DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything to do with Lord of the Rings. If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction over the internet.
Okay my little readers, This is a sort of sci-fi-ish fic. Please don't slay me. I will attempt to stay true to Tolkien's books and/or the films. I've done a bunch of research for this story and so I don't want any flames. I realize that my Elvish isn't that great but please bear with me. I will probably take a while to update simply because this story takes quite a bit of researching and I'm a busy girl.
This first chapter is simply an introduction to my characters and their original mission, so don't get in a huff when you discover that there aren't any lotr characters in it yet. There WILL be soon.
Enjoy!
Secretshadow3
"Hey Pete, throw me that rope would ya?" Maddie staggered through the masses of equipment that rocked back and forth on the swaying deck of the small boat.
"Anything you ask your highness!" cried Pete, the surly, Scottish captain of The Evening Star, as he bowed mockingly to the exasperated archeologist. He tossed her the rope with a wide grin.
Pete O' Connor was a big man. He reminded Maddie of Santa Claus in every respect. Every time he laughed (which was often) his massive belly would roll like the thundering ocean itself. He had a perpetually red face and prominent grey whiskers which were always coffee-stained around his jolly mouth. In Maddie's opinion, coffee was the last thing Pete needed.
"So lassie, whit we doin' t'day?" He called gleefully.
"Pete!" Maddie admonished. "Didn't you listen even a little at the meeting?" She delicately picked up a sonar and tied it down neatly on top of a heavier box so that it would not slide on the tossing deck.
He swung his shaggy head back and forth. "Nay. All I know is that we're somewhere b'tween the homeland and Norway. Tis the crew's job t' do all the dirty work. Why do ya think I'm the captain? No sir, you won't be catchin' me at work. I'll stick to the bossin' people around I will thank-you-very much!"
"You're hopeless." Maddie sighed.
"But of course!" Pete chuckled, "Now what are we doin'?"
"We're going to attempt a dive in the North Sea in hopes of finding a Viking vessel. We have a hunch that there is a boat grave out there. Some strange medieval artifacts have been found washing up on the shores of Scotland and Norway; we think there could possibly be an archeological jackpot out there!" She went on for several minutes relating stories and evidence of all sorts. Maddie was more animated than Pete had ever seen her. She really loved her job.
"Okay then." Pete gave a chortle at seeing Maddie riled up.
"Can you answer one thing for me?" Maddie tapped her foot impatiently.
"Go fer it lassie." He smiled impishly.
"How long until we reach our destination?"
"Exactly five hours." He eyed her triumphantly.
Maddie sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance. No matter how careless or ignorant Pete acted, he always knew everything about the sea. He might have no idea what there were setting out to do, but he always knew how to do it. It was unnerving
As Maddie worked to anchor down the boxes (Pete watching from the sidelines eating a sandwich) a young man with shaggy brown hair and rectangular glasses walked onto the scene. He clutched several notebooks to his chest nervously and reached to adjust his spectacles as he approached Maddie.
"Uh…are you Maddie?" He tapped her on the shoulder awkwardly.
Maddie stood up and pulled off her gloves to shake hands. "Yeah, that's me. You're the new guy right?"
He nodded. "Jarrett." Shifting his weight to display the pile of folders he held them out to her. "I brought lots of stuff, so, you know, I'm up to date. I did a little independent study ahead of time too. Wanna take a look?" he gave a sheepish smile and looked up.
But Maddie was already leafing through the notebooks. "You've got some good stuff here…I'm impressed. You have certainly been doing your homework." She grinned when she came to a certain page. "Nice drawings too."
Jarrett looked down embarrassedly. "Thanks."
"This is Gandalf right?" Maddie said pointing to one of the many figures that lined the margins of Jarrett's notes.
"Yeah."
"I've loved The Lord of the Rings ever since I was a kid." She explained. "Did you like the movies?"
"Yeah! They were awesome! Especially the graphics and stuff; they were even better than Star Wars! I spent like, a month's pay to buy the special editions!" He exclaimed. When Jarrett realized his outburst, he turned bright red and went silent again.
Maddie chuckled "You have my seal of approval. I myself am more of a purist." She leaned in closer. "I haven't told any of the team, but I know both Quenya and Sindarin."
"Woah." It was Jarrett's turn to be impressed.
Maddie shrugged. "It comes easy when you've studied ancient languages all your life. I had another advantage in that my mother was Welsh and I grew up knowing the language. Sindarin was inspired by Welsh you know."
"Cool."
Pete's thunderous voice rang through the air. "Lassie, I think you and the young man had best get out of the open. If my old eyes don't fail me, a storm is brewin' and the water out here is mighty cold! Don't want any of it splashin' up on ye!" He ushered them towards the cabin door.
OOO
The team was all gathered below the deck in the small research room. Yellow Submarine was playing loudly from the small boom box perched on the edge of a spindly table. The crew was laughing and singing, all seemingly overlapping each other in the tiny room.
"Our fearless leader has returned!" cried a young dark-complexioned girl waving a beer bottle.
"I told you; don't drink that stuff on a boat Rita. Especially when a storm is coming. I specifically told you that you would have to leave that crap behind." Maddie exclaimed in annoyance.
Rita rolled her eyes "And the censure begins…"
"Well, if you would just act responsibly for once I wouldn't have any reason to criticize you." Maddie retorted smartly.
"I see you met New Guy…"Robbie, the peacemaker changed the subject quickly, beckoning towards Jarrett.
"Yup." Maddie plopped down between Robbie and the stocky, blond William. "Hey Will!" She said enthusiastically and grabbed his slice of pizza before he could respond.
"This means war Maddox!" He cried in mock drama, a thick burr creeping into his already very Scottish accent as he playfully tried to reclaim the pizza.
"He who snoozes looses." Maddie said as she took a bite of the pizza. "And now it is time to behead thee William Wallace!" She raised a cushion above his neck as if it were an ax.
"Mercy! Mercy!" cried Erin pleadingly. The cry resounded throughout the room with a few snickers. Poor Jarrett actually looked frightened.
"Freeeeeeeedoooooooom!" Cried Will as Maddie lowered the "ax."
Everything went silent.
Erin exhaled "I guess I'll go back to MY island now…" The entire party broke put into good-natured laughter over their joke.
"We're weird you guys. You do realize this. I mean, that scene makes me cry every single time, yet we sit around and well…do this."
"You've just now figured this out my dear? I'm sorry but you are severely behind in the times!" Will stated factually.
"Braveheart?" Jarrett spoke up meekly; not exactly sure how to react with his new teammates.
"We all watched it together a few days ago." Maddie explained. "And don't worry about us. Eventually you too will join in the fun." She paused. "Why don't we make like kindergarteners and go around and tell Jarrett about ourselves? Let him get to know us better…"
Giggles and childish cries of "Yeah!" or exasperated "Whatever" resounded throughout the tiny paneled room. "Robbie, you go first!"
"Why me?" Robbie protested.
"Because you're the oldest one here besides Professor Ferris and He's in his cabin.
The lanky red-head sighed and began. "I'm Robert Guined. I'm from Wales. Thirty-two years old. I coach kid's football in my spare time even though I can't see an inch in front of me without my glasses. I'm a pretty adventurous guy, which is why I wanted to be an archeologist. I love the Beatles and U2. Single; Pisces." Robbie had longish wavy red hair and huge glasses that overshadowed his thin, overly-rosy face.
"I guess I'll go next!" Will Spoke up. "Hi there, I'm William Wallace McDougall. Yes, named after Braveheart himself since my dad is a historian. My best mate is Old Man Robbie here- I'm only twenty-five. I like history, languages, art, and action movies. I detest any sport that was invented within the past two-hundred years. I fence in my spare time and make pottery as a side job; Single but ready to profess my love for the lovely Maddie any day now. Whaddaya say Maddie? Marry me!" He teased, twinkling blue eyes watching for her reaction.
"Uh-huh…next person now." Maddie ignored him.
Green-eyed, black-haired Erin raised her hand. "Ooooooh! Me! Me!" Maddie nodded and rolled her eyes playfully. Erin cleared her throat loudly. "Hello, my name is Erin and I haven't taken a drink in three weeks."
"Hi Erin." The others groaned back in reply.
"Anyway, I'm originally from The USA, but both my parents are one-hundred percent Irish and we moved there when I was fourteen. I love Ireland and I truly believe that I am descended from the leprechauns as you can see by my height. I'm twenty-seven. I've got a fiancé…still not quite sure exactly why he wants to marry me... I like animals, Madeleine L'Engle books, horseback riding, faerie tales, ancient history, and candy…I really like candy. Anything with sugar. I love kid's shows and I don't think I ever really grew up. The end…I would like to thank the academy…
"Okay, thank-you Miss O'Connell" Maddie interrupted. "You can go now Simon…"
"Thank-you Maddie. I'm Simon Baxter. I'm from Manchester. I like the history of the Anglo-Saxons, the Normans, and England in general. I'm thirty-two years old and married to the most beautiful woman in the world, Sarah Jane. I've got a two-year old son, Philip who takes up most of my spare time, but when I do have spare time, I like to read. I'm very dedicated to my work and you can probably tell I'm not the most outgoing guy in the world. But yeah, that's just me….I'm done now." Simon had soft brown eyes and brown hair as well as a gentle smile.
"My turn!" cried Rita. "I'm Rita Mendez. I'm from the USA and I'm of Mexican descent. I became an archeologist because it's a job that involves smarts and the outdoors. However I pictured myself in Italy or Greece rather than the freezing North Sea. I hate cold weather. I've got a boyfriend, Lance. We've been going out for about a year. I'm twenty-five years old…" "So she says…" interrupted Will with a snicker. Rita glared at him with vengeance. "But yes, anyway, as I said, I've got somebody as opposed to somebody here. I like dancing, hanging out, Greek mythology, traveling, and partying.
"Somebody go get the professor!" Maddie called out.
"No, we all did you, you have to too!" Robbie called out. "Go on Maddie!"
Maddie sighed. "Fine. My name is Maddie. An I-"
"Full name if you please!" Will snickered. Maddie shot daggers with her eyes.
"My name is Meredydd Guinevere Maddox. The only part of my name that I could pronounce when I was little was "Maddox" and since my parents didn't want me to go by my last name, they started calling me Maddie for short. My first name was picked by my mother who loves the old language and my second name comes from my father who was a history professor and loved the old Arthurian legends.
Anyway, back to my life…I'm twenty-six and I like any kind of old legends or folklore, horseback riding, science, traveling, and being right all the time. I organized this team and I am their Captain Kirk. So if you have any questions Jarrett, feel free to ask me."
She folded her hands primly in her lap, in order to set off a striking resemblance to true composure.
"Why don't you go now Jarrett?" Simon asked considerately.
Jarrett sat up and cleared his throat nervously. "Um, I'm Jarrett St. Clair. I'm from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States. I'm kinda a geek. I like, you know, comic books, movies, sci-fi, fantasy and stuff. I got into archeology because I was obsessed with Indiana Jones when I was a kid. I'm twenty five….that's about it." He gave a sigh of relief and leaned back into the comforting shadow of the couch cushions.
"Thanks Jarrett." Maddie acknowledged. "All we need now is the professor."
"Hey professor!" Rita yelled into the narrow corridor behind them where the cabins were situated. "Come out here, you've been hauled up in there for hours!"
A shaky-looking, grey-headed man wobbled out of the hallway with difficulty. "It seems to me that the waves have increased in size…" he said as he tried to keep his footing.
"Come sit down professor." Simon beckoned towards the only spot of floor which wasn't already occupied. The professor willingly complied, but not without falling over everyone on the way.
"There's a storm coming Professor Ferris, that's why the waves are so big." Maddie explained.
The professor paled. "Oh dear. This is terrible news…terrible news indeed. I hope the crew knows what they're doing…"
"Don't worry Professor. Captain Pete's a smart guy. And the crew seems experienced. I'm sure we'll be fine." She reassured him.
Now why don't you introduce yourself to Jarrett.
OOO
The sky was black and ominous and the waves crashed over the sides of the boat violently as Pete scurried to the front of the boat where a huge box of equipment was about to come undone from the bungee cord which held it to the deck.
One of the sailors cried out to him "Captain! Get back here! You're going to get washed out into the sea!"
"Mind yer own business!" Pete growled "I have to make sure the young folk's machines don't get damaged!" He lumbered through the crates and pelting rain until he reached the box, which was growing closer and closer to falling out of the boat with each passing wave.
As he pushed the crate back into place, Pete noticed something dark on the horizon. It was huge whatever it was. "What could that be?" he whispered to himself. He turned to the first mate that was at the wheel. "Do ye see that?" He yelled.
"Do you want me to change direction captain?"
Pete paused. The dark figure seemed to be sinking back down into the sea. "It's too big to be a whale…" he muttered. "What could it possibly be?"
"Captain?" the first mate called again.
"No, stay on course." Pete ordered. "How strange…" He whispered to himself as he staggered over the swaying deck back to the wheel.
He could have sworn that it was a huge wave that stood still above all the others.
OOO
Below the decks, the team was reeling in seasickness and discomfort. Every time a wave struck the boat, it would send them skittering to one side, crashing into each other and hitting the walls. Robbie's forehead was bleeding from where he was slammed into the edge of the paneling face first.
Maddie was curled up into a ball, hanging onto Will on one side and Erin on the other in order to anchor herself better, when the ship began to rise up, silently and ominously. All of their eyes met and they braced themselves for the impending collision with the angry sea. "Get ready guys...This one is the biggest yet" warned Maddie, tightening her hold on the waists of her friends.
Jarrett cringed as he felt the boat teeter on the crest of the wave. Then slowly, the tip tilted and steadily began its perilous descent. The was a thunderous "CRACK!" and everything went black.
OOO
Jarrett awoke, rubbing his sore head, where he had been slammed into the wall panel. His ears buzzed and he couldn't quite see straight. He looked up and found that the lights had gone out. From within the darkness, a faint veil of light surrounded a dark figure. He heard Maddie's melodic voice chanting something over and over again.
"Lasto beth nin Ulmo, daro le! Daro le!"
After a few moments of the strange recitation, Jarrett noticed that the violent waves had been calmed significantly. The constant tossing had reduced to a gentle sway. The boat's lights flickered back on and Jarrett saw that the entire team was passed out on the floor…including Maddie. He heard a faint groan and saw a mop of blond hair rising from the mass of unconscious team members. Will looked around confusedly.
"Hey Will…did you hear any chanting or anything when the lights were out?" Jarrett asked hesitantly.
"Jarrett? Is that you? I didn't hear anything man. I was out of it." Will groaned. "That wave must have been HUGE."
The other members of the team gradually began to rise. Erin rubbed her head and grinned. "Woah. That was cool."
"Cool?" Robbie spoke up. "So getting your head bashed up against the side of the boat is cool now?"
"Um, yeah." Erin grinned. "You have to admit that was exciting."
"Whatever."
Pete peeked his head into the cabin. "Everyone okay in here? That was quite the bump! I myself blacked out for a bit!"
"I think we're fine Pete." Maddie assured him as she sat up and ran her hand over her head to check for bleeding.
Pete nodded. "Well, now that I know you're alright, I think you should come outside and take a look at this."
"What is it?" Will inquired.
"I don't know, but it looks important." Pete answered with a sparkle in his eye.
Maddie was already on her feet and out the door.
Yes, I like cliffhangers. Sorry. So how was it? Good? Bad? Ugly? I'll take constructive criticism, but NO FLAMES. R&R!