Time Castaways #1

by Liesl Shurtliff

  “Excuse me, sir. Captain Vincent?” said Matt. “I’m still a little confused.”

  “Only a little?” said the captain. “That’s impressive. Most are convinced they’ve gone mad after their first mission on the Vermillion. Brocco here was bashing his head against the wall for half a day.”

  “Thought I’d gone bloody insane!” said Brocco.

  “I think he did,” Corey muttered in Matt’s ear.

  “I was scared half to death,” said Wiley. “Actually, I thought I was dead!”

  “I thought I was dreaming,” said Jia. “I was convinced I’d wake up any moment and be back in the orphanage in China. Albert thought he’d been bewitched, didn’t you, Albert? He thought the captain was full of black magic.”

  “I didn’t think he was full of black magic,” said Albert, clearly annoyed. “I thought he was a great magician, that’s all, like Merlin.”

  “Don’t I wish I were!” said the captain. “Unfortunately I’m a regular bloke, not a magical bone in my body.”

  “But how did we just do all of that?” said Matt. “How did we time-travel? What’s that watch inside your sleeve? Is that what makes the train transform?”

  Captain Vincent chuckled. “One question at a time, Mateo, if you please.”

  Matt stiffened, hair raising at the nape of his neck. “All right, here’s one question: How do you know my name? I never told you my name was Mateo. No one calls me that.”

  The captain blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Don’t they?”

  “Just our parents,” said Corey. “And sometimes teachers, but only if they don’t like Matt. It doesn’t happen too often.”

  Matt looked around at all the crew. No one looked him in the eye. Wiley put his pipe in his mouth and stared at the ceiling. Brocco tugged his cap lower over his head and his cape around his neck, as though the temperature had suddenly dropped. Albert and Jia gave each other a meaningful look while a little girl sat cross-legged on the floor, picking at her rope. Pictures and memories seemed to be flashing in Matt’s brain. The ice cream truck they’d almost boarded when they were little . . . the driver had been wearing a cape just like Brocco’s. Wiley running into Corey this morning . . .

  “Have you been following us?”

  “Following isn’t quite the right word, no,” said the captain. “I think waiting would be more accurate.”

  “Waiting? What do you mean? Why?”

  Ruby sucked in her breath. “Have we been kidnapped?” she asked in a small voice.

  “Kidnapped!” said the captain, aghast. “Oh no, no, no. We are not kidnappers. The Vermillion wouldn’t stand for such things. She only allows those on board who come willingly. And worthily.”

  “Who is this Vermillion?” Corey asked. “Maybe we should be speaking with her.”

  The captain laughed. “I’m afraid she’s not much of a conversationalist. The Vermillion is my ship.”

  “Don’t you mean train?” said Matt.

  “No, no. She may have looked like a train when you boarded her, but she’s really a ship.” The captain stomped his foot a couple of times on the floorboards. “Seventeenth-century frigate, though she’s pretty timeless, as you’ve already witnessed. She can be a bit temperamental, doesn’t always like to be told what to do, but truly she would never hold any passengers against their will. So I beg your pardon, I never would have set sail if I knew you didn’t want to be here. But I can take you home at any time, this instant, if you wish.” He gingerly set down the Mona Lisa, leaning it against a wall, and took the black watch on the gold chain out of his shirtsleeve once again. “I can take you back to the exact time we picked you up. You won’t have missed a moment!” He moved as if to change a setting.

  “Wait!” said Matt. The captain paused and looked up expectantly. “I’m sorry, it’s just . . . it’s a lot to take in.”

  “Quite understandable,” said the captain. “You needn’t apologize. Shall we go then? Truly, I don’t wish you to feel uncomfortable.”

  Matt hesitated. He did feel uncomfortable, there was definitely something strange going on, but he suddenly wasn’t sure he wanted to go home. Not without answers. He’d just time-traveled. On a transforming ship. How often would he get this kind of opportunity? And he still had so many questions about how it was all done, how the ship worked, what that watch thing was in the captain’s hand, and all the implications of traveling through time and space. What kind of scientist would he be if he didn’t take the opportunity to explore and study this phenomenon, discover all the possibilities? How far into the past could they go? How far into the future? Could they travel into his future? Could he see himself in twenty or fifty years? If he went back in time and accidentally killed his grandmother, would he still be born?

  “Could I have a minute alone with my brother and sister,” Matt asked, “to talk things over?”

  “Of course!” said the captain. “You take all the time you need. It’s one thing we have in abundance!” He slipped the watch thing back into his sleeve and picked up the Mona Lisa again. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”

  “Shall I take the painting to the gallery, Captain?” said Albert, stepping forward as though to take it out of his hands.

  “No thank you, Albert,” said the captain. “I should like to study her in private for a day or two, see what I can learn from Master da Vinci.”

  “But, sir!” said Albert. “Your office does not have the proper conditions for preservation. The light might damage her.”

  “I assure you she’ll be perfectly safe, Albert. Santiago, door, please.”

  The white rat popped out of the captain’s jacket with a key between his teeth. He scurried down the captain’s leg, climbed a door, and, with his paws, inserted the key into a lock and turned it until it clicked and the door swung wide open.

  “Thank you.” The captain carried the Mona Lisa into the room. Matt caught a glimpse of an entire shelf full of red Converse and a sword leaning against an art easel before the captain turned around in the doorway, blocking his view.

  “Feel free to explore the ship,” said the captain. “I’m sure any of the crew would be happy to show you around. Oh, and you really must climb up to the crow’s nest! Spectacular views up there. Not to be missed. It can really change your perspective.” He smiled and winked at Matt, then withdrew into the room and placed the Mona Lisa on the art easel facing him. Matt felt as if she were staring right at him with a teasing sort of smile, like she knew a secret about him that he didn’t even know about himself.

  “Santiago, door, please.” The white rat swiftly shut the door with a whip of his scaly tail. A moment later the lock clicked, leaving the Hudsons feeling . . . What was Matt feeling?

  “Well, I’m flummoxed,” said Ruby.

  That was it. Flummoxed.

  7

  Notes to Self

  Matt stared at the door for a second then turned to Corey and Ruby. They both looked just as perplexed as he felt.

  “That rat is super creepy,” said Corey.

  “And the captain,” said Ruby. “He seems sort of . . .”

  “Mysterious?” said a voice behind them. Matt jumped a little. He had forgotten that they weren’t alone. Jia was still there, and Albert as well. The others—Wiley, Brocco, and the pale little girl—seemed to have slipped away at some point.

  Ruby nodded. “Yes, very mysterious.” Matt was certain Ruby was about to say the captain was crazy.

  “Would you like me to show you around the ship?” said Jia. “If you need a bathroom, we have three flushing toilets!”

  “Oh . . . really?” said Matt, not quite sure how to respond to this random information.

  Jia nodded enthusiastically. “I installed modern plumbing last year, even real, working showers with hot water. Now I’m working on installing electricity, but I haven’t quite figured that one out yet.”

  “Are you the ship’s mechanic then?” Ruby asked.

  “I’m the Vermillion�
�s Repair Master,” said Jia with an air of great pride, though not conceited pride. It was rather endearing, Matt thought.

  “Why would this ship need repairs?” Corey asked. “Isn’t it, like, magic or something?”

  “Kind of,” said Jia, “but it’s not a self-healing organism like us. Sometimes travel and transformations cause damage to the Vermillion—or Brocco blows something up—and someone has to fix it. I know how to fix anything from a cartwheel to an auto engine, but every crewmate has their expertise. Albert is Vermillion’s Keeper of Investments. He takes care of all the valuable things we bring on board and keeps them in good repair.”

  “And safe from untrustworthy passengers,” Albert added, eyeing each of them with unmistakable dislike.

  “Don’t be rude, Albert,” said Jia. “Of course they’re trustworthy. The captain would not have let them stay on board if they weren’t.”

  Albert gave a dubious snort, pushing his too-small spectacles up on his nose. “If you’ll excuse me, I have important work to do.” He turned around and left through another door.

  “Gee, he’s a real ray of sunshine, isn’t he?” said Corey.

  “Don’t mind Albert,” said Jia. “He’s just a bit jealous.”

  “Of what?” asked Matt.

  “Albert was the last one to come on board the Vermillion. He’s been a special favorite of the captain’s, and now he’s afraid all the attention and special treatment will go to you.”

  “He shouldn’t worry,” said Ruby. “We’re not going to stay.”

  “Won’t you?” said Jia, seeming surprised.

  “Our parents are probably really worried,” said Ruby. “We should have been at school hours ago.”

  Jia looked confused. “You have parents?”

  “Of course,” said Ruby. “Don’t you?”

  Jia shook her head. “I’m an orphan. Everyone is on the Vermillion.”

  “Oh. Well, we’re not,” said Ruby.

  “That’s strange,” said Jia. “You’re very unique then.”

  “Tell me about it,” said Corey. “Could I use one of those flushing toilets now? Nature calls.”

  Jia lit up. “Yes! There’s one just down the hall! I’ll show you.”

  Before any of them could use the bathroom, Jia gave them a formal tour of it. She pointed out the chain hanging from the ceiling that flushed the toilet and the turquoise sink with two brass faucets, one for cold and one for hot. She was clearly very proud of her work. Matt thought it was quite impressive, though he though it smelled oddly of peanut butter.

  “Go on, try it!” she said eagerly.

  “Uh . . . can I try it by myself, like with the door closed?” asked Corey.

  “Oh yes, sorry!” said Jia, stepping out.

  They all took turns using the bathroom. “Did it work okay?” Jia asked each of them as they came out. “Did it all go down?”

  “Yeah,” said Matt. “You built this all yourself?”

  “Yes,” said Jia, beaming. “It took some time and effort to figure it all out, especially with the Vermillion being a transforming ship. She didn’t take right away to the plumbing. A few times all the pipes burst during a transformation. It was a disaster, but eventually I found the right materials and method to make it all work.”

  “What materials?” Matt asked, quite curious to know what would make metal pipes adapt to a transforming ship.

  “A mixture of bubble gum and peanut butter,” said Jia in a matter-of-fact tone, as though she’d just shared the ingredients for common glue.

  “That’s an unusual combination,” said Matt.

  “Yes, I thought so too at first, but the Vermillion seems to quite like it, slurps it up like a milkshake. I slather it on the pipes and they’ll bend and stretch without bursting when the ship transforms. I use it a lot when I’m making upgrades or additions.”

  “You must go through a lot of bubble gum and peanut butter,” said Corey.

  Jia nodded. “It’s one of the top reasons we have to travel to the twentieth century every so often. I tried to make a stockpile, but I found it all kept disappearing. I actually think the Vermillion eats it.”

  Jia took them on a small tour of the ship, sharing information about the Vermillion as they walked. “Like Captain Vincent said, this is the original form of the Vermillion. There are three levels and about two dozen rooms, but any or all could disappear in transformation and then reappear in a completely different area of the ship with things scattered all over and sometimes hidden. It makes it difficult to keep track of things sometimes. The Vermillion is always stealing my hammer. I think she thinks it’s funny.”

  “You all talk about the ship as if she’s a person,” said Ruby.

  “She almost is,” said Jia.

  Matt suddenly heard a voice nearby, someone singing. He cocked his ear to listen.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “What?” said Jia.

  “That singing. The Vermillion doesn’t know how to sing, does she?”

  Matt walked around until he came to a door. He smelled fresh baked bread, simmering meat, onions, and garlic. The singing was coming from there. He couldn’t make out the words, but he was pretty sure it was French. He pushed the door open a little.

  “Don’t go in there!” Jia suddenly shouted.

  The singing stopped abruptly and a giant metal pot came flying at Matt’s face.

  “Va t’en! Va t’en, méchant, avant de vous couper la tête!” yelled a shrill voice. Matt barely saw a knife come flying toward him before he pulled the door shut.

  “What the . . . ,” said Matt, brushing at his cheek where he’d been grazed by the pot.

  “Did she just say she was going to chop off your head?” Ruby asked as Corey doubled over in a fit of laughter.

  “It’s not funny,” said Matt. “She could have stabbed me!”

  “Who was that?” Ruby asked.

  “That’s Agnes, the cook,” said Jia. “I should have warned you before. She doesn’t care for company. She’s been here longer than any of us except the captain, and she’s cranky as a wet cat.”

  “Well, I think she’s got some serious psychological issues,” said Matt.

  “Yes, I’m sure the captain would have discarded her by now, but I think he’s afraid she’ll kill him if he tries. But she is a good cook, so maybe that’s why the captain lets her stay.”

  “I guess that’s a good redeeming quality,” said Corey, “if you’re insane.”

  Matt got a sudden wave of dizziness. He stumbled sideways a little.

  “Are you okay?” said Ruby, catching him by the arm.

  “I’m fine,” said Matt. “Just lost my balance.”

  Ruby eyed him closely. Matt did not want her to think he was about to have a fainting spell or seizure. She’d probably insist they go home right away.

  “I’m fine,” he said. “Probably just the rocking of the ship. I’m not used to boats, you know.”

  “None of us are,” said Ruby.

  “How about we go above deck and get some fresh air?” Jia suggested.

  “Yeah, that sounds good,” said Matt. He pulled his arm away from Ruby and followed after Jia. He had to concentrate on walking with straight, steady steps.

  He could feel Ruby watching him.

  When they were above deck Matt took in a deep breath of fresh, salty air. A cool breeze rushed over him, and he felt a little better. No big deal, he told himself. He was probably just a bit motion sick.

  “This is amazing,” said Corey, gazing up at the big white sails, three tall masts of them billowing in the wind.

  Ruby went to the side of the deck and looked out over the endless blue water. They were surrounded by ocean on all sides, no land in sight.

  “Where are we?” said Ruby. “And when?”

  “Nowhere in No Time,” said Jia.

  “Huh?” the Hudsons all said together.

  Jia laughed. “We actually don’t know where or when we are, so we call i
t Nowhere in No Time, but this is where we always come between missions. We can sail around for days and weeks and never come to any land at all or see another ship. It’s like some kind of blank piece of time and space in the middle of the ocean.”

  “So how does the captain get here?” Matt asked.

  Jia shrugged. “Some setting on the compass takes him here.”

  “It’s a compass then?” said Matt. “And how does that work? Did the captain make it? And the ship? Which did he make first, the compass or the ship?”

  Jia cocked her head and smiled. “Which came first? The chicken or the egg?”

  Matt laughed. “Touché.”

  “The captain did not make the compass or the ship. He would be a better one to ask about that. I only know a little. The captain turns the dials to take us to whatever time and place we want, and the Vermillion transforms to whatever transportation is appropriate for the time—train, boat, car, bus—anything at all, really.”

  “Dang,” said Corey. “Do you think it could turn into the Batmobile?”

  Jia scrunched up her face. “What’s that?”

  Corey’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “Only the coolest car ever.”

  Jia shrugged. “Sure. The Vermillion’s always trying out new forms, but you can’t really tell her what to turn into. She has a mind of her own.”

  “Well, I want to see her transform again!” said Corey. “When’s your next mission? Where are we going?”

  “Does that mean you’ll stay?” Jia asked hopefully.

  “You want us to?” Matt asked.

  “Of course!” said Jia.