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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 22:43:24 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 22:44:30 GMT -5
Aquaman Issue: "The Deep, Pt. 2: Unfathomable" Written by Brandon Herren Cover by Brandon Herren Editor: David Charlton
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:05:29 GMT -5
Aquaman stared at the display case in complete awe. After all the amazing things he had seen and experienced in the last number of years beneath the sea it amazed him that he could be taken aback by such a simple thing. He looked down to the engraved label on the glass front and read it in an attempt to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. “The Costume of Neptune Perkins.”
“Wow.” He let escape under his breath. The Sea King was so caught up in the item that he did not hear the Captain enter the gallery.
Captain Krell walked calmly and deliberately across the outer level of display cases, looking at his guest intently before stopping at a humidor and taking out a cigar.
“He was an amazing man in that time. I’ve only met him once. As a boy. He rescued me from the waters off the coast of Maine. An event that had no small impression on me as you may see.” He cut the tip of the tightly rolled tobacco and held it out to his guest as an offering.
“No thank you.” Aquaman began to move about the room, looking at the various objects. “I read old pulp stories about his adventures when I was younger. My father had a pretty extensive gathering of sea stories himself.” He stopped in front of a case that softly lit first editions of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Lyrical Ballads containing Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
“Your father was an old man of the sea like myself then?” Flames flickered from his struck match and threw strange colors on his face as he puffed the cigar to life.
“A lighthouse keeper of a sort. I think he would have liked to see your collection here. It’s very impressive.” The golden-haired hero moved along the glass displays and stopped at one titled The Lost Journals of Captain Cook. “I’m surprised you don’t have Davy Jones’ Locker.”
The stout man laughed through a cloud of smoke. “Indeed. Come, let me give you a tour of The Leviathan.” He moved to the door to his right and waited.
Aquaman proceeded up the small set of steps, passing an aged, tarnished diver’s helmet. Before moving out of the door a large, wooden object on the wall behind them grabbed his attention, he pointed at it and looked at his host inquisitively.
“The tiller of the Santa Maria.” The Captain said proudly.
Aquaman gave a slight chuckle. “Of course.”
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:12:38 GMT -5
The two moved through a small hallway, darkly lit with a number of doors that Aquaman assumed led to the Captain’s private rooms, to a simple elevator. After a brief moment the capsule opened into a large passage, busy with ship’s crew and personnel. Two men fell in behind them as they walked.
“The Leviathan has been in operation only a few years but now fully incorporates all functions of Aquatica International. We are the leading developer in a number of ocean-related products and services, but I doubt you know of us. I have the impression you aren’t the sort of man who reads the newspapers.”
Aquaman regarded the groups of people as they passed, noticing them stealing glances at him. One Asian man in a gathering of people in white lab coats gave him a slight nod.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been involved in… world affairs. I spend most of my time beneath the water these days.”
“Most of our work is done through subsidiaries so as to provide us a certain amount of anonymity. CEOs who double as submarine captains would certainly garner unneeded press attention.” They proceeded down the long, modern-looking corridor, passing doors, off-passages, and large open-windows in place of walls with what looked to Arthur like sterile research labs behind them, and one cafeteria.
“But still, Captain, it seems somewhat… secretive.”
Krell glanced at mariner with narrowed eyes. “To be quite honest, mister, ah, Aquaman, the average person isn’t so quick to accept things produced from the sea. To them, it is still mysterious and ominous. Full of dangerous things.” He avoided a look from his guest by stopping to activate the large door in front of them, pushing his thumb into a small black pad on the wall. “And we have products in many different areas to think of. You would be surprised how many restaurant chains use our high-protein kelp substitutes. Ah, here we are!”
The door slid open with a hiss and inside led up a small slope. Following the Captain, the path opened up in front of their landing to reveal a large room in a semicircular shape, the walls being thick pieces of glass that revealed the deep blue water of the ocean around them. Various lighted panels lined the outer perimeter, all surrounding a large, centralized captain’s chair. “The Bridge.”
Aquaman took a few steps in for a better look, taking in the high-tech nerve center of the behemoth vessel. “Your ship is truly a marvel of engineering, Captain. I’m amazed that I haven’t received word of it yet.”
“From who, sir?” The Captain questioned amusedly. “Do you converse with the fishes?” One of the accompanying guards let a quick laugh before quickly recovering a straight face.
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:14:26 GMT -5
“Mariana!”
The Captain turned from his position in his seat and stood to greet his daughter. Aquaman turned from where he was standing and nodded to the woman as she entered the Bridge.
“I hope your not boring our guest, Father. I’m sure he has important things he could be doing, people to be saving…” She smiled a thank you to her hero.
“A full recovery then, it would seem. I’ll have to give our Medical Supervisor a healthy bonus this quarter.”
“It was really only a few cuts and bruises, Father. I’ll expect to be back on my project in the morning. But poor Hargas will have to stay in bed another day I’m afraid.”
“Just short of torture to an old sea dog like him, I’m sure! Come, I’ll have a meal prepared if you’ll join us, Aquaman.” The Captain signaled to an attendant.
“I can’t stay.” He held his hands up to halt the Captain. “Mariana is right, I have other matters…”
Captain Krell considered the man sternly. “Important matters, no doubt. We will escort you below.”
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:17:59 GMT -5
Aquaman and Mariana chatted as the party walked through the lower passage. A smaller conduit with pipes and rivets visible, small hallways branched off to other doors in regular intervals. The Captain finished giving instructions to an assistant who broke away and moved in the opposite direction.
“We’ve talked enough about me, Aquaman. Please, you must tell me about yourself. A man who moves freely about the sea. And such strength! Where do you dwell beneath the ocean? Who are your companions? Are there others?”
For the first time Aquaman looked uncomfortable. He took in a deep breath. “Well, it’s a long and complicated story.”
“You forget. I am a man who enjoys a good sea tale.” The Captain pressed. “Even in the unusual world we find ourselves in these days it must be a fascinating story.”
“It’s not really. I.. am alone. A player of circumsta…”
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:20:23 GMT -5
*Help*
Aquaman stopped. He looked down the dark corridor running off to their left, a single locked door at the end.
Captain Krell glanced at his daughter and then back. “Is something the matter?”
Aquaman stood staring for a brief moment. “What’s in there?”
“Ah, top secret research and development. Those are our military projects. I would invite you to look but it would violate certain contracts.”
“Military?” Aquaman’s face grew dreadfully serious.
The Captain began to walk again. After a second look, Aquaman and Mariana followed. “We are assisting the military in becoming more environmentally efficient. Cleaner power sources, more advanced ships designs, higher yield stock supplies, quite a long list actually. But alas, the American government likes to keep their technologies close to the vest, no matter what it may be.”
They rounded a corner and moved into a larger room with diving equipment and a platform at the far end.
“You see, Aquaman. We are the world leaders in ecological recovery for the world’s oceans. Aquatica has singlehandedly pioneered the leading revolutions in environment-friendly technologies for the world’s oceans. The Leviathan is proof of this, specially designed to make the most minimal impact on it’s surroundings with sound dampeners and…” The Captain noticed the distracted look on his guest’s face.
“I’m sorry. I…”
“You’ve talked our poor guest to death with all of this, father.” Mariana interjected. She pulled him ahead by the arm. “He has other things to be concerned with I'm sure.” She stopped him by the diver’s platform and stretched her legs to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you. For everything.”
He smiled his response. “Thank you both for your hospitality.” He turned to lower into the tank.
“I have no doubt we will meet again, Aquaman. I’m sure that we could have a very beneficial partnership if you were to ever be interested.”
Aquaman nodded and moved into the airlock to leave the ship. A moment later the Captain nodded to a crewman across the room beyond the notice of his daughter. The man nodded back and moved quickly out of the room.
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:24:19 GMT -5
Aquaman watched the enormous black ship as it crept quietly into the deep blue distance. He turned and launched himself through the water, swimming back to the ridge where he had earlier confronted the giant octopus. He swam along the rockface until he found the small cave and closed in to retrieve his trident, but it was gone! He scanned the interior for the forked, golden weapon but found nothing. He was positive he had driven it in with enough force to have kept it lodged well in the water-pocked stone. As he pondered where to look next he felt a presence move in the water behind him and wheeled around in place to have a thin, pronged spear plunge into the meat of his shoulder.
A flash of heat and then a dull pressure ripped through his arm. His eyes traced the small harpoon in his shoulder, along attached winding cable two dozen feet back in the water to where it originated, a small craft that was open on the top with several men in black diving suits and equipment standing along it’s front.
The Sea King wrapped his arm into the cable and began to reel in his attackers when a second spear bit into his leg. He closed his eyes for a moment and pushed the pain out of his mind. His anger grew and he jerked the cable, causing the sled to lurch and throw two of the assailants. The third remained and threw a large lever on the control panel and Arthur felt a surge of electricity rip through him.
Again, he fought back. He straightened himself to see the frantic men gesturing wildly and he pulled on the cable again, bringing the ship in closer. The current continued to feed through his body and his movements were slow and deliberate. The black divers moved back into the position on the platform and activated another device as the front of the vehicle opened to reveal a turret that glowed with power.
Aquaman reached down and yanked the spear from his leg, blood spilling out into the water, and broke the charge but it was too late. The concussion cannon fired with a low THOOM! And the force rippled through the water, blasting Aquaman back into the rock cliff behind him, cracking the rock and sending up a cloud of lichen and rock particles.
The men looked on for a long moment, waiting for the haze to clear to see if they could collect their prize. The cannon below their feet hummed, ready for another discharge. One of the divers started reeling in the cable that had still been attached to their intended victim but it came back slack. Another man worked quickly at the controls as Aquaman exploded back out of the cliff.
THOOM!
Aquaman crashed back to the wall behind him and rocks tumbled down around him, and as his mind went dark he only had one last thought…
“Mera…”
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:27:13 GMT -5
The Queen watched the movements of the city below her, far beneath the spire where she stood. The buildings and towers inside the dome twinkled. Lost in thought, she didn’t respond to the man who walked out onto terrace beside her.
“It’s been too long, Vulko. He should have returned by now.” Her red hair swirling about her head in the water.
“The King is an adventurous spirit, my Queen, but also a very resourceful man. He can look after himself. He’ll be back before the Games begin. You need not worry.” The short, bearded man looked over his Queen intently. “You are not one to normally fret over him. I believe you are the one who encouraged him to strike out and discover his kingdom. What is wrong?”
“Things are different now, old friend. I… I just need to see him is all.”
He nodded, paused and began to move away. “I will send out a search party for him within the hour.”
“Vulko, wait!”
“Yes, my Queen.”
“I need him here with me so I can tell him the news.” She looked at him with a wide smile. “I’m pregnant.”
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Post by Admin on Dec 13, 2005 23:27:36 GMT -5
To be concluded!
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Post by mockingbird on Jul 26, 2011 13:23:55 GMT -5
To let us know what you think of this issue, please visit the letters page here!
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