Marina's Ascent

Log 6 - The Outside

A ringing pierced my ears as I slowly peered open my eyes, light flooding my view. I didn't know where I was or what was going on, but somehow I felt calm and content. I heard a voice to my left, a voice that sounded unlike any I'd heard before.

"Did you sleep well?"

I tilted my head to my left to see a figure standing next to me, she looked similar to us Octolings but her hair was smoother and she had no suction cups on her tentacles. What was she? It puzzled me why I wasn't worried to be around this creature.

"It's ok, you're safe now child. My name is Mizuku, I'm a doctor here in Inkopolis."

Inkopolis? Where in the dome is that? I'd been taught all about the geography of the dome and they'd never mentioned anything about a town called Inkopolis.

"Where is Inkopolis?" I asked in curiosity.

"Oh my. The rumours are true. For the past 100 years your species has been living in underground domes, I'm afraid your leader Octavio has lied about the world to you. There is a whole world outside your dome and you aren't the only species on this planet."

Surely this couldn't be true. Why would Octavio lie to us?

"Sweetie you stay here, I'll be back, I just need to fetch the therapist."

A few minutes later she returned with another creature, I still didn't know what they were so I promptly asked, although it seemed a little rude.

"Are you Octolings?"

"Oh, no, we are Inklings and we're just like you, we only have minor differences."

Well at least that answered my question, but it suddenly came to me that River wasn't in the room with me.

"Where's my friend, River? She was with me before?"

"I'm so sorry. Your friend is gone I'm afraid. We tried to save her but she was hit by some wreckage and the damage to her was too great."

It couldn't be. I hoped that any moment now I'd wake up and find out that it was all a dream, but that moment never came.