A Nod To Neptune

This story is by Britt Henesy and was part of our 2023 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

A low hum crept into his awareness, barely louder than the crashing waves that lapped the boulder strewn coast. He paid it little attention, focused solely on catching the Nerf football he was tossing with his college buddies while occasionally admiring and catcalling the stunning women sunbathing nearby. Then Kyle caught a flash of gold, shimmering beneath the dappled surface of the tide pool. The hum swelled in affirmation, calling him to approach the shiny object nestled in the sand while stepping carefully amongst the spiky sea urchins and the occasional pink shelled conch. Ducking behind a large boulder, he plunged a hand down into the cool water and swept sand away from what appeared to be a . . . trident? Was this some costume piece gone astray? He didn’t have time to find out, for as soon as he grasped the heavy trident and pried it free from the sand, the world around him disappeared.

When he awoke, Kyle found himself kneeling before an enormous scowling man, his bushy beard dotted with seashells and pearls. Glancing around, he took in the pristine towering marble columns, an inky black void encapsulating the domed ceiling, the silent crowd of people—their faces tinted blue from some bioluminescence below the floor. The bearded man stood, bellowing something in a language Kyle couldn’t quite understand. Was that Latin? He couldn’t be sure. The man sighed, then motioned one of the crowd forward. A woman stepped up and sprayed a puff of fine mist into Kyle’s face that smelled of briny ocean and rosemary. A bizarre sensation tickled Kyle’s brain, but the next time the man spoke, he could understand him.
“At last. Let’s get on with it then,” said the man, rapping the golden trident he now held against the glowing floor.
Kyle stared up at the man, wide-eyed as he recalled bits of his Roman and Greek mythology lectures. “No way. You’re . . .”
“Neptune. King Neptune if you prefer. Though that’s a bit out of fashion these days, isn’t it?”
Kyle swallowed the lump in his throat. “And this place?”
“You probably know it as Atlantis.”
“Plato had it right all along. The lost city of Atlantis? I thought that was just a legend.”
“Eh, yes. I suppose. But it’s not so much that it was lost, per se, as we took great pains to hide our treasured city from the rest of the world. A civilization cannot perfect itself and grow beyond leaps and bounds while surrounded by chaos, destruction, hatred, and war. We had to shield ourselves in order to make the best of society. Carry on with what so many had lost sight of—the betterment of humanity as a whole.
“But enough talk. We have a job to do.” Neptune opened his hand and from his palm, text appeared to hover. “You are hereby charged with crimes against the known world. For this, you must answer—with your life.”
Kyle interrupted, “Wait, what? Crimes? Like, drinking under age—look, I’m two months shy of turning 21. Cut me a little slack, okay?”
Neptune slammed his trident against the floor, sending a shockwave over the crowd. “Silence! You are not going to be put to death for merely drinking fermented grain, boy. No, you are here for something much more serious. A crime you will commit in the future. A pre-crime if you will.
“We Atlantians have taken it upon ourselves to save humanity from itself. A rather exhausting chore, I’ll admit.” A few chuckles of laughter escaped the otherwise silent crowd. “Nonetheless, we therefore have developed the technology to prevent injustices from occurring that will forever alter the way of human life on Earth. You may think you will be practicing law in a few years, living a life of luxury and opulence sequestered in a penthouse in New York City watching the world go by at your feet, but your decisions will increasingly lead to a life of corporate corruption and greed that bring nothing but harm to the greater society. We cannot allow this to happen, you see.”
Kyle staggered to his feet. “No, I’m afraid I don’t see. None of this makes any sense. Am I on some reality TV show?” He swiped a hand through his hair, trying desperately to gather a defense against crimes that weren’t yet his own. “How can you prove that I will become such a menace in the future?”
Neptune tapped his thumb and pointer finger together, then a projection appeared before Kyle. He watched as an older version of himself played out events exactly as Neptune had alluded to.
Kyle’s mouth dropped open, his eyebrows knitting together, not wanting to believe the truth of it.
“You see, we have our ways.” Neptune retracted the projection. “With a society as peaceful as ours, we have plenty of time and resources to improve technological and medical advances, not to mention psychological ones.” He stroked his beard, twirling one of the pearls between his fingers. “Lucky for you, we also have ways to end a life that are quick and painless. Rex will ensure that.” Neptune extended his hand and looked at someone behind Kyle.
A trickle of sweat ran down Kyle’s forehead and he glanced behind him, looking for an exit, but finding only an octopus that was blinking into different, brightly colored patterns. Kyle would have found it quite festive and intriguing under different circumstances.
The words echoed through Kyle’s head, unheard by his ears. The octopus suddenly became a bright yellow.

Spinning around to face Rex, Kyle said, “Ready for what, exactly?” The octopus squirmed on the floor at his feet writhing a tentacled arm toward him. Kyle took a step backward, though his options for retreat were limited.
Rex’s squishy body swirled into a mottled purple and deep ocean blue.
Turning back to Neptune, Kyle asked, “Is Rex always this way, with the 80’s songs and Mr. Overenthusiastic?”
Neptune grinned. “I’m afraid so. He thinks he’s the King of the Sea. Delightful isn’t he?”

“This is getting real really quick.” Kyle muttered under his breath.
“Rex, it is time.” Neptune inclined his head toward Kyle.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait! Just wait a minute.” Kyle wasn’t going to get another chance. “You speak of Atlantis as if it were a sanctuary, free from violence and corruption, yet here you are condoning the murder of innocents for the greater good? Is this not a place to cultivate vibrant dreams and imagine a world that can be more understanding? Where compassion and empathy truly matter. Not merely a whisper of a better tomorrow, but actuality?”
Neptune smirked. “Quite the orator I see. You may have a point.”
Kyle inhaled deeply, raising his chin. “I can help with that vision of a brighter future for humanity. You have the tools to help me make that possibility a reality. Now let me help!”
Groaning, Neptune spun his trident, gathering his thoughts. “I suppose we should give you a chance to try. Otherwise, we’re no better than those we left behind. What say the populace?” The crowd cheered their approval and Kyle released the breath he held as relief washed over him. “Very well. Rex, give him a tour. Get him what he needs to succeed. I’ll be keeping an eye on you boy. Make smart choices.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you. I will do my best.” Kyle gave a nod to Neptune and hurried after the squiggly octopus through the crowd.

Kyle and Rex wandered through the outer rings of the city that led away from the gilded center.
“For starters, how can an entire city thrive underneath the ocean? It should be impossible, yet . . .”

“Fascinating, frightening—that amount of power.”

“Hey man!” Kyle felt someone slap his shoulder. “Let’s go, it’s nearly sunset. We’ve been looking everywhere for you and all this time you’ve been napping behind a boulder?”
“What the . . .?” Kyle rubbed his eyes and looked to his chest where a small nautilus shell was strung. As he touched the swirls, it hummed a familiar vibration, reminding him that he was instrumental in synchronizing a solid future for humanity. He wouldn’t let Neptune down.