Little did they know that Mike and Stacy where already well ahead of them having started going though the same books when they arrived. They each had their own room and matching set of books.
“And when the sail did crash on the shore the Sea Goddess Wadji-wer did look down on him with great mercy.” Read Mike as Stacy sat at the table with what passed for a pen under the sea.
“Wadji-wer…sounds middle eastern…maybe Egyptian.” offered Stacy
“After the Egyptian style we saw in that buildings I would lean more Egyptian.” added Mike as Stacy nodded her agreement.
“She gifted him with a tail to swim in the seas and gills to breath in the water.” counted Mike “Across the great ocean, her counterpart Poseidon.”
“Well we know where he is from and across from Greece would be Egypt.” stated Stacy as she mentally drew a line down from Greece to Egypt.
“Saw a woman being thrown to her death for a crime she did not do. He took pity on her and as she entered the water, she grew fins and gills to breath and live in the sea.” Read Mike as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Sounds like an Adam and Eve story.”
“Agreed, likely not true but the corner stone of the society.” added Stacy “What is strange is that they have both Greek and Egyptian water gods.”
“True.” said Mike as their research carried on, they were about to take a break when a knock at their door caused them both to look up.
“Come in.” answered Stacy as Nate and Rose entered.
“Ah…we found something that may be helpful.” started Rose as she held up the copy of the book only to notice the small stack on the table. “I see you already found them.”
“We did, and what seems to be a bible in the side table.” added Mike as he held up a book with silver edging on the pages. “If we were in a hotel on the surface it would be a bible at least.”
“And what does it have to say?” inquired Nate, if this was the official religion of his people he needed to know about it.
“Not fully through it yet, it talks about how the first merpeople where made by the Greek god Poseidon and what we assume to be the Egyptian goddess of the Sea Wadji-wan.” Said Mike “It goes on to talk the creation of the holy animals so that they could increase their numbers.”
“The real interesting thing is that more water gods from ancient civilizations keep being brought up, almost like it was a club.” explained Stacy “Best guess is that since the island moves and these…things turn people into merpeople that in the ancient past some unlucky souls stumbled on the island and became merfolk. Then another group from the other side of the world was transported and became merfolk…their different religious beliefs joined and merged until each saw it as a gift from one sea god or another.”
“Or…maybe the ancient gods are real?” inquired Rose which took Nate, Stacy and Mike aback.
Mike was an atheist and Stacy sat somewhere between an atheist and a Buddhist, both believed in science and that while faith had it usefulness for some it wasn’t for them. Rose had been born and raised in a strong Irish-American house and that meant a strong catholic house. She wasn’t as devoted as some in her family. Her parents would have flipped at what she had just said. Then again her parents would have flipped if they knew she wasn’t a virgin, neither was Nate both of them where each other’s first. Nate wondered if this change was possibly her mentally preparing to possibly switching faiths, if Nate was prince in this faith as his wife she would be expected maybe required to follow the same faith.
“I mean to me all the gods and goddess in history are fakes but to each their own.” said Mike as Stacy nodded in agreement. “We just need to know as much about this world as we can.
“It’s Amanda who will have the hardest time with this, she was raised in a very conservative house, made my parents look like hippies in comparison.” Stated Rose, Amanda had told stories about how ultra conservative her family was it was borderline abusive in her view, as Stacy let out a sigh.
“On some levels, I think from what I have read and observe so far merfolk society is much more progressive then our surface world, gay marriage seams not just legal but accepted on all levels, same with religions.” Stated Stacy “Yes, that merfolk bible is in the night stand but there is this.”
She held up a thick book, the label on the side read, Holy Bible, Torah, Qur’ran, the Vedas and teachings of Buddhist.
“All five of the major holy books from our world, so I assume that while not the largest religion all are accepted.” Stated Stacy “No matter how strange this society may seam or how it came to be, I think I may come to like it better then our world.”
“Still your idea about how they were all ancient humans and then transformed is interesting.” added Nate as Stacy chuckled.
“Well it isn’t really my idea.” admitted Stacy as she held up another book. “Read it in this science book.”
“You two are god damn fast readers.” Stated Nate as Stacy grinned, she was a speed reader for sure really helped when studying.
“Still it isn’t like we can really do more than just read…sex is out of the question for the moment.” Added Rose “I know Kenny and Kelly are still going at it like Rabbits but they want to take the risk, if they get pregnant that is on them. I’ll wait until we find out about birth control, I assume they have it.”
“Ya…and that is something I don’t really want to ask my sister about.” admitted Nate “And besides looking out the window there isn’t much to do beside read.”
Mike and Stacy chuckled a bit before Stacy raised her voice.
“Screen on.” She said as on the far wall, a small point of blue light gathered before shooting upwards as the image of two mermaids in what looked to be an apartment of some kind where talking to each other. They talked for a few moments before one of them said a joke and a laugh line happened
“As far as I can guess they seem to be at least a 100 plus years ahead of us in technology.” Stated Mike “Holographic TV where coming in time but they seem to have it already.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” said Nate
“Change channel.” Said Mike as the channel changed to the image of a mermaid sitting behind a desk, she was wearing a something a kin to the black sports bra but with a large logo.
“In our top Story, the King and Queen are currently rushing back from a conference…” started the mermaid, who had to be a reporter. Nate quickly turned away; he didn’t want his first time he saw his parents be on some TV screen. Rose turned around as well, not fully
knowing why Nate had turned around, but it didn’t take long to figure out why. “While no word has come from the Palace, the fact that both the King and Queen are rushing toward the Summer Palace and that the Prime Minster and several members of the Council of Ministers are also journey toward the Summer Palace, fears are that the retired King and Queen have taken a turn for the worse. No word has come from the Palace but all fear that this may be the case.”
“Turn it off.” said Nate as the screen turned off. “Sorry…I just don’t want to be the first time I see my parents be on some TV screen.”
“I understand, sorry I didn’t mean anything.” said Mike
“I know.” Confirmed Nate as he looked out the window and his mouth opened wide.
Gone was the coral reef which was breathtaking beautiful by itself, instead it was replaced by a city landscape. It had multiple homes and towering skyscrapers, most of the buildings looked semi-normal, two or three stories tall with windows, yards in the back and streets out front. In the distance was the heart of the city they where passing, it had towering skyscrapers which looked like it had stepped out of some sci-fi movie. Impossibly thin with elegant angles and beautiful lines, as an architecture Mike looked on in more amazement then most as everyone just floated and watched as they passed through the heart of the city. Seeing mermaids and merman living their lives as they went about their day, they kept watching as they passed through the city and kept going. After a while the towering city center turned to a more residential area and then a farming area before going back to a reef.
“I think they are more then 100 years ahead of us.” Stated Stacy as they kept moving toward the summer palace.