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| THE BLACK MANTA |
Part of the Digital Universe series
Chapter 1: Two Oceans, two kingdoms.
The two major oceans of the planet Terra-Gemini, the Poseidon Ocean, and the Neptune Ocean, two kingdoms, The Children of Poseidon, and the Children of Neptune, makes up the people known as the Aquatics. Two Rulers, King Poseidon, and king Neptune. Poseidon was the isolationist, Neptune not so much.
While the affairs of state were happening among the land dwellers, the affairs of state was happening under the deep oceans, and seas of the world.
It was a world under water, of sea life, and wonders. The aquatics built cities of dome structures, and towers made of Coral Reef that seem to blink lights, which actually are the crystal coral reefs glowing from the three moons, and the sun of Terra-Gemini when the tips of these towers grow tall enough to just reach the surface of the ocean.
The technologies these races of Aquatics were far advance then the land dwellers, they had devices that any other king or nation be envious of, such as the “sea horse” an explosive device, when red gun power if placed in the hand held device, will explode if the “ Sea Horse” is place near a heat source. ( Their version of a hand grenade.) But in this case it works on an automatic timer, just five minutes when placed near a stove, or fire place.
There is the flying carpet which made it possible for the Trojans win their war with the kingdom of Aquarius, a fusion powered engine run on the “red oil” that make anything float either over the water, or land. Plus many other advancements the rest of the world thought as magic, like Sea Pods, mini submarine crafts that can carry people under the water, something the world of Terra-Gemini wouldn’t see for 160,000 years from this time in history.
Then their version of a sea elevator from the surface to the ocean floor, and the necklace of gills for visitors who can’t breathe under water. They had weapons which were staff weapons, their version of guns shooting led projectiles (bullets) centuries before their time. One would ask where they get all this advanced technologically, and weapons?
These beings came from other realities that had such advances, but when those worlds were destroyed, they took what they could from their cultures and fled to this planet. When they all came to Terra-Gemini found this world still in the throws of primitive state of development, all agreed not to share what they had with the others until they were ready. Obviously not all kept their promise.
King Poseidon the III gave the Trojans the “flying carpet” device, because he saw the humans advanced enough to discover “red gun powder’ which was ten times more explosive then our version of gun powder. He though offering the flying carpet device two both Aquarius, and Trojans would even out the scales of power, at it turned out was a mistake on his part, and gave an unfair advantage over the other kingdom which also offered but rejected out of arrogance of King Hermes of Aquarius. One would think all fair in love and war, but King Poseidon the VI didn’t think having the humans with such technological advancements at this time wasn’t right, so he took away what his predecessor gave. Making the entire affair messy to say the least. Which means these items were now these items were now being sold in the black market if these items were to be stolen from either these two kingdoms of the Oceans, and seas…
Chapter 2: Missing Technology.
The year of Pisces (the fish)
A nervous guppy came before the King Poseidon with disturbing news…
Guppy: “Your greatness I have disturbing news, some one stolen several crates of flying carpets, and crates of sea horses detonators, from our armory!”
Poseidon: “How’s that possible, weren’t those items under guard?”
Guppy: “ Yes your greatness, apparently the sea serpent guards were killed while guarding the armory by unknown assailants, and making off crates of these devices! The alarms were sounded, but by the time reinforcements came the thieves made off with the loot of weapons!”
Palace aid: “ Your greatness, we been hearing reports of the same thing happening in the Kingdom of Neptune, that some group are robbing armories of these materials and selling them on the black market to the land dwellers.”
Poseidon: “ This must be an inside job, someone is helping these crooks, they are getting access to top secret material too?”
Palace Aid: “ Yes your greatness, they managed to steel instructions to manufacture these materials too.”
Poseidon: “ WHAT?! I want to know who is behind act of treason! There is only one who can find out, who will bring those responsible to me to face my justice!”
Palace aid: “ You don’t mean him do you greatness, the Black Manta!? He’s a recluse, a paid mercenary, and assassin!”
Poseidon: “ We need such people to dig down deep in the underworld of crime, someone who is behind this with no regard to where it may lead, send for him!”
Palace Aid: “ No one knows where he lives greatness, how can we find him?”
Poseidon: “ He has an associate, a gold fish named Neels, he hangs out in local tavern name the Mermaid Inn I hear, find him, he will send word to Black Manta. Now go!”
Palace Aid: “ Yes your Greatness.”
Then the aid left the palace and traveled to the bar in question riding on a sea horse (not the device).
guppy.
The palace aid entered the under water establishment and a waitress pointed out the gold fish guppy, sitting alone at a table nursing over a sea shell full of Seaweed ale. The aquatics lived under a cast system guppies were considered lower cast members of this underwater world. The upper cast were the rich, and powerful members of society.
Their currency were pearls of different colors, which they mine for by getting clam shells on the ocean floors. Black Pearls were worth more to the Aquatics, then the other colors, so when dealing with hired mercenaries the cost was high in black pearls.
The palace aid sat down with Neels and bought him another round of seaweed ale, and asked…
Palace Aid: “The king needs the services of your master, to find out what the palace guards can’t find out, who is responsible of breaking in the king’s armory, and stealing top secret material, and explosive devices, and weapons.
As well as, some fusion engines our “magic carpets”.
Neels: “Why can’t the palace guard can’t find out who done it?”
Palace Aid: “ Because the king feels that someone from the chain of command is behind this, and he needs to know who, a investigation like this requires an out side investigator.”
Neels: “ If the king trust his own palace guard to investigate the theft then he has a bigger problem then, one that my master will need to be paid well to find out who done this.”
Palace Aid: “ What are you his booking agent? Are you going to send the message or not?”
Neels: “ Relax will ya, I’ll deliver the message but it will cost the king 40,000 black pearls after he finds out who did it.”
Palace Aid: “ I’ll ask the king about that, if he agrees he’ll pay the price, when can we expect him to appear before the king?”
Neels: “ When I hear from you the deal is done, he wont come before then.”
Palace Aid: “ High price for loyalty to the crown wouldn’t you say?”
Neels: “ If the king thought he could those who serve under him, he wouldn’t need the services he’d wouldn’t send you would he, so I would be so such a blow fish about it buddy, besides he came to us, not the other way around.”
Palace Aid: “ Okay you made your point didn’t mean to ruffle your scales.”
Neels: “ If I don’t hear from you in five days, then the deal is off.”
With that the palace aid named Bubbles left and delivered the message to King Poseidon.
Chapter 3: The Black Manta takes the case.
On a deserted island on the border of the two oceans called Skull Island, and in a deep underground water cavern The Black Manta, is enjoying a swim in his pool when his friend Neels shows up with a job offer for him from King Poseidon…
Neels: “ Master, King Poseidon needs your services, and agreed to pay the price of 40,000 black pearls to find out who is the traitor in his palace.”
Black Manta after reading the particulars of the case on a sea shell, said, “ Looks like I need to pay him a visit.”
He then got into his Manta-Ray one man submarine and set sail to the kingdom of Poseidon.
The Black Manta stood before Poseidon letting the king know what he could expect from him…
The Black Manta: “ Your highness, here are my terms for working for you, I need complete corporation from you, and your servants, guards, whoever is involved over the security of your armory, no interference from no one, including your highness while I investigate this matter, and accept my findings where ever it may lead. You understand my terms and agree with them?”
Poseidon: “ Be sure he has full access, that includes even me.” He said to those who were in the court.
The Black Manta: “ Tomorrow I’ll start interviewing you staff, and family.”
Then the Black Manta left the throne room and went to a secluded place to stay while he investigated the crime of treason by someone who lives in Poseidon’s palace. He pondered there’s a larger conspiracy at work here besides theft of government secrets something or someone is behind all these thefts.
He had two things to do find out who helped the thieves, and get the shipment of those items before delivery to the buyers. Good thing he had his friend Neels to find out about any large shipments which were heading above the surface of the ocean, to the land dwellers.
Palace Guard
When he started his interviewing of the palace staff, and royal family he over heard grumbling from the head of the palace guard has he entered the throne room which only the General who was in charge of the guard, named Bass, who was complaining to the king…
Bass: “ This is outrageous your greatness hiring an outsider to investigate this, when our palace guard is quiet capable of doing this task, it’s an insult to every palace guard who served you, and your predecessors for centuries since we came to this world.”
The Black Manta stepped in and said, “ There’s no insult intended here General to your men, and you in having me to help find out who or what is behind all these thefts, this is also happening in Neptune’s realm. I have a hunch this is the work of a crime syndicate, this has to have some sort of backing to pull off these crimes by someone, or something. I have no prove right now, but I intend to get to the bottom of it.”
Then Black Manta asked the general: “ Can you account your whereabouts on the night of the theft?”
Bass sounding indigent, “ How dare you ask me you anything! I’m loyal beyond approach I don’t need to tell you anything!”
King Poseidon spoke up saying, “ You’ll answer his question general now!”
Bass said, “ But sire you doubt my loyalty?”
King Poseidon: “ Answer him now!”
Bass answered, “ If you must know I was watching a school play that my daughter was in, with my wife.”
Black Manta: “ I’ll have to confirm that with her you realized.”
Bass said nothing and asked to be dismiss, then left the throne room.
Black Manta thought to himself a likely suspect Bass maybe behind this but needed prove. He suspect him because of his attitude, and he seemed very defensive when asked about his whereabouts.
He spent the rest of the day interviewing the staff and royal family, one of the kings son seemed nervous when asked about his whereabouts he couldn’t give an account of, his name Prince Froggie, which would be changed if he became king, and take on the name of Poseidon the V.
So by the end of the day he had two likely suspects.
Chapter 4: The shipment.
In the Mermaid Bar, Neels was drinking his usual drink of seaweed ale, when two blue fish guppies swam into the bar, and ordered drinks for everyone in the bar, saying, “ This round is on us!” who were obviously already intoxicated, because they were buying drinks for everyone in other taverns in the underwater city of Poseidon. They sat at the table next to Neels was sitting. Neels asked them, “ Struck it big did you?” They answered, “ Yes sir we did, our boss will be pleased with what we got to sell.”
Neels: “ What’s that?”
Leader of blue fish: “ We just nabbed a hole stock pile of stuff, to take to our boss, so he can sell it to the land dwellers.”
Neels: “How did you nab this stuff you speak of, what I this stuff.”
Member of the blue fish in a drunken state said, “ We took from..”
Leader of the group said, “ Shut up!” Why you asking gold fish guppy, you want in our action? Only members of the Squid can get in on the action. Now if you want to join us we’ll clew you in, if not just drink your drink, or we’ll get rough with you for being too nosy.”
Neels seeing a chance to get some information from the drunken blue fish…
Neels: “ Hey just asking blue boy, no need to get testy. I might be interested if it means I get rich. Who is this squid?”
Leader of blue fish: “ Squid is not a who, it’s a crime syndicate, run by our boss named after him a squid named, Big Tentacles, he wants criminal types like us to join in if they want to become rich!”
Neels: “ Okay, I’m game to become rich, clew me in.”
Leader: “ We had help from inside the palace, who let us walk in the armory, and take a lot of items to sell, were going to ship the stuff to our hideout, the were going to sell it to the land dwellers and after the boss gets his cut, we’ll get a share of the sales.”
Neels: “ When is the shipment?”
Leader: “ If your in all the way, then meet us at 12 midnight, near the blue crystal coral reef.”
Neels didn’t want to press the issue on who was the inside man of the palace because the blue fish thugs were not to trustworthy toward him, so he just raised his clam shell container of ale and drank. Neels then left the bar, to report what he learned to Black Manta.
Chapter 5: The Squid’s web of crime.
thieves
It was midnight, instead of Neels showing up the Black Manta came driving is Black Manta sub, the thugs saw they been set up, got into their shipping pod sub, and fled the scene, the Black Manta gave chase, he fired one of his torpedoes, and crippled the pod the thugs were in, they got out and started to fight Black Manta, his pet Manta Ray appeared and stung four of the blue fish thugs and made then drop on the ocean floor, knocked out.
Manta Ray
Leaving their leader, and Black Manta to fight. The Black Manta drew his harpoon spear and aimed it at the leader, saying “Stop or I’ll gut you like the guppy you are!” He continued, “ You are going to tell me who in the palace is helping you, or I’ll have my pet Manta stink you until you tell me all you know!”
a glare.
The Black Manta, holding back is pet Manta Ray, and pointing at the blue fish leader. Asking, “ Who gave you access to the armory?”
what he knows
Leader: “ It was the king’s aid!”
The Black Manta: “ If you are lying, to me about whose behind this I’ll slice you for fish bait, I’ll find out after we get back to the palace!”
Leader: “So help me I’ll get that little gold fish guppie for setting me up!”
Black Manta: “ Don’t blame others for you getting drunk and mouthing off in a tavern.”
The Black Manta put his Manta Sub, on autopilot and it followed them back to the palace while Black Manta was driving the cargo sub with prisoners chained in the back compartment, along with the stolen items.
They arrived back at the palace and Black Manta gave the prisoners into the custody of the palace guard, he then ordered the king’s aid to be arrested for questioning. He sensed there were others involved and the advisor might be just a patsy.
In the mean time, in a private chamber the Prince was getting worried he’d be found out if the Blue guppy starts opening his mouth over his involvement in helping the thieves in order discredit his father, to force him to resign as king, in disgrace. Little did he realized, there was a listening device planted in his room by the Black Manta, it looked like a harmless seashell sitting on a table in the room.
The Prince started saying, “ What if that fool starts blabbering and implicate me, in the overthrow of my father?”
A voice from the shadows answered, “ Don’t worry your highness, that is already being taken care of, we had a patsy sent up for this, when that Black Manta goes to talk to him, he’ll find him dead, curtsy of the Squid, soon you’ll rule this kingdom.”
Then out from the shadows stepped General Bass!
Just has he stepped out The Black Manta came into the room, along with the king who was in another room listening in. The king ordered his palace guard to arrest General Bass, and his son Frogie. He asked his son, “ Why son did you betrayed me?” Frogie answered, “ Because of your policy of not sharing what we have with others, and acting dishonorably by taking back what my grandfather gave!”
Poseidon didn’t answer his son just signaled to take the two aquatics from his sight.
Poseidon thanked the Black Manta for his service, and paid the 40,000 in black pearls, offered him a job in his palace as new palace guard commander, but the Black Manta declined and said, “ If you need my services again, you know how to get in touch with me, then he got into his Manta Ray sub, and drove off…
Meanwhile…
In a hideout a Squid like figure stepped out on a stage, in front of a large crowd, with him was a female sea eel and addressed the crowd, “ We are the Squid, were powerful, we’ll create a criminal empire like no other, we have many tentacles that not only reach our undersea world, but will establish ourselves among the land dwellers!” ( end of part one) Stay Tuned.
a medusa queen a sea eel
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