The Air Out Of [Wattys2018 shortlist]

*wattys 2018 shortlist*
*writer's awards sci-fi winner*

It all started with an accident.

Through vast consolidation begets a single empire bordering on the mere idea of war with an enemy threatening to destroy its entire existence, starting from the inside. Many call it tyranny, others, vengeful menace, but it's taking them down. One by one. A series of events follow, including a spy, a plan destined to fail and a desperate offer that puts everything on the line.

She wasn't what they were hoping for. But they take what they can get.

Once rejected by the place they called home, five estranged teens jump at the opportunity for an escape. Thrust into an unknown underwater society at random, it's a gamble for life and death, win or lose. Fast forward to friendship, rivalry, loyalty, borderline sorcery, and a second home that'll change their lives as they know it.

But as the days grow by, and the game of cat and mouse breaks its final straw, blending in a world not meant for them is not as easy as it seems. Especially when you try to save a colony whilst saving yourself.

*this story is/will be rewriting. [minimal changes] The plot will generally be the same, I'm just removing some plot holes and grammatical inconsistencies*

#974 dysotopian - out of 1.8k stories
#442 science fiction - out of 5.9k stories