Mostly a serious episode for once... for those who like Flipper: apologies in advance. Also I'll slow down episode production a bit after this, but only a little. I've plans for around thirty episodes at the moment.

Day 1 part 3

So the worst thing about being a squid: I seem to be reacting, not thinking very deeply. It may be tied to the fact I'm an infant, or the fact I'm using the reflexes of a squid to make snap judgement calls. It seems my decisions are actually very naïve. I've been trapped on a roller-coaster ride of adrenaline and whatever hormones a squid brain produces under stress. Here I am, injured, frightened out of my wits, forgetting the fact I'm a human trapped inside a squid and now I'm about to die... again.

Do you know what the worst thing a creature that can manipulate and use ice can run into in water? It isn't something as simple as fire or heat, as they just aren't common down here. No it turns out that practically cold immune and frost resistant creatures are actually the most dangerous to me, right now.

Do you know what my natural enemies are? Most sea-mammals, a lot of fish and some other more evolved beasts are my enemies. In addition most sea-mammals also have thick blubber to resist cold and are very smart.

Also it turns out that dolphins do not even register frozen fish as a nuisance. They certainly don't flee from them. They also are quite able to detect sudden changes from a distance using sonar... such as, for example me shedding the shield that kept them at bay.

You see? This. This is why I hated the ocean as a kid. All these things just crawling out intending to eat me. Down here every second critter is dangerous and every third deadly. So this... this is what my life has become.

Well, the only way I'm going to survive down here is to get a hell of a lot more creative and a hell of a lot more lethal.

Shields? Fish missiles? Kids stuff.

Fine, you want a meal? Hope you enjoy your pound of flesh.

The dolphins had simply circled around and attacked from behind while I left the barrier. They stunned me with the sonic attack again. It only stopped as the lead bit me, taking off my left arm and some of the side of my mantle (torso).

I had tried to hurt him with 'freeze touch' but this had no noticeable effect.

I sealed my bleeding side with a layer of ice and finally got used to the fact they were enemies. So what if they're smart and cute? So are wolves.

They're fast. Faster than I am anyway, at top speed.

So there is no escape out here; there is only the sea floor, empty and featureless for as far as I can see.

Here it comes again... Arg, that sonic attack makes my beak rattle.

Well then...

Passive Ability: Grim Resolve learned~

...eat this...!

Ability: Ink Cloud (lesser) has ranked up to become Squid Ink.

Squid Ink activated~

Permafrost Spear activated~

Well... that was very effective... I guess this is only natural. The spear extended into where the dolphin already occupied, tearing into it, as the ink hid the spear.

I was attached to the spear by my right arm, so as a result of the thrashing dolphin I was flung around until I let go. The spear was about as tall as I was and almost all of it is inside the dolphin.

I caught it directly in the open mouth from point blank. It looked very painful so I had the spear send out spikes in every direction, hoping to hit the heart or an artery and finish it off quickly. It was almost instantaneous.

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The others however weren't attacking. They really are very smart; they realized I can kill them with a good hit. They retreat as I threaten them with a second spear, not realizing my range is very limited and I'm pretty weak right now.

Now perhaps I can get to safety... well after I take a few bites of (a) Flipper for the road.

This is not good. With so much of my body gone, I've lost a lot of my ability to steer. I search through the next few hours as night begins. I finally spot an outcropping of rock and a little further a small reef.

Lots of small fish moving over there.

The rocks also have a moderate crevice. I circle around and to my relief there is just sand in there. Must be too open. Well for most anyway...

I build a barrier of permafrost bars and seal myself into the cage, the openings are wide enough to allow water through but thick and sturdy enough to keep out anything around my size or larger. There are openings only so I won't asphyxiate in here. If I could I'd seal myself away completely.

I freeze the sand and rock as well, partly to keep out digging intruders and partially because the cold feels... nice. It takes the edge off the pain I have as well.

As I drift off to sleep for the first time I ignore a window that pops up.

My dreams are vivid. Of the life I lived before, of my experiences down here all warped into something nightmarish. I wake suddenly near midnight, after dreaming of being dragged down into a light-less abyss.

I see nothing amiss and am relieved that no 'precog' windows pop up, so I'm just suffering paranoia. Great.

I notice the pain is a little less than I remember. I glance at my wounds and see a fair bit of difference. I'm hardly healed yet but the injuries are quite a lot better, even my tentacles are regenerating; the five I lost and my left arm. Is this another innate ability?

I try to recall the last window and it immediately appears again.

Frost Recuperation active~

I am really glad I chose this evolution, even if it was by chance. The vampiric version of me would have been devoured by the dolphins immediately. Calm now, I try to form a small figure of my human form out of permafrost ice, so that I don't forget it. I hope the others survived.

I was on vacation with my family. I decided to sleep in and only woke up when I head the screams. I rushed out and climbed onto the roof of the house as the tidal wave reached us. Unfortunately it was not a very solid building. It crumbled and I went over the side, pulled away as the ocean retreated from the initial wave. I saw bodies among the debris but I was the only live one out there.

I was out floating for several hours, exhausted and only able to find a palm tree bobbing nearby. I had a lot of time to think about how I was going to die and what would happen now that I was gone.

Well the figurine looks okay, I've never been much of a sculptor so I don't really know. It still doesn't look right but it is close.

Ability: Ice Sculpture (inferior) learned~

That message sounded like a dig at me. Are you being sarcastic, help function?

“...”

Quiet again, huh. Does this ability do something?

“...”

No answer? Will you answer me again?

“...”

Damn. So the help function was only active while I chose my 'epic' evolution.

Sigh. I wish I had someone to talk to.

I tried to go to sleep again and eventually succeeded.

My dreams were less frightful and instead just morose. At least I didn't remember the details of my life very well any more... kind of a blur really.