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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 14, 2008 13:55:32 GMT -5
(((((OOC: Sorry. It's the best I can do and from what I can remember from a dream. Join in anytime.)))))
A lithe figure glided smoothly through deep, blue water. She was enjoying herself, swimming freely and without restraints. Her marine form suited her well as she looked like she came out of ancient sea-faring legends by her own people.
Happy for a moment, Delfina frolicked in the water, then came up to the surface beside an average-sized Carsverse research vessel named Freda Nightshade, who had taken Delfina and her group out on an expedition to explore the ship's own version of the oceans.
Delfina swam up to Freda's side and and hung suspended in the water for awhile gathering up her strength.
"Having a little fun, eh?" asked the R/V.
"Just swimming," Delfina answered as she made her way to the stern and was helped aboard by a fellow human crewmember, "The water is much clearer than it was in my world."
"What did your oceans have that ours didn't?" Freda asked curiously.
"Fish," Delfina settled into a makeshift tub full of water so as the keep her skin, both human and tailfin, moist, "Lots and lots of fish, big and small. Also there were other forms of sea life too of many different varieties. Your oceans don't have any."
"True," chuckled Freda, "Only submarines have been down below and know what the landscape looks like down there. You're the first human to go down there and your able to shapeshift yourself for waterbreathing."
"That I am," said Delfina, "How much further to our destination?"
"We got 10 nautical miles to go," answered Freda, "I can get us there faster, if you want. Let you rest for a bit."
"Sure, that'll be great, Freda," Delfina said, waving a hand in the direction of Freda's wheelhouse.
Freda started up her engines again, her propellers thrashing the water and moving her forward at gradually increasing knots, heading toward their destination.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 14, 2008 15:04:00 GMT -5
<<< There probably would be a lot of more primitive lifeforms about - coral, plankton, seaweeds, shellfish, some crustaceans etc. "Machines" would probably fill the larger eco-niches. >>>
Dawn was snorkelling again, swimming along the bottom of the cove, scanning the sandy ocean floor slowly from side to side through her swim goggles. In one hand, she pulled along a mesh bag already half-filled with sea urchins. Gloves protected her hands from the spiny projections as she occasionally paused and plucked a specimen of appropriate size. True, there were no fish of appreciable size here, but shellfish and small crustaceans were abundant. The sapient natives of this world had no culinary interest in them, so those humans willing to undertake the journey to the coast could harvest clams, cockles, scallops, oysters, conch, shrimp, lobster and crab to their heart's content. It was a change from the usual diet of grains, vegetables and not that much meat, with the occasional bit of farmed trout or tilapia to provide some relief.
When the bag was three-quarters full, Dawn made her last rise to the surface, her head breaking water just as a boat entered the cove about a mile off. Freda. Then, the girl signalled her swim buddy and headed back for the beach where her friends of like species were encamped.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 14, 2008 15:22:06 GMT -5
(((((OOC: Okay.)))))
As Freda entered the cove, she spied the tiny forms gathered on the beach. With her sharp vision, she could recognize the forms as being of human shape, just like those few that were aboard her.
Delfina, now wearing cut-off shorts and sandles was drying her hair with a towel. She had already shapeshifted back to full human form and was going to go ashore with the others while Freda anchored in the cove to rest.
She came to the railing and looked out at the cove and also saw the familiar human forms on the beach. "Lower the boat," she said to some of the crew, "We're going ashore."
The crewmembers went to do Delfina's bidding and prepared the lifeboat for the short trip to the beach.
Soon, the boat was in the water and was motoring toward the shore with Delfina in its bow.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 14, 2008 15:30:19 GMT -5
Dawn waved as she saw the dinghy come in with Delfina in its bows. Inflatables were not living things here, any more than they were in the world the humans had left after the blowup. A couple of wild jet-ski-like creatures rode its bow wave as it approached. She noted Freda and also waved to her as well, it was only polite to do so.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 14, 2008 15:38:33 GMT -5
Freda answered with a polite toot of her horn.
Delfina waved back and then watched the wild jet-skis covorting about in the dingy's bow waves until it got closer to shore and the water got shallower. When the bow hit the beach, Delfina jumped out and began to pull farther up so it won't get washed away.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 14, 2008 17:38:46 GMT -5
"Hey, Delfina." Dawn called out. "How'd it go out there today?"
In the distance, a tour boat passed with a load of ground vehicles, built more like a ferry than anything the humans were familiar with. They crowded the rail to get a view of the encamped humans. Fortunately, the vessel refrained from getting too up close and personal.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 16, 2008 1:17:13 GMT -5
(((((OOC: Sorry, had a power outage. The remnants of Hurricane Ike knocked the power out for the entire town for a day and a half. Only just got the power back.)))))
"It was okay," said Delfina with a shrug, "A decent swim, really. There's not that much ocean life out there other than sea urchins and some crustacians."
She managed to get the dinghy up the beach as far as possible and then turned it over.
Freda, resting at anchor, watched the tourboat pass through.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 16, 2008 10:14:28 GMT -5
"Well, sea urchins and scallops are what we're having for dinner tonight." Dawn shrugged. "And Manuel got some abalone when he went out with Randy, so we'll have that too." She glanced out to the aforementioned pair of boys - one human, one 25-foot powerboat of Stingray lines. Randy Jewison had been hired by the humans' co-op to work at the camp, though he arguably spent as much time chatting up Freda as he did actually working. His sweet, laid-back nature, however, made it hard to get annoyed at him. Randy was accompanied by Dude, his pet smalltrack kit who rode everywhere with him.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 16, 2008 10:23:06 GMT -5
"Well, that's better than the meat we have back at the mountain," said Delfina, "I'm looking forward for a seafood dinner tonight."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 16, 2008 11:08:22 GMT -5
"That makes two of us." Dawn nodded as she hauled her catch back to the field kitchen. "So what are your plans for tomorrow?"
In the meantime, Randy was trying to get in good with Freda again. "So... you doing anything later tonight?"
Manuel, who was hauling in gear, just sighed and rolled his eyes. He's always looking for an angle on her.
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 16, 2008 11:35:28 GMT -5
"More diving on the ocean bottom," said Delfina, helping with hauling Dawn's catch to the field kitchen, "I want to explore that area, see what else I can find."
Freda smiled politely at Randy, "Not much tonight. Maybe watching the stars, that's all."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 16, 2008 12:27:35 GMT -5
"Oh yeah.... " Randy adjusted his pitch. "Maybe... uh... that's something we could do together."
Manuel turned away to hide a GIVE-IT-UP-MAN smirk.
Dude meowed and rubbed his head against Freda's hull.
Dawn looked back at the boats. "I think the kit will get somewhere before Randy does. Anyway, we might come along tomorrow if you guys don't mind."
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 16, 2008 12:33:52 GMT -5
Freda smiled and nodded, "Sure, if you want to join me, you can." She looked down at the kit rubbing against her hull, "And it looks like Dude wants to join us too."
*****
"Not at all," Delfina said with a nod, "We don't mind at all."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 16, 2008 13:25:55 GMT -5
Randy could barely contain his glee. She said YES! Of course, Dude was a helpful little "babe magnet" as well.
"Thanks." Dawn heaved the bag up on the table. "I'm really wanting to try out the new scuba tanks that the shop made for us."
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Post by ebonyviper on Sept 16, 2008 13:35:34 GMT -5
Freda chuckled pleasantly.
*****
"Hopefully, they'll be as good as the ones from our world," said Delfina.
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