First Lesson (C 1.5)

Location: The waters near The Undertow
Time: late morning

---

Canary,

You traveled toward The Undertow through the night while Dinero slept off whatever Parcher slipped in his drink. Your eyes are burning as the sun rises higher on the horizon. Ahead you see some debris floating on the choppy waters - it looks like wreckage. You're close enough to The Undertow that you don't expect any Sippians or other raiders out this way, but something happened up ahead.

Your study of the wreckage is interrupted by the sound of Dinero climbing the stairs to the main deck to join you. He looks like death warmed over, bloodshot eyes and clammy skin. He squints against the light of day and moves closer to you - at least he's washed out his mouth and tried to clean up a bit.

What do you do?

I always take time to study a patch of debris before closing, and this is no exception. I figure anywhere you find a ship's been lost there's a reason. I do plan to approach and see if there's anything valuable that still floats. Gas cans are a big win.

When Dinero emerges, I sigh loudly, cross my arms and sit on the rail to regard him. I wait a good long time before saying anything. I should call him out, get mad... but as new as he is to sea, I am to having a crew. I'm not going to coddle him, he screwed up, but Dinero is... let's say, a special circumstance. And I can't just toss him overboard or leave him at the next port.

"Mornin' sunshine!" I call loudly once I have his attention. I wonder how many times he's puked in my hold... "how much'a the last twenty-four do you even remember?"

"Yeah. Frelled up," I agree with a shake of the head.

I step forward and grab the rail around the gun ring, look out across the horizon, "we're at sea now. Screwing up will cost us... more... no more frell-ups, right?" I pause a second to let him think but don't give him time to answer, "we're headed to the undertow to make a delivery. Not a forgiving place... you know how to load a fifty-cal?"

I set a hand on the gun barrel where it hangs in its mount. There's a waterproof cover over the workings which needs to be removed before use (which is easy, it just unsnaps) and of course there's the procedure of loading belt-fed ammo which... I really doubt Dinero's ever had to do in the tower.

Little bit skeptical, but sure, the tower lets its rich children play with the weapons. Makes a terrible kind of sense.

I watch long enough to know he's not going to shoot himself, then remind him as I turn to the pilot house, "no firing without my say so... we don't get free reloads out here. Just get 'er ready."

I slowly throttle the engines to bring us slowly alongside the wreckage as Dinero works on the weapons behind me. I keep an eye in the little fisheye mirror I keep pinned up on the right.

That surprises me, "you can dive?"

I cut the power and let us coast along near the wreck and scan with my eyes, and maybe more importantly, ears.

"Yeah... get geared up," I tell Dinero, then stand and take a final scan of the horizon before letting us stop alongside.

Dinero heads to the chest just outside the pilothouse to unlock it and open it up. As he starts gearing up, you peer over the waters. You hear a splash and see a torrent of bubbles rise to the surface. The sea foams white until it disgorges a pair of goggles. The goggles are the kind that's one piece of clear plastic, used by divers. It looks to be in good shape except for the straps. Those have been cut by a sharp knife.

What do you do?

Startles me as they first surface... like some hidden diver rising up to attack! But... discarded?

Cut? What happened here?

"Hey, look sharp!" I call to Dinero as I slip my sawed-off out and hold it aimed vaguely over the side. I wait a good few moments, then slowly pace down the rail to examine whatever-it-is I can see here.

Dinero looks up from where he'd dumped the flippers and wetsuit. He starts trying to put on the wetsuit while also trying to move closer to you. As you look over the rail, you see three figures moving in the water, coming up to the surface - they're all wearing masks. Their masks are much different than the one you just spotted, though. These masks are ones the predatory folks known as the Shark Eaters use. Fashioned from hard glass, it's said their masks could stop a bullet.

You know the seas well enough to know the Shark Eaters aren't common pirates, but they are the kind of people who will savagely kill outsiders if there is something they need.

One of them surfaces and reaches for a handhold on the Refuge to start climbing up.

What do you do?

"No, no that ain't happening!" I I say aloud, not really a warning, as my mind is already made up.

Without hesitation, "I don't think so!" I aim at that hand and pull the trigger!

Truth is, Dinero's all tied up in that wetsuit, and I don't know if he even has a weapon on him... guy's built at least, he could swing an iron. But we're not about to be caught with our pants literally, down and end up swimmin' home.

Your sawed-off belches forth fire and lead right at the Shark Eater, hitting him full in the face and sending him back into the water, which sizzles for a brief moment before swallowing him up. The other two Shark Eaters who were surfacing duck back down - one of them swimming down to try and catch her fellow falling into the deep. The last one waits in the safety of the water, his eyes lit with rage as he swims deep enough that a shot likely wouldn't hurt him.

Dinero drops to the deck with the sound of your shot and starts trying to wriggle back out of the wetsuit, cursing as he frantically tries to get back to his feet. You've bought a moment and they seem unwilling to challenge your shotgun. But the one watching, he's wondering if it's out of ammo or not. Or maybe he's trying to hold your attention?

What do you do?

I keep the weapon trained towards that guy watchin' me, but scuttle quickly over to the pilot house, where I mean to throw the throttle forward and get some distance between us and this wreck.

"Shoulda known!" I shout at myself as I punch the throttle forward.

The Rfuge's engines roar to life and you charge past the Shark Eaters in the water, over the debris, towards the Undertow. After a minute, Dinero comes into the pilothouse, sans wetsuit.

It takes me a little bit to regain my composure... I slow the engines slightly so I don't have to shout quite so loud, "yeah... pirates of a sort. Shark eaters..."

I curse at myself for letting them get so close.

"No divin' today though.... I'm glad to know you can if we need it," I glance back over a shoulder at him. "You all right? It's probably gonna get more excitin' than that."

I nod, yes, lost in thought for a second before I can answer, "yeah, I been plenty... it's a place like any other. People are fine... little... private maybe. Strangers are rare so we stand out... but the water ain't like no other place. Something about the water there, it's... unsettled. Lose your head for a second and some... rogue tide'll drag you over the rocks and leave you stranded..."

I can't help but remember that time there when I was just starting out when literally that happened.

"Buy don't you worry. Refuge is pretty much made for waters like that. And I learned the hard way where not to anchor... we're good."

Dinero stays close to the pilothouse and looks for things to clean or little things to do to seem useful. You power The Refuge through the choppy waters as they slap against her hull. After fifteen minutes, you spot the home of the people who live in the Undertow:



The doors are open, which means they're open to trading and not in a particularly hostile mood. You spot Bakker's tug inside as you trawl closer.

Good.

I guide the Refuge as quarter-speed through the entry, nod to the guards ever-present at the towers as we pass. I make note of Bakker's tug, and scan the docks for signs of him or other familiar faces. It's good to be back here, actually... despite my problems here in earlier years, It's a place where, today, I feel confident and capable. I've earned my way here, at least it feels that way.

"Hey," I get Dinero's attention, "stay with the boat, all right? I don't want anything walkin' off while I find our contacts."

The hold is locked tight, so our cargo should be safe. But I once lost my coffee maker to a kid who climbed aboard from the water while I was doin' biz on the dock.

I find a good spot to dock and make prep to debark.

Canary, you disembark as Dinero moves onto the deck of the Refuge to make sure folks know he's standing guard. You spot Bakker and a member of his tug crew near the Assay Office - they're probably settling up after doing some work tugging someone's ship or whatnot. The stuff you're set to pick up for the Vaulters will be settled at the same place, most likely. Or maybe in the Tavern.

The layout of the village, as you know, is like this:

I lower my hood and straighten my hair with my fingers, then answer Bakker, "heyy to you too Bakker. Yeah. Enormous balls." I laugh and shake my head, then answer Rice, "he's mine all right? Hands off!" I end with a grin, it's a joke, but also not. He is mine... just not in the way someone might assume.

I take a deep breath of the air here, smells of the sea, of course, but also the food cooking. The grease.

My stomach rumbles, "what's the good word in the undertow these days?"

I take the food with a nod of thanks and bite off a chunk with my side teeth.

"Shark eaters..." I feign spitting on the deck, "had a run-in on the way... almost got got."

I appreciate the info, "good to know about the storm. If that's a thing..." I don't usually navigate by old crone, but I don't discount superstition completely. Sometimes people know things.

"As for me, yeah... just doin' bizness. Getting this and that from here and there... lookin' for some Vaulters to take delivery."

The jerky is spicy and you feel your lips tingle from it. Bakker grins when he sees your reaction and offers you a bottle of water from the desalination plant here.

I refuse the water, politely, matter of pride. Not going to beat me on spice, yeah?

Hmm... normally I work on my own, but with the coffers feeiln' a little flush and memories of Dinero's... recent condition. Yeah I can take Rice up on that offer.

"You know though... sure, Rice. I can cut you in, if ya can keep an eye on my boat, and the nub I got aboard. Don't let 'im know you're watching and I'll slip you a cut when things're done. He goes wandering... don't let him come to harm, yeah?"

I force myself to take another bite and swallow without assistance, "vaulters about? Point me in the right direction?"

"Appreciate it!" I nod and give them a little sailor's salute. Little more confident in leaving Dinero behind this time. I pocket the rest of the jerky and pick the bits from my teeth as I make my way to the Meeting Hall to find this Rouge.

From the Assay Office, you take grated metal walkways that bypass the manufacturing plant and the tavern. The tavern is brightly lit by the sun with only a few sails fluttering overhead like a loose ceiling. The meeting hall, however, is a shadowy depth. You recognize the interior - it's a wooden ship, a Chinese junk. Inside are a dozen or so folks talking and drinking. Most of them are older folks dressed like the people of the Undertow. But Rouge stands out.


He's chatting with one of the elders and they seem chummy. Rouge is loud and has a way of taking up more space than he probably should.

What do you do?

Wow, ok. Stands out.

Well, appearances aside, business is business.

I take a breath before walking boldly up to announce myself, "you must be Rouge! I'm Canary," he doesn't seem like the handshake type somehow, "got a delivery for you at the harbor."

Mustard girl?

Drinks at both ends, huh? Business ain't just business with these fellas.

"Sure!" I might as well enjoy, "ol' Jay Pee for certain did not forget ya, my friend! What's the drink 'o the day?" I glance about the place, take a peek at his bottle. For sure I'm dropping from more to less sophisticated over the course of the day. I'll probably end up sleepin' on a deserted island by tonight.

Guy seems to know his beer... but Mustard Girl ain't good.

"I prefer Canary if it's all the same to you," I clarify calmly, not wanting to cause a thing but also not wanting that to stick. And it is business, you don't want a different name in each port.

I take the now-filled cup and look at the color of the drink as he described it.

"I did, yeah... crewed 'er as a little thing. Grew up on that boat... think we belong together more'n anything, really. Belonged to my ma... now she's mine." I look at him straight for a second, then taste the beer. Let's see if it lives up to his praise.

Pleased that he respects my name... and I can't help but laugh at his comments, he's pretty fun.

I raise my glass back at him with a smile, "it is good. Rouge. And I've recently dined at the Tower... this holds up."

I nod and take another, longer drink which finished with a satisfied sigh.

"Might need another round, actually."

Ok, he's funny... yeah. But how does he treat his crew and the people he pays... not good?

But my interest is piqued. Hmm?

"What did you see yesterday?"

I whistle low under my breath, "sippian warship? You say? Not a tanker... jus' big as one?" I gotta watch out for that...

I finish my first beer quickly to make room for the second in my hand, "wish I coulda seen that. I oughta know about that... thank you Rouge. Glad to know you." I raise that second beer to him take a first sip.

"You say she just steamed near... an' didn't do anything? They unload anyone? Take onboard supplies or... fuel, or... anything?"

Rouge has nothing else to offer on the big Sippian ship, it seems. He's happy to chat and sip beer with you for a little while longer before he finally mentions that he "really should" get the cargo to you so you can take it back to the Vaulters. He stands and leads you from the Meeting Hall onto the walkway that skirts past the desalination plant. You take a catwalk over the Organo Barge, which is a place with trees and plants growing from a green ooze. You see several folks in white robes around a corpse bound in twine. As they dump the body into the sludge, an officious-looking woman intones:
"Bones to berries. Veins to vine. These tendons to trees. This blood to brine. Too old she was. This woman does leave us, recycled and enshrined in the presence of Him Who Leads Us."

Rouge stops to pay respects, hand over his heart as the body sinks slowly into the muck.

What do you do?

I do enjoy the brief downtime of drinking with Rouge. He's... ok maybe he's no saint. I can see how he talks to people, and I'm sure if I weren't useful to him I wouldn't be getting the warm welcome... but as it turns out I am useful to him. So enjoy what comes.

Glad, though, to be underway as we leave the table and head outside to collect his cargo. This town is full of smells and tastes, trade from all over... little further afield than the tower, actually. And what one might call street foods are more my actual style.

When we witness the ceremony, I slow and pause alongside Rouge to pay respect. No words... it isn't my place. I watch Rouge and stay still until he moves first. I wonder if he knew this woman.

The armory is filled with shark tooth clubs and bone crossbows as well as a few rifles and other firearms, all up on racks with a few young men busily cleaning them. There aren't any guards here, but you get the feeling the place is watched. Rouge puts a hand on the shoulder of one of the young men and tells him to grab his crates. The young man seems irritated at Rouge's interruption, but Rouge is already turning back to you and assuring you it'll be just a moment.

I follow him, a solemn glance back at the ceremony site. So the bodies are recycled into the gardens... that makes sense. They're not the only ones I've encountered who do this.

"She sounds like a good woman," I comment as we walk towards the armory. Maybe he has a heart after all.

"They'll bring the cargo to the boat?" I remember hauling goods to the tower by hand... whatever I'm picking up here sounds like it might be larger. "And this goes right back to Jay Pee?"

Fresh spices? I have to wonder where from.

"You know what," I crack a friendly half-smile, "I'm breakin' in a new gunner aboard and..." I click my tongue, "can't spend a night quite yet. Biz comes first..."

I shake my head with a touch of disappointment. I would not actually mind breakin' bread and a bottle with Rouge here, but given recent circumstances, I don't want to let Dinero spend a night anywhere near this place.

"You know I'll be back... this job is lookin' kinda regular if what I hear at the Tower is right," I widen my eyes and look at him, "is that right? We'll have chances to get acquainted, won't we?"

I chuckle and shake his hand, "I do not plan to share water with that ship o'yours. No thanks! And yeah... we'll see about that gunner'o mine..."

I hope he's not right about Dinero... I hope we don't have a chance to find out.

"Will be seein' you, Rouge. Keep dry." I let go of his hand and return to the ship to oversee the delivery of cargo.

With the crates aboard, you board The Refuge as well. Dinero tosses the mooring line and watches as you start her up and back smoothly away from the dock. The gates swing slowly open as the Refuge pulls out of the village and heads towards open waters again.

"Not this time," I quickly reply, almost snapping at him. "Rough place... all right? I know you're gonna be all right out here. Eventually. But take it slow... show me you're on top of things, aye?" I take a breath, "you did good. Did what I asked. Good thing."

I don't look back as I maneuver out to open water. I take a moment for a lesson.

"There's tell of a new warship on the water. You keep eyes on the horizon for her... big, you shouldn't be able to miss her. We should be faster'n her so shouldn't be a worry for us. Just would like to know what she's doing out here."

Dinero listens and gets to work cleaning the deck and doing whatever you tell him to do. He doesn't like being stuck on the ship when you dock, but he doesn't argue about it. He does, however, keep his eyes on the horizon.

As you head back over rough waters and eddies, you don't see The Refuge or any of the Shark Eaters, but the water has churned up. Waves lick at the side of the ship and you feel the ocean pull and push her about.

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