Under a Graveyard Sky

“Not alive,” Steve said, stepping into the compartment. One of the bodies had been partially eaten. The other was cut and bloated but didn’t appear to have died from violence.

“Probably the one killed the other, then died of dehydration,” Steve said checking the toilet. It was empty of water. “Which makes this perfectly legal salvage. Not to mention easy to clean.”

“That’s going to be nasty,” Sophia said, looking in the room. “Oh, gross!”

“Yeah, that’s not the worst I’ve seen by a stretch,” Steve said, taking out a baggy. “We’ll just seal the room up fairly tight. Vent it to the rear. And let these do their work.” He dribbled the beetles on the corpses. “Say hello to my leetle friends…”

* * *

“Steve, these are way beyond me,” Stacey said, looking at the engines.

“We’ve got fuel in the tanks,” Steve said. “Some. And a jumper battery. Can you get them running?”

“I don’t know?” Stacey said. “I mean, that’s the point. These are huge professional engines! I’m not sure where to start!”

“I think that’s the start button,” Sophia said, pointing.

“I can see that, Sophia,” her mother said, tartly. “Just let me look over the manuals…”

* * *

Steve looked up at a rumble from below. A moment later the lights in the saloon came on.

“I knew I married that girl for a reason…”

* * *

“Think you can get that alongside without wrecking it?” Mike called over the radio.

“Trying,” Steve said to himself. He wasn’t going to pick up the radio when he was trying to con the Large up to the Victoria. The Large really was. And it had a lot more sail area than the Toy. He picked up the radio. “Just have the bloody balloons down.”

“There is no such thing as too slow…” he muttered.

* * *

“That wasn’t the worst coming-alongside I’ve ever seen,” Mike said, looking around the interior. “Say, you know how you told me I could have a boat…?”

“We’ll have to call a captain’s conference,” Steve said. “This is, among other things, going to take some serious crew…”

CHAPTER 21

“I think the Large needs to be a harbor queen for now,” Steve said over the radio. “It drinks fuel, we don’t have that many people that we need a boat this size and it’s a bitch to actually use. If we did use it I’d see it as an at-sea base. If we can find enough fuel for it.”

“Cooper here,” Chris said over the radio. “I can see that but what about theft?”

“Just about out of fuel,” Mike said. “We’ll drain it down and it’s not going anywhere. Leave it alongside the Victoria. We might have a use for it later. It runs, anyway.”

“This is Endeavor. We’re getting beat up in this minnow. Could use a bigger boat.”

Stephen Blair, the sole survivor of the 35' Viking Worthy Endeavor, had had issues from the beginning. But he’d also cleared more than forty rafts and lifeboats since taking over the battered ship.

“Endeavor, Seawolf,” Sophia said. “You do not want to con this thing alongside a raft. Concur, Da, this is a support ship. Better in harbor for now.”

“Endeavor,” he thought for a second about the growing fleet. “Sea Fit. You are both next up for a bigger vessel. Will determine that when available. But this is a monster. Any likely candidates?”

“Endeavor. We just relayed another. About sixty five. Wouldn’t mind if it’s useable.”

“Do we have a location on that?” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” Mike said. “Back at the Vicky.”

“I’ve got it on the Toy,” Sophia said.

“My recommendation,” Steve said. “Use this for harbor base. Staff with reliable personnel. Bring in new personnel for rest and recovery prior to assignment. Comments and response for vote? Sea Fit.”

“I’m fine on my boat for now,” Captain Sherill replied. “And, yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

“Endeavor?”

“We need a bigger boat,” Blair replied. “But agree.”

“Knot?”

“I’d go for a bigger boat,” Gary Loper of the Knot So Little replied. “I guess I’m next after Blair?”

“Other discussion,” Steve said. “Not saying no, just later discussion. Agree leave Large harbor for rest and refit?”

“Yeah, I can go with that. But about a larger boat?”

The truth was that Steve didn’t think that Loper and his crew deserved a larger boat. They just seemed to be cruising around and coming in from time to time to draw on supplies.

“Captain’s vote for next upgrade,” Steve said. “Cannot nominate self.” He thought about it for a second and tried not to grimace. He knew he was playing politics. By the real rules, Blair should be the first to nominate. But if he nominated Loper, which was the only real choice, others might follow. But Sherill not only liked his boat, small as it was, but liked Blair.

“Sea Fit.”

“Blair from the Endeavor,” Sherill replied, instantly.

“Endeavor.”

“Seawolf,” Blair replied.

“Seriously?” Sophia asked.

“Knot So Large.”

“Uh… Seawolf.”

“Damn,” Sophia muttered.

“Daniel Cooper.”

“Blair.”

“That bastard,” Sophia said.

“Victoria.”

“Blair,” Mike said into the radio.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence!” Sophia said.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Mike said, grinning. “You’re going to get the Endeavor.”

“Oooh,” Sophia said, then grimaced. “It really is small.”

“It’s a good learning boat,” Steve said. “Tina’s Toy abstains. Any votes against Captain Blair for the next upgrade…? The ayes have it. Next good boat goes to Captain Blair and his chosen crew. Any old business we really need to cover cause I’m going to have to head out to that sixty-five.”

“Commodore, Cooper,” Chris said. “We’re in position and have Clearance team bravo. Will vector to clear.”