Prologue
When Ame held the passed-out drunk young lady in her arms, the revolting smell of alcohol assaulted Ame's nose - an unholy mixture of just about every type of alcohol that she could think of. The smell emanated thickly from the drunkard's mouth and clothes, making Ame worried that she would get drunk herself from just the fumes of it all! So, Ame pinched her nose and turned to the bartender.
"Barkeep!" Ame called, "D'ya have a room I can use? She needs to lie down - and some water too!"
The rattled bartender nodded and showed Ame to the bar car's break room - a small office that was barely larger than the cabin of a horse carriage. There was a sofa there, thankfully, so Ame laid the drunkard down and the bartender set down a pitcher of water and a glass.
The bartender then excused himself and closed the door behind him. Now that the two were alone, Ame poured a glass of water and urged the drunkard to drink.
"Hey you. Hydration check. Drink some water." Ame insisted.
She set the brim of the glass by the drunkard's lips, but the blitzed drunkard refused.
"I get plenny o' wahter all le time…" She argued with a slur, "Gimme da pale ale I ohrduhd!"
"Drink. Some. Water." Ame furrowed her brow and forcibly pressed the glass against the drunkard's lips, "Don't make me get creative. Trust me. You wouldn't like it."
The drunkard pouted at Ame but eventually drank the entire glass in a few gulps. She then glowered at Ame.
"There! Happy?" The drunkard lashed sourly.
"Over the moon!" Ame answered sarcastically. Her stern face, however, told another story entirely.
Now what?" The drunkard grew impatient.
"Now - you rest." Ame replied, channeling the clinical composure of her Uncle Watson. She set aside the glass and gave her prognosis, "You drank a lot of booze and you were practically stumbling back there. You blacked out too. That could have been dangerous."
"I wahsn stublin…" The drunkard's slur remained poor.
"Sure, sure." Ame took the blatant lie in stride and sat down on the sofa. She raised up the drunkard's head, set it down on her lap and spoke, "Now just stay still for a bit and rest. I'll stay here with you till you get better."
The drunkard's red cheeks seemed to grow redder for a moment. The last thing she expected was getting a lap pillow from a beautiful blond girl, after all. Regardless, the drunkard ran out of quips and rested her head on Ame's lap in absolute silence. Only the rattle of the train as it rumbled on towards Portsmouth disturbed the serene albeit cramped scene. More than that, the drunkard had an unusually nice view of Ame's bountiful chest. Ame's bust was compressed by her tan traveling coat, but the way they moved threatened to hypnotize the drunkard regardless.
When the drunkard finally managed to muster the willpower to look away from Ame's chest, she looked up to Ame's face and spoke.
"Oy… I recugnize ya. Yer da gurl frum de nespapr. Wahtsn."
"Normally, I'd be happy that someone finally recognized me instead of fawning over Lowry." Ame chuckled and playfully flicked the drunkard's nose. "But I'm not sure how to feel hearing that from a drunkard."
"I'm naht drank." The drunkard wrinkled her nose and scoffed. She then struggled to introduce herself, "I'm Gooruh. Gooruh Garr… or Garr Gruh, or…"
"Are you trying to say your name or something?" Ame wondered just what in the world the drunkard was trying to say that time. Then, all of the sudden, Ame hiccuped.
The drunkard paused and suddenly burst out laughing.
"H-hey, yer drank too!" She teased Ame.
However, the drunkard suddenly stopped herself and covered her mouth. Ame tilted her head and wondered what the drunkard was doing. Another minute would then pass before the drunkard lowered her hands and spoke again,
"I'm Gura. Gee. You. Are. Eh. S'my name." The drunkard named 'Gura' clarified.
"Amelia Watson." Ame responded, "But you can just call me 'Ame'. It's easier to say."
"Ame, huh…? Suits ya." Gura hummed, savoring the name. Her expression then brightened and she added, "I cahn shee a good perzn when I se wan, A-me. I mean yer takn care o' me - a stranger."
"It's the least I can do for someone who can barely stand up." Ame explained frankly, "Besides - my uncle's a doctor, so I can't say no to someone in need like this. He'd be ashamed if someone died of alcohol poisoning under my watch."
Ame's sky blue eyes then watched Gura's worn blue traveling coat and noticed how tight it seemed to be. The novice doctor then suggested,
"You know - come to think of it - you'll breathe easier if you open up that tight coat of yours… your circulation will…"
Just as Ame was about to reach for the buttons of Gura's coat, however, Gura's right hand disappeared under her coat and her eyes sharpened frigidly. Gura then pulled out a revolver - a similarly worn and weathered American Colt 1873 Single Action Army - and threatened in a rare spell of clarity,
"Don't touch my coat, Ame. Touch my coat and I'll kill you!"
Ame, however, just heaved a sigh and pointed out,
"You know, Gura - you're pointing that gun at your own head."
Gura gasped and then adjusted her aim, pointing the gun at Ame's head this time. Despite this, the blond traveler was completely unfazed.
"You've got a cool gun - a real Big Iron with black powder - but it's in crappy condition. It's probably jammed on you in the past and it's probably gonna jam on you today." Ame calmly assessed, "Oh, and your gun isn't loaded either. The way you moved it just now - it's too light. Rookie."
Gura scrambled to check the cylinder of her revolver and it was, indeed, empty. The drunkard's head started to spin, wondering how this strange blond managed to deduce all that with just one glance. Ame, however, reassured her.
"Fine. I won't open your coat. It's your choice - I won't force you." Ame then proceeded to stroke Gura's white hair and continue, "And besides - if you really wanted to kill me, you would've gotten up and caused a bigger fuss."
Gura pouted again and eventually let the empty gun slip from her hands and onto Ame's lap. The train rumbled on through the tracks and the shaking eventually lulled Gura to sleep. Ame looked up to the ceiling and lamented.
"I came here to get drunk - now I'm taking care of a drunkard who could have killed me. Just my luck."
Moments later, Ame noticed tears forming at the sides of Gura's eyes. So, Ame brought out a handkerchief and wiped Gura's tears for her. She then picked up the Single Action Army revolver from her lap and held it up to the ceiling lamp.
"Ah, I see…" Ame remarked, "No wonder this thing jammed. I can fix that."
She brought out her own revolver's cleaning kit and proceeded to clean the gunk out of Gura's gun. Ame carefully brushed through the barrel and the cylinder with gentle strokes of her ramrod and she meticulously wiped down the sun-bleached frame. Once she had done everything that she could, she noticed the clock on the wall of the break room and gasped.
Time had flown way faster than she thought!
So, Ame wrapped the gun in her used handkerchief and slipped it back into the pocket of Gura's coat while the drunkard stayed fast asleep.
Satisfied, Ame then got up from the sofa, eased Gura's head onto a throw pillow and proceeded to sneak out of the breakroom. She took great care to move quietly and carefully so as to not disturb the sleeping Gura. Then, just as she left the break room and closed the door behind her, she found her partner Ina wandering around the bar car!
Ina noticed Ame out of the blue and a troubled expression took over her.
"Ame, we're almost at Portsmouth - but you never came back to our seats!" Ina started with grave concern, "I was worried that you were drowning your sorrows too much and…"
The aspiring librarian then sniffed and winced bitterly. Absolutely revolted, Ina gasped,
"Eugh~! You reek of alcohol! Just how much did you drink!? Did something happen!?"
Ame laughed with discomfort. How in the world was she going to explain to Ina what just happened to her? No matter how she cut the situation, it wasn't a story that was easy to tell. As the right words to tell Ina stubbornly eluded Ame's grasp, the train whistle blew twice and announced their approach into Portsmouth.
Ina loomed over Ame like a hawk, waiting for an explanation that never came. It didn't take long for Ame to realize that she had just gotten herself into a rather tricky situation.
AlterMyth
Ride On Time
Thirteenth Scene - Slippery Slope
Uneasy silence lingered between Ame and Ina as the two of them stepped off the train onto the Portsmouth Harbor station platform. All the while, a thick, salty fog rolled into Portsmouth and shrouded the harbor, making it hard for the girls to see far beyond the train station. Even then, Ina was unusually assertive and glowered at Ame with looming suspicion.
The right words continued to elude the overwhelmed Ame, lost in the fog of her own mind. Just where in the world could she possibly start!? She was already at wits end.
"W-well, you see…" Ame started, grasping for words - any words, to tell Ina, "It's a bit of a complicated thing… but uh, you know… it's n-nothing really."
Those evasive words, however, only stoked the fires of Ina's suspicion even more.
Ame was about to scramble words together again when she was interrupted by the loud foghorn of the RMS Teutonic - the vessel that would ferry them to Bordeaux, France. Shortly after, the sound of footsteps reached Ame's and Ina's ears.
"The two of you must be the Watson Expedition." The foggy silhouette spoke with a firm, confident voice, "Welcome to Portsmouth Harbour - and to the pride of the White Star Line, the RMS Teutonic."
A tall brunette lady sauntered through the fog and appeared before the couple. She gave them a polite, albeit stiff curtsy and revealed her attire. She wore black pants and a smart, double-breasted coat that somehow managed to accentuate her curves. Her brown hair was long, tied into a ponytail and tucked under the white hat of the RMS Teutonic crew.
"My name's Jacqueline Chadwick, but you can call me Jackie." The lady adjusted her hat proudly for the girls to see and continued, "I'm the First Mate of the Teutonic for this voyage. The skipper, Captain James Morrison Esq., sent me to greet you when you arrived."
"Amelia Watson." Ame introduced herself with a polite curtsy.
"Ina'nis Ninomae." Ina added, following suit.
Chadwick watched the two girls with keen interest and folded her arms as if she was appraising them. Then, Chadwick grinned.
"Well met, Watson! Ninomae!" The First Mate put a hand on her hip and announced, "To celebrate your admirable undertaking, the Captain will be holding a dinner banquet in honor of the two expeditions later tonight. On top of that - we've made arrangements to upgrade your Third-Class 'steerage' tickets to Second-Class 'cabin' tickets. Oh - and you can leave your baggage to us too."
"A ticket upgrade…? And our baggage too..." Ame gasped, "W-wait, how much do we owe you?"
"It's on the house~!" Chadwick explained with a brighter grin, "The trip to Bordeaux will be long, so we want to offer our guests of honor as much hospitality as we can. Life is short, yeah? You have to enjoy things to the fullest."
Ina gave Ame a sidelong glance and whispered coldly,
"Just take it, Ame."
Ame lowered her head and conceded,
"A-alright… thanks for your generosity, Miss Chadwick."
"Excellent~!" Chadwick beamed and gestured to the two girls, "Now then - if you would please follow me, I'll give you a short tour of the ship before we set sail! Then, I'll show you to your rooms."
With that, the First Mate led Ame and Ina through the foggy gangway and onto the deck of the RMS Teutonic. Thankfully, when they entered the ship, the fog didn't follow them inside. Chadwick spoke enthusiastically and showed the girls the various sections of the passenger ocean liner and its various amenities. However, neither Ame nor Ina could listen to the tour - or pay attention to their surroundings.
Ame racked her brains and tried to make sense of her meeting with Gura, but her encounter seemed stranger and stranger the more she thought about it. She stole glances of Ina too, hoping for some sort of opening to talk to her or a clue to make her explanation smoother, but Ina stubbornly evaded her gaze. That stalemate, however, wasn't going to last forever - and Ame knew that all too well.
Soon enough, the tour came to an end and Chadwick brought the two to their upgraded second-class Cabin room.
True to the name, it was a small cabin that was about the size of a single-bed dorm room at the College. There were two single beds illuminated by a hanging electric lamp and the faint light of the foggy afternoon sun shining through a small, circular window. Their modest load of luggage was also stowed away in the corner of the room too - just as Chadwick had promised.
The First Mate gave the girls a thumbs up and ended her spiel.
"Well then, I've got to go back to the bridge now. Rest up for now - and don't forget to dress up for the dinner banquet! We will be taking photographs, after all."
Chadwick excused herself and then closed the door behind her, leaving Ame and Ina in an awkward silence.
The aspiring detective sat on her bed while the librarian apprentice sat on hers. The two girls faced each other and Ina played with her long locks of dark-purple hair. Her lips pursed and she stole glances of Ame this time, quietly asking her for an answer - an answer that Ame had been struggling with all that time.
Then, just as Ame opened her mouth to answer, there was a knock on the door.
Ame gritted her teeth and cursed beneath her breath. Was it Chadwick? Or someone from Lowry's crew?
Whoever it was, it was bad timing. Ame crumpled her lips and called out to the door.
"It's open. Come in."
The cabin door opened and revealed a peculiarly short, white-haired young woman who was wearing a maid outfit. Ame's heart stopped when she saw this and her face went pale with horror. She recognized the shark-style hair ornaments nestled alongside the maid's headdress - and the unusual tightness of her maid uniform was all too familiar.
The 'maid' closed her eyes and gave a curtsy as she introduced herself with a Southern drawl.
"Howdy folks. I'm Gawr Gura. I'll be the chambermaid for your room - and I'll be your dinner server too."
When Gura stood up straight and opened her eyes, she saw the mortified Ame with her jaw dropped. Gura's face then went beet red as she and Ame shouted at the same time,
"It's you! From the train!"
Ina's expression turned sour in an instant. She folded her arms and growled with rising anger,
"Ame…"
Hearing her name like that made Ame start sweating bullets. Even the chambermaid Gura felt like she had stepped on a landmine. Then, the awkward silence was broken by the foghorn of the RMS Teutonic as the ship finally set sail.
Now, Ame knew that there was no going back.
Fourteenth Scene - Hectopascal
Ina'nis Ninomae sat on her bed but wore a menacing expression that chilled both Ame and Gura to the core. She seemed to give off an unearthly aura as her purple eyes scanned the room to glare at Ame, then at Gura.
Her eyes then settled on Gura and promptly tested her.
"You say your name is 'Gawr Gura', huh? First name Gura. Family name Gawr. Unusual - but not unheard of." Ina hummed with displeasure, "I've read about that kind of name in an old Greek book. The etymology is Atlantean - from Atlantis. Do you mean to tell me that you're from Atlantis?"
"A-Atlantis!? Naw… I'm not from Atlantis!" Gura trembled and tried to argue, "That place is a myth! Doesn't exist! Those Greeks are funny fellers ain't they? Probably got mixed up with Atlanta or somethin'"
"Is that so." Ina crossed her legs and challenged, "Then where are you from, Miss Maid?"
Gura fidgeted under Ina's gaze, but she managed to answer her.
"I'm from… uh… West Virginia! Y-yeah. I was a rootin', tootin' cowgirl from the US of A! I'm just here for work - I swear!"
Ina's glare sharpened, but Gura's Southern drawl eventually convinced her. So, Ina's eye turned to Ame next.
"And you, Ame - I thought you said nothing really happened in the train. But all of the sudden - you had fun with a Yankee and tried to hide it from me!? I was worried sick about you, you know!"
Ame squirmed under the intense pressure of Ina's eyes. This was the first time Ina asserted herself and Ame thought that she was going to blow a fuse! Ame grabbed her own collar and gulped as she desperately thought of some excuse to say.
Then, Gura suddenly intervened.
"Um! Well - you see - Ame found me in the bar car earlier! I drank too much and blacked out. She took care of me in the break room there till I felt better. That's all - honest!"
"Ame…?" Ina noticed the nickname. Shadows then formed over her purple eyes and she clarified, "She took care of you?"
"Y-yeah…" Gura blushed hard and explained, "She made me drink water. She stroked my hair and let me lie down on her lap and…"
Ina listened to Gura's story and the shadow over her eyes seemed to darken. The temperature in the room seemed to fall for Ame as Ina's very presence became a blizzard.
Finally, Ina snapped.
"ENOUGH! I've heard enough! The both of you! Get out!"
"Ina, wait…!" Ame tried to speak, "Calm down for a sec…"
"GET OUT, I SAID!" Ina roared with frigid fury, "STUPID AME! GET OUT!"
Ina grabbed her coin purse and threw it at Ame. The frightened detective shielded herself, blocked the purse with her shoulder and watched its contents of threepence coins spill out onto the cabin floor. The purse didn't hurt Ame in the slightest, but her heart felt heavy and ached with sadness.
Absolutely defeated, Ame got up from her bed and brought herself and Gura out of the room. A somber frown remained on Ame's lips and she tried to steal one last glance of her friend, but that only stung her heart even more.
Ame rubbed her temple and grumbled - frustrated with herself. All the while, other travelers in the Cabin-class hall were poking their heads out from the doors of their rooms and wondered what the racket was all about.
Gura shrank under the gaze of the other passengers, so she tugged on Ame's sleeve and proposed,
"Hey. Let's go get some fresh air - clear the mind and all. It's sorta stuffy in here, y'know… with all the people watchin'."
Ame nodded weakly and let the chambermaid lead her out of the Cabin-class hall and onto the deck of the ship. The two young ladies leaned against the rails of the Teutonic's deck. They were greeted by the sea breeze and the salty spray of the English Channel blowing against their faces.
At the very least, the fog was long gone and the afternoon sun was setting in the West.
Dejected, Ame and Gura watched the foggy Portsmouth Harbor drift further and further away. Seagulls sang their song while the Teutonic traced lines of thick, brown smoke from its twin funnels, adding to the chaos that Ame and Gura felt.
The Teutonic blew its foghorn again and spurred Gura to break the silence,
"I'm sorry for talking out of line there, Am… I mean, Watson…"
"Ame's fine. I'm not really picky with names, you see." Ame answered wistfully, "Ina - the one who threw coins at me - was the first one to call me that. She came up with that nickname too, so it's sort of special for her. That's probably why she got mad… well, one of the reasons at least."
"One of the reasons?" Gura gulped fearfully, "That… doesn't sound good."
So, as the Teutonic sailed on towards the setting sun, Ame explained her situation to Gura. The chambermaid nodded eagerly and made an effort to listen to Ame's story - from Ina being entrusted to her by Dr. Watson to the high stakes of the wager that she made with Mr. Lowry.
"Boy, that's rough. I can see why Ina's mad." Gura scratched the back of her head. Then, she smirked at Ame, "But at the same time, the two of you really care about each other, huh?"
"We do…?" Ame tilted her head, "Me and Ina?"
"Yeah - who else would I talk about, dumdum?" Gura scolded, "I mean - you wouldn't have made that wager if you didn't care about Miss Ina. Then, Miss Ina wouldn't have accompanied you until now if she didn't care about you, Ame!
"Hmm… I never thought about it that way before." Ame admitted bashfully, "I guess I really am the dumbest of the Watsons."
"I won't disagree with you there, partner." Gura snickered devilishly. She then wore a warm smile and added, "But I still caused the two of you trouble - even after you helped me out and all in the train. Hell - I even pointed a gun at ya when my head was fuzzy! That ain't right. So, if there's anything I can do to help you make up with Miss Ina, I'd like to do it."
"How to make up with Ina…" Ame thought out loud. She looked out to the sun setting in the West and realized, "Come to think of it, Ina really enjoys eating. Whenever we chatted back in the school - she usually had some sort of snack with her. The last time we ate was at the English Maiden for breakfast… and she doesn't eat well when she's worried. So, if she's been worried about me all this time, then..."
Ame and Gura then looked at each other and gasped.
"She's hungry!" They came to the same realization.
"Say, Gura…" Ame promptly asked, "When's the dinner banquet gonna be?"
"In a few hours." Gura explained, "The skipper likes to eat late, you see."
"Is that so?" Ame folded her arms. Her confidence started rising once more as she eagerly spoke, "Well then - do you think you can whip something up for us before then? A quick snack?"
"I sure can~!" Gura answered, matching Ame's energy, "You can be my sous chef if you want to help out!"
Ame nodded and then gave Gura a salute. She then answered,
"Yes chef!"
Gura burst out laughing, but she clearly enjoyed Ame's enthusiasm.
"I like it! I like it!" Gura bounced around the deck, "Come with me then, Ame! We're making a peace offering for Miss Ina!"
Fifteenth Scene - Summer Triangle
Back in the Cabin-class room, a somber Ina picked up the threepence coins that had spilled out from her purse one by one. All the while, she grumbled about the story that the stammering chambermaid revealed to her out of fear. She imagined a debonair Ame biting the stalk of a rose as she carried the blushing chambermaid Gura through the Portsmouth-bound train.
That scene she made in her mind frustrated her to no end - but she was frustrated by how she was letting this get to her at all. Was she afraid of losing Ame to the chambermaid? Seeing how in-sync Ame and Gura were, Ina was shaken to the core. She felt betrayed - but a part of her told her that it was unfair for her to think like that. After all, Ina knew that she had been keeping her own feelings bottled up as well.
Ever since her eyes met with Ame's in the foyer of Dr. Watson's medical practice, Ina admired Ame. When Ame protected her against the bullies - risking her life and reputation to do so - Ina looked up to Ame as her hero. Somewhere along the way, Ina fell for the dorky detective's charm - but she never once had the courage to admit it. Only Ina's old sketchbook knew her true feelings, after all.
It was her most precious secret - one of the many secrets that Ina'nis Ninomae kept from Amelia Watson.
Perhaps she should apologize? That thought crossed Ina's mind more than once. Even she could appreciate how odd a situation Ame got herself into. It also didn't sit well with her to treat the chambermaid Gura so harshly either. More than that, she couldn't help but think that the chambermaid was incredibly cute.
She couldn't possibly stay mad forever.
Just as Ina was wondering what to do, there was a knock on the door. Ame's voice then called her,
"Ina? Are you there?"
Ina pouted and stayed silent. She then set her coin purse aside on the nightstand and buried herself under the blankets of her bed.
Moments later, the door of the room opened and two pairs of footsteps sauntered inside.
Ina remained silent and stayed under her blankets, but the presence of Ame and Gura approached her bedside. Ame's voice then called Ina again.
"Hey, Ina. I'm sorry - okay? It was a bit of a bizarre adventure, you see - I didn't know how to tell you about it without sounding weird and all."
The presence of Gura then drew closer to the bedside as well and added,
"I'm also sorry, Miss Ina. I shouldn't have gotten blitzed like I did. I even troubled your friend to take care of me. That's why I made you a peace offering. Ame helped too."
Under the blankets, Ina pursed her lips. She was tempted to tell Ame and Gura to buzz off, but a strangely pleasant smell reached her nose - the smell of freshly cooked food. Then, Ina's hungry stomach rumbled loudly.
Slowly, Ina emerged from her blanket and saw Ame and Gura kneeling at her bedside. Behind the two dorks, there was a wooden tray with plates of food.
Gura then grinned at Ina and explained,
"Ame told me that you grew up in Canada, Miss Ina - so I made something nearly every North American family loves. Meatload!"
Ina finally sat up straight on the bed and saw that there was a serving of basic meatloaf with mashed potatoes and boiled vegetables. It was completely different from the high-end, bistro-style food of the English Maiden cafe, but that was the way her parents made dinner.
Ame and Gura made that meatloaf - for her.
"You must be really hungry after our long trip today." Ame smiled warmly at Ina and offered her hand to her, "Think of this as our apology to you, Ina. C'mon - let's eat."
Gura grinned at Ina too and quietly urged her to take Ame's hand.
So, after a moment of silence, Ina obliged.
Ina took Ame's hand and let the detective help her up to her feet. All the while, Ina stubbornly lectured them..
"F-fine… but please don't make me worry like that again, Ame."
"I'll try not to~" Ame answered gladly.
"And for you, Miss Gura?" Ina started sternly. Then, she finally wore a small smile, "It's called 'meatloaf', not 'meatload'."
"Eh…!? Really!?" Gura gasped. It was as if she had just had a major, life-changing revelation, "I've been lied to all this time!"
Ina, on the other hand, broke out into laughter. The frigid snowstorm that had taken root in her voice finally melted away. Ame and Gura joined in and the three of them sat down at the cabin table. There, Gura sat and watched as Ame and Ina ate meatloaf together.
The three young ladies introduced themselves once more and broke down the barriers between them quickly. All the while, the RMS Teutonic rocked slightly harder than usual as it cut through rough waters.
The swaying caused a trio of threepence coins that Ina missed to slide closer and closer together until the distance between them finally disappeared - as if the distance was never there at all.
Epilogue
Later that evening, at the reception for Captain James Morrison's dinner banquet, Jackie Chadwick watched the room from one of the corners. She had a lit cigar in her mouth and puffed leisurely in the midst of the lively din of the RMS Teutonic's many guests. The First Mate's eyes, however, were fixed on the photograph station.
There, she found Amelia Watson wearing a beautiful yellow cocktail dress while Ina'nis Ninomae had a dazzling dress of rich periwinkle. The two young ladies flanked one of Chadwick's staff, the chambermaid Gawr Gura, and urged her to join them in their commemorative photograph.
"Well, they're having fun…" Chadwick mused with a smile on her lips. However, her thoughts trailed off along with the smoke of her cigar.
While Chadwick puffed her cigar, a tuxedo-clad sailor approached her and whispered something in her ear. Chadwick nodded and then followed the sailor out of the reception hall. The two of them then walked briskly down the main hallway towards a door marked 'Marconi Telegraph Room'.
Chadwick went into the telegraph room alone and regarded the large, sprawling Marconi telegraph machine before her that covered the walls of the small room and the small wooden desk. A small ticker tape printer produced a thin strip of paper marked with a series of dots and dashes.
Once the printer came to a stop, Chadwick tore off the strip of paper and read its contents.
Chadwick then scoffed. She crumpled up the message and then turned to the tuxedo-clad sailor.
"Operator. Send a message for me to London." The First Mate barked confidently, "I've got new orders for your boy."
To Be Continued