Post by God on Feb 6, 2015 12:22:10 GMT -7
Captain Liam O'Connor sat on the steps to the poop deck, tearing at a spit-roasted chicken. Thinking back, he realized he hadn't used the table in his board room since they stopped off at Ketchikan in the Russian territory. That was, he paused, counting the weeks.
"Spout off the starboard bow!"
Tossing the chicken to the cabin boy, the young captain sprinted to the forecastle and started barking.
"She's crossing our bow! Hold her steady! Drop boats one and three! Take the new nitro heads, she's a big one!" He picked up a bladder harpoon from the rack at the bow, though he doubted they'd need it. They were sailing past an island to port, and the water wasn't all that deep.
"Helm, hard to starboard on my mark!" The experienced whaler narrowed his eyes against the high noon glare as the whale drew closer. Drawing back, he let fly, barking, "Mark!" As he did.
Instead of diving when the buoy harpoon struck, the whale turned, slamming into the port bow and rocking the ship. The watchman, caught unaware, fell from the crows nest, breaking his neck.
"Shit! Take her down!" Liam bellowed as he sprinted back. But it was too late. The whale had already crushed one of the chase boats and tossed the other. As he crossed the midship deck, the whale slammed its tail into the side of the ship, splintering it. The cabin boy, a young Dutch lad of 12, screamed as he tumbled. Liam slid, catching him and throwing him toward the rigging.
"Abandon ship!" Picking up the last two nitro harpoons, the big man took a running start and lunged off the railing as the angry leviathan came back for more.
Time seemed to slow as the two giants torpedoed toward each other. Seeing how they would meet, liam brought both harpoons back into his shoulders. He slammed down onto the monster's head, his 230lbs driving both harpoons deep before the heads, coated with nitroglycerin, exploded. To him, it felt like a shudder in the harpoon shafts accompanied by a muffled pop. But he new that the inside of the whale was shredded. The animal convulsed, dead within seconds, but it was too late for the rest of the crew, few of whom actually knew how to swim. The few that could were far from strong swimmers, and they had been running before a stiff breeze.
Even dead, the animal's inertia proved deadly, as it slammed into the hole in the ship's side, splitting the old craft almost in two. The shock proved too much, and the cabin boy fell screaming into the water. Liam dove after him, hauling him onto a piece of decking, then, with a glance at the sun, struck out toward the island. As they cleared the wreckage, he spotted first mate MacTavish swimming in the same direction, but Liam knew that without something buoyant under him, he would cramp and drown before the island became any more than a green noun breaking the horizon.
After nearly three hours of slow, steady paddling, the captain stumbled to his feet in waist deep water and hauled the plank with the now-unconscious cabin boy above the tideline before collapsing himself. He had seen some smoke over the trees, and just hoped the natives weren't cannibals.
"Spout off the starboard bow!"
Tossing the chicken to the cabin boy, the young captain sprinted to the forecastle and started barking.
"She's crossing our bow! Hold her steady! Drop boats one and three! Take the new nitro heads, she's a big one!" He picked up a bladder harpoon from the rack at the bow, though he doubted they'd need it. They were sailing past an island to port, and the water wasn't all that deep.
"Helm, hard to starboard on my mark!" The experienced whaler narrowed his eyes against the high noon glare as the whale drew closer. Drawing back, he let fly, barking, "Mark!" As he did.
Instead of diving when the buoy harpoon struck, the whale turned, slamming into the port bow and rocking the ship. The watchman, caught unaware, fell from the crows nest, breaking his neck.
"Shit! Take her down!" Liam bellowed as he sprinted back. But it was too late. The whale had already crushed one of the chase boats and tossed the other. As he crossed the midship deck, the whale slammed its tail into the side of the ship, splintering it. The cabin boy, a young Dutch lad of 12, screamed as he tumbled. Liam slid, catching him and throwing him toward the rigging.
"Abandon ship!" Picking up the last two nitro harpoons, the big man took a running start and lunged off the railing as the angry leviathan came back for more.
Time seemed to slow as the two giants torpedoed toward each other. Seeing how they would meet, liam brought both harpoons back into his shoulders. He slammed down onto the monster's head, his 230lbs driving both harpoons deep before the heads, coated with nitroglycerin, exploded. To him, it felt like a shudder in the harpoon shafts accompanied by a muffled pop. But he new that the inside of the whale was shredded. The animal convulsed, dead within seconds, but it was too late for the rest of the crew, few of whom actually knew how to swim. The few that could were far from strong swimmers, and they had been running before a stiff breeze.
Even dead, the animal's inertia proved deadly, as it slammed into the hole in the ship's side, splitting the old craft almost in two. The shock proved too much, and the cabin boy fell screaming into the water. Liam dove after him, hauling him onto a piece of decking, then, with a glance at the sun, struck out toward the island. As they cleared the wreckage, he spotted first mate MacTavish swimming in the same direction, but Liam knew that without something buoyant under him, he would cramp and drown before the island became any more than a green noun breaking the horizon.
After nearly three hours of slow, steady paddling, the captain stumbled to his feet in waist deep water and hauled the plank with the now-unconscious cabin boy above the tideline before collapsing himself. He had seen some smoke over the trees, and just hoped the natives weren't cannibals.