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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:27:26 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:28:25 GMT -5
Aquaman
Issue: "The Deep, Pt. 1"
Written by Brandon Herren
Cover by Brandon Herren
Editor: David Charlton |
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:29:22 GMT -5
King Orin the Second was known by many names in his lifetime. King of Atlantis, Protector of the Seven Seas, Liberator of the Sixth Age, Champion of Earth, Curse-bearer of Kordax, and to the people of the surface world, Aquaman. But among those closest to him he was known simply as Arthur.
There were few, myself included, who ever knew the whole story of the beginnings of Arthur the King, and I am perhaps the only one left among them. I have no doubt that is why I have been asked to make these final entries in the Atlantis Chronicles, so it is with heavy heart I recount those simpler and hopeful days.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:29:48 GMT -5
The origins of King Orin were as unusual and unprecedented as the life that followed. Atlantis in that time had known a troubled history and long been a place of stagnation and decline when King Trevis took power. Once a man of passion, he had been drawn and lulled into complacency by the bureaucracy of the Council, much to his wife Atlanna’s dismay. He could not even sire her a child as he was as impotent as his kingship. She cried out for help, for someone to save the dying light of her beloved city, and the mysterious wizard Atlan answered her call. As in a dream she was drawn into the hills outside the city and surrendered to him and became with child. Just before she was found however the palace staff had heard the King in his chamber and the sounds of being with a woman. Trevis claimed the child as his own and dimissed any questions. But soon rumors spread of the mysterious circumstances of the conception and when the Prince was born with stark yellow hair, unlike any in generations, the people were alarmed. The King was infuriated and jealous as he knew the child was not his, and he labeled the child the Curse-bearer of Kordax. Both the Queen and infant were exiled.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:30:08 GMT -5
Atlanna fled, lost and alone for weeks before desperately turning to the surface world. Weak from hunger she collapsed on the shore to be found shortly by a kindly lighthouse keeper, Thomas Curry. This surface human was honest, humble, and brave, and his compassion in caring for Atlanna and her child without question won the Queen’s heart. And in turn he loved her and soon they were married quietly at sea and enjoyed many happy years in the lighthouse. But when young Arthur became ill surface medicine wouldn't work with his Atlantean physiology, so with great sadness she left with him to return to Atlantis. Trevis, overcome with guilt and sorrow, was overjoyed to have his Queen return and the child was soon returned to health. The Queen felt the burden of her son not knowing his heritage and they remained there for a time, and she visited the lighthouse keeper when possible. But many dark forces were in bid for the power of the throne of Atlantis and the priest Kalandro, along with the witch, Merganys, introduced another prince to the city. One previously unknown by the name Orm. The King had long much of his power the the years preceding and it was not hard for the subversive alliance to capture the throne. The Queen once again fled with her son, but not before being mortally injured. Those sympathetic to the Queen saw her returned to her true love, the lighthouse keeper, for her final moments. And the science of Atlantis was used to suppress the memories of young Orin, or as his mother had named him on the surface, Arthur Curry. It was the only way to protect the young prince and his life was to be as a normal human boy.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:30:28 GMT -5
The Queen was laid to rest in a nearby cave and the lighthouse keeper continued to raise the boy as his own. None could have been more suited for the job as he was a former Naval Officer, retired professor, and now assisted the local Coast Guard by maintaining the lighthouse. There were few if any sea stories, tales, or legends he had not heard and he shared all his knowledge with young Arthur. Arthur’s enemies now knew of his existence and came looking for him on the land, and he learned slowly of his unusual abilities when forced to protect himself. The boy questioned his father but he assured young Arthur he would know the truth when the time came. Soon, the lighthouse keeper passed on and Arthur was left alone. He wandered the surface world for a time and helped the sea creatures whenever possible. He had always known a kinship with them and eventually found his way in the ocean. His memories returned and he set out to reclaim the throne of Atlantis from the tyrants that had seized it years before. He liberated the people of his city and quickly learned the ways of a King. During his struggle to get back the crown he met and fell in love with the lovely Mera, who was to be his Queen, and gained the trust of his lifelong advisor and friend, Vulko. After bringing his people to freedom he helped reinvigorate the spirit of the city and the Sixth Age began. And with Atlantis restored, the King struck out into the world’s oceans to explore them and to protect all who lived there.
I met him about this time. He was full of hope, had a strong sense of adventure, and so sure he could save every creature in his domain. A bigger inspiration and better friend I have never met. But that was before he knew how many would come against him in the days to come and to what treacheries they would commit to accomplish their goals…
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:31:55 GMT -5
Far below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, a small craft descended through the murky depth. Inside, a young woman sat entranced and watched as the exterior lights traced along the lichen, plants, and small sea life scurrying along the steep face of the ridge. An eel darted in front of the glass enclosing the front quarter of the submersible vehicle and the woman jumped slightly.
“Your first time down this far, huh?” the man beside her asked with a small grin.
She turned to look at her companion and pilot of the compact ship and was suddenly struck with how cramped their vessel seemed. He was a strong-jawed man of about forty and looked to have been a man of the sea his entire life. His dark, neatly trimmed goatee glistened from the glow of the control screens in front of him.
“Yes,” she answered.
Still grinning he replied, “That’s unexpected, considering after all that your…”
“A marine biologist,” she said cutting him short, “yes, I guess it is.”
The man paused. He took the hint and continued at the woman’s suggestion, “Right. And from what I understand one of the brightest, young doctors working in the field.”
“Thank you, Hargas.”
“Here we go,” the man shifted his attention to the control panel and the ship’s descent slowed. The ridge they had been following receded in suddenly to reveal a deep alcove. The lights of the craft glared briefly before the pilot dimmed them to reveal hundreds of tiny luminescent plants that lined the interior of the small cave and looked like a field of stars. The low light filled the space with a faint and ghostly glow and caused the various algae and growths to shine and make a patchwork of colors underneath. The woman stared forward transfixed. “Amazing,” escaped under her breath.
After a moment the man spoke. “We had better gather the samples quickly. We can only move just inside the crevice here. Any farther would be too dangerous to navigate the pod.”
“Of course,” she said taking the control stick to the exterior arm. She activated and extended the mechanical appendage into the jumble of day-glo growth. The clumsy looking arm fell smoothly around a few of the large glowing blooms. She held the control tight, her muscles tense. She had waited over a year to study this rare plant and now her goal was at hand. The plucked blooms were maneuvered into a small box on the outside of the ship and a few seconds later she held her prize.
“A versatile, non-toxic bioluminescent. The medical applications alone…”, she pondered, her face cast in a faint blue shine.
The man regarded her with admiration. “And not to mention a small fortune for the Captain!”
“Mr. Hargas, there are more important things in life than mo…”, she stopped. “Did you see something?”
He turned quickly to look at the far side of the cavern shrouded almost entirely in shadow. Saying nothing he reached for the navigational control. The engine hummed softly and the ship began to move. “We’d better get back.”
The Doctor hurried to secure the plant in an airtight container beside her seat.
“This is Sea Pod 12 contacting the Leviathan. We have secured the sample and are returning.”
They lurched forward suddenly with a thud on the back wall of the vessel. The woman looked up to see a gigantic tentacle uncurling across the front of the pod.
“Octopus!” Hargas cried out. “Hold on, I’ll try to break free!” But the craft collided with the roof of the crevice’s mouth. The lights inside flickered and sparks flew from a cable on the back wall.
“Oh god!” cried the Doctor, “NO!” She looked around hurriedly feeling claustrophobic. Three more coarse arms embraced the ship.
Hargas flipped the switch for the automated distress signal. “The Leviathan’s not that far. They’ll send help!” But the ship moved sharply up now and crashed against another wall, throwing the pilot forward into a panel box and knocking him unconscious.
“Calling Sea Pod 12! Come in Sea Pod! This is the Leviathan. Respond please! What is your situation? Repeat, what is…”, the call stopped dead as the ship smashed downward.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:32:46 GMT -5
The power failed and the metal hull screeched under the abuse. Emergency power activated automatically and the interior glowed red. The Doctor hit her arm sharply on the corner of a bracket and winced as pain shot through it. Her brain reeled as she looked around to see a large crack in the front glass and water gathering quickly at her feet. A panic overcame her and she sat frozen and breathing rapidly, not knowing what to do and certain she would die. The enormous sea-beast tightened its grip. The glass cracked further and a circuit box fell from the interior wall. She closed her eyes and waited.
After a brief moment she heard a faint voice and felt a presence from outside the ship. There was a bright flash that filled the mouth of the grotto and the tentacles withdrew. The pod pivoted slowly as it drifted down, catching on the edge of the opening.
She looked up into the mass of liquid and silhouetted against the brighter water above was the octopus. This was her first full look at the creature and she could not believe her eyes. It was the most immense octopod she had seen in her brief career as a marine specialist. It’s tentacles moved quickly in snapping and curling motions, searching frantically for something. And in an instant he appeared, swimming, almost flying, around the octopus. It paused at the sight of him, drawing its arms in close. He held a long object outright as he poised himself in front of the creature and as the trident began to glow she knew at once who it was. “The Aquaman,” she whispered.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:34:05 GMT -5
Halt!, she could hear his voice inside her head as if his thoughts were emanating out in waves.
Why do you attack? The octopus only swirled and switched it’s appendages, sizing up it’s opposition.
I am Orin, the Sea King, and I demand a response!
The Doctor stared at him. She had heard stories and seen reports on television, but to see him here, like this, he seemed to be so much more. Like a legend that had come to life, and where she had faced certain death moments before, she now had hope.
Suddenly the submersible shifted on the precipice and was tottering downward and she glimpsed the dark and uncertain depths below. The woman unbuckled herself and moved to the back of the ship. As she stepped she noticed the water had risen to her knees. She stood breathing shallowly and hoping the craft would hold. The panicked woman looked out to her would-be savior in time to see the octopus strike. Moving too quickly for Aquaman to respond a tentacle first seized the arm holding the trident, next a leg, with another his torso, and then his other arm. The enraged beast began bending him backward like a ragdoll making him lose his grip on the weapon, which floated steadily down into the abyss. The woman began to cry out but was cut short as the rock under the ship gave way and her ship followed after into the impenetrable darkness below.
She struggled to unfastened her unconscious companion, holding his his head up as the water level rose past their waists. The Doctor fumbled at the door holding their airtanks and breathing masks but only recovered one, the other too badly damaged by the attack. The craft tumbled from side to side and banged against the ridge wall, making it almost impossible for her to keep herself and the pilot upright. She finally cried out, “Help us! Oh god, please, help us!”
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:34:35 GMT -5
Aquaman struggled against his predator but only became more entangled. The octopus grappled with him until it had him wrapped tightly in its arms, slowly constricting inward. The hero tried to move his arms for leverage but discovered to his dismay they were pinned tightly to his sides. He grimaced at seeing the cephalopod’s massive beak and felt himself being drawn inward.
He reached out again with his mind, “why are you… doing this?” Again no reply so Orin opened his mind empathically to the creature. He immediately felt a wave of emotion and a blinding rage rushed over him. But underneath, there was something else, a horrible agony. At once Aquaman knew that there was no hope of quelling the behemoth’s berserk rage. It was driven mad with despair and would not stop until it had destroyed both himself and…. He strained to look over his shoulder to see the small ship was gone! At once he flexed his powerful muscles, so strong as to swim the length of the entire ocean! He had been holding back his strength trying not to injure the desperate creature, but now was left with no choice. He concentrated everything on moving his arms up and outward, straining for brief seconds until he could move his legs. Then he thrust his feet out into the monstrous maw before him and the octopus shrieked and recoiled in pain. Free from the jumble of tentacles, the Sea King launched himself upside down into a tight arc backward and then plunged down at an incredible speed.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:36:27 GMT -5
Inside the doomed pod the woman worked to get the surviving airmask on Hargas. Once on, she let him back against the interior wall. She thought that if nothing else he might live long enough to be recovered by the rescue team. The water was now at her shoulder and rising quickly. She was not a woman susceptible to crying but at that moment she felt a tear well in the corner of her eye as she thought of her family and friends.
A moment later she could see a radiance shining blurrily through the gradations of the water as the spider-webbed glass cracked a little more in front of her. After a brief second the Trident of Neptune was close enough to brighten the surrounding water and casting odd shadows inside of the ship. She could see her hero again and the craft stopped at once, then reversed into an ascent. She choked a small laugh of relief. The Doctor could see his face distorted through the water and could swear she saw a smile.
It’s okay, she heard. Everything’s going to be okay. As strange as it seemed to hear another person’s thoughts in her head it was also comforting.
He communicated that she should prepare to abandon the ship as quickly as possible. She grabbed the container with the sea plant inside and took deep breaths, trying to regulate her breathing. The ship came to a rest back on the failed ledge and he secure the derelict by driving his golden trident into the crusted rock beneath it. He spoke to her again, This ship is too small for this depth, there must be a larger one close by. We’re going to have to swim for it.
“Look out!” the Doctor interrupted.
Aquaman spun around to see the giant had slithered up silently behind him. Before he could move the octopus had wrapped him tightly again in its limbs. He shoved down on the tentacles trying in vain to free himself. The beast cried out in a shrill pitch and drew him close as it’s other appendages switched and jerked wildly. Unable to gain an inch in the creature’s deathgrip, Aquaman reached out with his mind, attempting to make telepathic contact with it. After a few seconds, the ocean surrounding them grew still and dark until it seemed there was nothing else. The Sea King spoke softly, Show me your pain.
At first there was only a low garbled noise, then an eruption of violent flashes of color. Reds, purples, and greens popped and sparked all around. And finally the memories began to unfold before his eyes. He could see the octopus days before inside the cave. She had just become a mother and was filled with joy. She watched her eggs attentively under the glow of the plants scattered across the floor and felt contented and proud. The creature was prepared to attend to these small ones until her death but began to feel weak from her efforts and had to continue. So, she left to gather food to recover her strength, but when she returned a feeling of horror overcame her. The eggs were gone. She first searched the cave and then the water and ridge nearby, but nothing. She moved slowly into a dark indentation in the wall and surrendered to deep despair and hopelessness. There was a long silence before she saw the lights inside her nest from the pod. She watched as it moved into the cave and her rage grew. The predator had returned and her fury overcame her as she moved to attack.
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:39:04 GMT -5
The images faded as Aquaman severed the link with the animal and looked on it with pity. This was a long pause before he simply said, I am sorry. The octopus was calm now and her tentacles loosened. Anger had turned now to deep sorrow. Aquaman moved forward and placed his hands on the tortured creature. He comforted her for a long moment before she broke away and swam slowly down into the dark water below.
He snapped around and swam swiftly back to the pod, now dangerously close to being filled with water. The Doctor had her face turned just inches from the roof to breath what oxygen was left. She saw her hero returning and thought, about time.
My apologies, he replied and she was startled, having forgotten he could hear her. Take as deep a breath as you can and hold it, the Sea King continued, we should have a little over a minute to find your ship. She felt uneasy at the last statement but reached down to make sure the container was attached to her belt, pulled the pilot in close to her body, and swallowed a huge gulp of air.
Aquaman grabbed two struts on the pod and ripped open the fuselage. The woman closed her eyes tightly and began counting to herself, “1… 2… 3…” The water-breather grabbed the Doctor and the limp pilot, holding them in tight he sped upward. The rock face zipped passed them as he climbed up into the open water. He had to act fast as he knew every second counted. He could have made it to the surface easily in that time but the rapid change in pressure would have killed his passengers. He glided to the top of the undersea cliff and looked around the ocean water in all directions. Aquaman turned himself scanning the area for a ship, his acutely developed senses focused on the task. Long seconds passed before he spotted a dark mass off to the west and the Sea King rocketed himself toward it.
“…25... 26… 27…”, the Doctor continued, trying to think of nothing else.
Aquaman moved intently through the mass of water, his eyes trained on his objective. He quickly closed on the large ship. His arms were fastened tightly on his cargo and his powerful legs propelled them steadily on. As they approached the mysterious vessel, Aquaman could trace the outline of a massive submarine and was shocked at the enormity of it. Tiny lights lit the ship’s black hull with the exception of two piercing searchlights on each side.
“…47… 48… 49…”
The ship made almost no noise or disturbance in the water as it crept forward. Aquaman scanned the ship’s exterior as they drew closer but could find few details and no visible doors. His mind raced as he considered puncturing the shell of the vessel for a port of entry.
“…59… 60… 61…” The woman tried to imagine being somewhere else but couldn't. She could only hope they were close. "Oh god."
Aquaman felt the woman panic and grab his arm strongly. He looked over the ship again and swam in to strike it’s exterior when an airlock appeared on the front side of the giant sub, launching a rescue pod that shot by the trio as they moved closer. Aquaman knew this was his only chance and seized it. He pushed himself and sped into the small enclosure as the portal slammed shut.
“…74… 7… 7… …”
He felt the woman weaken while waiting impatiently for the water to drain from the chamber. He let them go and struck the large door forward, tearing it free from its thick brackets onto the metal floor inside and the gallons of water rushed out into the docking bay. The woman fell out on her knees and gasped for air.
Startled attendants stood and stared at the scene and others dressed in black uniforms rushed in with weapons drawn. Aquaman stood straight and dripping with water. The crew looked on in shock. Hushed whispers circulated the room. “These people need immediate medical attention!” barked Aquaman.
He looked down to the Doctor struggling to push herself to her feet and helped her gain her footing. “Are you okay?”
“Thank you, yes.” she half-coughed. She pushed her dark, wet hair back from her face and looked up at him, struck again with his presence. His dark green pants contrasted the shimmering orange mail made of scales covering his torso. His yellow hair almost glowed under the stark lighting inside the room. She felt a wave of exhaustion and weakness ran up through her legs. She started to fall backward, only to be swept under by one of her savior’s arms. He stood smiling as he held her almost in a dip. “Hi,” she said meekly.
Abruptly the men in the room snapped to attention as the main door opened with a hiss. In first rushed two men in red carrying medical packs and a stretcher who stopped and went to work beside the pilot resting on the flooded floor. Next strode in a large man, dressed sharply in black with white, closely cropped hair and beard, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped at the railing of the landing above the rest of the floor in the bay and surveyed the scene intensely as two armed men stepped in behind him. All of the men in the room were visibly tense being in his proximity.
“Aquaman, I presume.” His voice was a thick baritone and filled the air. “Welcome aboard my ship and corporate headquarters, The Leviathan. My name is Captain Cornelius Krell.” He narrowed his eyes slightly at the two still in an awkward embrace. “I would introduce you to my daughter, Mariana, but it appears you have already met.”
Aquaman looked down at the woman once more and laughed, “Hi.”
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Post by Admin on Nov 8, 2005 22:39:42 GMT -5
To be concluded next issue...
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Post by mockingbird on Jul 26, 2011 13:23:26 GMT -5
To let us know what you think of this issue, please visit the letters page here!
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