3. Chapter 3

"Mr. Hayes, are you really going to replace everyone at the park with swimming robots?"

Sid must have answered this same question at least a hundred times, but apparently the message wasn't getting through.

He fought the urge to glance at his assistant Emmaline and roll his eyes. Instead, he gave the warmest smile he could manage to the group of beautiful but concerned-looking mermaids.

At least, he assumed they were mermaids, given their question, though without the seashell tops and prosthetic tails, he couldn't be certain. And were they still considered mermaids when they were out of costume?

Sid was in way over his head.

"No, we won't be replacing anyone with robots. I seriously doubt robot mermaids could deliver anything close to the amazing performance I saw tonight."

The women visibly relaxed, though the concern never completely left their faces. "Thank you. And sorry about Mermaid Aaramere and her Bionic Cannonball. She usually holds back when there are important people in the front row, so I'm not sure what happened tonight."

Sid drew in a breath and struggled to maintain his smile. Nearly everyone in the park had apologized for the way he and his team had been soaked. Everyone, that is, except the red-haired mermaid who had done the soaking.

Emmaline put a hand on the nearest woman's shoulder. "It's okay. We know that splash was part of the show, and we should have been more careful when choosing our seats." The borrowed blue park security uniform and plain chestnut-colored hair were very different from Emmaline's regular look, but they worked well with her medium brown skin and seemed to amplify her reassuring presence. "If you see Mermaid Aaramere, can you let her know we'd like to meet her?"

The young women agreed, thanked Emmaline for understanding, and then left.

As the performers walked towards the food table, they passed Sid's transition manager, Hazel. She paused to watch the girls, then turned back to Sid and Emmaline. Her sandy blonde hair hung limply around the shoulders of her borrowed green ride attendant uniform, and her mouth was set in a tight line.

"There sure are a lot of pretty girls around here," she said. "Are you sure this project is going to help your reputation score?"

Emmaline stiffened at the question. Over the past couple of years, she had done an amazing job helping Sid rebuild his reputation. His decision to buy the park had been based almost entirely on her advice, despite Hazel's many unresolved questions and concerns.

Yet Sid knew Hazel's concerns were valid. After all, the damage to his reputation had started with an attractive face at a previous project company, and he was determined not to make the same mistake again.

"That's the reason I put you in charge of the transition team," he said to Hazel. "I'll be involved in setting our strategy, but I trust you to work directly with the employees and identify any potential issues so we can steer clear."

"But an amusement park?" Hazel asked. "Really?"

Hazel was right, and Sid knew it. Emmaline had made a strong case for buying Realms of Neptune, but now that the deal was done Sid couldn't help but wonder if it had been a mistake.

"True, it's not our usual manufacturing company. But the fundamentals here will be the same as they have been for every other project," he said, trying to convince himself as much as Hazel. "Your job is to find opportunities where we can leverage our expertise, improve operations, and build this into a business that can be sold for a profit."

Hazel's expression remained skeptical. "I'm glad you feel that way, because I think I found your first opportunity while we were changing into these lovely outfits. Back in the cast show storage room where they keep the mermaid tails, something smelled rather off."

Sid's gut tightened. "What kind of off?"

Hazel shrugged. "I'm guessing it was one of the chemicals they use. Maybe it was mishandled or just old and out of date. I think we should have someone come in and make sure they aren't using anything illegal."

Sid was not a chemical engineer, but he had enough industrial chemistry experience to make an initial assessment. And the opportunity to leave this awkward reception appealed to him. "I'll go give it a look. Do you still have the master key?"

"You can't leave a reception that's being held in your honor," Emmaline said.

"Why not? I've already met everyone here at least once."

"You haven't met Jayna Cooper," Emmaline said.

"Jayna who?"

"Mermaid Aaramere."

Sid had been looking forward to meeting the star mermaid. While researching the park, he had found himself listening to the songs from the Sirens of Atlantis show on repeat. Swim With Me was his favorite, and the way Jayna sang it was even more enchanting than the official cast recording.

Her entire performance had captivated him, and not just her brilliant red hair, her beautiful singing voice, or her ability to send water three rows into the splash zone.

But meeting Jayna would have to wait.

"Hazel's concerns about questionable chemicals are a higher priority than thanking Mermaid Aurora for giving us the opportunity to wear these amazing park uniforms."

Emmaline folded her arms. "Her mersona is Mermaid Aaramere, and I do think it's important that you meet her. Jayna Cooper is an essential part of this park, and I'm quite certain that she's going to play a significant role in whatever success you have here."

"Fine. I'll meet her when I get back." Without waiting for an objection, Sid turned and walked purposefully out of the reception area.

He quietly approached the rear entrance to the aquatic theater and opened it with the master key Hazel had given him. He hoped lax maintenance was the issue. That would be easy to fix. Dealing with illegal chemicals would involve a lot of unwanted headaches.

Dim maintenance lighting illuminated the passage inside the theater. He walked quietly through a hallway to the back of the cast area, where a small pool of water shimmered. From the earlier facilities tour, he knew this was the backstage area for the mermaids and mermen in the show, and that the pool connected to tunnels leading to the show and rehearsal pools.

He stopped and listened but didn't hear anything. Satisfied, he quietly crossed to the maintenance room that held the substance in question.

That door was also locked, but he could just make out a questionable aroma. He had taken over several chemical and cybernetic companies that had been shut down due to illegal activity, so he had a good idea what he was looking for. He glanced around again to make sure he was alone and then used his key card to unlock the door.

Immediately the offending smell grew stronger. He quickly put his limited chemical knowledge to work, examining the tanks and storage containers that lined the edge of the room.

He located some rubber gloves and an emergency respirator hanging on the wall. After putting them on, he searched for a bottle of hydrogen peroxide among the cleaning supplies. He then used a plastic bucket to collect a sample from one of the tanks and set it in the middle of the polished concrete floor.

Sid's heart raced as he filled a disposable cup with hydrogen peroxide, poured it into the bucket, and jumped back.

The contents of the bucket erupted over the edge in a foaming mess, covering the floor.

That was good.

Sid slowly removed the mask and sniffed. The smell was bad, but it was a good kind of bad—the oppressive boiled cabbage aroma that meant the tanks contained poorly maintained organic solutions and not illegal chemicals.

He sighed in relief, hung the respirator back on the wall, and left to retrieve a mop from the custodial closet on the opposite side of the hallway.