Chapter 9: Captain's Past

The moment I stepped into the somewhat secluded hallway by the Captain's quarters, I leaned against the bulkhead and took a shaky breath. That could have gone better. The little pessimist inside my head whispered. Of course, the other side responded, it could have gone much worse. So they hate you, no big deal. Crews have hated their officers before, and they will again. It's not about you; it's about their reluctance to have a new officer, and a female, on board ship. They'll get over it. And if not, that's their problem. Make them a team and they will get better; they have to…

I swallowed, realizing that my internal advisors were right. I needed to get them to work with me. Or, to work together and pretend to work with me.

With a new goal planted firmly in my mind, I hauled myself off the bulkhead and knocked on the Captain's hatch.

When it opened, Captain Turner groaned. "Did my father send you to get me?"

I nodded. "Yes sir. He said that I'm your charge for now, sir."

His eyes widened for a brief moment, so brief I barely caught it. "My charge?" He must have a sixth sense or perhaps I'm not quite as good at hiding things as I thought. He studied my face for a moment, making me fight myself to stop the blush from rising in my cheeks. "Did something happen this morning, LT?"

I swallowed. "Yes sir."

He nodded, a pensive look on his face. "I thought it might. The rest of the crew isn't used to having another officer on board. Nor a woman, for that matter. Well… in that case, I will have to explain that you are second only to Mr. Turner and myself. You will spend the day with me, and I will teach you about life on the Dutchman. Alright?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "Aye sir."

"Good. Now, first lesson. In order to properly command a ship, one must be where the action is." He grinned and moved towards the stairwell, brushing against me in the narrow passageway.

I followed him up to the main deck, where he went to check with Bootstrap, who saw me and winked.

"Nothing to report sir, it's a nice day. The men had a little trouble waking up this morning but LT Knowles set them right."

I opened my mouth to correct him but he just shook his head, so I closed it.

Captain Turner nodded. "Well LT, in that case, why don't you take a couple of them and get a bearing for the closest port. The charts are in my office."Great…working with the same guys who hate me. Just what I've always wanted. Although, if I didn't, I'm in the wrong career. And it's a little late for a career change… Ok… here goes nothing… "Aye sir."

I went forward and found three younger looking crewmen trying to skip stones off of the bow. "Are you gentlemen doing anything right now? And please tell me your names. "

They stopped and looked up before jumping to attention. One of them, Dave Lane, responded for the group. "No ma'am. We finished ma'am. I am Lane, that muscle bound oaf is Benjamin, and the chipmunk is Williams."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thank you Mr. Lane. You said you just finished? Finished what?"

Lane pointed. "Getting a depth reading for Mr. Segrado, ma'am."

I nodded. "Alright. So all three of you are available to take on another task?"

They looked each other before nodding. "Yes ma'am."

"Great! And you don't even have to move from this spot. Or, not too much. Mr. Lane, please go down to Captain Turner's quarters and bring up the maps. Mr. Benjamin, please go ask Mr. Segrado for the navigation tools. Mr. Williams, do you know what the closest port is?"

Lane and Benjamin stood still until I waved my hand at them. "Go on."

Williams stared at me blankly. "The nearest port, ma'am? We never go into port. The Captain doesn't like making berth."

I took a deep breath. "I understand, Mr. Williams, however the Captain has decided that we are to make port. In the event that the Captain truly wishes to go ashore, where could he?"

"Nowhere, ma'am. Not for another three days, ma'am."

I realized that he was still at attention and apologized. "I see. You may relax, Mr. Williams. I'm not here to yell at you, or enforce regulations you aren't used to." When he resumed his seat, I sat across from him and continued to question him. "What do you mean, he can't go ashore?"

The man's eyes went wide. "If the captain hasn't told you…"

I cocked my head. "Did he tell you?"

Williams blushed. "Well, no. Jimmy Jacobson did. But he swears it's the truth."

I laughed lightly. "Alright. So what is this truth that Mr. Jacobson told you? And where did he hear it?"

Williams leaned in. "Jimmy says he's been on this ship since before Cap'n Turner was here. He says the Dutchman was put to task by Calypso, who decreed that the ship and her crew were to sail the seas ferryin' the souls of those who died at sea to the otherworld. And the Captain, he could only go ashore once every ten years. The crew is made up of those who fear to cross over. Cap'n assumed his post by killin' Davy Jones. But the Dutchman must always have a captain, so Mr. Turner cut Cap'n Turner's heart out to replace Jones's in the chest. We don't never make port anymore though. Stopped doin' that a long time ago."

"Why?" I wondered.

"Well, Cap'n Turner once had a wife. An' a son, if I 'member correct. On his twentieth year as captain, he went home, to find that his wife and son had taken ill and died. The house was deserted and there was two lonely graves by the shore. Cap'n took the chest wi' his heart back on the ship and we ain't never made port since. 'Course he don't mind if we go ashore if we're close to land, for food or somethin'. But he never goes. Wonder why he wants to go now?"

"I have an urge to pay a visit to an old friend."

Williams and I jumped. "Morning, sir."

"What are you doing, LT?"

I nodded to Williams. "Mr. Williams was telling me of the Dutchman while Mr. Lane and Mr. Benjamin get the charts and navigation equipment, sir."

The captain looked to the aft stairwell, where Mr. Lane appeared with the charts. "Very well. If I recall correctly, we should be close to the west Caribbean. There is rather pressing need to travel upstream."

A/N- So... Reviews are good... Thanks to the silent readers who added this story to their favourites... My deepest apologies on the tardiness of the chapter... So please r/r and enjoy