She was an old ship, too old to be considered useful in her trade anymore. She used to be a lumber hauler, carrying large loads from Seattle to ports in Alaska but containerization had found its way into her industry. Not that she minded. She was too old to be bothered by anything really. Her once lovely green paint had turned brown and red as rust took over everything. Her bones hurt more and she struggled a bit more in the mornings to keep up with the faster pace of today.
She looked down as the yard manager came up to her. It'd been a long 4 years since she first came to this place, her owners putting her up for sale yet refusing to sell for anything other than the right price. From the look on his face, she could see that wait had come to an end.
"You're popular all of a sudden, Oregon. Four different buyers want to take a look at ya." He said.
Oregon merely sighed, resting her head on the dock, nose within his reach. "So predictable." He chuckled and started stroking it. A shaky purr escaped her. "You'll be missed here, Oregon. I hope you know that." She sighed again, allowing him to continue his petting. As he did her mind wondered. She knew nothing of the buyers here to see her but she was certain a majority were scrapyards. She was too old and weak to care. She'd lived a good life. 30 years in the lumber trade. Her sisters were also being sold off at a rate faster than a Shuttle's SRBs. It was only a matter of time before she too found her end.
The petting had her relaxed enough for the buyers to enter the ring. Eyes closed, she only half listened. She didn't care who bought her. A scrapyard was a scrapyard. She only hoped they'd be humane enough to give her the needle before they started tearing her apart. The auctioneer had his work cut out for him as apparently, she was popular. Two of the buyers backed out, leaving the other two to their own device and it was a fierce battle from the sound of things.
"SOLD! To Mr. Juan Cabrillo. Congratulations sir."
The crowd began to disperse and Oregon's curiosity grew. She knew of most scrapyards in the Pacific and Cabrillo didn't sound like he was from one. The auctioneer would've listed it surely, unless it was an illegal operation. She prayed it wasn't that yard in Malaysia. Her fear and hatred grew at the thought of that place. Oh what she wouldn't give to see it shut down with a well placed missile! She didn't realize she'd been growling until a voice said "Easy girl, I'm not here to hurt ya."
She sighed. "Then why are you here?" She asked, opening her eyes. She stared up into a young and handsome man of Spanish descent. He looked like a typical Californian, complete with the bleached blonde hair. It was his eyes that startled her. Bright ocean blue. She was no stranger to unusual colors. Her own eyes were a faded amber with the pupil a deep brown. "If not to take me to a scrapyard?"
"No scrapyards for you girl. Not today at least and if you're good, I can promise longer." He grinned.
She snorted. "Don't tease me boy. I was plying the Pacific before you could even walk."
"You'll be plying a lot more waters than that in the next few years." He said. "Maybe even make a nice few shiny pennies along the way."
"I'm listening." She was curious despite herself. This man sounded like a rich kid who didn't know the first thing about handling a ship. She was about to learn just how wrong she was.