The year is 1873.
It is the golden age of science. Never before has man made so many discoveries in such a short time. Physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology... The study of the natural world is thriving, and the men and women who explore its depths are the great trailblazers of the time, lifting the veil of confusion and superstition from the eyes of the populace.
But along with these great illuminations come great shadows. The dark and seedy underbelly of science, a world of moral ambiguity and callous exploitation. Just as there are those who strive to improve the world through knowledge, there are those who strive to use knowledge for personal gain, either ignorant or indifferent to those whom they harm in their pursuits.

Below the crashing waves, in a world humans dare not touch, a civilization flourishes. Merfolk swim alongside great schools of fish, darting through kelp and gliding over beds of bright and vibrant coral. With the flick of a fin or a kick of a leg they fly through the water, spirits of the ocean that are freedom personified. Their world is one of color and life, untainted by the filthy, polluting hands of humans.
But for how long? What will happens when these two worlds inevitably collide? Like two stars orbiting each other, growing closer and closer, there are only two outcomes.
A larger, brighter star, or total destruction.

The smell of the port was disgusting. Trash and refuse, rotting kelp, stagnant water, cigar smoke that issued from the mouths of the sailors that walked up and down the gangplanks. Luckily, that overpowering stench of uncleanliness and pollution didn't follow them out to sea. If it had, it would most likely have been Adeline retching over the side of the ship, rather than the old governess that had come along with an upper-class family. From her spot near the prow, Adeline watched the older woman cough and groan in misery, her pale, doughy face beaded with sweat. It was an unfortunate and quite unappealing sight, and Adeline quickly turned her attention back to the horizon, peering out over the sea and scouring it with narrowed eyes for any sort of anomaly. There was nothing, of course. Just the gray sky and endless sea with its choppy, white-capped waves and deep cerulean depths.

He was probably just drunk, she thought to herself in an almost bitter fashion, absentmindedly adjusting the ribbon that tied her hat beneath her chin. The wind tugged at the loose ends and caused strands of hair to slip from her updo, fluttering in the breeze and tickling her cheeks. Another drunk sailor who saw some sort of wildlife and said it was a mermaid.

The previous week, Adeline's father had found a supposed lead: an old sailor, deep in his cups and spouting garbled nonsense about merfolk, claiming to have seen them out at sea near the eastern coast. Within hours he had booked her a spot on a ship headed towards the area and sent her off with the simple command to "find them". The memory of practically being shoved out the front door by her father with nothing but a half-packed suitcase and third-class ticket still stung slightly, causing Adeline to let out a small huff of displeasure. Why did she always have to be the one to go out and chase after these maritime mirages? She would much rather be at home, studying the new insect specimens that had arrived from overseas recently.

"Pardon me, but I recommen' you two ladies get inside," a male voice said, and Adeline turned to see a member of the ship's crew. He was addressing both her and the old governess, she realized. "Those clouds mean a storm's comin'."
Looking back out over the side of the ship, Adeline could clearly see that the shiphand was correct. The low clouds that had gathered together were the color of slate, dark and gloomy, and she could just barely taste electricity on her tongue. The wind, which had been a mere nuisance before, had risen quite considerably, causing Adeline to clutch at her skirts in an attempt to keep them from copying the actions of the ship's sails.

In all honestly, Adeline would have loved to be above deck during a storm. She had never witnessed a storm while at sea, and her natural curiosity and inborn scientist was eager to see if there were any stark differences from storms on land. How would the waves react without a shore to mercilessly beat against? What direction would the winds take? How would the crew manage the ship during the storm? Unfortunately, she would most likely only get in the way of all of the sailors if she were to stay on deck, and Adeline resigned herself to spending the rest of the day and night in her stuffy, grimy cabin.

"I understand," she stated with mild reluctance, turning to follow the governess who, albeit with much wailing and moaning, had already headed towards the door that lead below deck. "Thank y-
A sudden gust of wind, so strong that it staggered all three of the group, swept down. Before she could stop it, the gale had snatched at her hat and tossed it into the air, its ribbons fluttering like tiny silken banners. Damn! That was her best hat! The woman reached out to catch it, her fingers desperately grasping for some sort of purchase, but the wind was too strong, spiriting her hat out of her reach. The sensible thing to do at that moment would most likely have been to give up and accept the loss of the hat but, for some reason, she wasn't feeling very sensible that day and continued reaching for it. Standing on the very tips of her toes and straining out her arm, she leaned over the side of the ship. Without even thinking about it, Adeline jumped, attempting to close the space between her and the hat. It was only when her fingers grabbed ahold of the ribbons that she realized her mistake and, by then, it was far too late.

As she tipped over the side and plunged towards the water, she could just faintly hear the shiphand yelling for help. She opened her mouth, perhaps intending to reassure him that she was able to swim and everything would be just fine if they could please just throw something for her to hold onto, thank you very much, but before she could speak she hit the surface of the water. It was cold, so cold that it made her heart skip a beat and her entire body tense up in a desperate effort to conserve body heat. Salt filled her mouth and nose and eyes, burning like acid. She made a brief attempt to swim, but she didn't even know which way was up and by the time she had righted herself she was too far down to do much of anything at all.

Well, this is problematic, she thought to herself as she drifted downwards, her waterlogged skirts becoming an anchor and pulling her into the depths of the sea. Embarrassing, even. Death via hat.

"Which is why we don't go around throwing knives, do we?" Manas flashed a small grin to his younger brother, daring him to make a sarcastic remark whilst the merfolk still held his hands tightly across the kelp and seaweed bandage. To the youth's credit he had the decency to look disappointed in himself and shook his head glumly. Every member of the family had an assortment of tools to aid them in the jobs they were required to do about the home. Recently, Haltoi had been given his knife and it had taken all of a week for the first injury more serious than a slight cut. Manas had tasted the irony tang in the water before his brother had appeared at the entrance to his cell, having cut himself more times than he cared to count. Whilst Haltoi had been inconsolable at first, caught up in the pain of his wound and the shame of having done so to himself, it had been the work of a few minutes to suture the puckered wound shut. Wailing had summoned both their parents but, once they saw that Manas had it in hand, they had been happy to leave this life lesson to their responsible offspring and return to the other duties of life under the sea. A sticky, pulpy compress sealed the fresh injury from infection or taint and now the merfolk was cleaning up from his first aid.

"You don't think they'll take the knife off me, will they?" Haltoi asked, faltering with anxiety. He'd always possessed a nervous disposition and, having just received the prized blade, losing this sign of his maturity would be worse than any stabbing possible. Manas shook his head, reaching up to ruffle the short, emerald locks of his sibling.

"No, I do not think they will. You see here-" Manas lifted his arm, pointing to a pale zigzag scar just below his armpit. "I got caught in some fishing line. I was so scared I stuck myself whilst I was trying to cut myself out. In my panic I didn't even realise until I noticed the sharks following the trail through the water." Manas laughed, remembering the incident fondly, though Haltoi was wide eyed.

"Sharks! But, how did you get away?"

"Papa could smell it too, he swam out to find me and the two of us made it back in one piece. Then, I sat about where you are now and listened to the same lesson I just told you. Well, except mine was about looking where you stick a knife, not throwing it at rocks." A reminder of his accident brought a hint of violet to the cheeks of Haltoi when be blushed. "We'll change that dressing tomorrow and see how it looks but I'm hopeful, I reckon you'll keep the arm." The younger merfolk rolled his eyes, a degree of teenage petulance returning as Manas winked. When Haltoi left, propelling himself from the small room and into the larger tunnels of the caves they inhabited, Manas was left alone with his thoughts. That had been the last of his compress and he'd have to make some more. The thought didn't fill him with joy, given that it meant a fairly long swim into deeper waters to find the long, stringy seaweed that seemed to possess a natural healing ointment. His mother swore by its properties and she hadn't led her son astray yet. It had also been a number of days since his last venture to the surface and he could tell his body was beginning to crave the air. Whichever way he worded it, Manas would need to brave his own anxieties and leave the comfort and safety of his home. The thought was bothersome, like excessive baggage, and he cursed his physiology for requiring such small necessities as oxygen. There was plenty in the water, he thought, but apparently not enough.

A pouch on a strap was hooked around a hanger and he threw that over his shoulder, checking it was tied securely so that it wouldn't escape in the rush of the water as he swam. Next, a belt upon which hung most of his own tools was strapped around his midriff, just below the waist of his kilt. Well aware he had made the same foolish errors as Haltoi, Manas had grown up enough now to know the proper use of everything he carried. It was what kept him alive and, more importantly, how he helped keep their family flourishing. So long as Manas was around they would never need to worry about a thing, or so he resolved. Just as everybody in the home did. They pulled together in all things, especially when it mattered. Finally, in case hunger struck him, he stuffed a barma into his pocket. The spongy bar of roots and shellfish had been coiled tightly together and then left to cook next to a volcanic vent. It made a filling, if slightly smelly, meal. As prepared as he could be, Manas departed with a chirpy whistle, poking his head around doorways and down other passages to see if he could spy any of his family on his way out. Ostensibly, he was checking in to see if there was anything he could do. Only, he knew he was actually off putting the need head out. An awful, black cloud lingered over his shoulder and he had a terrible feeling that it had something to do with leaving.

Not so arrogant as to assume he had an oracular powers, he ignored the feeling as a simple anxious dread and swam quickly through the exit and into the brighter waters of the reef. Their home was a majestic complex of brightly coloured coral that intermingled kaleidoscopically around a central pillar of black rock. It was their mount under the waves and they had lived in it all of Manas' life. Deep enough to be immune from the impacts of storms or ships above but close enough to enjoy the refracted rays of sunlight, the place was as close to perfection as Manas could imagine. Alcoves and furrows in the knobbly coral were home to eels and other lithe, worm-like creatures that snaked through the water whilst schools of multicoloured fish circled like flocks of glittering birds. They didn't flee or disperse at the emergence of Manas, used to the presence of their erstwhile shepherds, which granted him an opportunity to pass a quick eye over the state of their homestead. A few of the shoals were larger than he remembered and, in the name of balance, might need shrinking. Manas would bring it up to his father when he returned, the thought of a fish supper almost made his mouth water. Not that you could tell, being submerged and all. Close to the seabed small plots of various flora were being nursed to bountiful yields and even now, no less than a month from harvest, they were blossoming with startling flowers that leaked nectar into one another and raising bulging fruits. Some of the plants appeared to be struggling, targeted by the locals for a tasty snack, and Manas added another reminder to inform his sister. She took great pride in her horticultural pursuits. She would not be best pleased by this punitive raid. Manas suspected the insidious sea snails, though that was a prejudice from the last time they had eaten through almost a quarter of their harvest. Some molluscs couldn't change their spots.

With little else to note, the merfolk turned towards the west and kicked his legs out, shooting through the aqua and off towards where he had last seen the thin vines he was after. Mottled patterns played through the swell and Manas paused now and again to peer up. It seemed the surface was choppy and through the break he spied the bloom of dark, angry clouds. Furthermore, harsh, kinetic rumbles seemed to make the waters around Manas tremble with force. A great wind was dragging waves into furore above him. Good, he thought, that should mean there wasn't anybody out to sea. All the sensible folk would be safely tucked up on land, only a fool would sail in this weather. Journeying west seemed to be taking the merfolk ahead of the storm as it advanced towards landfall. It was a race, Manas decided. Who would reach their destination first? Could the merfolk harvest his herb and take in the air, or would he be subjected to an awful shock as the storm inexorably marched on? The thought made him laugh, delighted by the sheer absurdity of the notion. It reminded him of being a child. With all that in mind, it didn't stop the merfolk kicking harder and driving himself on. Thin, papery lids closed around his eyes to protect them from the impact of debris in the water and he almost snarled in excitement. His blood was up, this was something to live for, and his wake was a whirl of bubbles.

When he finally caught a glimpse of his quarry Manas was almost dissapointed. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to swim freely in the wide expanse of the ocean. He had seen nothing else, likely due to the oncoming storm, which left him with the sensation of possessing a vast empire. A whole world at his feet. Heady stuff, he decided. There was a reason for this outing, however, and Manas was never one to forget his responsibilities. The seabed had fallen away long ago, lost in the murk and mire of the gloomy depths. Creatures lived down there that made his skin crawl, yet he had no need to find them. The plants he was after were kind enough to grow in skinny tendrils that rose hundreds of metres up to collect as much sun as possible, even when bedded where no light could pierce. For the next few minutes Manas swam amongst the pillar of greenery, using his knife to cut away bundles of the vine-like flora and stuff them into his pouch. Careful never to over-prune one spot, he ensured that his harvesting had no lasting impact on the health of the plant. He was just about done when he noticed a shadow pass overhead and looked up. A whale-like silhouette had momentarily blocked out the sun, pointed out towards the east and the direction Manas had swam from. The pointed nose, wide aft, and tapered sides were unmistakable as being of one of the ships the humans used to traverse the surface.

The appearance of the ship caused Manas to offer curses towards nobody in particular. There was no chance of him surfacing here then, resolving to simply avoid the humans and not even run the risk of being spotted. Right below the ship, hidden amongst the foliage, he was certain he couldn't be seen. Staying for a little longer they would pass on soon enough and then he could safely scarper to somewhere more secluded. Yet, even as he planned his escape, Manas was drawn towards the ship. The humans, whilst evil, were also utterly alien. Their world and their way of life was one that defied comprehension. Just as he had sought out the wonders of the deep, he wanted to know about the enigmas on the land. Momentarily, he was tempted to follow the humans. To find out what they were doing. Then, sanity prevailed and he returned to his original idea. The plan had taken seconds to formulate and Manas was already congratulating himself on his maturity when there was a muffled splosh from the side of the ship. Something had been dropped into the water. An anchor, perhaps? It swirled about, constellations of disturbed water circling the erratic motions, until it had righted itself and became very still. The edges had resolved into a round orb of darkness, growing in size as it descended towards him. He still had no idea what it could be and, curious at this newfangled technology, slunk up between the strands of plant. Lingering in the shadows like a thief. It was only when the shape had sunk far enough that the light allowed some semblance of detail that Manas realised his error.

He now knew why the thing had been so agitated before and why it had formed the shape it had. It was a woman, outfitted in some long dress that parachuted in the swell, who was quite still as she fell deeper into the abyss. Her hair was alive around her, floating like his did when he trod water. yet the details of her body passed him by almost entirely, so captured was he by her eyes. Almost certainly stung by the salt in the water, there was still flashes of them that caused his body to go rigid. This was a person. A real, living person. There was life behind those eyes and a story inside her head that she could tell. Part of him wanted to hear it, just to know what her voice sounded like. Then there were bubbles, fear, and shock; she was drowning. This wasn't the world of the humans and Manas was content with that. The existential danger of the humans was oddly numb when married to the sight of one slowly sinking to her doom.

These thoughts were a rush through the mind of the merfolk and left him almost stunned. Stunned enough to forget to hide. Steadily, gently, she drifted down to the point where their faces were perfectly level. A moment, caught for eternity in the mind. The discovery of the merfolk. The most tragic crime that could occur. She may have been drowning but it wasn't enough to think, Manas would have to make sure. He was calm, peaceful even, as the sight of the woman had stolen every sense except numb shock. Autonomously, gently, he reached out towards the woman. His body was thin, hairless, and almost iridescent. Obviously humanoid in design but lacking a humanity that clung in the spirit of every man and woman on the land. His fingers were deft and nimble, they worked the water in front of them as he sought to take the woman in his arms. Reaching towards her, desperate to drag her to the end.

It was calm beneath the surface, especially now that all of Adeline’s panic had vanished, only to be replaced by a strangely calm acceptance of her fate. She knew it was too late for her to do much of anything, so she decided she might as well enjoy the ride down to her demise while she still could. Soon, the already exquisite pain that radiated across and through the thin membranes of her eyes and nose would be joined by an agonizing pressure in her chest. As long as she was still conscious, she would take in the scenery. A few solitary fish swam in the vicinity, seemingly the only ones not chased away by the presence of the enormous ship that had been cutting through the waves. Their scales were in various gradients of silver and gray, shimmering and twinkling in the meager amount of light that had managed to make its way into the depths of the water. Adeline, in another uncharacteristically impulsive act (she seemed to be performing many of those lately), lifted her hand and touched one of the nearby fish. It instantly flicked its tail in an attempt to escape her grasp, its sharp fins cutting into the tender web of flesh between her thumb and forefinger, causing a small cloud of crimson to fill the water. Tiny pieces of algae danced before her eyes, like motes of dust in an aquatic sunbeam. Long strands of kelp reached towards the surface in great green ropes, swaying and dancing in the faint current of the sea. An oceanic forest, it stretched out for what seemed like an eternity, lush and shimmering in the dim, wavering light that managed to pierce through the water’s surface. It tickled her cheeks and wrists, brushing against every bit of exposed skin it could find and, although she disliked the strange texture, she didn’t recoil. Perhaps the kelp was her fate. When she finally died, drifting the the sea floor and settling amidst the rocks and shells that littered it, she would become one with the kelp, reaching towards the distant sky with long viridian tendrils.

That isn’t so terrible, she thought to herself, the faintest of smiles alighting on her lips as a feeling of serenity overcame her. The last of her panic had vanished, overtaken by the calm acceptance that comes when one is faced with certain demise. I have always loved the ocean, after all.

Her lungs were starting to ache now. She wondered if she should just give into the inevitable and exhale, to just get it over with as soon as possible. Drowning was one of the worst deaths of all, and she knew that, so why was she delaying it? Perhaps she wanted to take in as much of the scenery as possible. After all, at this point she had sunken to a place where no man had ever gone before. She was seeing sights that had been hidden to human eyes since the dawn of time. To be privy to such a strange, unknown landscape was a gift, and she might as well accept it with open arms and drink in as much of the view as possible before she expired. She gazed upwards and observed the very last of the light disappear, along with the only world she had ever known. Still staring up at the surface, she slowly drifted into the cold, feathery embrace of the kelp, preparing herself to be wrapped up in its tendrils like an insect in the vines of a predatory plant. She was just about to finally close her eyes and wait for the end when the face appeared before her, its own pair of strangely iridescent and glassy eyes meeting her sight.

Although it was only a single moment, it felt like an eternity. Their gazes were focused solely on each other, blocking out the rest of the world until it felt as if it was just the two of them suspended in space. If Adeline had been capable of breathing in this situation, her breath would have most certainly caught in her throat.
Her father was correct. Just as he repeated on a nearly daily basis, repeating the assurance like some sort of mantra, he wasn’t crazy. The merfolk were real, and the proof was treading water directly in front of her. He was slim, his skin an exceedingly inhuman shade of bluish gray, and when he reached out his hands to touch her, Adeline realized that his flesh was vaguely slimy. Although she was utterly repulsed by the sensation, and every instinct in Adeline was telling her to recoil from those long webbed fingers, she found herself reaching out towards him in response. Her fingertips brushed against his cheek, sliding over the cold flesh and exploring the texture with open curiosity and awe, her eyes unfaltering and unblinking as they took in every detail of the creature’s appearance. Long dark hair, yellow pupils with a thin nictitating membrane, heavy brows, a straight nose…

Question after question filled her mind. How was he breathing? Gills? A blowhole? Something else? Did he have scales? Or was his skin more akin to an amphibian? Did he have human teeth? Or maybe shark teeth? Or perhaps a hard palate like a spiny fish?

It took far longer than Adeline would have liked to admit to realize why he was reaching towards her. Perhaps she had been so utterly enthralled by his physiology that she had forgotten all of her father’s warnings. Or maybe she had been displaying some of that oh-so-common egocentrism humans always have, think that he was looking at her with the same curious, startled eyes. Either way, she was quite delayed in her understanding that he was preparing to pull her even further below the water. Upon realizing his intentions, Adeline grabbed at his hands, doing her best to pry them off of her, twisting and thrashing in an attempt to loosen his grip. Her nails scratched against the creature’s bare chest, causing three straight lines to appear on his flesh, the wounds puckering slightly and releasing trace amounts of blood into the water. The cut on Adeline’s own hand widened, her own ichor oozing out and mingling with the merfolk’s, creating a small cloud of nearly blackish blood around them. The saltwater stung exquisitely, but Adeline was so focused on her struggles that she barely noticed it.

If she was going to die, she was going to do it on her terms, not some fishy freak’s! He didn’t need to pull her downwards, she could drown all by herself without anyone’s help!

The serene stillness seemed to last forever. Time was frozen whilst they both drifted into the arms of one another. The peace in which the woman seemed to accept her fate was startling, almost as if this had been part of the plan all along. How she had come to be here plagued the thoughts of the merfolk. Was she thrown overboard? Had it been an accident? Would they come diving for her? So many curious avenues of thought that would never have an answer now. There would never be a chance to ask her. Not now that she had slipped gently into his grasp. Where she had been inquisitive, exploring the touch of his skin and the shape of his cheek, he had been utilitarian. One hand had clamped down around her forearm, the other pressing down on her shoulder. The best places to hook her to him for when he dank deeper and deeper into the depths.

They had only just started to vanish deeper and deeper, leaving the light behind them when she started to fight back. Her own hands dug into his flesh and he gave a gurgling hiss in pain. Despite the weight of her dress she moved with the freakish agility of a creature rolling free of imminent death. The most dangerous dogs were those that had been cornered, when this human was being drowned she used her claws. When she carved up his chest he wondered at the wisdom of wearing some kind of covering. It had seemed a waste of what little brush they had but now, with the oozing injuries, he wished he was wearing some kind of protective jacket. Nothing like her dress of course, it had been so overly saturated he found it quite simple to urge garment down deeper. She was a goner when they had seen each other, he was simply making sure. One could never be too careful.

The more erratic she became the harder he gripped her. Webbed fingers crimping to cling tightly onto the human. Whatever she did he simply rolled with her, focusing all his strength on holding her tightly and letting the bulk of her clothes and the slow, back peddle of his legs take them into the binding weeds and out of sight of where anybody else might see them. Even if they came diving for this woman now they would see nothing. Just the slow, lethargic waving of an aquatic forest. Like she had never even existed. Just like the folk of the sea. Not that this woman wanted that fate, still fighting every step of the way. Manas had been calm before but now his face was contorted in the effort of holding her. His lip curled back from teeth similar to a human's, only noticeably divergent by the quantity of pointed canines. It appeared Manas possessed a number more than Adeline did.

All of a sudden, he went quite still, his efforts to kill this poor woman forgotten for something that had just passed by his periphery. He couldn't be sure he had seen it, the snaky web of plant life provided a confusing and blurry setting for this murder. Yet, the anxiety of what it had been was enough for Manas to completely ignore the human and instead, drift apart from her slightly. Far enough, at least, to avoid any more raking with her harpy's talons. Everything around them was moving thanks to the current, making Manas distrust his own eyes. He thought he saw it again over there, only to find it had been a trick of refraction. Finally, uncertainly, he returned his attention to Adeline. A grim resolve settled on his face. He didn't have time for the romance of a slow, sensual execution. He lunged towards her, like a bullet from a gun, seeking to wrap his fingers around her neck and choke her. As quick as he could make it, then he could turn tail home. For safety.

Unencumbered by most clothes and other unnecessary items, he moved with the agility of an eel and the strength of someone who had been swimming since birth. His whole body worked in tandem to allow for expert execution of action. He circled her, kicked at her, swam under and over her; he was predatory and waited for the first chance he got before seeking to latch onto her throat. He sought to bully her, using overwhelming force to seek her watery grave, forcing the pair of them to become tangled in the weeds and tied together. All the better, he thought, no way for her to escape. Eyes alight with the yellow fire of his origins, it seemed to burn all the brighter with the rush of execution in his blood. His vigour was short lived, however.

He heard it before he saw it, the low moan of a solitary sea behemoth. Still caught in a knot of limbs and greenery, Manas could barely turn his head to try and see what he thought he had spotted earlier. The song echoed again before the world was turned sideways and the pair, both human and merfolk, were yanked off at a break neck pace. The whale had arrived unseen, groping these waves for food and settling on a vegetarian lunch. Evidently, it didn't care that there was a pair of still squirming animals on its seaweed. Swinging around, which had been when Manas had first seen it, the mammal came in with a run up and took a whole mouthful of the restorative weeds. The length of the foliage had been the only thing that saved Adeline and Manas. Tied up as they were, they now found themselves leashed to the mouth of the creature which lazily chewed through the plant matter. So fast and powerful was the hulking sea beast that the force of the water rushing against them was enough to press Manas down against the cheek of the whale. Every time he tried to lift himself up, he was working against the force of the ocean and was smacked back down.

The warm body of Adeline was close, still entangled with him by the weeds, and he waited helplessly for whatever fate in store. The only source of comfort was that, if the whale stayed submerged for long, he wouldn't have to worry about drowning her anymore. He had his knife, a way to free them both, but for now he was content to see where they were taken. It hadn't occurred to him that it was entirely the wrong way if he had wanted to head home.