Prism Marine : Blue Waves

Prologue

The top level of the tower.

It was already morning, and rays of light were percolating through the smooth surface of the dome overhead. Sitting at her wide desk was a tall woman, perfect posture and an expression of stone. Her red hair fell down in curls to her elbows, but her dark blue suit gave a sense of formality to her overall appearance. The woman was tapping a constant rhythm with her free hand, as if waiting for something, while she was scribbling down many words on a sheet of paper.

The room was large, spacious, and well lit. The morning light peered through the windows all around the room, which gave a panoramic view of the city and beyond. The tower was tall enough to overhang every other building by a long shot, and the people walking on the streets underneath were barely visible at such a height. Way outside the room, protecting the entire agglomeration and the tower in its very center, was a large transparent dome that allowed the city to be well lit on most days. Just outside of the protective structure of roughly 5 kilometers in diameter, one could see an endless blue, the overwhelming presence of the water encompassing everything. There was almost always various sea life to observe going around the dome and its sturdy glass, and many fish of different, vibrant colors harmonized with the blue water to make for stunning scenery. Looking down from the ballet of colors, a landscape stretched underneath it all, made of rock and other seaweed, which together formed a lush underwater jungle populated by even more sea creatures.

But as beautiful as the outside world was, it didn't come even close to the busyness of the inside of the dome, which was constantly buzzing with life in its streets. Because the woman's office was at the top of the tower, the sounds were impossible to discern. But if one were to look carefully, he would see the work of a farmer in a field on the outskirts, the discussion of two friends meeting up in a street, or the cheers and joyful shouts following a morning concert happening in the city center's venue. No matter where you looked, there was always something happening, and people were living a peaceful, happy life.

As she finished writing her document, the door to the large room opened. Announcing himself, the voice of a man came through the doorway. Stiff and official, but loud and clear.

"Lapis, for Turquoise, madam."

The redheaded woman wrote down the final period of her text and laid down her quill. She spoke with a very official voice as well, but she was more confident in herself, almost authoritative.

"You may enter."

Immediately, a new figure made his appearance through the door: a straight-standing young man with dark blue hair, square glasses, and serious eyebrows. He was dressed neatly enough to match his host's level, with a matching dark blue suit that looked almost identical to the one worn by the woman at her desk. His gait narrated his apparent urge but also his very careful composure: fast but not so much that his walk looked unprofessional. With him, it seemed, everything had to be in order and in its place. That included himself and his manners from the ground up.

The new figure walked up to the woman's desk but respectfully stopped a few meters away, leaving plenty of personal space for the seemingly important character. Aligning his feet perfectly without gazing down a single time, he spoke up.

"I apologize for the intrusion, for I must speak of an urgent matter that has been brought to our attention very recently." The woman had put away her writing and focused her attention on her interlocutor. She put her elbows down on the desk and joined her hands together, very much involved in the conversation happening.

"So I've heard, though not the details of it. I know you never come unless there's something of importance, so I trust you will brief me without an issue."

"I will certainly try." Turquoise readjusted his glasses between two sentences. "We have a friend that might be causing trouble, let's say, momentarily."

"Oh? Trouble, you say? What might be causing havoc in our peaceful paradise?"

"He's looking for the truth."

"Oh." The young man stopped, looking uneasy, an expression that struck with his perfect attire. His suit suddenly looked cumbersome, and he constantly readjusted his glasses or subconsciously played with a button on the side of his pants. The woman leaned forward a little, closing her eyes slightly. "You know what to do, don't you, my dear Lapis?"

He jumped a little and immediately readjusted his glasses once again. Her tone had changed to get rid of any tentative impression, if there had ever been any. Lapis looked down, then up, then down again. Her expression didn't have the smallest hint of sympathy for his problem.

"I'm- I certainly do, Madam, but I'm... conflicted."

"You're not allowed to be conflicted. Not in our line of work."

Turquoise flinched once more at the sharpness of her voice. It wasn't that she was actually giving an order; she was simply reminding him of his duties. Duties he was now cautiously questioning. Suddenly speaking faster, he stated his opinion in a rush, scared of the reaction of the tall woman. His tone made his hesitation to raise the question clear, but he was clearly convinced by his idea.

"I'm just not certain the outcome would actually be beneficial in the grand scheme of things, is all."

The imposing woman in front of him straightened back up. She seemed surprised to see Lapis hold ground like this, and after a few moments of silence, she started looking outside the window as she pondered. Outside the dome, gigantic air bubbles several meters in diameter slowly formed out of a small hole in the rocky soil before breaking off and climbing to the surface, slower than a turtle. The view was soothing, and Lapis let his gaze fly to the scenery, trying to find solace in the beautiful nature.

"I understand how you feel." The woman broke the silence, and the young man turned his head towards her once again. She didn't stop looking outside. "Truly, I do. Decisions can be hard to make, especially when so much is at stake." She looked at him once again with a serious but comprehensive glare in her eyes. "But you, more than anyone else, know very well that this is for the sake of everyone living here. This friend of yours... is an issue that needs to be solved. Whatever the cost may be."

"...Right." Lapis tilted his head forward, looking at the fancy red carpet. Taking some deep breaths, he let the discussion run through his mind for a bit, then spoke again while looking up at his interlocutor. "I will do what needs to be done."

"Good. Now go; I have much to do."

The tall figure ended the conversation with a small nod, picked up her feather again, and resumed her writing. Now dismissed, Turquoise agreed with a slight nod and turned back right away, chin up once again. Any sense of hesitation had evaporated from his gait as he walked out of the room. And while his blue eyes were as determined as can be, there remained the slightest doubt in the back of his head. A tiny thought, one he wouldn't be able to address in front of the woman again, not like this. The terrible thought of not doing the right thing.