FROM DOVER TO PLYMOUTH, AND BACK
Chapter 13
By Kiddo
==
"Don't fix a broken heart. Who really wants to forget?" (Joseph Fiennes)
==
"I always will remember you by real good moments." ("Real Good Moments" by
Christian Wunderlich)
==
"But in dreams - I still hear your name - And in Dreams - We will meet
again." ("In Dreams"-Lord of the Rings)
==
"And there is never a day that passes by – I don't think of you." ("The
Perfect Fan" by BSB)
==
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, dolphinology and kas for reviewing. Again a big sorry that it took me so long with posting, I only can say I hate exams.
dolphinology: I will translate one of my other german stories when I have a little bit more time. But at the moment I just have no free time left. I'm in a really big exam so it will take some time. Hope you can wait so long.
kas: Thanks!
Feedback and reviews are still the only thing I get for writing. So please review.
=====================================================
Eleven days later, the seaQuest was just starting back on its way to Dover. Three days ago, they had dropped off their cargo in Plymouth, and they had gotten fresh water, provisions, and two massive wooden chests. But only the captain and the first mate knew what was in the two chests.
Yesterday, they had set sail again.
Lucas was feeling healthy now. Even the fact that a beam had hit him in the head couldn't be seen anymore, and he couldn't feel anything. If it had been up to him, Lucas would have started working again after the second time he had woken up after the accident.
But Kristin Westphalen and the captain had both forbidden it. Those two could be really stubborn. Two days later, Kristin had allowed him to stand up; four days later, he was working.
Bridger had found a cobbler in Plymouth and had given the man the job of making shoes for Lucas. At first, the boy had protested, just like he had when Kristin wanted to make him a jacket. But the captain wouldn't hear a word of it and had given the teenager the new shoes as a present.
============
When it became dark the seaQuest dropped anchor, because in that part of the ocean, it was too risky to sail through the dark. There were a few reefs in the water, and the risk overlooking one and crashing against it was just too big in the dark. They would also have to drop their anchor the next few nights because of the reefs.==========
Lucas was lying in his bed and rolled from on side to the other. For some unknown reason, he couldn't sleep. And if he finally managed to fall asleep, he would wake up just a few minutes later and the whole thing started again. The boy had an uneasy feeling but didn't know where it was coming from. It was just there and made him restless.After some time, the teenager stood up. He wouldn't be getting to sleep in the near future. Maybe a little bit of fresh air would help him and if he was lucky, Darwin would not be far away and he could talk with him.
When Lucas stepped onto the deck, he immediately heard Darwin's clicking sound. The teenager's bad feeling got worse; something was wrong. He ran to the rail and looked into the water. What is going on Darwin?
The bad ship was the animal's answer.
Lucas didn't understand. What do you mean 'the bad ship'?
The ship that had thrown you into the water. It's not far away from here.
The boy jumped. Stark and the Delta 4, the pirate ship, were here. How close is it to us? Lucas shook his head. His friend couldn't answer that question. Dolphines didn't think in distances of feet and hours. He had to ask it in another way. Do you have to swim long to come back from that ship to the seaQuest?
It looked like the animal was shaking his head. It's not far away for me. But you would have to swim a very, very long time.
Lucas nodded. That was an answer he could work with. He looked in every direction and was relieved to see no other ship in sight. But that could also be because of the darkness. It was a nearly full moon, but that didn't mean that you could see everything. Did they talk about anything on the ship? Could you hear or see anything?
This time it looked like Darwin was trying to nod his head. Yes. They want to attack the seaQuest tomorrow, they want the gold.
The blond boy thought about this that. What gold? He didn't know anything about gold on the seaQuest. Or maybe that was what was in the two chests. Do you know anything more, did you hear anything more?
No, that's all I have heard.
Okay, thanks a lot! As fast as he could, Lucas ran below deck. He stopped in front of the Captain's cabin. How should he explain this to Bridger? How should he explain that he had this information from a dolphin with which he could talk in his head?
Lucas made a decision and knocked at the captain's door.
After a few minutes had passed and the teenager heard nothing in the cabin, he knocked a few more times but this time, much more loudly.
A short time later, a sleepy Captain Bridger opened the door. Nathan looked surprised at the boy; what was he doing here at this time of the night? Something must have happened. "Lucas, what's going on?"
The blond boy hopped from one foot to the other restlessly. What was the best way to answer this question? "I don't know how I should tell you this."
"Maybe it's the best if you come in first and we discuss whatever it is in my cabin." Lucas followed Bridger inside the cabin. "Please, sit down." Nathan pointed to a chair. The teenager sat down. The captain noticed that the boy was very nervous. "I hope you know that you can talk to me about anything."
Lucas sighed. "I wish it were just that easy." Bridger raised one eyebrow questioningly. "Do you trust me, Captain?"
"Sure I trust you, what kind of a question is that?"
The teenager sighed again. "Okay... I know that Captain Stark and the Delta 4 are near us and that they want to attack the seaQuest tomorrow."
Captain Bridger jumped up. "What?!"
"Captain Stark and..."
Bridger interrupted. "I know, I know. I understood what you said. But how do you know that? Have you seen them?"
The boy shook his head.
"Then how do you know?" asked Nathan excitedly.
The blond teenager said nothing.
"Lucas, how do you know all this? Do you have something to do with Stark?"
The boy quickly shook his head. "No, you have to believe me. I have nothing to do with Stark!"
Bridger nodded. "Of course I believe you. I didn't mean that question seriously. I'm sorry! But where did you get this information from?"
Lucas looked at the ground and then back at Nathan's face. He answered in a hushed voice. "Darwin has told me this."
The captain sank back in his chair. "Darwin? What do you mean?"
The boy squirmed restlessly on his chair. "Just what I said. Darwin told me about the Delta 4. I can talk with him in my head. He understands me and I understand him. It's like reading each other's thoughts."
Bridger shook his head. "Unbelievable, just unbelievable." Lucas was disappointed, but he shouldn't have been. After all, he had thought that the captain wouldn't believe him. "What has he said? How far away is Stark from us?"
The teenager was overcome with a great feeling of relief. Bridger believed him; he really believed him! "I don't know exactly. Darwin said that it was not far away for him, but I would swim a very, very long time if I wanted to get to the Delta 4. I looked around at the water, but haven't seen any other ship."
Nathan Bridger nodded in understanding. What was the best thing to do now? The seaQuest had no chance to win a fight against the Delta 4. The seaQuest was a merchant ship and had only a few weapons, but the Delta 4 was a pirate ship and had tons of munitions. "Lucas, go and wake Hitchcock, Krieg, and Ortiz."
The boy looked questioningly at the older man. "What are you planning to do?"
"We will sail tonight. We will bring the seaQuest through the reefs. We will sail every night and day without stopping. We will bring as much distance as possible between us and Stark. We will make it! And Darwin can help us with this. He can always tell us how much distance is between us and the Delta 4 and he can tell us were the reefs are." He nodded at Lucas. "Go and wake those three up."
Before the teenager left the cabin, he turned around for one last time. He had a question but wasn't so sure if he would get the answer to it. "Darwin said that Stark wanted the gold. Is it gold that's in the two chests we picked up in Plymouth?"
Bridger gave a grim smile. It seemed like he couldn't hide anything from the boy and his wet friend. "Yes, now hurry up."
That was one order didn't need to be repeated.
================
To Be Continued...
Written 2003 / Translated April 2004