"Officer Rhine."
"... Officer Rhine?"
"Hey Varyna!"
Varyna blinked and looked up to see both Quoppi-Shaden and Faren Cleus staring at her from the front seats of the hover car.
"Oh sorry, what were you saying?" Varyna smiled half-heartedly at the pair.
"Look, I don't like this any more than you do," Faren began, brandishing an air converter with a frown, "but they don't make this stuff Kremel-sized."
"Ah..." Varyna glanced down at the rubbery bundle in her lap. "No, it's fine. I was thinking about something else."
Faren smirked and tapped her on the forehead. "Where is your mind these days, Officer Varyna? You haven't been the same since you came back from the outer jurisdiction patrol."
"Sorry, Sir. I'll do better!" As Varyna unfurled the bundle, Faren turned back to his own rubbery bundle.
They were wetsuits. Designed to make Humans comfortable when surrounded by water. The suits were useful for times they had to enter Nemarian-designed buildings. Like the club they were currently parked down the street from. Their black hover car was just one of many lining the street. Even in the middle of the week, the club was still bustling with guests.
The club itself consisted of a small marble building in front, with a massive glass dome rising behind it. The glass was tinted, but shadows and colorful glints could be seen sloshing through the water. In Varyna's opinion, it looked like nothing more than a giant fish tank. But the Nemarians loved it. In fact, according to intel, the underworld elites had started using it as one of their fronts for Cnidarium dealing.
Cnidarium was a relatively new drug. Its origins weren't known for sure—it had suddenly popped up one day and then rapidly swept through the upper class. It was a hallucinogen, and even a pinch too much could kill a full grown Kremel. Plus, its users got addicted quickly, leading to a rise in violent crime on the streets—not to mention the uptick in fatal hover car accidents caused by drivers under the influence.
The Section 0 Crime Division, the top ranked team in charge of special investigations, had been tracking the drug for a while, and sent out the request for the local squad to get evidence at this particular club. And the local squad happened to be Faren Cleus's squad, which only had one Nemarian and two Humans who could take on the job. Not the most ideal combination for infiltrating a Nemarian club, but the mission was simple enough that they should be fine.
Varyna grimaced as she tugged the rubber suit over her uniform. It was more than a tight fit. Faren's grunts from the front seat indicated that he was also struggling to pull on the wetsuit. "Why do they make these things so blasted tight," he mumbled.
"To prevent drag and possible air leakage," Quoppi answered impassively, and Varyna stifled a snort. She couldn't tell if her squadmate was really that socially inept, or if he was aware enough of his reputation to aggravate the Captain on purpose.
"Right. Of course. That's why." It sounded like Faren was using every bit of self control to keep from smacking his underling in the head. He couldn't lash out at poor Quoppi for offering what he thought was a helpful explanation. Though, Varyna swore she saw the Nemarian smirk for a split second at Faren's frustration.
After several grunts, needless input from Quoppi, and incredible self restraint on Faren and Varyna's part, the trio was finally ready to infiltrate The AquaDome.
"Welcome.. Can I see some identification?" An indigo-finned doorman was friendly at first toward Quoppi, but quickly changed his tone when he saw the two humans behind him.
"We have this." Quoppi pulled a message chip out of his pocket and tossed it to the doorman. This was the first time Varyna had ever seen her friend in street clothes. He had tight fitting black pants and a flowy white shirt with a gleaming silver vest and matching boots to top it off. It made her even more conscious of the rubbery black suit covering every inch of her body and the air converter dangling around her neck.
"Oh! I see!" The doorman grinned as he finished reading the message on the chip. "Right this way Mr. Alf. Your security personnel are more than welcome as well."
Section 0 had given them the message chip and cover identities earlier in the day. The chip had a recommendation from one of the owners of the AquaDome. Varyna had no idea if it was forged or not. The recommendation was good for a 'Mr. Benou-Alf', an upper-class Nemarian businessman, and two members of his personal security detail.
The group followed the doorman into the entry building. They found themselves in a small air-filled lobby, with three sets of doors spread on the far wall. The walls and floor were all covered in large golden tiles, and sconces with blue crystals provided ambient light. Their guide approached the set of doors on the left and pressed the button next to it. The doors slid open, and he motioned the three inside.
"Have fun!" the Nemarian beamed as he closed the door behind them. The space they were in now was the airlock chamber. It was small, but spacious enough for the three to stand comfortably.
Not long after the doors closed, a long beep sounded and the doors to the lobby lit up red. Then water began filling the chamber.
"Enjoy one last breath on dry land." Faren clinked his air converter against Varyna's in a strange sort of toast before affixing it over his face. Varyna followed suit. The breathing piece sat over their mouths, with a large translucent piece that covered the rest of their face to keep water out without hindering their vision. Varyna couldn't stop thinking how it reminded her of the windshield of a hover car. Not that they were here to make a fashion statement anyway.
When the chamber had filled entirely with water, another set of doors lit up green and slid open.
The comm buzzed in Varyna's ear with Quoppi's voice.
"Welcome to The AquaDome."
The inside looked even more like a giant aquarium. Colorful ribbon-like plants were around the walls, swaying in the water as they stretched from the floor to ceiling. The only lighting were the bright blue and orange laser lights that rippled all around. Dozens of Nemarians lingered at glass tables in the front area while a crowd could be seen farther inside on the dance floor.
A Nemarian in a sleek blue suit approached them right away and began conversing with Quoppi. Small bubbles came out of their mouths and gills as they spoke, but to Humans like Varyna and Faren with ears more suited to the land, it seemed like the two weren't making any noise at all.
After a while, the blue suit Nemarian began moving and Quoppi motioned for Varyna and Faren to follow. Like their ears, the rest of their bodies weren't made for the water, and the two Humans couldn't move quite as effortlessly as the Nemarians did, even with their wetsuits. But Quoppi made sure to never be more than arm's reach ahead of them.
The blue suit Nemarian led them away from the front room and down a hallway. The floor tiles turned to glittering pebbles as they came to a glass tube. Quoppi and the other Nemarian immediately began swimming upward. Faren and Varyna did their best to keep up.
At the top, they came to another hallway, and finally came to a halt in front of a door. Quoppi and their guide conversed again before Quoppi turned to his Human companions with a frown.
"They said no security personnel or weapons are allowed inside the room," he informed them, carefully keeping his gills closed to ensure his words carried no farther than the comm unit.
"Ha. Looks like we'll have to think of something in a hurry," Faren's voice crackled back.
"I told them Varyna is my courtesan, so she will be coming with me," Quoppi responded nonchalantly.
Varyna blinked. What? Quoppi's.. courtesan?