First Lesson (C 1.5)

Your big ship is bounced around by eddies and the tides, but you manage to guide her through. As you come near the edge of the Undertow, almost to safety, Dinero calls out that he's seen something on the waters. You look to the horizon, expecting to spy the big Sipp ship, dread creeping over your skin. But you don't see it. Another glance to Dinero and he points to the dark waters.

There. You see it - the wreck of a small boat, now planks and splinters in the churn. But you see a couple of bodies hanging and laying on a small expanse of wood. At least one's alive, that you can tell. But the water is swallowing them up, waves crashing and taking their breath. You could do something about it, Canary, but it would be risky.

What do you do?

"Get on the...." I start to shout to Dinero.... but fall silent before finishing the thought. What good would the gun be against that warship, anyway?

But... I calm as I see the wreck, but my heart jumps as I see that someone's still alive in there.

It's not really a decision, though, code of the sea demands that I try... oh, I've betrayed that code more than a few times but generally... I want to help a fellow sailor.

"Get a rope!" I call to Dinero, pointing towards the coils of line along the rail we use to tie up at the docks. "I'll bring'er around!"

I push the maneuverability of the Refuge and bring her around quickly to get near the swirling wreck.

Dinero rushes across the deck to grab a line from where you showed him it would be stored. You bring the Refuge closer to the floating wood and see a face look up at you - his eyes see you like an angel, a savior. His eyes don't see the shark's fin in the water. But you do.

With the line in hand, Dinero rushes back to the side where he saw the survivors so he can throw the rope to them as soon as possible.

What do you do?

Quick decisions... use what I'm best at.

I throw the steering to one side and vector the thrust all the way to one side, pull the throttle... this should swing the aft of the Refuge around in a way which most boats couldn't even dream of, and >hopefully< sweep the wake of the ship across the sharks and if I'm lucky, even smash 'em with the hull....

Long shot, but the Refuge is my best weapon. And without time to think, I do what I do.

You swing the Refuge around perfectly, moving her like you'd move your own body. And even though you called out a warning to Dinero, either he was too focused or it was too loud, but he didn't hear you. The sudden shift, along with him still getting his sea legs, and he pitches over the side of the boat, disappearing from your view.

What do you do?

"Diner..." Dren! Why did I ever agree to thi....

No time.

I lock the controls to hold position and in one smooth motion, shed my slicker and grab a length of line from the coil just outside the wheelhouse. I try to keep in my head where I saw the fish, the castaway, and Dinero go overboard.

Sorry stranger, the big fella has to come first. I hope I can get to you both. I hold the line and dive after him.

You grab hold of a line you know will anchor you and a dozen more of you and dive into the churning water after Dinero. You spot him struggling to find the surface, trying to swim up for air.

Canary,

You swim hard, tugging the line along as you seek out Dinero. And you know the waters churning like they are, your choice is made. You chose Dinero over those two sailors clinging to the wreckage of their ship. You can get Dinero back, but if you go for those two, it will cost you pain. You'll take on water and the effort will hurt (mechanically, you will take 2-harm from the effort, and then roll the Harm move, which may make it much worse).

Or, you can just save Dinero and leave those two to the fate of Poseidon himself.

What do you do?

I swim for Dinero, dragging the rope, which feels ten times as heavy in the water, to him. I'm a good swimmer as you might expect, but I don't really like the water. i prefer to stay aboard and dry, but any boat folk who think they can go a whole life on board are foolin' themselves.

I pull for Dinero, get him stable... calm him down. Get his hand on the rope... and part of me intends to just get us back to the Refuge. And if it were only me out here that's what I might do. But... Dinero's watchin' and those unfortunate folks are struggling and yeah... there's sharks in the water. I'm not leaving them to that fate and living to answer anyone's questions.

I go for the others. Come pain or a lung full of water. I'll get 'em if I can.

You struggle past the pain and spit out gulps of water when you reach them. One of the pair is a man you recognize - Foster. - a boater who seems to be cursed. This will be his fourth lost boat. He takes chances and somehow still lives to tell about it. This time it's because of you. The other one is an older man who's barely clinging on. He has scraggly gray hair and a beard, he's rail-thin and something about him seems oddly familiar.

By the time you've got both men on their floating raft, Dinero has made it back up to the Refuge. He tosses the line near and you're able to secure it and pull everyone to the boat. The transfer to get them up is hard work with the waves slapping against you and buffeting you against the hull, but you manage it.

After affixing a line to the makeshift raft, you hold both men as hard as you can. Waves crash over you and buffet you against the hull, but you hold on, refusing to let these men drown. Your head swims, and you feel like you might be punch drunk, but still, you hold on until you sense something pulling you up - Dinero's hand.

The water disappears and somehow, you're on the deck of your home, panting for breath, soaking wet, but alive. And so are they. Drained completely, your eyes close... for just a little bit...

End Scene