Seas of the Red Star

by Andrew Gates

  Ellen felt genuinely stupid as the captain’s door slammed shut in her face, signifying that the meeting was over for good. She calmly turned to face her fellow pilot.

  “The Governor is our height and he uses magic. Come on, Dave, what else could that mean? Ancient cultures have always misinterpreted science for magic. This man, the Governor, whoever he is, is probably just using advanced technology and tricking these poor sailors into thinking he’s some kind of sorcerer,” she explained, trying to justify her point.

  “Well, the captain didn’t seem to like your theory.” Dave motioned to the closed wooden door before them.

  He does have a point. You could have waited to bring it up. Maybe if you softened the blow a bit, he wouldn’t have kicked you out like that, Yuri admitted.

  “At least he’s not killing us,” she said, shrugging. “He probably just needs time to process the information. I bet he’ll come around.”

  “If you hadn’t said anything, we’d still be in there meeting with him. Maybe we’d find out where we are or-”

  Before Dave could finish his sentence, a balding man limped down the stairs to greet the two visitors. He raised both hands, excitedly.

  “Welcome to the crew!” he said. From the way he spoke, it sounded like it caused him pain just to say anything. He stopped right before them and stared down at them from his imposing height.

  “Thank you,” Dave replied as he looked up at the man.

  “I am Quartermaster Briggs. You do what I say, you’ll have a pleasant time aboard this ship. You fall out of line, you’ll be answering to me… or to the captain.” The man paused to eye up Ellen. “And don’t be thinkin’ we’ll make any exceptions for ye lady here.”

  Ellen could have said a lot of things back to the man about all the action she’d seen on Aldra IV, on Mars, on the JSR. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. This man was not worth it.

  “Understood,” was all she said back.

  “What kind of business are you guys in?” Dave inquired. “Captain Azzorro did not mention it.”

  Quartermaster Briggs shot him a glance. The dirty man did not answer right away, as if gathering his thoughts. He cleared his throat.

  “We are involved in the acquisition and sale of goods,” he eventually replied.

  “Like traders?”

  “Yes, like traders. Is this a problem?”

  “No.” Dave shook his head. “Not at all.”

  “Good.” The man turned to face them both again. “You two can start by mopping the deck. Aiden can show you to the supplies up top.”

  Ellen and Dave did as they were told. They ascended the stairs to find the crew busily at work. Not knowing which sailor Aiden was, they wandered around until another man approached them. He held two mobs in one hand and a bucket of brownish water in the other.

  “That must be him,” Dave noted as he pointed to the man.

  “Quartermaster told me to bring these to you when you finally came up,” he said, handing the mops off to them. “I hope yer meetin’ with the captain was pleasant enough.”

  “It was,” Ellen replied, accepting the supplies from his hands. The water bucket felt light in her grasp.

  “I take it you know how to use these?” the man asked.

  “Yes, we know how to mop,” Ellen replied.

  “Good.” Aiden did not bother to say anything else. He promptly turned and walked away. It seemed they were not even worth his time.

  Ellen studied the men on deck. Some of the crew glanced at them and smiled. Others cast them very different glances, ones that showed signs of worry. It seemed the men were split on how to deal with their new passengers.

  Dave calmly leaned in next to Ellen. He trembled, but did a decent job hiding it.

  “What is it?” Ellen asked, keeping her voice down.

  “I can’t tell if they like us or fear us.”

  “I think a bit of both,” she replied. “That Aiden guy didn’t talk to us long. My guess is he’s in the fear us group.”

  I concur. His heart rate was fast, well, fast for these people, Yuri supplied.

  “And the captain?” Dave wondered.

  “I think he likes us, despite slamming a door in our faces.”

  Ellen carried her supplies to the stern of the ship and set the bucket down. She took a few seconds to wet her mop and then got to work. Dave followed closely behind, working not far from where she started.

  “How long do you think these people have been like this?” Dave wondered. Now that they were a bit farther from everyone else, he spoke louder.

  Likely for a few generations, Yuri answered. The natives’ bodies have evolved to live in the low gravity of the planet. Their tall figures, their weaker muscles, it’s all a sign of the adaption that has occurred from living in this environment.

  “Which is what makes the Governor so suspicious,” Ellen added as she continued moping the wooden floor.

  “I understand all that,” Dave said, “but I didn’t mean their bodies. I meant to say, do you have any idea how long they’ve been living like… you know… the way they are?”

  “You mean without tech?” Ellen asked.

  Dave nodded his head.

  I would assume it’s been a long time. These people seem to have no knowledge of technology past the industrial age, Yuri said. Perhaps this society has never come across technology for as long as they have existed on this world.

  “So to them, we might as well be aliens from the future,” Dave replied.

  Ellen chuckled. She could not argue there.

  “What’s our next move then?” Dave asked.

  “I think we need to find this Governor guy. If our theory is right, he might be able to help us and get us off world.”

  I concur, added Yuri.

  Me too, Gloria agreed.

  “For now, let’s not do anything brash. These people have been kind enough to offer us help. Let’s crew the ship until they take us to an island, as we agreed. Once on land, maybe we’ll cross paths with someone who can bring us to the Governor,” Ellen continued.

  “And what if we can’t find this Governor guy? What if it takes us years?” Dave asked. There was a tone of worry in his voice.

  “This trip has already taken years longer than it should have,” Ellen replied with a sigh. “What’s a few more?”

  The Captain and the Quartermaster

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.24.5673

  Location: The Red God’s Gleam, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Captain Azzorro gulped down the liquor like it was water and slammed the empty glass onto the wooden table as it rocked back and forth with the ship. The Captain stood up and steadied himself with the movement of the boat. He always found it a bit easier to walk after a stiff drink.

  Candlelight illuminated the maps and charts before him. Some were larger, some smaller. The largest and most valuable of his maps rested in the center. It displayed all of known Taspansa, from the light side of the world to the dark. Little was known of the world beyond those points. The light side of the planet was said to turn sails into flame and blood to a boil, while the dark side was said to turn a man’s skin to ice in a world of crippling darkness. Captain Azzorro doubted such tales were true, but had never ventured outside the safe band in the center.

  At times he wondered what was out there. Uncharted territory was hard to come by these days, as maps grew fuller each year. But Captain Azzorro never found the strength to venture out there himself.

  The captain turned away from the maps and closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath, attempting to refocus. There were more pertinent issues to worry about than unmapped regions of ocean.

  Aliens, goddamn aliens from another world.

  The origin of the strange new crewmembers plagued his mind since they arrived only a day earlier. Captain Azzorro had yet to decide if he believed the strangers’ story, though he would keep it to himself, for now. To take a stance either way would garner a
mixed reaction from his crew. He did not want to see them divided.

  As much as he hated to admit it, Azzorro found himself leaning toward believing their wild story. The Silver Pearl had always been a strange enigma. Nobody knew where the floating object came from or what caused it to look the way it did. It was not unthinkable to consider that it may have come from beyond the reaches of Taspansa, that it was some sort of vessel between worlds.

  Knock, knock, knock!

  The captain opened his eyes again and turned to face the wooden door. He pressed his fists against the table and leaned above it, trying to appear busy.

  “Yes, come in!” he said.

  The door opened, revealing the quartermaster.

  “Aye, Briggs, what news do you bring?” the captain asked, motioning for Briggs to enter. Azzorro straightened his back.

  The quartermaster limped inside and closed the door behind him. His wet boots squeaked with each step. Once the door was firmly shut, he approached the opposite side of Azzorro’s table and leaned over it.

  “I hope I am not disturbing you,” he said.

  “Not at all.” The captain shook his head. “I was just going over some charts. How be the weather up top?”

  “Raining, as always,” Briggs replied with a smirk. “Our good fortune seems to have run its course.”

  “Well, we can’t have clear skies forever.”

  “Nay, but we can hope for it.”

  “Aye, that be true.” Captain Azzorro nodded back. “But something tells me you aren’t here to discuss the weather.”

  “That be true too, Captain,” Briggs confirmed.

  “Well, let me hear it. What is it, lad?”

  “If I may, sir, it’s these new crewmembers, the diminutive sorts.”

  “What of them?”

  “They be…” Briggs paused for a moment, as if searching for the right word. “They be strong, sir. I seen many things in this world, but nay a man lift and pull with the strength I seen today.”

  Captain Azzorro leaned in, curious to hear more. He knew the strangers were unique, but to be gifted with amazing strength was something he had not expected. If anything, this news only corroborated their story.

  “Strong, you say?”

  “Aye, sir, even the lady. She be stronger than any lad aboard this ship. Now that we know what they can do, we’ve been havin’ them hoist the sails. They can practically do it all on their own.”

  Captain Azzorro rubbed his bearded chin. This was curious indeed.

  “How does the crew feel about these two?”

  “Divided, sir,” Briggs replied without hesitation. “Some believe they’re here to help, here to be trusted. Others believe them a devious sort. Most believe them to be sorcerers of some sort.”

  “And what do you believe?”

  “I’m just here to take orders, sir. You seem to trust them, so I trust them.”

  “Spoken like a loyal quartermaster,” the captain joked. “But surely you must have some opinion.”

  “They seem honest sort to me,” Briggs said. He looked down for a moment, as if thinking of something else to say. After a few seconds, he looked up again. “But,” he continued, “their strength has me worried. They can do the jobs of several men. Some of the lads may feel like they’re being replaced.”

  “Nobody is redundant on this ship. There is a place for all here.”

  “I know, but I worry the crew does not.”

  “The crew should know that if they’re sailing under my flag, they are safe. Nobody will lose their jobs on this ship because a couple of strangers have joined their ranks.”

  “You want me to tell them those words?” Briggs asked.

  “Aye, make it known.” The captain removed his pointed hat and scratched the top of his head. “Many of the crew came from other ships, other captains. I know other boats may work differently than ours, but here, we’re a family.”

  “Understood, sir. I shall tell them at once.”

  “And Briggs,” Azzorro said as he placed the hat back on his head. “Have the cabin boy fetch me some more rum. I find myself deprived.”

  “Right away.”

  Storm on the High Seas

  Earth Date (Revised Julian Calendar): 01.25.5673

  Location: The Red God’s Gleam, Taspansa, The Governor’s Dominion

  Russell gripped the side of the boat as it rocked back and forth in the volatile water. Rain splashed against his head, soaking his hair in an instant. Thank the Red God the main sails had already been reefed. The crew was busily replacing them with storm sails, more durable sails ideal for extremely windy conditions such as these.

  Raising a storm sail in a powerful gust like this was a difficult job. It typically took a lot of manpower and loud orders from the boatswain. Today Russell watched as the sails went up with ease. The two new crewmembers seemed to wield the strength of four, turning this taxing job into a simpler endeavor. It was remarkable to behold.

  “Cabin boy,” hollered Sailing Master Ellis, pulling the boy from the sight. Russell turned to face the man. He stood behind the wheel, staring off into the distance as best he could.

  “Coming!” the boy replied, holding onto the boat’s railings as he made his way up.

  “Did you bring my monoscope?”

  “Yes, sir.” Russell pulled the tool from his soaked coat pocket and handed it to the sailing master.

  Sailing Master Ellis was a strange sort. He had not always sailed among the sea scorgers. He was once an officer in charge of navigation aboard a Navy ship in the Governor’s fleet. He had a keen eye for navigation and charts, a rare skillset, even in Taspansa. When the Red God’s Gleam boarded his Navy ship, the Crusader, a mere two months ago, Captain Azzorro gave him a simple choice: work in his service, or die. Ellis, being a wise man, chose the former. Yet he seemed to hold no grudge. It was as if he enjoyed working aboard this ship. Sometimes Russell wondered if Ellis ever really wanted to be a part of the Navy in the first place.

  Despite being the sailing master, Ellis rarely manned the helm. However, given the weather, Ellis did not trust anyone else to man the wheel today.

  “Aye, there be shallow waters ahead!” the sailing master shouted as he looked through the glass lens.

  “Are you sure?”

  During storms like these, shallow waters were best to be avoided. Waves grew steeper and more volatile when the water grew thin, which only made it harder to control the already rocky ship.

  “Aye, I’m sure boy!” The sailing master peered over to the sails and then down to the deck. “Boatswain, are those sails ready?” he shouted.

  “Give it one second… and… now! Ready to go!” Hector screamed back through the wind.

  “Prepare for a quick turn! Brace yourselves!”

  Ellis spun the wheel, manipulating the angle of the sails. The ship tilted to its port side and immediately began to turn. Everything happened so fast that Russell nearly fell over. He gripped the nearest ledge and held on for balance.

  “Aah!” Ellis cried out. Russell glanced over to the man. His arms trembled and his knees were locked as if he were struggling to hold the wheel straight.

  “What’s wrong?” the boy asked.

  “The wind, she’s fighting me!”

  “I thought you had it under control!”

  “That’s when we were heaving-to! Now we’re going perpendicular to the wind! She’s stronger than I expected!”

  Russell peered down to the crew on deck and immediately got an idea.

  “Hey, hey!” he shouted, waving one hand in the air and keeping the other against the railing. The crew looked up at him and he promptly pointed to the two strangers. “We need someone strong!”

  The two strangers caught on immediately and made their way up to the wheel. Despite their small stature, they moved quickly through the wind. It was as if this weather were no issue for them at all.

  “Yes, we’re here,” the woman said as they arrived mere seconds later.

&nb
sp; “The helmsman needs help!” he shouted.

  The woman grabbed ahold of the wheel and held it still. Once she had it in her grip, Ellis fell to the floor, exhausted. The short man leaned down to help him.

  “It’s… it’s good now,” Ellis said through deep breaths a few seconds later. “Let her go straight and through.”

  The woman let go of the wheel now and let the ship straighten out. It rocked quite a bit in the waves as it fell into position.

  The man helped Ellis up. The former Navy sailor coughed and wiped some water from his eyes. He leaned onto the small man as a smile formed on his face.

  “Don’t worry, we’ve got you,” the man said.

  “Thank you,” Ellis eventually replied. “You two could not have come at a better time. Storms like these are a torment.”

  “I thought it rains a lot here,” the short man said.

  “It rains in Taspansa, yes, but the rain is not often accompanied by such fierce winds. I am surprised this is news to you. Surely you must have spent time on the water?”

  The man did not respond. He simply let go of Ellis and grabbed hold of the nearest railing. Russell found it odd that he did not say anything back. Perhaps there was more to him than he was letting on.

  “Uhm… Sailing Master, there’s another boat on approach,” the woman said, pointing out into the distance.

  Russell glanced out onto the ocean. He tried as best he could, but he could not see anything through the rain and clouds.

  Ellis walked to the edge of the ship and stared out at the horizon. When he saw nothing, he pulled out his monoscope again and searched through it.

  “Aye,” he eventually agreed. “A ship be there! How did you…?”

  “Good vision,” the woman replied in a blunt tone. “Call it genetics.”

  “Gen-what?” Ellis responded. He lowered the monoscope to reveal a confused look on his face.

  “What do we do?” Russell asked, trying to bring the conversation back on track.

  “That be a common trade ship out there,” Ellis said, lifting the monoscope back to his eye. “It doesn’t look like a Navy vessel.” He lowered the seeing glass again and turned to face Russell. “Cabin boy, alert Captain Azzorro. He’ll know what to do!”