‘I grew up on a small island, my family didn't fish though. We ran custom holiday getaways for rich and famous clients. Before you ask me, yes I met her once. She was a bit of a cold fish, distant. Her husband was a really nice guy but hyperfocused on detail. He had this entire image he'd built up for their holiday, fresh underwater plants all over the place in self adapting containers. Fish tanks fitted with special lights and their own contained atmosphere. The man clearly loved her. She liked it, I knew that because she thanked us and gave a genuine smile. The only one I saw during her entire stay. She was beautiful but sad. Sorry, it was a long time ago.’ said the woman in the expensive dress.

Grey short cut hair with streaks of gold running through it and a set of shimmering jewellery complimented her outfit. Her body was  slim but shorter than average, her skin had been coloured a light blue and a tattoo of a tidal wave adorned her cheek.

She was standing on one of the rooftop gardens in one of the most expensive high rises across the entire city. There were three empty tables around her covered with empty plates and glass bottles.

Rain continued to fall from the cloud-covered skies. There was the occasional break of sunshine in the distance.

Not a storm but enough to have caused minor flooding in the streets far below. The streets were being swept clear of water once more as people ventured into the streets for supplies or opportunity.

‘I couldn't imagine being on the street levels. They must be becoming pure chaos, all trucks and food deliveries failing to make it into the city due to flooded roads. The government losing control but continuing to lie to maintain a semblance of order.’

The machines would do the best job they could for public services but the quality was lower than any built in the private sector. Small puddles had formed but were removed as round autonomous robots collected the excess water and sprayed it over the edges of the rooftop.

‘All drones. Extend the rooftop covering and prioritise water removal. Oh, I'm sorry. Would you care for a drink? I can call more servant drones to clean up and bring new refreshments. This is a discreet place. All vices are welcomed. My company excepted of course.’

The distance between the rooftop garden was far enough for her to ignore the sound of sirens, rioting and protesting.

A woman standing ramrod straight with her hands held together behind her back wearing a long black coat and matching beret stood behind her.

‘No. Not when I'm working. Did the rest of your friends leave for higher ground? Or private waterproofed bunkers. They won't last. The waters are rising, slowly yes but the rain isn't stopping. Not enough. More than that you don't have the clearance for.’

The woman held up a hand and gestured towards one of the tables covered in plates and bottles as another drone on four legs approached and began to clean.

‘Can I be honest with you? You may not be as rich as me but not many are able to override my custom ordered security systems. Even fewer come with armed military escorts and aircraft able to fly in this weather. You're a brave woman. Military obviously but I don't recognise your branch. Special Operations? My goodness, how exciting.’ said the woman as she demurely held a hand to her mouth.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

‘You met her. Would she remember you?’ said the raspy voice of the woman as she pulled open the side of her coat to reveal several firearms.

The woman in the expensive dress raised her gaze to the grey skies and watched as a semi transparent barrier extended outwards above.

‘Money. Power. I wanted those when I was young. And when I earned them from building up and selling my family business I married. Then I spent the best part of a decade destroying all traces of my past. This world never deserved her. She saved all of us and people turned on her. She used the same company services I did after she left. They held records of where she left and how all traces of her vanished. I read through them when I purchased the company. Owner privilege. All gone now though, every single trace was destroyed beyond retrieval.’ said the woman in the expensive dress.

The rains from the cloudy skies above continued to fall down as the woman in the coat took out a firearm and held it in one hand.

With her other hand she took out a small device and pressed a button as the drones in the immediate vicinity sparked and flared blue before shutting down.

Dropping the device beneath a military booted foot she crushed it before kicking it behind her. With a sneer on her face she pointed the firearm at the back of the woman in the dress.

‘Go ahead. Be honest with me, just to let you know I grew up on those streets you're so far removed from. You’re the last visit I plan to make. Our team has already searched for any traces of Miss Acqua and found nothing here. The security on this building has been entirely shut down. All those people on the street and all that water have a way into this building. I grew up in hell while you lived in heaven. Special Forces? Try survival. Go on then, be honest with me. I have full authority over your sentencing for crimes against the state.’ said the woman in military fatigues.

The woman in the dress turned around as she placed the fingers of a hand on the tattoo on her cheek.

‘This building doesn't matter. None of us matter. She will return to free us all from this world. I hear her words even now. She killed the Ocean Gods who stole her from us and became a Goddess of her own. Shoot me, break me. She will remake us all in her image. Beautiful and sleek to live in the oceans she cleaned. She will remember me because I pray to her even now. To the one who will flood our world and transform i-’ said the woman in the expensive dress as her head exploded into a red mist of brain matter and blood.

The woman in the military fatigues pulled out a bottle from her coat stepping over to the headless corpse and pouring the contents over.

She moved away and threw the empty bottle to the side before she pulled out another one and poured it out again.

Flesh and clothing steamed before melting and liquefying into a puddle on the rooftop garden. The only noise was the rain hitting the transparent covering above and the bare sound of the woman in military fatigues breathing. The drones which had been cleaning were shut down. One of them had knocked over the table it had been previously cleaning sending empty bottles and plates to the rooftop garden floor.

‘Target interrogated and briefed. Immediate extraction requested. The rooftop has been sealed, break through and eliminate all presences. I repeat, all presence, human or otherwise are to be deemed hostile. Do no engage, only eliminate. Consider this a contaminated zone. Enable Beta Blockers.’ said the woman as she stepped over the melted body of the women in the dress to admire the railed view below her.

If she had her way, then she would have directly sent a missile once they had determined the location of the target. Having to question them for information regarding a once rich and powerful woman who had vanished a few years back was a waste of her time if not for the present reality.

The world was changing, increased storms, water levels rising without scientific reason and dreams of a water covered planet were part of it. There were those who were experiencing another type of dream of swimming beneath the waves in transformed bodies.

All with a promise of true paradise in a transformed world. All from a woman who had become more than human, more even than superhuman.

Her eyes were expressionless as soldiers wearing gasmasks and heavily armed approached behind her and saluted. They halted and stood to attention in her presence.

‘Another confirmation but with worthless intelligence, all we know is that she’s returning and the main cause of this increase in storms and water levels. Ready me a direct transport, we need to find subject Mark 1-KZ. He’ll be rotting in a prison cell somewhere but he’s dangerous and he knows the threat or at least his story matches up. I’ll collect him myself directly. Contact our DWPF contact and tell them to ready whatever submersible they have on standby. This situation is already out of control and the Facility of Myth Reduction has gone entirely silent. Worthless. Insane deities is meant to be their entire mandate. I’m going to break the neck of that old professor when I can track her down. Scratch my previous order, liquidate the entire population of this building. We’re done here.’