Air Major Cary stood before the 10 Air Cadets in a training room in NASA headquarters. “Now Air Cadets, what you are about to see has been classified deep sea secret,” Cary told the Air Cadets.
Cary motioned to at Sea Sergeant (SSgt) Wallace, dressed in seaweed fatigues, to start the projection.
A screen came down behind Cary and a projector started.
On the screen, the Air Cadets watched while a small Methane powered outer air probe flew out of the Gulf into outer air.
They watched while the air probe soared into the air and all they saw was blue skies with scattered puffy white clouds.
“The outer air is so blue,” one Air Cadet said.
“It’s called the sky,” Cary told them.
“What are those white puffy things?” another Air Cadet asked.
“Called clouds and they can drop water down to the Air Aliens,” Cary replied.
The Air Alien watched in awe while the air probe flew 50 feet above the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Then a few minutes later, the air probe approached Key West after passing over some small islands and turned to Key West.
“What is that?” an Air Cadet curiously asked.
“Earlier air probes identified that as an Air Alien town called Key West,” Cary replied.
Then the Air Cadets watched while the air probe flew down Duval Street where they saw Air Aliens walking and all kinds of cars and trucks.
“You can see the Air Aliens milling about their town. We haven’t quiet figured out what those other large creatures are with the four black round legs. But as you can tell, Air Aliens do reside in those creatures,” Cary said.
“Maybe those creatures ate the Air Aliens?” one of the Air Cadets called out a little fearful of cars and trucks.
“That’s a possibility,” Cary replied.
Melvin looked scared of the video of the land of the Air Aliens.
Then the air probe turned down a few more streets and came upon Cooter’s Fish Aquarium Store. The air probe stopped and pointed at the front entrance to the store.
“Now we know that this Air Alien building contains some of our loved ones. When Airship three is ready to fly, we’ll target this place for our first rescue mission,” Cary told everybody.
All nine Air Cadets looked anxious to start their rescue missions, except for Melvin who looked scared.
Then they watched while the air probe turned around and flew down the street.
Then all of a sudden, the air probe smacked into the wind deflector of a tractor trailer truck. The video immediately went to static lines on the screen.
“And then we lost the air probe after it was attacked by one of those huge creatures,” Cary said then motioned to SSgt Wallace to shut off the projector.
The projector turned off and the screen behind Cary was raised out of view.
“There you have it, your first training module is now completed for your outer air training. Dismissed Air Cadets,” Cary told the Air Cadets.
They all left the room and Melvin was now regretting joining the Air Cadet program.
I need to quit. He thought to himself while he swam out of the NASA building.
During the next day, the Air Cadets received training on NASAs new airsuit developed by Hazel.
She instructed the Air Cadets on proper technique for installing and removing the airsuits.
These suits were metal and were built with mechanical arms and legs and had a glass bubble helmet. NASA termed this suit the “Airsuit” since it was designed to withstand the harsh environment in outer air. The glass bubble was polarized for the bright light of outer air and the Air Cadet was barely visible.
Hazel and Melvin had a grand time during this training while they joked and talked. They started to become close friends and Hazel fell deeper in love with Melvin knowing he loved Stephanie.
Three months had passed and Cooter’s boat was back in the Gulf of Mexico.
It was anchored boat six miles from Key West.
Cooter and Sara were in the boat and both wore golf shirts that were embroidered with "Cooter’s Fish Aquarium Store – Key West.”
Cooter and Sara slipped into their divers suits.
They placed on their facemasks.
They placed their regulators in their mouths.
They each grabbed a dip net and plastic bag.
They walked over, jumped out of the boat and splashed into the Gulf.
On the sandy bottom of the Gulf, lay a freighter ship that sunk in a hurricane five years ago.
Four fish wore construction hard hats, and watched over two electric eels. Sparks emitted from their tails of the eels while they cut strips of metal from the ship. There was missing sections in the ship from previously strips that were cut away.
When a piece of metal fell away, a construction fish caught it and swam the piece over to the back of a waiting stingray. There were four other pieces of metal on the back of the stingray.
The stingray swam away with the metal.
Another stingray swam over and waited for some strips of metal.
One of the construction fish glanced behind him and his eyes widen in horror at the sight of Cooter and Sara swimming in their direction with the dip nets. “Air Aliens!” he yelled out at his fellow construction workers.
The other construction fish looked, and their eyes widen in horror at the sight of the approaching Air Aliens. They quickly scattered and swam to the holes made in the ship.
They swam inside ship for a safe place to hide.
Cooter and Sara swam up to the ship.
The electric eels charged after Cooter and Sara with their tails curled under them while sparks emitted outward, as a defense mechanism.
Cooter and Sara quickly stopped when they saw the threatening eels.
Cooter motioned to Sara that they should git and she nodded in agreement.
They both quickly swam away from the eels.
Elsewhere on another reef in the Gulf, Melvin swam amongst the reef full of beautiful colorful and exotic plants and coral.
“I’m in love with a fish I’m thinking about,” he sang out in a romantic tone while he picked a colorful plant for a bouquet. “I’m in love with a fish I can’t live without,” he sang again in a romantic tone while he picked another colorful plant for his bouquet.
Then something felt wrong and he looked behind him. His eyes widened with extreme fear when he saw Cooter and Sara while they swam in his direction.
He dropped his bouquet of plants and raced away.
Cooter pointed at Melvin and Sara nodded in agreement.
Cooter and Sara swam after Melvin and when they got close, they swung their dip nets at him.
Melvin’s eyes were as big as saucers when he realized the dip nets missed him.
Melvin was scared to death while their dip nets missed catching him numerous times while he frantically zigzagged in the water.
Then his eyes widen when he saw a place of refuge within reach.
He picked up speed and headed to a small hole in a large rock.
Melvin frantically zigzagged while swam to the hole in the rock with coral.
The second he swam into the hole, Cooter’s dip net shattered a piece of coral from the rock.
Cooter and Sara immediately stopped and looked at the hole.
Sara tried to shove her dip net into the hole, but it wouldn’t fit.
Cooter motioned to Sara that they should leave.
She nodded in agreement and they swam away.
A few minutes later, Melvin poked his head out of the hole and saw Cooter and Sara while they swam away.
Melvin saw some old male fish named Elmer and Homer that swam using oars, since their tail fins were too old and weak for swimming, approach the rock.
Melvin swam out of the hole and made sure the old fish could notice him.
He immediately got into a boxer’s stance and threw punches at Cooter and Sara. “You’ll never get me or anybody in these waters, so you Air Aliens better stay away from Aquaticville,” Melvin yelled while he continued to box the waters.
The two old fish swam using their oars and saw Melvin boxing the water.
“What's Melvin doing?” Elmer asked Homer.
“Maybe some type of stretch and yell exercise that all them fancy Air Cadets have to do to stay in shape?” Homer replied.
“What are you doing, Melvin?” Elmer yelled out.
“I scared away those Air Aliens,” Melvin replied while he pointed a fin at Cooter and Sara.
Elmer and Homer looked where Melvin pointed and saw Cooter and Sara while they swam away.
“We’re glad we have Melvin around to keep us save from the Air Aliens,” Homer told Elmer.
“You bet,” Elmer replied.
They continued to swim away with their oars.
Then numerous scared school of fish swam over in a panic.
One of the fish eyes widened with relief when he spotted Melvin.
“Melvin, there are two Air Aliens at the entrance into Aquaticville.
“Go get those mean Air Aliens!” Elmer yelled out at Melvin while he made a fist with a fin.
All the fish nodded in agreement with Melvin going after the Air Aliens.
Melvin looked caught and got afraid. “Ah, I, yeah, I should go get those Air Aliens,” Melvin replied not very enthused with taking on this dangerous task. He looked at the direction of Aquaticville. “You better stay here so those Air Aliens don’t capture you,” Melvin instructed the school of fish and the two old fish.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Elmer said while he quickly oared to Melvin.
“Me too,” Homer replied then he oared after Elmer.
“Sounds like a great idea,” the school of fish all said in unison while swam to Melvin.
Melvin cautiously swam away toward Aquaticville.
Elmer, Homer and the school of fish all watched believing Melvin would save the day.
A little while later, Melvin swam to a rock and hid behind it. He peeked over the top and saw that the coast was clear.
He moved away from the rock and swam away toward Aquaticville.
A little while later, Melvin swam to another rock and hid behind it. He peeked over the top and saw that the coast was clear.
He moved away from the rock and swam away toward Aquaticville.
A little while later, Melvin swam to another rock and hid behind it. He peeked over the top, saw the Aquaticville reef in the distance and the coast appeared to be clear.
He swam away and headed to Aquaticville.
Melvin’s heart raced while he nervously swam closer and closer to Aquaticville. He cautiously scanned the area over for Cooter and Sara and they nowhere in sight. “Whew,” he said while he wiped the top of his head with a fin relieved the Air Aliens were gone.
Melvin swam to the reef and quickly swam into the cave opening.
Melvin floated while he looked at Aquaticville down below. Then something felt creepy, so he turned around, and looked back at the cave opening. He saw Cooter’s eyeball while he peeked through the cave opening.
“Ahhhh!” he silently screamed out then raced over to Aquaticville.
Melvin raced through the streets of Aquaticville where everybody was hiding inside their homes or businesses.
Melvin quickly swam up to his small one room house that sat on a ledge on the wall of the cave.
He rushed through the front door of his home.
He rushed through his living room and down the hallway.
He rushed into his bedroom and passed by a dresser that had pictures of Melvin when he was a young fish with Rocky, a picture of Melvin with June and Rocky, and a picture of Melvin with Stephanie, and Hazel. Also on the dresser was an "Absolute Moron Guide To Being Brave” book.
Melvin quickly swam under his bed to hide.
Melvin's frightened eyes were visible under his bed, which had his Mom's seaweed blanket on it.
He slowly poked his head out from under his bed and cautiously looked around his room.
He noticed the pictures on his dresser and felt ashamed of himself.
Later that night, Rodney, who was also the Mayor of Aquaticville called a town meeting to discuss the event that happened earlier that day.
The Aquaticville Town Hall located on Poseidon Lane contained a large room with a stage at the front.
The room was filled with everybody from Aquaticville.
Melvin, and the other Air Cadets floated behind a table on the stage. They all wore a green seaweed flight suit that was now the standard Air Cadet uniform. Above them floated a “Nautical Air And Sea Administration – Air Cadets” banner.
Stephanie and Melvin would wink and blow small kisses at each other.
Hazel was jealous while she watched Stephanie and Melvin exchange romantic gestures.
At the side of the stage, Rodney was over talking with another fish that was Air Colonel Winston. Rodney shook fins with Winston then swam over to the center of the stage and he faced the audience.
“As Mayor of Aquaticville and head of NASA, I would like to welcome you for attending today’s meeting.
A fish in the audience raised a fin. “Rodney, what are we going to do about the Air Aliens? We had a close call earlier today,” the fish said and all the other fish around him nodded in agreement.
Another fish raised her fin. “When are we going to find new waters free of Air Aliens?” she asked with a little fear in her eyes.
“I know we had a close call today, but our town is safe from the reached of Air Aliens,” Rodney said.
“But what about our family members that have been captured by the Air Aliens? We want them back home!” another Fish yelled out.
“I know, believe me, I know,” Rodney replied.
Air Colonel Winston swam over to Rodney. “But NASA has some great plans in work,” he told the audience.
“That’s right, NASA is ready for the maiden voyage of airship two. Its mission will fly to outer air to test the airsuits and airship ability to survive in the dangerous environment of the outer air,” Rodney told the audience.
“Then airship two will fly to test out our communications systems and fly closer to land in outer air,” Air Colonel Winston added.
“That right, then airship three will perform one rescue mission to test out our proposed method,” Rodney said.
All the fish clapped over hearing this great news.
Another fish raised his fin. “Which Air Cadet will fly this historic mission with airship two?” he curiously asked.
Melvin looked nervous. “Please don’t let it be me!” he silently prayed to himself.
Hazel and Stephanie both smiled at Melvin, while he silently prayed.
Rodney looked over at the Air Cadets and eyed each one of them. “That brave fish is Melvin!”
All the fish in the room clapped their fins.
Stephanie and Hazel eyes sparkled when they looked at Melvin.
The other Air Cadets looked disappointed but congratulated him with a pat.
Melvin looked chicken about the thought of going into outer air.
“Come Melvin,” Rodney called out and motioned for Melvin to come over to him.
Melvin got up and swam over to Rodney while everybody cheered.
Rodney placed a fatherly fin around him. “Plus, after he's finished with that mission, he'll be marrying my daughter Stephanie. Then I'm going to retire and Melvin will be my replacement, as the head of NASA,” he added with a proud smile.
The fish all cheered louder.
The fish near Stephanie congratulated her while she smiled at Melvin.
Melvin smiled back at her and suddenly felt brave.
Hazel looked upset in hearing that her sister will marry Melvin.
Later that day in Rocky and June’s home, they relaxed in their living room.
On the wall behind them hung pictures of a younger Melvin and a picture of Rocky in his USMC uniform.
June knitted another seaweed blanket on the couch.
Next to her, Rocky watched TV; which showed News Reporter Barbie Waters, a female exotic fish behind the "Water Entertainment TV (WET) news desk.
“This is Barbie Waters from WET news. NASA had just announced that Air Captain Melvin will be the first Air Cadet to be launched into outer air and then he'll marry Stephanie.
Rocky's eyes lit up with joy and jumped off the couch.
He grabbed June’s fin and pulled her off the couch.
He danced her around the living room. “Yahoo! My son will be a hero!” Rocky sang out and he looked so proud.
“Come honey, we're going to Aquaticville,” he told her.
“And he's getting married and have lots of grandfishes!” she cried out in joy.
Rocky excitedly swam June out of the living room, and into their bedroom to pack.
Meanwhile, at their favorite colorful reef, Melvin and Stephanie had a picnic on a ledge of a rock near a hole.
She looked so excited while she danced around Melvin. “It's going to be so wonderful being married to a hero,” she boasted with love in her eyes.
Melvin gave her a weak smile when she stopped dancing. “Our wedding's going to be the talk of the town for years. Plus, we're going to have some great dancing at the reception,” she said while she danced around in circles. “I love dancing!”
“I don't know, I’m really not fond of dancing, especially with my two left fins. I always look like a fool,” Melvin said while he watched Stephanie dance around him.
Stephanie looked disappointed then shrugged it off and stopped dancing. “That's okay. I'd be happy just being your wife. Just think of the possibilities,” she said with dreamy eyes. “I could get modeling gigs all over the water world,” she added.
Stephanie danced around again with a huge smile. “We could travel the water world and with you by my side, I'll never have to worry about Air Aliens taking me away,” she said while she danced around with joy.
Melvin looked ashamed. “Yeah, ah, we need to talk about that,” he said thinking it was time to confess.
Stephanie didn’t hear him because thoughts of a grander life filled her head, and then he kissed Melvin. “We better swim back to Aquaticville. Father wants us over for dinner before your historic mission in the morning,” she said while she grabbed Melvin’s fin.
Melvin looked nervous while Stephanie swam him away back to Aquaticville.
Later that night on Saltwater Lane, Melvin sat at the dinner table with Stephanie, Hazel, and Rodney in their huge home.
Stephanie could keep her eyes off her boyfriend and Hazel sat across the table jealous. He was in love with Melvin in the worst way and was upset that Stephanie got another boyfriend.
“Melvin, you’re quite the talk around town with you being a hero and now you’re going to put Aquaticville on the world’s water map with your historic mission tomorrow,” Rodney said while he munched on a piece of plant.
Melvin faked a smile but inside he shook with fear while everybody ate their plant dinners.