Merc and the Macaw

Background Information:

Merc Supernova is one of the three leaders of the Supernova Force alongside his younger sister, Venus, and fraternal twin brother, Nepto. They are descendants of the Venus aliens that arrived on Planet Earth billions of years ago. The three of them each have their own teams and work together to maintain peace and harmony on Earth.

Venus took charge of the land and government of the Earth's people. Nepto overlooks the oceans and life under the sea. Merc is responsible for the skies and space above. He resides on the North shore on a large plantation on an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, Minor Vina.

Across from the sea strait off the North-Western shore of the island, there is another small island, Minor Hermana. Merc spent most of his time there running the space station. Here he and his team work on technologies and the manufacture of air and space crafts. Merc's team of Venus alien descendants were working in building the Hermes Red 2.0 Rocket ready for their Mission to Mars Project.

He also builds jetpacks which are specialized for allowing men and women to fly. His team are currently trialling a new series of jetpacks, the Fast Atlantix Platinum 3000, that can cover longer distances in shorter timespans.

In this story, Merc tests out one of the new jetpacks, which runs out of fuel just as he is hovering above the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil.

Merc and the Macaw

On a small island called Minor Hermana, situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, Merc was patrolling the Space Station where he was overlooking his workers preparing the latest version of jetpacks called the Fast Atlantix Platinum 3000. Merc's team had worked on it for well over a year, trying to improve the performance of previous models, making them faster, more durable, and able to travel longer distances.

Merc was watching one of his workers, Christina, wearing one of the models. Christina was wearing a vest-jacket strapped to two fuel tanks on her back. She was wearing a metallic, purple helmet that would change colors to green and blue when high in the air, above 10,000 feet. This was in order for riders to be able to camouflage when in the air, and signal civilians below when they are descending back onto the ground.

Swirling around in the air, Christina was testing the features of the Fast Atlantix Platinum 3000 Jetpack. "Woo! Merc put one on! You're going to love it!" she shouted, gleefully. Below her on the ground, were two other officers, Toren and Lazano.

"Alright, Toren, Lazano, are you two ready?" Merc directed his question to the two men in front of him.

Over on the wall behind them were two more suits. "Okay, let's test how far these can carry us."

"Sir, we're ready to go," said Lazano.

"Yes," said Toren. "Let's go!"

The three men went to collect the suits and put them on. Climbing up to the cliff edge they mounted themselves ready to blast off at Merc's signal.

On the left arm of the suits, there were a series of buttons and LED signals. Before taking off, Merc made sure to connect his suit to the others so that he could track and communicate with them through it. He clicked the button to allow him to do that and a red LED came on.

"Chistina, Laz, Torens, can you hear me?" asked Merc.

"Here," announced Christina in a normal speaking voice.

"I'm here too," affirmed Torens.

"I'm here and ready to go, Merc," replied Lazano.

"Okay, let's try not to separate too much," said Merc. "Alright, here we go."

They each clicked a button in their right-hand controller and a ten-second countdown timer started. They felt the engine pack underneath their feet heat up and shake as they lifted into the air and shot into the sky.

Part 1: Merc's Lands in the Amazon Rainforest

"Okay team, we are now at 2000 feet in the air. If you need to accelerate more, lean forward," said Merc.

Still ascending, Christina exclaimed: "This is so cool! We are actually about to fly!"

"I know!" responded Torens. "This is wild!"

"Okay, ready for the last phase of acceleration," Merc intersected.

Merc and his team ascended to 10 000 feet above sea level.

"Merc, I'm close to Morocco now," reported Lazano.

"Okay, thanks, Laz," Merc responded. "Where are the rest of you?"

"I'm over water," said Christina.

"Merc, I'm flying over Cape Verde now," Torens replies.

"Merc, how far out should we go?" asked Lazano.

"Let's see if it will take us to Peurto Rico," said Merc.

"Are we going on a holiday, boss?" asked Torens.

"If you can get there before I do," replied Merc.

Just then, Merc's headset started ringing. His virtual assistant announced the call. "Call. Incoming. Nepto Supernova."

He was receiving a call from his brother, Nepto.

Merc answered the call. "Nepto! Brother, I'm flying over the Atlantic in the Atlantix 3000! It's not the best time!"

"Oh, okay. Just wanted to ask you about the meeting this morning. Venus called me earlier and she was pretty mad," said Nepto from the other line.

"Yeah, Nepto, where were you? They were asking her questions she couldn't answer cause underwater navigation is your domain and they were getting annoyed that they had wasted their time," explained Merc.

"Merc!" screamed Christina. "We're picking up a lot of turbulence!"

Just then he felt himself flipping through the air uncontrollably. "Nepto, I've gotta go!" Merc's phone connection had broken down anyway, so Nepto didn't hear him.

"What's happening?" asked Lazano. "Where are you guys?"

"Are you and Torens, experiencing turbulence?" asked Merc.

"I think we've flown too close to the equator!" yelled Christina. "I'm getting sucked into a wind current!"

"Christina, hold on!" shouted Merc. Locating Christina, he turned towards her.

"Merc, I think we've lost them. Torens and Lazano's phones are off," Christina spoke with urgency.

"Torens! Lazano! If you can hear -

But before he could finish, he felt himself get lifted up by the wind current and like on a roller coaster tumbled through the air where the humidity was rising.

"Christina!" Merc yelled.

But she wasn't responding either.

He tried clicking the accelerator button but the wind was too strong. Trying to control the jetpack, the suit was beginning to malfunction. He felt himself starting to fall through the air. Trying desperately to restart the suit, he felt his feet burning up and he lost consciousness as he floated down to the Earth.

Merc's unconscious body swept through the sky and floated down through the trees of the Amazon Rainforest. Falling through branches, he met the ground of leaves with a great big "thud".

"Wakey, wakey!"

Merc started to regain consciousness as his eyes only just slightly opened. Everything appearing blurry, he slowly lifted his head up.

"Wakey, wakey!" he heard something screeching.

Opening his eyes more fully and noticing the blanket of green around him. He took off the jetpack helmet. He could hear the sound of running water, he turned around and saw an enormous misty waterfall. He went to make a move towards it until he felt the burning sensation in his feet and he screamed out in agony. "Aaggh!"

"Aaggh!" There seemed to be an echo surrounding him. Looking around and noticing he was alone, he looked down at his feet and noticed that his boots had disintegrated. He took them off, exposing his red, swollen, burnt feet. He got down on all fours and crawled towards the waterfall.

He noticed a red parrot swoop over his head and perched itself on a tree branch protruding at the top of the waterfall. Merc reached the waterfall and felt the water sprinkling his face. The coolness of the water was replenishing. He pulled himself up against a rock near the waterfall. He placed his feet under the cool running water and took off the vest and detached the fuel tanks, which had been damaged during his fall.

Merc took his shirt off and sighed, feeling the relief of cool water running down his back.

"Hello," came a voice from behind him. An old man wearing round spectacles and sporting an aged beard that was colored brown with streaks of grey and silver running through. He spoke with a Southern European accent.

Merc turned around, startled.

"Sir, do you normally sneak up on strangers when they are cooling off their body?" asked Merc, annoyed.

"Sorry, I saw you fall from the sky and I was curious. So was my bird. His name is Zak," said the old man, pointing at the red bird on the tree branch, still watching the scene.

"Okay, well I'm glad you were entertained, but you can move along now, nothing more to see, Old Man," said Merc.

" Well, it's not every day a man falls from the sky. And, it looks like you have been burnt quite badly. If you like, I think I have an ointment that will help you," he replied.

"Would you mind, sir, first telling me who you are," said Merc, after a brief moment of consideration.

"Ah, of course. My name is Andreas. I am a biologist and I have lived in this neck of the woods for almost 10 years now. So, for an old man, I'm not doing too badly," answered Andreas.

"Oh, my apologies Andreas. I can barely walk -"

"I know, I saw you crawl across to that waterfall," said the biologist. "Let me carry you back to my cabin, it's not too far."

"Forgive me, but are you strong enough to carry me?" asked Merc.

"Ah young-looking man, I have achieved greater feats than that in my lifetime, I think I could manage if I had to," replied Andreas. Noticing the silence and look of skepticism in Merc's eyes he continued, "but, luckily for you, I went and collected my cart. I was going to pick you up when you were unconscious and transport you to my cabin to treat you."

Out from behind him, the red parrot came swooping towards him with a rope between its beak, connected to the cart he was pulling. Impressed that he hadn't noticed the bird change locations, Merc asked: "so this is your bird, then?"

"Yes, he is called a Scarlet Macaw or in Scientific Terms Ara Macao. He's very clever. I raised him since he was only a baby," said Andreas. "I've been researching birds for over 50 years."

"How fascinating," replied Merc. "I've been researching rockets and planes the last 30 years."

"So, we're not that different. We both study things that fly," replied the old scientist. Andreas helped Merc to mount the cart and Zak started pulling him along a path leading towards the cabin.

"Did I hear you say 30? You look quite young, might I say, to have had 30 years of education."

"I am not from around here," replied Merc. "I'm part alien."

Andreas started cackling. "So, did you fall from another planet?"

"Not quite. But one of my great grandfathers did, " Merc replied.

"Perhaps you hit your head too hard son. Tell me, what is your name?" asked the biologist.

"I am Merc. As in, Mercury," answered the part-alien man.

They arrived at a small red-colored cabin. "My wife used to like colors, so you'll notice that I've made my cabin as such, to remind me of her," explained Andreas.

"Oh, you were married?" asked Merc.

"Yes, I will tell you about her once we're inside," answered Andreas.

Part 2: The Scarlett Macaw and the Lilac-Breasted Roller

Inside the cabin, the walls were painted white with mint green doors. There was a kitchen, a small living area, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The kitchen was decorated with a pink-tiled feature wall. The living area had an orange couch and a blue rug. Below their feet were dark wooden floorboards and the beds were made with floral sheets.

"It looks...nice..." said Merc, trying to conceptualize why he had chosen such a colorful interior design. "So, you were saying your wife liked colors."

"Yes I did, " confirmed the doctor.

When they had arrived at the cabin, Andreas had asked Merc to wait outside, while he went to collect the ointment. He didn't want him to walk on it. But Merc started to feel stronger and lifted him up. "The doctor said to stay". The bird said to Merc as he went to get out of the cart.

Again, surprised by the macaw, Merc looked up at him and said: "It's okay, I can manage." Just as he felt the burning pain return to his feet as they grazed the ground, the biologist had returned with a translucent, green-colored gel in a jar and some bandages.

Andreas applied the ointment and bandaged his feet. "You'll have to keep them on for at least 8 hours, so I suggest you come inside and rest," directed the scientist.

"What was in that ointment?" asked Merc.

"Oh, just some aloe vera and some other stuff. You'll be surprised what you learn about healing when you live in the Amazon Rainforest for ten years!" laughed Andreas.

They went inside and Merc did as Andreas had told him.

After 8 hours of sleep, he woke up in the floral-sheeted bed, again. Again, Merc was curious about the doctor's choice of decor.

Just then they heard a squawk come from underneath the floorboards.

"Is there a bird trapped underneath your house?" asked Merc. But, it appeared as though he was alone. Where did the Old Man, go? Merc asked himself.

He heard the squawk again. He noticed that Andreas had left him some clothes on the side. He got up, amazed at how much the pain in his feet had dissipated, and went into the living area.

Merc noticed a trap door on the floor between the kitchen and living area. It almost looked as if the old man never used the cabin. He opened the trap door and went down the staircase attached.

What was revealed to him was a vast open-spaced underground space that would have been fit to park cars. It was considerably warm and dry underneath. Merc assumed, to escape the humidity. He heard the squawk again. A little pink and purple bird flew past him and started nipping at his face.

"Kenya, leave him alone. He is a guest, " the biologist's voice came from behind him. "Come." Andreas signaled to the bird and it flew to him, perching on this stretched-out index finger. "She is a lilac-breasted roller, her name is Kenya."

"Lilac-breasted roller? Forgive me. But are they not native to the Arabian Peninsula in Africa?" asked Merc.

"Yes! Very good!" praised Andreas. "I was working in Africa with my wife before I came here to work in Brazil. When I had gotten here, I unpacked my bags and there she was. It was so strange because these little creatures don't really like to migrate or get attached to humans. But, this one, since I discovered her has never left my side. She came to me the day after my wife died. She has so many colors, I thought it might have been a gift from her to help me heal. But some wounds never do."

He paused. "I see your legs have, however."

"Yes, sir, they have. Thank you. And, sorry to hear about your wife. That must have been painful. I assume your choice of decor is reflective of your pain," said Merc.

"Yes, young Mercury. I hardly go up there, to be honest. I do most of my work down here. Perhaps today we can honor my wife and have a pot of tea in her living area," suggested Andreas.

"Ah, yes, that would be great, but I need to get in contact with my team. And, I need to look for one of my officers who I believe has also fallen in the same manner that I did," said Merc.

"Oh, yes, of course, you must have things you have to do," said Andreas.

"But, it was kind of you to offer. Did you by any chance come across my phone?" asked Merc.

"No. But you may use mine. I apologize for my eagerness. It has been some time since I have had much human connection," explained the doctor. "Well come with me."

Kenya flew of the doctor's hand and flew out a hole in the ceiling, squawking what sounded like "Zaaak!". "I apologize for Kenya. She is very protective of me. And, Zak, happens to be very protective of her," said the biologist.

" Really? That's interesting, I thought they were both monogamous birds. Although I suppose they are in a rare predicament..." commented Merc.

"Oh, you are right again!" exclaimed the doctor. "You're bird knowledge is quite impressive, Mercury."

"Well, I fly a lot. So, I learn a lot about birds," said Merc.

" I see, " said the doctor, suspiciously. " Well, indeed, they're more like brother and sister. Zak is fiercely loyal and protective of her. But they fight constantly. They truly are like children," explained the doctor. "Now, come with me."

Part 3: The Macaw Saves the Day

Andreas led Merc to a door in the underground room. Unlocking and opening to an office and messy laboratory. There was a double-sided, white bench in the middle covered with tubes, pipettes, and measuring instruments. On the benches, there were bottles, Petri dishes, and all sorts of scientific apparatus. In the far corner on the other side of the laboratory was a little desk with a computer, surrounded by a swamp of research articles and data analyses. Hanging on a coat hanger was a torn lab coat with purple on the inside and his name stitched: Dr. Andreas Partacoglou, PhD.

"My wife made that for me. Again with the colour," said Dr. Partacoglou.

The scarlet macaw flew in at that moment and perched itself on the ledge on top of the benches.

"I noticed, you don't have a cage," said Mercury.

"Yes, I don't employ cages," said the doctor.

"But how do you keep the bird contained?" asked Merc.

"Ah, you see, Mercury, you may know many facts about birds but you don't understand them. This is part of my endeavor down here in the rainforest. I am studying whether it is possible to conserve the scarlet macaw species. Zak is the last of his family. Due to deforestation, their numbers are declining," professed Andrea.

"Okay, so what have you found?" asked Mercury.

"I have been teaching him," said the biologist. "And developing his intelligence. This bird has incredible survival instincts, so maybe, if they were optimized, they could be conserved without being caged.

So, I read to him and I lecture him about Science. I've been doing it since I discovered him as a baby. Now he is like my own little encyclopedia, or Siri, if you will."

"Really?" asked a skeptical Merc.

"Watch," instructed Andreas. "Birds carry old souls, Mercury."

"Zak, which is the 16th element on the periodic table?" asked the Andreas.

"Sulfur!" shouted the macaw.

Astonished and wide-eyed was amazed.

"You try," invited the doctor.

"What is the powerhouse of the cell?" asked Mercury.

"Mitchondria!" shouted the bird.

Dr. Partacoglou turned to the macaw and asked: "Zak, what happened today?"

They waited. "A man fell from the sky. A man fell from the sky," said the macaw.

Mercury turned to the bird. "Did he see a woman fall from the sky?"

The doctor repeated the question to which the parrot replied: "No woman."

"Zak," said Dr. Partacoglou. "Would you be able to fly over the rainforest and see if you can find a woman. What is her name?"

"Christina," said Mercury.

"Yes, doctor. I will find Christina," replied the macaw. The macaw swept passed Mercury and the doctor and flew up and out of the trap door.

" Give him some time. Now, do you want to contact someone?" asked Andreas.

"Yes. That was incredible, Doctor."

"He reminds me of my son. He was always so curious and strong-willed, like that macaw," said the doctor.

"You have a son?" asked Mercury.

"I did. He died in Africa as well. They got sick and that was it, my life turned upside down," he said.

"Do you believe that Zak and Kenya carry the souls of your son and wife?" asked Mercury.

"That's the first time I heard you call them by their names," answered the doctor, appearing as though he might cry. "I don't know the answer to your question. But, it's awefully coincidental that these birds came into my life and attached to me the way they did, right after they were so cruelly taken from me."

"I'm sorry for your loss, Andreas," said Mercury. "If you want, I would love a pot of tea."

The doctor excitedly went back up to the cabin and made a pot of tea while Mercury phones Venus and told her what happened. She reported that Lazano and Torens made it to Puerto Rico. Christina still had not been found.

Mercury went up to the cabin to have tea with the doctor. At that moment, Zak the scarlet macaw flew in screaming: "I found Christina! I found Christina!"

Mercury and the Dr. Partacoglou followed Zak as he flew across the roof of the rainforest towards the place where Christina had been camping out. Andreas applied ointment to her legs and bandaged them before carrying her back to the cabin in the cart led by the scarlet macaw.

Mercury called his sister once more to report the news. He and Christina enjoyed a pot of tea in the cabin with Dr. Partacoglou, who endlessly talked about his wife, with Zak and Kenya watching them on their perches.

The End.

Previous Supernova Stories on Vocal:

1. Who is Venus Supernova?

2. Nepto Supernova and the Lagoon Mermaid