Circuit Breaker (C 1.1)

Location: Sea Road
Time: evening

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Canary,

The sun's setting on the distant horizon as your CB90, The Refuge, is chugging along at nearly forty knots from the Sea Road towards the Downtown Archipelago. All you need to do is ferry this cargo from the huge freighter you just left to The Tower and hand it off to Princy's people. Then you get paid and you can grab a drink at Poseidon's Belly or whatever.

The cargo is a dozen long crates - wine, if Edmund's telling the truth. What are you most worried about on this trip, Canary?

Are you traveling alone this trip? Tell us a bit about your fast assault craft.

When the sea is smooth, I often lock the rudder and sit atop the cockpit for minutes at a time for better awareness and honestly just to enjoy bein' outside. I enjoy the feel of the spray as I stand and test my sea legs. Clear horizon's always a good thing, and as I scan ahead for the Tower, I can't help but wonder what it is that I'm really hauling.

"Wine?" who packs wine like this? Looks like somethin' else... why not just tell me? A passenger from the freighter is along... babysitting the cargo and probably along to make a deal, though nobody's asked me about a return trip. So who knows. But his presence, and the obvious long gun over his shoulder, make me even more certain that this isn't just wine. And I can't help feel his eyes on me as I keep things on course and running.

I'm worried about this cargo. This guy. I'm basically following the sea road here, and that can lead to encounters along the way. I don't like encounters along the way. I'm hoping to spot another friendly boat along the way but so far. Nothing.

I take a moment to regard the Refuge. Some fifty feet long, give or take, the forward-leaning cockpit aggressive and providing a clear view. Her hull is painted with a broad yellow stripe atop military camouflage. She's fast, and maneuverable. You wouldn't believe how quick she can turn, stop and go... twin 625 hp engines powering water jets for propulsion. There's control surfaces underwater... like a submarine... which provide her twitchy agility.

I fly a yellow flag at the aft, not like people don't recognize the boat, but it's my thing.

Her radar seldom works, but the radio is in top shape. I can fix most of what might go wrong. These military craft are designed for ease of repair, but if it gets too gnarly I might need help. I'm always looking for ammo for her guns and sh!t... but looking like you've got guns is nearly as good as having guns. Maybe I have a few hundred rounds... maybe not.

"Hey," I call back to the guy as I hop down from atop the cockpit. It's cold. "Cup 'a something?" I tap--tap a thermos of warm drink I keep hanging from a peg near the cockpit. Might as well be civil.

Black as pitch? All right...

"Yeah... coffee. Be a minute," I click on my little coffee maker with my thumb and pour some water in. I've been using the same pod for a couple'a days now, but it's the real thing and it's still decent enough coffee... considering the situation.


I wait for it to brew, eyes front, then once it's ready I pour us each half into a pair of coated-tin cups and step out onto the deck to hand him one.

"Coffee... how you like it." I raise my cup and meet his eye. This stuff ain't cheap, I'm sure he knows that. "To a safe journey."

I chuckle at the thought of that huge freighter pulling right up to the docks. How the dockhands would freak out.

I take a sip, enjoying the warmth as much as the flavor. Nod, "yeah, all on my lonesome," another tiny sip, "it's meant to have a crew of three, actually, but I ain't doing anything complicated. Navigate in my head." I wink and take a second to turn and check our heading before turning back to him.

"You mentioned older days," he's a good ten... twenty? Years my senior. "you got any stories worth tellin? Help us pass the time... and I'll consider us more'n even for the cup."

I take another sip and hope he's got something for me.

I whistle low at the part about the storm following the boat. I've heard tell of stuff like that before, imagined, even, that the wind whispered my name... but ain't never been so bold as that. "I sure as hell hope that ain't true. But I hear ya."

I stay quiet through the rest of the tale and a bit more yet, "given me a chill, you have. Worth a cup of coffee, thank you." I smile and raise my cup to a tale well-told. "But it's good to know we're lookin' out for each other, even on the Sea Road. Grounded folks wouldn't understand."

I take a minute to adjust our heading, "you believe it? What they said?"

"True that," I agree, about the ocean. Turning my gaze to the horizon ahead.

He asks...

"Ehh," a decidedly negative sound, "nobody waitin' on me except with a load'a cargo under their nose." I turn to glance at the man. He's got some years on him, he must have had his share of romance. "You?"

As you listen to Blue Light talk about his lack of a love life, you scan the water as a force of habit. That's when you see a dark shadow pass under the boat, heading from port to starboard. A large dark shadow, nearly the length of the Refuge.

What do you do?

I follow the shape, with my eyes, but you can also just feel it passing underneath.

I immediately shift the boat into neutral, and there's a sudden quiet as the boat continues the slip quietly through the water. Let's just be casual... nonthreatening. But my hands not grasp the throttle and wheel, ready to punch it at a moment's notice.

I glance back at Blue Light's face, wondering if he picks up on it too.

Blue Light gives a quizzical look when you cut the engine, but he doesn't tense up. He moves to pick up his rifle and looks around, then down at the water, wary and ready for what might be the threat.

My mind runs through the possibilities of what this thing could be... I keep an ear cocked and listen for any telltale sounds. Splashes, whistles, that grinding sound you hear when a spikemouth herd makes a run at you.

Hand on the throttle, I listen.

Wish the undersea radar worked.

The Refuge coasts along the water for what feels like a full minute - engine off, both you and Blue Light quiet as minnows. The big fish underneath never surfaces, but it does come up close and bumps the underside of your boat. The entire vessel shakes and Blue Light has to grab a line to keep from falling.

You wait for another bump. For something. And wait. You crane your neck to listen for the beast, but you only hear the far-off whine of a cluster of jet skis somewhere Downtown. After a minute or so of waiting, The Refuge has nearly stopped. The tide will carry her towards Downtown, but there's no way you'll make it in decent time if you don't do something.

So he did notice it. I wonder if it was when the boat got bumped, or sooner. No way a fish like this would bother his huge freighter.

I finally exhale, nod, "yeah, think we're in the clear."

Not planning to drift all the way there, I turn the throttle up to a quarter, let it ride quiet for a bit before getting back to cruising speed.

"We'll get to Downtown well before dark, don't worry...." I scan around again and keep on alert to be safe. "Glad we didn't just become another story."

I slow, of course, to navigate nearer the islands. Not so much that I can't handle it at higher speed (I can) but that it's common courtesy not to cause a large wake in your passing and risk capsizing small boats and nets and stuff along the way.

"Sure thing, I could use a drink, Blue Light," I mean it and intend to, "to the Tower then?"

If there's no objections I head to the dock nearest the tower.