5978. Miss Jones what the hell did you do? - Minotaur
5978a. Hey! I did nothing, she was already all but summoned – Megan
5978b. *sighs* Everybody, please welcome HMS Unicorn, the 1824 frigate and haunted ship - Commander Glenn

5979. Please do not introduce any more haunted ships to the game Ghost Master; they're already scary enough without getting any more ideas
5979a. HEY! – all haunted hull shipgirls

-

Leaning against the after railings of the ship, the young dark haired woman frowned slightly as she watched a group of lights dance in the air in a way that nothing she knew of could match.

"What brings you here, city guardian?" the voice had her looking up to see a fairly young woman dressed like an old Victorian era sailor.

The young woman shrugged. "Watching some spooks playing around. My sister's over in Nova Scotia prepping for a run along the Arctic Circle to the States, I figured I'd see how many of the ghost stories about you were true." She looked over at the other female, offering a hand. "Megan Jones, Karas of Plymouth and twin sister to HMS Zephyr of the Z-class destroyers. I presume you're HMS Unicorn."

Unicorn nodded one. "Indeed, though you seem rather calm about seeing spirits. Many of those that walked my decks have more trouble with them." She shook the pro-offered hand.

Megan laughed. "These days anyone that gets spooked should really bury their heads, what with abyssals, kanmusu – that's others like you, though usually they're returnees rather than always been heres, supernatural weirdness, luck storms and I've no idea what else. Of course then there's the fact I deal with supernatural things every day in spite of trying to get through college." She paused, chewing her lip briefly. "I wonder if the college would accept a full write up on after death experiences from those that have been through it. I might have to talk to the other ghost ships around as well."

"Even if they don't, I would be willing to. Many things have changed since I was built."

Nodding, Megan pushed off the railing. "It might be an interesting project, for those of you that are willing, to either write of your crews or of your experiences, though I know more than a few have rather nasty ones, they do say talking to people can help." She ducked as a cat-o'-nine-tails flew at her head and snorted. "Screw you too buddy."

Unicorn sighed, shaking her head. "Walker… I don't know why, but he often feels the need to make himself known through violence." She looked at a point just beyond the stairs up to where they were and narrowed her eyes at her former captain. "I honestly think he hates his station, particularly as I was never used to fight, only really to train because of the shift towards more stable steam powered hulls."

"Doesn't mean he should attack others though," Megan said, rolling her eyes as something crashed to the deck. "You do know that'd be coming out of your pay, right?" she asked the spirit.

After getting no response for several minutes bar the feeling someone was glaring at her, she shrugged and turned back to Unicorn. "Out of curiosity – and feel free to tell me to screw myself if you don't want to answer – but did you ever meet your carrier namesake?" she asked.

Unicorn shook her head. "Not really, though I heard she did her job well and stood for a fair time for a ship. My name is one the navy seems to like; they always seem to have one of us around, even if the last was gifted to the former French ice colony."

Megan frowned, going over what she knew of naval history. It had always been more Zephyr's thing than hers, hence why Zeph was studying it as a course while working on gaining her officer rank. "HMCS Windsor, I think I met her one time, the Canadian navy changed her name when they took her in. She was the last ship one of our yards built until they finalised and started laying the keel of the Queen Elizabeth, the carrier version. I think Windsor's one of the steel hulls than managed to actually smack an abyssal out." She looked over at Unicorn, smiling slightly. "Hey if you're able to leave your hull for a bit, you want to get something to eat and maybe see some of the interesting things about the modern world?"

"I would like that, though I don't know if I can eat," replied Unicorn.

"Well, we can find out together."

*****

Unicorn frowned as she looked down at the screen in front of her. "What is the purpose of this game?" she asked, glancing back at Megan as chilling music wafted from the laptop's speakers.

Megan's grin was positively evil as she sat forwards. "To scare the ever loving hell out of everyone or send them complete insane in the membrane." She moved her hand towards the mouse. "Mind if I show you?"

A few clicks of the mouse brought them to the first level, using four of the possible ghosts or haunters to scare everyone out of a sorority house. Unicorn watched, somewhat in awe, as Megan set her team of four to release the level's captive ghost, Weather Witch, and start scaring the mortals with spiders, electricity and other things.

"How do you do things like this?"

"Eh," Megan shrugged, "People come up with ideas and ghosts have been around as long as man, someone decided to try setting things up so the player controls them." She looked over at Unicorn. "You want a go on it?" The answering grin was vicious.

*****

Two weeks later Unicorn cackled as a ghost hunting group ran screaming into the night. Okay, so she might have over done things a little with the walls running with blood or the ghostly explosions, but it was still fun to terrify others.

Turning back to her hull, she smirked, now, who among the other 'haunted hulls' would be awake at this hour to chat with and compare notes? Pulling a mobile phone out of her uniform pocket, she looked through the list as she made her way back onto her hull to try running another level.