Chapter 3

To say I was surprised was an understatement. Yesterday this had not been here, now it was. It also felt weird, as if I was looking at myself yet still in my body. I almost felt like I could feel the waves lapping against the hull. Though that could be the waves on my toes. Rangitaiki and I were standing in the surf looking at the hull floating there. I wasn't sure how long it had been but neither of us had said a word after I woke her.

"So you claim this is your hull?" Rangitaiki finally asked breaking the silence.

"Aye, see it's got my pennant number oan th' side." I pointed to the giant G61 on the side. Rangitaiki nodded at this.

"Is it possible to get aboard?" she asked. I thought about that. Theoretically, we should, but in the time we had been watching it not one person had appeared on the hull, which was weird. The only way up to the deck was the anchor chain, which I for one did not want to climb. Theoretically, there should be cargo nets or something that could be thrown over the side to make it easier. But that required someone on the ship to set that up.

"Thir shuid be" I acknowledged. Maybe if we could cause a motor launch to be deployed, we could swim to it and then climb up the ropes? But how to deploy the boat. I lost myself in my thoughts when suddenly I felt Rangitaiki shaking me.

"Javelin, Javelin, look!" she was urgently uttering. I looked and saw one of the motor launches amidships had swung out and had slowly lowering to the water. I gasped, as there was no one operating the controls. When I did, the launching stopped, leaving the boat hanging in the air.

"Whit th'?"

"What the?" we both asked. I knew that without someone to operate the controls the boat should not be like this. I just hoped this wasn't some ghost ship situation where I was now haunted by my hull. I stole a glance at Rangitaiki, and was surprised to see her looking excited.

"Is that some kind of magic?" she asked.

"Nae, it's mechanical, but it shuidn't be happening wi' oot someone to operate it" I replied. Her face fell, a bit. Magic? In this day and age? Hadn't the last time witches and mages and stuff been thought to be real the 1700s? I shook my head and looked back at the hull. I was frustrated, of course whatever had caused the launch to start being deployed had to stop before it was fully down. In frustration, I wanted the boat to be deployed. The launch then moved. Downward. "It's no' possible" I breathed. This was drowned out by Rangitaiki's reaction.

"It's moving again! are you sure it isn't magic?" I had willed it to move and it had. Maybe. I then wanted the launch to stop. At the same time, the movement stopped. I willed it to move. It started again. I couldn't help it as a smile spread across my face.

"It is me!" I exclaimed.

"What do you mean? You said it was your hull right?" Rangitaiki asked.

"Well aye but nae listen" I started my excitement causing me to talk faster "Am controlling th' launch being lowered or no'. I think because it's my hull am able to control it"

"Slow down, I didn't catch all that" she retorted, confusion playing over her face.

"Am th' one controlling it watch" I waved my hand willing the launch to stop and it did. I waved it again, willing it to start, and it continued to lower. This time compersion flickered into Rangitaiki's eyes.

"I see so you are the ship!" she exclaimed, "Wait this means we can use that to get aboard right" I nodded my head in agreement.

"Ye can swim right?" I asked her.

"Yes! My parents wouldn't let me join the crew unless I could!"

"Then let's go!" I cried, grabbing her hand and pulling her out into the water. She nodded and once we had to swim she struck out next to me for the boat. I hauled myself aboard first and helped her in. Once we were both ready I willed the davits to draw us up. In growing excitement the lines drew up and started to lift the launch back aboard. Once the davits stopped moving I climbed over the side and on to the deck. I was overcome with a strong feeling of nostalgia.

"Am home" I sobbed, unable to contain myself anymore. I felt a weight around me as Rangitaiki hugged me. She didn't say anything but her presence helped me get a hold of myself. "Follow me" I told Rangitaiki once I was calmer. She nodded and we set off up towards the bow. After climbing the latter up to the next deck I reached out and opened the door into the superstructure. "Come in" I invited Rangitaiki. She nodded and I followed her into the superstructure.

"This is where most of th' officers an' command personnel ur stationed" I informed Rangitaiki. As we moved up to the bridge I pointed out the different rooms and functions to her. The weird part was the fact that there didn't appear to be anyone on me or I guess my hull. In one regard that made sense I had been decommissioned, I had fought a hard war, but I felt great, as if I had just been freshly finished. Which is what I should not be feeling. " 'ere is th' bridge!" I announced as we climbed up the last stairway to the top of the command tower.

"Wow" Rangitaiki replied. I had to agree. the Bridge was an open area with the instruments in the center of the open space. It was sunk down from the top of the superstructure, with the sides the top of the command trapezoid. To the front the steering wheel was placed below the main deck level in an alcove. From here you could see the entire ship, and a good ways over the island and wreck. The bridge was also abandoned, leading me to wonder how the ship had gotten here.

This question led me to ponder something. If I could control the davits and motor launches, what else could I do? Could I get the egnines running? by the looks of it if there was anyone aboard we would not have made it this far into critical areas of the ship with out being stopped. Further contemplation also indicated to me what I could still feel the waves. As I stood on one of the tallest point of the ship, I shouldn't be able too. The cubes, my javelin, and now this? Something odd was happening.

While Rangitaiki looked out from the bridge, I focused. Trying to feel the hull as a part of me. Starting with the feeling of waves, I went deeper. letting my sense of touch flow into the new area. It felt cold, except the davit we had used to get onboard. I could feel us standing on my bridge. I then went deeper. Into the depths. this was harder and I closed my eyes to concentrate better. The turrets, the barbets and ammo lifts entered into my scope. I kept reaching looking for one section in particular. I found it, the cramped compartment with the most technical aspects. I put force into my will.

Thrummmmm! With a start, I almost fell as the feeling of vibration started. Up here on the bridge the noise wasn't very loud, but the feeling of the engine starting could be felt.

"What the heck is that!?" Rangitaiki cried.

"My engine!" I couldn't help by smile as I revealed this. Rangitaiki looked confused at first then her eyes opened wide.

"Does that mean..?" she couldn't even bring herself to finish her though. I nodded.

"We ur getting aff 'is Island!" I finished it for her. Rangitaiki smiled, and flung herself at me in a tight hug.

"thankyouthanuye" she cried, collapsing into me. I held her as she cried, not know what to do, hoping that this was enough to comfort her. It was finally my turn to help her. Granted it wasn't much but to me, she had helped me tremendously. I started to rub her back hoping to help clam her down a bit. My eyes drifted over the horizon, letting the Type 291 surface radar, and Type 293 air search radar come online to assist in expanding my senses. In time Rangitaiki's sobs got quieter.

"Ur ye feelling better?" I asked. She nodded, rubbing her eyes, before fully standing up.

"Much, I'd just completely given up hope I could actually escape this Island. I-I've-I've…" she could finish her thought but I got her general meaning.

"Lets focus oan seeing whit supplies ur aboard me, then go oan from thir?" I suggested. Rangitaiki nodded at that. "Come oan then, I can show ye around me as we go!" I hoped my energy would help Rangitaiki to feel better as we descended into my hull.

Unforntally our tally had not revealed may useful supplies. For example there was no food, but everything in the galley was in working order and stocked up with utensels. There was no fresh-water, but the storage appeared to work. I did strangely have full magazines (which I had examined alone), and the ready use lockers were full, but there were no firearms or side arms a person could use. Leaving my javelin as the only weapon we had between us. I had decided the test of my armuments would have to wait. The cabins and sleeping areas were fully furnished with blankets and hammocks. But the ship's store was also frustratingly empty. I was in the room below the bridge where the charts and other tools were stored. Slowly going over the charts.

"Javelin I'm done!" Rangitaiki called as she entered the room. I had sent her aft to do a more through look through of the captain's cabin and other installations. "The rooms were well furnished, but I could find any food or water" she lamented "Oh what do you have here?" I now recalled she was part of the navigation team on her ship.

"Charts, am no' sure where we ur but it seems lek th' Pacific, so I pulled them oot. Here come look over them yerself" I replied. She looked a little confused but came over.

"These charts don't look right. I don't recognize any of the landmasses, they look like charts but are you sure they are?" That stopped me, I hadn't really considered much about this world, but now that I thought about it, Rangitaiki had never heard of Britain. She had also called the ocean something I hadn't heard of before. I mainly had Pacific Ocean charts out, so now I flipped through the charts to pull out a world map.

"Does any o' 'is look familiar?" I asked her. I watched as Rangitaiki slid over closer to me and looked closer. I watched as her brows furrowed as she looked at it. The longer she did the more it furrowed.

"I don't recongize any of these landmasses, some look nominally familiar, but its all wrong. That said here" she started, indicating New Zealand, "looks in the general area where my home land would be on a world map, but the map is too small." That stunned me, I now had no idea where I was anymore. Up until now I had presumed somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. but with this, and Rangitaiki's confirmation she didn't recognize any of this forced me to abandon that idea.

"Well, couid ye navigate or track oor progress?" I asked her, quickly putting the maps up, and getting a blank chart out. At this point I couldn't think of any other option.

"Yes, but I can't guarantee I can find us our way to anywhere but I'll do my best!" She beamed at me.

" 'ats all I can ask f'r" I responded. With that Rangitaiki hugged me, a massive smile on her face.

"It's been too long since I was able to practice navigating. I'm looking forward to it" she respond. I smiled back, our energies fueling one another.

"Now we need to start final preparations!" I started, Rangitaiki quickly nodded backing off a little "Seeing as we hav nae food an' water, we need to gather as much as possible, and store it aboard!"

"Noted, lets get to it" Rangitaiki respond. With that we left the superstructure to the motor launch. Before I got in the Motor launch, I threw cargo nets over the side so one of us could climb up if needed. This time when the launch hit the water I disconnected it from the davits. I quickly started the engine.

"Hold on" I told Rangitaiki, she quickly grabbed the side but looked puzzled. I smiled back, and gunned the engine, doing a quick lap around my hull, before bringin the motor launch onto the beach. "What is that? It was sooooo cool" Rangitaiki asked me.

"It's a motor launch, so th' engine propelles it forward at a high speed. It's used to transfer crew an' officers from th' 'hip to shore." I reponed jumping out to pull it onto the beach "I figure we can use 'is to bring a lot o' supplies over to my hull an' then store them."

"That makes sense, so as much food and water as we can find, without destroying the environment?" Rangitaiki asked, as she jumped out of the boat. I nodded at that, starting towards that place where we slept. Rangitaiki, headed off to gather food from the island.

We spent the next couple of hours gathering supplies and moving them aboard my hull. I looked at the island from the side as we moved the last of the supplies from the motor launch.

"I think to help supplement the water, we should set up a still of some kind and some collection buckets" Rangitaiki was concerned about the water situation. overall we had more food then water.

"Aye, seeing as we can use my galley, we shuid be able to mek a still thir." I agreed. "Before we set out, tomorrow lets use one of the larger barrels to gather some salt water."

"Tomorrow?" Rangitaiki asked.

"Aye I figure it's best to head oot early tomorrow to mek sure we are in good shape. Having a proper night's rest before traveling is a good idea" I told her, picking up some food to run to the gally.

"I see what you mean" Rangitaiki responded "I like that plan, lets spend the rest of the day getting ready for a long haul. Once we leave we need to find the near land mass and get proper charts." I nodded at her addition.

"We can also pick oot where we ur going to sleep and mek sure oor blankets ur good" I continued. She beamed at that.

"I haven't had a bed for a long time" she repsoned "I can't wait!" With that we set about the last few tasks of the day. I primarily stored food, and made sure everything was secured. This was because I knew where everything was. Rangitaiki, went to look at the navigation tools and to search out where the best place was to sleep. I also took the time to fully check my munitions, and was pleased to find I was fully stocked just in case. I hadn't noticed anything on my surface search or air search radar, even my ASDIC was quiet. I has relived at that, but after our talk earlier about the world I was unsure if they would even help in searching out threats.

That night we lay in the captain's sea cabin next to one another. Ironically we had both chosen this for our first night aboard. after sleeping together for so long it wasn't easy to break that. I had laid my javelin with in arms reach, and lay on the outside of the bed. We were trying to get to sleep early, but even with the light off I wasn't feeling tired.

"Javelin? are you awake?" I heard Rangitaiki whisper next to me.

"Aye? is summant wrong?" I replied.

"I want to aplologize." came her voice. I rolled on to my side to look at her.

"Whit you mean?"

"About not believing you with the ship stuff. I really didn't think you were a ship. But after seeing all of this?, and being here with you tells me I was wrong. I don't really know what to make of the world anymore. I thought I knew a lot of things, but now I'm not so sure. I just want to make sure that I… well…" she trailed off.

"Its okay, I wuidn't hav believed myself either if I had bin in yer position" I replied.

"Maybe but, your helping me, and I feel bad about doubting you" I could tell from her voice that this was really bothering her.

"It's okay" I reached out and hugged her "I wuid hav helped ye anyway!"

"Thank you Javelin" she replied. I smiled at that, felt her lean into my hug. After a while I heard her breathing get deeper and knew she had fallen asleep. With that I finally fell asleep. In the morning I was the first one up. Seeing that Rangitaiki was still asleep, I quietly extracted my self, grabbed my javelin, and headed out. I had been running my engine the entire night, and I now started trying to build up steam. I quickly ran through the last few checks. Gathering salt water to distill, and setting out containers to catch rainwater just in case on the fordeck. With those done I looked over the Island from the main deck. I hand't been here that long, but it still felt weird to be leaving it behind.

"There you are!" Rangitaiki's voice came from behind me. Looking to my right I saw her coming up the raling next to me.

"Hehe, sorry, I woke up e'rly so I decided to dae the stuff we needed before we headed oot." I explained.

"That fine but it freaked me out to wake up alone!" she chided, coming to stand next to me. Nothing was said, both of us looking over the island. "Is it weird to say i'll miss it?" she asked.

"Nae, I got a similar feeling" I replied "Mibbe, because its where I meet ye". I glanced over the Island one last time before faceing Rangitaiki. "Ye ready to leave?"

"Yes". I nodded at that. I tuned toward my bow and willed the ancor chain to raise. It did so with a slow rhythmic clank as each chain was raised up. Once the anchor was raised I finally put energy into my screws. After building up steam for the past half hour or so, I was ready to go. I beamed as I felt them start to move, slowly my hull started forward. Gradually it speed up. "bye" I heard Rangitaiki say behind me. I turned and saw that she was looking at the wreck.

"Rangitaiki?" I asked.

"I'm fine" she turned to me, a smile growing on her face "let's go!" I nodded at that.

"Let us get oot of here!"


Note: I want to quickly address something in case this comes up in the future. When I did my research for this chapter the best answer to what radar Javelin had told me it was the Type 291 surface radar, and Type 293 air search radar, which were installed at the end of the war. Now with the current looking I can't find verification of that, some sources even indicate that the type 291 was an air search and not a surface radar. The best source I have that details her radar is in 1944 battle of Ushant where she had a type 291 and older type 271Q (Tribals, Battles, and Darings by Alexander Clarke pg 109). Currently I have decided to run with the more advanced radar, but if I find a source that indicates its something else I will switch to it. Just warning ahead of time incase this happens and causes a discrepancy.