back in for your post dive exam, I’ll remove it.”
“Thanks.”
“Alright, you’re all zipped up,” said Jason as he checked everything over. “Would you mind doubled checking me?”
“Sure,” I replied as I gave his zipper another tug to make sure it was closed. “Refresh my memory about what all this heavy duty gear is needed?”
“The water is only a degree or two above freezing. Without any sort of protection, you’d be have hypothermia in seconds and be dead within minutes. Even with the best wetsuits, you’d have an hour at most in waters the cold before becoming very uncomfortable. And drink another liter of water before we get geared up.”
I took stock of my situation as the techs helped Jason and I gear up. The new job was definitely less boring than the tech world. I was working at a place that couldn’t be outsourced or easily shut down.
“Your voice and mine are going to sound a bit funny,” Jason cautioned me as the air filled my helmet. “With how deep we’re going, a special gas mix needs to be used.”
“How deep are we talking about,” I replied as I got used to maneuvering in the bulky suit.
“First, I see you’re struggling a bit. Let some gas out. Tap your shoulder valve briefly. You’re looking like the damn Michelin man. Better?”
“Yep. I guess this is going to take a bit to get used to. It feels weird being immersed in the water and not getting wet. Now how deep are we going again?”
“All the way to the bottom. 200 feet down,” said my friend as we hovered over the hole. “Okay, pop quiz… You read the information I gave you about today. Why does your voice sound funny?”
“Because of the helium. Below a certain depth, nitrogen starts becoming toxic. You replace the latter with some of the former to help prevent nitrogen narcosis,” I replied with confidence.”
“Very good. Why do you think we only built the main tanks 60 feet deep?”
“Likely because that’s the limit of a dive without doing a decompression stop. Even then, it all depends on duration of the dive.”
Jason was pleased that Carl had been studying up on the safety material he had been given. Even though they were diving in a controlled environment, the dangers were very real. You couldn’t change diving physics. You could only make sure everyone was aware to minimize the risks.
“Alright,” one last question and it’s a multi part one,” he asked. “What is the bends and what can cause it?”
“As you dive deeper, gases get dissolved into your bloodstream. When you come back up, the gas starts coming back out. Decompression stops allow the gases to gradually work their way out so bubbles don’t form. It’s akin to opening up a soda bottle too fast.”
“Very good. Let’s put you book knowledge into action. Diver to topside. Two going to bottom.”
“Roger divers. You are clear for bottom.”
Gradually, I let enough air out of my dry suit to make me sink. I stood on the edge of the hole and looked down. The water was so clear that it looked like it wasn’t even there. All I could see was a big white X at the bottom.
“You okay,” Jason asked his friend as the stood on the edge of the precipice.
“I feel like I really need to find a bathroom at the moment,” I replied.
Jason casually pointed to the valve on the inside of his thigh. It was a subtle reminder of the plumbing I had attached to my body. I had to overcome come psychological hurdles, but now I knew right then why it was colloquially called a “relief tube.”
I did one last check of my gear. Everything was still holding. No leaks, plenty of air, and my partner was in good shape. Aside from the nervous churning in my stomach, I was doing okay myself.
As I stepped off the edge, the sensation was unreal. It felt like a really slow gradual fall. My heads up display matched the hash marks on the wall. Heck, it was hard to believe the water around me was freezing. I was perfectly comfortable in my little cocoon. The only thing that broke my fantasy was when my feet touched the bottom.
Then I looked up. There was over 19 stories of water above my head. This was a very far cry from the desk job I had before and beyond what I thought I’d be doing.
Jason handed me a marker and pointed towards the wall. He encouraged me to sign my name and leave a massage for others to see.
Mine was simple: I’m doing this for my family…
Part 11…
Pushing myself beyond my limits on that dive was quite exhilarating. Jason and I had also done some actual work. He signed me off on dry suit usage and dive center privileges. Frankly, I had a feeling that he was testing me in the process.
At our first decompression stop at the 150 foot mark, I got curious. How had he gotten wrapped up in this place?
“Long story short, I was down to my last dollar when Stu offered me the opportunity,” he replied. “My other job had shut down and I was out of options. At the time, I was also mentally shot and needed to start over.”
“Sounds like it was being at the right place at the right time.”
“Oh it was a rough transition. I risked it all and moved down here. I was either going to make it work or crash and burn.”
“From what I see, it’s definitely been the former. Still got your CDL?”
“Yep. We have a few pieces of equipment that require one to drive them. Not giving that up at all. Okay. Stop over. Let’s go up another 50 feet.”
Stu found himself a bit sad as he packed up to leave the camp. The last few days of “nature bathing” had been just what he needed. All he had to worry about was what he was going to cook for dinner and what the weather would do.
Once he found himself closer to civilization he shot Mizuki a text. “Feeling better. Home in time for dinner.”
Back on dry land, it felt good to be out of that dry suit and rid of that extra plumbing. However, I was slowly learning to enjoy the whole scuba diving thing. In fact, Jason said all I needed was couple more dives and he’d sign off on me going solo.
“Mind if I join you,” said a lady with a Cajun accent as she came up to my table in the cafe. “You’re Carl, right? Our new AD in ops?”
“Sure, and I yes I am,” I replied. “Sorry. I never caught your name.”
“Jean Tibideaux. I handle social media, PR, and help with guest services,” she replied. “Welcome aboard.”
“Thanks. I’m still getting my bearings and learning about this place. There’s a lot to it.”
“You aren’t kidding. How to do guys manage to handle it all? I feel like I’m a bit out of my league here.”
Jean knew that look on Carl’s face. She had been there herself. Every one of the senior staff had been there when they first started.
“Stu likes people who have never done anything similar before. Do you know why that is,” she asked.
“I guess I’m about to find out.”
“It’s because he values character over expertise. There are plenty of experts out there who have the moral backbone of a sea cucumber. What you did at BitWerks took serious cajones. Did you realize what would happen?”
“All I knew was that it was the right thing to do. Evil hates being in the light.”
“That is EXACTLY why you belong here. Look, I know Jason is very selective about who he goes to bat for. Did you ever meet his buddy Mental?”
“Never met, but heard about him. He was the Air Force major who had the helicopter crash Vegas right?”
“The same one. He’s now living out here and working at the Lincoln Labs. Hang around long enough and you might cross paths.”
Jean and I lingered a bit more after we finished eating. I found out that her husband was the head chef here and that she had two teenage boys. With each passing day and each staff member met, I was slowly unlocking the secrets of this place.
“There are two things I’m nervous about,” I cautiously admitted to my colleague. “One is my first transformation next week and the second is becoming a father.”
“I can tell you the former is a lot easier than the latter,” replied Jean with a smile. “However, both will change you in some pretty interesting ways.”
Stu was happy to see the fish shaped signs as he got closer to Paxton. The time up at camp had been a nice reset from the fun chaos of the Institute. For as much as it was his passion, once in a while it was good to step away.
As he turned up Clownfish way, it felt good to be home…
Part 12…
I spent the weekend going full bore doing stuff around the house. Five months wasn’t a long time and that could easily be cut short if the little ones decided to move in early. There was so much to do in so little time.
“You look like something Earl barfed up,” remarked Val at the Monday morning staff meeting.
“Yeah. Flat out trying to prep the nurseries and childproof everything,” I replied.
Alex and Justin looked at each other and grinned. They had been there and knew what Carl was going through. Soon there would be sleepless nights, sibling squabbles, and memories made. The father to be was going have one wild ride on his hands.
“We have your back,” said Justin. “You’re going to need all the help you can get.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “However, I still have a job to do here.”
At the other end of the table, Stu was in quiet contemplation. He could easily drop inordinate amounts of cash on what HE thought Carl would need. However, part of being a good leader was listening to what the needs ACTUALLY were.
“Alright gang, let’s get on track for this morning,” said Stu. “What’s on tap? Bring me up to speed.”
“The Worcester Rotary club has asked to do a car show on the lawn,” replied Jean. “Probably looking at 200 to 300 cars based on their past events.”
“Work with them and make it happen. Tell them an anonymous benefactor will match what they make dollar for dollar. All I ask is that two of my staff get to be guest judges.”
“Done.”
“Jason, how are we looking on staffing?”
“Val, Akinyi, and Lars just started their rotations. Carl, Jean, and I are going in on Saturday,” replied Jason. “Ralph and Terje still have another week. Sarin and Bridgid just came off.”
“Add me to the mix as well please.”
“Done.”
I began to get nervous. The thought of having my body radically altered and living inside the tanks for a week was starting to make my stomach churn. On the flip side, the fact that the rest of the senior staff talked about it so casually helped me relax a touch.
“Hey Carl! Let’s grab a cup of coffee,” said Justin as the meeting wrapped up. “I want to talk to you about something.
I happily followed the mechanic down into the bowls of the facility. The maintenance shop and offices were located right in the heart of everything. None of the main equipment was too far away. Again, an element of practical design in this place.
“Why is Alex here,” I inquired.
“Because we want to help you,” replied the chef. “Give is a full list of things you need done or bought and we’ll take care of it.”
“You guys are serious,” I muttered in awe. “I’m the freaking new guy here and you’re going to do that right away?”
“It’s the way we operate. Taking care of our own is second nature. Did Jason ever mention how he and Val met?”
“Yeah. Something about sweeping her off her feet in her darkest hour.”
“Kind of,” replied Stu as he walked in. “Akinyi asked us if could help her friend get out of an abusive situation in San Diego. We were still in the process of really getting the Institute off the ground. Jason and Ralph were the two people I could really trust for the task. The latter had the muscle in case things went wrong, but the former, your friend, had the heart handle a broken soul with a deft touch.”
Whoa… I knew Jason as a man who had a lead foot, an incredible car knowledge and kind heart. I just didn’t realize HOW kind he really was.”
“Carl, I do everything I can to support my staff. My job is to take care of all the stuff behind the scenes so you can focus on your task,” Stu prodded. “Alex and Justin are following my example.”
“Thanks guys. I appreciate your generosity, and I’ll get back to you,” I replied as I left to go start my morning rounds.
“Just put everything on the corporate card,” Stu said to the other two men in the room. “And I mean EVERYTHING.”
By now things were starting to kick into high gear for the day. There was a buzz in the air as the first day trip guests began arriving. There were school groups, families, and everything in between.
“Bridgid! How’s it going this morning,” I asked our guest services manager. “And who’s your partner? Almost didn’t recognize you on dry land.”
“Carl? Right,” she replied as the big Rottweiler came up to sniff me. “This is Thor and I’m doing pretty well.”
“Yep. Need a hand with anything?”
“Yeah. I’m doing an animal encounter with some school kids. Want to give me a hand wrangling Earl and Reia?”
“Sure!”
“Come you two! Showtime,” Thor said to the pair of pinnipeds. “Can’t keep your adoring public waiting any longer.”
“If you insist,” replied Reia with a grin.
Earl put his flipper over his nose with embarrassment. Reia could be such a diva a times. However, she had grown into her role as an ambassador for the Institute and her species.
“Did I hear correctly that our newest staff member is helping with the presentation,” he said with a laugh.
“Yes he is,” replied the Rottweiler. “Come on! Don’t let me down! Make him look good. He’s nervous enough as it is!
“Fine. I’ll do my best but only if they have the good treats,” Reia said with her nose in the air.
Earl took a quick sniff. They had the goods alright. The finest fatty tuna was in the pouches. He would waddle across a room of Lego bricks for that stuff…
Part 13…
The rest of the week went surprisingly well. Slowly but surely, I was beginning to find my place amongst the other senior staff. My initial feelings of hesitation were a distant memory.
“Ready for your first transformation,” asked Justin as we sat around the table at lunch one day.
“As ready as I’m going to be. The thought still boggles my mind that it’s even possible,” I replied as I bit into my gyro. “What does it feel like?”
“It’s hard to describe. You’re out of it while the tail is being attached, but while the solution initially works it’s magic, you feel kind of tingly,” said Jason. “It’s weird, surreal, and exciting all at the same time.”
“Mizuki has spent years refining the process,” chimed in Stu. “It makes that time I spent as her lab rat worth it.”
He went on to explain how it took quite a bit of testing to get things right. Mizuki had the knowledge, but Stu also helped design the software that helped calculate everything. It had been a team effort to get things right. In fact, the doctor was the second one to go through the process after Stu.
“I was part of the second wave along with Akinyi, Terje, and Ralph,” said Jason. “I shared your initial hesitation, but now it’s part of my life.”
“You’re about to become part of a very special group. More people have gone into space than have become merfolk,” replied Stu. “Trust me. You’ll never look at yourself the same way again.”
“Switching gears, Carl, do you have a punch list of what you need done to prep your nursery space,” inquired Justin.
“A rough idea. Jenny’s been the one keeping track of it all,” I replied. “You guys are still on that idea?”
“Yep. I’ve been working on enlisting some help too. The goal is to have as much as we can prepared in the next couple of weeks just in case the triplets arrive early.”
“Also, Mizuki is already on standby in case your regular doctor isn’t available,” Stu interjected. “All of our resources are at your disposal.”
I sat back in my chair and caught my breath. This was incredibly tough to wrap my head around. I now had a physician on standby, a billionaire tossing everything he had behind me, and I was going to be turned into a merman. Jason was right. This place did operate differently.
At the moment I was feeling overwhelmed with everything. I never thought I’d do it, but I made a beeline for April’s office. I needed to unload…
“Talk to me,” said April as she motioned me towards the couch. “Just slide Dozer out of the way if you need to.”
For the next hour I poured my heart out with raw emotion. There had been so many things building up that I was about to explode. There were feelings swirling around that I couldn’t even tell Jenny about. It felt really good just to get them off my chest.
“Tough day boys,” asked Onyx as the staff sat around to dinner. The black poodle was a service dog assigned to one of the other veterinarians.
“The new guy is a mixed bag for sure,” replied Dozer. “He’s going through a lot of changes all at once and it’s weighing heavily on his soul.”
“Any idea what’s going on? I know there’s only so much you can tell us under a seal of confidentiality.”
“One of the big things is that his mate is pregnant. Three human puppies are on the way.”
“Three? Normally humans just have one at a time, right?”
“Yes. Twins are less common, triplets are rarer still.”
“No wonder he’s stressed!”
“The good news is that he’s adjusting to the job quite well,” Thor said with a smile. “Carl is nervous, but starting to break out of his shell a bit. You should have seen him during the presentation with Earl and Reia. He did okay for a human.”
That night, sleep eluded me. My head was still in chaos with everything going on. The job was fine and Jenny’s pregnancy was right on track, but it was all the other stuff. Would we be ready in time? Could I hack it as a “good father?” What if something went wrong with the transformation tomorrow?
All this stuff most men hid behind a stoic facade of machismo. More and more, I began to feel like I wasn’t ready…
Part 14…
“How are you feeling this morning,” asked Dr. Shimizu as I walked into the transformation lab wearing one of the sensor studded wetsuits.
“Like I’m about to step into a weird parallel universe,” I replied stiffly. “Still can’t believe this is going to happen.”
“Oh it’ll definitely blow your mind,” replied Jean. “The psychological is tougher than the physical, but it will be worth it.”
The doctor handed me a bottle of translucent blue liquid with my name on it. This was merely the first part of the transformation solution. The second part was gaseous. When my body was subjected to the pressure in the chamber behind me, the two would react and work their magic.
Jason looked on as his friend drank the liquid. This was a big commitment. He and Carl had talked a lot over breakfast about how this was all going to go. He had done his best to help calm his friend’s fears about the process and how he would turn out.
“So how long before my gills start to appear and I start feeling like live bait,” I asked the doctor.
“You shall see,” replied the doctor as she loaded us into the pressure chamber and sealed the door. “Okay, everything is in the green. Beginning cycle now.”
My mind was kind of hazy after that. I vaguely remember being helped out of the chamber and a brief explanation of the next steps. Then some techs assisted me into a medical suite. After that, nothing.
When I finally did wake up, I was floating in a big tank with a collar around my neck. My head was pounding. Sadly, the doctor had warned me that a massive headache was normal in the process.
“If it’s any consolation, everything went off without a hitch,” Mizuki said as she took the collar off.
“Where’s everyone else and how long have I been out,” I inquired as I felt my new tail.
“About two days,” she replied. “The more often you go through the process, the quicker the recovery gets. Everyone else was ready to go in about a day.”
The doctor warned me that this final step might be the toughest of all. After an umpteen number of years breathing air, I had to submerge myself and start breathing water. Great… this was either going to work or my three unborn kids would be fatherless.
I pressed my hands against the tank and opened my eyes. The saltwater stung for a minute until I realized that this part was fine. Then my lungs started burning as the air inside became toxic from the carbon dioxide buildup. I had to take a breath. As the water flowed into my lungs, there was a touch of panic. Finally, calm as my body began extracting the oxygen from the water around me.
“You’re all set to go,” the doctor said with a smile. “Enjoy it!”
This was going to take some getting used to. My tail fin was surprisingly sensitive as I accidentally smacked it against the side of the tank on my way out. Whoa. It felt akin to stubbing my toe. I didn’t even want to think about the impressive bioengineering that made it all work.
“I’ve seen worse first swims,” said Jason as I emerged into the Great Barrier Reef tank. “Welcome!”
I began looking around and adjusting to my new world. Everything just seemed a touch more vibrant. Without the plexiglass air helmet around my head, the colors popped a bit more. Even the fish seemed more curious.
“I’m not sure how the body shop does this, but they did an amazing job,” remarked Terje as he swam over and held out his hand. “Hopefully the last couple of weeks haven’t been too rough. Welcome aboard.”
“Thank you,” I replied as I looked around at the other merfolk. I had seen Terje’s orca and Ralph’s harbor seal tails before. The others I was trying to figure out.
Jason’s aquatic form made sense as I had heard him called the “Codfather” in passing. His tail was brown with black spots. As a finishing touch to make him look like a codfish, a fine white line ran down either side.
“Come on! Don’t be shy,” my friend prodded. “Let’s see what the body shop pulled out this time.”
I finally got a good look at my tail and I definitely wasn’t expecting expecting this. My belly was off white with two long jagged patches of orange on my sides and back. Another jagged strip of white rimmed with a fine teal line divided the two strips of orange. Akinyi explained that it had been inspired by a Mediterranean rainbow wrasse.
“A nice choice. It looks good on you,” said Akinyi. Her tail was covered with large teal and pink scales resembling a parrotfish. To complete the look, she had added beads the same colors in her fine black braided hair.
“So this is my form for the next week,” I said as I swam around getting used to things.
“Actually, that’s your aquatic form period,” replied Jason. “Each tail is a one off creation assigned to the specific individual. No two are alike, but each is modeled after a fish. Less commonly a pinniped or cetacean is the base.”
“I let body shop have free rein,” chimed in Stu. “They look at tons of factors and make the choice from there.”
“They also have a healthy sense of humor,” shot back Ralph. “25 years in the US Navy and I finally get to be a seal.”
He was right. His lower half had grey spotted fur and twin tail flippers. Heck, he looked like he could have been a spitting image of Earl.
“Alight. I haven’t eaten anything in two days. What’s for dinner,” I asked.
“Oh we have something very special for you,” Stu replied with a smirk.
I was almost afraid to ask any more questions…
Part 15…
On the way up to dinner, my fellow merfolk gave me a quick rundown of some of the ground rules. Due to the nature of things, the only time I had to surface was for meals or if I needed to grab something from the maintenance department. If we knew a dry side area was going particularly crowded with people, we would avoid doing work there.
“There’s one more big caveat about being a merman,” said Stu.
“What is it,” I asked.
“Aside from your wife, don’t discuss the details of your transformation with anyone outside the Institute or who hasn’t been authorized.”
“Then how did you get away with letting the Ice Cats do the Rolling Stone cover?”
“Oh that was easy,” replied Jean as she flicked her smooth silvery dolphin inspired tail. “A little photoshop magic and the right filters make it look like really detailed costumes.”
“Just use a bit of caution as you approach the surface,” said Jason. “More than a few times a rookie has launched themselves clean out of the water.”
“Heck, I’ve even done it myself! It usually happens when I’m tired or distracted,” replied Stu as we gently broke the surface.
“Good evening folks,” greeted Alex as we sat around the table. “How’s everyone doing?”
“This is definitely a far cry from my old job in tech, but I’m getting used to it,” I replied.
“Good to hear. I’m not sure if my friends have told you about our little tradition we have to celebrate your first transformation.”
“No they haven’t.”
The chef set down small ornately colored ceramic bowl in front of me. Screw it, I had made it this far, so I pulled up the lid. Inside was a bunch of brightly colored flakes.”
“Really? You guys actually went there,” I said with a dose of bemusement.
“Yes we did,” replied Stu. “And you can blame Mizuki for that.” He went on to explain how all she had kicking around that night of his first successful transformation was a can of fish food.
“What was it she said to you that night? Something along the lines of “you’re part fish now. Eat what they eat” or something,” shot back Val with a grin.
“Yeah. That sounds about right,” Stu said with a grin. “Ever since then, it’s been a tradition for the chef to serve that as your “first meal.” Our way of saying that you are truly one of us now.”
To be fair, I had to laugh at it. As far as workplace gags went, this was a good one that made sense. It wasn’t just to “bust the balls” of the new guy. There was a fun story behind it. It felt more like an initiation into a secret club.
“And now for the main event,” said Alex as he started passing platters and heaping serving bowls of goodness around. “Dig in and don’t be shy. Carl, you’re going to burn a lot more calories than you realize.”
“Being a mermaid is one of the best fitness programs around,” chimed in Akinyi. “You’re constantly moving and using energy to stay warm. Even when you’re still on the water, you’ll be subconsciously making minute adjustments.”
“Yeah. Your glutes will be like boulders,” shot back Ralph. “Pass the char su pork please.”
I sat around listening to my colleagues talk over dinner. The table was a place where everyone was equal. All opinions and grievances could be aired in the open and debated honestly. The people became more akin to family than coworkers.
After that insane meal, I crashed hard. The sleeping pods just below reminded me of one of those Japanese capsule hotels. A nice small enclosed space to sleep. In this case, it was lined with natural sponges so if I did float around, I’d bump into something comfortable.
“Hey Stu! Got a minute,” Ralph asked as they wrapped up evening rounds.
“Sure,” replied the man with the iconic orange and white clownfish tail. “What’s on your mind?”
Ralph paused for a moment and floated next to his friend. It had been almost two weeks since their meeting in the office and Stu’s subsequent hiatus. He had time to think about what he had said to Carl…
“I was out of line that day to both you and Carl. It had been a tough morning and I let my emotions get the better of me,” he said remorsefully. “Please accept my apologies for that.”
“Understandable my friend,” Stu replied calmly. “However, in the future I expect better of you. I also would like you to apologize to Carl. You were downright rude to him.”
“Thanks. I wasn’t going to do it today. That first transformation is emotionally draining as it is.”
Stu looked at his friend with the harbor seal tail. Ralph could be brash, and even a bit blunt at times. However, his honesty was invaluable. Good, bad, or ugly, you always knew where you stood with the man.
My first night as a merman was definitely interesting. There were some incredibly vivid dreams that I just couldn’t quite shake. Once again, Dr. Shimizu had warned me about that. It was just another one of the side effects of the process. My body was still getting used to processing all the new sensations it was experiencing.
“Wake up sleepyhead,” said Jason as he knocked on the side of my pod. “Time for morning rounds.”
“Before breakfast,” I moaned.
“Yes before breakfast,” he replied as he handed me a squeeze bottle of fish food and a pouch of meaty morsels. “It’s feeding time.”
Well… I did have a job to do…
Part 16…
“Good morning Mr. Laurier! How was your first night,” asked Stu as the newest merman emerged into the exhibit.
“Not bad. Gives a new meaning to water bed,” I replied with a stiff chuckle. “So what’s first? Looks like I’m on feeding duty this morning.”
“Yep. It’ll be just like your first dive. If you have any questions on what fish eat what, it’s pretty simple. If they don’t eat from the bottle, then offer up something from your pouch. Just be careful with the eels.”
Jenny was surprised when she saw a van bearing the Calder Institute logo on the doors pull up the driveway. He mind immediately began racing. Did something happen to Carl? Did the transformation process go awry? What was going on?
Gently, she got up and opened the door for the men who arrived. With three growing babies inside, it wasn’t easy. Just getting out of bed had become a chore and there was still at least four months left of the pregnancy.
“Good morning Mrs. Laurier,” greeted one of the men. “I’m Justin and these are my colleagues Alex, Doug, and Vito.”
“Good morning. May I ask what brings you to my doorstep this morning,” inquired Jenny with a very puzzled look on her face.
“Simple. We’re here to help you out for a bit while Carl is doing his wet side rotation.”
Jenny ushered the men inside. This was highly unusual and a weird surprise. However, at this point she had nothing to loose.
“Alex, get with the lady and figure out what her meal needs are. Doug and Vito, let’s look at the nursery and childproofing situation,” Justin instructed his friends.
“Leave everything to us,” said Doug. “You just focus on keeping those bundles of joy safe. Holler if you need anything.”
She watched in awe as the four men started figuring out the tasks. As she learned, Alex was the Institute’s head chef and had two Michelin stars to his name. Justin helped run the maintenance department. Vito worked with Alex, but specialized in pizza. Last but not least, Doug was one of the exhibit curators.
“Later in the week, a couple of people from the grounds crew will be by to take care of the yard work,” explained Justin.
“What did I do to deserve all this,” Jenny inquired.
“Simple, the Institute takes care of its own.”
“It was bad enough when I had my own two kids,” remarked Doug as he started assembling the cribs. “I can’t imagine have three at one shot!”
“I’m dreading how it’s going to be when my daughters become teenagers,” shot back Justin. “Can you hand me the screw gun from my tool bag?”
Back at the Institute…
Slowly, I was getting the hang of this whole merman thing. With thousands of fish in the tanks from hundreds of species, feeding them all was no small task. However, I did learn than the biggest ones, the manta rays and while sharks, ate plankton. They filtered massive amounts of tiny creatures from the water.
“I’m beginning to see why you guys do this. Not having to worry about air tanks or decompression time is quite liberating,” I said to my colleagues.
“We’re also able to handle emergency situations a lot faster too,” replied Terje. “Sadly, we’ve had a few times when a careless guest has dropped a cellphone or camera into one of the tanks.”
“Jewelry too,” chimed in Jean. “That’s how we found out Earl really likes shiny stuff. That fact has come in handy for his training a time or three.
“That reminds me, a local jeweler wanted to have Reia model a couple things.”
“Oh that would be really cool! Maybe get Earl in with some bling of his own?”
“Why the heck not? He was already in one of the videos for the Ice Cats. Might as well let him have some fame of his own.”
Jean was beginning to have an even better thought. Maybe it was time to do a bit of marketing for the Institute. The idea of Earl or Reia dripping with gold and precious stones actually sounded pretty cool.
Yes there was work to be done, like cleaning the massive viewing panels and rocks, but I was beginning to enjoy it. As the days wore on, my tail began to feel more natural. Breathing the water felt less weird. In fact, I was even beginning to forget that my old job was looking into a computer screen and worrying about office politics. This was a lot more FUN.
The last night before I was due to go back to the dry side, Alex gave me an update over dinner. “I did some extra prep work for meals so Jenny doesn’t have to worry about cooking,” he said. “The nursery is about 95% done. All you need to do is stock the supplies. Any idea if they’re going to be boys or girls yet?”
“No. Jenny and I decided that we’ll let that be a surprise,” I replied. “Thanks for all your hard work.”
“Do I even want to know how much your little home improvement session is going to cost me,” Stu said with a smile.
“I can tell you that we held off on the marble changing table, but we went all out on a couple of nice rocking chairs,” the chef replied with a smile.
Stu simply smiled. Even though he had told his friends “spare no expense,” they had been very reasonable with what they did. He knew that he could trust them to be good stewards.
When I got home, I was in awe of what my colleagues had done. The room has been painted a soft calming yellow with a couple of nice accents. Three cribs assembled and ready to go. All we needed now were three healthy babies and a ton of diapers…
Part 17…
Over the next couple of months, the doctor decided to put Jenny on bed rest. The triplets were developing nicely, but it was still a high risk pregnancy. She and I were both getting nervous.
“Look, why don’t you two move into the farmhouse for a bit,” Stu encouraged us. “There’s plenty of space. I’ll move into one of the studios upstairs and you can have my suite on the first floor.”
“You’re serious,” I said in shock.
“Absolutely! Look, Mizuki is around all the time. You have plenty of people to look after her, and she can just relax. Plus, if anything goes wrong, you’re five minutes away.”
“He does make a convincing argument,” replied Jenny as we sat around the table. “This is definitely one impressive facility. If I wasn’t in my current state, I’d dive right in.”
“There’s one more thing,” Stu began again. “I have a feeling you’re going to need something a bit bigger than your Saab or Jenny’s Elantra. Go buy it. On me. Consider it my baby shower gift.”
“But Stu! You and the staff already been so generous! How can I ever repay you?”
“I take care of my friends. You can repay me by raising those kids to the best of your ability. That’s all I ask.”
I looked at my wife in awe. She was just as slack jawed as we looked into the tanks. My job had been more than I expected and then some. Stu was taking the business adage of “treat them well enough that they never want to leave” to heart.
A couple weeks later…
It took some digging, but I finally found our new family hauler. I used a few of my connections from my old car sales days to track down the exact spec I wanted from a dealer in Schenectady, NY. At first I wasn’t a fan of the green, but at least it wasn’t something boring like beige or grey.
“Nice choice,” said Stu when I showed him the specs. “I’ll cut the check to the dealer this afternoon. All you and Jenny have to do is pick it up. I’ll even drive you out there.”
“Seriously,” I replied in shock.
“Why yes. I’m heading down to the city to meet with a fish supplier that day anyway.”
“Thanks.”
“Motor vehicle accident. Minivan versus logging truck,” said the dispatcher over the radio. “Intersection of Pleasant and Grove.”
“Copy dispatch. Unit 1 enroute,” replied Chief Gagnon as she hit the lights and mashed the throttle on her police cruiser. “Are fire and EMS rolling?”
“10-4 Chief.”
By the time she got there, the fire chief, Bud Zabek, was assessing the situation. “We have two trapped in the van. Both are conscious, barely, but the passenger is pregnant,” he said. “Better get Medflight in the air. The woman’s injuries are pretty bad. She’ll probably have to go to Boston.”
“Fine. I’ll have the Calder Institute clear the field. It’s the closest open place for it to land.”
“Good. Close the road. I’ll call Holden for help with traffic control.”
When the police chief arrived, she was mortified at what she saw. The fully loaded logging truck had hit the van broadside and smashed it against the boulder across the street. The the van was still wearing a New York dealer tag at the rear and was a tangle of twisted metal.
“Bud, what’s the story,” Stacy inquired in a no nonsense fashion.
He nodded to the truck driver sitting on the stone wall nearby. “Driver said he felt something break as he downshifted coming down the hill. He jammed on the brakes, but they burned up with that full load of logs on.”
“His quick thinking is probably what saved it from being a dead on hit at the passenger side. Anything else?”
“Driver‘s story checks out. We found a drive shaft rolling down the hill behind him. Brakes were red hot. The van was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Better call the the state troopers. The commercial vehicle unit will definitely want to see this one.”
Her sergeant, Diego Torres arrived to start assessing the scene more closely. He confirmed what the fire chief and the truck driver already suspected. However, a more thorough investigation of the logging truck would be warranted.
“Do we know who these people are yet,” s
Stacy shouted over the chaos.
“Yeah. We found a wallet belonging to the driver of the van. Driver’s license and work ID verify his name is Carl Laurier. The passenger is his wife,” replied the paramedic.
Stacy’s heart sank. Stu was a good friend and had been a great supporter in the town. To tell him that one of his staff had been hurt in an accident would wreck his heart.
In the aftermath of the accident, I heard my wife cry out meekly “If I don’t make it, save the kids.”
“I’ll try,” I replied as I faded. “I’ll try.”
Part 18…
Stu had a successful trip down to New York City. His fish supplier had just gotten a few new things and was curious if the billionaire would be interested. Of course he was.
“Stacy! What a pleasant surprise,” he said as the chief’s number popped up on the screen of his WRX.
“I don’t know how to put this to you, but one of your employees was just taken to UMass medical,” she replied somberly. “Bad car accident.”
“Who was it and what happened?”
“Carl Laurier. His wife is being flown to Brigham and Women’s in Boston as we speak. Logging truck nailed them broadside.”
“Are they alive?”
“Carl is okay, but Jenny got the worst of it.”
Stu’s heart sank. Over the last couple of months, Carl had grown on him, Jenny as well. They were both becoming part of the Institute family in many fun ways.
“Carl, can you hear me? Do you know where you are,” said the doctor as the patient was wheeled into the trauma room. “Get me a fresh set of vitals. What do we have here?”
“Logging truck versus minivan. Truck hit the van on the passenger side. Carl was the driver,” replied the paramedic.
“Seatbelt and airbags?”
“Luckily worn and all deployed.”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck,” I moaned groggily.
“Yes you were,” replied the doctor. The fact that he was aware of what was going on was a very good sign. “You’re at UMass Memorial medical in Worcester. How many fingers and I holding up?”
“Three. Where’s Jenny?”
“Your wife? They flew her to Boston. The good news is that your vision is okay.”
Adrenaline started flowing through me at the speed of light and I grabbed the closest nurse. My fatherly protective instincts felt like they were in overdrive. “Get a message to them. Save my babies,” I screamed with what strength I had. “My apologies for doing that.”
“We understand and we’ll do the best we can,” replied the nurse. “We’re going to need a chest X-ray and a CT scan to check for further damage.”
“Make it happen,” said the doctor. “The good news is he’s stable for now.”
In Boston, a helicopter was landing gently on the roof of the hospital. The patients inside were stable for now. There were still four heartbeats.
“Alright, what do we have here,” said the doctor as she came in and saw Jenny on the exam table.
“She was the passenger in a vehicle accident. Was belted with airbag deployment,” replied the flight surgeon as he hung up the IV. “Blunt trauma on the right side. We gave her a mild sedative and some pain meds enroute.”
“Was she conscious when you picked her up?”
“Yes. She kept saying something about save the kids. She’s carrying triplets.”
The doctor began her exam. Her mind was racing with the possibilities of what could happen, what might go wrong, and the hope that this would all work out. She would have to rely on her skills, training, and a bit of luck for this to work out.
When I finally woke up, I was one hurting unit. It hurt to even breathe and there was an IV in my my hand. I heard a constant series of beeps and other noises. At least I was alive. Sadly, this time I didn’t have a fish tail over my legs.
“Nurse, how long have I been out,” I asked as they came in to check on me.
“About a day and a half,” she replied. “You’re damn lucky. I saw the pictures of the van.”
“Give it to me straight. How bad am I?”
“Three cracked ribs, a busted ankle, mild concussion, and some pretty bad bruising. But you have some visitors.”
“Nurse, would you please leave us alone for a minute,” said Jason as he walked in with Ralph, April, and Dozer in tow.
My friend shut the door. By the look on his face, something heavy was on his mind. In fact, all my friends were deeply troubled. This wasn’t good at all.
“Guys, something is up. This isn’t exactly a social call, is it,” I inquired through the fog of pain.
“We have some good news and bad news,” said April. “Which do you want first?”
“Give me the good news.”
“They managed to save the babies,” replied Jason. “Congratulations. They’re a little premature, but they’re doing well. Two boys and a girl.”
Ralph braced himself for what was next. He had been in Carl’s shoes many years ago. His colleague was about to go one one hell of a ride.
Dozer carefully positioned himself within reach of Carl. He instinctively knew the man was going to need something to comfort him. This was going to be tough.
Jason took a deep breath. He had been dreading this moment ever since they got the news from Brigham and Women’s late last night. They had thought long and hard about how to deliver the information. In the end, seeing as he was Carl’s closest friend, it should come from his lips.
“Jenny didn’t make it,” he said as his heart sank. “The doctors did all they could, but she took the brunt of the impact.”
Fuck… I was now a widow and a new father to triplets. I didn’t quite know what to do next…
Part 19…
After my friends dropped the news on me, I just felt catatonic for days. My head was spinning but I felt numb. I had so much to worry about… How was I going to handle three infants on my own? What was I going to do next? Heck, now I had to worry about Jenny’s funeral.
Ralph dropped by one morning out of the blue. He and I had gotten off to a rocky start, but I had grown to respect him. He knew the systems of the Institute inside and out. He was also one who gave me unbiased and unfiltered feedback.
“Carl, this may sound weird, but I know exactly what you’re going through,” he said in his classic south Boston accent. “Will you allow me to help you?”
He then laid out his own story. He had a grown daughter of his own. In the midst of mental turmoil, he given her up for adoption when his wife had died during childbirth. Thankfully, he had been able to reconnect with her in recent years and begin anew.
At this point, I still didn’t know which end was up. The only things I did know was that I still had a job and that Stu had reassured me that he would take care of everything financially. Those were two big pieces of the puzzle.
“I’ve talked it over with the rest staff living in the house, and we want you and the kids to move in,” Ralph explained. “Are you familiar with the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child?”
“Yeah. Wait a minute… Are you guys offering to,” I stammered in a haze. “You can’t be serious.”
“Serious as getting hit by a Mack truck.”
“It was actually a Kenworth, but I get your point.”
“Look buddy, I hate to break it to you, but you’re a wreck. You are going to need every iota of help you can get. Think about it: You’ve got a doctor at your fingertips. Two other sets of experienced parents to help guide you. That’s in addition to a bunch of others who are on standby.”
“What if I say no?”
“You still have a few more bones that can be broken,” Ralph replied as he began cracking his knuckles. “Either that or Dozer can use you as a chew toy.”
I knew my friend was only half joking, but he made his point. I was a wreck and I needed some help. My fellow staffers had become my second family. When Jason told me things were different, he didn’t tell me HOW different they would be.
“Fine. Make it happen, but I want a favor from you,” I said to my friend. “When they finally release me, we’re making a run to Boston. I want to see my kids.”
“Good man,” replied Ralph. “Got any ideas for names?”
Stu’s phone pinged with a new message and it was good news. Carl had accepted their proposal. Now it was going to be another mad dash to build a nursery for their colleague.
A few days later, I got the green light to be released. As much as I wanted to hightail it to Boston, Mizuki convinced me that a few days recovery at home would be a better choice. If the lady could turn me into a merman AND back, then she was definitely trustworthy.
“Sadly. I can’t let you play in the tanks until that leg and your bruised lung heal,” she explained calmly. “It’s going to be a long road back.”
“You’re killing me here Doc,” I replied as I hobbled into the farmhouse. “But I understand.”
“The good news is that I have some magic I can work. Remember that I have access to some stuff that the hospital doesn’t. I might be able to shorten your recovery time a bit.”
“How’s he doing,” Thor asked as the dogs sat under dinner table.
“It’s going to be a very different type of recovery than it was with Galen,” Dozer replied. “Whereas he was coming to grips with things after years of abuse, Carl has suffered a sudden traumatic event. It’s going to take some time. There’s going to be a physical recovery along with s mental one.”
“Sounds we have our work cut out for us,” replied Onyx. “Did I hear something about human puppies coming here too?”
“They simply call them babies, but yes,” chimed in Thor. “Our job will be to help protect them.”
“How the heck did I get yanked into this,” moaned Onyx. “I’m getting serious deja vu.”
“You and me both sister,” replied Dozer as he laughed.
Over the next couple of nights, my mind began processing all that had happened after the accident. Could I have done anything differently? How would Jenny have reacted if I had been the one killed? What did I do to have this kind of luck?
April did her best to reassure me the accident wasn’t my fault. She even showed me the official report from the State Police. It was a mechanical failure and I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
To be honest, that still didn’t help much…
Part 20…
“Have you settled on any names yet,” Jason asked as we took one of the Institute’s vans into Boston.
“I’m thinking Morgan for the girl,” I replied. “That was Jenny’s middle name. It would be a nice way to honor her mother.”
“Good call. Sounds like you’re going uncommon but still classic. replied Val. “What about the boys?”
“From the pictures the NICU sent me, looks like one of them is a bit stocky. What do you think about Bear?”
“Nice! And the other one?”
“I think Hunter has a nice ring.”
Jason deftly navigated the van through the congested streets of Boston until he got to our destination. Boston Children’s hospital was widely regarded as one of the best in the country, if not the world. I was extremely fortunate that my bundles of joy were in good hands here.
“Mr. Laurier! Good to see you up and around,” greeted the doctor as he came up to greet us. “I’m Dr. Yuri Shevchenko, the head of the NICU.”
“Thank you for saving my kids,” I replied as I shook his hand. “I know it’s only been a couple of weeks, but it feels like a lifetime ago. How are they doing?”
“Quite well actually. They were actually more developed than your wife’s last ultrasound indicated. Are you ready to see them?”
I nodded and the staff brought us into the nursery. I was nervous. Heck, I was probably more scared of doing this than I was going through the transformation.
It took some doing, but eventually I had all three bundles carefully cradled in my arms. My friends and the nurses were happily snapping pictures of the joyous moment.
“Do you have names picked out,” asked the nurse.
“Yes I do,” I replied. “Meet Hunter, Bear, and Morgan. When can they come home?”
“Likely another week or two,” explained Dr. Shevchenko. “Hopefully you’ll be ready.”
“Are any parents every TRULY prepared for this?”
“Not at all,” replied the nurse. “However, most do a heck of a job. I can see in your soul that you will be just fine.”
“He’s going to have a ton of help,” chimed in Val as she held Morgan.
“Yeah. How many kids will have a houseful to keep tabs on them,” said Jason with a grin. “They are going to have the best life ever.”
“All we can do is set the example,” I replied as I looked into Bear’s eyes.
A few weeks later…
“They’re here,” shouted Onyx as she excitedly looked out the window.
“Oh boy,” replied Dozer as he came up behind her with tail wagging. “Boy, it takes a lot of stuff to take care of them!”
“Any tips for dealing with kids,” inquired Thor. “You’re the most experienced of all of us when it comes down to dealing with the wee ones.”
“Just show them love, affection, and be gentle,” replied the pit bull. “The humans will do the rest.”
It took a bit to get everything settled, but once I did, I called a house meeting. A couple people, like Galen, April, and Alex, were on their wet side rotations. I’d catch up with them later.
“Alright gang, I am hereby asking for a huge favor,” I started as we sat around the living room. “I am asking for your help as the godparents to my children.”
Looking around, I got several nods in affirmation. For the first time in ages, things were looking up. I knew there might be some dark days, but I had a feeling the good would outweigh the bad.
I definitely got a career change alright. I had officially become a full time dad…
What happens when a mermaid awakens to find herself trapped and tortured in a rubber cocoon?
She may not know it yet, but Rae's about to discover the answer...
WagglingMermaid is the original creator of Rae and the source of the inspiration for this story.
She may not know it yet, but Rae's about to discover the answer...
WagglingMermaid is the original creator of Rae and the source of the inspiration for this story.
Mature
© 2020 - 2025 Nate-Walis
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DAAARK...but so well written it make me gegnuinely feel sorry for her, even if it's only a fictionnal character