FROM DOVER TO PLYMOUTH, AND BACK
Chapter 8
By Kiddo
~*~ In Loving Memory Of Jonathan Brandis ~*~
~**Don't fix a broken heart. Who really wants to forget? (Joseph
Fiennes)**~
~**~
The wind blows one leaf from the tree,
One of many leaves,
This one leaf, you hardly notice it,
Because one is even nothing.
But only this leaf
Was part of our life,
And therfore this one leaf
Will always be missed from us.
~**~
Disclaimer:
I don't have any rights to "seaQuest DSV" or "seaQuest 2032" and I am not making any money with this story.
A big Thank You goes to my wonderfull beta-reader Jackie and KatKnits00, Kas, Sam, Dolphinology and Pheniox-Skye for their reviews.
@KatKnits00, Kas, Dolphinology: Thanks, it's great to hear that you like it. Hope you also will like my other chapters.
@Sam: There won't be a real bad guy. Sorry! I hope I don't dissapoint you with this answer.
@Pheniox-Skye: Of course I will continue with this story, I hate it when people start posting a fanfic and then suddenly stop and never finish it. There is nothing that can stop me from posting this storie until it is finished. And yes, Lucas will be smart.
Feedback and reviews are still the only thing I get for writing. So please review.
***************************************************************************
Tim O'Neill had shown the boy all the rooms under deck. From time to time, Lucas would ask the older man a few questions. And O'Neill had introduced him to Miguel Ortiz, Jonathan Ford and Manilow Crocker. Now Tim and Lucas stepped onto the deck of the ship.
"The seaQuest has a length of 76 feet, a width of 20 feet, and a height of 78 feet," explained O'Neill. "The three masts have all different names. The first mast is the foremast, the middle one is the mainmast, and the last mast is called mizzenmast."
Lucas looked at the three masts. On the first two were hanging two quadrangular sails. On the mizzenmast was only one oblique hanging triangular sail. "Do the sails also have special names?"
O'Neill nodded. "Yes, the sail from the mainmast is called the mainsail. Do you have an idea what the sail that hangs on the foremast could be called?"
The teenager thought about this question for only a few seconds. "The foresail?"
Tim smiled. "Exactly. Normally the sails are named for the mast they are hanging on. But the triangular sail that hangs on the mizzenmast is called aft-sail. But it's easy to remember that. The long poles that run diagonally along the masts, where the sails are hanging on, are called square. The ropes that hold the sails and the masts are called the rigging."
O'Neill went on with his explanations. "The back of the ship is called aft, and the deck on the back is called quarterdeck. The front part of the ship is called bow. Do you see the long pole that goes beyond the bow?"
The teenager nodded.
"That's the bowsprit. The sail on that is called bowsprietsail or 'Blinde'. The back end of the ship is the stern. The middle part of the ship is called midships. The narrow part at the front of the seaQuest that divides the water is called stem."
Tim O'Neill pointed to the left side of the ship. "The left side is always port. That word can also mean that the ship should move to the left. Starboard is the right side, and it can also mean that the seaQuest should turn right." O'Neill showed him another thing. "That is the capstan. We can lift the heavy weight of the anchor with this."
Tim looked at Lucas. "I know I have told you a lot of new things, but you will remember all names with time. You will see; this will happen faster than you think. Do you have any other questions left?"
Lucas nodded. "Yes, how do you pilot the seaQuest?"
O'Neill nodded; he had expected such a question from the teenager. The boy listened carefully and asked intelligent questions. "That is a good question. We pilot the ship with the sails and with the "Kolderstock.(" The kolderstock is something like a big lever. The lever is attached to the pin, and the pin is fastened to the stern-rudder. When you move the kolderstock, you also move the rudder in the water. And because of that, we can pilot the ship in different directions. Come with me, and I show you the kolderstock. You can also meet the last crew member you haven't seen until now."
Lucas followed O'Neill in the direction of the quarterdeck. Now he could see a woman who was standing next to a stick that disappeared into the floor of wood. She had one of her hands on the Kolderstock.
The teenager's glance stopped on the woman; the nearer he got to her, the bigger his eyes became. First he had thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but now he was sure that this wasn't so. The boy's smile got bigger. The black-haired woman smiled also. Lucas was relieved to see that she also remebered him.
Katherine smiled. Lucas hadn't forgotten her. She gave him a short hug when he stood in front of her. "Hello, Lucas, how are you? It's so nice to see you again!"
The blond boy looked questioningly at her. "Hello, Katie, what are you doing here?"
Hitchcock had to smile at the look on the teenager's face. "I'm working here, Lucas."
"Oh!" Lucas had to laugh at himself. "Stupid question." He thought a moment about the whole thing. When he was little, he had called his mother's friend Katie. Would it be okay if he still did it? He wasn't a small child anymore. Maybe she would find this stupid? "Is it still all right if I call you Katie?"
"Of course!" Hitchcock looked closely at the teenager. "You have grown so much since the last time I saw you."
Lucas nodded. "Yes, it has been a long time. Seven years."
Katherine nodded with agreement. "Lucas, I'm sorry about your mother. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for her burial. But, I didn't hear about her death until it was too late."
The boy looked at the ocean. "It's all right." Then he changed the subject. "The captain told me that the seaQuest is sailing to Plymouth. But where is it?"
Now Tim O'Neill rejoined the conversation. He had only listened and watched until now. "Plymouth is in New England. We are sailing to Plymouth to bring them the things we're carrying on board and after that, we head back to Dover."
"I see, but I have never heard of Plymouth before," said Lucas and pulled a few strands of hair out of his face.
"Plymouth is a very new colony; there have only been Englishmen living there this past year. It's a colony of pilgrims, and the boat they have emigrated on is the Mayflower. That ship is a little bit bigger than the seaQuest and carried 102 passengers and a crew of 25 men. So you see, it was very narrow boat. We bring the pilgrims the things they need to make their new life. They had the most important things on the Mayflower, but there are still a few things missing and we will bring them those things," said the woman who piloted the seaQuest.
Lucas nodded in understanding. "And what does the seaQuest usually transport?"
"Oh, that always depends. We are always where we are needed," Tim explained this time. "Captain Bridger has told you that we work for King Jakob?"
The boy nodded. "Yes."
At that moment, a dolphin jumped out of the water next to the ship.
Miguel Ortiz, who had just stepped onto the deck, had also seen the animal. Ortiz turned to Lucas. "Hey, there is your dolphin again."
"He isn't my dolphin. He is a free animal; he can swim where he wants. This is only the second time I've seen him."
Miguel shook his head. "That's not what I meant. But it looks like the dolphin is hanging on to you. He's been following us since the day he brought you to us. He only swims away for a few hours, then he goes back to following us again." Ortiz walked to the mainmast and climbed up the rigging to the crow's nest.
Lucas went to one side of the ship, put his arms on the rail, and looked down into the water. It didn't take long before the dolphin swam beside the ship next to him. The boy thought back to the moment he had heard the dolphin in his head. Or had everything only been a dream?
+No dream.+
Lucas jumped. *So, I have really heard you in my head.*
+Yes.+
The teenager couldn't find a logical explantation for this. Why could he hear the dolphin in his head? The voice was as clear as if he was talking with a person. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be talking with a dolphin in his head, he would have said that other person was crazy. But now, he was here, talking with an animal. *Why can I hear you in my head?*
+I don't know. You are the first person I have spoken to. Maybe we are something special?+
Lucas thought about those words. He wasn't anything special, just the opposite. *What's your name?*
+Darwin.+
*A pretty name. I'm Lucas.* The wind was blowing in the boy's face and ruffled his hair.
+I know.+
Lucas looked surprised at Darwin. *How do you know my name?*
+I know a lot. But I can't explain to you why I know it, I just do. There are no words I could use to explain it so that you could understand it. I can only say that I have great knowledge. Dolphines are different from humans.+
**********
To Be Continued...
2004 Written 2003 / Translated April 2004
( Information for: This story takes place in 1620. At that time, ships were piloted with the "Kolderstock", because there weren't any steering wheels. Steering wheels were invented later.
Chapter 8
By Kiddo
~*~ In Loving Memory Of Jonathan Brandis ~*~
~**Don't fix a broken heart. Who really wants to forget? (Joseph
Fiennes)**~
~**~
The wind blows one leaf from the tree,
One of many leaves,
This one leaf, you hardly notice it,
Because one is even nothing.
But only this leaf
Was part of our life,
And therfore this one leaf
Will always be missed from us.
~**~
Disclaimer:
I don't have any rights to "seaQuest DSV" or "seaQuest 2032" and I am not making any money with this story.
A big Thank You goes to my wonderfull beta-reader Jackie and KatKnits00, Kas, Sam, Dolphinology and Pheniox-Skye for their reviews.
@KatKnits00, Kas, Dolphinology: Thanks, it's great to hear that you like it. Hope you also will like my other chapters.
@Sam: There won't be a real bad guy. Sorry! I hope I don't dissapoint you with this answer.
@Pheniox-Skye: Of course I will continue with this story, I hate it when people start posting a fanfic and then suddenly stop and never finish it. There is nothing that can stop me from posting this storie until it is finished. And yes, Lucas will be smart.
Feedback and reviews are still the only thing I get for writing. So please review.
***************************************************************************
Tim O'Neill had shown the boy all the rooms under deck. From time to time, Lucas would ask the older man a few questions. And O'Neill had introduced him to Miguel Ortiz, Jonathan Ford and Manilow Crocker. Now Tim and Lucas stepped onto the deck of the ship.
"The seaQuest has a length of 76 feet, a width of 20 feet, and a height of 78 feet," explained O'Neill. "The three masts have all different names. The first mast is the foremast, the middle one is the mainmast, and the last mast is called mizzenmast."
Lucas looked at the three masts. On the first two were hanging two quadrangular sails. On the mizzenmast was only one oblique hanging triangular sail. "Do the sails also have special names?"
O'Neill nodded. "Yes, the sail from the mainmast is called the mainsail. Do you have an idea what the sail that hangs on the foremast could be called?"
The teenager thought about this question for only a few seconds. "The foresail?"
Tim smiled. "Exactly. Normally the sails are named for the mast they are hanging on. But the triangular sail that hangs on the mizzenmast is called aft-sail. But it's easy to remember that. The long poles that run diagonally along the masts, where the sails are hanging on, are called square. The ropes that hold the sails and the masts are called the rigging."
O'Neill went on with his explanations. "The back of the ship is called aft, and the deck on the back is called quarterdeck. The front part of the ship is called bow. Do you see the long pole that goes beyond the bow?"
The teenager nodded.
"That's the bowsprit. The sail on that is called bowsprietsail or 'Blinde'. The back end of the ship is the stern. The middle part of the ship is called midships. The narrow part at the front of the seaQuest that divides the water is called stem."
Tim O'Neill pointed to the left side of the ship. "The left side is always port. That word can also mean that the ship should move to the left. Starboard is the right side, and it can also mean that the seaQuest should turn right." O'Neill showed him another thing. "That is the capstan. We can lift the heavy weight of the anchor with this."
Tim looked at Lucas. "I know I have told you a lot of new things, but you will remember all names with time. You will see; this will happen faster than you think. Do you have any other questions left?"
Lucas nodded. "Yes, how do you pilot the seaQuest?"
O'Neill nodded; he had expected such a question from the teenager. The boy listened carefully and asked intelligent questions. "That is a good question. We pilot the ship with the sails and with the "Kolderstock.(" The kolderstock is something like a big lever. The lever is attached to the pin, and the pin is fastened to the stern-rudder. When you move the kolderstock, you also move the rudder in the water. And because of that, we can pilot the ship in different directions. Come with me, and I show you the kolderstock. You can also meet the last crew member you haven't seen until now."
Lucas followed O'Neill in the direction of the quarterdeck. Now he could see a woman who was standing next to a stick that disappeared into the floor of wood. She had one of her hands on the Kolderstock.
The teenager's glance stopped on the woman; the nearer he got to her, the bigger his eyes became. First he had thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him, but now he was sure that this wasn't so. The boy's smile got bigger. The black-haired woman smiled also. Lucas was relieved to see that she also remebered him.
Katherine smiled. Lucas hadn't forgotten her. She gave him a short hug when he stood in front of her. "Hello, Lucas, how are you? It's so nice to see you again!"
The blond boy looked questioningly at her. "Hello, Katie, what are you doing here?"
Hitchcock had to smile at the look on the teenager's face. "I'm working here, Lucas."
"Oh!" Lucas had to laugh at himself. "Stupid question." He thought a moment about the whole thing. When he was little, he had called his mother's friend Katie. Would it be okay if he still did it? He wasn't a small child anymore. Maybe she would find this stupid? "Is it still all right if I call you Katie?"
"Of course!" Hitchcock looked closely at the teenager. "You have grown so much since the last time I saw you."
Lucas nodded. "Yes, it has been a long time. Seven years."
Katherine nodded with agreement. "Lucas, I'm sorry about your mother. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for her burial. But, I didn't hear about her death until it was too late."
The boy looked at the ocean. "It's all right." Then he changed the subject. "The captain told me that the seaQuest is sailing to Plymouth. But where is it?"
Now Tim O'Neill rejoined the conversation. He had only listened and watched until now. "Plymouth is in New England. We are sailing to Plymouth to bring them the things we're carrying on board and after that, we head back to Dover."
"I see, but I have never heard of Plymouth before," said Lucas and pulled a few strands of hair out of his face.
"Plymouth is a very new colony; there have only been Englishmen living there this past year. It's a colony of pilgrims, and the boat they have emigrated on is the Mayflower. That ship is a little bit bigger than the seaQuest and carried 102 passengers and a crew of 25 men. So you see, it was very narrow boat. We bring the pilgrims the things they need to make their new life. They had the most important things on the Mayflower, but there are still a few things missing and we will bring them those things," said the woman who piloted the seaQuest.
Lucas nodded in understanding. "And what does the seaQuest usually transport?"
"Oh, that always depends. We are always where we are needed," Tim explained this time. "Captain Bridger has told you that we work for King Jakob?"
The boy nodded. "Yes."
At that moment, a dolphin jumped out of the water next to the ship.
Miguel Ortiz, who had just stepped onto the deck, had also seen the animal. Ortiz turned to Lucas. "Hey, there is your dolphin again."
"He isn't my dolphin. He is a free animal; he can swim where he wants. This is only the second time I've seen him."
Miguel shook his head. "That's not what I meant. But it looks like the dolphin is hanging on to you. He's been following us since the day he brought you to us. He only swims away for a few hours, then he goes back to following us again." Ortiz walked to the mainmast and climbed up the rigging to the crow's nest.
Lucas went to one side of the ship, put his arms on the rail, and looked down into the water. It didn't take long before the dolphin swam beside the ship next to him. The boy thought back to the moment he had heard the dolphin in his head. Or had everything only been a dream?
+No dream.+
Lucas jumped. *So, I have really heard you in my head.*
+Yes.+
The teenager couldn't find a logical explantation for this. Why could he hear the dolphin in his head? The voice was as clear as if he was talking with a person. If someone had told him a year ago that he would be talking with a dolphin in his head, he would have said that other person was crazy. But now, he was here, talking with an animal. *Why can I hear you in my head?*
+I don't know. You are the first person I have spoken to. Maybe we are something special?+
Lucas thought about those words. He wasn't anything special, just the opposite. *What's your name?*
+Darwin.+
*A pretty name. I'm Lucas.* The wind was blowing in the boy's face and ruffled his hair.
+I know.+
Lucas looked surprised at Darwin. *How do you know my name?*
+I know a lot. But I can't explain to you why I know it, I just do. There are no words I could use to explain it so that you could understand it. I can only say that I have great knowledge. Dolphines are different from humans.+
**********
To Be Continued...
2004 Written 2003 / Translated April 2004
( Information for: This story takes place in 1620. At that time, ships were piloted with the "Kolderstock", because there weren't any steering wheels. Steering wheels were invented later.