I gazed down at the sandy beach before me. On it lay the product of four days of hard labor, a third of what wreckage we'd scavenged, and what little I could remember of the top-secret drunken ramblings my brother had treated me to last Christmas. Gently put, it was a complete mess.
"Do you really think this'll work?"
I turned to one of my two fellow survivors, Arthur Gladstone. He was scratching at the few hairs between his mouth and nose that had the audacity to call itself a mustache, and looked like the whiny young adult he was.
"You have any better ideas on how to get off this rock?" I responded dryly. "I'm all ears for your magnificent plan on how to sail the seven seas and reach friendly waters. Preferably without getting us murdered to death. I'm allergic to dying, it's bad for my skin."
He continued to scratch his mustache hairs. "We could have built a boat from the wood instead of using it as a substitute for the metals we were lacking."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Have either you or your brother spontaneously learned the intricacies of shipbuilding in this past week? Discovered a source of pitch, gum, or other product that could be used to seal the wood together? Found a way to prevent anything more complex than a raft from sinking?"
"Uh, no?"
"Then don't suggest plans we can't carry out. The only reason we know how to build a raft is that all it takes is a bunch of wood tied together."
Arthur looked down and began digging his feet in the sand. He looked like I'd kicked him. I sighed.
"Look if you want to help, could you go find Christopher? I need another brain to brainstorm with. I'm beginning to think we shouldn't have used starfish in the flag, and I'm divided on whether we should replace them with Sand Dollars or just plain old sand."
Arthur dithered for a moment, but did leave me in peace. I shook my head and bent down to examine our work. It really didn't look like something that should be capable of summoning the ghost of warships past. Instead, it looked like a garage sale had collided with an extremely patriotic deserted island. On the other hand, according to my (admittedly drunken) brother, everything related to this process was bullshit.
So far we had nothing to show for our work. I'd hoped to get results yesterday, but it looks like we were still doing something wrong. I'd spent most of the morning changing the ratio of wood-to-sunken-cargo-ship, but it looks like that wasn't the problem either.
"What's that supposed to be?" Asked a female voice.
It took a moment for me to realize what she was asking about. "The short version is the American flag. The long version is our ticket off this island."
"Made of starfish, and with how many stars?"
I sighed. "We couldn't dig up a full fifty starfish, so I might have taken a few liberties with the design. That or it flies over an alternate United States where the Dakotas, Carolinas, and Virginias reconciled their differences."
"The dead crabs?"
"We didn't have enough red fabric for the stripes. You see anything else red on this island, be my guest to use it. If this thing still isn't working tomorrow, we'll probably try thin lines of blood before we throw in the towel."
My companion hummed in thought. "So how does the long version help you get off this island?"
"In an ideal world, it will summon us a boat. In reality, it looks like the only thing it might summon is a passing airplane."
"What's an airplane?"
"What do you mean 'what's an airplane'? You damn well know what a… wait, who am I even talking to?"
There was a grand total of three people on this hunk of rock. Just the blunder twins and I. I'm also the only woman, so who the flying hell am I talking to? Am I going crazy, or could my craptastic remake of the crowning achievement of spiritual science bullshit have actually worked?
I turned to look at my companion. She was a girl, check. She was wearing some vague rendition of a uniform, check (thank God it seemed to be a practical, if dated outfit). She had random-ass ship parts jutting out from her body, check. Then I took a second glance and cursed.
Those were definitely cannons. The antique kind even, the ones that shot little round balls back in the age of sail. Even worse, that was definitely a wooden mast sticking up behind the girl like some sort of wooden flagpole-tail. The white sail hanging from it might as well have had 'Look at me, I'm obsolete!' painted on it.
Well, obsolete relic from before the age of turbines or not, the important question was, "Can you sail?"
The girl blinked, her brown eyes rising to focus on me. "Of course I can! I might have run aground recently, but I think it will be easier to fix than the last time it happened."
I smiled for the first time since the shipwreck. "Excellent! I'm still not sure how I managed it, but it looks like all this stuff actually worked!"
The girl surveyed the beach behind me with a frown. "All what stuff? All I see is that rather… creative… rendition of the American flag."
I turned around to see a beach that was mostly empty. There was sand, more sand, a crab, some sand, and the flagbomination. Huh, I guess all the items needed to perform a summon were actually consumed after all. Of course, out of all the materials we'd pulled together it had to be the one we'd spent an entire day agonizing over that was completely unnecessary. I ground my teeth.
Turning back again, I faced the newest inhabitant of Random Ocean Rock. "Well, since you seem to be taking this a lot better than I am, do you mind if we do introductions? I'm Jessica Stanton."
After a moment of examining herself, the girl responded. "I was not expecting this to be the result of my timber being broken up. USS Constellation, ready to weigh anchor and set sail."
Being human was an odd experience. First, despite having run aground I could still sail and maneuver. Typically that chanced ripping my hull apart. Second, I could actually interact with humans. Conversations were much more intriguing when I could actually take part. Third, hair was weird and it itched. I scratched my scalp. Wasn't that amazing? I had an actual scalp to scratch!
Jessica spoke up. "Alright, time for a quick history lesson. It's currently 2023 A.D.. A few years ago the world was largely at peace and the United States controlled the waves with the largest navy on the planet."
My chest swelled with pride and I could almost see the stars in my eyes. "Take that Thomas Jefferson!" I yelled. I could feel my cheeks turning red as I clapped my hands over my mouth.
Jessica paused and tilted her head. "No, no, go on. You seemed pretty enthusiastic, and that man doesn't receive nearly as much flak as he deserves."
I pursed my lips, debating whether to stay silent anyways or disparage one of the great men who had turned America into a nation. The memories of my crew hinted that there was a time to call out one's leader, and a time to not waste air pointlessly raving about them. What would my sisters do in this situation?
That was an easy question to answer. I opened my mouth and began a tirade. "That idiot and his supporters nearly strangled our navy in the cradle! We understand that we're expensive to operate, but when you have pirates, the French, or the British hunting down your merchantmen, a fleet of tiny gunboats isn't going to do anything! Did he expect the Royal Navy to laugh itself to death at the sight of a dozen toy boats rowing out to face them? Then there's the Barbary states. I'd bet my aft not a single one of those gunboats could have made the trip across the Atlantic without getting swamped at least twice. I might not have had a shallow draft, but at least I could get to my destination in both a reasonable timeframe and with a minimal amount of life or death experiences!"
"Feeling better?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes. What I just said was obvious after the War of 1812, but it's good to see that America did not let that kind of idiocy grip it again. Please continue."
"Well, everything went to shit when the Abyssals attacked. You know how you are a ship, but also kind of a girl at the moment? They're just like that, but with a weird sea creature theme and a burning desire to kill people. The navies of the world stood up against them, but were driven back by a seemingly unending tide of spooky killer ghost ships. Then girls like you showed up and helped to push them back, and the war has been in a stalemate ever since. Any questions?"
The Abyssals stood against the entire world? I could scarcely imagine anyone standing up against the combined fleets of just France, Spain, and Great Britain! Just how many of these Abyssals were there?
"Did they really attack the entire world?" I asked.
"Well, maybe not the entire world. I don't think they've made a move on Nepal yet. In any case, let's move on to more recent events. My two companions and I were crewmembers on a convoy delivering food to one of the more besieged nations. We got ambushed and our ship was shot out from under us. We managed to make it to shore here where we've been stuck for the past week. We have food, water, and shelter, but what we didn't have was a way off this island. I may or may not have replicated a top secret method of… stimulating girls like you to appear, in the hopes that you could tow our sorry asses back towards friendly lines. So here we are, you interested in rescuing this damsel in distress?"
What kind of ship did she take me for? "It'd be poor form to leave behind sailors in need of rescuing."
The smile on Jessica's face grew wider. "Good. We can probably get the raft ready within a few hours-"
I looked down at my hands as I interrupted. "Actually… are you pressed for time?"
"At the moment, no. The Abyssals seemed to have wandered off to wherever it is they go after battles. Our main problems are that I'm pretty sure everyone has written us off as dead already, and we're behind enemy lines. Why, you want to take a day off before we leave this rock behind us?"
I fidgeted. Going alone against a powerful navy was always a daunting prospect, and I'd rather not be trapped in a harbor again if I could help it. There was always safety in numbers, or at least a better prospect in forcing the blockade to split up and waste effort chasing in multiple directions.
"I would rather not sail alone if possible. Could you possible try… whatever it was you did that called me here, again?"
Jessica studied me for a moment. "You're lost in a new world where things are different and you want some familiar faces, don't you?"
Well, that was true as well. "Are you amenable?"
"Now that I know the working recipe, why not? We've probably got enough wreckage to try twice more. With you we weren't going for any ship in particular, but I can try to aim for specific ships if you want. No promises that we'll actually get them though."
I answered without an ounce of hesitation. "United States and Constitution. I consider them my sister ships, but in truth they are both larger and more heavily armed than I. United States was the first, and Constitution the best of us. Both outlived me."
Jessica made a humming noise. "I want to say I've heard of Constitution before, but I'm probably confusing it with the document."
I let a small smile come across my face. "It would not surprise me if the actions of Constitution are still remembered. Of the six of us, she was the most beloved by the public. I hope there was great sadness when her time at the breakers finally came."
"Well before we start to work on your family reunion, let's go introduce you to the twins. I bet you five bucks Arthur shits himself when he sees you."
As it turned out, Arthur managed to keep his shit together, so I slapped a wrinkled $5 bill into Constellation's hand. This led to a discussion of what a 'buck' was, and how I had never owned a deer or deerskin in my entire life. Christopher all but got down on his hands and knees to worship Constellation. Of the three of us, I think he's the one who's suffered the most being stuck on this rock. He just isn't the same without an internet connection.
It took several hours of hard work, but by the dawn of the next day the four of us had dragged everything we needed onto the beach where Constellation had appeared. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for everything to turn into a shitstorm.
The two new girls before me were clearly related to Constellation. All three of them had the same brown eyes and looked extremely stocky. Constellation seemed to be in the middle height wise. There was just one problem…
"USS United States, ready to reenter service." Said the taller of the two newcomers.
I stared at her. My eyes shifted upwards to her flag bandanna, and then back down to her eyes. Up to the bandanna, then back to the eyes. To my left to make sure Christopher was seeing the same damn thing I was, then to the right at Constellation and Arthur to make sure they were seeing it too, and then back to the bandanna.
"What, is there something on my face?" She asked.
Unable to properly express my feelings on the matter, I merely nodded and motioned vaguely towards the bandanna.
United States frowned and took off the bandanna. Her hands unfolded it, and held the flag out before us. For a brief moment, all three shipgirls and all three humans shared a strange kinship as we stared at the flag in her hands and couldn't quite put how we felt about it into words, if for different reasons. That moment was shattered when United States twisted her face into a snarl and screeched.
"THOSE MOTHER-" She began to curse. As a certified adult, I had both cursed, and had heard curses before. What I had never heard before was a storm of foul language the likes of which United States was currently vomiting out.
Constellation took a step back. Christopher put his fingers in his ears. Arthur looked ready to burst into tears.
At some point in the tirade, a … miniature person… popped out of somewhere on United States and placed a glowing coal in her right hand. United States proceeded to press the coal against the flag until it caught fire, then threw both the coal and the flaming banner onto the ground.
"-and that's what I think of those traitors flying their abhorrent 'Stars and Bars' from a ship that is clearly named after the nation they're trying to destroy!" United States finished.
We all watched the flag burn in silence for a moment.
"Well, now that we've gotten that out of our systems, let's move on." I said brightly. This couldn't possibly get any worse…
"So, you're Constitution?" I asked the newest, littlest shipgirl.
The expression on her face crumpled. She went from happy to miserable in less than two seconds.
"That's not Constitution." The other two ships said in unison.
"Oh, um, well, then who is she?"
Constellation leaned in. "Chesapeake?" She asked.
The girl gave the tiniest of nods, then turned away from us. "I thought that just this once, I was truly needed." She whispered. "That someone specifically wanted the Chesapeake."
United States snorted. "Just because we didn't want you specifically doesn't mean we don't want you at all."
"Yes it does!" Chesapeake screamed as she rounded back on us. "Nobody ever wants the Chesapeake. What would you know? You and Constellation never had any problems. You never had to go through what I went through!"
"Damn it Chesapeake, this isn't a contest to see who had it worse!" Roared United States. "Do you think you're the only one here who ever got captured? At least there was some dignity in being defeated by the Royal Navy, the most powerful navy afloat. I didn't even get to fight and got captured by traitors!"
Chesapeake wasn't listening, and instead took a step backwards and hunched over.
"Cursed, defeated, and disowned. That's all I am. Why would anyone ever want me?" She then rounded on me. "What did you want out of us? How can I disappoint you today?"
Well, I had been hoping to sneak out of the family drama unfolding in front of me, but it looks like that plan was shot. "Honestly? As long as you can sail in a straight line and tow a raft I'll adore you for the rest of my life."
This was apparently the wrong answer. "Me, a frigate that carries upwards of fifty cannons, reduced to mere transport duties? Are you certain you don't want to just take me apart and make me into a watermill? Go ahead and get me over with?"
I shook my head vigorously. "No watermills needed here! Just three stranded sailors in need of rescue."
"See!" Chesapeake roared, rounding on her siblings. "They don't need me, they need a ship. Literally any ship. I feel so much better now that I know I fulfill the requirement of 'literally being a ship', because the only damn thing I can do right is be a damn boat!"
"Chesapeake?" Constellation asked quietly. "How did you know that Humphreys disowned your design? His feud with Fox only boiled up to that point years after you were sold for timber." We offer power.
"I had nightmares… between back then and right now. They whispered… things to me. I don't want to talk about it." Chesapeake said as she hugged herself. We offer revenge.
Constellation took a step forward and put her arm on Chesapeake's shoulder. The smaller girl flinched back, but didn't remove the offending limb.
"Listen to me." Constellation pleaded. "The world is apparently at war and these three sailors need us to help escort them to safety. They don't need you to fight a battle for them, they just need you to help save their lives. Do you think you can handle that?"
Chesapeake was silent for a moment. Then another moment, and another, and it became clear that Chesapeake didn't think she could handle it.
United States stepped in. "The Chesapeake I knew was ready to fight and roaring to go face whatever opponent lay before her, no matter how badly prepared she was. What happened to that Chesapeake?"
Chesapeake wasn't moved. "She lost."
United States lost her patience. "You know what? If you think so little of yourself, then you should obviously know that it'll be a cold day in hell when you defeat both Constellation and I at the same time. The two of us are now officially forcing you to do this whether you like it or not, and once we're done I will personally train those sorry morons who call themselves your crew."
She then reached forward and grabbed Chesapeake's arm and began dragging her away. Chesapeake frowned, but let herself be dragged off and the two soon disappeared into the trees. A moment later United States came marching back, still dragging her smaller sister.
"Uh, by the way, what exactly are we supposed to be doing?" She asked.
A/N:
I have two more snippets that I will be polishing up and posting later today.
I was going to ask if you meant the 1797 Constellation or the 1854, but that became clear from the other ships summoned. I suppose it was too much to hope for -- especially given the available materials -- to get CC-2 or CV-64, and hoping for NCC-1974 would just be silly.
It's fine. I just finished going on a fifteen minute research adventure attempting to determine exactly how much knowledge Constellation would have about constellations. Found more than I'd hoped, less than I'd liked.
The main roadblock is that the main conflict in the story crops up in Chapter 5, and so while I do have 4 and 5 written, I'm going over what I have with a fine toothed comb and expanding it a bit so that it is set up properly.
I was going to ask if you meant the 1797 Constellation or the 1854, but that became clear from the other ships summoned. I suppose it was too much to hope for -- especially given the available materials -- to get CV-64, and hoping for NCC-1974 would just be silly.
Ever since I built my Lego model of the Constellation, I've always had a special fondness for it. Well, the 1797 Constellation, I've never actually thought about whether the set was supposed to depict 1797 or 1854. There's already enough stories about various 'powerful warship X in KC!' floating around, so I decided to go the other direction, 'outdated warship Y in KC!'.
That evening, we gathered together and prepared to leave. I might have been worried were I simply a wooden hulled frigate, but between the moonlight and my draft being measured in dozens of inches instead of feet, I was fairly confident in my ability to reach our destination safely. There was just one problem…
"Get in the boat." I demanded for the third time.
"I am not getting inside of anything that can give the laws of physics the middle finger." Jessica insisted.
"It's a longboat. It does not have fingers, it does nothing other than float on the water, and it does not disobey the laws of physics."
"It was six inches long half an hour ago! If it shrinks back with us in it, you'll have a Honey, I shrunk the kids moment on your hands."
"I have no idea what that means."
"It means," screamed Jessica, "that there is no way I'm getting in that boat."
"Just get in the boat." Christopher called. "It wasn't half as difficult to convince my brother. Besides, this should allow us to travel faster and it definitely holds more food and water than the raft."
Jessica bared her teeth. "I am not getting into that boat of my own free will. You will have to force me inside of it."
With a shrug, United States snatched Jessica off the ground with one arm and slung the sailor over her shoulder.
"Fine, I see how it is. But if the boat shrinks and we get eaten by a fish, or we drown when it rains, or physics decides it isn't going to take this anymore and sends the ghost of Sir Isaac Newton to finish the job, I reserve the right to haunt your ass." Jessica protested as my sister calmly sat down next to a rather morose Chesapeake.
After I finished tying the rope that connected me to my longboat, I frowned. "How does this work exactly? I don't know how to swim." I asked as I toed the water.
Jessica threw her hands up in the air. "You're the boat, you figure it out! Apparently you girls should be able to just walk on top of it."
"Like Jesus?" I hazarded.
She sighed. "Yes, like Jesus."
I tested a foot. The water seemed solid, so I took a few steps out. My feet continued to rest on top of the water, and my confidence grew. I turned around to face everyone in the longboat.
"It does work!" I cried.
Then an ocean wave smacked me in the back and knocked me off my feet. United States burst out laughing, and when I stood back up I noticed that Chesapeake seemed just a bit less grumpy.
Three hours later, I was sailing beneath the silent stars. The initial excitement of having legs and using them to run across the sea had worn off, and I was bored. I tried to busy myself with spotting the few constellations I knew, but I stopped once I realized I was confusing Pegasus and Ursa Major.
I was named after the stars on the United States flag, not the stars in the sky. I could find the North Star in Ursa Minor, and that was about it.
What did people do all night? Oh yeah, if they weren't on duty they typically slept. I wondered what sleeping was like. Hm, I wonder what dreaming was like. I looked back at the longboat. The only one still awake was Chesapeake, who was busy glowering the surface of the ocean into submission.
"Hey Chesapeake!" I called. "What're dreams like?"
"I told you I didn't want to talk about it." Was her unhappy response.
"I'm not asking you to tell me what happened in them exactly, I just want to know what the sensation of dreaming is like. I've never had one before, and my crew never needed to discuss what dreams were, just what happened in them."
"Fine. It's… sort of like a daze. Things are happening to and around you, but you can't interact with them until suddenly you can. Then there are the whispers that try to get into your head and tell you who you should be, what you should do. I don't like the whispers very much."
I considered this for a moment. "I don't think I want to dream if that's what they're like."
"You really don't."
"Hey!" Called out a cranky Jessica. "Would you two shut up? Some of us are trying to sleep!"
"Sorry!" I apologized. "You should go to sleep as well Chesapeake, I'm the only one who needs to be awake. My crew and I can keep watch."
We sailed south. The wind could have been stronger, but I was a fast ship if I do say so myself, and we made a fair distance. As dawn neared I put us ashore on a mostly-barren rock, who's only notable feature was a slope that led up to a cliff. While most of our group wandered off to explore, Chesapeake pulled me aside.
"I had a nightmare last night."
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked. This was odd, she hadn't seemed to want to share with me before.
"Not really, but maybe there is a way you could help."
"How?"
Chesapeake began to pace. "Constellation, how far would you go for power?"
I scratched my head. "Uh, when I first fought the French during the Quasi-War, my captain armed me with heavy 24 pounder cannons. It turned out that I was carrying too much weight, and that harmed my performance in battle. Afterwards they were switched out with lighter 18 pounder cannons, and I didn't have that issue in my next battle. So I guess I'd go pretty far for power. The six of us were fairly overbuilt for frigates in the first place, but I wouldn't go so far that it harmed my performance."
My sister shook her head. "That's… not exactly what I meant. What exactly would you sacrifice for power, what pain would you endure?"
I thought about it for a moment. What kind of pain could make you stronger? As a warship I typically wasn't experiencing pain if I wasn't involved in an accident or a battle. The only other time I had truly hurt had been… had been when I was broken up.
Being broken up hadn't made me stronger. It had made me as dead as a warship could be without sinking. I certainly hadn't been made stronger by being torn apart. The other Constellation, the one that was to replace me, might have been made stronger by some of my timbers. Of course I had no way of knowing if any of them wound up as parts of that ship.
It did bring up an interesting thought though. What if I had been taken apart entirely, and then all of my timber was used to make the new Constellation? I guess that would be a painful way of making me stronger, but honestly I'd rather go through something less invasive. Hmm, what was less invasive than being completely torn apart, but hurt me as much or more than being damaged in battle?
There were some ships that had been modified to use steam in addition to sail. That certainly would have been an extensive modification, but it would have been worth it. Yes, that was my answer. "Well, you know how steamboats were starting to become more common? Even though it hurt being broken down, I guess the pain would have been worth it if I was being modified to make room for them to put me back together with a steam engine. Does that help?"
For the first time in centuries, I saw a large smile stretch across my sister's face. "Yes actually, that's perfect. Thank you."
Well, the Chesapeake was generally considered an unlucky, if not outright cursed ship. She got her ass kicked twice, had two captains court-martialled, and one captain killed. Due to either a shortage of timber, or her new designer wanting to experiment, what was originally supposed to be among the four larger frigates (of 6 total) ended up as the smallest, and her original designer literally disowned her. She was also noted to be slower than her larger counterparts.
Wow she needs a make over and time in the dockyard, cause fuck that guy! Also get a few exorcism's done on her to chase away any bad mojo that was done to her!!!
Of course the little convoy better hoe and pray they don't run into any hostiles on their voyage. Because WW2-based Abyssals versus Age of Sail shipgirls? Yeah, that will be a rather short and one-sided engagement.
The storm caught us by surprise. One minute we were all enjoying a nice lunch together, the next the skies opened up. We would have been absolutely miserable, but then Constellation saved the day by flipping the longboat and propping it up on top of some rocks. We all huddled underneath it.
"Maybe it's a hurricane?" asked Arthur.
"It'd be a typhoon in this part of the world." I responded. "In any case, I bet it's the Abyssals."
"Why do you think it's them Jessica?"
"The last weather forecast we got before the ship sank didn't report any storm systems forming, and it's the wrong time of the year for those storms in any case. Also, everything bad in the past few years has been because of the Abyssals. They caused the deaths. They caused the fighting. I bet they even caused that lovely little bakery near my home to close down. If we're stuck sitting underneath an upside down longboat during a massive storm, it's definitely the Abyssals' fault."
"Can the Abyssals control the weather?" Constellation asked.
I shook my head. "Bad storms often come with them, but most people doubt they have any real control over it. After all, if they could control the weather why are they even bothering to attack us at all? They could just sit back and fling hurricanes at our asses."
"So this storm could mean that some of these 'Abyssals' are nearby?" Asked United States.
I shrugged. "Could be. All the more reason for us to sit here until the storm passes. Let's not give anyone a reason to think this is anything other than a random piece of debris on a beach."
We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"So." I began. "I know we already did the whole 'introductions' thing, but since we're trapped in a small room together we might as well get to know each other."
Nobody immediately complained, so I took it as a greenlight to start the whole show. I turned to Constellation. "Like I know that I know you, but I don't really know you. You understand?"
She looked at me like I'd grown a second head. "No, I don't understand."
"Well, Chesapeake said something about being a frigate, and I have no idea what that is. I understand that it is a word that you use to describe a ship, but beyond that I'm clueless."
Constellation rolled her eyes. "You must be Landlubbers. Frigates are the navy's workhorses. We can do practically anything except go toe-to-toe with ships of the line. United States is technically a 44-gun frigate, and Chesapeake and I are technically 38's."
I raised an eyebrow. "Technically?"
United States spoke up. "I'm riding a little light at the moment, only 50 cannons. How many do you two have?"
"I'm under-gunned as well, only 40." Replied Chesapeake.
Constellation looked down. "38, but I've got my 24-pounders again for some reason. Do you mind if we switch a few cannons? 18-pounders would be ideal, but I'll take some 12-pounders if you have any you could spare."
United States seemed to think about this for a moment. "I can swap you some 12's for the 24's. It'll make me heavier than I'd like, but I can always ditch them at sea if necessary."
"I could trade a few 18's." Chesapeake chimed in.
I stared at them in shock as the three got in a huddle and started palming miniature cannons back and forth between them. "That's a thing that happens? If you don't like the guns you're carrying you just trade them with someone else like Pokémon?" I asked.
"I have no idea what Pokémon is, but armament is typically up to the captain's preference." Constellation said.
My brain started to hurt when they started swapping miniaturized ammunition, and I turned back towards my human companions.
"I think I'm done with this Q&A session. Do either of you want to participate?"
Christopher jumped up so fast he hit his head on the longboat above us. "Ow. Yes, I do! Do you three have any interesting stories?"
"Well," Constellation began, "there was the time I chased down the fastest ship in the French navy and captured it."
United States snorted. "Don't let her fill your ears with lies. L'Insurgente was known as one of the fastest ships in the French navy, not the fastest."
"She was fast enough to outrun Constitution."
"Do you know what is really impressive? When I captured a Royal Navy fifth-rate while only taking a dozen casualties."
"I only took four taking L'Insurgente!"
"She was French, and we weren't technically at war with them anyways."
Christopher's head tracked over to Chesapeake. "What about you? What amazing stories do you have?"
Chesapeake promptly exited our little shelter.
United States sighed. "Chesapeake… doesn't have any amazing stories. She started her career by failing to fire her first salute, became infamous when she only managed to fire off a single shot when the Leopard assaulted her in peacetime, and finished her career when she was captured and her captain killed during the War of 1812. She served with the British for a bit, but they didn't like her too much and sold her to the breakers soon after the war ended."
I winced. "Surely there were some happy times in between?"
"She captured a privateer once and took a few merchantmen, but that tends to get overshadowed."
Silence returned, and brought along a bit of ominous foreboding with it. There was also a degree of awkwardness, and I couldn't take it for very long. "I don't think we should let Chesapeake walk off like that. I get that she's sad and probably feeling sorry for herself, but no one should feel sad alone. Plus, there's still a storm going on and the possibility of Abyssals being nearby."
"Let her go." United States said dismissively. "Sometimes you just need some space."
"I don't think now is a good time for that." Said Constellation. "Storms can wreck a ship as easily as a battle, and there's a pretty bad one going on right now."
"Hm. You have a point." United States turned to face me. "Alright, what are your orders captain? You seem to be in charge of this whole affair."
I sputtered. "Captain? I'm not even a member of the navy!"
She shrugged. "Fair point. What are your orders sailor?"
I sighed. "Make sure she didn't do something stupid like sail out to sea in the middle of this. Just be careful not to wreck yourselves." Then I turned to my human companions, "Alright, who's ready to get soaked to the bone and drag Chesapeake back here whether she wants to or not?"
Arthur whimpered.
We left Arthur behind at the longboat, just in case Chesapeake wandered back without any of us finding her. Constellation and United States were walking the beaches while Christopher and I searched the interior of the island. We split up, he went to go check the lower side while I searched the end where the cliff overlooked the ocean.
If it was a dry summer day, it would have been very simple to comb the island. As it was I could barely see more than fifty feet through all the rain. I was also moving slower, and had to be extra careful while walking up the slope. Thunder, lightning, and wet rocks are not conducive for keeping one's footing.
When I neared the top of the cliff, I caught a glimpse of a figure.
"HEY CHESAPEAKE!" I screamed. "COME ON, WE NEED TO GET BACK TO EVERYONE ELSE! IT'S WET OUT HERE!"
The figure vanished. For a moment I thought that maybe I had just imagined seeing it, but then I heard The Sound.
A horrible cracking noise, it momentarily drowned out the sound of the wind, waves, and thunder. It was the kind of sound that sent a deep wave of unease through a person. I had never heard anything like it before, but I knew immediately what it was.
It was the sound of a wooden keel snapping, of a hull breaking in half.
This isn't happening.
I raced up to the top of the cliff, unstable footing be damned, and frantically looked over the edge.
This isn't happening!
There! I spotted some wooden debris floating in the shallows near the base of the cliff. Heart beating frantically, I hurried back down to the thin beach below it.
This can't be happening!
I waded out through knee-deep water, searching through the flotsam and jetsam that was rising up from below the surface. Debris shouldn't be doing that, it should be coming from further out to sea rather than from beneath it. My ankle sliced itself on a rock, but I ignored it.
There!
I caught a glimpse of something vaguely human shaped under the water further out. The water was up to my waist, but I managed to grab a serene-looking Chesapeake out from beneath the waves. The moment it took to carry her back to (relatively) dry land was the longest minute of my life.
I gently laid her down on the sand and began to examine her. For someone who had presumably thrown herself off a cliff and to her death, Chesapeake seemed to be in pretty good condition. She was in one piece, the ship bits like her mast seemed to be fine, she wasn't visibly bleeding, and I could see her chest rising and falling.
What.
Her chest was rising and falling. She'd been underwater for several minutes, and was still breathing normally. Could she breathe underwater? Neither ships nor people could breathe underwater. Well, maybe a submarine could breathe underwater, but Chesapeake wasn't a submarine. She couldn't be able to breathe underwater. Then I glanced between her gills and her growing shark fin, and revised my estimation of her ability to breath underwater to 'probably yes, those bits would do it'.
Wait, gills and a shark fin? Fuck.
Of course that was the moment 'Chesapeake' chose to open her eyes and locked them on me. They had not been crimson red or glowing two hours ago.
Holy shit, Chesapeake is now an Abyssal.
What now? I wouldn't just bend over and kiss my ass goodbye, but what else could I do?
"Uh… how's the weather?"
Apparently blurting out the first question that runs through my head is what we're going with. Great job brain, you really impressed me with your performance there.
Chesapeake's mouth widened into a slasher grin. "I think it's perfect. It resonates with the rage within my soul."
"That sounds deeply messed up and is something you should probably speak to a counselor about. My cousin is a marriage counselor, which isn't exactly what we're dealing with here, but I could probably get you a discount. Do you prefer Mondays or Wednesdays? You could also do both if you think you need the extra time."
Chesapeake tilted her head. Wait, was she actually thinking about this? My cousin was going to kill me.
"I've seen sailors wearing your expression before." She finally responded.
"You have?"
"Several times. They were so afraid they were a hair's breadth from jumping out of their own skins. I'm right, aren't I?"
Very much so. "Yup, I'm almost out of sanity over here. Do you think we could share what little we have left between us?"
"No, but there is one thing I think I could share with you."
I had a very, very bad feeling about this. "Really, what is it?"
"DEATH!"
I ducked just in time to avoid being decapitated by a cannonball, and quickly dove to the right.
"Can't we talk about this?" I screamed as I scrambled to put a large rock between me and the demonic ship spirit.
A cannon blasted. "You wish to parlay? What is there to discuss?"
I moved to a different pile of rocks. "Yes, I'd love to parlay! I'd be the best parlay-er to ever parlay! We could parlay about whatever the hell you want to parlay about, just cease fire!"
"I deny your request and will continue to fight until my enemies are defeated." She called out as she blasted my previous hiding place with ye olde instruments of death.
"I'm not your enemy, and even if I was, I'm 100% pure defeated right now. We could hold hands and sing Kumbaya to prove it!"
Another cannon blasted, but way too damn close to be Chesapeake's. It was followed by the sound of wood groaning, and then the wooden mast Chesapeake sported toppled into the sand behind her. Never in my life have I been happier to see a wild Constellation appear.
My savior looked confused, hurt, and sad. "Chesapeake, what are you doing?"
"You shot me!" Chesapeake screeched.
"Calm down."
"You shot me!"
"It was just your masts. We don't even have any crew in them anymore, you'll be perfectly fine once we repair you."
"You shot your own sister!"
"I disabled my own sister before she could go around killing innocent sailors and picking fights she can't win. United States will be here soon."
"I'm more powerful, I could beat you! I even have legs now, I don't need a mast to maneuver anymore."
"You'd be outnumbered two to one."
"Why are you protecting her, they're all the same!"
I stuck my head out from behind my rocktress of solitude. "I resent that remark! If there's anyone else in this world who is exactly the same as me, I need to schedule a fight to the death with them. This world isn't big enough for two Jessica Stanton's. God knows my parents would have a heart attack if they knew there were two of me, they've already sworn off the idea of grandchildren."
Chesapeake pulled a full sized cannon out of somewhere and pointed it at my face. I froze, and probably would have died if Constellation hadn't stepped between us.
"Chesapeake, please tell me what's wrong. What have you done?"
"Chesapeake… doesn't have any amazing stories. She started her career by failing to fire her first salute, became infamous when she only managed to fire off a single shot when the Leopard assaulted her in peacetime, and finished her career when she was captured and her captain killed during the War of 1812. She served with the British for a bit, but they didn't like her too much and sold her to the breakers soon after the war ended."
Someone ought to introduce her to USS William D. Porter. They could form a support group. That, or she might drag Willie D into being abyssally emo, I suppose. But those two aren't exactly the most threatening potential abyssals -- Chesapeake is shooting at a human at knife fighting range and missing. She doesn't really want to hit, obviously, or she's be using canister not roundshot.
Someone ought to introduce her to USS William D. Porter. They could form a support group. That, or she might drag Willie D into being abyssally emo, I suppose. But those two aren't exactly the most threatening potential abyssals -- Chesapeake is shooting at a human at knife fighting range and missing. She doesn't really want to hit, obviously, or she's be using canister not roundshot.
Chesapeake wishes she could be William Porter. Porter might have screwed up a bunch, but the end of her career was rather successful, especially considering none of her crew were killed when the ship sank. Low estimates for Chesapeake would put her dead at over fifty. People might have laughed at the William D. Porter, but people were ashamed to be a part of Chesapeake's crew. After the Leopard affair (which I keep typing as Leopold for some reason), one of her officers wrote that he'd wished he'd been shot during the battle so that he didn't have to remember it. "Yes, to have the finger of scorn pointing me out as one of the Chesapeake."
As to the roundshot/canister bit, I honestly forgot. Though there would be a valid reason for it in story, being as roundshot was the last thing her crew loaded into her cannons and *SPOILERS* happened. It'd just be a question that wouldn't be asked, because "Why were you using X shot" isn't a very high priority. You have a good eye for detail there.
As to the roundshot/canister bit, I honestly forgot. Though there would be a valid reason for it in story, being as roundshot was the last thing her crew loaded into her cannons and *SPOILERS* happened. It'd just be a question that wouldn't be asked, because "Why were you using X shot" isn't a very high priority. You have a good eye for detail there.
Even with roundshot, her guns have enough muzzle velocity and accuracy that the only way she'd miss a human was if she (or her crew) didn't truly want the shot to hit.
As for the eye for detail, one of my hobbies is military history, with a focus on the tools of war.
Even with roundshot, her guns have enough muzzle velocity and accuracy that the only way she'd miss a human was if she (or her crew) didn't truly want the shot to hit.
As for the eye for detail, one of my hobbies is military history, with a focus on the tools of war.
Jessica was meant to be ducking out of the path the roundshot would take just before it was fired. Like your typical fiction dodging where you avoid getting hit by not being where the gun is pointed when it's fired, she isn't actually outrunning projectiles.
EDIT: Plus, Chesapeake was never really good at fighting anyways, it wouldn't surprise me if she missed by breathing at an inopportune time and lifting her arm a hair.
"Chesapeake, please tell me what's wrong. What have you done?"
There were tears in my eyes. What was wrong with her? Why was she attacking Jessica? Why were her eyes red? Why why why why why why?
"I took your advice Constellation. I'll admit this overhaul was a bit more extensive and painful than installing a steam propulsion, but I think it's worth it. All it took was a swan dive off a ledge, and now I finally have the power I never had before. The power to defeat my enemies, to make them fear me!"
"You did this on purpose?" Jessica called out. "You didn't slip, you actually abyssalized on purpose? What is wrong with you?"
Chesapeake's focus shifted, her eyes focusing on a spot behind me. "Sister, move so I can rid us of that annoyance."
I shook my head. "No, keep your eyes on me. Why are you trying to kill Jessica?"
"Don't you see what's wrong? Why are you even listening to her? She's not your captain, she's not even a member of the Navy! She's just a human. For the first time in our lives we had the opportunity to seize control of our destinies, and instead we latched onto the first person we came across. She's controlling us!"
I frowned. "First, she's not controlling me. I've been following her orders of my own free will because she has the most knowledge about our current situation. Second, we both know what you just said was a lie."
"I'm not lying!"
"You didn't have a problem with following Jessica's plans yesterday. You also could have attacked her at any time, but waited until now. Something changed today."
I glanced from my sister to the ledge above us. "I bet it changed when you jumped. What did you do to yourself? This isn't like you Chesapeake!"
For a few minutes, neither of us moved. Neither of us took our eyes off of each other, despite the storm raging around us. Chesapeake gave in first.
"Alright, fine! I did it because the voices wanted it. They offered me power, and in exchange I would help them."
I gaped at her. "What is wrong with you Chesapeake? If the British had offered you an extra gun deck in exchange for your surrender, would you have taken it?"
"No!"
"Then why did you throw yourself off of a cliff when the voices in your head asked you to? I thought you hated the voices?"
"Because I thought I could finally have the power to win! I could finally have someone be proud of me. I jumped so I could be anything other than the cursed Chesapeake, and you know what? I still can't do anything right!"
She broke down right there. Her tears fell down her face and mixed with the rain, and the cannon that she held shook more from her trembling than from the wind. I slowly closed the distance between us, taking slow and measured steps. Once I was within range I placed a hand on her shoulder.
She responded by encircling my body with her arms and burying her face into my chest.
"There there, it's okay." I consoled her. "Is there anything else we need to worry about?"
"My crew." Chesapeake sobbed. "I didn't want them, I hated them, but I didn't want to kill them. I couldn't fail them again."
"So you abandoned them." Called a familiar voice. United States walked into view, covered head to toe in scores of little crewmembers. They clung to her clothing, her mast, and around her waist like a belt. One enterprising individual was dangling from her left ear, and despite the wind was valiantly waving a little blue flag that read, 'Don't Give Up the Ship!'
She came to a stop a few feet away from us. "They almost drowned, you know? That little depression you placed them in protected them from the wind, but not from the rain."
Chesapeake made a strangled noise.
United States lifted up a hand, and the crewmember dangling from her ear jumped onto it. "They've been working on this for you. I think it was supposed to be a surprise. Will you take it? Will you take them?"
She held out her hand and its lone occupant. Chesapeake held out her own trembling hand, and the flag-bearer jumped back onto her original ship. That signaled the start of a mass exodus, and for several minutes several hundred of the world's smallest sailors made their way back home.
Jessica peeked out from behind her rock. "Whew, that was a close one. Great job team!"
I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.
Chesapeake's reception from the Gladstone twins was rather poor. Arthur fainted at her new appearance, and Christopher kept moving so that United States was always between them. Even Jessica seemed rather wary around my sister, but that was excusable under the circumstances.
My smaller sister soon fell asleep. I guess her death and… rebirth, for back of a better term, had been rather exhausting. After a few minutes of staring intently at her sleeping form, Jessica began to speak.
"We definitely need to talk about this." She whispered.
My face turned to stone. "We're not leaving Chesapeake."
Jessica shook her head rapidly. "What? No, I wasn't going to say that!"
"I think you should." Christopher muttered. "I don't trust her. What if she tries to kill us in our sleep?"
"Then we die. I barely escaped with my head when I was awake, I'm afraid I won't be up to the task while asleep."
"You think we should bring that thing with us?" He whispered angrily.
"What I think doesn't matter. Everyone seems to think I'm in charge here, but that only works as long as our three wonderful shipfriends are willing to listen to me. Am I correct in guessing that ordering you two to leave Chesapeake behind would result in us being left to fend for ourselves?"
"We'd leave you the longboat, but essentially yes." Replied United States.
"Then that's settled. Chesapeake comes with us and nobody gets left behind. It's nice, simple, and you're going to have to learn to deal with it Christopher."
On the banks of the Hudson River, I locked eyes with my opponent. Two forces were preparing to clash in a battle to answer a centuries old question. I did not expect to be given any quarter, nor was any expected from me. In the background the hull of the USS Constitution loomed, providing an appropriate backdrop and spectator to our fight.
"Congress, prepare to be defeated in single combat!" I cried.
"Bring it on President!"
I held out my arm, and her hand joined mine. Our elbows lowered to rest on the table that had been prepared for this occasion, and we each said a short prayer to heaven for strength and victory.
"On three. One, two, THREE!" I cried.
The two of us strained against each other. Combined, almost three thousand tons of wood and flesh fought for dominance. Our hulls might have groaned in protest, our bones might have creaked in dissent, but our conviction never wavered.
The same couldn't be said about Congress's arm, and with a loud crack the back of her hand impacted and then broke through the table.
"Ha! I win!" I crowed. "Finally, after dozens of matches, we finally know which of us is the strongest!"
"Do we now?" Asked my sister, looking rather smug.
My face fell from jubilant to exasperation faster than an anchor thrown overboard. "Congress, when will you stop extorting away my victories?"
"The day you set up your own method of obtaining classified information."
"You say that like you didn't simply butter up whatever destroyer is here on rotation."
"I have no idea what you mean." Congress said coolly. "In any case, do you want to know the latest from the frontlines, or do you want to be the stronger of us at arm wrestling?"
I weighed the options. "Fine. I forfeit the victory of our previous contest, and declare that neither of us were the winner. Happy?"
Congress smirked. "Very. In recent news, it seems that the navy has delayed its grand offensive once more."
"Again? It's been almost a year since they were supposed to begin that. Everyone's been wondering when the leviathan that is the USN will get up and charge to victory in the Pacific, rather than contenting itself with limited spearheads. Is it still the same reason as before?"
She nodded. "Not enough support ships to both supply the offensive and maintain our current defenses. Summoning auxiliaries is becoming even more hit or miss."
I shook my head and began walking back towards Constitution. "Back in my day, if the USN had a choice between defending its coasts and striking a devastating blow against the enemy, we'd do the second every time."
"Back in our day we didn't have a chance at defending our coasts, and the Royal Navy raids only bombarded towns if they put up resistance. The Abyssals have been extremely active lately, I heard that they even managed to strike one of the convoys with surface ships. It's been over a year since that last happened. The front lines in the northern Pacific are in flux because of it."
I sighed. "Congress, you're slipping if that's all you have. I could have guessed most of that from the newspapers. Got anything good?"
"Well," Congress began, "the rumors that the navy is trying to find surface girls who are capable and willing to deploy via modern submarines are true."
"Really? What a strange idea."
"That was my thought too. Our most recent guest was one of the volunteers. Unfortunately, it seems that we have a tendency to get antsy when we're confined underwater, and out of the entire fleet at San Diego only a single girl was deemed acceptable."
That wasn't too surprising. "I still don't trust anything that willingly sinks underwater."
We continued to walk towards the wooden frigate in silence for a few minutes before Congress spoke up again. "I still think I should be the one in charge."
I smirked. "You're just jealous that I get to be the one in charge of protecting sister Constitution because I came back all on my own!"
My sister rolled her eyes. "They summoned me specifically just to make sure you weren't a fluke. In any case, you haven't given Bell a single order yet."
"I wouldn't presume to know how a ship of the line does its thing, I'm not going to tell a destroyer how to do hers. Besides, she only showed up yesterday."
"You could at least try."
"I'm not going to try and tell her how to fight aircraft when I'm still not sure how aircraft fly in the first place."
"You could get around to reading the book on flight Langley gave you for Christmas."
I shook my head. "Look, when I was put in charge here I was told that the position was basically ceremonial. I'm to let whatever destroyer of the month is here for some light duty do her own thing, and our real job is to run the skeleton crew maintaining Constitution. Besides, we're as far up the Hudson River that they could sail our dear sister, the Abyssals aren't ever going to show up here."
We walked up onto the deck of our sister, past two sailors puttering about and doing minor tasks. My other subordinate ship ran up to us, rubbing her hands together to keep them warm.
"How can you two do anything in weather like this?" Bell asked. She was wearing three coats and two scarfs.
Congress and I glanced at each other. We were dressed appropriately for the weather, and the temperature would get warmer later in the day.
"Where are you from?" I wondered aloud, racking my brain for some southern states that might have gotten into proper shipbuilding at some point. "South Carolina or something?"
"Yes, Charleston actually." Bell bit out.
Aww, that was so cute. She was a literal Southern Bell(e). "Get used to it."
"But it's cold!"
My sister and I burst out laughing. For a moment I even thought I could hear the timbers of Constitution groaning along with us. That reminded me…
I turned to my know-it-all sister. "Any word on when they'll finally get around to summoning our sisters?"
The smile fell from her face. "It's the same as the last time you asked. There's still hundreds of ships that are needed for the war effort that haven't come back yet. They've promised they'll bring them back, but now is not the time."
I grumbled. They'd been giving the same excuses for over a year. The fact that they were both true and militarily sound didn't make me any less grumpy about the situation. "And with regards to Constitution?"
Congress gave me a sad look. "You know that's not going to happen. Our sister is the one thing the USN absolutely refuses to let go of. They've kept her for over a century and a half beyond her usefulness, they aren't going to risk any harm coming to her. It's why she was brought here, despite the escorts she needed to sail from Boston to New York City."
Anger burned within me. "And why not? They've got the process down to a science. They pump water into a museum ship until it sinks, summon it, pump the water back out, and put off cleaning up the mess until after the war. They even did studies on what it would do to Constitution's timbers."
My sister placed a hand on my shoulder. "Those studies were just a way for them to kick the subject down the road."
"They were going to do it to Constellation!"
The grip on my shoulder tightened. "Any hope of that died with our niece. They're still debating what to do with the wreckage."
I grit my teeth. "It's not fair that even once this war finally ends, we won't be able to be together again. It'll be the five of us stuck with a mute and invisible sixth. Constitution deserves better than to be trapped like this forever."
My sister sighed. "I didn't want to get your hopes up, but I've made some noise about possibly sinking her just prior to her next planned drydock. That's still over a decade away, and it isn't 100% certain yet that they'll go for it, but so far they don't seem opposed to the idea."
"Congress? You're the best."
"I know."
We laughed.
This fought me every step of the way. At first it was from a very cranky and bored Constitution's POV, but then I realized it was basically a monologue of boring exposition. I hope the arm wrestling match at the beginning didn't come off as too pretentious, but it was supposed to be kind of hammy.
I really wanted to show this trio to show what's going on with the surviving member of the six frigates, as well as do some worldbuilding and a shit ton of foreshadowing. Don't expect to see them again anytime soon.
Huh. If Chesapeake manages to stay saneish and stick with the rest of the little fleet, that could have Interesting Implications(tm) down the line. Especially if they've never managed to capture an Abyssal. Of course, that sounds like it would be far down the line anyhow...of course, it could also have interesting effects if they run into any Abyssals (and don't get killed)...
Huh. If Chesapeake manages to stay saneish and stick with the rest of the little fleet, that could have Interesting Implications(tm) down the line. Especially if they've never managed to capture an Abyssal.
I will say that Chesapeake's situation is a bit different from the typical abyssal, and that while in the vast minority she is far from alone.
As to capturing Abyssals, they've captured some by raising and repairing a few sunk in shallow waters, but due to how the different kinds of Abyssals work in this fic that method won't and hasn't worked on Chesapeake's kind.
Of course, that sounds like it would be far down the line anyhow...of course, it could also have interesting effects if they run into any Abyssals (and don't get killed)...
The next morning, we agreed unanimously to take a day off from sailing. The water was choppy, the clouds were dark, and I was still reeling from my terrifically poor decisions yesterday.
I don't think the others have noticed, but I'm taller now. My crew reports that my internal structure seems different, and are in the process of taking more detailed measurements. While I feel stronger and more sturdy than ever before, I can't help but shiver at the thought of the thing that had managed to modify my body so heavily in the few minutes I had connected with it.
At the time, it had felt like an euphoric mixture of pain and hatred. In hindsight, growing gills, a shark fin, and several inches of height in under five minutes was not the safest or most sound decision I had ever made. Indeed, I was already being confronted with one of the drawbacks that came with my… transformation.
"Hey Chesapeake, want some food? We have plain rice, sandy rice, and soggy rice." Jessica asked.
Anger and hatred welled up within me, all directed towards the human for no other reason than that she was human. I took a breath, grabbed those feelings and forced them back down. Down into the smoldering coal that now resided in my chest. There they stewed with all the other emotions that came from it instead of me. At least until the next time they escaped.
"No." I replied. "My stores will last me for weeks. I can't say the same about yours, you humans will be subsisting off of our rations soon enough."
Her mouth opened in horror. "No." She whispered.
"That food might last you two weeks, but your water supplies will only last two more days."
Jessica slumped forwards. "I was afraid of that. I'd been hoping we'd be able to catch more rainwater. How's the whole sharing thing going to work?"
I reached behind my back and grabbed one of my miniature barrels of fresh water. Lugging it around, I slammed what was now a full-sized barrel onto the sand in between us.
"What the fuck. How did you do that?"
I smirked at her. "I'm not really sure. It seems to work best when I don't think about it." I then grabbed the barrel and put it back where it belonged in my hold.
Jessica started muttering to herself, not even noticing when Arthur sat down with us.
My eyes riveted to him as he dared to shoo away an albatross. The curious bird had simply been creeping closer to inspect us. The burning feelings returned to me twice as strong, and it was all I could do to keep from reaching out and grabbing at his throat. Thankfully, United States was nearby to educate him on his poor choices.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She screamed as she marched towards him.
"B-b-buh bird." Arthur stammered eloquently.
"Don't you know what they are? They carry the souls of dead sailors! That could be one of your fellow crewmen."
Arthur jumped like she'd told him the bird was a grenade. "G-g-ghost bird?"
"Additionally, it's an albatross! They're very lucky, it's good to have one around."
Arthur slowly inched back towards the albatross. "A lucky ghost bird?"
Jessica leaned down to get a closer look. "I could believe the ghost part. Reminds me of Ortiz. His eyes could stare into your soul."
"That one is a female." I corrected.
She paused. "Huh. Death and birdification have some strange side effects."
"Don't let them fill your head with nonsense." Said Constellation. "That's all just superstitious hogwash. Birds don't carry human souls, and you have to make your own luck."
"You're just jealous your captains never bothered to ask your masts how much sail they could carry that day." United States shot back with a sneer.
"That's because my captains trusted their gut instinct!"
"Ladies, ladies." Jessica interrupted. "We're all amazingly awesome, beautiful, and talented, but arguing about it isn't helping anyone. Arthur, lay off on the bird shooing. Constellation, letting United States tend to our fine feathered friends doesn't hurt anyone. United States, slap me if I ever try to hold a conversation with the longboat. Chesapeake, uh, keep up the good work."
"Why would you talk to the longboat?" I asked.
"Aside from the fact that I'm surrounded by three people who are literally boats? There's the fact that apparently birds are now people too and I think that the one over there is Sue. Damn, even as a bird she makes me want to bat for the other team."
Glancing around, I noticed that everyone was present. Well, everyone except for Christopher, but he didn't count. Bastard thought he could get away with convincing everyone to leave me behind. I might have been asleep, but my crew's watch certainly wasn't.
"I think it's about time we decided on who should command this squadron." I said.
"Why? Everything seems to have worked out well so far." Asked Constitution.
United States shook her head. "No, she's right. We need to hammer out a chain of command or we're going to have issues. Jessica, you and the twins are out because you're merchantmen who don't have experience handling a warship. Your advice will be useful, but we're the ones with experience in evading enemy fleets."
I immediately bowed out. "I don't think I should be in charge. I think I've proven that I can't be trusted to make good decisions."
Constellation put her hand on my shoulder. "We trust you."
I snorted. "You really shouldn't."
"Well," United States began, "if that's your decision, I'll respect it. In any case, I'm in charge because I have seniority. I was commissioned first after all."
"Hey!" Yelled Constellation. "I was on station here first, you can't just demote me!"
"I can and I just did."
Before the argument could really get underway, Jessica spoke up. "Wait! In the time you've been gone, the world has adopted a much fairer way to make important decisions like this. It's called rock-paper-scissors."
Arthur spoke softly. "That's a children's game."
"Shhhhh, don't listen to him, he's lived a very sheltered life, he doesn't know what he's saying. Nowadays, when two world leaders disagree on something that they don't want to escalate to war, they play, erm, perform a match of rock-paper-scissors."
We looked between Jessica, who looked supremely confident, and Arthur, who looked extremely nauseated.
"Rock has led me to victory!" Crowed United States.
"You have emerged victorious, may you lead us well." Jessica said, giving her a slight bow before backing away.
"I still don't understand what my purpose as official referee was." I grumbled.
Jessica gasped. "The referee is the most important position! You needed to make sure that they both choose simultaneously, otherwise it's unfair."
I sighed and shoved some more feelings back into the smoldering coal.
That night, I awoke with a gasp. My lungs greedily gulped in air, and my gills relaxed now that I knew I wasn't drowning. I looked up at the moonless sky to calm myself, then glanced over at Constellation. She was still asleep. Not angry, not ready to fight, just asleep.
I had to ask her. I scooted over and shook her awake.
"Chesapeake, it's like three in the morning. What is it?" She groaned.
"Constellation, you wouldn't… you wouldn't fight me would you? I don't mean like we did on the beach, I'm talking about fighting until one of us sinks beneath the waves. You wouldn't do that, right?"
She rubbed her eyes. "Chesapeake, why would I do that? I want to fight with you, not against you."
"Because I'm like this. The voices… the whispers say you'll kill me because of this, because of the choice I made." The nightmares showed it in incredible detail.
"It's up to you whether we fight or not. I won't lie, I'll defend myself and the others from you if you attack them. Otherwise, there's no need to worry."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The coal inside of me grew just a little bit colder.
I have to wonder how far down the road that "much fairer way to make important decisions" will make it before (say) other shipgirls disillusion them. Or...maybe that will now spread through the shipgirl forces like a viral meme?
...or maybe she's telling the truth, and that's why the Abyssals so easily pushed the human naval forces back? Huh. Now that's a thought.
Jessica is lying her ass off. She might not be in charge, but she's the one riding herd and making sure things aren't getting out of hand. Her priority is getting to friendly territory, not preparing the sisters for reintegration with society.
Jessica is lying her ass off. She might not be in charge, but she's the one riding herd and making sure things aren't getting out of hand. Her priority is getting to friendly territory, not preparing the sisters for reintegration with society.
