VOYAGERS! - The Voyager Chronicles
DISCOVERIES - BOOK 1
(The First New Adventure)
By DA Daugherty (VoyagersFan)
October 2006 (Revised 05/2009)
Previous disclaimers apply
Chapter 12 - BON VOYAGE!
The long anticipated day had arrived. Columbus was now hours away from weighing anchor and setting sail for the new world. Being the dedicated person that he was, he had spent the night on the Santa Maria completing some tasks in final preparation for his voyage. Over the past two weeks, he had put in many long nights such as this one. Little did he realize however, his sacrifices did not come without a price. All the long hours and lack of sleep had now begun to catch up with him. As a result, sometime in the night he had fallen asleep at his desk, his work half-finished.
Again, it was morning. Startled by the tolling of a bell at a nearby monastery, Columbus began to awaken from his unplanned nap. He rubbed his eyes and yawned as he sat back in his chair. Upon reaching a state of consciousness, he rose from his chair, walked over to the window and began to peer outside. As he stood there watching the seagulls flying over the ocean and the sun coming up on the horizon, the importance of this day suddenly hit him. "The day has finally come." He thought. "In a few hours, the culmination of a lifetime of hard work will commence. But, is this real or will I wake up in a few moments to find that it was only a dream? No! It is not a dream…it is reality. This voyage is finally going to take place."
He turned and walked back over to his desk and sat down. After retrieving his unused journal, he opened it and began making his first log entry.
"Friday, August 3rd, 1492." He wrote. "Today, we set sail from the Port of Palos on a voyage of discovery."
As he continued to write in his journal, there came a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" He asked.
"It's Bogg and Jeff. Can we come in?" Bogg asked.
"Gentlemen, please come in."
The two Voyagers opened the door and stepped inside.
"What brings you both here at such an early time of the morning? I know you wanted to be here to see me off but that won't occur for several more hours. I figured you would be taking advantage of the extra time to get some well-deserved rest from all your labors."
"Chris, we are not here just to see you off on your voyage." Bogg said brusquely. "Jeff and I are still very concerned about this saboteur and the fact he has now come aboard ship. He is still determined to stop this voyage regardless of what it takes to do so. In my struggle with him yesterday, he made some statements which were quite threatening."
"What were those statements, Mr. Bogg?" Columbus asked.
Bogg began quoting the saboteur. "Well, his words were, 'You still do not recognize me, but that is the least of your worries now. Columbus will not complete his voyage and I will make sure of it.'"
"So he's still out to stop this voyage." Columbus stated wryly. "Did he give you any reason as to why he wants to do this?"
"No, Chris. There is still no rhyme or reason why he wants to do so. But, I am a little closer to knowing his identity."
Columbus lowered his brow as a perplexed look came over his face.
"What did he mean by the 'You still do not recognize me' statement? It sounds like you are supposed to know him. Do you know who he is?"
"Well, yes and no." Bogg replied with a somewhat puzzled look on his face.
"Chris, several months ago before we first met, Jeff and I had just arrived in Grenada. We were attempting to locate you but did not know where to start looking. At that time, we stopped and spoke to an older gentleman, who was selling vegetables in the marketplace and asked him where we might find you. He began telling us about you in great detail. He was very knowledgeable of your theories and knew exactly where you lived."
"A stranger in the marketplace who knows of me and has knowledge my theories?" Columbus asked "That's very odd, especially since I know no one who works in the market."
"Chris, at the time, Jeff and I really didn't think much of it. We were just grateful for the information we received."
Bogg continued. "Remember the night when Jeff and I kept watch for the saboteur on the Santa Maria?"
Columbus nodded in affirmation. "Yes, and I also remember very well the bruises you had the next morning."
Bogg grinned and rubbed his jaw. "I remember those bruises also."
"That night during our struggle, I saw a glimpse of the saboteur's face in the moonlight. At the time his face seemed somehow vaguely familiar to me. For days, I tried to recall who he was and where I had met him, only to no avail. When I saw him yesterday on board the Nina, it finally hit me. I realized the face I had seen that night was the face of the man in the marketplace and also that of the man standing in front of me."
"In light of what we now know, what am I going to do?" Columbus asked. "We set sail a few hours from now. I cannot just postpone this voyage, especially since we are this close to weighing anchor.
"That's why we are here." Bogg said as he walked over and stood beside the explorer. "Jeff and I had a pretty lengthy discussion about this over dinner last night. We came to the conclusion that the only way to stop this saboteur from interfering with your voyage, is to come along with you."
"While I have no qualms with the two of you coming along on this voyage, the question is, are you sure you are up to the task?" Columbus asked, showing his concern for the two. "It's going to be a rough journey. It may be many weeks before we set foot on land again."
"We're ready, willing and able." Jeff said boldly.
The crazy explorer rose from his chair, walked over and knelt in front of the young Voyager.
"My young friend. While I know Mr. Bogg with his past experience as a sailor will have no problems being aboard ship for weeks, I am, however, quite concerned for you."
"Don't worry Chris, I'll be ok. It's not my first time to sail on board a ship." Jeff reassured. "If I run into problems, Bogg will be here to help me."
"Chris, you have too many other things to be worried about right now. Besides, Jeff will do just fine…" Bogg replied. "Well, I hope!"
"Bogg!!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Hey, just kidding."
"Well, you gentlemen better go quickly and fetch your things." Columbus urged as he stood up, walked back to his desk and sat down.
"We have all that we need with us now. Jeff and I always travel very light." Bogg said as he turned and looked at his partner. "Isn't that right, kid?"
"Yeah, we always travel light." Jeff replied.
"Just the clothes on our backs, an omni and a big ol' pocket full of beef jerky. What more could we need." Jeff muttered with a hint of cynicism in his voice.
"I heard that." Bogg quipped. Without warning, Bogg picked up his partner, threw him over his shoulder and proceeded to walk out the door.
"Bogg! C'mon Bogg… Let me down, please!" Jeff pleaded.
"Chris… We will leave you now and let you get back to your work. If you need us, we will be out on deck. Besides, I think Jeff is a little hot at the moment and needs some time to cool off.
"Mr. Bogg, how do you propose to remedy that?" Columbus asked with an obvious smile on his face. "Would a glass of water cool your young friend off?
"Bogg, I'm not hot! Now let me down!" Jeff commanded. "Please Bogg!!!"
This was the beginning of yet another of Bogg's classic pranks on his partner. Bogg had always loved to tease his young partner just as much as Jeff loved to tease him in return. Since the time they first met, not a day had passed without some sort of prank occurring. For Bogg this had to the one of the best ones yet and he knew it. It was going off without a hitch and even Columbus had taken a part in it. His biggest problem at the moment was keeping his composure to see it through to its completion. This would be a difficult, since he was now about to burst at the seams with laughter.
"Chris, I think it will take more than a glassful of water to cool Jeff off. You know, maybe a dip in the ocean would be more appropriate. Don't you think that would be an appropriate remedy?" Bogg asked.
Columbus had now put aside his work for the moment and was beginning to enjoy participating in Bogg's little tease.
"Well, it's a nice day outside and the water is just the right temperature. I can see no reason why that would not work." Columbus responded while attempting to hold back his laughter.
"Noooooo! Booooogg!" Jeff yelled at his partner. "No, no, please don't throw me in the ocean! I was just kidding…Bogg! Honest! I really do like the beef jerky!" Jeff began to squirm and thrash his arms to get free of his captor. However, Bogg continued to hold onto him tightly.
Columbus chuckled at the two and their antics. "You gentlemen remind me of two siblings poking fun at each other. You two run along and have some fun. You both deserve it after all the work you have done here. Oh and please, whatever you do, try not to hurt yourselves."
"C'mon Jeff, you have a date with the waters of the deep blue sea." Bogg teased. "I'll bet you've always wanted to be a fish. Well, now's your chance."
"No, I don't want to be a fish!" Jeff yelled as he continued to wriggle about. "Now let go of me!"
Bogg continued the banter with his partner as he carried him out the door.
"Come to think of it you'll get cooled off and have a bath at the same time."
"Ok Bogg, you've had your laugh, now let me down." Jeff pleaded. "Bogg!!! I don't need a drink and I had a bath last night!"
Once outside, Bogg ended his moment of fun with his partner and put him down onto the deck.
Jeff looked up at his partner. "I'm sorry Bogg. Really! I didn't mean what I said."
"Kid, I was just having a little fun with you." Bogg said with a grin. "You just left yourself wide open for that one. I just couldn't resist."
Bogg looked at his partner as he continued to talk about the prank and noticed Jeff was obviously shaken up by what he had done. Seeing his partner in this state now made him feel that maybe he had taken this prank a little too far.
Feeling guilty for the stress he had inflicted on him, Bogg knelt down in front of Jeff to console him. "Come here, kid." He said. He then put his arms around Jeff and began to reassure him. "Listen, I wouldn't have thrown you in the ocean. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you. You're the closest thing to family that I have."
Bogg released his hug, looked him squarely in the eye and asked, "Why are you so shaken up over this? We have teased each other many times in the past, but you have never reacted this way before. So what's wrong?"
"Bogg, I was afraid that you were actually going to throw me in the ocean. If you had done that, I would have drowned because I cannot swim." Jeff said nervously.
"Kid, I'm so sorry. If I had known you couldn't swim, I would have never played this prank on you." Bogg said apologetically. "No wonder you were so shaken up."
"It's not your fault Bogg, you didn't know and besides, it was actually a really good prank. You had me convinced and scared as well." Jeff replied with a grin now on his face.
"One question though. How did you get Chris to play along? You didn't have time to let him in on the prank."
"Kid, I guess he just figured out what I was doing and played along." Bogg said as he shrugged his shoulders. "You have to admit, he was having as much fun with it as I was."
"Well, just you remember, turnabout is fair play." Jeff threatened. "I will get you back. Just you wait and see."
"Ooo, I'm scared." Bogg said playfully as he started to laugh.
Jeff, with a serious look on his face, raised his hand and pointed to his partner. "Be scared… Be very, very scared. It will occur when you least expect it." Bogg raised his brow as he stared silently at his partner. After a few moments, the two burst out laughing at one another.
"How about letting me make it up to you?" Bogg asked. "As soon as we finish with this mission, I'll take you somewhere and teach you how to swim. Ok?"
"That would be great…Bogg! I can't wait!"
"In the meantime, it's going to be a while before we set sail, so why don't you and I take a stroll around the ship and do a little sightseeing." Bogg urged. "Who knows, we might just see something interesting."
"Like the saboteur being caught in the act?" Jeff asked.
"Yeah, something like that. C'mon, let's go." Bogg put his hand on Jeff's shoulder and they proceeded on their journey.
-------------------------------------------------------
Later that morning, the two finished their sightseeing and had found a comfortable spot on deck for a bit of rest and relaxation. As they sat there, lounging against some crates and soaking up the sunshine, they were totally startled by the sound of Columbus's voice behind them.
"Carlos!" Columbus shouted.
"Yes, Admiral." Carlos replied as he stood behind the wheel of the ship.
"Weigh the anchor and set sail." Columbus yelled.
"Aye, Aye, Admiral." Carlos replied.
Bogg and Jeff stood up and walked over to the deck rail. In the background the sounds of the crewmen hauling up the anchor and hoisting the sails could be heard. Columbus walked over and joined them at the rail.
"Well gentlemen, we are on our way. It's taken a lifetime of hard work to get to this point. Let's just hope it's not in vain."
"Chris, it won't be." Bogg reassured. "I have a sneaking suspicion, you will find what you seek."
"Yea, and a whole lot more." Jeff mumbled.
"Thank you for your confidence. Some reassuring is just what I needed right now."
Columbus returned to his quarters. Bogg and Jeff continued to man their post at the rail and gaze out over the ocean.
"Bogg, do you think we will actually make it to the new world?" Jeff asked.
"Yea, we have to kid. We'll make it but, not without some problems. No thanks to our uninvited guest."
"Where do you think he will strike next?" Jeff asked.
"I don't know exactly where or when, but he will strike again. That is where you and I come in. We've got to keep our eyes open and be ready to stop him, no matter what it takes. We cannot afford to let him jeopardize this voyage."
"Have you had any other clues as to who he is?" Jeff asked. "You remember, he said you were supposed to know him."
"No, not really." Bogg replied with a hint of disappointment in his tone. "The more I think about it, the less sense it makes. Look at what's happened so far. First of all, we go back in time to witness Columbus make his great discovery. We find ourselves at the correct time and place and he is not there. We go further back in time to find him and discover the cause of the problem. All of a sudden, we come across this mysterious person in the marketplace, who knows everything about Columbus, right down to what he had for breakfast this morning. After locating Columbus, we find out later that Columbus knows no one in the marketplace. Once we get his mission back on the right track, this person shows up again to sabotage our efforts. Only this time, he is disguised as one of the crew. Then there are the two statements he made…First, Columbus will never complete his voyage and he will make sure of it. Second, that somehow I should know him."
Bogg paused for a moment and again gazed out over the ocean.
"You know what really has me confused at the moment is his motive. If I knew what he hoped to gain from all of this, I would be one step closer to understanding it all."
"Bogg, you are doing the best that you can under the circumstances." Jeff reassured his partner. "Don't let it trouble you. The answers will come in due time. You said we have to keep our eyes open and that's just what we have to do."
"Thanks kid. I take back all of the bad things I ever said about you. You are the best partner a voyager could ever have."
Jeff playfully punched Bogg on the shoulder. "Bad things? What bad things have you said about me?" He said comically.
"Oh, nothing. I haven't said anything bad about you."
Jeff took hold of Bogg's arm and playfully twisted it behind his back. "Huh!, Huh!, C'mon Bogg, 'fess up! I've got you! You can't hold back now. " He then torque his partner's arm a little bit more.
Playing along with Jeff's teasing and acting as if his hold on him was causing him escruciating pain, Bogg yelled out. "Oow! Oow! Ok kid, I give. You've got me. I can't take this torture any longer."
Jeff released his grip. Bogg then turned to his young partner and with a big grin on his face, said. "You know, smart kids give me a pain."
"I'll get you for that one." Jeff said as he reached again for Bogg's arm. Bogg sensed what Jeff was about to do and took off running across the deck. "You'll have to catch me first, kid!"
Jeff quickly followed in pursuit.
----------------------------------------------
Several weeks passed. The three ships were now several hundred miles west of their departure point of Palos. It was evening and the sun was beginning to set behind some dark and ominous clouds in the distance. The ships were beginning to experience some highly turbulent seas, due in part to the oncoming weather front In light of the rough seas, all other operations on the ship were going as expected; the only exception to this was a bit of mal-de-mer being experienced by one rather important member of the crew.
Suddenly, Jeff stormed out on deck and quickly ran over to the side of the ship, where he threw himself over the rail and started to heave. Bogg, not too far in the distance, immediately caught up with his partner and put his hand on Jeff's back as he stood beside him.
"Kid are you ok?" Bogg asked.
Jeff lifted his head and looked up at his partner. His face was pale and his curly locks of hair were dripping with sweat.
"No, Bogg. I really don't feel so good." He replied before again starting to heave.
"I thought you said you had been on a ship before?" Bogg asked.
"Yes, I have…once. However, the ocean was not this rough."
"C'mon Jeff, I know exactly what you need." Bogg said as he picked his partner up in his arms and carried him below deck.
Upon returning to their quarters, Jeff's symptoms began to worsen to the point where he started to pass out. He walked over to Jeff's bunk and gently lowered him onto it and covered him with a blanket.
"Bogg, what happened? Where are we?" Jeff asked with a weak voice.
"We are back in our quarters and you, kid, are in your bunk." Bogg explained. "Now lie there, be quiet and rest. I will be back in a moment."
As Bogg turned to leave the room, Jeff sat up and looked at him. "Where are you going? You are not going to leave me here are you?"
"No Jeff, I'm not going to leave you here." Bogg walked over to his sick partner, consoled him and lowered him back into bed. "I have to get you some medicine. You are suffering from a bad case of mal-de-mer and I know exactly what you need."
"Mal-de-mer! That sounds serious. What is it?" Jeff asked in a somewhat slow, weary tone. "I thought I was just seasick.
"Mal-de-mer kid, is an old sailors term for seasickness. Now lay back and rest. I'll be back shortly"
Bogg left the room and went immediately to the Admiral's quarters. He knew he would find the medicine Jeff needed there.
"Mr. Bogg, what brings you here." Columbus asked.
"Jeff has a bad case of mal-de-mer and I need some rum. I remembered that you had some in your cabinet."
"Yes, by all means help yourself." Columbus said politely. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Bogg went over to the cabinet and began to pour a small amount of rum into a glass for Jeff.
"No Chris but thanks for asking. This rum and a good night's sleep should take care of it."
"I thought he had sailed before." Columbus noted.
"Yes he has but he said the seas were not as rough as they are today."
"The sea is quite rough today. Unfortunately for us, this is a very bad sign. I believe by morning we will be sailing through some very rough weather. Why don't you tell him to stay in bed and rest until these seas calm down."
"That's where he is now. I don't think he will be getting up any time soon." Bogg closed the cabinet and headed toward the door. "I better get back to him now before he starts to worry. Thanks for the rum, Chris."
"You are quite welcome, Mr. Bogg."
Bogg left Columbus and went back to their quarters. As he walked through the door, Jeff sat up and looked at him.
"Bogg! You're back! That was quick."
"I'm back and I've got just we need to cure your sickness. " Bogg walked over to Jeff's bunk and sat down on the edge beside him. "Here, take this and sip it very slowly."
"Ewww! What is it?" Jeff asked as he sniffed the glass and turned up his nose.
"It's rum, an old sea-farer's remedy for mal-de-mer."
"Rum! You're giving me rum! C'mon Bogg! I want to get well, not drunk!" He exclaimed.
"Yes, Jeff. I'm giving you rum." Bogg said sternly. "Don't worry, you are not going to get drunk from this little bit. Now quit whining and drink it."
Jeff took his first sip from the glass as his partner watched. After resting the glass on the side of the bed, he made a sour face and shook his head.
"Bogg, this tastes awful."
"Kid it's rum. It's not supposed to taste good." Bogg said wryly. "Now drink."
Jeff finished the last of the rum and handed the glass to his partner. He set the glass on the floor and reached over lowered his partner back into bed.
"You need to rest now and let the rum do it's job." Bogg urged.
"But Bogg, what happens if the saboteur…" Jeff said, before Bogg interrupted him.
"Don't worry about the saboteur. You need to rest now and recuperate." Bogg said as he put his hand on Jeff's forehead. "I can't have you running around here chasing after the saboteur as sick as you are. I need you to be at 100 percent tip-top condition to help me catch him. Like I said, you rest. You will feel much better in the morning. Ok!"
"Ok Bogg, if you say so…" Jeff said as he pulled up the covers and closed his eyes.
Just as he had expected, the rum quickly started to work to treat Jeff's sickness, for he had now surrendered to its effects.
With his partner now fast asleep, Bogg began to relax the grip he had on his emotions. His partner's bout of seasickness had stirred up memories in Bogg of the time when he almost lost him after being bitten by a rabid dog. Even though Bogg knew this was no-where near as serious as the previous situation, he couldn't help but feel greatly concerned for his partner.
Bogg slowly got up and brought a chair over from the other side of the room. After placing it next to his partner's bunk, he sat down and pulled off his boots. Like a worried parent, he sat there watching his young partner's every breath. Hours later, when he could no longer overcome the weight of his heavy eyelids, he leaned back in the chair and dozed off.