~~~Jessica~~~

Do you know what the worst part about being small is? Everything is trying to kill you.

First, there was that goddamn cannonball. Then Constellation knocked me overboard when she rolled her shoulders, the same shoulders I was sitting on. Then a bird tried to snap me up and have me for dinner. Even Arthur got in on the action when he nearly kicked me to death in his sleep. Arthur fucking Gladstone nearly killed me! This is the same guy who's afraid of his own goddamn shadow! Honestly this was a new low in my life…

Hopefully it would be over in the next few seconds. I'd spent a day and a night being two inches tall, and Chesapeake was finally ready to try again.

"I'm ready!" I called from Chesapeake's Gun Deck.

The world around me shifted, and Chesapeake's crew began to fade out of existence. I, thankfully, did not follow them. Well, that was one terrifying possibility crossed out, let's see if my luck holds.

I glanced around and confirmed that I had grown with my surroundings. That was a second terrifying possibility crossed out.

"Hurry up! She can't hold this for long!" Called a voice from far away.

I climbed up the stairs to the top deck (or the Spar Deck, according to Captain 2), and jumped over the side. I wasn't the most graceful diver or swimmer, but my lessons at the neighborhood pool safely guided me back to the longboat.

"It worked!" Constellation yelled as she pulled me aboard. There was a smile on her face that shined like the sun. "We turned you back to normal!"

I hated to be the one to put a damper on her enthusiasm. "Maybe, but I'm not out of danger yet. For all we know I'm half-miniature person now, and I'll shrink once Chesapeake becomes a girl again."

"I don't think that will happen, considering Chesapeake's already on her way back." United States said, raising her arm to point.

I turned around and sure enough, there was no sign of a large wooden frigate in the sea near us. There was, however, a shark fin sticking out the water that was steadily coming closer.

I glomped Constellation. "Did you hear that! I've been turned back to normal!"

We all laughed and cheered. Especially Christopher, who had maintained the belief that I had been transformed into some sort of supernatural creature, doomed to forever crew Chesapeake until the end of time.

I've said it before, but of us three humans, Christopher has suffered the most from being cut-off from society.

Then Chesapeake pulled herself onto the longboat and dropped the A-word. "I saw several Abyssal ships in the distance."

I cursed. Of course the fucking Abyssals had to ruin my day. "Did they see you?"

"If I could see them, they could also see me." She then pointed off into the distance. "There's an island over in that direction, we could hide there until nightfall. We could slip past them then."

United States nodded. "Good plan. Constellation, you're on towing duty. Chesapeake, be prepared to take over towing at a moment's notice. Everyone else, eyes on the horizon."

~~~.~~~

In the end, approaching Abyssal ships forced Chesapeake to tow us for the final stretch of ocean. Thankfully they didn't come too close and we landed safely.

It was a nice upgrade from our previous two island homes. In fact, it was sort of a combination of the two. It had the dense vegetation and trees of the island we'd landed on after the shipwreck, and the tall central hill of our previous stop. The exact size of this island was hidden by the trees and the hill, but it was at least several miles long.

"I'm going exploring." I decided. "That hill should give me a good view of the surrounding ocean, and I want to see if we can figure out where the Abyssals are at before we set sail tonight."

United States shrugged. "Don't go too far. We wouldn't want you to get lost, would we? This island is significantly bigger than the last two."

She then lifted her hand and made a shooing motion. I turned and began my hike.

"Wait!"

I looked back to see Chesapeake hurrying to catch up to me. "I'm coming with you. I don't trust you to stay safe on your own."

"I can take care of myself." I defended.

She quirked her lips. "Yesterday your poor judgement caused you to shrink to two inches tall. Three days ago I would have killed you if Constellation hadn't been nearby."

"Hey! Both of those had good outcomes! You said yourself that if I hadn't found you when I did you would have probably gone full Abyssal. Nobody wants to go full Abyssal."

She raised her eyebrow. "Remind me what the good outcome of yesterday's fiasco was?"

"Uh," I began, racking my brains, "you received an important medical diagnosis?"

Chesapeake stared at me like I was an idiot. "You told me I had Abyssal cancer."

I nodded sagely. "Which was something you definitely needed to know. You didn't know before, now you do. Therefore, it's a good thing! Now if you'll excuse me, I don't need a babysitter to take an enthusiastic walk through the woods."

"Is that what you think?" Asked Constellation. "I put forth the motion that Jessica is no longer allowed to go off by herself."

Chesapeake looked straight into my eyes. "Seconded."

"What? You can't vote on something like that! It's my own goddamn life!" I protested.

"Thirded." Arthur called out weakly. He ducked behind his brother as I glared at him.

"United States, you can't let this happen! This isn't a democracy, it's a squadron with you at the helm! You even seemed fine with me going alone a moment ago."

United States looked up, a grave expression on her face. "My sister has laid out a good argument. The motion passes."

I groaned, then turned around and stomped off into the woods. Chesapeake dutifully followed behind me.

~~~.~~~

"You know, you really don't need to follow me around. I've survived for twenty-eight years without you, I think I can handle an hour or two by myself." I commented as I picked my way up the hill.

Chesapeake hummed noncommittally. "Even for a sailor, you are… unusually reckless and headstrong. Those can be good traits in a captain, but you lack the necessary discipline. How did you become a sailor anyways? You don't seem like someone who grew up learning the trade."

Well, looks like the world's friendliest Abyssal was observant. "I may have… incensed a few of my previous employers."

"Incensed?"

I concentrated on the ground in front of me. "I totally thought turning in my resignation on a sheet of chocolate cake instead of a sheet of paper was a respectful and delicious way to let my boss know I was leaving. I didn't know he was allergic!"

Chesapeake raised an eyebrow. "That single incident exiled you to a life at sea?"

My face felt like it was on fire. "There may have been false allegations of drug use stemming from a 'suspicious white powder' that was really just crushed breath mints. Also, I may have given my first boss a heart attack with an airhorn prank.

"You may have given him a heart attack?"

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, fine. I totally gave him a heart attack. It was an accident, and he was fine in the end. He didn't have to form a cabal with my other two ex-employers and haunt all my future job applications."

Chesapeake snorted. "At least I'm not the only one here who's made bad decisions."

Ouch. You know you've screwed up in life when you have an Abyssal sympathizing with you about poor life choices.

We reached the top of the hill, and my eyes widened.

"What is this?" Chesapeake asked.

"An airfield." I answered, gazing critically at the lone building near the runway. "Aircraft use them to take off."

"What's that structure for?"

"Hopefully it was for storing aircraft. If we're lucky there might still be a spare radio or something. I'm honestly surprised the Abyssals left this standing." I explained.

The two of us walked up to the rear of the hangar. The Abyssals had bombarded the shit out of most of the pre-existing infrastructure on islands they'd taken, so how had they missed this? Had it been abandoned and consequently ignored? Had they overlooked it? Had we simply arrived before the scheduled demolition via naval artillery?

I threw open the door.

My heart skipped a beat and the blood drained from my face. Lined up before me were a dozen large white spheres. They seemed inert, thankfully, but I had no idea what would change that. Chesapeake and I glanced at each other, slowly closed the door, and backed away. Then we proceeded to run as fast as we could.

"What were those?" Chesapeake asked as we tore down the hillside.

"Aircraft." I huffed back.

"They looked very different from what you've described."

"Abyssal aircraft." I amended. "We've got to get back to the others now that we know there is an Abyssal base on this island. Who knows what else is lurking here besides aircraft?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin as a shrill voice with a hint of a Californian accent cried out, "I've found you!"

I spun to the right to see a tweenaged girl bearing down on us, lugging a cannon under her arms. She skidded to a halt about thirty feet away.

"I've come to end your reign of terror Alabama!" She said. I yelped as the weapon, a much more modern one than anything my frigate friends carried, was leveled at my torso. The girl then swiveled to point the weapon at Chesapeake. "Yours as well, Abyssal frigate! The SS Stephen Hopkins demands justice!"