Rhodoreef

5. The Nautilus Chamber

"Your room is flipping sick," Hima exclaimed for the third time, admiring the video game posters interspersed with tendrils of white neon.

"Thanks." Oomie fiddled with the projector she had placed on the table. "Empire Ocean is my favorite. I love military strategy games—especially real-time."

"Ooh, I play it a lot," Dea chipped in. "And I used to go to the arcade back when I had more spare time. You too, right, Hima?"

"Yep. Good times."

Dea leaned back, cocooned in an armchair. The quiet opulence of the room shone like the faux nacre that coated the surfaces, glistening in all their splendor under the downlights. It was a mollusk shell of a house—one of many in the upscale suburb of Sirye. Caramel brown vied with pearlescent white everywhere she looked, while murals added variety to the aesthetics in the form of jagged stripes.

"Can I get you anything? Cherry juice?" Oomie's amber eyes flitted between the two mermaids.

"That'd be nice," Hima chirped. "Thanks."

They watched Oomie disappear behind the door.

As soon as the girl drifted out of earshot, Hima arrived next to Dea's armchair with an enthusiastic splash. "Isn't this place awesome? I've never been to this part of the city."

"Me neither." Dea grinned, her eyes drawn to the window wall, which showcased a balcony garden with rocks and seaweed. "You think this is gonna work?"

"Of course it's gonna work! Oomie knows what she's doing."

"What if we get caught?"

"We won't! Consider this a guerrilla mission in Empire Ocean—I think that's what Oomie has in mind." Hima beamed like a full moon. "She's totally one of the elite units."

Dea sighed and shook her head. Hima's brain might as well have turned into a buoy ornament. Dea's finger toyed with a button, which lowered the seat just beneath the room's waterline. The shimmering reflections on the water mirrored her wavering heart. The human was her destiny—she knew it in her bones. He would open the doorway to the future she dreamed of. Yet, her stomach roiled. After all, a perilous journey yawned ahead, starting with what they were about to do.

"Chill, Dea," Hima said, poking her. "It's unlike you to overthink stuff. You want this or not?"

"Fine." Dea swatted away her hand. "It's just—how come you never mentioned her dad is Talmus Mora?"

"You never asked, did you?" Hima heaved her torso up and perched on the plush armrest. "Mora's sure to have access to this info. I mean, he's the ex-director of the SBI and the commander of the Second Ocean War! Did you know that he's an advisor to the Regent too? I did some background reading on the dude last night—and this evening before coming here."

"You sound like a Merwiki article." Dea laughed.

Soon after, Oomie returned at a relaxed pace. A mini bot trailed behind with glasses of red juice on its back. The two waiting mermaids reached for the refreshment.

"Let's get started, eh?" Oomie issued an ultrasonic command, and the blinds started descending, cutting off the view of the balcony.

Lights dimmed, plunging them into a twilight gloom. In the sudden stillness, Dea tuned into the water conditioner, which created circulation currents in the room's indoor pool. Tiny ripples sparkled in the meager illumination. Then the projector switched on.

The far wall came alive and displayed Oomie's ogi interface. A drawing app was open, showcasing an architectural doodle of the house, along with high-resolution photographs.