123.
"Man I hope he doesn't just speak german." Gilbert and Clarissa found their way to the control room. It was a confusing mess of dials and german, neither of them could read the german nor were things labeled properly to begin with.
"You hope the ghost captain who trapped us aboard his evil sub at least speaks english?"
"It's a modest hope."
"Aren't we hoping to just stick him with the paper and hope that fixes everything?"
"It won't." The voice was loud and thundering, it encapsulated the whole ship and hurt Gilbert and Clarissa's ears. The "captain" looked almost like a real person, dressed in old WW 1 german uniform. Gilbert knew he wasn't a captain, most likely the first mate who died under mysterious circumstances, but he effectively was "captain" now.
"Why not?" Clarissa spoke first.
"Releasing me won't fix this ship, it'll just leave it to do what it wants, which is to kill." Gilbert nodded.
"The ship is the ghost, you are its prisoners." The Captain nodded.
"As are you now, the ship won't let you leave, she's got you now, none of us can leave." Briefly Gilbert and Clarissa could see the spectres of other ghosts on the ship, and then they were gone.
"So we exercise the ship." Gilbert hadn't ever done that to a ship, but he had the supplies, he knew some rituals. The Captain laughed, his laugh was that of someone who had heard it before.
"You can try, but this evil is not an evil that is spirit borne." He faded away.
"So how do you exercise a ship?" Clarissa looked at Gilbert who shrugged.
"I dunno this ones a new one on me."
"We're going to drown aren't we."
"Probably explode that's what happens more underwater, you explode."
"I love this job Gilbert, I really do."
****
Gilbert had poured salt all over the ship. He'd written in latin, hebrew, and a dialect of arabic he'd been told wasn't spoken anymore but contained "powerful spells". Clarissa had taken their limited supply of exorcism writs and staked them up all over the ship. So far nothing had tried to stop them, which worried Gilbert. Either the ship was confident they could not harm it, or it was planning something when they tried. One of those was more comforting than the other. They arrived back in the main control room, the ghosts were there in force, but more to silently watch it appeared.
"Be ready for anything."
"I have no idea what I'd be ready for Gilbert."
"Well be prepared for that as well." Clarissa just threw her hands up at the ridiculousness of the situation. Gilbert began the spell he'd chosen, a mixture of belief and scripture that would cross the three languages he'd written across the ship. His worry was pronunciation of the dead languages would mess up the exorcism. As he chanted the words the ghosts seemed to phase in and phase out more, their faces looked pained, but Gilbert persevered whatever torment they suffered now would be worth it when they were free. The ship itself creaked and groaned, Gilbert worried the ship would scuttle itself now, to stop the rituals, but the rivets held. Water didn't burst forth.
As Gilbert called out the last of the words there was a terrible sound, like a shriek combined with metal rubbing metal. Then there was silence. The ship was at peace. All of the spirits but the captain had also been exorcised, Gilbert was puzzled by the germans presence.
"Someone must bring you to the surface and return this to the depths, it is my last voyage." Gilbert felt a sense of relief that he would bring them up.
"Thank you, but I am confused by one thing."
"How I speak english? I listened to the workers, hoping one day to be free, thank you for that chance."
****
"So I'll talk to my military friend and we'll cordon this shit off, toxic waste site do not enter." Stoakes didn't like that the cursed ship was not to be recovered, but Turner said the order would be followed. "Now with all that said, lets get the hell off the water." Everyone acknowledged that as a good and set about returning the ship to port.
Friday, May 31, 2019
Friday, May 24, 2019
Thar She Blows
122.
"It's a lot harder than it looks Gilbert!" Clarissa had fired four arrows at the approaching sub, all of them had missed the mark. The ship was rapidly approaching, she was running out of the wrapped arrows, and Gilbert was not helping trying to tell her to adjust her aim.
"Focus."
"I'M FOCUSING GOD DAMN IT!" Clarissa loosed another arrow, this time imagining she was shooting at Gilbert, it too looked like it missed until the sub suddenly shot to the surface shortly away from their boat. Both Captain Turner and Stoakes who had been watching with a sort of terrified exhilaration at the shadow approaching were in surprise at the old vessel breaching the water.
"Lower a life boat were going over." Gilbert snagged up the rest of his gear to Clarissa's bewilderment.
"Seriously? We're going over to the layer of a ghost captain and his potential ghost crew?" Turner and Stoakes has already lowered the boat, they looked like they didn't to go near it. Clarissa stood there staring at Gilbert.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to, I understand." Clarissa felt the guilt burden immediately and descended to the boat with Gilbert. She looked back to Stoakes and Turner as Gilbert rowed them away and felt a sense of dread approaching.
****
"Welp we got them all we can go right." Gilbert had opened the hatch and peered inside, Clarissa stood shivering next to him, it was a warmish day on the water, but being on the uboat felt like she'd stepped on an iceflow.
"You could have stayed on the boat." Gilbert descended into the ship each rung down getting colder as he went. Clarissa hesitated looking back towards Stoakes and Turner before following after Gilbert. Immeadiately upon her getting in the hatch shut and she could feel the ship sinking beneath the waves.
"Shit."
"So we're going to die beneath the waves right?" Gilbert shook his head.
"Nah just we need to find the captain and purge the ship, then we can get it back to the surface."
"You know how to control a ship?"
"Nope."
"I'm doubting this plan Gilbert." The lights on the ship blinked off and emergency lights clicked on, the red glow looked un worldly. "I'm really doubting this plan now Gilbert."
"It's a lot harder than it looks Gilbert!" Clarissa had fired four arrows at the approaching sub, all of them had missed the mark. The ship was rapidly approaching, she was running out of the wrapped arrows, and Gilbert was not helping trying to tell her to adjust her aim.
"Focus."
"I'M FOCUSING GOD DAMN IT!" Clarissa loosed another arrow, this time imagining she was shooting at Gilbert, it too looked like it missed until the sub suddenly shot to the surface shortly away from their boat. Both Captain Turner and Stoakes who had been watching with a sort of terrified exhilaration at the shadow approaching were in surprise at the old vessel breaching the water.
"Lower a life boat were going over." Gilbert snagged up the rest of his gear to Clarissa's bewilderment.
"Seriously? We're going over to the layer of a ghost captain and his potential ghost crew?" Turner and Stoakes has already lowered the boat, they looked like they didn't to go near it. Clarissa stood there staring at Gilbert.
"You don't have to go if you don't want to, I understand." Clarissa felt the guilt burden immediately and descended to the boat with Gilbert. She looked back to Stoakes and Turner as Gilbert rowed them away and felt a sense of dread approaching.
****
"Welp we got them all we can go right." Gilbert had opened the hatch and peered inside, Clarissa stood shivering next to him, it was a warmish day on the water, but being on the uboat felt like she'd stepped on an iceflow.
"You could have stayed on the boat." Gilbert descended into the ship each rung down getting colder as he went. Clarissa hesitated looking back towards Stoakes and Turner before following after Gilbert. Immeadiately upon her getting in the hatch shut and she could feel the ship sinking beneath the waves.
"Shit."
"So we're going to die beneath the waves right?" Gilbert shook his head.
"Nah just we need to find the captain and purge the ship, then we can get it back to the surface."
"You know how to control a ship?"
"Nope."
"I'm doubting this plan Gilbert." The lights on the ship blinked off and emergency lights clicked on, the red glow looked un worldly. "I'm really doubting this plan now Gilbert."
Friday, May 17, 2019
Not Exactly Proper Prepared
121.
Ping
Nothing
Ping
Nothing
Ping
Nothing
Gilbert kept watching the sonar even though nothing was there. Sure fish were there, some kind of reefs, and at one point what appeared to be the wreck of something else long forgotten was showing up. But not UB-65. She was missing, and continued to be missing. Gilbert hoped that the ship itself was a physical thing and not fully ghostified or it wouldn't show up on sonar at all.
"If its a sub from World War 1 it won't be under water." Captain Turner had come down from the top deck. The ship didn't need someone steering it while they waited in the sea. Clarissa and Stoakes had taken to each other talking about various Nessie Myths and Gilbert was glad to be rid of the man constantly pestering him about what he might know of the creature.
"If the Sub was operating like a real vessel sure, but its staffed by at least one ghost, probably multiple, the rules don't apply." Turner seemed to think that over and nodded his head.
"I remember once when I was in the navy I swear I saw the Lusitania. It was dark, and the sea had been unkind that day, but I was smoking with a couple other guys and I swear I saw it, clear as day. The other guys didn't say anything, we just stood in silence watching the dead, and then it was gone. So is that what this ship is?"
"No, not at all like that, what you saw is like a remnant people unable to accept their death clinging to those final moments. This is something else, someone who embraced death but didn't go to where he should have. He's already a killer, at least thirty sailors to his name, and I know he's looking for more to add to his mast."
PING
PING
PING
Gilbert looked at the radar with a mix of horror and anticipation. There was something big down there and making it's way towards them.
"Maybe its Nessie." Captain Turner joked, but Gilbert didn't feel like smiling. He just grabbed his bag, and called for Clarissa.
*****
"So we're about to do what now?"
"You know honestly I kind of hoped it would attack us from the surface." Clarissa didn't like that statement.
"So I repeat myself...."
"Take some of these writs and wrap it around an arrow..."
"YOU WANT ME TO SHOOT A SUB WITH AN ARROW?!"
Ping
Nothing
Ping
Nothing
Ping
Nothing
Gilbert kept watching the sonar even though nothing was there. Sure fish were there, some kind of reefs, and at one point what appeared to be the wreck of something else long forgotten was showing up. But not UB-65. She was missing, and continued to be missing. Gilbert hoped that the ship itself was a physical thing and not fully ghostified or it wouldn't show up on sonar at all.
"If its a sub from World War 1 it won't be under water." Captain Turner had come down from the top deck. The ship didn't need someone steering it while they waited in the sea. Clarissa and Stoakes had taken to each other talking about various Nessie Myths and Gilbert was glad to be rid of the man constantly pestering him about what he might know of the creature.
"If the Sub was operating like a real vessel sure, but its staffed by at least one ghost, probably multiple, the rules don't apply." Turner seemed to think that over and nodded his head.
"I remember once when I was in the navy I swear I saw the Lusitania. It was dark, and the sea had been unkind that day, but I was smoking with a couple other guys and I swear I saw it, clear as day. The other guys didn't say anything, we just stood in silence watching the dead, and then it was gone. So is that what this ship is?"
"No, not at all like that, what you saw is like a remnant people unable to accept their death clinging to those final moments. This is something else, someone who embraced death but didn't go to where he should have. He's already a killer, at least thirty sailors to his name, and I know he's looking for more to add to his mast."
PING
PING
PING
Gilbert looked at the radar with a mix of horror and anticipation. There was something big down there and making it's way towards them.
"Maybe its Nessie." Captain Turner joked, but Gilbert didn't feel like smiling. He just grabbed his bag, and called for Clarissa.
*****
"So we're about to do what now?"
"You know honestly I kind of hoped it would attack us from the surface." Clarissa didn't like that statement.
"So I repeat myself...."
"Take some of these writs and wrap it around an arrow..."
"YOU WANT ME TO SHOOT A SUB WITH AN ARROW?!"
Friday, May 10, 2019
Marine Spooctology
120.
"Man its a joy to be out here with you Mr. Dunkley I've hunted Nessie for years!" Gilbert regretted the trip immediately upon meeting Matt Stoakes, a fast talking chain smoker who among his other bad habits kept a car that was so filthy Gilbert couldn't tell if any part of it was clean. Gilbert was going to let the Nessie thing go, it was one of the few "monsters" normal people believed in, though it was one of the few things he pretty much knew was bullshit. Krakens? Yes. Ancient Dinosaurs inexplicably alive millions of years later? What are you nuts?
"Well I hope your ship is sea worthy." It was the least of Gilbert's concern, but he was very concerned with how badly Stoakes appeared as a driver and the sorry state of his car.
"Oh she'll take you guys out there no issue, ghost submarine right? That can happen?"
"Well the sub isn't a ghost, its just currently being run by a ghost, but the sub is very real and potentially dangerous."
"Ghosts can do that?"
"This one apparently can, its a first for me, though I did deal with a ghost pirate ship once." Gilbert chuckled to himself at the memory.
"How did that go?"
"Not too bad convinced him to sail somewhere else for a while, I've heard tales of ghost pirates amusing tourists as far away as New Zealand." The ghost wasn't dangerous just confused and Gilbert felt bad to end his voyage when he just wanted to have fun for as long as he could. They arrived at the ship and Gilbert jaw almost dropped. It was a top of the line vessel that didn't look to have the same filth and debris that Stoakes car had.
"Here's my ship."
"Wow how do you afford that?" Clarissa spoke up for the first time. She didn't feel like interrupting Gilbert and Stoakes when she was just looking at the english country side.
"Some billionare loves the hunt for nessie, forget his name, but he's been basically funding my research, that and the SyFy network, they have me on every once in a while for a special, but the boat is nice even if the captain can be a bit of dick." The captain in this case was an old grizzled sea dog in crisp whites and grey trimmed facial hair. Gilbert felt safer already.
"Master Stoakes, I assume these are the passengers for the sea voyage today?"
"Gilbert Dunkley and Clarissa Shipley, they'll be our guests for this Captain Turner." Turned held out his hand and Clarissa and Gilbert shook it, he had a grip like a vice.
"Pleasure to have you aboard for the latest snipe hunt."
"Captain Turner." Stoakes chastised the older man, but he waved it off.
"So we looking for a dinosaur or some other malarkey?"
"WW 1 sub being run by a ghost." The old man didn't seem phased by it.
"For sure?"
"Well the royal navy doesn't think so, but I do yes sir I believe it's a problem, how dangerous is what we are here to find out." He harumphed and walked away.
"He's a bit of a hard ass, but a great captain, let me show you to your bunks." Stoakes directed them to the lower birth and Gilbert took a look at the sea before going under. It was a calm sunny day, and he was immediately suspicious of what was out there.
"Man its a joy to be out here with you Mr. Dunkley I've hunted Nessie for years!" Gilbert regretted the trip immediately upon meeting Matt Stoakes, a fast talking chain smoker who among his other bad habits kept a car that was so filthy Gilbert couldn't tell if any part of it was clean. Gilbert was going to let the Nessie thing go, it was one of the few "monsters" normal people believed in, though it was one of the few things he pretty much knew was bullshit. Krakens? Yes. Ancient Dinosaurs inexplicably alive millions of years later? What are you nuts?
"Well I hope your ship is sea worthy." It was the least of Gilbert's concern, but he was very concerned with how badly Stoakes appeared as a driver and the sorry state of his car.
"Oh she'll take you guys out there no issue, ghost submarine right? That can happen?"
"Well the sub isn't a ghost, its just currently being run by a ghost, but the sub is very real and potentially dangerous."
"Ghosts can do that?"
"This one apparently can, its a first for me, though I did deal with a ghost pirate ship once." Gilbert chuckled to himself at the memory.
"How did that go?"
"Not too bad convinced him to sail somewhere else for a while, I've heard tales of ghost pirates amusing tourists as far away as New Zealand." The ghost wasn't dangerous just confused and Gilbert felt bad to end his voyage when he just wanted to have fun for as long as he could. They arrived at the ship and Gilbert jaw almost dropped. It was a top of the line vessel that didn't look to have the same filth and debris that Stoakes car had.
"Here's my ship."
"Wow how do you afford that?" Clarissa spoke up for the first time. She didn't feel like interrupting Gilbert and Stoakes when she was just looking at the english country side.
"Some billionare loves the hunt for nessie, forget his name, but he's been basically funding my research, that and the SyFy network, they have me on every once in a while for a special, but the boat is nice even if the captain can be a bit of dick." The captain in this case was an old grizzled sea dog in crisp whites and grey trimmed facial hair. Gilbert felt safer already.
"Master Stoakes, I assume these are the passengers for the sea voyage today?"
"Gilbert Dunkley and Clarissa Shipley, they'll be our guests for this Captain Turner." Turned held out his hand and Clarissa and Gilbert shook it, he had a grip like a vice.
"Pleasure to have you aboard for the latest snipe hunt."
"Captain Turner." Stoakes chastised the older man, but he waved it off.
"So we looking for a dinosaur or some other malarkey?"
"WW 1 sub being run by a ghost." The old man didn't seem phased by it.
"For sure?"
"Well the royal navy doesn't think so, but I do yes sir I believe it's a problem, how dangerous is what we are here to find out." He harumphed and walked away.
"He's a bit of a hard ass, but a great captain, let me show you to your bunks." Stoakes directed them to the lower birth and Gilbert took a look at the sea before going under. It was a calm sunny day, and he was immediately suspicious of what was out there.
Friday, May 3, 2019
Sub Mistakes
119.
"I believe we had this conversation once general, and I believe what I said at the time was 'leave sunken ghost ships lie'." Gilbert was tossing a baseball in his office. He had a book open to a picture of a german uboat labeled U-65.
"I don't need the history lesson Dunkley, I need you to make your way to London."
"The navy can't handle it?"
"You know me and the navy aren't on speaking terms, and their team can't handle this, I need my best guy, the US government is willing to pay as part of our NATO commitments."
"Don't the british have their own whatever?"
"Ok Dunkley they don't believe me the sub got loose, they think someone stole it for scrap." Gilbert sighed.
"And so I won't even have military back up to take down the thing."
"It's most likely not going to be armed Gilbert, its a ghost ship."
"Ghost warship, and god knows what since its been on the bottom of the ocean for decades General."
"For me please Gilbert, I'm asking a personal favor, I've arranged for a ship it'll be fine, just find UB-65, for me." Gilbert sighed long and hard, he didn't want to go to England, nor go looking for a sub from world war fucking 1, but he couldn't ignore that innocent people could be hurt if he just did nothing.
"Let me find my passport, you owe me general, you really owe me." Gilbert hung up and stared at the picture of the sub U-65. A god damn modern day ghost ship run by a crew of the damned who went missing a century ago. This was going to be a very bad week.
****
"England! This is going to be awesome." Clarissa was decidedly less upset about having to travel abroad to chase down a ghost ship.
"This is a work trip remember that, also we'll be on the sea for most of it, so it'll be probably cold as all get out."
"Why do you have to like Gilbert up every fun thing? Why can't I enjoy the moment?"
"Did you really just use my first name as a verb?"
"Don't Gilbert this Gilbert." He sighed and buckled himself into his plane seat, he never really liked flying anymore despite having started in the air force, it was one of those funny quirks of life. Like a paramedic who didn't like blood.
"I just hope we don't get attacked by a griffon or something."
"Those are real??" Clarissa's eyes were lit up.
"Honestly I don't even know anymore Clarissa, I don't even know."
"I believe we had this conversation once general, and I believe what I said at the time was 'leave sunken ghost ships lie'." Gilbert was tossing a baseball in his office. He had a book open to a picture of a german uboat labeled U-65.
"I don't need the history lesson Dunkley, I need you to make your way to London."
"The navy can't handle it?"
"You know me and the navy aren't on speaking terms, and their team can't handle this, I need my best guy, the US government is willing to pay as part of our NATO commitments."
"Don't the british have their own whatever?"
"Ok Dunkley they don't believe me the sub got loose, they think someone stole it for scrap." Gilbert sighed.
"And so I won't even have military back up to take down the thing."
"It's most likely not going to be armed Gilbert, its a ghost ship."
"Ghost warship, and god knows what since its been on the bottom of the ocean for decades General."
"For me please Gilbert, I'm asking a personal favor, I've arranged for a ship it'll be fine, just find UB-65, for me." Gilbert sighed long and hard, he didn't want to go to England, nor go looking for a sub from world war fucking 1, but he couldn't ignore that innocent people could be hurt if he just did nothing.
"Let me find my passport, you owe me general, you really owe me." Gilbert hung up and stared at the picture of the sub U-65. A god damn modern day ghost ship run by a crew of the damned who went missing a century ago. This was going to be a very bad week.
****
"England! This is going to be awesome." Clarissa was decidedly less upset about having to travel abroad to chase down a ghost ship.
"This is a work trip remember that, also we'll be on the sea for most of it, so it'll be probably cold as all get out."
"Why do you have to like Gilbert up every fun thing? Why can't I enjoy the moment?"
"Did you really just use my first name as a verb?"
"Don't Gilbert this Gilbert." He sighed and buckled himself into his plane seat, he never really liked flying anymore despite having started in the air force, it was one of those funny quirks of life. Like a paramedic who didn't like blood.
"I just hope we don't get attacked by a griffon or something."
"Those are real??" Clarissa's eyes were lit up.
"Honestly I don't even know anymore Clarissa, I don't even know."
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