Log:Trouble at Sea, Scene 1

Trouble at Sea 09/22/2015 Griffin Indira Rick 1

Indira may yet come to regret her insistence on attending a pleasure cruise around the Chesapeake Bay. The good ship S.S. Libertine is a rather impressive ship, built as a rather exactingly scaled up version of a Mississippi steam-paddle - best known for its Wild West era gambling - so as to provide luxury accomodations to travelers, gamblers, and eco-tourists alike. Easily three times the size of any paddle-wheel ever on the Mississippi, the Libertine is scheduled for a four-to-six hour tour of the Chesapeake, during which time passengers will enjoy certain, legalized, forms of gambling as well as a vast and sumptuous buffet luncheon and/or dinner, as well as wondrous views of many cities adjoining the Chesapeake, not to mention the Atlantic Ocean itself at the furthest point from its dock in Colonial Bay.

Breach was very much against this trip. Too much opportunity for things to go wrong, he said. Far too many unvetted human (or near human) variables, he said. Entirely too risky, Breach said.

And yet, here Rick "Breach" Mason stands in his B.O.O.M. Suit alongside Indira on the lowest and rear-most of all the decks. His brown eyes are watching the paddle wheel turn, churning up the brackish bay water in the waning, but wondrous golden light of sunset. Rick is doing his usual pouty, not talking to Indira thing when Indira somehow gets him tangled up in something he really didn't want to do.

On the plus side, Indira gave him enough notice for him to call Griffin and get him hired on as a contractor for the night. Just in case things go even worse than he expected. Where Griffin is, at this moment, Breach isn't quite sure. Rick's actually thinking about radioing him to get his 20 as our readers enter the scene.

Indira is leaning forward against the guardrail surrounding the paddle boat, arms folded and hands overlapping as she soaks in the final rays of sun before it sets. Her sumptuous meal is happening on deck. The blue-skinned alien isn't wearing her usual official attire. She's dressed in a loose linen split skirt and halter top. The fibers are off white and unbleached, and flow with the breeze. For someone from an advanced race, her casual clothing looks very primative. It's not the glowing, synthetic scifi fashion she wears on official business.

"How delightfully primative. Are there people turning the wheel in the decks below?" Indira asks in wonder at how something so old fashioned even works.

Griffin is on board, wearing his new BDUs, which seems to disuade most from assuming he's there to play or there to assist in their gambling, drunkeness or other lewd and questionable behavior.

He smiles to the people while he walks through the throngs of fools giving their money away. In truth he's sizing each one up and looking for the telltale signs of a concealed weapon.

He puts on his headset and switches to infra-red to scan for the even more telltale signs of a cold metal weapon.

He continues to smile as he makes his way down to the lowest deck.

"N-No. At worst it's a steam-ship and I'm not even convinced it's that," replies Breach. He sounds minutely distracted, eyes scanning the poop deck - or, at least, what he and his player will refer to as the poop deck - whose crowds are thinning as late afternoon wears on toward evening.

It's been two-and-a-half hours since the Libertine left Colonial Bay and the tides have been kind in speeding up travel out to this furthest point from dock, another ten minutes or so and the Libertine will execute a very wide U-turn to start heading back toward home. Being this far out from land bothers Breach, Indira can feel it at the back of her psychic awareness of her surroundings. Something about the open ocean, about being so far from solid ground, gives Breach the heebie-jeebies.

Griffin's security scans are largely unnecessary. The crew of the S.S. Libertine is top flight, including - or, perhaps, especially - the security staff, who are mingling amidst the throngs in the on-board casino and the bar. He's counted twenty undercover security guards by the time he hits the lowest deck, where the pachinko and slot machines are stationed, two of whom were busy dragging a blackjack cheat to the security office.

Everything seems peachy keen. Nothing seems amiss about the cruise. Smooth sailing to this point and, hopefully, onward, am I right?

No, I'm horribly wrong. PERC Rolls, if you please.

By happy coincidence, all of our heroes are on the starboard side of the Libertine when they notice something several dozen meters from the ship. The brackish waters of the bay start to bubble and churn as though boiling. Over the course of seconds, that column of churning, bubbling surf starts to glide forward - that is to say, TOWARD - the Libertine as it begins its pre-maneuvers for turning back toward port.

Indira is in the wrong spot to see it or is, perhaps, too interested in the waning influence of the golden sun to fully appreciate the details of that roiling water. Griffin and Breach, however, both see multiple shadows spreading out from the main column of bubbles. Both men also notice the quartet of long, sinisterly ink black tentacles wrenching up from the edges of the bubbling column to lash about in the air before submerging again moments later.

More importantly, Griffin can see that these shadows - silhouettes really - have the unsettlingly familiar shape of - BIG - squid. This has SeaQuest DSV written all over it and there's nary a living submarine to be found.

Indira is not a salt-water plant, but she's not worried about being on the open ocean, far from enriching soil. And she is, in fact, too preoccupied with the fossil of technology and Rick's discomfort to notice the column of surf drawing near to the ship.

"I am about finished with my meal, if you would like to go inside to the buffet for your meal?" Indira offers, thinking perhaps going inside will take Rick's mind off of their location. Even though she offers to go inside, she gazes at the beautiful sunset, opposite the approaching tentacle mass. "Your sunsets are so beautiful," she comments with a happy smile, wanting to enjoy the last of it before they possibly go inside. She sideglances at Rick's vigilant scanning. "We are far from seadock. You can perhaps relax?" Which also may be why he's not relaxed at all.

"Why is it always tentacles?!" Griffin shouts from his perch. He immediately starts moving toward the rendezvous point where he was to meet Breach and Indira.

He dials Breach and routes the call to his headset.

If Breach takes the call, "It's a fu**in' Phantoon! Are you with the ... uhh package?"

Breach is busy gawking at the tentacles waving above that roiling mass of water drawing ever closer to the paddleboat. He turns his head to face Indira, jaw working silently for a few seconds before he finally finds his voice, "No, I can't relax! I have an entire ship's safety to ensure now."

And then Griffin starts shouting in his earbuds. Rick flinches and jerks his head to one side, away from Indira and the bubbling column of water coming astern of the ship. Lifting one hand to cue his mic, Breach intones, "Yes. I'm with the package. What in the hell is a Phantoon?"

It is just as Griffin bursts onto the poop deck that the entire ship shudders violently. Alarms start going off inside (and outside) of the ship as it shakes and shudders. Breach is thrown backwards across the mostly empty poop deck to slam into the railing opposite from Indira and Griffin.

Our artist cuts to the bridge of the Libertine where the Captain has assumed command of the helm, the first mate is scrambling to right the various and sundry bridgecrew as the Captain battles the shear forces trying to roll the Libertine with only grit, determination, and a plasma-fired powerplant better suited to military operations than running a booze cruise gambling paddlewheeler. Despite his resemblance to both the Gorton's Fisherman and the New York Islanders logo for one or two seasons during the mid-to-late 1990's, the Captain looks like the steadfast badass he should in a crisis situation like this.

A helmsman shouts, "Captain! We've got dozens of huge pings under the ship! They weren't there a few seconds ago!"

"Understood. Let's pray God and Neptune are smiling down upon us in this, our darkest hour, then."

Indira sways and ends up plastered on her stomach on the deck after a small tumble reminiscent of the sort of acting you'd see on the original Star Trek series. As she lands with a thump, the light scent of pollen surrounds her as some is shook loose. With her hands folded under her head, she lifts her head up slowly. "Kaldri Bosh! What was that? Have we hit a rock?"

Assuming he can still be heard Griffin explains the outdated colloquial reference- "You know from Super Metroid?! It doesn't matter. What the hell do we do about this out to sea?!"

Seeing Indira fall, Griffin rushes directly to her side, deftly moving through the crowd at pretty incredible speed. He offers his hand to help the Ambassador up. "Ma'am- it was a very large cephalopod. Hopefully just a brush as it moves on but we need to make sure you're safe."

Then looking to Breach, "You got a plan?" he asks.

"What is a sef....sef...ala...pod?" Indira asks as she's helped up to her feet, her tongue straining to pronounces the word. Her translation collar squeals in staticky protest at trying to translate the word. Then she remembers Rick's comment of having to protect the whole ship. She looks around to try and see this mystery alien creature. Well, alien to her.

Breach's head has dented the railing and left behind a smear of blood. When he stands up again, Breach is notably not bleeding, although there is some blood smeared across the back of his noggin. Groaning softly, Breach balances against the dented railing as he blinks to clear the stars from his vision. Looking over toward Indira and Griffin, Breach starts to reply when Griffin and Indira see a huge, oily black shape unfurling in the air beyond Breach.

The only words that escape Breach's mouth are, "Lockdown on an up-"

The vast tentacle promptly snaps forward and wraps around Breach's waist, chest, and mouth. No doubt both Indira and Griffin can see Breach's red eyebrows raise in a mixture of surprise and horror before he is /WRENCHED/ bodily off of his feet and out into the air over the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

It's at this point that the shrieking starts in earnest from areas toward the fore of the ship and, more worryingly, from the upper levels of the ship. This is probably going to complicate Breach's partially suggested course of action. And, you know, chasing after the Undead Soldier who has recently gone overboard.

"Rick!" Indira is too shocked to remember to use his nom de guerre. She runs towards the edge of the deck, hands bracing against the dented, bloodied rail as she looks overboard. Her eyes search the dark waters. It takes a few moments for her to realize the screaming is still going on, and from people who may not have even been close to see Rick taken. She glances up towards the upper levels.

Griffin's eyes go wide as he sees his compatriot go overboard. He looks to Indira as he says "Shi...take...mushrooms. He's going to kill me if I get you killed, but I obviously can't do this alone and Breach is a goner... a bunch of times over if we don't try to save him." He explains while trying to figure out a way to keep Indira safe. He considers just leaping off the boat but he knows that may complicate things a great deal. "Breach's plan sounds like it went out the window." He says as he nods upward towards the higher decks filled with a noticbly louder set of screams.

There are a LOT of inky black tentacles hammering the side of the ship. Being an alien with very little knowledge of Earth marine biology, it could be one or it could be two dozen horrible salt water tentacle monsters. Are these... sea fellow pawds? For the moment, the civilians on the ship are safe because they are sheltered behind the clear ballistic acrylic of the windows and the metal hull of the ship. How long such defenses will last is questionable of course, given the primitive nature of human engineering and construction.

Indira stares down at the waters, her lips parting in shock. "There...are so many." Shock or no, Rick is her employee. And she is quite fond of the ornery human guide. As Griffin speaks, Indira is already setting a bare foot on the guard rail and seems intent to climb it. "He cannot kill you if he is dead! We cannot leave him to die," she says as she tries to sense the Sea Fellow Pawds thoughts, or Rick's. Which may be just a stream of swearing until he runs out of air.

Wait, she totally said it as though Rick not being in a condition to kill Griffin would be a bad thing. Did she totally ignore Griffin's comment about her own risk? Why, yes. Yes she did. As always.

Indira can sense Breach somewhere down there... Actually, he's just at the fringes of her normal telepathic range and he is not thinking happy thoughts right now. Most of the surface thoughts she can pick up involve him hacking pieces off of these sea fellow pawds, battering, and deep frying them before serving them with something she instinctively understands to be 'cocktail sauce'. If she's reading his thoughts correctly, he doesn't seem to consider himself in immediate danger in spite of being underwater - possibly because he is still actively stabbing his captor.

Assuming the worst, Griffin decides that Breach's assumed plan was probably to get the civies & Indira to the upper deck for easier access to the lifeboats.

"We need to get people upstairs- so that way if this boat goes down they can get to teh lifeboats." Griffin says calmly. "You're going to lead them to safety AFTER I go upstairs and make sure its clear- then you are going to have to stay with them whereever I deem is secure. Are we clear, ma'am?" Griffin says with his most authoritative tone.

Indira's head whips around to regard Griffin's commanding orders, foot still on the rail as if she's about to jump overboard after Rick. Griffin may have better luck telling that cat not to knock over that glass.

[Game] Target's PRE: Target is impressed, hesitates so attacker may act before them this phase.

Griffin lunges for Indira before she can decide to attempt to move out to save Breach herself.

"There is a way to survive this deep sea adventure and there's a way to get memorialized. Help me save these people." He sounds super earnest.

"Breach needs us both to have a chance at survivng. Which means you... must... stay...alive." He attempts to explain as people continue screaming and the boat rocks with the motions of more than just the sea.

[Game] Grab and attempt to shake some sense into Indira. All CSLs to OCV (9)

Indira is not a skilled or practiced fighter. Griffin is easily able to lay hands on her as her before she can heft herself over the rail.

Whilst Griffin is taking control of the situation from Indira, both of them can see that the roiling column of brackish water is starting to slide past the rocking, shuddering Libertine. It gives the tentacles a wide berth as it seems to steer toward the bow of the paddlewheeler. Once again, Griffin notices those four tentacles erupt from the edges of the disturbed column of water before sinking below the waves and foam once more.

Rick abruptly bursts out of the surface of the unforgiving, increasingly dark sea below. He has his combat knife in hand and sucks in a great, heaving lungful of air. Staring up at Indira and Griffin, Breach shouts, "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?! SECURE THE SHIP! SECURE THE CIVILIANS!"

More tentacles promptly erupt from the waves, slamming down into Breach and dragging him below the waves again. Before he goes down, however, there is a bright flash of his combat knife's blade and a few spurts of cephalopod blood from those tentacles. Perhaps Breach isn't completely dead down there?

Hoisting Indira away from the railing he says, "You want to die saving a man or saving a boatload of people?"

"Breach was here to protect you- make his sacrifice worth it! Dig deep and move forward! Take these people upstairs after I go up first. I need to make sure the path is clear." He looks her deep in her eyes... her deeply alien and beautiful eyes. He shakes his head. His focus always gets funky around this one. He steps back and releases her, hoping he can trust her not to jump.

Right on time Breach pops out of the water! "See! The man is fine- civilans to the top deck in 1 minute!!!" he says running up towards the stairway leading above.

Indira stares back into Griffin's eyes as he gives his speech. It seems to strike a chord with her. And when Breach breaches the surface, as per his namesake, his words help Griffin get through to her. The needs of the many and all that. "I...alright. Yes. The people." Usually it wouldn't be a question, but she's torn on this issue for some reason. After Griffin releases her, she lowers her foot from the rail and follows Griffin's orders.