Landlocked 1

James Hawkins leaned precariously by one arm from the rope ladder to look over the star cruiser’s edge to the planet where he and his class would be getting their field training.
“You need to learn to use your instincts instead of instruments if you expect to be good captains.” The commander had explained. “This planet has reduced spacing to a simple, but necessary, science. For a whole month you will train secretly there; they know nothing of the outside universe, except for their galaxy. This means no flying machinery, no advanced technology, no ET phone home. You are the smartest and the best, so you are expected to obey these instructions to the letter. And believe me, it will be in writing. Understood?” The whole class had voiced a unified affirmative.
“Good. Now, go pack. We leave at oh six hundred hours.”
Jim hadn’t been so excited about the trip. Seriously, a planet lightyears away from his friends and family? A planet that was so primitive as to not have solar powered equipment yet? Most importantly, a planet where they were practically rooted to the land? No way. But as he caught sight of it now, the clouds surrounding the planet’s atmosphere slowly revealing the vast expanses of blue below, he felt his heart expand. A new adventure was on the horizon. He could feel it.

Flounder paced nervously in front of the grotto door, waiting for Ariel to come out prepared for their next escapade. He always hated this part, starting a new quest. The only thing that made their treasure hunts worthwhile was Ariel’s expression when she found a new collector’s item. But lately they’d had to venture farther and farther away from the palace to find new objects that caught her fancy, putting them in more and more danger.
“I should just go home.” He whimpered, turning about to look wistfully in the direction of his school. “I should. But,” there was no guarantee that Ariel wouldn’t leave without him. He’d rather her be in danger with him there than without. He sighed. She won again, and she wasn’t even there to argue. The yellow fish grinned wryly. She was that irresistible. Just as Flounder was beginning to relax, something grabbed him from behind and pulled him to its chest.
“I’m ready!” Ariel bubbled, laughing at her friend’s violent shaking. “Come on scaredy-fish.” She coaxed, taking one of his fins. “Scuttle told me about a wreck site holding women’s clothes that’s only about two klicks from here. Come on!” And with that pleading glance, they were off.

For the next day, Jim watched his classmates get dropped off at different remote locations. He felt a slight pang as each one was taken away in a skiff. Though the class was highly competitive, they were the only family Jim had had the past two years.
“The people of this planet do not take well to people who look different than them, so your—more diversified classmates have to be sent to uninhabited areas heavily disguised,” Captain Amelia said. When she had learned of Jim's assignment, she volunteered to escort Jim’s Advanced Spacing class to their destinations so she could see him off. “You, however, have the advantage of looking like the humans, so you can experience everything more directly.” Jim rolled his eyes. So primitive, he thought, as Vonsiya, a horned boy from Kynapis, was dropped off on a desert island with his private instructor. A girl with tentacles for hair was deposited in the middle of a marsh with her tutor, and Jim’s close personal friend, Hannibal, who had thick blue fur and clawed feet, was sent to the arctic with his father to train. “You’re lucky.” The furry boy said. “You actually get to be in society, maybe even have fun, while I get to spend the next month trudging through ice with my dad.” Jim winced inwardly. Even though it was Hannibal, he didn’t like it when people talked ill of their fathers that they had there with them. Hannibal smiled wanly at Jim, realizing his mistake.
“I don’t know how to have fun.” Jim muttered before Hannibal could apologize. Morph chirped sadly, nuzzling his neck. Hannibal punched Jim’s arm.
“Learn.” He leaned in till the two youth’s foreheads were pressed together. “Make friends. Have adventures. Do well. I expect stories when we get back to the Academy.” Jim managed a smile.
“Fine, I’ll try.” They broke apart, Morph darting between them to give Hannibal a soppy good-bye. Jim wouldn’t even watch his friend get in the boat, but he ran to the deck and watched the skiff till it disappeared into the landscape.
Finally, it came time for Jim to leave the familiar ship and embark on a new adventure. Since he would be training with one of the resident captains, only Captain Amelia accompanied him to the drop off point.
“Here, Jim, take the controls.” Amelia handed the shrouded longboat’s joystick to the student, who expertly directed the boat into the small clearing below. “You are to go to this address.” Amelia said, handing him a slip of paper just before he jumped from the hovering vehicle. “You will train with the captain of the fleet there.”
“How am I supposed to find it?” Jim asked, finally getting nervous. Amelia gave her former cabin boy her famous feline smile.
“It’s a big white castle on the coast, Jim. Can’t miss it.” Jim nodded, turning away.
“And Jim?” Amelia called out to him. Jim turned back eagerly.
“Yeah.”
“Best of luck.” Jim smiled thinly, then headed through the thin woods to the beach.

Ariel was just coming up to the deck of the wrecked ship with her bounty when she saw it. The shadow of a ship, she was sure, but… she couldn’t see the ship’s hull where it pierced the water’s surface. It was as if—the ship were flying. Without a second thought, Ariel shot toward the surface, a confused Flounder trailing behind. Ariel broke the sea’s surface slowly, only her eyes poking over the water to survey the landscape and the sky above. Nothing. Just a few scattered clouds and a human boy on the shore fifty meters away, staring at the heavens as well.
Ariel wrote off the shadow as a figment of her overactive imagination and went in search of Scuttle, her reliable informant on all things human, with her fabric bounty.
When she reached the bird’s lone rock, however, he had news that made her forget her new treasures.
“A ship is coming our way?” Ariel screeched in disbelief.
“Yea, sweetheart,” Scuttle whistled, settling back in his chair-of-a-basket. “Three days from now, I heard. The Prince’s birthday, they says.” The mermaid bit her lower lip, trying to remember what was going on that day and how she could get away to see this marvel. She thought she was free. In any case, the human ships did not come by Atlantica often-- probably her father’s doing-- so if one was coming so close, she would see it at all costs.
“You’re sure they’re coming this way, Scuttle? They usually try to stay away from the coast.”
“As I said, sweetie, is only a party for the Prince. They ain’t going nowhere. Just a little sea jaunt on the coast in the dark.” Ariel smiled broadly at her friend. If it was at night, it was even better. The humans wouldn’t be able to detect her in the dark.
“Thanks Scuttle!” She chirped, kissing the mangy bird on the cheek and swimming happily off without her bag of treasures or their definitions.