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Chronicles of Ceto Chapter 1 (Underlying Current)

[July 1st, 52 CC]

Huge waves crashed against the rocks and shore, wild sprays of foam launching into the air before falling back down into the water. The frenzied currents had stirred up enough sand and silt to make the ocean waters as grey as the dark clouds above. The sky was as turbulent as the sea, dark storm clouds crashing into one another from horizon to horizon. A fine mist of rain was falling from the clouds, the droplets getting heavier and heavier by the moment as the storm continued. The cascade of the waves, the patter of the rain, even the distant rumble of thunder vibrating the air itself all blended together in a symphony of nature. It was beautiful and it was terrifying.

In the midst of it all came the sound of bare feet running along wet wood. The sound came from a sort of resort built onto the shore stretching around an estuary with a short river running out to the ocean. Respectable over-water and over-sand bungalows were interconnected by a vast wooden boardwalk. The entire resort had been well weathered, the wood faded almost to a periwinkle grey. The feet running along the boardwalk were decidedly pink in comparison, chilled by the unusual cold of the rain.

The feet belonged to a ten year old boy, a year round resident of the resort. His skin was well tanned from tropical sunlight and his hair was sun bleached to a blond so extreme it was practically platinum. His baggy shorts and tight sleeveless shirt made sense during the resort's busy season but the storms were so rare and unpredictable that it was impossible to prepare for them. The boy ran from bungalow to bungalow, making sure storm shutters were closed and locked, keeping the raging elements out.

Kai moved around the back of the resort, crossing the longer stretch of boardwalk, moving over the river that fed the estuary, arriving at the second semicircle of bungalows. Down in the estuary itself, the dock was creaking and bobbing, the tide shifting unpredictably. The boy moved, leaning against the guard rail as he stretched to shut the shutters, deft fingers flicking the locks into place. The sky flashed with lightning before he felt the thunder reverberated in his chest.

Once more Kai's feet came down to the wooden walkway, standing water splattering as his toes landed. He resumed his run, moving from one bungalow to the next, moving down the line until he finally reached the end... although he was on the wrong side to make it directly back to his home. The ring only had one break in it, the river that led out to sea some fifty or sixty feet away. Kai moved up to the guard rail.

He leaned against the guard rail, crossing his arms on the cold metal, gazing at the water and the ocean beyond. Kai loved the storms... Ceto was practically a planet of tropical beaches and coastal towns, less than ten percent land mass. Storms were rare; being cold was rare, at least outside. Kai closed his eyes and lifted his head, letting the cold rain fall over him, soaking his clothes and saturating his hair, chilling his skin. It was amazing and Kai wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world.

With his eyes closed, Kai listened to the rain and the waves and the thunder... All three were relaxing on their own, but it was amazing to hear the lengths, the harmonies of the sound... The waves seemed the fastest in a way, each lap and splash replaced by another. The rain was quick too, but it was so steady it felt like a persistent tone... and then there was the thunder; a quick crash and then a reverberating pulse that could be felt long after it could no longer be heard. Kai strained to hear all the tones, to listen to nature's song... but something else was out there, a sound he hadn't heard before... It was a soft tone, an oscillation... So faint, so distant, and yet so strong.

Kai opened his eyes, trying to follow the source of the sound. It was coming from the beach but the boy couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. He reached up, rubbing the water from his blue eyes before he climbed up the rungs of the guard rail and hopped down, landing in the sand sloping down into the estuary. He trodded up over the lip and headed down the beach proper, moving toward the surf.

The sand was wet and caked beneath his feet, cold and clammy. While Kai loved the cold rain, cold sand wasn't as high up on his list of joys. The wind was also far stronger without the shelter of the palm trees around the resort. The blond boy moved down toward the waves, the sound getting stronger as he approached... but Kai still couldn't see anything. He blinked rapidly to try and get grains of sand out of his eyes that had been cast up by the wicked winds, moving one way along the shore and then the other.

Kai searched for the source of the humming in futility before he spotted an outcropping of rocks hanging over the ocean waters, jutting out. At low tide it made an excellent lookout, giving a vantage of quite a distance. Kai only hoped it would work as well during the storm. Kai moved through the sand, leaning into the wind so it didn't knock him back. Each step was getting to be more of a struggle. It had almost reached the point of two steps forward and one step back when his cold feet finally felt the rock beneath him. Kai let out a grunt of relief, climbing up onto the rock, holding onto the smooth stone. Back on Earth it would have been considered some sort of basalt that resisted the erosion of time... but to Kai it was only useful as high ground.

He knelt on the rock at first, moving slowly, getting a footing before he stood up. Once Kai was more sure of his footing, the blond boy moved along the makeshift ledge, advancing a few feet of the waves. While the shore itself was bustling with the tepid chaos of waves and sand, the water further out to sea was unlike anything Kai had seen before. Kai struggled to see past the rain and sand in his eyes, over the waves... and to the shimmering light submerged beneath the ocean's surface.

As Kai gazed out at the ocean, the light only seemed to get brighter, the tone stronger... It was like the song of the angels, the song of the sea, the light so bright. It glittered like silver on the surface of the water. When the lightning flashed above, the light below only seemed to get brighter and the song more complex, the tones rising and falling. Kai stood on the edge of the outcrop, gazing at the sea, his shorts rippling in the wind. It was almost as if he was entranced, too far away to notice the huge wave crossing the waters until it hit the rock and engulfed Kai.

Being underwater was never an unusual sensation for Kai, he had been swimming all of his life... everyone on Ceto had to swim. What was strange was feeling the ocean waters surround him while he was still on the rock. Kai's feet slipped across the smooth surface, trying to grab hold as the bubbles rose up around him, his hair swaying in the water... But just as the huge wave had crashed against the shore, it was also pulling out to see. Kai tried to flip around, to grab the rock but he was pulled away, the sight of land disappearing.

Every attempt to reach the surface for air or the sandy slope for grip was a failure. Kai was buffeted around, flipped and tossed. His cheeks were growing rosy with the pressure of his air. Panic set into the boy, his heart racing. He had heard stories about the sea on earth gobbling up little boys, sea monsters sinking pirate ships... but Ceto had been such a gentle planet. Kai would have whimpered but that would have cost him precious air. He kept trying to swim, his limbs feeling weaker and weaker as the carbon dioxide built up in his system.

Kai gazed up through the salty water at the clouds and lighting above, unable to hear the thunder but able to feel it. Kai's eyes widened as he realized he was still hearing the song, more detailed and amazing than ever. Kai didn't try to swim up to the surface but he turned himself over, facing down toward the sea floor. The gentle slope had given way to the first of the two continental shelves, the sea floor dropping dozens of feet. Below Kai was a vast reef of coral, swimming rays and orros, fish and ugaya.

The boy swam over this stretch many times with an air tank or rebreather, but he'd never been this close on his own. As Kai drifted in the current a gentle light began to shine over him, silver sparkles dancing across his pale skin. Kai followed the light, spotting something he had never seen before on his own, a bed of silver crystals that had grown on the reef itself. They were numerous, plentiful, but almost uniform. Despite casting off light they seemed to be made of metal more than crystal, like polished chrome.

Kai knew what they were, hydrolator crystals, the entire reason humans had colonized Ceto. They were precious, important, valuable... and they'd never grown so close to land. It had to be the storm, the harmonics, the... the... the thoughts were lost to Kai as he began to pass out, to drown, to grow weak. He had no more oxygen, no more breath. His body took the only action it could. Kai's mouth opened and he gasped for breath, drawing in only a lung full of water. He coughed and choked, his lungs pushing water in and out but it was of no use. His blood coursed with all the wrong elements.

As the boy's body slowed he began to feel a sort of euphoria flood him, the struggle fading to a drunk wonder at the beauty of everything around him. Just as Kai's eyes were about to slip shut for the last time he felt something around him, arms... Skin pressed to his skin and began tugging him upwards. Kai blinked gently, head wobbling, hair floating in the water. A shock of red entered his vision, the hair of another boy about his age.

The other boy continued to pull Kai along, swimming back towards shore but his green eyes looked into Kai's before he leaned forward, pressing his lips to Kai's. Kai felt more pressure forced into his lungs, the water displaced. There was a surge of life in his body. His heart struggled to beat again, his brain stirring again. The boy moved and pressed his lips to Kai's again, forcing another breath in.

As sense returned to Kai he began working harder to help in his own salvation. He exhaled his breath in bubbles just in time to receive a new one. Kai didn't understand how so much vitality was being restored to him by the exhalation of another, but maybe anything was better than water. Despite feeling weak and exhausted, Kai was ascended at a fair rate in the arms of the red headed boy. Kai gazed upon his face, noticing the freckles dotting his pale skin, the light from below sparkling across his body, even how his red hair hung over one eye.

The two moved up over the shelf, the storm still raging. The harmonics of the crystals were ebbing in Kai's ears, sand buffeting him. It was rough against his skin, even in the water. Kai began to panic more, he wasn't able to see his savior but he could feel him, the warm arms against his skin. Kai reached out, trying to get a tighter hold of him but then a wave grabbed him from above. Kai was lifted up, tossed end over end as he bobbed to the surface.

A terrible rasping cough and choke came as Kai tried to take his first breath under his own power again. He sputtered and spit up water, his sinuses burning, his ears throbbing, his body shivering. His limbs felt like brittle sticks in the cold. A huge wave lifted Kai up and all but tossed him onto the shore. He landed limply in the wet sand, shaking and numb. The water washed over his arms and legs but he managed to keep his head up, breathing, forcing water out of his lungs.

The waves crashed endlessly, the sound etching into his mind. The boy lay on the beach, trying to regain his composure, his strength to do anything, to even more. The rain had ended, the thunder was gone. It was almost worse without the rain as his clothes dried out, sticking to his clammy skin, the waves feeling so cold they burned by comparison as his circulation struggled to return.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kai forced himself up onto all fours. He took one laborious movement forward, then another, and another. He crawled away from the shore, using all his strength to force himself over, landing on his ass. Kai sat on the sand, his water logged blue eyes scanning the shore for his savior. Surely he made it out as well, surely he... where was he? Kai looked all the way up the beach one way and then the other. There was no sign of him, no trace of the boy that had saved his life. Kai's heart seized up in his chest.

"Where are you?!" he screamed out, his voice carrying on the wind.

[August 22nd, 60 CC]

Loud resonating tones sounded, alternating with building percussion, the hum of bass... and as the music came together, the lyrics started, everything building and building into one crash it broke into high gear. Kai's head bobbed as he listened to the music. His long, tan legs were propped up on his desk, his foot tapping to the music just as much his head. The huge build of the music dialed back for the chorus and Kai's hips moved side to side in his chair as his fingers flopped the ends of a pencil back and forth on the paper tablet on his lap.

Kai had been sitting at the desk in his room, sketching various drawings while he watched the sunrise through his big window. His sketches were pinned all over a pegboard on one wall. There were landscapes rich with palm trees and bungalows, there were drawings of things he had read about on Earth or Proxima, but there were also numerous sketches of the young boy that had saved his life eight years before. He'd captured the freckles, the hair floating in water, all of it. There were other sketches, trying to guess how the boy might have grown up but those had been covered over, half peeking out from behind other drawings.

Another song came onto Kai's player and his head began bobbing even faster, his shaggy blond hair falling over his eyes. His lips moved, mouthing the words before a glass sphere on his desk began flashing. No doubt Kai hadn't heard the chimes alerting him to an arrival and his mom was trying to send him off to work any way he could. Kai let out a long sigh, hopping out of his chair and rising to his feet. His bare toes wriggled on the wooden floor of his room, a silver toe ring on the second toe of both feet tapping gently before he headed out.

Kai moved out onto the boardwalk hips moving to side to side as he pseudo danced, bracing his hands on the handrails before he hopped up, feet landing on the top. He moved along the top of the rails, heading toward the estuary to see what boring fishing vessel had decided to come into port. Kai moved around the curve, hopping off the rails to land on the wood steps that led down to the water. Kai slowed as he approached the water, seeing no sign of a visitor. He reached up, pulling the glowing blue earpiece out. The music was gone, replaced by the sound of the ocean in the distance, the calm of the estuary itself. Kai was stunned for a long moment before he noticed there was movement under the water itself.

"Aquanaut?" Kai wondered aloud. He broke into a sprint, running down onto the dock, feeling it sway just a bit under his momentum. He all but skidded to a stop, looking out into the water as it rippled, displaced by the object rising through it. Kai's guess was soon proven right. The water parted as if by magic to reveal the gleaming emblem of the aquanauts; a yellow submarine in a blue ring with yellow notches at the four ordinal directions. The craft continued to rise, the water shimmering as it ran down across a transparent blue octagonal dome, the sleek angles topped by the emblem that had emerged first.

Kai watched the craft ascend in wonder, stepping back as two great yellow pontoons surfaced on either side, the small submarine bobbing gently on the surface. The transparent orange propeller on the back came to a stop and locked in place but the robotic reticulator arm in the front flexed and moved, reaching over. The black clamp like hands on the robotic arm seized metal brace on the dock, holding the entire craft in place. With a gentle hiss the blue dome began lifting up, rising until it was perpendicular to the rest of the craft.

Inside the small submarine was one occupant, one of the famed aquanauts. He stood up slowly, still wearing his diving gear. His uniform was a carefully fabricated drysuit, the pants and torso a rich blue in color while the gloves, waist and embellishments were all a crisp white. Kai studied the Aquanauts diving gear, a single piece of equipment that acted as helmet, breathing apparatus, and even a personal form of transport thanks to the small propulsion fan set into a grill on his back. A small antenna stuck out from the back of the helmet and a rectangular visor sat in the midst of a black mask piece.

The pilot reached up, slipping his helmet off slowly before tucking it under his arm. The gold aquanaut logo shimmered on the right pectoral of his uniform as he turned to face Kai. The man was a few years older than the boy, probably in his late twenties. His skin had a richness to it that Kai's lacked, a natural bronze tone. Sleek black hair was kept at bay by a red headband tied around his head. Kai let out a laugh, whistling in awe.

"Hunter, you didn't tell me that you were coming to land, or that they would trust you with your own craft!" Kai said.

"Sea Sprint nine requesting permission to dock." Hunter chuckled before he clapped Kai on the shoulder, "How are you doing kid?" he asked.

"Fine! Things have been pretty boring. How about on your end? How's the harvest?" Kai asked.

"We've been mining like crazy... We're running out of time before the next pickup and we want to make sure we have extra, we could deal with being flush with resources for a while." Hunter said. Kai rocked back and forth on his feet a bit in thought.

"Could you use an intern?" Kai asked. Hunter smirked.

"You're not going to sign up full time?" he asked. Kai grinned.

"I want to see what it's like before I sign away my life." Kai chuckled.

"And being bus boy for the resort is SOO much better." Hunter said, stepping out onto the dock.

"Hey, I don't have to break my back mining..." Kai joked, "But yeah, in all seriousness... I'm interested. I've wanted to see what it's like for years, see if there's anything... down there for me." He said softly. Hunter smiled.

"It's like nothing else. You won't be let down. Let's go get something to eat, we've got a Crystal Crawler coming to shore this afternoon, if your mom doesn't skin you alive we could take that down to give you a tour." Hunter said.

"Really?!" Kai asked, eyes wide. Hunter nodded.

"The boss said I can use any incentive to try and bring in any extra help while I'm on leave. I guess that just means I'll be driving you around and buying you lunch." Hunter grinned. Kai smirked.

"Just remember, I'm not a cheap date." Kai said, leading the aquanaut along to the steps, the two chuckling.

***

Condensation beaded up on the cup Kai held, the frosty red and yellow and pink contents still frosty despite the heat. Kai brought the glass up, sucking at the straw, bringing the sweet melting nectar into his mouth. Hunter and Kai leaned against a hip high fence, each enjoying a seafruit smoothie as desert as they looked down the boat ramp to the water. The two had wandered land for a few hours, getting some barbecue for lunch since open flame was limited in the Aquanauts' underwater settlements and Hunter wanted something cooked with fire itself. The two stood next to a cement ramp leading down into the water, the cement ribbed with texture patterns to offer grip to vehicles moving up and down the slope.

"So have you ever seen anything unusual down there?" Kai asked. Hunter sipped from his own smoothie.

"Unusual like what? We've been on this planet for sixty years; there isn't a whole lot we haven't explored already." Hunter replied. Kai rotated one foot back and forth on the heel before shrugging.

"I guess you're right." Kai said before smiling, "Are you going to give me the recruitment speech?" he asked. Hunter laughed.

"You already know it all... How about you tell me and I'll see if there's anything you missed." Hunter replied. Kai smirked.

"Alright... Sixty years ago when humans set out into the stars, they needed resource worlds to see their expansion and they found few finer than Ceto, an ocean world rich with quicksilver-" Kai was interrupted.

"Hydrolator crystals..." Hunter replied.

"Technically..." Kai replied, rolling his eyes, "It's a crystal that can be melted down and has all the properties of metal and releases oxygen during processing... Metal that grows quickly, quicksilver." Kai said.

"Just don't put that n the forms, the supervisors are picky." Hunter replied.

"Well anyway... Seeing all that metal, they designed all the equipment the Aquanauts use to mine it and they come regularly to pick everything up and the miners are well rewarded for their work with little contact with other worlds." Kai said.

"You do realize that was all history, right?" Hunter asked.

"What about the big rewards part?" Kai asked.

"I guess that counts." He smirked, taking another sip. Both men turned when they heard bubbling and churning in the water, their eyes moving down to the boat ramp. Two spinning transparent orange propellers emerged from the water before locking into place, extending from two bright yellow octagonal arms. The arms rotated upwards as the Crystal Crawler emerged to keep them out of the way.

Water began sloshing more vigorously as a large yellow wheel emerged, rolling along, the alternating tread grabbing a hold of the cement ramp. As the wheel cleared the water, the familiar sight of the transparent blue octagonal dome began slipping out of water, the cockpit edged on either side with chrome harpoon launchers. Two reticulator arms lifted out of the water, moving into a default position at either side. The back wheel rolled out of the water, two more propeller arms jutting out and back just as the others had been extended forward.

Kai grinned, looking at the vaguely H shaped vehicle as it rolled past them, coming to a stop at the top of the ramp. The Crystal Crawler was a lot more substantial than the Sea Sprint; it had a durable frame and the wheels where as tall as he was. The robotic arms had to be at least twelve feet long each and the crawler was twice as long as the arms were. When the vehicle had been parked the dome lifted up out of the way, revealing the cockpit. The controls were a bit more sophisticated than the Sea Sprint but there wasn't a whole lot of additional room. Kai turned to Hunter.

"Why are we taking this one again? How are we both going to fit?" Kai asked. Hunter shrugged.

"Well... I've got my diving gear, I could just sit on the side above the arm... and that would leave you to sit in the cockpit while it drives back on auto pilot." Hunter said. Kai's eyes went wide.

"Me? The only one in the cockpit?" Kai asked. Hunter laughed.

"They did say I could try and appeal to you any way I could." Hunter said, setting his smoothie onto the fence, moving over to the other aquanaut that had climbed out. Kai watched as the other man pulled off his helmet, copper hair buzzed shut, green sunglasses glinting almost metallic in the light. Hunter and the aquanaut talked for some time before Hunter accepted his helmet, moving back to where Kai was.

"You just took his helmet?" Kai laughed.

"I told him where the Sea Sprint was and my gear. Besides, we're taking the whole craft. He's just here on leave too, it doesn't matter how he gets back." Hunter smirked, "Are you ready?"

"Ready? You mean now? What about my own gear?" Kai asked. Hunter waved Kai over and the two approached the crawler. Hunter hopped up onto the hub between the wheels and the propeller arms, walking up the slope to the open cockpit. He leaned in and opened a compartment, pulling out what seemed to be a simpler helmet with just a rebreather running around the base.

"It won't take you anywhere but it'll make sure you don't have any problem breathing." Hunter said. Kai held out his arms and accepted the helmet, looking at it. Hunter leaned into the cockpit, typing on the commands to return to the base on auto-pilot. Kai realized that their moment of departure was soon at hand and slipped the helmet on, fastening it into place. Hunter offered Kai his hand, pulling the teenager up. Kai slipped his legs over the edge and sat down in the cockpit, keeping clear of the controls.

Hunter lifted the aquanaut helmet off of the lip of the cockpit and slipped it on, the propulsion unit firm against his back, the chest piece feeling almost like armor. The seal was made and he reached up, pulling the visor shut as he stood up, tapping the edge of the blue dome. Kai looked up, watching the cockpit close before looking through the glass to see Hunter sitting on the edge. The big yellow wheels began turning, the Crystal Crawler backing up into the water. The propellers in the front rotated back down and a gentle hum began to sound as the propellers in the back started turning, grabbing into the water and pulling the craft in faster.

The ocean waters rose up around the cockpit and Kai watched with excitement and a touch of anxiety. He still thought about how he had nearly drown in the storm so many years ago, how the water had taken him... but then he would think of his savior, of those warm arms, that red hair... Kai felt safe again and was left to enjoy the decent. The Crawler continued backing up, moving down the vast stretch of ramp beneath the water before both sets of propellers were going. The Crawler swung off of the ramp and onto the sea floor, turning around before it began rolling along back towards the base.

Kai's eyes were wide, soaking in every detail... They passed between bushes of seaweed with swaying strands of green or red, shadows casting across the Crawler as it rolled beneath schools of manta rays gliding along. It was as amazing as Kai remembered, and not nearly as life threatening. Kai glanced at the controls, looking at how the propellers and ballasts and engine systems were being maintained. Another system was keeping track of levels of heat and electricity in the surrounding area. The same resources that made Ceto a perfect resource planet could make it deadly without too much warning... but Kai didn't care about the risks, he was glad to see the world beneath the surface, the world he had only glimpsed at before. He also knew he had been over-reacting about the helmet. He'd need it in case of any compromise, but he'd have some warning.

Kai reached up, pulling his helmet off, shaking his head. His sun bleached hair fell across his tanned cheeks before his blue eyes gazed out. He loved that dome, he could see in every direction. Columns of light dropped down from the ocean surface high above, shimmering as particulate floated through it. Kai had read that light on Earth didn't penetrate the water a quarter as much as on Ceto. It truly seemed like a shame... A world as wonderous as the ocean should never have been shrouded in darkness. Kai glanced over at Hunter, making sure the aquanaut was looking away so he wouldn't get in trouble for having his helmet off. He leaned back, gazing out.

While Kai had been looking all over around him, there was only one detail he had missed; the pair of deep green eyes gazing through the water to the Crystal Crawler, studying the occupant. The eyes watched intently until the vehicle had rolled almost out of sight before a hand came up, reaching out after the Crawler. Between the fingers there was a thin membrane of tissue, a sort of webbing. The young man lowered his hand and turned, pushing off of the rock he had been clinging to.

His bright red hair swayed in the current of the water as he paddled along, unhindered by the depths or the pressures, no apparatus strapped to his body. He was covered only in a black bodysuit with yellow stripes along his waist, rising up his chest in a V. In the midst of a V was a red X crossing just beneath the image of a blue shark. The young man continued to paddle, rolling over so his stomach faced the sea floor. Sunlight tickled the back of his wetsuit, illuminating two exposed portions of flesh near the base of his spine. The pale peach skin parted every so often to reveal gill slits, taking oxygen from the water.

The young man swam for some distance, approaching a vast rock formation. Seaweed swayed along the top, fish darting in and out of crevices. The man came to a stop, his body drifting as he tapped a transponder embedded into the abdomen of his suit. His green eyes watched expectantly as a portion of the roc began to change, light hitting it differently. The drab lifeless colors faded away, revealing metal in its place. Two long black pontoons rested on the seafloor, the back of each rising up to end in transparent orange propellers. Above the pontoons a fuselage began to shimmer into sight, at least fifteen feet in length, coming together at the front into a fine wedge shape. The base was a vibrant blue, but the canopy was a bright transparent orange. The tempered material was painted, the eyes and open mouth of a shark painted on the sides, bubbles escaping the back of it. The last portion to come into view was a fin like rudder at the very top, the black extension showing the same red cross and blue shark of the Aquasharks logo.

As if sensing that the young man was close, the orange canopy lifted up to reveal the interior. He grabbed the edge of the cockpit and pulled himself in, settling down. The cockpit closed and the cockpit shimmered, the painted view replaced with an unimpeded display of the surrounding area. A quick tap to the controls and the water began draining out of the cockpit, filtering out. The young man's bright red hair fell over one eye, plastered to his face, his freckles like a long lost reminder of body warmth he once had.

With a great breath he filled his lungs conventionally, running his tongue over his sharp teeth. He often had considered himself a fearsome beast, the bane of the aquanauts, a threat to take seriously... but not today. Today was the day he had been waiting for all of his adult life. After so many years, the blond boy from the beach had come to him... The red head's heart fluttered as he imagined it.

"Remember me..." He whispered as he imagined holding Kai once more in his arms... but imagining it wasn't enough. The aquashark moaned as he got hard, his wetsuit getting rather tight. He panted and groaned, reaching to fumble with the clips. He unhooked himself and opened the wetsuit. Water gushed out and revealed his skin, but more importantly it released the source of his lust... both of them.

Extending from the boy's groin was not one penis, but two. The long, hard aching shafts came down, the base thick and wide, supporting both. It was a hemipenis, just as sharks had. Between his teeth, gills, webbed digits and his package it was quite obvious he was no ordinary male, but he was certainly male. The red head ran his hands across his two shafts, feeling their length and girth, the veins. He closed his eyes, wrapping his webbed fingers around them both. The teenager let out a deep moan of delight as he started letting his hand slide up and down the lengths, lifting his hips.

After so many years his crush was close at hand... He was tired of watching from afar, he wanted to be with Kai, to hold Kai, to be in Kai. He imagined his two cocks spreading the blond boy's ass cheeks wide, reaming his ass until he filled it with thick cum. He dreamed of Kai sucking one cock off while the other sprayed cum all over his face. He fantasized about rubbing their wet cocks together; Kai's nestled between both of his... The pleasures, the carnal pleasures were so much. He panted and grunted, moving to push his feet against the orange canopy of his vehicle, scooting lower in his chair.

The teenager's mouth opened, all his teeth extremely sharp as he moaned. His eyes grew cloudy before turning solid black as he jacked off, dreaming of mounting Kai, of them spending the rest of their lives together. The aquashark's cock throbbed and grew larger in his hand. He knew he should be controlling his shifting but he didn't care, he wasn't going to stop himself. His spine throbbed as a ridge started forming along his back, his teeth stretching longer. The heads of his cocks rubbed along his abs, already quite huge.

He continued to let his mind reel with all the sultry and dirty things he wanted to do to Kai... before he thought of his very first fantasy... What he had almost done. He gasped sharply, imagining the storm, Kai falling into the ocean. The red head imagined himself restoring breath to Kai, but not taking him to the surface... He imagined himself stealing Kai, humping him, fucking him, keeping him alive with their kisses, covering him in shark cum, taking him to a private cave... and sharing everything with him.

The teenager began to imagine his two cocks rubbing against Kai's, not one of his shafts, but two. He dreamed of Kai's fingers growing webs, his toes... the formation of his gills, his first breath of water. Kai would be so handsome, so amazing... And then he would be an aquashark. They would be together. Imagining that sent the teenager over the edge. Both cocks pulsed, thick cum spraying out, splattering across his face, his chest, soaking into his red hair. Rope after rope of the stuff, his eyes rolling back into his head before finally he went limp.

The teenager laid there for several long minutes, licking the cum from his face, basking in the afterglow... but he couldn't sit there forever. He leaned over and typed in commands into the console. The engines powered up, he brought the radio on in an encrypted signal.

"This is Mateo in Spy Shark five. I am leaving quadrant eight." He said, closing the signal. Mateo reached up, running his fingers through his cum soaked red hair, a shark fanged grin crossing his face.

***

[August 22nd, 60 CC]

Golden columns of sunlight wavered through the ocean water's, cascading across turquoise and teal rocks as massive schools of fish swam along at a leisurely pace. Gentle currents brushed through trailing fingers of red and green seaweed plants that almost seemed like the bushes of the ocean. Amid all the beauty, tiny flecks of plankton drifted like snow caught in the breeze. Kai's eyes were intensely focused on his surroundings as he gazed out of the cockpit of the Crystal Crawler, transfixed by the beauty around him. Sadly the view was somewhat muddled as he had put his helmet on once again. Kai had been unaware that he could be yelled at using mere hand gestures, but Hunter had found a way when he saw his young friend without his helmet on. Still, it had been worth it.

The bright yellow vehicle continued rolling along the sea floor. Two massive wheels kept it from bottoming out on the sea floor. The four transparent orange propellers on the end of L-shaped engine housings kept moving the craft forward at a fair speed. Wanting to keep a closer eye on the young man under his protection, Hunter had elected to swim above the Crystal Crawler the rest of the way to their destination. The Aquanaut floated above the crawler, paddling with long blue flippers, pushed forward by razor thin propellers housed in the back portion of his diving gear.

The two had followed the slow descent of the second sea shelf into deeper waters, the sea floor bringing them down into an underwater canyon. Even this deep the sunlight somehow managed to penetrate to the bottom, giving the layer of silt a grayish blue color. Kai had been completely fascinated the entire way, but sudden movement ahead caught his attention. At first he thought Hunter had sped up, but the aquanaut ahead had a visor of a beautiful transparent blue material instead of the opaque black Hunter had.

Kai stretched, leaning forward before he suddenly looked up, gasping. Anchored in the canyon rock face to the right of the Crystal Crawler were massive yellow pylons rising up and up, supporting a huge watch tower topped with the biggest dome he had ever seen in his life. A black metal ladder hung from the side of the tower just below where the glass started, the aquanaut Kai had seen was swimming over to grab a hold of it and climb up. Kai focused ahead, anxious to see everything he could.

Before them was a construction less impressive than the watch tower, but no less important. Built into a rock mound was a refueling station, the aquanaut emblem emblazoned on the mass of yellow columns that protruded from the rock and grouped together. A smaller blue dome held a box made of the same transparent orange material as the propellers. Inside was a glittering hydrolator crystal, ready to be broken down as fuel for the vehicles. Kai grinned, loving the design for being practical and yet... bright and cheery. His wonders were soon interrupted as the cockpit of the Crystal Crawler fell into darkness, a shadow passing over head.

Kai looked up; gasping deeply as the largest submarine he had ever seen passed over head. The entire front of the submarine was taken up by a forward facing angular dome almost as big as that of the watch tower. The sub stretched back, a robotic arm jutting out from each side. Kai could tell even from a distance that sub's body was used for cargo space, the last few feet devoted to fortify the hull against the large propeller housings that moved the sub. The massive craft slowed and turned, lowering down onto a landing platform on the top of the short canyon.

"I can't believe... all this time, you've lived down here." Kai said over the radio. A short chuckle came back.

"You haven't even seen the best part." Hunter replied. The crawler began turning, heading into the gully between the refilling station and the watch tower. As they came around the first part of the canyon walls, Kai fell back into his seat, overwhelmed by the sheer scope of human accomplishment. Hunter chuckled again, "Welcome to Aqua Dome Seven." He said.

Stretched across the entire back portion of the canyon was a massive yellow and black facility standing over three stories tall. Pipes and columns were rooted in the rocks, conveyor belts carrying crystal cases along for processing, carrying them into the main structure. The entire front of the facility was taken up by two vast transparent blue doors, the two of them together making the upper half of an octagon. The outer edges were repeated with an etching in the glass just a bit smaller, then another a bit smaller and so on. Beneath the huge doors a massive yellow grating was angled down, bridging the gap to the sea floor.

Just when Kai assumed he had taken it all in, more motion caught his eye. Kai gazed up to the top of the facility, watching a huge crane swing back and forth, a transparent blue claw suspended from the end of the mechanism. Kai watched it drop down, starting to dig into the rock, silt rising up in the water. Kai looked up to Hunter, the aquanaut still faithfully floating along.

"Why are so many of your parts transparent? The propellers and the digging equipment?" Kai asked in surprise.

"Most crystals produce an electric charge or heat. We needed engines and tools that didn't react. The last thing we'd need was for our propellers to seize up and have us crash into a bed of superheated crystals." Hunter replied. Kai nodded, accepting the reasoning. He had little time to do anything else before the vast sky blue doors ahead of them began parting, the doors swinging outwards. The Crystal Crawler continued unabated, climbing up the yellow grating, passing through the yellow arch that framed the big doors. The front propellers came to a stop as the Crawler entered the Aqua Dome, the back ones reversing direction to bring the vehicle to an abrupt stop.

Hunter drifted down, reaching out to grab onto the craft again as the floor beneath the vehicle began rotating. Kai looked all around as the Crawler was turned ninety degrees to the left. The massive doors began closing again, the sunlight from outside still filtering through the glass like barriers. They seemed to seal silently but then the Crystal Crawler shimmied... and gradually began it's descent. Kai stood up, leaning over to the edge of the cockpit. The crawler was parked on a platform that was lowering down into the rock foundation, it's speed increasing slowly.

At first they passed by more of the same rock, but every so often a band of light would pass by before them. Their descent continued through a vertical tube that seemed to be some sort of airlock. The airlock gave them a glimpse of a huge bay full of dozens of vehicles spread out in every direction, but it was all gone after just a moment as the crawler kept dropping. After what seemed like a few minutes the crawler finally came to a stop. A partition slid shut over the vehicle and the water drained around them, gurgling and bubbling. With all the water gone, a thick bulkhead in front of the vehicle slid open. The Crawler rolled forward off the platform and onto a vast metal grating, the engines powering down. The bulkhead slid shut behind the craft, the long ride coming to an end. Kai leaned back in his chair before he just started laughing. No words could explain how cool his entire day had been and he hadn't even made it out of the garage.

Hunter climbed off of the Crawler, stepping off of the craft as water rushed down into the grating beneath, draining away. The cockpit hummed as it opened and angled up out of the way. Kai looked around, realizing once more participation on his part was required. He moved and slipped over the edge of the cockpit, stepping onto the ledge on the side before he remembered his helmet. He pulled it off and leaned into the cockpit, slipping it into the compartment before he hopped down. Hunter had walked along a wall where equipment was hung, pulling off his helmet and setting it on the rack. There were countless helmets with both black and transparent blue visors. Kai walked over, watching as Hunter pulled blue flippers from his feet that apparently were attached by little more than magnets and a plastic groove. He hung them on the wall, turning around with a smile.

"Alright, so now the proper introductions. This is Aqua Dome Seven, but it is also home to the Neptune Discovery Lab. This is where we make some of our most important scientific discoveries like the polymer that is immune to the crystals." Hunter said. Kai looked around at the equipment room, taking in the yellow wall of gear and a yellow wall of tools to work on the vehicles. It seemed all the walls were yellow while the floors were covered with black metal grating that covered pipes and water proofed wiring. The third wall of the room was interrupted by a hallway leading into the distance, though the rest of it was taken up by a massive map of a quadrant of Ceto. Gullies and canyons and trenches were mapped out along with water depths. There were markers for crystal formations and plant life.

"So there are more than just miners here?" Kai asked. Hunter nodded, gesturing to the hall. Kai fell to Hunter's side and the two moved out of the room. The hallway had perfect nintey degree angles where the floors met the walls, but three quarters of the way up the wall they angled slightly, making the top of the hallway narrower.

"Most of us are miners, yes, but there are people who take care of the food and utilities, repairs... Even tactical officers..." Hunter trailed off. Kai came to a stop by a round glass circle inset in the wall, a screen simulating a window of the ocean well above.

"The rumors are true? There are pirates?" Kai asked, shocked. While land dwellers swapped tall tales about sea creatures and ghost pirates roaming the waters, there had never been a report of any major conflict on Ceto. No murders, nothing more than petty thefts.

"Well, in effect they are pirates... Our problems started about twenty years ago. A rogue group broke into one of our bases, stole some of our helmets and one of our old scouting ships... Two weeks later at a mining dig they showed up, attacked the sea sprints and took all the crystals that had been prepared for transport. The ship had been repainted, a fin added to the top, the canopy repainted. They called themselves the aquasharks." Hunter said, starting to walk again. Kai moved to catch up.

"They've been here for twenty years?!" Kai asked. Hunter looked at the floor for a moment, almost ashamed himself.

"We can't... track them down. We've never seen a base or fortification, I don't think they even use bases. The most we've ever found was a landing platform sitting on top of a cave. They must live in their ships... They only show up to attack mining sites and miners and take the crystals. Then they disappear." Hunter said. They passed a hallway heading off to the left, continuing on toward an intersection ahead of them.

"How aggressive are they?" Kai asked.

"Guile seems to be their strong suit, they haven't ever gone up against a bigger target. We suspect it is because of limited numbers and resources." Hunter said. Kai nodded softly, reaching out to put his hand on his friend's shoulder. Hunter turned to look at Kai, the tails of his headband draping across his shoulder.

"And why are you telling me this, now, before I sign on?" Kai asked. Hunter gave a lop-sided smile and then shrugged.

"You deserve to know the truth... That Ceto has amazing beauty and dangers lurking in the shadows. It is rewarding, dangerous, and marvelous." Hunter said softly.

"Do you treat everyone to this kind of tour?" Kai asked. Hunter shrugged again.

"Well, the commander knows we're friends and a portion of the men have gone to your resort on their off time. You're somewhat well known and its always good to get the insight of someone who wasn't born and raised in these walls." Hunter said.

"Well, it's probably safe to say that I've been swayed, but was there anything else you were going to try and woo me with?" Kai asked. Hunter grinned wide.

"Just one thing." He said, leading Kai the rest of the way to the end of the hallway. He reached over and tapped a button. The end of the hallway whirred as yellow blast doors outside where lowered out of the way. As the metal dropped down, the view became clear. Beyond the hall was a vast underwater and underground bay. Vast banks of lights were built into the ceiling of the cave, illuminating the sole occupant of the bay. Sitting in the bay, resting on two huge pontoons was the largest submarine that Kai had ever seen. It was over sixty feet long and incredibly sleek. The front of the submarine was a vast angled blue dome just like the cargo ship sitting on the platform above the bay, but the rest of the ship was far nicer. The dome led back to an elongated cabin, a blue slanted window at the back angling down to what was likely a cargo section. A fin rose up from the top of the cockpit, a compass navigation system mounted above the rest of the vessel. Like all aquanaut vessels two robotic arms extended from just behind the front cockpit, though one arm ended in a sophisticated magnetic clamp. The cargo section took up the middle of the craft, the aquanaut logo emblazoned on hatches that rose up and then angled inwards like the hallways in the base. Behind the cargo section the sub got taller again, rising up before a long, angled canopy dropped down over the engine section. Two wings stretched out from the back, each supporting large propeller housings to funnel the current and achieve maximum speed. As if they weren't enough, a third propeller was mounted on its own just below the rear facing cockpit.

"What's it called?" Kai asked softly.

"It's the Crystal Explorer, but we just call it the Explorer. It's the fastest thing on all of Ceto... Not even Aquashark ships can outrun it... And you have a ride on it." Hunter said. Kai looked at his friend.

"Don't you mean we?" Kai asked. Hunter shook his head.

"I've got to meet with the commander, but the Explorer is making a routine run to one of the seeded crystal beds. It should be fun." Hunter smiled.

"And no risk of Aquasharks?" Kai asked. Hunter shook his head.

"The biggest ship they have is only half that big and its really old, they never attack anything bigger than they are and they aren't anywhere near that crystal bed. It'll be fine." Hunter said. Kai nodded with a smile. Hunter put his arm around Kai and pulled him back to the intersection of the hallway, gesturing to the transparent blue airlock at the far end. "I'm running late, but if you just go down there and give them your name they'll be expecting you. By the time you come back I'll be all done and we can have a big dinner together!" Hunter said.

"Want me to bring you anything back? T-shirt? Coffee cup?" Kai asked. Hunter laughed.

"Maybe a crystal, if you spot one outside of the zone." Hunter grinned, walking backwards, "Have fun!"

"You too, if paperwork does anything for you!" Kai smirked. Hunter laughed, moving to jog for the elevator. Kai turned, starting to walk toward the airlock. Being with Hunter was amazing, but there was one advantage to going on the Explorer without him... Getting to interact with the other Aquanauts at large would show him if he truly wanted to become one of them, to work with them all... but Kai couldn't imagine a life up on land, not when the sea held such amazing wonders. Kai grinned a bit more, walking faster toward the airlock.

***

Kai gazed out of the side window in the back of the Explorer's cockpit, watching the rocks and plants zoom by, traveling faster than he ever had in his entire life. There was no way Kai could have removed the grin from his face even if he wanted to. The light from outside dimmed for a moment as the Explorer passed under a school of Mantas, causing Kai's reflection to appear in the glass. He stepped back in surprise for a moment, the reflection was not his own. Kai blushed furiously, realizing he had already forgotten that he was wearing an aquanaut uniform. The bodysuit was comfortable, the material surprisingly flexible. The helmet wasn't that heavy either and the visor was so wide that he didn't see anything but the furthest edges of it.

Kai turned his head to the right, looking at the two operators, hoping they hadn't seen his moment of embarrassment. Neither seemed to have, focused instead on where they were going. One of the aquanauts stood on a platform built into the glass itself, operating the main computer to set course and speed. A second aquanaut was a few steps back, managing secondary systems. They had been rather nice to him, helping him with his suit but Kai didn't want to feel like he was in the way. Still, it was just as amazing as Hunter had said.

"So how are you liking it so far?" One of the aquanauts asked with a friendly voice, breaking the silence that hadn't lasted too long in reality. Kai was thankful. It was just what he had been hoping for. Once business was done they lightened up.

"It's fantastic. I had no idea anyone could travel this fast, at least on the planet." Kai said. The pilot chuckled.

"Well, if you think that's something, I should-" The pilot was interrupted as a chirping tone started coming from the computer. The second operator moved to his console, checking it out.

"A sea sprint is being attacked by a pair of darts. It's starboard ballast system has been damaged." He said.

"Damn Aquasharks... What sector?" The pilot asked.

"Fifteen." His co-pilot replied. Kai couldn't see the pilot's face but he was pretty sure his shoulders tensed up at the answer.

"We're the only one remotely close... They'll run away when we show up and we can tow the sea sprint back to base." The pilot said, adjusting course. Kai took a breath. He had gone out to get a tour, he was going to get to see what the Aquasharks really were like up close after all. The ship turned, gliding through the water, accelerating even more. Kai turned to look out of the back window, gazing along the length of the ship. At the end of the cargo section two short transparent orange antennas stuck up through the water, much longer ones jutting up from the wings. It was a pretty sophisticated array, enough to reach back to the base.

"Aqua Dome Seven, this is Explorer one. We have intercepted a distress call from Sea Sprint twelve in sector fifteen. Ship is under attack by two darts. We are moving to assist." The co-pilot reported, apparently utilizing the array. Kai could hear the co-pilot and the response on the speakers in his own helmet.

"Good hunting Explorer." Came the call of the base. Kai took a deep breath and turned to face forward again. The minutes passed by in silence, the crew of the Explorer readying for conflict even if it was going to be a simple one.

"We're approaching the edge of the mesa." The pilot stated.

"The sea sprint should be just ahead. I'll confirm with sonar." The co-pilot replied. There were several pings and the co-pilot nodded, "Two darts, one sea sprint just ahead." He pointed.

In the distance they could easily see the bright yellow pontoons and blue dome of the sea sprint, the craft angled to one side, puttering toward the mesa. Two smaller craft were circling it at great speed. The darts seemed barely big enough to hold one person, nothing but engine housing connected to one seat ending in a propeller with a row of blue floats on either side. They reminded Kai of cargo sleds the settlers had used when setting up the colony on Ceto... but his attention was focused on the pilot, not the vehicle.

The man piloting the dart was in a uniform similar to the aquanauts, but the color theme was vastly different. His pitch black wetsuit blended into the darkness of his vehicle, only a yellow belt strap and a v on his chest popped out for color. The chest of the Aquashark's uniform was emblazoned with the same red x and blue shark emblem that was painted on the engine housing. Resting on the Aquashark's shoulders was a solid black diving helmet almost as complex as the Aquanaut ones, though fixed to the back were jets instead of a micro-propeller housing. The visor frame was the same as the aquanauts, but the transparent clear glass was surrounded by a vibrant red polymer sloping back over part of the top of the helmet.

The Explorer slowed down as it approached, coming to a stop directly over the Sea sprint. The darts circled and backed off. A silver glint of light appeared in the front of one of them before there was movement. The sonar let out an alarm. The large robotic arm swung up, intercepting a glistening chrome harpoon. The harpoon deflected off of the arm and began sinking to the sea floor.

"It's like throwing stones at an space shuttle." The pilot chuckled.

"I thought the Aquasharks never attacked something bigger than themselves..." Kai said softly, remembering what Hunter had said.

"He's probably just blowing off some steam, they'll retreat any moment." The co-pilot reassured Kai. Kai moved, leaning to look out of the side window at the Sea Sprint below.

"Two darts teamed up to attack something as large as they were together..." Kai said. The pilot smirked, deflecting another harpoon.

"Yeah, but they're sitting ducks. We could grab them right off those darts." He commented. Kai turned, looking out of the back of the Explorer. He looked past the antennas, past the propellers to the mesa they had just passed over. Kai's worst fears were realized as two large boulders seemed to ripple and change. The rock texture was shimmering, starting to turn transparent orange, painted eyes and fangs appearing on the side.

"It's an ambush! They're behind us!" Kai called out.

"Kid, you're overreact-" The pilot was cut off as the ship shook roughly, a beam of concentrated light shooting through he water, the water around it boiling. The beam sliced through the antennas, leaving melting metal in their wake. When the beam hit the blue canopy in the back the blue transparency shimmered, warping slightly but not breaking. The Explorer started moving forward, moving to swing around. As the ship made its pass, there was a harsh crack. A silver harpoon pierced through the blue dome at the front of the ship.

"Increase cabin pressure to keep the water out." The pilot instructed. The co-pilot followed the order, dialing up the air pressure. Kai felt a difference on his body. He lifted his arms, feeling his suit get tighter. It was hardening to keep the pressure out so it wouldn't affect him. Kai lowered his hands again, backing up near the back window. His foot bumped a metal access panel but he spread his legs to avoid doing it again.

"Two spy sharks, two darts..." The co-pilot said, going over the sonar data. More laser blasts were fired, scarring up the Explorer's hull. It was a strange choice of weapons given that water diffused the laser and made it much weaker... On land the lasers would have been truly terrifying. The Explorer's right arm rose up, the magnet turning to face the enemy ships. The magnet charged and let out a pulse that rippled through the water, hitting one of the spy sharks. The ship's twin propellers slowed to a stop, the ship starting to drift. Kai could hear more harpoons hitting the harder shell of the hull, bouncing off. Kai looked around, trying to keep an eye out for any more surprises. A shifting bit of light caught his attention, drawing it to the valley beyond the mesa.

A tall fin began rising up from the depths, the blue shark above the red x. The hull spread out beneath the fin, two long sloped canopies stretching in either direction. The front was a bright orange, the shark face painted on either side. The back seemed denser, metal panels bolted to it. A large propeller housing sat in the back, the black housing a transparent orange propeller. The ship was as long as the Explorer and looked three times as mean. Metal daggers were affixed to the outside and along the front canopy two high powered harpoon launchers were at the ready.

"Deep Sea Predator!" The co-pilot exclaimed.

"Attempting to retreat!" The pilot called out in turn. The predator opened fire, the darts continued fire and the one functional spy shark continued sending out glancing blows with its laser. Another terrifying crunch came as another harpoon pierced through the front dome. Alarms sounded as the back compartment began flooding but it was primarily there just to hold tools and dig equipment. One of the lasers hit the robotic arm, focusing on it long enough for the gears and mechanisms to melt. The multicolored robotic limb slumped off, drifting down toward the sea floor.

"Send a beacon, let the base know we're under attack... Even if they can't get here in time." The pilot ordered. The co-pilot flicked the controls, trying numerous settings.

"I can't, they took out the radio array!" He exclaimed.

"The predator is coming around for another pass!" The pilot warned. Two robotic arms folded away from the main body of the predator. One arm ended in a device similar to the Explorer's magnet. Kai braced himself for an electromagnetic pulse like the Explorer had inflicted on the spy shark but then, suddenly, the device shot out.

"What is that?" Kai murmured, watching the device shoot through the water.

***

Mateo groped through the darkness of his Spy Shark, flicking switches, reconnecting wires. The ship had gone dead at the EM pulse and rebooting was never easy. Mateo could hear his breath in his helmet, red hair trapped over one eye behind the visor. He despised the helmets. He moved, gazing out of the transparent portion of his orange canopy. Even without power he could at least see out. The Aquasharks seemed to be doing quite well, bubbles venting from parts of the Explorer... But something was wrong, something felt different. Mateo tried to figure out what it was before his eyes went wide, his heart giving him the answer he had no science to back up.

"Oh no... No no no..." Mateo grunted. He ripped open the dashboard panel of his spy shark, pulling out circuit boards before inserting them again. The ship shuddered as systems began coming back on, the canopy illuminating and showing the surrounding view again. Mateo flicked the radio on.

"Predator, do not fire, please, hold back... Can you hear me?" Mateo asked. No response came. He checked the radio, cursing. Mateo looked up in time to see the end of the robotic arm honing in on its target. Mateo's heart nearly leaped out of his chest in panic.

***

All three of the Explorer's engines were working at full bore to try and get the ship out of harm's way, but even that wasn't fast enough.

"Brace for impact." The pilot called out. The device impacted a cargo door and attached itself. Alarms sounded as the pressure in the cargo compartment began dropping at an astonishing rate, almost like a vacuum. A high pitch whistling began building in the cockpit. Kai looked around to see where it was coming from when he noticed the panel by his feet rattling. It shook and groaned and suddenly gave way. The air pressure in the cabin dropped suddenly, and that was all it took. Behind Kai the front dome cracked, splintered, and then imploded. The ocean slammed in, water and shards of the dome hitting Kai and knocking him off his feet. He was slammed to the ground and pulled along. The water was flowing toward the cargo section and taking Kai with it.

Kai's legs were sucked through the gap first, the water pushing him through. He was buffeted along, his helmet bouncing back and forth between the floor and ceiling as his body funneled through the narrow space. The visor cracked as it hit the ceiling, the crack spreading when it hit two more times. The terror of the small crawl space ended as Kai slipped out into the cargo hold, his body suddenly feeling incredibly strange, as if he was floating. Panels on his arms flashed warnings, the pressure fluctuating off the charts. There was a sudden flash of light along the metal cargo doors around him... It was the bursting of the hull.The last thing Kai saw was the water slamming in from all directions, enveloping him in a flurry of water and bubbles.

***

"No!" Mateo screamed, watching in horror as the Explorer imploded. The cargo section had collapsed in on itself, the superstructure tearing apart. Even the pontoons had snapped as the massive vehicle had broken in two. The incomplete cockpit began sinking towards the bottom, tilting to one side from the remaining weight of the magnetic grapple. The engine portion was jerking and gliding up and down out of control, the propellers losing their momentum as the last of their power drained, heading on a random course to oblivion. The pilot and co-pilot of the explorer had evacuated the ship, their personal propellers sending them through the water as fast as they could go. The pilot of the Sea Sprint had apparently abandoned ship as well, trying to flee. The Aquashark darts were heading after the aquanauts, leaving the scene of the wreckage to the others.

Mateo gave up on getting his Spy Shark back to full operating condition. He reached over and pulled the manual release with all his strength. The orange cockpit hissed and began lifting, water flooding in. It enveloped his wetsuit and helmet, filling the whole cockpit before long. Mateo grabbed the edge of his ship and pulled himself out, pushing off of the edge with his booted feet. The jets on the back of his helmet powered up, propelling the Aquashark quickly through the water.

Mateo had never been to space, he'd barely ever set foot on land... But he imagined what he felt then was like the space travelers that had seeded the colony on Ceto. With his helmet on he could hear nothing but his own breathing; no currents, no distorted sound waves through the water... Just his breathing. Mateo's emerald green eyes surveyed everything around him. The front of the explorer had impacted the sea floor and thrown up a cloud of sediment. Mateo looked up, watching the engine section run out of power and sink just enough to crash into the rock face of the mesa. The metal crumpled and there was a small explosion from one of the engines, the fire and air pushing out before the explosion was crushed by the pressure of the water.

"We did it..." Mateo murmured, never having felt more defeated and helpless. Their plan had worked. They had robbed the Aquanauts of the only thing that could surpass the speed of their own ships. It would be months before they would be able to build another... but Mateo's heart felt cold and empty. He hadn't moved fast enough, he hadn't risked it all... and now the boy he had wanted for his entire life could have been dead. Mateo looked around, seeing nothing. He slowed to a stop, floating in the water. He lifted his helmeted head upwards, gazing up toward the glittering surface of the water. It was like mercury back-lit by the sun. Mateo hesitated, his lips mouthing a word before he started in earnest, "I... don't know if there is any great being out there, any cosmic spirit or the creator of all things. If there is, I have to believe you would prefer for your beings to live rather than die... For both our sakes, please, don't let him be dead... Please let him live." Mateo whispered. He blinked softly, closing his eyes.

It was a long moment before he opened them again, long enough for the silt cloud to disperse... and then Mateo's eyes picked out a color that wasn't natural to the sea floor in this region, white. Half buried in the bluish gray sand was a white helmet, a blue arm, a black visor lens... a shock of sun bleached blond hair was draped over the face behind the visor. Mateo nearly chocked on his own saliva in surprise. He paddled his feet, swimming down. His boots landed in the murk, casting small rings of mud around his feet as he landed in it. He reached into the slime, putting his arms around the figure, pulling them up.

Mateo looked through the visor to Kai's face. He seemed so peaceful and yet terrified, so calm and panicked. Mateo lifted Kai's arm, looking at the embedded readout. Kai was alive, his vital signs reading as unconscious. Mateo looked at Kai's helpless body, sitting at the bottom of the ocean. Once more the boy was in his arms, but this time he had put him in peril... Mateo kept gazing at Kai before he decided to do what he should have done a long time ago. Mateo hoisted Kai up, holding him in his arms. He activated his jet and began moving through the water, pulling Kai with him.

It was a strange sight, an Aquashark carrying an Aquanaut, at least as far as the uniform went. Their speed was hampered by the extra weight and the fact that Mateo had used up a large portion of his propellant getting to Kai. Aquashark jets were faster but they couldn't operate for hours like the aquanaut packs. Mateo looked up ahead, seeing his Spy Shark sitting out by itself, but the home stretch seemed almost like half a marathon as the jets gave out. Soon Mateo was paddling to try and carry them both, but they were so heavy.

Mateo let himself sink towards the bottom with Kai, resting Kai on the silt long enough to reach up and unhook himself. The seal on his helmet broke and water flooded in. The exposed gills on Mateo's back flared to life and drew water in, processing it. Mateo breathed the water and sighed in relief, hoisting his helmet off and tossing it aside. It sank, landing in the silt. The red headed Aquashark reached down, pulling off his boots. His webbed toes flexed and stretched. Mateo pulled Kai back up into his arms and pushed off the bottom, kicking and paddling, making a lot more progress than pulling the dead weight of his own suit.

Kai's head hung limply in his helmet, his body struggling to recover from the trauma of what he had just gone through. The pressure had been working at the suit, pushing at it from all angles. The cracks in Kai's visor glistened like silver... before a drop of water managed to get through, then another. The water had found a way in and it wasn't going to stop. A soft mist was spraying Kai in the face, splashing him and flooding his suit. Kai's body hadn't wanted to let him wake up, but the water was an outside influence that would work well enough. He stirred, opening his eyes.

Mateo felt Kai stir beneath him, life returning. He thought it was a fantastic sign until he heard the sound... The terrible sound. Even through the water Mateo heard the crack of glass, the tinkling of it drifting through water. Kai was struggling beneath him, starting to try and swim toward the surface. Mateo knew he would never made it, and even if he did... he wouldn't survive. Mateo let Kai go just enough so he swam up to his level. Mateo's arms grabbed the drowning man and turned him around. Kai's cheeks were puffed with breath, his blue eyes startled.

Kai had woken up a moment before drowning, just enough time to take one last breath. He had felt hands around him, being moved. He had assumed he was pulled by the wreckage by the Aquanauts from the Explorer until he saw the black gloved hands. He struggled against them and tried to get free, managing to push off before he was grabbed again and turned around. Kai was forced to look at his captor, and as that face came into sight he fell completely still.

After eight years, after countless dreams and fantasies and drawings... Kai and Mateo were face to face again. Those same blue eyes and same green eyes looked into one another, their bodies close, Mateo's arms around Kai. The stress left Kai, as did the fear and panic. He looked at Mateo's freckled cheeks and pale skin, his fiery red hair. Kai reached up, a thumb sliding against Mateo's cheek. Mateo felt his soul melt in bliss as he saw Kai smile warmly. Kai felt as if his life had finally reached completion... His body was so tired, so weary. Maybe he was going to die this time, but at least he was back in the arms of the one he had dreamed of for so long. Kai's lungs gave up holding the air and a stream of bubbles left his mouth.

Mateo's eyes widened in shock. He realized their moment of reunion was going to turn tragic. He reached out, trying to pull off Kai's helmet. It was getting in the way. Kai looked surprised at that before he realized Mateo didn't have a helmet on... or a breathing apparatus. Mateo looked just as Kai had imagined him growing up, free of any gear, just as he had been before... But that didn't make sense in the context of where they were at the bottom of the ocean. Kai was deeply confused, but he had already accepted his life for what it was. If the red headed boy of his dreams wanted his helmet off, that was how it would be.

Both boys fiddled with the attachments before the broken Aquanaut helmet was pulled off. It slipped up over Kai's shoulders with a bit of labor before Mateo hurled it off and let it fall to the ocean floor as well. Kai spasmed, his lungs drawing in water, starting to drown just as he had so long ago. Mateo grabbed Kai's head, his hands holding the blond boy's cheeks, pulling him close. Their lips pressed together, Mateo's head tilting to deepen their embrace. Suddenly Mateo exhaled, air flowing into Kai's lungs.

Kai felt his lungs expand, water in there but now air as well. The searing pain and crushing weight of drowning ebbed a bit. Mateo broke the kiss and Kai held his breath. Mateo shook his head, opening his mouth before nodding his head to Kai. Kai's eyebrows rose up in surprise before he exhaled, the breath leaving his lungs, rising toward the surface in a chain of bubbles. Mateo leaned in and pressed his lips to Kai's again, forcing air between his lips. Kai knew better what to do this time, inhaling from the kiss, feeling even better.

As Kai breathed from Mateo's air, his head spun in the same confusion as before. Humans exhaled carbon dioxide, not breathable air... Even if Mateo gave Kai a useful breath, how could he get another one? He didn't have a breathing apparatus. Kai looked hesitant again but Mateo opened his mouth again as if to remind him. Kai exhaled, only to receive the lip to lip embrace a moment later. It may not have made any sense to Kai, but it was working. Once his lungs were full he exhaled without being prompted, and then again. As Mateo pushed his lips to Kai's once more, he felt instead of empty lungs a hungry tongue. Mateo felt Kai's tongue slip into his mouth and move around. Mateo pushed Kai's tongue back into the blond boy's mouth before cracking an underwater grin.

Mateo's gills took more oxygen from the water before giving Kai a large breath. Kai felt that this one was deeper and filled his lungs full, holding his breath. As Mateo broke the embrace he pointed to the Spy Shark in the distance. Kai looked up, his eyes settling on one of the vehicles that had attacked him. The romance of the moment started shattering as Kai was forced to pay attention to the reality of what had just happened. Kai turned, looking at Mateo's body... His black wetsuit, the Aquashark logo on his chest. Kai hesitated. Mateo grabbed Kai's hand and tugged, trying to drag him toward the ship.

Kai felt the hand, the tug... and relented. His life had been saved by the same man again, the man he had been in love with for so many years. He was alive and staying with the red head was the only way to continue to be, even if he was an Aquashark. Besides, following the man might have been the only way to find answers to questions that had been plaguing him since he was ten years old. Kai began swimming, following after Mateo, kicking and paddling.

With both of them swimming they made better time, crossing the gap and reaching the Spy Shark. Mateo swam over the edge and turned around, reaching out to grab Kai and pull him over and into the cockpit. Kai's blond hair floated around his head in the water but Mateo tugged him down, leaning in. Kai exhaled again, the bubbles floating away before he lip locked with Mateo, getting a fresh breath. With Kai safe for another few moments, Mateo settled into his chair and pressed the controls. Kai ducked down as he saw the orange cockpit start moving.

The angled canopy dropped down before it sealed shut. The water began draining away, air forcing into the cabin. Mateo adjusted the controls, setting the air pressure to be the same as the water pressure at their current depth. Kai's body had adjusted to the deep pressure and they had to bring him back to normal slowly. Kai kept holding his breath, watching the water level with great anticipation. He was getting closer by the second to finally talking to the boy he had dreamed of since before puberty, the boy that had convinced him that he was gay just by saving his life.

With the controls set, Mateo had little else to do. He stepped up out of his chair, bending over so as not to hit the canopy, turning around before sitting down on his chair backwards, facing Kai. Mateo's heart was racing as well, realizing he had just kidnapped his crush... starting to wish he had done it so long ago. Kai closed his puffy, salt water soaked eyes as the water level dropped across his head. Mateo did as well, feeling the water slip across his face, the air warmer.

As if sensing the thoughts of the other, both boys opened their eyes at the same time. Kai seemed almost like a drowned cat, his hair soaked and dripping with water, his skin puffy, several veins in his face blue. Mateo seemed far more at ease, his red hair so smooth as it settled across his face. The water dropped down below their necks, and as if sensing a safe environment Kai began coughing and choking, retching as his lungs forced water out. He coughed into the draining water, over and over again, leaking from his lips, his cough hoarse until it seemed that he had gotten out as much as he could. Kai looked blue in the face until he looked back up at Mateo, blushing furiously. Kai licked his lips, looking at Mateo bashfully.

"It always seems like you see me at my worst... I promise I'm not always dying." Kai said softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. Mateo chuckled, leaning over to kiss Kai's cold cheek with his warm lips.

"That's just when you think I've seen you. I've seen you in your window, sketching in the starlight until sunrise comes... Passed out in your hammock, even that... you came to the beach during storms. I always wished I could see what you were drawing." Mateo said softly. He had expected to see Kai look relieved or more in love. Instead Kai looked almost angry.

"You came back close enough to see me? Multiple times? And you never called out to me? You never came to me? All of these years... I was drawing you!" Kai exclaimed, "All I wanted in life was to see you again, even if I had to die to do it..." Kai said, trailing off. Mateo looked startled and then guilty, his eyes casting down to the floor. Kai swallowed, "Why didn't you ever come to me?" Kai asked softly. Mateo shifted uncomfortably.

"I... wouldn't do well on land. I can't go up there." Mateo said softly. Kai looked at Mateo softly.

"Is it because you're one of these Aquasharks? Because you would be arrested?" Kai asked, wanting a legitimate reason, his heart aching. Mateo looked into Kai's eyes before he lifted his hand, spreading his fingers apart. The webbing in-between stretched taut. Kai inhaled sharply in surprise. He reached out and took Mateo's hand in his, running his fingers along Mateo's fingers before he gently touched the webbing between. It felt firm but flexible, just spongy enough to feel like skin still. Kai gently squeezed the fingers together to see how the skin flexed out of the way before he blushed, "I'm sorry, was that rude of me?" Kai asked quickly.

"What, feeling my hand?" Mateo smirked softly, glad to see Kai's anger had softened.

"Did I hurt it or anything?" Kai asked. Mateo shook his head.

"It's pretty tough, at least underwater." Mateo said.

"So... You couldn't come on land, could you?" Kai asked softly.

"Not for very long..." Mateo said, sighing, "But I should have... I should have so many years ago. Did you know my biggest regret from the day we met?" Mateo asked. Kai shook his head. Mateo looked at the floor before looking back at Kai, "That I didn't take you with me that day you fell into the ocean in the storm, that I didn't bring you to the bottom of the ocean to stay with me forever." Mateo said softly. Kai actually smiled at that, his face softening in the bit of romance Mateo had expected earlier. Kai broke out laughing gently.

"I fantasized about that myself..." Kai admitted. Mateo smiled at that, loving the sound of Kai's laughter. Kai took one of Mateo's hands in his, letting their fingers entwine as much as they could before the webs pushed against Kai's fingertips. Then he took Mateo's other hand and did the same. When they wee holding each other's hands, Kai met eyes with his savior again. Mateo gave a lopsided smile.

"You want answers now, don't you?" Mateo asked. Kai nodded.

"Yes... Like your name." Kai said.

"My name is Mateo." he answered, "And yours?"

"Kai." the blond boy replied, smiling warmly, "Mateo? It sounds so exotic..."

"So does Kai." Mateo smirked. Kai chuckled, nodding.

"When you saved my life before, you... could you breathe underwater then too?" Kai asked, piecing together what he had experienced. Mateo nodded, rotating to the side. Kai wasn't sure why at first until he saw the pale skin tone peeking out from the black bodysuit. Slits on his flanks were flat against his back but still looked moist.

"They're gills. I was born with them, and my webs... and some other aspects. All Aquasharks have changes like this, though most of them have their gills on their necks." Mateo said. Kai tilted his head.

"Why are you different?" Kai asked. Mateo gave a sad smile.

"When two Aquasharks have a child, a small portion have a different physiology than the norm. We're fully healthy, the changes just manifest a bit differently." Mateo said. Kai smiled.

"As long as you're healthy. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." Kai said, leaning in, wrapping his arms around Mateo's neck, holding him. Mateo inhaled sharply, nearly shivering. He had spent so many years dreaming of touching Kai. Kai exhaled and pushed his face into Mateo's neck, nuzzling the skin there. Mateo nearly melted, wrapping his arms around Kai, though it was a bit awkward with the chair in the way. He groaned softly. Kai lifted his head, looking into Mateo's eyes.

"I've waited far too long to hold you, to feel you against me, to do anything and everything our instincts say... but this ship is too damn small. I'm going to take us somewhere private where we can forget the rest of the world... It'll just be you, me and everything we wanted to say to each other since we were ten." Mateo said. Kai smiled wide.

"You'll get no excuse from me." Kai said softly. Mateo nodded with a grin, moving to work on his systems again. The radio was still dead, most likely components fried. Mateo could care less about that now. He brought the engines on, the propellers picking up. The fins and flaps adjusted and the Spy Shark lifted off the bottom slowly. Kai settled down behind the chair, grabbing onto the edges tightly. It was a small fit, the Spy Shark only really designed for one... but it would be enough for now. Mateo charted a course for a favorite place of his, bringing the Spy Shark up to as much speed as it was capable of. Their years of waiting were over.

***

Ocean waves rippled and crashed against one another beneath a vibrant sky full of orange light and stars, two moons rising above the horizon well before the sun had set. In the midst of the vast orange, a pair of rocky crags lifted out of the sea, riddled with caves and nooks and crannies. One cave entrance barely rose above the surface of the water, leaving just a portion of a semicircle. The cave had been etched away by ancient currents when the sea was much higher. Now it was a refuge. Water placidly sloshed at the mouth of the cave, disrupted only by a black fin rising out of the water. The fin was hard, metal, and emblazoned with the Aquashark logo.

Mateo gazed out of the canopy carefully, keeping his eyes on both his readouts and the visual feedback. It was a tight fit for the Spy Shark, but one he kept practiced at for important situations. He could think of none more important than being reunited with Kai. The cave widened out around them, reaching almost fifty feet across... though only a small portion was above the water. Mateo powered down the Spy Shark, turning to face Kai. Kai was moving his jaw up and down, blinking in a strange way.

"Feeling okay?" Mateo asked with concern.

"Yeah, my ears just keep popping." Kai replied. Mateo looked at the computer for a moment before returning his gaze to Kai.

"I had to change the pressure gradually so you wouldn't get an aneurysm... That's taken care of now." Mateo said, reassuring Kai. Kai smiled gratefully.

"So this is some place private? Is it a base?" Kai asked, remembering how Hunter had said the Aquanauts had been unable to find anything more than Aquashark landing platforms. Mateo shook his head, reaching to brush a lock of his red hair out of his eyes.

"We don't have bases. We're sort of like the Moken people on ancient Earth, sea gypsies. Our bodies work so well in the ocean that we don't need bases. You know about my gills... The ships, the equipment... It helps us get from place to place faster, but our homes are in the sea." Mateo explained.

"So what's this place?" Kai asked, trying to see out of the window. Mateo grinned wide.

"This is my special place. Ready to see it? You'll have to get wet again." Mateo warned. Kai chuckled.

"I knew I'd get wet when I left the resort... I'm ready for anything." Kai replied. Mateo grinned again, hitting the control. The canopy seal popped and the orange transparency began lifting. Walls of water crashed into the cockpit, swirling around their legs and rising up their stomachs. The cascade came to an end with the water level at Kai's nipples. He took a deep breath of non processed air and turned to smile at Mateo. Mateo grabbed the lip of the cockpit and pulled himself from his chair, slipping a leg over the edge until he straddled the side.

"The first step is a bit one." Mateo warned, bringing his other leg over until he dropped down into the water, bobbing to the surface after a moment. Kai moved to climb up and look over the edge before looking around. Even through the water he could see the rock along the cave walls was graduated, almost like amphitheatre seating. He swung his legs over the edge and slipped off, dropping down into the water.

Kai body plunged downwards, bubbles rushing up around him, his hair swaying around his head. He felt his feet press down on the cave floor. His eyes peered through the water, spotting Mateo's body maneuvering along the far wall. Kai pushed off of the rock floor, letting the air in his lungs bring him back to the surface. The water streamed off of his head and out of his hair as he emerged from the water, starting to swim towards Mateo. Mateo was already sitting on an underwater rock, his legs wide. The stone was almost like a throne, though only the back broke the surface. Even Mateo's arms were resting beneath the water on stone arm rests of sorts.

Mateo grinned, watching Kai swim toward him using a breast stroke. Human swim patterns were so strange to Mateo, having to keep the head near the surface. Still, Mateo would take Kai swimming towards him any day over watching him from afar. When Kai was close enough, Mateo leaned forward and took Kai's hands, pulling him up. Kai's chest skimmed the water, the wake he had created helping Mateo bring him forward. Mateo kept pulling Kai until the blond boy was on his lap. Kai quickly adjusted his position to compensate for the chair, straddling Mateo. When Kai realized how he was sitting he blushed a bit. Mateo smiled brightly.

"I've waited so long to be with you, to have you in my arms." Mateo said.

"And on your lap?" Kai asked with a grin.

"Well, that too..." Mateo smirked, "I... made you something... Sort of to pass the time." he said. Kai's eyes widened. The last thing he had been expecting was a surprise or a gift. Mateo reached deftly with one hand behind the chair, pulling out what appeared to be a necklace. Pieces of white corral were strung together, interspersed with small chunks of a bright neon yellow crystal. Mateo's heard raced as he held it, looking at Kai.

"That's beautiful... You really made it for me?" Kai asked.

"I spent a while to get it just right." Mateo whispered. Kai blushed before he bowed his head forward. Mateo lifted the necklace up, sliding it over his head, letting it slip down to rest around his collar bone. The crystals glimmered gently on his chest for a moment before fading again. Kai murmured, admiring the necklace, feeling quite nice with it against his skin.

"Thank you Mateo, I... feel guilty that I have nothing for you." Kai said. Mateo grinned gently.

"Just seeing you wearing that, after all this time, makes me feel better than you could know." Mateo said. Kai merely grinned and leaned in, kissing Mateo with delight and passion. Kai's lips moved and brushed and slipped along Mateo's, sucking and pushing, moving in all the right ways. The sensations flooded Kai, making him feel fantastic. He couldn't help but let his lips part... And as they did, he had only given Mateo even more to work with. The red headed boy sucked on Kai's lower lip relentlessly, savoring the feeling. Kai felt more and more relaxed against Mateo, wrapping his arms around the Aquashark's neck. Mateo's arms moved around Kai's waist, his hands overlapping behind him.

With Kai in such a secure embrace, Mateo felt more daring. His own lips parted and his tongue slipped out, pushing between Kai's lips, slipping back and forth. Kai's own tongue darted in nervous excitement against Mateo's. Without realizing he was doing it, Kai had started moving his hips back and forth, pressing his groin to Mateo's and pulling back, doing it over and over. Mateo flushed with desire before he did the same. Kai gasped, feeling it in return, realizing what he was doing... But as shocked as he was, he couldn't stop. Kai started humping harder and faster, Mateo pushing back, grinding as well.

As their humping got more intense, their kissing was interrupted by groans and moans and gasps. Mateo broke the kiss completely, moving to lick and kiss Kai's neck at first, then nibbling. Kai gasped harder, feeling how shark Mateo's teeth were. It was exciting and scary and amazing. He shivered in bliss, tilting his head to expose even more of his neck to Mateo. Mateo kept licking and biting, his teeth coming close to piercing skin before he pulled back.

"Kai... You already know I'm different... But you don't know how different." Mateo panted. Kai kept humping for a while, trying not to disrupt the moment... but he knew that what Mateo had to say was important. He slowed to a stop and pressed his chest to Mateo's, the blue and white Aquanaut drysuit contrasting dramatically with the black and yellow Aquashark wetsuit.

"You have gills... and webs... And sharp teeth." Kai recounted. Mateo nodded.

"But that isn't all, and it isn't all I am all the time... Other parts of my anatomy are more shark like... and I can become even more like a shark." Mateo said softly. Kai looked at Mateo, trying to determine what other parts he could mean. Mateo decided to show him and moved his hands down onto Kai's ass cheeks. He pulled the other's body tightly to his. Kai cooed in delight, feeling his hard cock pressing to Kai... and then he felt something strange. He felt the firm hardness of a very aroused male... on both sides of his cock. Kai looked up in surprise, not sure whether to be confused or turned on. Mateo grinned.

"Hemipenis... Sharks have them." Mateo explained, looking up into Kai's eyes and into his very soul. Mateo reached up, sliding his thumb down Kai's chin, "I think you and I both know where this is going, and it would be a lot easier without these suits. The question is... Should I undress first, or you?" Mateo asked. Kai grinned.

"You." He said simply, mischievously.

"Why me?" Mateo replied happily.

"So I can learn every inch of you, so I can admire you, and so I'm not overly nervous when its time to take off my own." Kai replied. Mateo smirked, deciding that was good enough. He patted the arm of the chair and Kai followed the suggestion, reluctantly climbing off of Mateo's lap and sitting on the arm. Mateo stood up on the throne, stretching a bit before he began unzipping his wetsuit. The zipper was well embedded, the fabric tucking over the seam so it didn't interrupt the pattern. Kai watched with hungry eyes as Mateo brought the zipper down, the black wetsuit slipping off of his shoulders, his pale skin exposed.

The first surprise Kai spotted on Mateo's body came in the form of a tattoo, an emerald green helix designed to look like kelp ringed around the muscles of his upper right arm. Kai shuddered in delight, gazing with adoration. Mateo swayed his hips a bit to put on a show before he turned his back to Kai. With the gaps in the wetsuit Kai had already seen his gills, but as Mateo's shoulders, back and spine were uncovered and the suit was pulled back all the way to his waist, they could be seen fully integrated into his back, dormant since water was not flowing through them.

"So on other Aquasharks its on the neck?" Kai asked. Mateo nodded.

"Most of them. I hope you don't mind." Mateo said, Kai chuckled.

"It makes it easier to kiss your neck I think." Kai said. Mateo grinned at that, deciding to carry on with his show. He turned around to face Kai, pulling at the wet suit more. The material was stretched away from his body and pulled down carefully. Kai watched with fascination and building lust as two round, plump, thick, engorged cock heads emerged from the wetsuit... but it only got better as every last inch of his very long shafts slid into sight, slipping down to merge into his groin above a very plump sack.

"What do you thi-" Mateo was unable to finish his question before Kai had jumped forward, grabbing both cocks in his hands, jerking them both off eagerly. Mateo nearly fell over, gasping in surprise and lust, thrusting his hips wildly. Kai loved the feel of them both gliding through his hands with such ease, up and down. He squeezed tighter, trying to increase the friction. The more Kai looked at them, the more appealing they were. He leaned his head in, his tongue slipping through his lips, slathering over the head of one of them. Mateo let out a roar of delight. His back arched and he shivered, his instincts getting nearly impossible to ignore... but he gazed down, watching his boyfriend.

Kai was jerking his hemipenis off like a pro, hands practically a blur. His human tongue whipped all over one of the cocks before his lips parted and he began sliding it over one. Mateo ran his webbed fingers across the stone in ecstasy before moving one to fan over the back of Kai's head, keeping him there. Kai moaned happily at the touch, the vibrations moving down his lover's shaft. Kai bobbed his head up and down several times before he came to the very tip, spread his lips apart and plunged them down around both. Mateo let out a deep guttural noise, writhing violently before he started humping Kai's face.

The cocks slipped back and forth in his mouth, bumping the back of his throat. Kai fought the urge to gag before he relaxed, letting them both push down toward his dark recess. Mateo's eyes suddenly shifted, going solid black as he felt that. His years of waiting, his years of self love... It was time, he had a mate, Kai was his... but he was a shark, he wasn't meant to mate on land... Without his higher reasoning, Mateo suddenly pushed out of his chair, sending the two toppling into the water of the cave.

Kai felt the impact of the water flooding around him, clenching his eyes shut. He had already taken a breath to suck his boyfriend off. Feeling the breath still nourishing his lungs, he kept going as they sank, knowing Mateo was a master at keeping him alive underwater. Kai and Mateo drifted down in the water, hitting the rough rocks on the bottom as Mateo kept thrusting into Kai's mouth, his arms and legs moving to keep him in place and help propel his thrusting. Kai reached up to hold onto Mateo and try and steady him, but the rocks beneath him were so rough it was hard to get into a good position. Kai winced as one of his legs grazed a sharp edge of rock, breaking the skin.

It seemed innocuous at first, a welted line on his leg... but a drop of crimson leaked out into the water... then another and another. Mateo's whole body came to a stop, his nostrils flaring, his gills shuddering open and closed. Kai paused, realizing what had happened... There was blood in the water, blood that could be smelled by sharks for quite a range. He had no idea what close proximity would do. Kai came to a stop as well, fear flooding through him. His eyes gazed up, watching Mateo for any sign of reaction. The reaction that came... was not what Kai expected at all.

Mateo floated in the water, inhaling and exhaling the blood filled water... his eyes a solid black, his muscles flexing. As Kai watched, his skin started to change... subtle at first, but distinct. The pigment in his skin was fading, the pink dying away. Mateo's soft stomach and nice pecs lost all color, the skin becoming as white as snow. His arms and back, his neck, even his face were fading too, but only to a light grey color that was soon tinged with just a dash of blue, making it look almost slate grey. Kai's body contorted suddenly, his tailbone pushing out, a mass of flesh moving behind him. It jerked and flexed, growing and changing. As it grew, his skin as a whole started to thicken.

Kai was watching in awe but his lungs were starting to ache. He moved to try and get out from under the shark boy, but... he was pinned. He tried pushing him out of the way but Mateo wasn't going to budge. Mateo's back arched as cartilage began pushing out, forming a dorsal fin at the base of his shoulders. The mass behind him was starting to sway back and forth, a true tail with an angled tip and two little flags along it. Mateo's webbed hands and feet seemed unchanged, his legs and arms unaltered other than the thick hide over them... leaving the boy's face. Kai watched, his lungs burning, as Mateo's nose blunted out, his face pushing into a short muzzle of sorts. The muzzle angled back much wider than the nose had before the lips parted, revealing multiple rows of very sharp teeth.

With the change complete, Mateo's solid black eyes shifted back to white and green, looking decidedly drunken and dazed, but not animal. Kai squirmed beneath him, moving to reach up and bat at his stomach. Mateo looked down, realizing what had happened. He looked to Kai before nodding. Kai took a leap of faith and exhaled the carbon dioxide, the gas rising in bubbles. Mateo turned his head and lowered it down, tilting so the muzzle pressed over the human's face, forcing oxygen into his lungs. Kai breathed deep and relaxed somewhat, though kissing the shark muzzle was certainly a new experience. He gazed up, seeing Mateo's red hair swaying in the slight current, getting used to the new look.

With all the focus on near drowning, Kai had neglected to look at his boyfriend's package. He looked down, a smile crossing his face. Mateo's hemipenis had turned slick and grey, contrasting with his white belly. The balls seemed to be inside of a slit, tucked out of the way but still quite pleasant in an exotic sort of way. Mateo looked at Kai fondly, pulling back for the moment. He looked his blond friend over, pulling him up off the rough rocks, the two floating in the water naked together, Mateo's full form revealed. Kai reached up, running his hand along Mateo's cheek. The shark skin was so neat.

Mateo looked at his lover, his supple naked body adorned only with the corral and crystal necklace. The shark moved, bringing his hemipenis to either side of Kai and started to hump. Kai wriggled in delight, humping back. His cock was so hard, so full. The water around them seemed to be hot with their love. Mateo's tail waved, propelling them gently along the pool, drifting around aimlessly before he shuddered. His two cocks began to release a thick, potent precum that spread across Kai's lap and clouded around him, slowly billowing out. A few particles reached the necklace on his neck and the crystals began casting out brighter and brighter light.

Kai's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he gasped, humping like mad, feeling the hemipenis against his flesh. Bubbles escaped his lungs as he screamed out in pleasure, only to have Mateo replace the breath. Kai's back arched and his legs kicked as an intense pulsing filled his cock. His heartbeat was so strong, so intense, his cock practically quivered in time with it... before the most amazing thing happened. Kai felt his human cock pull apart, splitting into two... At first they were smaller, the mass having divided, but more and more blood pushed in, the shafts bulking out in width until each was as wide as Kai had been before... and the shafts were only growing longer. Moment by moment they stretched until they rivaled Mateo's sharkhood.

The blond boy was lost in lust, humping like mad with his new members. It was more than he could process but he kept going at it. The sperm was washing all over him, soaking into his skin, the necklace glimmering brightly. It seemed that every bit of tan that Kai had obtained over the years was being lost in moments. His chest and stomach faded to the same cloud white color Mateo had, Kai's legs darkening to a true grey as the cum swirled around them. Mateo's lust only grew when he saw that it was working... more and more cum spilled out of his dual cocks, the water getting cloudy with the seed.

Kai humped helplessly against Mateo, his heart racing faster and harder than he had ever felt before. His toes flexed and curled, toes stretching, the skin pushing out between them as webs formed. Muscles shifted around in his legs, making their movement much more fluid. The cum slipped up around Kai, flowing across his body. His arms wrapped around Mateo's broad back, fingers feeling his new dorsal fin. Kai got naughty ideas realizing he could have something to hold onto if he decided to rape Mateo's ass... but even as he thought that, his hands cramped up for a moment before his skin spread out between them, forming webs there as well.

Kai could tell what was going on... He could feel it down to his very bones, well, if that was still accurate as he was becoming a shark... but he could feel the change saturating into him, and he embraced it. He was becoming a shark, an Aquashark, a perfect mate for Mateo. Kai leaned up and nuzzled into Mateo's neck, parting his lips, starting to nip at the flesh there. Mateo writhed in bliss, pushing his neck into the pathetic blunt human teeth... but they wouldn't be that way for long. Even with the nuzzle, the cloudy water was getting into his mouth. His jaw was throbbing and stretching, teeth were sharpening. Kai's nipples turned dark grey, his arms soon matched his legs.

Despite his lust and gusto, Kai brought his lips back to Mateo's for another breath of air, but Mateo shook his head. Kai looked shock, feeling the burn in his lungs. Kai moved his lips, trying to kiss Mateo's for the breath of life but the shark kept his head away. Kai struggled, his lungs threatening to give out. Kai began using his new webbed feet to swim toward the surface, making it about five feet before Mateo's strong hand latched around his leg and tugged him back. Kai pulled with all his might, trying to break free. After so many years, so many times Mateo had saved his life, was this it? Was this how Kai would die? Drowned in the act of mating?

Kai gazed up at the surface, the water rippling with tendrils of light from the cave opening outside. He flipped around as much as he could, trying to see Mateo... but the cloud of cum was too thick, too white. It was all a blur, other than the slate grey hand on his leg. Kai's lungs gave up, pushing out a cloud of bubbles before he heaved for a breath of air that was not there. The milky water flooded in, burning his lungs, his throat. Kai writhed, his webbed hands clawing at the water. He coughed, sputtered. His lungs pushed the water in and out... and then the burning stopped, only a tingling remaining.

Despite the relief, Kai felt no better. He still felt like he was drowning, gasping for breath... and that was when the miracle happened. Three thick slits pushed open on each side of his neck, flaring wide. The water was drawn in and out, oxygen getting pulled from the water. The pain and throbbing in Kai died down, he felt the relief... he was breathing water. Kai drew it in and out of both his lungs and his gills, surprised. He looked around, back at Mateo in wonder. Mateo surged forward, pressing his blunted muzzle to Kai. Kai returned the kiss with more passion than ever before, realizing yet again, in a strange way, Mateo had saved him.

Mateo's tongue pushed into Kai's mouth, both to tangle with his but also to check the progress. Kai's teeth were all quite sharp, but behind them there was a row of smaller teeth coming in. Mateo grinned, writhing against Kai. The blond boy broke the kiss after a moment. He wasn't sure why at first, but then he felt it. His nose spread out, his jaw pushed forward, His cheek bones formed a perfect smooth angle right out to the bridge of his now blunted muzzle. His skin turned grey, his cheeks flared out just a little wider... He had the face of a shark.

Kai grinned a wicked smile, three rows of white sharp teeth glinting before he resumed his make out session with Mateo, all the while his hips were wriggling. What had happened so naturally to Mateo was taking a bit longer with Kai. His human body boasted shark features, shark skin and teeth, but what was left were the fins. There had been a pressure on his back for some time as his own dorsal fin came in but the pressure above his ass had been stranger. His tailbone had tilted out and stretched longer and longer, bones interlocking with cartilage. It hadn't grown evenly like a cat tail might have.

Kai's new tail pushed out about a foot before the end was tipped by a small shark flap... and as the tail grew longer, the flap flared bigger. Two more nubs pushed out into smaller flags and still the tail pushed out further and further. While thick and muscled at the base, it grew smaller and thinner the further back it reached, eventually slipping past his feet, swaying gently in the water at five feet in length.

With gentle grace Mateo let Kai go, slipping away from him. Kai watched as the red headed shark swam toward the far end of the cave, his long tail swaying back and forth to let him glide with ease. Kai swallowed a bit, realizing what this meant. It was time for him to learn to swim like a shark. He took a deep breath of water before he began doing a frog swim towards Mateo... His tail flapped and swayed, sending him wildly one direction and then the other. Kai grimaced, coming to a stop. That wouldn't work... He realized he should start focus with the tail.

Kai's second attempt started out more successful. The tail moved back and forth and propelled him forward. Kai swallowed a bit, realizing that he was already using his arms and legs instinctively to direct him around. He maneuvered past the spy shark, around the back of the cave, picking up speed. His tail moved stronger, faster. He grinned wide, coming into the home stretch where he aimed for Mateo and swam right at him. Mateo held his arms out and the two collided into one another, a tangle of legs and arms and tails, their mouths coming together in a deadly, intimate, wonderful kiss that lasted for what seemed like hours.

As the kiss lasted, the last light of sunset died away leaving only the soft violet light of the moons above, barely enough to filter into the cave. With everything getting so dark, Mateo and Kai's eyes naturally shifted solid black, giving them vision that could see in the dark, though not as distinctly as human vision. Mateo signalled toward the surface and began swimming. Kai was following soon after. One flick of their tails and both popped up to the surface, water running off of them. Kai exhaled the water, sending it flooding out of his mouth before his lungs started working again, taking in air.

"That... is so strange." Kai murmured. Mateo cleared his throat.

"You get used to it." He smirked. Kai looked down at his webbed hands, his feet swaying to keep him afloat.

"How am I going to thank you enough?" Kai asked softly. Mateo smirked.

"Like I said before, I wanted to do this before... when we were young. The benefit now is that we're two, strapping handsome fully grown sharks that can exchange our true feelings." Mateo said, moving to nibble at Kai's neck. He cooed out, groaning, his hemipenises getting very hard yet again. Mateo reached to grab at them, returning the kindness of the hand job, his wrists flying back and forth, sloshing water up.

"Mateo!" Kai whispered, gasping, "Soon, this, more... but..." Kai panted. Mateo slowed, a lopsided smile on his face.

"But?" Mateo asked. Kai panted, clinging to his red haired lover, wrapping arms around him before he looked him in the eyes.

"What happens to us now?" Kai asked gently.

"To us? We'll be together... We'll be happy." Mateo said.

"I know that, but I mean... doing what? How will we exist? Will I become an Aquashark?" Kai asked. Mateo looked flummoxed.

"You already are." He said softly. Kai nodded.

"Yes, physically I mean, but... I don't know about your culture, I don't want to mess anything up. What... is the purpose of the Aquasharks? Why do you steal crystals from the Aquanauts?" Kai asked. Mateo nodded. It was a fair question.

"The first Aquashark started out as an Aquanaut... He was a researcher working on the rare types of crystals, it was actually a punishment. Every Aquanaut wants to be out exploring, harvesting, getting the rewards. A few lucky ones fine the rare crystals, the crimson or the shamrock or the amber... No one wants to be stuck in the lowest levels of the base studying what they do, what catalyzes them... But Toren had a problem with authority, people didn't like his suggestions on how to improve things all the time and they really didn't like it when he'd get on their case for causing damage to the reefs, disturbing the animals and treating the oceans without respect." Mateo explained.

"So the first Aquashark was a disgruntled environmentalist?" Kai asked. Mateo laughed, nodding.

"He was... So despite the fact that research wasn't as exciting, he got to deal with nature... the crystals. He studied them all, learning what brought out their hidden properties. He used red crystals for heat, green crystals to promote the growth of plant life... But he couldn't figure out what the yellow crystals did... After weeks of not making any progress he set them aside and focused on other projects like cataloging the native wildlife." Mateo said.

"Some how I don't see this turning out as one of those times when the answer comes to those not thinking about the problem." Kai said. Mateo laughed.

"He was working with samples of the shark varieties when the yellow crystal started to react... The other crystals reacted with various aspects of the world, it made sense. He took a fully intact crystal to the water lab and let a shark in from outside, even entering the water with the shark... the crystal went off." Mateo said. Kai waited for more and then looked stunned when no more came.

"Well, what happened?" He demanded, nearly shaking Mateo before blushing, barely noticeable through his thick hide.

"Well... the crystal breached the containment vessel and enveloped him... and he became a shark like you." Mateo said, reaching to caress Kai's neck, feeling his closed gills, "He could survive off of the sea, he could survive in the sea... So he left to protect it." Mateo said.

"Hunter was telling me a little about this... Twenty years ago the Aquasharks broke into an aqua dome and stole equipment and a scout ship before they started taking crystals?" Kai said, not sure if the stories were true. Mateo considered before nodding.

"Toren sent private messages to others that felt as he did, he offered the change to them and they accepted... But the physiological changes weren't enough for them to turn the tide... So they stole Aquanaut tech, they repurposed it... all to build up enough of a force to try and force them to change their ways. If they wouldn't listen to allies, maybe they would listen to enemies." Mateo said sadly.

"The confrontation is tragic, but it hasn't made you bad people... You saved my life, remember? Well, many times." Kai smiled. Mateo smirked.

"I wanted a friend. There aren't a lot of children born to our kind, most of our number come from converts. You seemed so... handsome, I wanted to be your friend." Mateo smiled. Kai groaned.

"This coming from the boy I drew for so many years." Kai smirked, throwing his arms around Mateo's neck.

"See, I should have taken you all that time ago." Mateo smiled. Kai grinned gently.

"Take me now." He murmured. Mateo's eyes widened before he let out a growl of delight. The red headed shark moved to hump at Kai, rubbing against them, blood flowing back into their double shafts quickly. Kai was gasping and moaning, his teeth exposed as he grinned in pleasure. Mateo worked them both up into a frotting frenzy before he grabbed Kai's shoulders and swung him around, hefting his massive tail up out of the way around one of his hips before he lunged.

Kai braced himself as he felt two hot, hard cock heads grazing against him... But as they pushed between his cheeks and were pressed together, Kai was in heaven. One webbed hand and one webbed foot stretched out, giving him purchase on the rock wall. Soon his other hand moved over, giving him even more stability. Mateo moved to lick and nibble Kai's shoulder before he started pushing forward, his tail helping to push him. Mateo slipped in inch by inch until he hilted inside of Kai, the head of his cocks ramming into his prostate. Kai gasped, his tongue hanging out of his mouth for a moment.

"You are a master at this." Kai whispered.

"No, we're just the right pair... I was always meant for you." Mateo said, pulling back out slowly. Kai grinned.

"No others ever?" he asked, heart warmed.

"No others ever." Mateo repeated back before he thrusted. Kai called out, his scream of pleasure echoing on the wall. Mateo pulled back and thrust again, starting to build up a rhythm. Their powerful, muscled bodies worked back and forth, generating their own waves, sloshing from one end of the cave to the other. Mateo wrapped his arms around Kai's chest, fingers teasing his nipples, slamming into him with great force. Each time Mateo pushed forward, Kai pushed back. They came together powerfully.

Mateo nuzzled Kai's neck, sucking and slurping on the thick flesh, teeth grazing it, some even puncturing the skin. The tiny droplets of blood only made him mad with lust before they healed up. Mateo was a beast, a monster, and he loved it. His shafts pulsed, a hot thick lubricant oozing into Kai's ass. Kai gasped, his head pushing into that hungry mouth, lost in the moment. He called out in such joy, his precum starting to leak into the water, making the clear pond turn milky again.

With all four shafts oozing pre, both shark boys were ready to go. Their blond and red hair contrasted with their dark hides, their bodies rippled with muscle. Kai grunted and moaned with each thrust and Mateo wasn't holding back. Over and over again Kai's prostate was assaulted, his body put through the ringer of pleasure. The flow from Kai's shafts was getting thicker and thicker before his lungs filled, his gills flared and he gasped. Kai's back arched before he started spraying out copious amounts of cum, well more than a human could. The pond was getting musky, rich with it... though some was leaking out to the open sea.

"That's it, feel it, embrace it! We are mated!" Mateo exclaimed happily as his own cocks pulsed and he began flooding Kai's insides with his own sperm, his cocks sliding back and forth to churn it all together, messy squirts spraying out before diluting in the salt water. Kai tried holding up but his arms and leg gave out and he slumped forward, his face landing in the water. His gills flared and kept him breathing so he could lay completely limp in Mateo's arms. Mateo gave it several more thrusts before he too collapsed. The two drifted in the cum filled water, floating together, embracing one another, their hearts beating in unison. Neither had ever felt more complete than they did at that moment in a cave watched over by twin moons.