Synopsis

by Brenda Krekeler

ZONE ONE: PELAGIC (Pelagic means open sea)

CHAPTER 1 Monterey California: July 28, 2022

The ship Tory was working on was called the Monterey Dream. It was a whale watching boat. Tory was a marine biologist at UC Santa Cruz Campus. Tory thinks the tourist are smucks, “petulant tourist”. She told the tourist: off script: “Orca calves in captivity die before seeing their family ever again.”

CHAPTER 2 Monterey CA, July 28, 2022

Tory was fired from “Dream Dives Whale Watching by owner Jay O’Malley. Tory never chased mermaids. She chased Anne. Anne was Tory’s sister who was killed in the disappearance of the ship named Atargatis. ATARGATIS: is a Syrian Goddess of the moon and of the waters. Mermaids can be found from every culture and from all continents. There once was a goddess who is believed to be the inspiration to all the mermaid stories that have been told around the world for thousands and thousands of years. This goddess was Assyrian goddess Atargatis. Atargatis was goddess of the moon, feminine powers and water. She was worshiped 4000-3000 years ago in ancient Assyria and later on all over Mediterranean. Tory’s parents are Katherine and Brian Stewart. Her partner is Luis Martines. Luis’s work consisted on Sonar scans of the Challenger Deep Obfuscation: the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible

MESOPELAGIC ZONE: “The mesopelagic zone (Greek μέσον, middle), also known as the middle pelagic or twilight zone, is the part of the pelagic zone that lies between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones. (Wikipedia)”

ABYSSOPELAGIC ZONE: “The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. "Abyss" derives from the Greek word ἄβυσσος, meaning bottomless. At depths of 3,000 to 6,000 metres (9,800 to 19,700 ft), this zone remains in perpetual darkness. It alone makes up over 83% of the ocean and covers 60% of the Earth. (Wikipedia)”

The sonar sounds like the Atargatis .

CHAPTER 3 Monterey CA, July 28, 2011

Notes from Tory: “I’m so close, Luis. I’m so close. Anne’s out there, and I’m going to find her.” Anne died because Imagine had discovered mermaids, an upon finding them, hadn’t been able to control them.

Something was down there. Something that could slaughter sperm whales and leave research vessels floating abandoned and unmanned. Something that mimicked the sounds it heard, using them to lure its prey. Something that defied belief. And whatever it was Tory was going to find it, and make it pay for what it had done to her sister.” Tory’s official area of research was acoustic marine biology. Their ship is the Melusine. MELUSINE: French is melyzin or Melusina is a figure of European folklore and mythology, a female spirit of fresh water in a sacred spring or river. She is usually depicted as a woman who is a serpent or fish from the waist down (much like a mermaid). She is also sometimes illustrated with wings, tow tails, or both. https://en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Melusine

CHAPTER 4

The best scientists in the world are ready to sail with us. But we don’t have a sirenologist said Blackwell to his wife, Professor Jillian Toth. Representative of Imagine, Theodore Blackwell. CEO of Image is James Golden.

CHAPTER 5

Lani was the daughter of Theo and Jillian. They were not close to Lani now that she is an adult.

CHAPTER 6

Ray Marino was looking for work and he found a job at Imagine. Ultimately, he became one of the best camera man for Imagine. Jacques and Michi Abney were big game hunters.

CHAPTER 11

Definition of Scientist: Asking scientists not to look into an open box was like asking cats not to saunter through an open door. It simply wasn’t practical. History of the seas: The seas did not forgive, and they did not welcome their wayward children home. The sea is tenuous but tenacious. Luis is a wealthy technician working with Tory. Mariana Trench is where Anne was lost. This was the last known location of the Atargatis. Tory discovered the mermaids mimicking the engine sound of the Atargatis. Dr. Toth has small tiny drones that takes samples from sound source and return the information to the ship. Heather Wilson, twin of Holly Wilson works with submersibles with cameras and water samples. Her objective is to go to the Challenger Deep. Dr. Holly Wilson is a practical scientist who wants to sign with the mermaids if they are actually real.

CHAPTER 12 September 2, 2022 Above the Mariana Trench

Heather and Holly are twins and their older sister is Hallie Wilson. Hallie signs for the twins, and had worked with them her entire life. Tory went with Olivia to see Heather’s dive to the Challenger Deep. This was where darkness went to live forever, growing deeper and more powerful as the eons passed it by. Heather about Challenger Deep.

Heather saw a mermaid and described it as: “…viperfish’s and something like mummified ape’s and something like the shadows that sometimes chased her through her dreams. Its eyes were wide and round and fixed on the submersible, set above a mouth that seemed too full of teeth to be possible. A cloud of filmy “hair” surrounded its head, the individual strands somehow too thick, each of them glowing at the end with bioluminescent light …. differences between them. All were gray, fish colored, but some had white stripes on theirs tails while others had black stripes interspersed with bands of paler gray. A natural variance? Or a sign of age and maturity, appearing and changing as they grew? Humans didn’t have those sort of marks, but many other mammals did, as did many fish. Were they fish or mammals? They had no breasts, only a slight curve to their chests that could, at a distance and in shadow, be taken as cleavage…”

Heather made contact with hundreds of mermaids. They attacked the submersible and killed Heather in the process.

CHAPTER 13

Everyone on the ship knows about Heather’s death. All are preparing for sundown. “Sometimes science was the closest thing to the sword of an avenging angel humanity was ever going to get.” “Every person on this vessel was a story in the process of telling itself, and all of them were fascinating, and all of them deserved to be heard.” Thought Tory.

ZONE THREE: APHOTIC The aphotic zone (aphotic from Greek prefix ἀ- + φῶς "without light") is the portion of a lake or ocean where there is little or no sunlight. It is formally defined as the depths beyond which less than 1% of sunlight penetrates. Consequently, bioluminescence is essentially the only light found in this zone. https://en/wikipedia.org.wiki.Aphotic_zone

“There are some challenges that are worth risking everything. –Heather Wilson Nothing is worth the risk of being lost at sea –Dr. Holly Wilson” The mermaid, whatever she truly is, is a myth and a treasure, and cannot be held accountable. –From the newsletter of the International Cryptozoological Society

CHAPTER 14

The mermaids saw the elder crack the shell of Heather’s submersible. It fell to the sea floor. They recognized the inhabitant of the shell and knew there were more. Hallie’s thought on the death of her sister and their parent’s reaction. Holly was in solitude. The hunter male is angry because Hallie did not want to work with him. Dr. Daniel Lennox said for the mermaids to be mammals they had to lactate, have hair and three bones in the inner ear. They discovered that mermaids signed and spoke a language. Daniel Lennox has three degrees, a marine biologist. Michi & Jacques are the hunters. Hallie wants to kill the mermaids after she learns to talk to them. Theo told in no uncertain terms that mermaids are to be studied not killed. Quote from Dr. Hallie Wilson: Sometimes the mistakes we make can’t be taken back. Sometimes those are the worst ones of all. Quote from Ray Marino: It’s my job to keep her safe. I do that, I’ve done everything I can.

CHAPTER 16

Mermaids were hunters like lions. Melsuine had 20 people to crew but they needed 40. Two electricians: Daryl and Gregory, the older one. Daryl saw sunlight in the ocean. He went to get Captain Peterson. There was screaming on the other side of the ship.

CHAPTER 17

A mermaid climbed up the side of the ship. Initially, Ray thought someone had fallen off the ship and tried to hook the person. It turned out that it was indeed a mermaid. It skittered up the hook and onto the deck and ate Ray’s face then took Ray into the ocean. Olivia was the one screaming and she told Captain Peterson and Daryl what happened. As of this moment the shutters still do not work. Daryl and Gregory continue working on them.

CHAPTER 18

Dolphins are arguing not to go out and talk to the mermaids. Blackwell had three dolphins agree to go out to the mermaids and in return they would be set free. They were scared but they wanted their freedom so much. Blackwell told them, if dolphins are human equals they will go out to talk with the mermaids.

ZONE FOUR: BATHYPELAGIC Definition: The bathyal zone or bathypelagic – from Greek βαθύς (bathýs), deep – (also known as midnight zone) is the part of the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 1,000 to 4,000 m (3,300 to 13,100 ft) below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above, and the abyssopelagic below.

James Golden, President of IMAGINE. Toth’s writings about mermaids are real.

CHAPTER 19

Twitter, the female dolphin is grown. Her brother is Cecil and the oldest dolphin is Kearney. Cecil was killed first, then Kearney, then Twitter. They were Blackwells’ guinea pigs. Those damn mermaids used their sounds, the dolphins’ voices.

CHAPTER 20

About mermaids: the smarter you are, the more likely you want to eat the world. A mermaid came into the dolphin pool inside the ship. Hallie started signing with it.

CHAPTER 21

Tory took Olivia to her room. Luis: about his thoughts – Louis went out on the deck. He was going to find a mermaid and be accomplished in his field. The mermaid was chasing Luis and Jacques shot it three times dead.

CHAPTER 22 date: September 3, 2022 through CHAPTER 37

Hallie and Daniel worked to learn the mermaid’s language. Toth and Theo fought. Jillian asks Theo,” I’m curious, what’s your definition of an emergency?” Shutters are not working still. Phone rang in Theo’s secret lab, call from Michi. Jillian left to go investigate the first dead mermaid. Tory and Olivia had sex. Luis called Tory and told her Theo wanted her and Olivia in the wet lab to investigate the dead mermaid. Tory found Jason, her X-boyfriend working over the dead mermaid. Jason is a botanical plankton specialist. “How does the mermaid eat?’

CHAPTER 23

The hair of the mermaid holds shrimp, worms and crabs. Toth opened up the male mermaid. It was male and she said it was not human.

ZONE FIVE: ABYSSOPEGAGIC The abyssal zone or abyssopelagic zone is a layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean. "Abyss" derives from the Greek word ἄβυσσος, meaning bottomless. At depths of 3,000 to 6,000 metres (9,800 to 19,700 ft), this zone remains in perpetual darkness. It alone makes up over 83% of the ocean and covers 60% of the Earth. (Wikipedia)

Victoria “Tory” Stewart, sister of Anne Stewart (dead from the Atargatis disappearance)

Luis Martines – Looking for Bigfoot. Toth identifies the mermaids aka sirens are air breathers and water breathers. She thinks the sirens are like the axolotl, amphibians native to Mexico. Tory thought . . . “it’s hard to get less scrupulous than killing intelligent creatures and taking them apart just to understand how they work. But this was Dr. Toth’s show.”

CHAPTER 24

They have concluded that the sirens use their voices for hunting rather than conversation. Their larynx works, not their lips. The sirens hair tips have bioluminescence.

CHAPTER 25

Jason, Tory’s X-boyfriend combs the siren’s hair for worms, crabs, fish and barnacles. Holly misses her twin Heather so much. Hallie went to see her and to take revenge for Heather’s death. Jason wanted to beat Dr. Lyons with their research. Jason took the material he had sifted from the hair of the siren, and went to his cabin but in the process he fell onto some shrimp needles from the hair deposit and the toxin killed him. The toxin thinned his blood so much that he bled out.

CHAPTER 26

Tory, Luis and Olivia decided the sounds of the sirens were felt experiences. Anthropocentrism is the belief that human beings are the most important entity in the universe. Anthropocentrism interprets or regards the world in terms of human values and experiences. The term can be used interchangeably with humanocentrism, and some refer to the concept as human supremacy or human exceptionalism. Wikipedia

Bret, one of the security guards, knocked on Tory’s door and asked her to go see Blackwell. He has questions about Jason. Tory told Theo Blackwell that she did not kill Jason and Blackwell believed her. Dr. Lyons was unhappy to lose his assistant Jason but happy about him not being able to know of Dr. Lyons research. Dr. Lyons felt that it could all be for him and it didn’t have to share it to Jason. Alivia Sanderson, the personality in front of the camera for Imagine. Everyone learns about Jason’s death and the impact upon the scientist; no assistant. Theo implemented three times the security on the ship. Luis’s response to the Captain regarding no shutters yet, and deaths on the ship . . . “Do you see me laughing?” asked Luis. “Whistling past the graveyard is a time-honored tradition. Keeps us from screaming.”

CHAPTER 27

Holly, Heather’s living twin, continues to work in her lab silently. Chitinous: noun Biochemistry. a nitrogen-containing polysaccharide, related chemically to cellulose, that forms a semitransparent horny substance and is a principal constituent of the exoskeleton, or outer covering, of insects, crustaceans, and arachnids. denizen: inhabitant or occupant of a particular place.

Jacques killed one siren, wounded one and the third one carried the wounded humans over the lowest rail of the ship. Michelle Lawrence and Andrea Hoffman are organic chemist in Holly’s lab. They never tried to sign with Holly. Holly experienced true isolationism. Michelle and Andrea became siren food.

CHAPTER 28

Tory, Luis and Olivia are packing their laptops and heading from their lab to the cafeteria. Michi wasn’t feeling well and she passed out and lost one her remaining five men. Hallie communicated with the siren in the tank with Daniel.

CHAPTER 29

Michi had been shot. Her remaining men took her to the med lab where Michi underwent a doctor’s care. The mermaid’s toxins are as follows: . . . “The flesh of the creature was relatively inert, but the mucus it secreted contained a complicated mix of anticoagulants and neurotoxins, designed to slow and sedate anything foolish enough to bite it.” What happened to Michi: . . . “Her red blood cells were shredding. Her white blood cells attempted to rally, only to find themselves similarly destroyed, filling her veins with gunk. Her shoulder still bled, faster than it should have, her body pumping out plasma and antigens as quickly as it could. At the same time, synapses in her brain were starting to misfire, unable to contend with what was happening to them.” Michi died.

CHAPTER 30

Tory had a gun tranquilizer, Luis had a blow torch and Olivia had her camera. They were armed to go to the cafeteria. Tory signaled Holly and Holly talked to them with her mouth, signing and lipreading. Tory, Olivia, and Luis formed a semicircle around the lab door, each holding their weapons, gun, torch and camera, in front of themselves. They saw the mermaid waiting in the ceiling and wall and they ran. In a fleeing elevator, it sluggishly stopped and all left while Luis grabbed Holly. Luis used his torch and burned the mermaid after it had grabbed his ankle.

CHAPTER 31

Michi died at 11:22 pm September 3, 2022 one hour and seven minutes after she was shot. Luis, Tory, Holly & Olivia met Dr. Toth at her lab and found Theo there. Toth gave Theo pain medicine and addressed Luis’s ankle. Holly started working on the test tubes of blood from Michi and Luis. Olivia has the code to get up and down the tubes in the ship.

CHAPTER 32

Hallie and Daniel had three mermaids open the door to their lab. The captive siren kept the other sirens away from. They talked and the captive siren saved their lives. Olivia Sanderson had the password. Tory went with her as she wriggled into the tube. As soon as Olivia was in the tube, Tory rushed back to the lab, but slipped on the slime and fell into the ocean.

ZONE SIX: DEMERSAL: living near, deposited on, or sinking to the bottom of the sea

CHAPTER 33

Tory went 10’ down in the ocean’s water, brushed by a siren, they didn’t bother her, she was getting very cold and shaking, her lungs ached. Daniel and Hallie were saved by their captive siren and the three mermaids left untouching them. Olivia was climbing the rungs of the tube up to the top deck. She was hot and sweaty and dropped more than 10’ and hurt her knee before she stabilized. Olivia Nitsan Sanderson made it to the top deck. It was covered with slime and red blood. A male voice demanded who she was.

CHAPTER 34

Dr. Vail and Dr. Odom were in the lab where Michi’s body was. Her body was falling apart, collapsing. Siren blood mixed with human blood equals death. Jacques learned of Michi’s death. Jacques talked with Olivia, Daryl and Gregory. He learned that the Captain and his mate were dead. Six sirens killed everyone on the deck. Gregory finished the electrical work for the shutters. Olivia wants the switch location. Luis wanted to find Tory instead he answered the phone.

CHAPTER 35

Olivia called Theo and got the 20-digit code to close the shutters. They started closing. Sirens went ballistic as the shutters went down. The sirens were knocked off the ship and the ones inside the ship were isolated. Jacques was killed by following the sirens. Tory’s survival: . . . “Tory opened her eyes, orienting herself, and looking down into the abyss, where the rising light was getting brighter. She could see an outline there now, a shape sketched out of darkness and illuminated by a single biological lantern the size of an adult man. Her eyes widened against the stinging salt. Suddenly, finding a way back onto the ship wasn’t just a matter of survival for her. It was a matter of survival for everyone. She had to find a way. She had to tell them what was coming.”

CHAPTER 36

Olivia is waiting for the distress call. The sirens are not fish they are amphibians. Tory saw the light below. She swam toward the pool. Tory’s revelation had an eldritch glow. (Eldritch: definition, strange or unnatural, especially in a way that inspires fear.) Olivia saw Tory in the pool. Hallie pulled Tory from the pool and to the safety of the lab.

CHAPTER 37

Tory talked to Olivia on the phone and told her to turn all the lights on the boat. There is a female hundreds of times larger than the males and it’s afraid of the light.

CHAPTER 38 September 5, 2022

Two days later at dawn the USS Datlow naval ship got a distress call from the Melusine. They found human body parts & dead or dying sirens. Daniel and Hallie tried to hide their captive, live siren. The female siren survived but left from the light and ate two dozen of her males after all the human parts were eaten.

EPILOGUE Kahului, Hawaii, Olivia and Tory were on the Melusine as they approached Hawaii.