It was a beautiful sunny day out in the Gulf of Mexico, the waters were calm and on the horizon a cruise ship was on its journey to the Cayman Island.
A 24-foot Bayliner cabin cruiser boat was anchored out in the Gulf five miles southeast of Key West, Florida. “Cooter’s Fish Aquarium – Key West” was painted on the rear of the boat and it floated in the calm waters.
Inside the boat, was Willy “Cooter” Jackson who was a skinny 45-year-old good ole boy from Florida with an black Elvis type of hairdo and sideburns and pot belly.
Also in the boat was his 40-year-old wife, Sara, cute with short brunette hair.
Cooter and Sara just finished dressing in their divers suits.
They placed their scuba tanks on their backs.
“Are you ready?” Cooter asked Sara.
“Let’s go,” she replied.
They donned their facemasks, and regulators.
They each grabbed dip nets, and plastic bags then they walked to the port side of the boat.
They jumped out of the boat and splashed into the water.
About 100 yards from Cooter’s boat, was a colorful reef that contained a small house made out of scrap metal. This was a house that some fish slapped together from pieces of an old sunken ship.
In the backyard reef of this house was Melvin, a young exotic fish. He floated upside down and strained to bench press two white pearls tied to a twig with seaweed.
At Melvin’s side was Rocky, his dad that had a United Sea Marine Corps seaweed sweatshirt and fatigue hat. He monitored Melvin’s bench press exercise with a keen eye.
June was Melvin’s mom, and she was a beautiful exotic fish and floated nearby while she knitted a seaweed blanket.
“You can do it Melvin!” Rocky yelled at his son with a drill instructor tone.
Melvin strained and his fins shook while he slowly pressed the twig upward.
“Great job son! You're now ready for NASAs Air Cadet program over in Aquaticville,” Rocky proudly said while Melvin benched pressed the two pearls.
He let the pearl weights float down the reef then he high finned Rocky. They both bellowed out macho growls while they flex their fins.
“Boys will be boys,” June said while she rolled her eyes, and chuckled.
“Yep, after you're an outer air hero, you'll get a beautiful fish as a wife, just like I did,” Rocky boasted then he blew June a kiss.
She blew Rocky a return kiss.
Melvin admired his parents and wanted a marriage like theirs in the worst way.
Rocky picked up a smaller pearl off their reef backyard. “Have one last catch with your old fish before you go,” he told Melvin.
Melvin donned a seaweed glove that June knitted, and he swam four feet away.
Rocky threw the pearl at Melvin.
The pearl floated over Melvin's head.
He swam faster and got under the pearl, and caught it. He repeatedly lifted the pearl over his head with a macho grunt.
Then Melvin eyes widen when he saw Cooter and Sara while they swam toward his home.
“Air Aliens!” Melvin yelled at his dad and pointed in the direction of Cooter and Sara.
Rocky looked and saw the humans known as Air Aliens to the underwater world. He swam over and rushed June into some coral plants for cover.
Melvin dropped the pearl, swam over, and hid behind a rock. He was scared to death while he peeked over the top of the rock. He saw Rocky while he faced Cooter and Sara in the coral plants with his fins clinched into a fist.
Cooter and Sara looked in another direction and didn’t notice Rocky and June.
They turned and swam away.
The second Melvin saw the coast was clear he swam over to the coral plants.
Rocky and June swam out of the coral plants.
“I was coming to help you fight dad, but they turned and swam away,” Melvin fibbed.
“We would have taught those Air Aliens a good lesson son!” Rocky replied and made some fists with his fins.
Rocky high-finned Melvin. “Let’s get you packed for your trip,” Rocky told Melvin.
Melvin swam into the house with his parents.
As soon as they swam into their house, June placed some plants for food, and a family picture a seaweed blanket she knitted a few days ago. She tied it up to a stick and it looked like a hobo bindle. “Inside is something to eat for the swim to Aquaticville. Then you can use the blanket to keep you warm when you venture out into outer air,” June said while she gave Melvin the bindle then kissed the top of his head.
“Thanks mom,” he replied.
She hugged her son then wiped away a tear from her eye.
“Well, I guess this is goodbye,” he told his parents.
Rocky saluted Melvin who saluted back.
Rocky and June waved while Melvin swam away and went out the door.
“I'm proud of you son!” Rocky called out when he swam to the door and watched Melvin while he swam away into the Gulf of Mexico.
Melvin looked nervous while he swam away from his home and wondered if he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Melvin swam and swam for an hour and started to get exhausted.
Then he finally swam to the Aquaticville cave where the small opening was shielded by colorful plants.
Melvin swam up to reef with his hobo bindle.
He swam up to a “Strong And Brave Fish Wanted To Be Heroic Air Cadets – Apply Within” sign that pointed in the direction of the cave opening.
He stopped and read the sign.
“Well, I’m here,” he said while he hesitated to enter the cave opening.
He nervously paced by the sign while he pondered if he should proceed. “Sorry dad, they didn't have any openings this year,” he said while he pondered up some excuses. “Sorry dad, they had so many applicants for the first year, it might be two years before I can apply,” said as another excuse. “That'll work!” he said while he smiled on the thought of returning home.
Melvin started to swim away.
“Aren't you going to apply?” a female’s voice called out and startled Melvin.
He turned around and watched while Stephanie a beautiful exotic fish swim out from some of the plants.
He was immediately smitten with the sight of this beautiful fish whose eyes sparkled.
“I don't think so,” he replied.
“That’s too bad, because I really love heroes, and I hope to marry one soon,” she said with love in her eyes.
Melvin was captivated with this beautiful fish. “I'm a hero!” he blurted out without thinking.
Stephanie's eyes sparkled when she heard Melvin. “You’re a hero? What did you do?” she curiously asked while she swam closer.
Melvin puffed out his chest and formed a muscle with a fin. “Why, I rescued my parents from the deadly grips of Air Aliens!” he lied.
Stephanie was in awe with his story then she looked sad. “My mom was kidnapped by Air Aliens. I wish you were around then,” she said while a tear formed in her right eye.
Melvin strutted his stuff around in a circle. “I would have saved your parents,” he bragged while he puffed out his chest.
“Come my hero friend, my father's in charge of NASA and I can get you a job as an Air Cadet,” Stephanie said with a gleam in her eyes.
She grabbed one of Melvin's fins and swam him through the plants and into the Aquaticville cave opening.
Inside the cave was a fish city with buildings and houses all built from materials salvaged ships.
A power plant used electric eels to provide electricity to the fish city called Aquaticville. Other electric eels swam to the power plant and relieved the other electric eels from their 8-hour shift.
On the cave walls around the city were ledges with expensive houses that had beautiful views of the city down below.
Stephanie continued to hold Melvin's fin while they swam down to Aquaticville from the top of the cave. “By the way, I’m Stephanie.”
“I’m Melvin.”
They swam past a "Welcome To Aquaticville – 180 Days Since Last Air Alien Kidnapping!” sign that floated above the city.
Melvin looked down and saw hundreds of fish while they swam down the streets of the city.
The city had numerous stores and other businesses.
In the center of Aquaticville was a park filled with colorful plants.
While they swam through Aquatic Boulevard, then down Seaweed Lane, then down Moby Avenue where Melvin saw numerous billboards of Stephanie modeling with all kinds of products.
“You’re a model?” he asked her while he loved the sight of her billboards.
“Yes I am,” she proudly replied while she glanced over at some of her billboards.
Melvin was falling head over fins in love with Stephanie while they turned down Poseidon Lane.
They swam down Poseidon Lane and when they got to the end they turned down Methane Lane.
Stephanie swam Melvin down that street until they got to the outskirts of the city where the “Nautical Air and Sea Administration (NASA) headquarters building was located.
She swam Melvin into the NASA building.
Inside the NASA building, Stephanie swam Melvin down a few hallways then she swam him into a room.
Hazel, a nerdy exotic fish with thick glasses, slouched behind a desk where a “Nautical Air And Sea Administration – Air Cadets” banner floated above her head.
She wrote on a piece of paper with a Cephalopod.
Stephanie swam up to her desk with Melvin.
“Hazel,” Stephanie called out the second she saw her.
“What?” Hazel replied a little bothered when she heard her sister’s voice.
Hazel looked up and eyed Melvin. Her eyes sparkled, she sat straight up and moved her glasses closer to her eyes.
“This nerd is my sister, Hazel,” Stephanie said in a boring tone.
Hazel gave Stephanie the evil eye.
“Meet Melvin. He's a hero, as he rescued his parents from Air Aliens,” Stephanie said with a gleam in her eyes when she looked at Melvin.
“Well, I better clarify that hero stuff,” Melvin said ready to confess.
“We could use a handsome hero as an Air Cadet with NASA,” Hazel interrupted Melvin and she became instantly smitten with him.
Stephanie frowned at Hazel when she realized her sister also wanted Melvin.
“Hazel, he's mine! I found him first!” she snapped out and crossed her fins to indicate she was serious.
Hazel glared at Stephanie.
Melvin smiled at Stephanie happy that she wanted him.
Hazel pushed two pieces of paper and a Cephalopod in front of Melvin. “Sign on the dotted lines on both papers,” she said with love in her eyes when she looked at Melvin.
Melvin grabbed the Cephalopod and signed the paper.
Stephanie and Hazel's eyes sparkled while they watch him.
“Let me show you around Aquaticville,” Stephanie told Melvin.
“Bring him back here in one hour,” Hazel told Stephanie.
Stephanie ignored Hazel while she grabbed Melvin’s fin and turned him around.
Hazel grabbed the two pieces of paper and she gazed at Melvin with dreamy eyes while he swam away with Stephanie.
“Having his babies would be dreamy!” she said while she grabbed a stapler then accidently stapled her right fin to the papers. She cringed in pain while she grabbed a small crab and used its claw to pry the staple open.
Outside the NASA building, Stephanie swam Melvin down all the streets of Aquaticville and showed him all the sights including her home.
Stephanie swam Melvin back to the NASA building where Hazel was mad because they were 10 minutes late.
“I said one hour!” Hazel snapped at Stephanie.
“Bye Melvin!” Stephanie said while she gave Melvin a quick kiss on his lips to make Hazel jealous.
It worked, as Hazel steamed inside furious with her sister always getting the handsome fish.
“It’s time to start your training. Follow me Melvin,” Hazel said then swam away.
Melvin had love in his eyes while he thought about Stephanie.
He swam after Hazel.
Melvin followed Hazel while she swam into another room.
“Bye, Melvin,” Hazel said with a gleam in her eye and lightly ran one of her fins down Melvin’s body then she swam away.
“Are you Melvin?” Rodney, Stephanie and Hazel’s father, yelled from the front of the room.
“Yes sir,” Melvin replied.
“Well movie it!” yelled a crab that wore a green Smokey the Bear hat.
Melvin quickly swam over to nine other fish that signed up to be Air Cadets.
“Welcome recruits. I’m Rodney the boss of NASA. And to my right is Shelly your drill instructor for your training,” he told the recruits.
“You’ll be the very first Air Cadet class of NASA, and I know you’ll do me proud,” Rodney said then he looked at Shelly. “They’re all yours, Shelly,” he said then he swam away.
Shelly glared at the recruits for a few seconds. “Move it!” he yelled like a drill instructor and corralled them out of the room and through another door.
Shelly snapped his claws at the recruits, while he corralled them in formation out of a rear door to the NASA building.
He corralled the formation of recruits and swam them over to the new Air Cadet training facility located at the outskirts of Aquaticville.
The facility consisted of a runway lined with clam shells. A barracks made out of materials from sunken ships. A large training building, and a hangar that are both large metal cans from a sunken ship.
Shelly swam Melvin and the formation of recruits to the barracks.
The next morning, Shelly swam into the barracks. “Get up! Get up!” he yelled at the recruits while he clanged together two clam shells he held in his claws.
The sleeping recruits all swam around in a panic.
After they settled down, Shelly swam them out of the barracks and got them fed.
After breakfast, Shelly had his recruits all floating on upside down and they bench pressed two pearls tied with seaweed to twigs.
After the bench pressing, Shelly swam the recruits four times in a four foot oval track.
After the track, Shelly had the recruits swim in formation with some heavy conch shells tried around their bodies with seaweed.
The recruits were exhausted after their first day of training.
They all fell fast asleep, except for Melvin who had thoughts of Stephanie on his mind.
The next week was filled with bench pressing pearls, more swimming around the track, and more swimming in formation with heavy conch shells.
The following week was different, as the recruits started preliminary flight training.
Outside the Aquaticville cave, the Air Cadets were tied down with seaweed in individual clam shells.
Then an Octopus grabbed their clam shells and swung them up, then swung them down, them made sharp right turns, and then made sharp left turns. This repeated over and over again, and the objective was not to get sick.
This training continued all week with the Octopus swinging the recruits around like an airplane in a dogfight.
The next week started actual flight training in a two-seater airship that NASA just developed. The trainer, called Airship 1, looked like a 1950s spaceship with a bubble canopy that was constructed from material from sunken ships. The rear engine of Airship 1 was powered by methane gas that was extracted from the ocean floor. It was also painted the color blue to blend in the sky for camouflage effect. There was an Airship 0, which was a simulator that was dropped from a stingray to test the ability for the airship design to safely float down to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
Vince was the flight instructor fish and he sat in the rear seat while the recruit sat in the front seat.
The training started off with leaning how to ascend and descend the airship.
Then they ventured into right and left turns.
After that they learned descending and ascending turns.
The next part of the training involved the recruits flying the airships just one foot below the surface of the water.
The more advanced flight training involved the airship flying three inches below the surface of the water.
After three weeks of the advanced training, it was now time for the final test. This involved the recruits soloing in an air ship. Vince would fly in formation in another airship to verify the recruit flew three inches below the surface of the water.
A few days passed and it was time for the graduation ceremony.
Rodney floated in front of the formation of graduating recruits with Vince, Sheldon, Stephanie and Hazel by his side.
“I’m proud to say that our first class of Air Cadets was a success. You all completed the requirements, and now have earned the title of Air Cadets with the rank of Air Lieutenant,” Rodney told the new Air Cadets.
All the new Air Cadets shook fins to congratulate each other with their success.
“Now, I would like to honor the top recruit with an immediate promotion to our first Air Captain,” he said then paused for dramatic effect. “And this goes out to Melvin, since I was told he’s a hero from saving his parents from Air Aliens!” Rodney told the Air Cadets.
All the Air Cadets all shook Melvin’s fin, and he felt a little embarrassed that his lie was still alive.
“Now that we have our first crop of Air Cadets, NASA can further develop our plans for outer air missions to rescue our loved ones, that have been kidnapped by the Air Aliens. Our fish scientists are working on the construction of a new airship, the Airship 3 to perform such a mission in outer air,” Rodney told the Air Cadets.
All the Air Cadets gave out Army types of grunts over hearing that news on venturing out into outer air.
“Therefore, I want all the Air Cadets to take three days off for rest and relaxation before returning for air duty,” Rodney said then he swam away with Vince and Shelly.
The Air Cadets all broke formation and some quickly swam away to start their free time.
Stephanie swam up to Melvin and kissed him. “I’m so proud of my Air Captain,” she said then grabbed his fin and swam him away.
Hazel watched the two swim away and was jealous of Stephanie.
Stephanie swam Melvin through the streets of Aquaticville.
“Where are we going?” he curiously asked while she swam him through the streets of Aquaticville.
“For a few days of relaxation, my handsome hero,” she replied with love in her eyes.
“Listen, I really don’t feel like a hero,” he told her afraid to confess while they swam away from Aquaticville.
“Of course you’re my hero, that’s why I love you,” she said then swam him over to the cave opening.
They swam through the cave and swam away.
A few minutes later, Stephanie and Melvin found a beautiful and colorful coral reef called Paradise reef. It was a favorite spot for lovers in this water world.
They had a romantic few days on Paradise reef, and were both falling deeply in love.
After that little vacation, Melvin reported back to NASA where the Air Cadets received some training in the new airsuits that Hazel helped designed.