The Captain of The Doomed

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.