The metal belly of the ship churns in the stormy night. Lightning peppers the sky. The pitter-patter of rain on metal has a certain calm about it. You take in the surroundings with your 1.[[eyes]] 2.[[electro-static detectors]] 3.[[sensory glands]] Your broad, flat head is dotted with hundreds of eyes scanning in various directions, each eye honing onto different [objects]<cl1|. (click: ?cl1)[The billowing steam rising from the ship's smokestack obscures the distant glow of a port city over the ship's stern. [[There's no turning back now]].]Your finely tuned electro-static detectors pulse with stimulation. You're picking up a few [signals]<cl2|. (click: ?cl2)[The intermittent flashes of lightning completely overwhelm your protruding detectors, but in between strikes you can pick up a few signals: the shrill tone of the ship's sensory equipment somewhat obscures the [more distant inputs]<cl3|.] (click: ?cl3)[Barely perceptible, you pick up the hum of a distant port city. [[There's no turning back now]].]Your throbbing sensory glands bask in the stimulation of the open water environment. The crashing of waves against the ship's metal hull has a rhythm to it that rings through the night air like a drum-beat. [The pleasure from stimulation to your sensory system gives way to perception]<cl4|. (click: ?cl4)[The rainwater splashing the Sea's surface seems to hide any trace of the multitudes of Sea life you normally detect from the ship's deck. The distant port city is almost out of your gland's range. [[There's no turning back now]].]It's sad to say goodbye to a home. That port was a dump, but it was *your* dump. You had never thought seriously about leaving until everything turned bad with 1. [[a romance]] 2. [[your job]] 3. [[the weather]]Well romance is a bit of a stretch. It would be more accurate to say there was an inter-species miscommunication. You've always been conflicted: Inter-species breeding is a deep taboo amongst your culture. You know the history of your species' near-extinction all too well, but you still can't choose who you're attracted to. Now you feel foolish because dabbling outside of your own species got you into [this jam]<cl6|. (click: ?cl6)[The port assures diversity of species in town, perfect for so-called *deviants* like yourself. In the dim light of an underground inter-species bar you finally felt a mutual connection. At long last you feel the touch of another species. The night was beautiful, everything you'd hoped for, until it came up that the your new partner's species is known for eating their mates post-coitus. The sex was nice, but dinner too? That was [asking too much]<cl7|.] (click: ?cl7)[Darting through the dark and narrow alleyways of the cog district you fled. The next day it became clear you couldn't stay in town. A pariah amongst your own species. You headed to the docks and found a boat in need of crew. The Endless Sea is a dangerous place but home isn't so safe anymore either. [[Onwards to Sea]].]At first it was just another night on the job. You met with the stranger and picked up the cargo. The package contained the usual, roughly 5,000 doses of dexyl-polytheryn, better known by its street name: Yoku. You headed to take it to the drop off point. It wasn't legal, but it paid the bills, and you weren't a huge fan of the prohibitionist government anyways. Oddly, as you carried a case filled with enough Yoku to last a whole town of fiends a week you thought about [your youth]<cl8|. (click: ?cl8)[Back when you were sure you would be the captain of a ship. Growing up in a port town meant that there were always ships coming in and out, and captain's came and went with them, bringing tales of far off lands and exciting adventures. Then you got hooked. At first it was just a little dose every night, but before long you realized you couldn't stop. Yoku isn't cheap though, so before long you had to start carrying packages just to get [a fix.]<cl9|] (click: ?cl9)[You came to on the ground. Your head felt hazy. A hangover. You were in your bedroom, the light of morning trickling through the shutters. To your horror you saw the package open beside you. It looked like you had only taken a few doses, but your boss wouldn't like this at all. There was no way you could scrap together the money to replace the doses you took, so that was it. You headed down to the docks and found a ship in need of crew. You weren't the captain of the fantasies of your youth, but it would have to do for now. [[Onwards to Sea]].]It was beautiful when you were younger, a paradise for your species. As the shipping traffic of the port increased, so did industry. As the cogs and coal multiplied around town, the black smoke belchng from every chimney began to turn acrid and before long the town was cloaked in a semi-permanent [acid rain]<cl10|. (click: ?cl10)[Only a minor annoyance for most species due to resilient carapaces, but not for [your species]<cl11|.] (click: ?cl11)[Nearly wiped out years ago. low in number, and low in society, the unwanted few. The only species with the carbon sensitive membranes that make the acrid environment unbearable. No one heard the anti-industrial pleas, so it was time to go. You headed to the docks and made it aboard a ship, the destination wasn't important to you. It was an exodus of your species. Soon there would be no one like you left. You had to get out. [[Onwards to Sea]].]The outlook was a lot like the weather. Bleak. The world didn't seem to care too much though. The ship was headed out to Sea, stocked with provisions, staffed by a motley crew. The ships mission was simple, make it across the [[Endless Sea]], deliver the cargo to another port, load up and head to the next port. This ship became travelling home for all of its sailors. Maybe if the circumstances were different you would see setting off to sea as an adventure, but understandably you aren't thrilled to leave behind home. You can't [dwell]<cl12| on it for long though. The Sea is an [[unpredictable place]]. (click: ?cl12)[Okay, just for a second. You dwell on it.]The Endless Sea was the source of most of your childhood's lore. An inconceivably vast body of water that connects each of this world's distant islands of the bleak global archipelago. You lived in the industrio-urban slums of your small island, but those who lived near the shore had many [tales of the Sea]<cl13|. (click: ?cl13)[There were creatures, that much was certain, but the specifics of the many residents of the Sea were completely unknown. Some were known to be violent, others benevolent. The ship's captain has a catalogue of some of the known Sea organisms.] [[Back->Onwards to Sea]]The second morning of your voyage marked the journey's first excitement. The shrill siren alerted the resting crew of the situation above deck. The gray mist of open Sea morning is perforated by slivers of morning light. As all hands scramble to meet on deck you find yourself in an early morning fog. [You join them]<Cl14|. (click: ?Cl14)[As you reach the deck the situation becomes clear. A tremendous disturbance of the water far in the distance of the ship's port side. A [Sea creature]<Cl15|.] (click: ?Cl15)[Judging by the captain's frantic state this wasn't a good thing. The ship's crew begins to become frantic. Sensing the desperation of the situation you take action. 1.[[Meet with the captain]] 2.[[Confer with the crew members]] ]The outlook isn't good. The ship's sensors have classified the disturbance as a category-5 Sea beast. There's one spark of [hope]<cl16| though. (click: ?cl16)[A distant Lighthouse. A natural point of magnetic disturbance in the Sea. One of the places the raging spirit of the Sea is calm, where society can reclaim the Sea. If the ship can make it to the [Lighthouse]<cl17| surely it be safe.] (click: ?cl17)[It's far off, but the ship could reasonably make it, depending on how quickly the beast pursues. In case of the worst, the captain has a backup plan. Not offering any more details, the captain asks for your trust. It's thought that inside the metal hull of the ship the presence of land-dwellers is largely concealed to the Sea beast so the crew take shifts one at a time [[on deck->on deck captain]].]Fear is in the air. The crew are abuzz with chatter brought about by the unpleasant injection of conscience of their own mortality. Apparently the Sea beast is Category-5. That's not good. As the captain and first-mate guide the ship and work the bridge the crew assembles to [form an emergency plan]<c18|. (click: ?c18)[Suggestions fly back and forth at a frenzied pace, each more absurd than the next. The panic is tangible. Someone suggests a live sacrifice, claiming Sea beasts have been known to be pacified at least temporarily by the temptation of land-dwellers helplessly floating in their waters. Another cries out for a mutiny over the frenzied crowd's chatter. The captain beams over the crew and captures the ships attention, giving tell of a Lighthouse. A place where the beasts have no power. A place [nearby]<cl19|.] (click: ?cl19)[A new destination is set. En route the iron hull of the ship offers some camoflauge of the presence of land-dwellers to the Sea beasts, so to minimize visibility the crew takes shifts. One at a time [[on deck->on deck crew]].]The night air is still. The solitary repose is meditative. Even with alert senses the ship feels calm. The ship carries on undisturbed through your shift. You head back [down below]<cl20|. (click: ?cl20)[Down in the iron belly of the ship the crew rests. You find the crew member next up to staff the deck and wake them. You settle down to rest. The ship groans and belches onwards towards the Lighthouse. [So nice to rest...]<cl21|] (click: ?cl21)[In the afternoon you're awoken by the siren and the crashing of waves against the hull of the ship. As the crew frantically assemble above deck the gravity of the situation becomes clear. A major disturbance marks the Sea, stirring up frothy waves as it approaches the ship. The clouded grey skies are foreboding. [[The captain catches your attention->captain plan]] .] The night air is still. The solitary repose is meditative. Even with alert senses the ship feels calm. The ship carries on undisturbed through your shift. You head back [down below]<cl22|. (click: ?cl22)[Down in the iron belly of the ship the crew rests. You find the crew member next up to staff the deck and wake them. You settle down to rest. The ship groans and belches onwards towards the Lighthouse. [So nice to rest...]<cl23|] (click: ?cl23)[In the afternoon you're awoken by the siren and the crashing of waves against the hull of the ship. As the crew frantically assemble above deck the gravity of the situation becomes clear. A major disturbance marks the Sea, stirring up frothy waves as it approaches the ship. The clouded grey skies are foreboding. [[The current situation unfolds.->crew plan]]. ]The captain has a plan. It's risky, but what other options are there? A Category-5, what are the odds on your [first voyage]<cl24|? (click: ?cl24)[While it's your first journey out to Sea, you're reminded of the Sea of your childhood. You made your way around the shoreline on foot, bristling with youthful imagination and joy. Back then things were simpler than [now]<cl25|.] (click: ?cl25)[The ship's situation is grim. The [Captain's plan]<cl26| seems to be the only hope.] (click: ?cl26)[The captain shows you an unfamiliar clockwork device. It sits inert, clockwork mechanisms lying in wait. The captain describes its function and operation. When activated by hand crank the device creates overwhelming sensory noise, apparently enough to dissuade the ship's pursuer, or at the least distract the Sea beast. The captain gives you the crank and heads for the relative safety of the ship's cabin. You're left alone on deck, in sole possession of [[the device]].]The crew agrees on a plan. It's risky, but what other options are there? A Category-5, what are the odds on your [first voyage]<cl27|? (click: ?cl27)[While it's your first journey truly out to Sea, you're reminded of the Sea of your childhood. You made your way around the shoreline on foot, bristling with youthful imagination and joy. Back then things were simpler than [now]<cl28|.] (click: ?cl28)[The ship's situation is grim. The [crew's plan]<cl29| seems to be the only hope.] (click: ?cl29)[The desperate crew's conclusion is that the captain is to blame for the situation at hand. The mob-like crew starts to head to the bridge to confront the captain. The captain emerges from the command room with a strange [clockwork device]<cl30|.] (click: ?cl30)[It sits inert, clockwork mechanisms lying in wait. The captain describes its function and operation. When activated by hand crank the device creates overwhelming sensory noise, apparently enough to dissuade the ship's pursuer, or at the least distract the Sea beast. After some discussin the crew agrees that the newest member should take the risk of operating the device. The captain gives you the crank and heads for the relative safety of the ship's cabin. You're left alone on deck, in sole possession of [[the device]].]The crank fits seamlessly into the gears. The device is of the highest quality craftsmanship, from a far off port no doubt. As you turn the crank the device begins to come to life. It begins with one large gear turning slowly, which turns several smaller gears at a whirringly fast rate, powering up the internal [mechanisms of the clock-work box]<cl99|. (click: ?cl99)[Almost immediately upon turning the crank you detect a slight humming, but as the rotation speed increases so does the power of the device. Soon your sense are largely overwhelmed, the device blaring at full strength on the ship's iron deck. There, clockwork by your side, you stand alone to [face the Category-5 Sea beast]<cl31|.] (click: ?cl31)[While the captain correctly predicted that the device would impact the Sea beast, the captain failed to predict that the device would only aggravate the beast. Long story short: you die. With one swipe of a tentacle the ship is savagely shaken, lone crew member and device both splashing from the deck into the water where they are ravaged by the Sea as [[the ship escapes]].]The creature ceases its pursuit, apparently satisfied by its brif inquisition into the boat. Soon after the encounter the captain and crew reassmble on the ship's [barren deck]<cl32|. (click: ?cl32)[After some debate and use of the ship's long-range sensory equipment it is agreed upon that the ship is safe for now. The course is reset from the Lighthouse to the original destination port. The iron ship belches along, traversing the global archipelago. After several more days out to Sea the ship reaches its destination. The cargo is delivered and a new crew member hired. The ship heads [[out to Sea again]].]THE END [[replay->Start]]