Leta woke a few hours later as the sun began to peak through the hospital windows, signaling a new day full of potential.
A full of potential wonder and adventure or a day full of headaches? That was still to be decided.
Dr. Galloise was first through the door when visiting hours began, marching through the hallway like a woman on a mission.
Leta was already dressed when she arrived, sitting on her hospital bed and going through social media. The doctor had already returned earlier to hand her discharge papers and apologize again for last night’s emergency.
Leta gave him a strained smile and tried to pretend it was an accident as she signed the paperwork to get her out of this place.
Dr. Galloise had said little while they were in the building until she had gotten Leta in the car for most of the drive back to their hotel.
It was slow going as the streets were crammed full of oblivious tourists.
“Merde!” Dr. Galloise cursed as she hit the brakes for another tourist who decided the road for cars made a great walking path.
“Downsides to having this dig occur during peak tourist season.” Leta tried to lighten the mode, but the angry Canadian wasn’t having any of it. She rolled down the window to stick her head out and let loose a string of curses in Québécois that went on for so long. Leta got a notification that she was now fluent in Quebec French.
“Wow, tell ‘em’ how you feel.” Leta quipped in English. The look Dr. Galloise gave her was enough to make a cold sweat break out on most people, but Leta had known her for so long that this look didn’t even phase her.
It also meant that she could tell when the professor was upset about something she was passionate about. “What’s going on, Dr. Galloise? Talk to me.”
The professor took a deep breath and let it out slowly as if aiming for peace and serenity. A moment later, she admitted, “I got word this morning that the dig is officially on hold indefinitely.”
“What?” Leta nearly leaped out of her seat in surprise. “Holy shit, why?”
“Honestly, I’m surprised it only took a few days. Governments always take a long time to decide, but it was like someone expedited the process…” Dr.Galloise grumbled as they made a turn. After stewing in her emotions, she continued, “Surveys came back. While they never found evidence of the weeverfish, they’re concerned about disturbing another critically endangered fish that might be in the area. Until they can confirm where the fish are and possibly set up a perimeter to protect it, no one is getting in the water.”
“Oh…Damn…” Leta groaned, knocking the back of her head against the headrest.
“I got that call on my way to pick you up.” Dr. Galloise said, “The rest of the team doesn’t know yet. Dr. Marrow knows. She’s handling things to get us back to Athens and contacting the universities, but at this point, it’s all over.”
Neither spoke for the longest time as they stared forward, their eyes unseeing the sweeping landscape of white and blue houses as they tried to process that everything the universities and museums had worked so hard for so long had been taken away overnight.
For Dr. Galloise, it was teeth-grinding and aggravating, but nothing she hadn’t had to deal with before. Much of historical research is influenced by the countries where they worked, and Greece was stringent in its policies regarding historical sites and artifacts.
Setbacks like this were just part of the job, after all.
For Leta, it felt like it was probably the worst news she could have received. They had worked so hard and learned so much; it was gone just like that. The cultures of the Mesopotamian era had been her life; to give her the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse herself in that history only to keep her away just as she was on to something monumental was like Santa had given her a unicorn only to take it away a moment later.
It felt like they had only just arrived, and now she’d have to be going back home.
She couldn’t hide the disappointment weighing down her spirit, and Dr. Galloise hissed out a small curse in Québécoiswhen she saw the look on the young woman’s face.
“Look,” She sighed with a chagrined face and reached over to put a hand on Leta’s shoulder - the most comforting she could be while driving, “Don’t be down. Yes, we’re out of the water indefinitely, but we still have to do all the work with what we brought up. The universities and museums will probably spend the next year examining and cataloging all the artifacts, so there’s still work to be done.”
It would have been a lie to say that the rest of the team took the news like Leta did when they returned to the hotel/hostel.
Everyone was shocked when Dr. Galloise finally got the team together and gave them the bad news. Based on the string of explicit Spanish descriptions coming from Pilar, she was ready to storm the Greek government.
Vigo released a breath of defeat and sank back into the sofa next to Jun Sun, who hadn’t moved a muscle and looked terrifying.
If Pilar was the roaring fires of uncontrollable rage, Jun Sun was the silent creeping of poisonous chemical gas that took prisoners and asked no questions.
Chandi looked nearly in tears, the young man seeming to move through the stages of grief. He’d gone from denial into pain and was now in the bargaining stage as he looked at Dr. Galloise with pleading eyes and stammered, “S-Surely we can appeal this, yes? Each of us has made a discovery that rewrites history as we know it. They must see the importance of our work! We could provide evidence of how this will rewrite our histories and-”
“Mate.” Vigo interrupted, head resting against the sofa as he stared at the ceiling. “It’s over. Do you think they’re going to let us possibly disturb a critically endangered species for us? When the site has barely been touched, and we haven’t even excavated a quarter of the exterior wall yet? There’s no negotiating this.”
“No!” Pilar shot to her feet, the whites of her eyes seeming to overtake her irises with her anger. “This is unacceptable! Thousands - hell, millions - of dollars have been put into this project. I can’t be just ‘pfft’ and gone. There has been too much invested.”
Leta sat at a kitchen table that had been pulled out, elbows on her knees as everyone went back and forth. Each sigh of resignation or shouts of anger and frustration felt like a stone placed on her shoulders, pulling her down with a crushing force meant to break her.
“Fuck.” Her gasped breath was so strained that everyone paused to turn in her direction as she ran her hands through her hair like a felon waiting for their judgment. “I’m so sorry… If it weren’t for me, we’d be back under the water… I-I’m so… damn it…”
Even Chandi looked down and away contrite. After a pause as everyone seemed to try and gather themselves, Jun Sun spoke softly but evenly, “It could very well have been me or even Vigo. We were both in the water and not far from you. No one here blames you or holds any anger in themselves towards you. The excavation is canceled, at least for now. What matters is what our next steps are. Dr. Galloise?”
Everyone turned to the professor expectantly as she pulled another dining room chair over and sat down.
“Now, we are to act as if the dig is completed and move on to the next phase of our research, which will be further examinations and cataloging of the retrieved artifacts. All of the items are currently with Dr. De Mar at the Museum back in Athens, so we will spend the rest of our time in Greece as we do the less glamorous but just as important work behind the scenes.”
She paused to look at her wristwatch, “It’s currently a quarter past ten in the morning. Unfortunately, we do not have enough time to catch the noon ferry for Athens today, so we must take the first boat out tomorrow. That boat leaves at 7:25 promptly, so we will all leave these accommodations at exactly five in the morning.”
Everyone let out a collective groan at needing to get up so early, except for Dr. Galloise, who shook her head at how dramatic they were all being. “You’ve all been getting up at three for these digs. Now you want to complain about getting up too early?”
“Yeah, but that was for something fun and cool,” Vigo grumbled.
Dr. Galloise chuckled as she relaxed back into her chair before relaying to the team what Dr. Marrow had assigned for everyone. “Vigo, Jun Sun, and Harper will continue their intern work at the Archaeological Museum with Dr. De Mar and his associates. Chandi, Pilar, and everyone else will be joining me at the university to do further research and compile our information and findings.”
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She went further into where everyone would be staying once they got back to the mainland, what to expect for food, check-ins with the rest of the team, and all the other details that might get overlooked during archaeology.
“Treat this as a free day. You can explore the island and be a tourist, so long as everyone sticks to the buddy system.”
With agreements from the team, Dr. Galloise said everyone was free to go about their business.
Leta stomped to her room and unceremoniously fell face-first into her mattress. Her clothes and books were still on the mattress where she’d left them that morning before her life completely changed, and her nose hit the edge of a paperback novel.
“Ow…”
[Nanites have utilized considerable resources to complete healing processes. The Host is suggested to consume protein-rich nutrition to replenish nanite energy stores.]
Leta peaked one eye open.
‘You’re suggesting I get something to eat?’
[It is recommended that you get something to eat.]
She took a moment to enjoy laying in a comfy bed before rolling out and heading to the kitchen, where a bowl of various fruits sat for the team to pick at when hungry.
‘Okay, Gada. How do I absorb nanites?’
[First, the Host must touch the targeted matter.]
Leta reached for the apple and held it up to get a better look.
[Apple. Inert nanites: 2]
[Absorb inert nanites? Yes/No]
‘Are you kidding me?! That’s barely anything!’
“Everything okay, Leta?”
She nearly jumped out of her skin at the questioning look Chandi was giving her.
“Uh, yeah. Everything’s good.”
“Do you find something offensive about the apples? You looked very displeased with it.”
Just displeased with the idea I only get two nanites from an apple, she thought to herself.
“No, the apple’s fine,” She sighed, “Just… still a little unhappy about the dig.”
“Ah… do not be so discouraged.” He smiled, his earlier emotional state seemingly forgotten the face of someone’s troubles, “These situations can happen quite often. One of my first projects as a student was at Çatalhöyük in Turkey. We were forced to stop operations due to conflicts that were taking place in a neighboring country. It is most unfortunate, but it is not the end of everything.”
When Chandi wandered towards the fridge, Leta turned her attention back to the fruit in her hands and wanted to throw the apple across the room in frustration.
If she wanted to raise just one point on her stats, she’d have to consume 500 apples.
[Please remember that flora and fauna are some of the most genetically engineered matter in the universe. Genetic manipulation and selective breeding have created modern species with significantly low numbers of inert nanites. While low in inert nanites, the matter can be used as an exercise in Nanites absorption.]
With a huff, Leta nodded and mentally selected ‘yes’ on the absorption prompt.
[Inert nanite absorption complete. Current inert nanites: 509.]
And thus, Leta began absorbing all the available nanites in the dining room.
[Apple. Inert nanites: 2]
[Apple. Inert nanites: 2]
[Orange. Inert nanites: 4]
[Banana. Inert nanites: 3]
After raiding the fruit bowl of whatever inert nanites she could get her hands on, she quickly moved to the refrigerator but learned that processed items, such as pasta noodles, soda, and cold cuts, were utterly void of inert nanites.
Chandi, who was busy with a small cup of yogurt, watched her curiously as she seemed to pick up each fruit in the bowl, look it over, and then put it back before heading to the fridge.
She was beginning to lose hope when she came across a half dozen eggs in a Styrofoam carton.
[Chicken egg. Inert nanites: 10]
‘Score!’ Leta cheered and quickly absorbed the nanites.
[Current inert nanites: 580.]
‘Still scraping the barrel.’ She mused.
“Are you considering making yourself some eggs?” Chandi asked as he watched her pick up all the eggs before putting them back.
“Uh… No. Not sure what I’m craving.”
[Living matter from animals will generally have more nanites, among them inert nanites that can be absorbed. While the cold cuts have been processed to the point that all inert nanites have been removed, a larger piece of fresh meat would hold more inert nanites than eggs.]
“Who wants to go get lunch?” Pilar raised her voice and looked around the living room, raising her hand like a child.
An hour later, Leta was seated at a small outdoor cafe table with Vigo, Pilar, and Captain Vasilis, who had seen them while walking down the road and stopped to chat.
The captain was visibly relieved to see Leta walking about, even commenting that she seemed healthier than when she’d gone in the water that fateful day.
“It’s been odd on the water the last few days.” The dear captain mentioned it while they talked about their work.
“How so?” Vigo asked as he put down his highball of ale.
“Normally, around this time of year, we get mild weather, mostly. The last few days, the waters around the ChristianaIslands have been very - how do you say in English - choppy? Big, big waves. Ships and ferries have given the islands a wide berth to avoid it altogether.”
Pilar frowned, “That’s near the dig site.”
“Correct.” The captain sipped his ale, “I would say right now that your site is protected so far underwater, but it may be at risk of the sands burying much of what you’ve already excavated.”
“Seems a bit odd that the waves seem so isolated to just that area. Do you think it’s something to do with the currents?” Vigo asked with another sip of his drink, and his posture relaxed and at ease though his expression was intent.
Vasilis shook his head, “No, it is not normal. Many of the other captains are starting to talk. Two that I know of have made offerings to appease the gods, and I can name at least three more that will soon do the same.”
Leta tilted her head like a curious puppy at his statement. “What offerings and what gods?”
“Poseidon and the Anemoi. The god of the sea and the wind gods. They have made offerings of good, hard liquor in hopes of alleviating them, but I think it will not be enough.”
“Do you still believe in the ancient gods?” Pilar raised an eyebrow, her tone not condescending but noticeably skeptical.
Captain Vasilis was unperturbed by her words, “You don’t become a sailor without having a healthy respect for the explainable, especially in these ancient waters.”
A commotion of raised voices and screeching metal caught the table’s attention, and they turned as one to see what was happening.
Roughly 60 meters down the sloping street, a homeless woman in a dirty, stained hoodie pulled over her head was slowly picking herself up off the ground from where she’d run into a display of magnets and postcards in front of a souvenir shop. The owner, a fat older gentleman, stopped out of his business to wave her away and command that she never enter his shop again.
“Like those…” Vasilis said quietly, his eyes hardening as he stared at the homeless woman with such intensity it was like he was staring down a predator.
“Those what?” Leta asked as she scooted her chair to see about helping her, but the Captain quickly put a hand on her arm to keep her in her seat.
“Don’t.” He hissed through his teeth.
The homeless woman had gotten to her feet and was slowly trudging her way up the slope in their direction. Though her head was turned down as if she was watching her feet, Leta could tell from her posture that she was young, maybe in her twenties.
Her long, tawny hair was tangled and oily, as if she hadn’t bathed for some time, and the calves that poked out of her cheap maxi skirt were skinny and malnourished.
It was hard not to see someone in such a state and not want to help, but the Captain’s instant reaction to seeing the woman set the hairs on the back of her neck on edge.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Vigo asked in confusion.
The woman was nearly at the table but seemed prepared to pass them by when Vasilis gritted out “Seirênes.” The woman stopped, her back rigid as her head came up to look the Captain in the eye.
The captain sucked in a breath and froze as if he were suddenly petrified with fear by what he saw in that challenging stare.
Leta blinked. No amount of dirt or grime could hide that the woman was beautiful, with flawless features perfectly symmetrical in her oval face. The only blemish on her face was the slight crinkle between her brows as gray eyes stared at the captain with a frown of resentment. A potent scent of clogged pipes and low tide seemed to hover around her like a haze.
She watched the woman’s nostrils flare as she caught the scent of something, and her gaze jerked to Leta.
[Warning! A foreign entity is attempting to manipulate the Host’s reflexes using corrupted software.]
[The Host’s mental fortitude stat + persuasion is higher than mental manipulation Trojan ware.]
[Mental manipulation by foreign entities has failed. Protection of the Host’s mind still holds.]
‘Oh no…’ Leta felt her heart drop as Gada’s words rang in her ear.
The woman tilted her head in curiosity, seeming to expect her to have the same reaction as the Captain.
Released from the woman’s stare, the Captain gasped as his muscles relaxed from their inflexible state.
He gulped air, looking down into his ale as he bit out, “Leave us be, the devil. You are not wanted here.”
The woman didn’t move at his command, holding Leta’s gaze as Pilar and Vigo looked back and forth between them. Other tourists on the road took notice of the disturbance but passed quickly to avoid being roped into the drama unfolding.
Leta swallowed, then took a deep breath as she channeled her nanites to use the Persuasion skill.
“Leave us.” She said in Greek, but her tone vibrated like a physical force.
[Host has used the skill of persuasion. Persuasion successful.]
The woman turned her head in interest in the other direction before gracefully turning on her heels and continuing up the road to whatever her destination was.
With every step she took from the group, the air seemed to lighten, the pressure of budding conflict easing as they relaxed back into their seats.
“What was that all about?” Vigo mused, head tilting to watch the woman disappear into the crowd of tourists.
“A bad omen,” Vasilis grumbled. “They haunt our islands; they do not speak on land when the sun is high, but old sailors like me have seen those haunting eyes in storms and rough seas.”
Leta said nothing, her thoughts swimming as two realizations dawned on her.
First, the woman’s smell was familiar to her.
She had smelt it last night around the Nixie at the hospital.
If her guess was correct, then Vasilis knew the woman was no homeless vagrant wandering the tourist traps for spare coins.
He knew that she was a danger if found in her element.
He was familiar with this person.
This creature in human clothes - a wolf in the garb of a sheep.
He knew it well enough to know it by name.
She knew it, too.
Her new ability to understand languages didn’t need to help her translate the word. Leta was also familiar with the stories of these monsters.
Seirênes.
Sirens.