Blue Submarine no. 6 fan fic: The Nereid

Overboard

Marina leaned against the ship's railing, watching the waves lap against the sides of the ship and the sun sinking below the horizon.

The Amphitrite, as the ship was called, was her uncle's private cruising yacht. He had come from a well-to-do home and he and his family had taken care of her since she was ten.

An Antarctic wind playfully whipped her hair around her face, making her shiver and hug her torso. She sighed, watching her breath swirling in the air and frowned. What the hell am I doing out here?, She thought bitterly, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. Who's bright idea was this, anyway? Oh, right, Uncle Gallagher. Good old Uncle Gags.

He was the whole reason why she was out here. Not that she could prevent it. Her uncle did not take kindly to insubordination. He was a commanding officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and oversaw one of the newer academies that had been established since the beginning of the war. He was a tall solidly built man who was often compared to a bear or gorilla due to his strength and protectiveness towards his children and young charge. When Marina was sixteen she had decided to train at the academy to prove herself despite her uncle's protests. Due to her dedication and perseverance, she had passed everything they had thrown at her with flying colors and had gained quite a reputation even though she wasn't allowed to be an actual cadet. The academy had decided early on that she wasn't qualified enough to be a combatant but her uncle had convinced them to let her join anyway in the hopes that it was just a phase. Boy, did she prove him wrong. She wasn't going to back down. Not for him, not for her superiors, or anybody. At least, until two weeks ago…..

"Marina," Her uncle had said one morning after she had swam a few laps in the pool. Your aunt and I have been thinking and we both agreed that you should go on a little vacation. Just for a week or two."

"What?", Marina had snapped, not believing her ears. "Why do you want me to leave? Is it because I'm better than most of your cadets? Do I make them look bad?"

"No, of course not", Her uncle had answered, putting his hands up in defense. To be honest, he had been very proud of her accomplishments but had not wanted to show any favoritism. "Its just that the anniversary is coming in a few weeks and we've noticed that you're starting to get a little depressed." He explained this as delicately as possible. "A vacation might help cheer you up and get your mind off things."

"What about my friends? Do they know I'm going? Where am I going exactly?"

"Yes, they thought it was an excellent idea and you're going to cruise port to port on my private yacht. Any more questions?" She shook her head knowing better than to argue any further. He could be so stubborn when his mind was made up.

"Good, tonight I want you to pack your things. You'll be leaving tomorrow." He turned and left the room as Marina dove back into the water and did a few more laps to clear her head of her frustration.

. It was a shame that the water in the Antarctic was too cold for her to swim in. She loved to swim. It was almost an obsession. It helped ease stress.

To her cousins and the cadets she trained alongside, she was known as "the Nereid". Whether it was because her eyes were the color of the ocean, she took to water like a fish, or because she looked like a mermaid with her long flowing black hair, she didn't know. Either way, she hated the nickname. It reminded her too much of her parents.

"Watching the sunset, I see," A voice said behind her. Startled, she whipped around to see the captain walking towards her.

The grizzled old captain had been a family friend for as long as she could remember. He was almost like an uncle to her. Always ready to give her advice or words of encouragement. He leaned against the railing and looked at the sky in the distance. "It's a pretty sight, isn't it? Almost as pretty as you." He smiled fondly.

Marina looked at his tan, weathered face with a half-hearted smile of her own. " Thomas, I know what you're playing at. You're trying to make me feel better and get my mind off all this."

"No, I'm not. Maybe you don't see it but you really are very pretty. I'd be quite proud to have you as my niece."

Marina touched her cheek, absentmindedly. Running a finger over the pitted line running across the smooth surface. "What about this thing?" She argued, feebly. "Last time I checked, scars aren't exactly pageant winning material."

Tom shook his head. He was used to her modesty by now. "I can't even see it in this light and besides, scars always have an interesting story to tell." He pointed to his own scar ridden face to prove his point. "People notice your eyes and your smile more than they do your scars, Marina."

Marina tried to give him a more convincing smile. All that he said was true. She couldn't argue that. Her scar had never stopped the guys from trying to ask her out nor keep her friends from hanging out with her. It wasn't even a very noticeable scar but it stood out like a beacon to her. A big, repulsive beacon.

"I guess so." It was all she could say. She knew he was just trying to get her out of her funk but she still thought her scar was ugly no matter what anyone said. It was a lasting reminder of what had been taken away from her and she hated it.

They stood there for a few moments in silence before the captain spoke up again. "Well, I better get back." He rubbed his hands together to warm them up. "The ship won't steer itself, you know. I just came to see if you were doing okay and you seem to be just fine without this old codger bugging you. Don't stay out here too long though or you'll catch cold. I'll see you in the morning." He patted her shoulder and left.

"Goodnight, you old salt." She watched him leave, feeling a little better than she did before. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better. I appreciate it."

Turning back to the water, Marina closed her eyes and felt the waves gently rock the ship beneath her.

The sun continued to set, bathing the world in shadow. After a few minutes the deck's lights flickered to life for her.

All except Marina had gone inside for the evening. That was fine in her book, she enjoyed the quiet. It was a rarity in her hectic life. Her cousins and friends saw to that.

Marina eyes snapped open, her instincts told her that she was no longer alone on the deck. She turned to see a dark form standing just outside of the light's soft yellow glow. "Hello?" She said softly. She recognized the figure as the newest member of the captain's crew. She noticed that he had something with him. Something that looked suspiciously like her trunk. "What are you doing with my trunk?" She asked, agitated. He had neglected to tell her his name.

The man walked forward with slow deliberate steps, his facial features still hidden by shadow. All she could see was the dull gleam of his tinted glasses. He tipped her trunk over the side of the ship and let gravity do the rest. It hit the water with a loud splash.

"Why did you do that?" She said sharply. "Answer me, damn it".

"Do you know how long it took me to get that idiot captain of yours to trust me?", He asked softly. His body blocking her exit.

"What are you talking about?"

"Its been a while hasn't it, princess? The last time I saw you, you were no more than a child and now look at you". He scrutinized her. "You know you look an awful lot like your mother."

"How do you know my mother?", Marina asked, her voice quavering. "Who the hell are you?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten. All the happy people dancing outside your home, the building crumbling down on top of your guests,…..the screaming."

"You monster", Marina snapped. "You-". She was cut off by a sharp blow to the head. Marina fell to the floor, dazed. Warm blood trickled down the side of her forehead. Her head was throbbing where she had been struck and she felt too queasy to cry out for help.

The man crouched down beside her as the world spun crazily around them.

"What are you going to do to me?", She managed to say.

"Oh, nothing that you're thinking of. I merely intend to finish the job, my dear," He answered, softly. "But don't worry, I'm not all that bad, if you manage to survive the water and end up on that island, perhaps, you could appease those monsters with some of the pretty things from your trunk." He snorted with laughter and Marina could feel herself being roughly picked up.

"Say hello to your parents for me." He whispered in her ear. Then he let go.

She felt herself plummeting off the boat. Down, down, down until she was suddenly enveloped by the shockingly cold water below.

She swam to the surface, her lungs aching for air. With a loud gasp, she broke the surface of the water and tried to fill her desperate lungs. A difficult task in the icy waters.

The ship continued moving, completely unaware of what had just transpired.

Marina tried to swim back to the boat but she was quickly losing energy and it was moving too fast for her to keep up. She spotted the trunk being swept towards shore and swam towards it. Only her years of endurance training kept her from sinking.

Exhausted and shivering violently, she clung onto the crude life preserver for dear life. It was only a matter of time now before she froze to death.

Turning back towards the ship, she saw the man climb into one of the life boats and lower it into the water.

A little further from the yacht, a smaller ship lay waiting for the man to come aboard. All but its front half was hidden by glacier.

"I hope they catch him before he gets away," She thought, resting her head and turning her gaze towards the direction of shore. Her whole head was pounding now and she had already lost feeling in her legs. Soon she would sink.

Marina searched for any sign of hope. Her vision was blurry but she could have sworn she could see fog and the tops of palm trees in the distance. "Oh, please don't take me to Zorndyke's base." She managed to utter, teeth chattering violently. It was getting harder to breathe. Help me. Somebody please help me. I don't want them to find me. Her head hurt so much. So. Damn. Much. She just wanted to sleep the pain away.

Overcome with fatigue and pain, she finally blacked out. A lonely figure at the mercy of an uncertain destiny.

A few yards away, a human like head popped up out of the water. Then another, and another, and another.

Slowly, they swam towards the unconscious form.