Pelagic 91

Sentinel duty wasn’t as perilous as it once was, but Marla still worried about her father. He took his duties seriously, not ceremoniously, and even now an attack on the city wasn’t totally unthinkable.

In the olden times, when the city was new, there were more oceanic threats, and occasional ships from the land-dwellers who still attempted to keep alive. They would send divers from time to time, and it was to the sentries to turn them back.

Now, the role of Aquasentinel of the Gate served as a check-in system for city dwellers out for a day. They could be seen to if anything went wrong. More rescuers than warriors, they would take to the seas to help the stranded and stricken, though still ready as ever to fight if needed.

When Marla’s father came home, she always greeted him with an enthusiastic hug. Then she’d demand to hear stories of comings and goings at the gate, practically before he’d even gotten his work gear off. Her mother would scold, gently, insisting that she leave her father alone to have a rest. But in truth he didn’t mind.

Marla assumed that some of his stories were embellished. Who would believe that every sentinel watch included encounters with a giant squid, out to grab passersby and try to gain entry into the city. Or that a rarer-than-rare sailing ship would’ve happened by, dropping off divers who were intent upon striking up trade with the city fathers, start up negotiating with the sentries, including Marla’s lucky father.

He told tales of normal comings and goings too, of course. Of children packed together in school pods, and families out for an excursion, some from as far away as the eastern shelf. And all manner of merfolk, both suited up and the full-gill variety, checking in with the sentries and then setting off on their sea-day adventure. Her father made the hustle and bustle of the sentinel gate appealing in the extreme. Even from a young age, she’d decided that’s what she wanted to do, too.

When she’d say that, though, her father would discourage her. “It’s really not all that it’s cracked up to be, love,” he’d say. “It’s a lot of tedium, manning the gates all day. And you’ve got to stand watch for hours on end. You’re better off going into the trades, or get yourself a higher education and maybe be a teacher or something. You don’t want to do sentinel duty, love. Believe me.”

But she didn’t let his discouraging words get her down. She’d heard the stories, and she wanted that for herself. It sounded adventurous and exciting enough, occasional bouts of boredom notwithstanding.

The day Marla’s father announced that he’d be bringing her to work next week, she’d just about lost it in her happiness. A whole day at the sentinel gate sounded like heaven. It was all a new program, too, allowing kids to see what the workaday world was like. It’d been determined that the sentinel post was no longer a potential danger zone, at least not so much that children had to be banned.

The day of the visit, Marla woke first, and pattered around the house. She was beside herself when her father announced that they’d be taking the commuting channel, via water chute, rather than the long and boring walk. She readied herself with her swim equipment and waved goodbye to her mother, and they were off for the edge of the city.

In truth, the main watch was fairly tedious, though she would never admit as much. He checked on groups and signed people in and out, and in between times he would stand the watch, looking out into the vast ocean. But it seemed to Marla that her father would rather be out there, swimming and having a time of it, rather than standing at post as he was, looking quite tired on his feet for so early in the day.

When the call came forth that a group of children was in danger, Marla’s first instinct was to follow her father out to sea. He gave her a stern look as he pointed at the sentinel station, where the oldest of them remained behind to watch the other children. She went back with a reluctant sigh, and then her father disappeared for almost an hour. When he returned, along with the other sentries, it was with a child over each shoulder, six in all attended by the three sentries.

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The other children of sentries looked just as impressed as Marla surely was, as they rested the children down on the ledge and began breathing life into them. They’d been caught in an undertow, and their equipment had gone past its useful lifespan.

Looking back on the incident, Marla knew that if it hadn’t been for her father and his colleagues, these six children would have perished. She went from idolizing him to genuine hero worship at that point, and as soon as she grew old enough, she began to apply for the Aquasentinel Cadet program.

* * *

But it was another, more shocking incident—during which her life changed forever—that gave Marla the true drive to succeed. It went without saying that she attended the children’s day every year, and her father brought her along proudly each time, introducing her around to his colleagues and informing them that she, too, wanted to be a sentinel when she was old enough.

That final day, during which her father proudly announced that she’d been accepted into the cadet program, was the day she lost him.

The day had started out perfectly—sunlight shimmering above to the surface, her father beaming just as brilliantly with pride for his daughter, introducing her to everyone he laid eyes on. Marla felt loved and protected. Then the alarm clanged, breaking the illusion of security, and a terse all fins to sea call blared out on top of it.

This time she was experienced enough for her father to allow a swim along. Perhaps he’d wanted the company, or maybe he expected her to help. A sort of beginner training, perhaps. She couldn’t know, but she was thrilled to be tagging along.

The coast wasn’t known for shark attacks, but at any rate the merfolk had developed effective shark repellant technologies and coverings that made for effective deterrents. But that day, a group of reckless boys had ignored every protocol. They’d gone out with spears, baiting the dangerous beasts for a thrill. Thinking they might bag a trophy, perhaps, or just enjoy the frenzy. They were breaking the law, but the Aquasentinels attended to their safety first and foremost, even at risk to their own.

Marla spotted the boys first, huddled like prey inside a darkened cave as sharks circled its mouth. Under normal circumstances, they would merely sound off the sharks, or use their repelling equipment. But to Marla’s horror she recognized why none of that would work. A red plume was spreading fast through the water. One of the youngsters had cut himself on the jagged cave entrance.

With blood in the water, the sharks wouldn’t be deterred. They might have to be killed.

The sentries were equipped with deadly weapons for such occasions, but even they were reluctant to use them unless absolutely necessary. Living in harmony with the oceans was one of the primary tenets of merfolk society, born of a need to come into balance with their environs. Thus the respect for all creatures. But not to the peril of their own citizens. Marla’s father and his fellow sentries swam forward to confront the sharks.

Her father’s weapon clicked—nothing. Marla’s heart thudded hard, and she screamed into her breathing gear. She started forward to try and save him but was held back by another sentry, just as the shark surged forward and blood filled her vision.

The others killed the shark quickly, but the damage was done. The bite severed a major artery, and Marla’s father slipped away shortly after, back at the sentry station.

* * *

The sentinel training program was akin to a peace academy, though with more of a focus on the pomp and circumstance of a ritualized role. There were more drills, both land and sea, and an attention to snap and polish detail that marked the proud heritage of a Aquasentinel of the Gate.

Such positions hearkened back to the very beginnings of merfolk society, and sentries were highly respected among the populace. They were often requested to speak at schools and civic functions, offering talks on public safety and respect for the oceans. They were also a constant presence at citywide events and public ceremonies.

Marla enjoyed every bit of it, but nothing made her prouder than the training sessions at the city gates. She and her fellow recruits would drill for hours on proper watch techniques. Though not permitted to guard as of yet, they took their auxiliary functions seriously, and were gearing up for more just as soon as graduation day was upon them.

Though they weren’t yet permitted to guard, they did participate in rescue drills, the kind which Marla was all too familiar with. Those reckless boys hadn’t paid the price for their hubris—her father had. But Marla carried no resentment. He’d done his duty. Saved their lives. She would do the same.

Marla saw the role of a sentinel as more than a job—it was a chance to educate and inspire. Her public speaking engagements, especially with children, were just as fulfilling as posting the gates. With her signature enthusiasm, she captivated every audience, no matter their age, but the school visits were her favorite. 'Teach ‘em young and get ‘em out there'—that was her motto. Advisor. Protector. Aquasentinel.