Oh, this chapter was an absolute killer for me: took me ages to finish (and longer to upload...grrrr).
Read and review if you feel it's warranted.
I don't own Captain Planet (or any other cartoon showon Cartoon Network, for that matter)
Alternate Destination
Chapter Five
The cruise ship known as the P & O Pacific Sky had cut the engines and lowered her anchor during the early hours of a quiet, Tuesday morning.
The Isle of Pines, a small island located a short distance from New Caledonia was a popular place to sun bake, snorkel and purchase local handicrafts from the friendly inhabitants. The clear, aqua-marine water and pure white sand provided visitors with a breathtaking place to relax and explore. Three-star accommodation was also available on the island itself for those wanting a stay longer than the 8-10 hours afforded by the cruise liner.
The majority of this accommodation had been occupied by about forty men from The 'American/Canadian Ice Hockey Fan Club', having booked the island about a year in advance. The hotel owner had been a little surprised by the appearance of the supposed sporting fanatics.
Expecting a rowdy, cheerful, boozing bunch, he had received the exact opposite. Surly-looking men in their thirties and forties had slouched immediately towards their beach bungalows, checked in by a suave looking older man with a ponytail (credit card imprint in the name of L.Plunder).
The forty or so men had been transported there by helicopter, and had been soaking up the sun for about three days before the ship arrived and the numerous passengers disembarked.
The island itself was surrounded by a low-lying reef, making it impossible for any cruise liner to dock nearby. Instead, regulations required any cruiser to remain several kilometers away in order to avoid damage to the environment (as well as the ship hull).
About 1500 eager passengers and a selection of cruise staff had waited patiently at the tender door, waiting for one of the ship's three operating tenders to arrive and transport them safely to the sandy white shore.
By mid-day, over three-quarters of the ships passengers had disembarked. Those who remained on the ship included service personnel, a few security guards and a small array of passengers taking advantage of the empty gym, beauty salon and pool.
The ship was now operating on a skeleton crew: the time for action had arrived.
A heavy-set security guard made his way down Dolphin Deck, on his way to assist with embarkation searches and procedures. Another guard followed the first, keeping several steps behind his partner.
The second man (who, if a Planeteer had been present, would have immediately recognized him as Argos Bleak) lifted a black walkie-talkie to his lips and gave a muffled direction to someone on the other end. Soon, another man in an ill-fitting blue security uniform joined the pair, unbeknownst to the first. The new guard walked alongside Bleak, trading glances with him every now and then.
Bleak gave the signal when the trio had reached the heavy swing doors designed for crew members only. As the first guard stepped inside, Bleak lurched forward and gave him an all-mighty push from the top of the railing.
The guard didn't know what hit him. He fell violently down several flights of stairs before coming to rest outside an empty crew compartment. The third guard hurriedly hid the unconsciousness out of sight where he would join several other injured guards, before making a hasty exit.
They would now have total control of the embarkation foyer. They had precious cargo to load, as well as passengers obviously not belonging to the original passenger manifest. Argos Bleak knew what was riding on the success of this take-over. The eco-villain also knew that it would be his head on the chopping block if things didn't go smoothly.
Bleak sat himself comfortably behind the x-ray monitor, knowing that a great deal of unsavory items would begin passing through the machine within the next few hours. He smiled cunningly at the thought. It had been over five years since he had been involved in an operation. Bleak was rather excited, evident from the smug expression fixed on his face.
He tweaked his moustache in anticipation, and locked his gaze on the deep blue water. Plunder and his men would start arriving by tender soon. Bleak couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of the confused island dwellers who would soon be helplessly watching their cruise liner (and belongings) float off into the horizon without them.
Argos Bleak's first tender arrived within the hour. Unfortunately for the passengers, all had gone to plan perfectly.
Linka was awoken suddenly by the chimney stack sounding at an ear-shattering intensity. She sat up in shock, but momentarily forgot that she was still hidden in the life-jacket compartment and cracked her head against the lid. A rare Russian expletive escaped Linka's lips as she lay back down, rubbing her forehead in pain.
Bozhe moi….what a day.
She gathered her senses for several moments, but decided that she was too hungry to stay hidden any longer. Linka cautiously opened the lid a fraction and peered out. She saw that it was night-time, with only a dim spotlight to illuminate the silent deck. She froze when the realization struck her that the lifeboat was now tethered to a pulley system some ten meters above the floor.
Another horn blasted from the chimney as Linka climbed out of the box and looked over the edge of the boat for a way down. A third blast sounded as she contemplated her options, followed by a fourth which seemed to go on forever.
Linka gritted her teeth and waited for the sound to end as she held onto the ropes- the noise was deafening. Linka shook her head, knowing that it was probably Greedly who was feeling a little 'horn-happy'. The blast finally abated as Linka began her descent, working her way down the elaborate rope system with limited artificial light to assist her progress.
When her feet were planted firmly on the ground, Linka looked around for a door or entrance to the ship. She stumbled ahead to the starboard side, her progress hindered by the choppy seas that swirled violently around the ship. A heavy white door marked with "Crew Only" was visible and Linka used this to enter. Her relief was overwhelming as she realized that she was now standing in a food preparation area.
Linka grabbed a large handful of fruit from a platter covered in cling wrap and hurried from the scene. She walked through a corridor, nibbling contentedly on a juicy piece of pineapple.
Somewhere to hide...
Linka ducked out of sight as two uniformed men approached her, each looking uncertain and disgruntled. She caught the end of their conversation as they passed her hiding spot.
"... only about 100 left, and they're putting them together on Aloha deck, apparently. Too many trying to fight the guards"
"Keeping an eye on everyone, I guess. We should still try to do some..."
As the voices wound down to nothing, Linka assumed that they were talking about the passengers.
Only 100 passengers onboard? Where were the rest of them?
Confused at this, she thought it was best to find Aloha deck and attempt to get a room there and wait out the journey. Linka stopped at an exit door and pondered the various dilemmas that she was now faced with.
She had no idea where the cruise liner was heading.
She didn't know how many of her enemies where on board.
She knew that her green hair and pyjama's would draw unwanted attention to herself, and she knew that she would be in deep trouble if someone recognized her.
Linka opened the door a fraction and peered out. A row of doors were present along the wall opposite. Each bore the name "Aloha", followed by a room number underneath. A young Filipino girl in a maid's uniform was walking away from Linka, a towel trolley clutched in front of her. Linka seized her chance. She pushed her way out and crept up behind the unsuspecting girl. The maid let out a squeal of fear as Linka tapped lightly her on the shoulder, her neat pile of towels flying into the air.
"Oh! Sorry, I'm so sorry...I just...I haven't been allocated a room, yet and I heard...they want us on this level?"
Linka waited in anticipation as the maid recovered her senses, doubled over and breathing heavily. The girl raised herself up again and peered at Linka, probably a little shocked at her haggard appearance and hair.
"I think 191 is empty. I'll open it up for you and you can get a key from the purser's office tomorrow."
Linka thanked the maid profusely and followed her towards the end of the corridor, grateful for this stroke of good fortune.
"I'm sorry to bother you again, but do you know anything about what is happening? "
The maid looked around, as if afraid to speak. She eyed Linka with some suspicion, probably wondering how this passenger could be clueless a week after the takeover.
"They took the captain; our radio and satellite were disabled and I've heard that we are extremely off course. That is all I know, the last person to ask a guard about this was shot."
Linka winced in horror at this news. She exhaled shakily and thanked the maid who hurried away, as if scared to be caught by 'guards' giving information. Linka closed the door and sat on the made bed. Another realization soon struck her: she was in someone else's room. Two suitcases lay at the end of each bed. A handbag and magazines lay strewn over the bedside table, and women's clothing was draped over the only chair in the cabin.
Linka was feeling too uncomfortable to deal with the implications of this. She ate the remainder of the fruit, and then had a long, hot shower (using someone else's shampoo and conditioner). Finally feeling refreshed and energized, she perched herself on the end of one of the beds and flicked the television on, flicking idly through each station.
A cruise DVD was being advertised on station 31, with footage from the various ship events so far. Linka wondered dryly whether the hostage takeover and guards with guns would be a main feature, but she wasn't surprised when the DVD was repeated after showing the third day.
Poor souls, they didn't have a clue, she thought as happy, smiling faces mugged enthusiastically for the camera. Linka flicked the set off and placed the remote on the table. The digits 11:15 were now illuminated on the digital clock/radio.
Linka yawned heavily and sank back onto the soft cushions, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts drifted to her friends, their faces permanently imprinted within her mind. She simply couldn't wait to see them. She briefly wondered how they would react to seeing her again...alive. Linka exhaled, blowing a damp clump of hair out of her eyes at the same time.
This thought now troubled her more than she had ever anticipated. Had they moved on? Forgotten her? It was too difficult and overwhelming to process the remaining Planeteers' possible futures. Frightening scenarios had began pushing their way to the front of her mind.
Maybe they will not wish to see me? It's been four years...
Linka turned onto her side and closed her eyes, pulling a sheet up and over her exhausted body. She soon fell into a troubled sleep, her dreams occasionally punctuated by lightning, thunder and the gentle rocking sensation of the ship.
Ironically, it wasn't the dreams or choppy seas that finally roused Linka the following morning: it was the chimney stack…. again. Linka sat up with a start, her heart hammering in her chest as she shook the last fragments of sleep from her head. A door slammed shut somewhere outside her room, followed by another several moments later. Something was happening.
Linka quickly jumped up and stood, before realizing that she couldn't go outside in the towel she'd wrapped around herself the night before. The tall blonde glanced at the suitcases, mentally assessing the dimensions of the singlet and jeans lying discarded on the chair. She felt a brief moment of guilt about even entertaining the thought of wearing someone else's clothes. However, this soon passed as she knew that she had no choice.
Linka quickly dressed and left the room, grabbing a baseball cap and taking care to leave the door unlocked. She tucked her fluorescent hair carefully into the hat and followed a middle-aged couple along the corridor and into the silver lifts. Upon reaching the correct floor, Linka and the couple stepped out and passed through a bar area, noting that many people were making the same pilgrimage. They exited through heavy glass doors and Linka soon found herself outside, on the ship's bow. A large sign over the doors read "Outback Grill", and plastic chairs and tables were set out haphazardly along the deck.
Linka glanced around, noticing that the guardsmentioned by the maidwere in full force here this morning, watching the remaining passengers with suspicion. The horn had obviously sounded for breakfast, so she chose to go with the flow and joined a line of people bearing plates and glasses.
Piling fruit and toast onto her plate, she weaved her way through the guards ( keeping her head bowed low), and sat opposite the couple she had followed here earlier. The older woman acknowledged her with a smile as Linka pulled her chair in and began munching on her toast. The deck was unnaturally quiet, as if the staff and passengers were too afraid to speak in the presence of the guards. A baby's cry punctuated the stillness, and everybody seemed to glance nervously in that direction, as if willing the baby to stop. A large guard with a rifle pointed his weapon in the direction of the noise and smiled menacingly at the mother. The young woman rose suddenly and fled the deck with the screaming child, looking over her shoulder fearfully at the amused guards.
Linka turned back to her food, her brow furrowed in frustration and anger. The older woman grimaced and shrugged her shoulders, as if this was a regular occurrence. She suddenly leaned forward, prompting Linka to do the same.
"Haven't seen you here before. Were you one of the people who were locked up?"
LInka looked blankly at the woman, unsure of what to say. She decided to avoid suspicion and see where her answer took her. "Yes."
The older woman beamed at Linka, before prodding her husband/partner in the ribs. "See, I told you they'd let them go. You should all be very proud of yourselves...at least you tried to fight back. Don't go blaming yourself for that shooting, either. That boy was just silly to grab the gun. Where are the others? There must have been 5 or 6 of you involved?"
"Uh...I'm not sure how many...I managed to escape...they...they don't know I'm out, I don't think." Linka was rambling, but her companion didn't seem to notice.
"Well, you were all very brave to try to overpower those men. I suppose you've heard that we're apparently off course...so much for our dream vacation. I wonder where they're taking us? Oh, I'm Barbara, by the way. Barbara Amer. This is Jim, my husband." Jim nodded politely at Linka before resuming his observation of the guards at the other end of the deck.
Linka shook her offered hand, glad for some non-threatening companionship. "I am Maria. It is nice to meet you...under the circumstances, anyway." Maria was Boris' young daughter, and the first name to pop into her head at such short notice.
"Is that an accent that I detect? French?"
"Nyet, Russian. My familyare from St Petersburg."
"Russia...cold place... Beautiful, but cold. We're from New Zealand ourselves. Auckland. We love to travel. Usually not by force, though," she added, almost as an afterthought. "I just wish they'd tell us where we're going and what they're planning to do with..."
The horn blast interrupted the conversation as the passengers and crew around Linka jumped to their feet and begun scurrying towards the doors in a mass stampede.
"What is going..."
Barbara grabbed her arm and dragged Linka along with her, with Jim trailing behind. "C'mon, we have to go or they start getting a little testy."
Linka witnesed this first hand as someone to her right was clubbed across the back of the head by a rifle butt. She let go of Barbara, reaching out to the injured man and half dragging him inside with the help of two other female passengers. Linka gritted her teeth, furious, yet powerless to do anything about it.
They finally broke free of the rest of the crowd and pulled him down the stairs and into the relative safety of Aloha deck. One of the girls fumbled for her key and opened the door to her room, beckoning Linka and the other helper inside. Cursing, the brunette sat the man against the wall of one bed and attempted to stem the flow of blood with a t-shirt.
"Thank you so much for your help. I wouldn't have been able to get Matt out on my own."
Linka and the other girl murmured replies and sat down together on the other bed as Barbara, Jim and two men Linka didn't recognize entered the room, closed the door behind them and found spots on the bed and floor. Linka guessed that they had probably all gotten to know each other over the past week or so. She thought it best to introduce herself.
"She was one of the people locked up after they boarded," Barbara added, smiling encouragingly at Linka again. After a round of introductions, Linka gradually got to know their stories and backgrounds.
Matt and Amy were from Sydney, in their late twenties and on their honeymoon. Mary was twenty-three and from Ontario, Canada. She was traveling independently and on the last leg of a six month voyage abroad, although she was meant to be flying home tomorrow. The two men, Mark and Billy, were brothers also traveling together from Essex, England. They had been backpacking around Australia for about a year and, like the rest of the passengers, had boarded the ship in Melbourne.
As the introductions ceased, the theories and rumors began to circulate.
"We have to be low on fuel if the ship has been at sea for so long."
"I heard that we were sailing to Manila...that's what one of the cook's told me."
"Why don't they just throw us overboard? Do they need us for something?
Mary settled back onto the bed, unimpressed with that idea. "Yeah, great idea Mark. You wanna' suggest that to those inbreds with guns?" She sighed. "Where's Captain Planet when ya' need him?"
The other's chuckled but Linka sat bolt upright.
"Where is Captain Planet?" she asked, aware of the surprised stares. "I've been...out of town for many years now," she shrugged, eager for any information that they could give her.
Matt piped up for the first time since Linka had met him. "I heard he was stuck permanently in the Earth after the girl died. Sad. Linka, wasn't it? From Russia, like you..." The others murmured in agreement, looking at Linka's ashen face.
Her curiosity finally got the better of her. "How did, uh, Linka... die?"
The occupants of the room looked around, obviously trying to recall the information. Finally, Mary again broke the silence.
"No-one knows. I remember that the rest of the Planeteers released a joint statement about her death and their retirement. Ya' know, it's funny, but I don't remember how she died."
"I don't think they ever released that. Maybe it was hushed up?" Billy replied, scratching his head absent-mindedly.
"Didn't Gi drown her?" Mark received a collective groan and apologized, unaware of Linka's horrified face. "Nah, just kidding. Isn't Gi a teacher now?"
Linka's heart quickened as she listened intently to the conversation, desperate for any information.
Amy nodded. "Yeah, she is. Lives in Manila, I think. Isn't that where the cook thought we were going? Coincidence..."
"What about the others? Where are they?" Linka couldn't wait anymore. Her heart was again hammering in her chest and a thin sheen of sweat had broken out on her forehead. She sat silently and absorbed the massive stream of information.
"Ma-Ti went back to Ecuador, I think."
"Yeah, works in local government I read."
"Doesn't Gi have a kid?"
"Yeah, she's married to an ecologist."
"She and Kwame were in the paper last year. A reunion, of sorts. I think he returned home as well after Linka died. Works for charity organizations, AIDS awareness and all that."
"Sad that they all had to split up like that, though."
"Yeah, and Gaia's not around anymore either."
The topic of conversation dwindled rapidly from here as the cabin mates discussed various missions and disasters that they had remembered over the years. Linka's breathing was now coming in ragged bursts: they hadn't mentioned the one remaining member.
"What about Wheeler?" she whispered, feeling most apprehensive about the answer.
Her question was met by confused silence. Her cabin mates looked around at each other, greeting each other with the same confused look. No one seemed to know what Wheeler's fate was.
Mary frowned, as if trying to recall that period in time. "He kinda' went underground, I think. No-one really knows what happened to him. At first there was a lot of gossip that he told em' all to get lost. Didn't want nothin' ta' do with them. No one's heard from him since. Disappeared of the radar."
"I used to have such a crush on him when I was younger..." added Amy, oblivious to the tears rolling down Linka's cheeks. The Russian quickly wiped them away and stood shakily, heading for the door.
"I'm going to go back to my cabin now. I will see you later, I guess."
Closing the door behind her, Linka adjusted her cap and walked towards her room, feeling buffeted and emotionally worn out. She couldn't deal with this. She reached her door and turned te knob, but it refused to turn in her grip. The maid had probably locked it after cleaning. Linka punched the door in defeat, then turned and descended the stairs. She walked for about ten minutes, slowly calming herself down. She felt utterly helpless. As she passed the laundry, a scuffling sound was heard, followed by a deep, commanding voice over the loudspeaker. Linka stopped and listened intently to Looten Plunder's dulcet tones.
"Attention ladies, gentleman and...DAMN IT, BLIGHT! YOU'RE NOT HAVING THE MICROPHONE! ladies, gentleman and my esteemed eco-villains. Tomorrow, we will port in Perth, Western Australia for some much needed supplies. It will be a very quick stop-over before we continue our journey to our destination of South-East Asia. We plan on leaving the ship in Manila, after which you will be free to go. We hope you have enjoyed traveling the friendly seas with us, and don't forget to spend money in the gift shop on ...BLIGHT, WOULD YOU QUIT IT? GIVE ME THE MICROPHONE, YOU CRAZY..."
Plunder's speech was abruptly cut short as Linka contemplated this new information.
We are traveling to the Philippines.
Was it simply a coincidence (as Mary had mentioned), that Gi was living there now? Linka wasn't so sure. She resumed her restless pacing, trying in vain to clear her head. As she reached the center staircase on the sixth floor, she found the beauty and hair salon. Linka stopped again and peered into the shop, seeing one other passenger getting her hair colored. She self-consciously touched her own hair underneath the cap, obviously still green and damaged from the harsh chlorine.
If she could escape detection until they reached Manila, Linka had a good chance of finding Gi before Plunder and his crew did. Linka also contemplated the thought of sharing her true identity with her neighbors. They seemed trustworthy, and she felt apprehensive about shouldering so much responsibility on her own. All of her life, it had been in her nature not to trust people.
Perhaps it was time for a change.
Linka entered the salon and stood for several minutes until the lone staff member could serve her. After noting down the room number and seating her customer into a chair, the hairdresser asked what she wanted done.
Linka smiled, noting her haggard appearance in the mirror. She took her cap off and dropped it to the floor, glad to be rid of it.
"Um……Surprise me."