Ch. 34 A check out
A couple of days later.
The Katherine returned from Sydney with thirty containers for Melbourne and Adelaide.
Chris came across Dylan who was making a tour around the ship, or it looked like Chris was looking for Dylan.
"Dylan, mate, do you have a sec?", he asked him.
"Sure, I do", he said by standing still.
Chris motioned for him by showing him to the door. "Outside".
They went out and both headed for the stern.
"What's so delicate that you have to tell me here?", Dylan asked somewhat surprised while leaning against the railing.
"Well Dylan, the crew is talking. I'm a bit their confident, you see ", said Chris leaning an elbow on the railing to look at Dylan.
"Strange. Hmm, good for you, but is this not the task that normally belongs to the first officer?"
Chris looked seriously at his mate, "Well, that's just the point. You're their employer and the captain's boyfriend. It's not that easy for them."
"Hmm, ok, I can understand that, but what do they say?",
"It's about you and Kate".
"Huh? About us?", he said looking at Chris.
"Yep, they're wondering whether there's something wrong between you both ".
"Huh? There's nothing wrong between us! We're doing fine. Why?", Dylan replied surprised.
"Well, it's due to the fact that you both sleep apart. A couple is expected to sleep together, but you two don't".
"Ah! That's why. Well, we thought that it would be disrespectful towards the crew to share the same cabin while they can't be with their wife".
"Dylan, we're no longer in the Navy. We no longer have to stick to these rules anymore. Just be yourself and the crew will accept that. Now, it's rather weird", he said shrugging,
"Uh-hu, yep, good to know. Well, this issue will be solved quickly!", he replied with a grin.
"Thanks mate!", he said and they both went back inside.
He found Kate bent over the map.
He touched her shoulder, "You've a sec?"
"Hmm", she mumbled, straightening up, and followed him to the outer bridge.
Outside he turned around and waited for her to stand in front of him.
"Honey, the crew is talking about us", he said noticing that she was raising her eyebrows in surprise. "They find it strange that we sleep apart and they think we had a fight".
Kate scowled.
"It might be better if we share the captain's cabin. It's large enough. What do you think about it?", he asked.
"Well, I'll be the last to complain!", she said with a broad smile.
"Ok, that's fixed, I'll transfer my stuff this afternoon."
20 miles further.
HMAS Sydney
"Sir?", asked the RO a paper in hand.
Mike turned around and looked at the petty officer.
"Message from the coast guard", he said giving Mike the paper.
"Thanks", he said and started to read.
"X?", he asked and Nikki padded to him.
He gave her the paper. "A routine flight of the coast guard has located an unknown cargo vessel. It's one they don't know and she's sailing under the Australian flag. They want us to take a look at that ship".
"Uh-hu", she mumbled, "MV Katherine? Never heard that before", Nikki said shaking her head.
"Indeed, so X, prepare a course to intercept her and instruct the boarding team", Mike ordered.
"Yes sir", Nikki said before turning to the man at the helm, "Steer 1-2-0".
"Aye ma'am, steer 1-2-0", he repeated and turned the wheel to get on the new course.
Next she grabbed the microphone, "Lieutenant Rowlings and Petty Officer Patterson at the bridge!".
At bit later both men appeared at the bridge.
"We're going to inspect an unknown cargo vessel and she sails under Australian flag. A routine check, but look out for any irregularity. I don't know what, but something that seems unusual to you", she said.
"Normally we are not allowed to board vessels under Australian flag, but we'll make it an exercise. Thus let them feel that it's an exercise", Mike added.
Both men nodded, "Yes sir, ma'am".
"And full Kevlar, you never know!", Nikki added concerned.
"Yep, will do!"
A few hours later, Mike and Nikki were watching the approach of the cargo vessel whose bright blue hull was painted with large white MGSL characters.
"What does that mean?", Nikki asked.
"Not a single idea!", Mike answered.
"It's not on Internet either".
One of the officers called the ship, "Here the HMAS Sydney, stop all engines. We want to board you within the framework of an exercise for our men".
He got a response, "Here the MV Katherine. We'll do it" and they saw the ship stop.
"Ok Rowlings, your turn now!", Nikki ordered the lieutenant through the microphone.
She and Mike watched the departure of the Rhib with the boarding team and the boarding of the cargo vessel. Twenty minutes later they sailed back and saw that the MV Katherine had restarted the engines. Rowling walked to the bridge to report.
"And?", Mike asked.
"It looks OK", he said.
Mike frowned, "What do you mean by 'it looks OK? Normally you say 'it's OK", he asked sternly.
Rowlings seemed ill-at-ease with the suspicious looks of the senior officers.
"David, what did you see there?", Nikki asked mildly.
"Well uh… everything was OK, more than OK in fact. Tidy, orderly and the books, the ship's log and the manifest were perfect. Yeah, perfect, that's in fact the exact word to use for it. ", he mused looking around. "It's was like here. It was more like being on a warship than on a cargo vessel. Even the crew. They were all white, not a single coloured man among them and no old geezers either. They even looked like military. It was strange. I left with a weird feeling in the stomach", he said.
Mike rubbed his chin.
"Were they aggressive towards you?", Nikki asked.
"No. Tolerant I would say", he replied.
"Ok, thanks Rowlings. X put the ship on the amber list", Mike said.
"Amber sir?", Rowlings asked.
"We're keeping list of the vessels already inspected, green, amber and black. When we've some doubts about a vessel, then it appears on the amber list. Luckily we still have none on the blacklist", Mike replied.
"Ah? I see, ok thanks", he said and left the bridge.
"What do you think about it?", Mike asked Nikki.
She shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it's nothing or… we just found something", she said as both were looking at the stern of the MV Katherine.
That evening Dylan transferred his stuff to the captain's cabin. After putting his belongings away in the cupboard, he sat down on the couch. Kate followed, sat down next to him, took off her shoes with her feet, and leaned against his shoulder.
"It's been such a long time!", she said softly as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Indeed, you must have forgotten how it was", he grinned while she was giving him a small pat on his thigh.
"Strange encounter this afternoon", he continued.
"Yeah, it's weird that frigates board nowadays. You should expect the coast guard", Kate replied.
"And a cargo vessel under Australian flag!"
"That lieutenant was looking around as if he was looking for something. Strange".
He shrugged, "Maybe there's something going on with cargo ships. We aren't in the running anymore, you know", Dylan replied.
"For sure you're right. Anyway, our books are OK. I've checked them personally".
"Princess Perfect", he mumbled and he got another pat on his thigh.
"If you continue like this, then I go back to my old cabin", he teased her.
"Don't you dare!"
"Oh, by the way, how's your leg doing?"
"Fair well. It's a little painful on wet days but otherwise it's not that bad."
"Uh-hu."
"And your head? I've not asked you yet. Do you still suffer?", he asked.
"Not really. That spot is hypersensitive and it's also weird when you touch it, but I don't want to talk about it! It's in the past and I want to forget everything!", Kate replied upset.
"To forget the past? It's going to be pretty hard with our former crew around us", he said.
"It's different. It's our crew now and I no longer see them as Hammersleys or Kingstons", Kate replied.
"Yep, you're right".
"Oh, by the way, did dad ask you to set up a backup crew?", she asked.
"Uh? No. Why?"
"It's quite easy. When we sail on weekends, we've to give compensatory day-off. And when we're at sea for a couple of weeks, then we've to send them at home for a while. But we can't afford to remain without sailing. Customers are expecting their containers, you know", she said.
"Hmm, indeed, but when we have a backup crew, what are they going to do when we sail? We don't have as many shore leave as we do navigation days, huh".
"A second vessel? Hmm, we just started…. That's asking a little too much", Kate replied thinking.
"We can sail for short periods and give a long weekend", Dylan suggested.
"Yeah, it seems reasonable! Discuss it with dad", she said patting his knee.
"Yep, will do, but there's another thing".
"What?"
"You're the only qualified officer among us and as first officer I've to replace you. I already know a lot but that's not enough. Can you teach me?"
She kissed him on the cheek, "Of course you silly and I'm going to involve Chris too!"
To be continued