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The Cohen Loop Gary and Hunter 3 copyright comidacomida 2014

If Greg had thought the first night on Water-Earth was a crash course into the way Phins did things he would have sorely underestimated the impact the following day would have on him. It wasn't just dealing with the halls being one-third full of water; it wasn't just about learning how to deal with a level of humidity more suited to a sealed bathroom after a long shower; it wasn't even about being surrounded by almost four Phins for every Human. What ultimately caused the rude awakening for Greg was what he learned well before the end of his first class of the day that following morning.

The classroom, like the hallways, was partially submerged. Desk-like, two-person tables were set up throughout the room. They were made of the same strange concrete-like material Greg had encountered throughout the Phin's version of the Unity Centre. There were no chairs but, considering the amount of water present it didn't make much sense to be seated anyway. As he and Hunter entered the classroom he saw that each table had two tablet-- the kind he'd seen many of the Phin faculty using.

As expected, Hunter has chosen the leftmost seat at the very front of the class; it was further from the entryway, but, as the Phin had informed him, it was always the first seat to which the teacher would glance-- something having to do with the fact that the Phin language was written from right-to-left created a psychological tendency for Phin eyes to migrate that way out of reflex... or something like that. Greg's Album partner insisted that the Human take the seat right next to him, which put the Human up at the front of the class-- somewhere he never would have chosen himself.

The rest of the students had filtered in and, as everyone found their seats, Greg noticed a very distinct separation of the Phin races; the entire leftmost row was all Album with their Humans next to them; the next row was almost all Album with some Longos and the Phins' Humans; the next row was mostly Longos with just one Album followed by their Humans, and the final row was all Longos... except for Carver and max, who were otherwise surrounded by the humanoid bottle nose dolphins. Something about having Max there in his class made Greg feel a lot better; even though Carver didn't seem to be causing him obvious harm someone needed to be able to keep an eye on him... just in case.

While the separation seemed unique and otherwise unspectacular, what happened next did catch him a little off-guard: they had an intro-and-review test. While the test itself was not precisely groundbreaking, the results were provided at the end of the class, and THAT is what blew his mind: the instructor presented them aloud and in public in front of the entire collection of students. Following that, the next event was even more unexpected.

The Professor, a goggle-wearing older Album, went straight down the list starting with Hunter and Greg, providing them their individual percentage of correct answers along with a grade; Hunter scored a nine while Greg got an eight out of ten-- Hunter had missed four of a hundred questions and Greg had missed six. While that was all still perfectly unspectacular, the Human noticed something out of sorts when, later, one of the Longos scored a nine after having missed six questions.

Not one to interrupt established proceedings, Greg turned to Hunter and spoke up in a quiet voice, "Spinner just got a nine, but we both missed the same number of questions and I only got an eight."

The instructor stopped his recitation of grades to look at the young man, "Is there a reason you are speaking while I am, Greg Brown?"

Hunter sighed and lowered his head while the Human regarded the teacher, who was staring straight at him. Greg shifted in his seat, "No, Sir... I... just didn't understand why Spinner and I got different grades when we missed the same number of questions."

The teacher blinked letting out a click of consideration before answering, "I see..."

The professor set down his tablet on the desk beside him and moved to the front of the class room where a large, barren wall was situated. The older Album raised a finger and pressed it to the grayish-surface; the moment his digit touched it the material glowed faintly with phosphorescence. Greg barely had time to admire the strange reaction before he realized that the instructor was drawing a diagram.

The picture consisted of six vertical lines, creating five columns. The teacher continued, writing out several words in Phin before turning around and pointing to the leftmost column, "This diagram is shown in mirror image... so you and Hunter are represented in THIS column... the Album grouping."

Greg looked at the section of the picture which was indeed identified with the Phin equivalent of the word. He then watched as the instructor went down the line, identifying the spot on the diagram followed by pointing to the specific row, "This column is for mixed company of Album and Longos. This column is for Longos. This colum is for mixed company of Longos and Amplus... as you can tell by our lone Amplus student, Carver being there. Do you understand so far, Greg Brown?"

The Human nodded, feeling himself flush in embarrassment, "Yes, sir."

The goggle-wearing Album nodded, then turned back to his diagram and begin writing numbers above each, "Good. Now... each column is graded separately... Album are held to a higher standard than others, so, as you are partnered with Hunter, you are expected to score a percentage of at least 95 if you are going to be rewarded with a 9. As Spinner is among the Album-Longos students, he is only required to score a 92. Does this still make sense, Greg Brown?"

The young man nodded mutedly, feeling even more self conscious. He managed to push out the words, "Yes, sir."

The teacher moved away from the wall and the 'writing' slowly faded away into nothing, "So, if you wish to compare yourself to others, I would advise doing so among your peers rather than those beneath you in the class... unless you are saying you would rather be seated among the mixed Album-Longos students. Is that what you are requesting, Greg Brown?"

Greg could practically feel Hunter tense up beside him. The Human shook his head, "No sir... I just didn't understand. That's all."

The instructor picked up his pad, "I see... and are any other Land-Earth students likewise unfamiliar with Phin social strata protocol? As you do not have tails I will have you stamp your hands against your table surfaces if this is the case."

The young man didn't feel so bad as he heard the impact of numerous palms against their desks; he was even more encouraged to feel the vibration of numerous Phin partners strike the ground with their tails beneath the water in support of their Human halves. Hunter let out a clicking chuckle off to the side before speaking at a whisper with voice instead of resonating the words, "Some teachers still aren't familiar with teaching Humans, I guess."

Despite the confusing start, the rest of the class proceeded much smoother once Greg came to understand that the division in the class was as much merit based as it was racially designated. While the Album and Longos generally tended to stay within their assigned areas, the overachieving Longos could migrate up the student rank while the underachieving Album and Longos could each slide down it. The situation was very simple as it was explained by the instructor, but it became more complicated when Hunter and Greg met up with Andy and Coaster during the first day's brunch break.

Andy wasted absolutely no time comparing notes as he used a five pronged utensil to mixed together a collection of seaweeds that served as a Phin salad of sorts, "You get to choose how hard your classes are. How crazy is THAT, huh?

Greg, shrugged, using a two-prong fork-like device to poke idly at a strand of kelp on his plate, as he talked, "I guess... but, you know... if you choose to make class easier then you slide down the social totem pole."

The other teen began twirling his utensil to gather up the long, thin strands of vegetation as if he were eating spaghetti with a fork, "Yea? Well a grade's a grade as far as I'm concerned, and getting an A off of 85% sounds pretty sweet to me."

Coaster glanced across the table to Greg, "That is for shellfish, Greg, not Laminaria."

The young man set the fork-like skewer down with a sigh, glancing around the eating area to try and locate Hunter. His companion was speaking with an older-looking Album holding a rod and wearing a pair of goggles much like those of their teacher. Coaster's gaze followed his, "Oh... looks like Hunter's talking with his father."

Suddenly even more self conscious, it only got worse when Greg watched Hunter point his way... and worse yet when two sets of Album eyes focused in on him. It increased further when they both lowered down into the water of the flooded eating area and swam their way to him. Sighing, the young man realized the best thing he could do to avoid making a fool of himself was to put food in his mouth, so he picked up his fork-like utensil once again.

Hunter cleared his throat, standing up once he reached the table, "Greg... you use that with shellfish, not Laminaria."

Even if it got a smile out of Hunter's father it wasn't exactly a great way to start with first impressions.

* * * * * *

Despite Greg's uncomfortable first day, the next several days went surprisingly well. After getting used to the routine of class and the way the Phins taught everything more or less fell into place. Even though he had been dragged along by Hunter into the most grueling student ranking the Album made it a point to help him as much as possible so they could both do well. Yes, it was highly stressful at first, but his partner's insight and guidance made things just a little bit easier.

Strangely, the young man's interaction with Hunter's father worked much the same as his experience with classes. After his first meeting with Dark Ring Astute Overseer High Director (Hunter's father had SIX NAMES), Greg had apparently managed to leave the older Album with a more positive impression than he would have thought; after the second time Hunter and Greg had dinner with Dark Ring Astute Overseer High Director, the Unity Centre's director gave the young man a very Human handshake and they parted ways with Hunter's father providing a very reaffirming, "In the future, Greg Brown, just call me Director."

Hunter's comment afterward only added to the positive feeling, "He told me he thinks I chose my partner well. Good job, Greg."

The five day week of the Phins meant that there were only four days of classes, but that left only a single day weekend. What was even more difficult to adjust to was the fact that the students only technically got every-other weekend off; the fifth day alternated each week between what the Phins called an 'activity day' and having an actual day for leisure. When Greg first heard about that he was immediately disheartened but, at the end of the second week he finally had a chance to experience an activity day, and it changed his mind when he had a chance to see Dive Ball for the first time.

Since Greg's early experience with water games was limited to the local community pool he was unfamiliar with anything beyond Marco Polo. He'd heard of Water Polo and had seen competitive swimming once or twice on TV; Dive Ball was nothing like that. Greg compared the sport to water-based football (Sean, the UK student in their class compared it to rugby). Even that was oversimplifying things, since it also had elements of soccer (which most of the other students thought Greg meant when he first said football). Since the game was played underwater there were three dimensions to consider, which complicated things even more considering the fact that Humans couldn't hold their breath as long as Phins.

The first game the students attended was held among workers on the Unity Centre, and it helped the Humans learn the rules... especially when it came to the two different roles someone could play: Floater or Hunter. Floaters spent their time swimming at the top 5' of the large, 25' deep, 200' long tank while the Hunters were required to stay in the bottom 20' and could only come up for air in designated, out-of-play areas. It went without saying that Humans playing Dive Ball were obviously going to be Floaters.

What really surprised Greg was that there were no assigned numbers between the two roles-- teams could divide themselves however they wished with as few or as many Floaters as they desired. While Hunters had the majority run of the tank, the ball used in Dive Ball was lighter than the water, and so it tended to float toward the surface. In that regard, the Floaters had the task of retrieving the ball and returning it to the Hunters, who were the only ones who could actually score since the objective was to force the ball into a container at the bottom of the tank. What was quickly made obvious was that having more Hunters generally made the game easier; more scorers usually meant higher scores.

When it came time for the students to have their turn in the Dive Ball Tank the team selection had apparently been made for them. The faculty member running the show was a large, slightly potbellied Amplus who addressed everyone in Phin... which made it a little awkward when he spoke Human names; Josh was the one and only student to laugh at the way Human names sounded-- after he was sent sailing into the tank by a Dive Ball to the stomach nobody else seemed inclined to so much as chuckle. This further reinforced Greg's understanding that the Dive Ball was NOT a soft item.

Hunter, as the young man discovered, was so named because he was literally a Dive Ball champion-- he'd been in two tournaments and his team had won both times with him receiving an award on each occasion for most points earned. Although Greg's limited understanding of Dive Ball probably didn't allow him to appreciate the achievement to the extent it deserved, all of the Phins who were on his team certainly seemed pleased by the thought. The Amplus game official divided the group into two teams, Albums and Longos split evenly among them.

Greg was just about to wonder how he'd handle the uneven number of Human-Phin pairings when the black-and-white referee spoke up, "Carver... Max Schneider, you will not be playing. Please return to your seats in the observation stands."

Without any objection the two of them made their way over to the bleachers and settled in. Despite the eagerness Greg had always seen in Carver when it came to proving himself it seemed strange that the Amplus would so easily accept being sidelined. He glanced to Hunter, who was watching the pair closely. Something about the knowing-gaze in the Album's eye gave the young man the impression that his partner knew more than he was saying.

Before Greg had a chance to ask, however, Hunter spoke up, whispering quietly in English, "I'll tell you later."

Despite the fact that Hunter was apparently willing to divulge his secret, the Human realized that he'd have to wait to find out what it was; unlike Carver and Max, the two of them WERE set to take part in the game, and it was readily obvious that the Amplus leading the game had no interest delaying the start. Greg climbed up the ladder to join the rest of his team, who stood on the a ledge overlooking the huge water tank. He took note that the ledge was colored white, while the one on the far side was black; the Phins near him were all putting on white sashes and arm bands.

Hunter affixed his own, and then offered Greg a set. The Human accepted them, "So... we're White and they're Black?"

The Album shot him a glance, "Day and Night."

The young man shrugged, "Okay... I guess that works. So... we're Day?"

Hunter glanced to the Humans and increased his voice, "The two halves of the tank are called 'Tides'... Day Tide is this side and Night Tide is that side. You saw what Floaters did last round-- the primary goal is to get to the ball first and after that either get the ball back to the Hunters or try to move it to Night Tide."

Coaster approached Hunter, "So we're having Humans play Floater position, right?"

"Yes. We'll want two leads among the Humans-- one will direct Floaters on Day and one will direct Floaters on Night." Hunter looked immediately to Greg, "Which side do you want to direct, Greg? Offense or Defense?"

The young man took only a moment to gauge Hunter's subtle cues; he picked up the faintest inflection in the Phin's tone when he said Offense, and ran with it. "I'll work with Floaters on the Night Tide."

The Album smiled, "Good. Who is the strongest swimmer among the Humans on our team?"

Greg glanced around at the selection and didn't even need a moment to decide, "Andy... you have, like, a hundred different swim team trophies, right?"

The black haired teen shrugged, "Yea, something like that, I guess."

Hunter smirked approvingly at Greg's suggestion, "Andy, you will direct the Floaters on Day Tide... get to the ball if it floats up on our side of the tank, and if you get it, try to put some distance between yourself and their Floaters before you pass to one of our team's Hunters. If no Hunters are in the open, get the ball to our Floaters on Night Tide so they can get it closer to the goal."

Angie Mae smacked the guard rail with her hand before speaking up, "If the scoring basket is at the bottom of the tank how will getting the ball to the Floaters help us score?"

Despite her incredible aptitude with scholastics, Greg realized that she lacked any real sports acumen, but he let Hunter address that... and he did. "It's about getting the ball CLOSER to the basket, Angie Mae. I am only going to work Night Tide. If the Hunters from Night Team chase the ball, like most do, they'll be swimming back and forth across the tank so when the ball hits their side after starting on our side we'll be in position to score... all the Floaters have to do is get the ball to me."

She wasn't willing to let it go, "If you stay on Night Tide and all of their Hunters are on Day Tide then we'll be weak on defense."

walker laid a hand on her shoulder, "Which is why we hit the ball up to our Floaters."

Angie-Mae still didn't relent, "Well what if they just use the same tactic?"

Hunter stated in a very matter-of-fact tone, "If they do then we win by default because we have better Floater leads and a better scorer. This is a Dive Ball power play and if our team works together we won't lose. Period. End of story. That's all she wrote. The fat lady just sang. It's curtain call."

His rambling inclusion of what was probably every human phrase he knew indicated that he was starting to grow tired of her objections. When he included a whistle-click-trill of a similar Phin phrase that sealed the deal: he didn't want to hear any more back-talk. Walker apparently got the message and he gave Angie-Mae a little tug, "Don't worry, Angie-Mae, Hunter knows what he's talking about... just go with it."

Despite Angie-Mae's objections the rest of the team was continuing to get ready. Hunter, who had given her no thought beyond his explanation that his plan would work had picked up a pair of goggles and handed them over to Greg. The young man looked around for any other equipment-- flippers, gloves, weight belt-- but found nothing. He accepted the goggles, "So... just this? Nothing else?"

Hunter nodded, "Just to protect eyes from injury. That's another reason we'll have Humans up top-- it's hard for you to keep up with a swimming Phin, especially if you don't have your flipper boots."

Greg shrugged, "At least we get to keep our wetsuits, right?"

The Album shot him a critical gaze, "If you were taking part in a tournament? Probably not... but because this is just an activity day game and your dry, pink skin can't handle water I don't think anyone'll say anything."

The thought of swimming naked had never really appealed to Greg, most likely because he'd only ever swam in a public pool with tons of other people around. The images that came to mind when he considered playing a competitive game like Dive Ball in his birthday suit didn't come across as a good idea. With no further objection, the young man put on his goggles and adjusted the strap until they fit snugly. "Good. I like my wetsuit."

At the sound of a very sharp, whistle-like vocalization from the Amplus referee the teams all lined up on their starting platform. Hunter glanced to his left then to his right, taking stock of his team before announcing, "Day Tide on my right; Night Tide on my left. Floaters stay toward the middle of the tank; we have superior swimmers so we can control ball movement. Phins, if you're calling out use clicks-- only I whistle."

To anyone unfamiliar with the Phin language it might have seemed to be a strange statement but Greg had learned enough to know that different dialects required more pitched sounds while others relied on a vast majority of the percussive sounds that originated in the resonance chamber called a melon atop the Phins' foreheads. The Album looked his way with an insistent gaze and he realized what was expected of him.

Clearing his throat, Greg looked to the Humans who would be following him to the far side of the tank, "If we get the ball over to Night Tide--"

His Phin partner interjected with a simple: "When."

The Human took the correction and ran with it, only a little shaken by the interruption, "WHEN we get the ball over to Night Tide keep it at the center of the tank. Keep it away from their Floaters and get it down to our Hunters."

Hunter gave a simple nod and picked up where he left off, "Don't pass the ball-- if it goes into the air anyone might catch it when it comes down. Hand it off if you need to, but don't throw it. When Phins pass we use our tail-- Humans should try stomping it down to a Hunter since it'll work better than trying to push it through the water with your arms."

It was all good advice, and Greg realized he should have considered it, but he quickly added in one thought of his own, "Since Floaters can surface anywhere, remember that it's okay to go underwater if you need to... it'll be a lot easier to get the ball to a Hunter if you're closer to them."

Walker nodded, and spoke up as well, "Just remember that you have to stay above the thermocline or we get a penalty."

A voice Greg didn't recognize came from off to the side among the Day Tide Floaters, "Thermocline?"

Hunter answered, "The top part of the tank has darker colored water than below it-- there's less salt and it's warmer to keep the colored water floating on top. If you pass into the lower part of the tank while you have the ball as a Floater it's called a Sinker, and you foul the team... so don't do it."

Diver, a Longos Greg recognized from one of the classes back on Land-Earth let out an attention-getting double-click, "And remember that it's okay to knock people around a little... that's why we have goggles. Don't be afraid to--"

His suggestion was cut short as the Amplus referee let out a high pitched, very loud whistling sound and tossed the Dive Ball into the center of the tank. Wasting no time, everyone on both sides sprang into action and dozens of bodies flung themselves off their respective ledges. Greg lost track of everything amidst the chaos but he was able to manage a decent dive off the ledge and kept orientation on which way was forward.

Letting his momentum carry him onward Greg kicked his legs out to keep his speed as he slowly rose to the surface. When his head broke water level he didn't pause, taking his breath on the go as he immediately started a freestyle swim across the incredible distance. Although the young man was ahead of the majority of his fellow Floaters, he was surprised to see that Andy was already at the Dive Ball. "Got it!"

Since Greg kept one ear underwater he was able to hear Hunter's call from below, "Wait for our Night Tide Floaters, Andy... then push forward!"

Greg and three of the other members of their Night Tide Floaters reached Andy about the same time. Andy kept the ball tucked up underneath one arm, treading water with his free one, "Keep their Floaters off of me and I'll do the rest."

Although they'd spent over a year together there were very few times when Greg had seen Andy so animated... or enthusiastic. Following his lead, their team's Floaters pushed forward... facing down the other team's entire force of Human players. The last thing he was able to focus on was Josh coming straight at him, then -WHAM!- The next minute was a jumble of flailing limbs, splashing, and jarring impacts.

Greg lost track of anything other than managing to stay above water until the referee Amplus let out a loud, squawking whistle which translated essentially into "SCORE!"

A Longos dressed in a wetsuit but no goggles rose up from the Night Tide side of the tank holding the Dive Ball in one hand. He was followed a moment later by Hunter, who had a very pleased looking expression on his face. He nodded to Andy, who nodded back, and they exchanged a high five. Greg wasn't sure why but he felt a moment of jealousy at that. The feeling passed however as the Album floated by him and gave him a light smack on the hip with his tail, "Good job, Greg. Keep it up."

The praises kept coming as the game progressed; the Day Team won 10 to 1.

* * * * * *

The after-game time was spent with everyone cleaning up: placing the goggles, arm bands, and sashes back where they belonged, then waiting until they were dismissed by the Amplus leading the exercise. The game itself lasted just over an hour, which meant that, between observing and playing Dive Ball the students had spent almost two and a half hours in the room that housed the tank. From there, a majority of the students went back to what the Phins called the Staging Room which reminded Greg of a locker room.

The Phins there went straight to the Scrub Stalls, which consisted of enclosed rooms with very powerful water jets. Greg hadn't tried them but, based on their function he assumed they were the Water-Earth equivalent of a shower... which made sense considering the Staging Room, like the rest of the Unity Centre was mostly flooded. The young man didn't know how comfortable high powered water jets would be on some of the more tender parts of his body, but the native students didn't seem to be having much of an issue with it.

Even though most of the Phins elected to use the Scrub Stalls many simply took their Human partners and left; Hunter turned out to be one such Phin, "Come on, Greg... we have a Scrub Stall in our apartment."

Greg followed his Album partner wordlessly back down the hall and to the aqua tubes that would take them back to their dorm. The tubes had taken some getting used to but, after a week and improved confidence they did turn out to be quite an effective method of travel. Hunter smiled, stepping back and permitting the Human to enter first-- that was certainly a change of pace. Nodding, the young man entered, "Thank you."

The Human slid his finger into the control panel then removed it. A moment later the water level was rising-- slowly at first but within three seconds he was shooting through the plastic-like tube. Within the span of fifteen seconds the water calmed, slowing its rise before coming to a stop. The tube's see-through door slid open, releasing Greg into the now-familiar hallway. He stepped off to the side, looking at the tube adjacent to him. That tube filled half way with water and its door likewise opened; Hunter emerged.

The Album gave him a jokingly condescending look, "You didn't have to wait for me... I would have caught up wtih you."

It seemed like an abnormally playful thing for Hunter to say and Greg didn't exactly know how to take the statement, "I... figured it would be polite."

His partner grinned, but Greg didn't get a chance to consider its significance as Hunter took hold of his hand, "Alright... just grab the fin."

Not one to object, the Human did as directed. Just like their first time in the hall, Hunter lowered into the water and propelled them both down to their room. Once they arrived, the Album stood back up and opened the door, "Usually our activity day lasts the whole day. I think they wanted to give us extra time for you Humans to get settled."

Greg nodded, pausing for a moment at the Phin's smirk. He took a second to figure out why Hunter was staring at him, "What?"

The Album let out a clicking chuckle, "You can let go of my fin, Greg."

The young man had been so caught up in his own thoughts he hadn't realized that he was still holding onto Hunter, and he ended his grip immediately. He felt himself blushing at that. "Uh.. sorry."

Passing by him and into the apartment, the Phin held the door open with his tail, "Well? Come on."

Greg felt even more confused, "Huh? 'Come on' what?"

Hunter gave him a condescending look, "We didn't scrub in the Staging Room, so we should use the Scrub Stall here."

The Human closed the apartment door behind himself after entering, "Showering I get... especially since you get sweaty after a work out and everything, but--"

His partner interrupted him, "Phins don't sweat."

Greg sighed, "I meant 'you' in general... not 'you' specifically. Anyway, we're in water the whole time, so it just seems weird using a Scrub Stall."

Hunter let out a decisive double-click as he slowly waded toward the back rooms of the apartment, "Showers were weird to me when I first went to Land-Earth, but I ended up enjoying them once I had a chance to try it out."

The Human sighed, "Fine... I guess that makes sense. We DID come here to learn about Water-Earth, after all. And if it's that much like a shower, I guess it WOULD be kinda relaxing... sure-- why not?"

The Album nodded, "Good... now follow me and take off your wet suit."

The comment made Greg stop in his tracks, "Uh... shouldn't I be able to use a Scrub Stall with it on?"

Hunter walked into an adjoining room and spoke to him from beyond the doorway, whistle-clicking mirthfully in Phin, "You said it yourself: it's like a shower. You don't wear clothes in a shower, do you, Greg?"

The young man sighed, checking the zipper on his suit to make sure it still worked. It did. "No. But--"

The Album didn't bother letting him elaborate, "Good. Some come in here already so we can scrub and still have a few hours left until dinner."

Greg stepped through the door and looked around the room, which was much longer than it was wide. The floor sloped upward to a ledge that was just above water level, followed by drop back into water. Hunter was seated on the lip facing away from him, one leg up and the other dangling into water beyond. Glancing around the area, the Human was surprised at the size of the room, "So... are you gonna use it first?"

Hunter chuckled, slowly rotating around so he could face Greg; the young man didn't miss the hearty red flush between the Phin's legs, "No... we can scrub at the same time."