You are a adventurer, you explore the universe in all of it's glory. You seek sights unseen, feelings un-felt, sounds unheard... Stories untold. And you have discovered just that. Upon your venture, you have come to a planet with distinct seasonal areas to it, a warm belt around the thickest part of the planet, and cool spots at the poles. Upon scanning, you can tell that this was a place founded by Hylotl decades, nay, centuries ago. Upon the scan, you see that the world is extremely low tech, with only one landmass seemingly having ANY interplanetary ships on it... But as you scan, you get a indicator from the H.U.D that something of interest is located at the southern glacier landmass. Taking it upon your wild spirit, you begin decent down onto the ice shelf... When you finally make it, a more detail scan shows that there are skeletal remains of many people here, and here being what seems to be a wooden ship, with no masts to hold sails. The sails are gone, most likely you assume blown away in the wind... But more strangely is that half of the ship is torn apart, but not in a crash... The scan shows that nails buried in the snow have been bent and pulled out.The scan finally tells of a skeletal being inside what seems to be a small room near the back of the ship... You take it upon yourself to land somewhat distantly from the area, as to leave the place undisturbed. When you finish putting on some gear that would protect you from the freezing temperature, you step out, with the soft crunch of the snow under you. The walk was something of a horrible one, having landed slightly TOO far from the area for your tastes... When finally reaching the ship, you move up what seems left of a stair case from the cargo hold to the under deck, the floor under the top deck. When you move to the back where there was more of a protect hull, you would see a door leading to a room, though it was blocked with snow drifts... You though, have come too far to let snow stop you! So, you begin to dig out the door... When you finish minutes later, your sweating under the hot clothing, but that was a good thing, to be HOT... Sated with your work, you move to it, and try to pull it open... Strange, didn't move... You pulled harder, and harder, soon pulling with all your weight! There wasn't a lock on here, why isn't it moving? In your frustration, you punch the door, to which is pushed open. All that work, and you simply could have pushed the door open after turning the knob. You stand there for a moment before a image of a "Push" sign on a door comes to your mind, and you huff, politely telling yourself to shut the hell up. Moving inside, it was obviously a captain's cabin... The interior was standard for such a place, the desk was located near the back, where the broken windows that once looked out to the sea behind it were broken, and moaning softly in protest to the new draft made.... You walk inside, atop a ancient rug over to the captain's desk... You slowly circle it, seeing only a chair... But when you move to the back, you see the skeletal remains of what surely was the captain sprawled out on the floor, dressed in a layers of clothing, and a empty pistol beside him, a old flint lock After inspecting him, you turn to the desk once more... Looking to it, you can see a leather bound journal atop it, and a quill to the desk that WOULD have blown away, if it were not for the frozen ink keeping it to the desk. You slowly take up the book, turning it in your hands... It was a standard journal, with no special print on it that gives a name... Do, you gently fumble with the cover, and slowly crack it open to the yellow parchment interior, scanning the contents silently... It was a lock for a long time, marking progress on it... As you began to run through it, you reach a page marked with what was brown, old blood made into some religious symbol. Black words were blow it... "I made a horrible mistake, forgive me." "Day 1, I have made the most horrible, unforgivable, inexcusable mistake any captain could have made, but never should have. I was stressed on our schedule, and near the southern ice shelf, I called for a full-sail through-night route. The men trusted me, and called that they would do just that... Hours passed, and as the sister planet Mata began to tickle the setting horizon, we came to a sudden, grinding halt. When all called that we had become stranded, I quickly roused from slumber and came to deck to find the men shouting profusely and scrambling, fearing they were sinking... But, my First-Mate, Hatuka, called for silence, that I, captain, was on deck... When I moved down the steps and to the deck, I leaned over the railing, and soon found that my worst fears were true... We have become stranded. I called for everyone to check for haul repairs, and I PRAY that there is no serious damage to the haul, otherwise we can not try and push the ship off to the icy waters and sail once more. I will order a stone sheet to the center of the deck to control a fire, and have people take turns sleeping by it while others checked for repairs... I ordered that they bring the sails down and use it as blanked, to cover themselves COMPLETELY, head to toe, and conserve heat..." "Day 2, we have found that the haul had actually suffered damage beyond repair from the impact. The spine of the ship has separated from the haul, leaving a large hole along two flanks... We can not repair it from the tools that we have here... To, I had to keep moral up, surely, and... I did what came to mind. I lied to them. I told them that they were going to be fine, and that the company that gave us the contract to ship the crates of iron and hemp would see that sooner or later, we were not there, and send out a fast little runner and find us along the route.... Which was true, somewhat. I didn't tell them though that we were not expect for another month.. If they find out, they will string me up by the highest mast by my own insides... And honestly... I would not blame them." "Day 3, we had our first casualty. Yakahara, a deck hand, was at the top of the crows nest, scanning the area around us for any ice-bound people and signs of their villi, though as he looked, people claimed he leaned too far over, and feel. Normally, we'd have people at the bottom ready to catch up... Though, he landed on the railing. We decided to use part of the sail and cut it up into wrappings for his body, and bury him... Food is well, water barrels are find under the deck, they are bringing them up from the cargo to keep from freezing. We still have some warmth under the desk, thankfully from the torches, though... They have been burning, and soon will run out." "Day 4, we have found a deep drift of snow, and buried the dead. We ran into a chilling problem though. When we were all asleep, and someone moved to the water barrel to drink they found the top frozen... With two inches of ice. In six hours. This is alarming, this was in the deck below main, where torches are starting to go out. I ordered a team of out mean to move out and start to dig a spot in the snow to shelter ourselves from the wind, that we... We needed to start taking about the ship and burning it to stay alive. I have ordered rotation, and all should be well, as one prays..." "Day 5, two casualties... They were working by themselves to finish the large sheltered area in the snow down to the permafrost, and through the night, it got horribly cold. All were called to come to bed that night by the deck fire, where three sails sheltered three groups of men... Though, no one noticed that Akana and Benako were not there. When we found them, they were frozen, curled against eachother in a horrible way... But something morbid was brought up by my First Mate, whom got the idea from a crew member that begged to not be named... He told how we came here when the climate was getting colder, and he said we should take their clothing... It was horrible, to disturb the dead like that, so I said no at first. But once more, he brought up that they needed to keep themselves warm, this even meant layering clothing... So... I accepted. We even dug up Yakahara and stripped him. It was horribly easy to do it... Like taking cloths off stiff, ice cold wooden models found in clothing ships..." "Day 6, another casualty, this one was a suicide, Ikamu was a sail trimmer, and he always seemed the least spirited... He had been ill for the first few days by weather, and with a mix of him not feeling useful and not having a lass or family waiting for him, being an orphan, he jumped from the crow's nest, and onto the ice below... More unnerving is that the food has reached the midway point, and we have begun to manage what we have left. Two small meals a day, more to those that work, even I announced I was going to be eating small amounts, which surprised most of the crew, but boosted moral surely... Having their mighty captain follow them. The water barrels are also freezing, the unopened ones have frozen solid. We have begun breaking large amounts of ice in the barrel, and scooping out pot fulls and placing them over the fires. Used more sail as well to bury the dead after stripping... How much longer can this last?..." "Day 7, three whole deaths, and on the most grim topic of their deaths. I feel guilty, because I left my journal out in the open on deck when I was not paying attention, and some of the crew found it, and read it where the blood mark was... The held by book up and screamed for mutiny, that I lied to them and set them to death, but they all trusted me... They called treachery and lies, and soon bound them and called for me... I had to look them in the eyes as their "crimes" we read, and they were so full of hate, spite, and damnation... I couldn't set them free when the crew called for the punishment of treason... Death. They strung them up by the masts, and brought them down, stripping them and burying them. We're down to two thirds of the crew. My First Mate brought my journal back to me, and told me how much he trusted me, how much he believed that we were going to make it... And I cried... I feel against him and sobbed in my cabin. He held me as I sobbed like a child, confused, but he held me... I can't take much more of this..." "Day 8, we moved most of the crew down into the hole, the snow drift shields us now from the wind... Well, us, I mean them, I still reside in my cabin. Some of the crew are cross with me for staying in my cabin, bundled in blankets... Many of them. My First Mate came to check on me time to time, and he had developed a slight cough, though surely nothing other than his smoking, surely... We talked some on the crew, and even of back home... He came onto the topic of being single himself, being a seaman most of his life... And how I was un-wedded mostly due to being off-turning and displeasing, yet he assured me I wasn't. Why does he flatter me? I have nothing to give more, he is my First Mate!.." The next word at the bottom was rushed and smeared. "Gunfire" "Day 9... Half of the crew is dead, down to 1/3, nine survivors... Half of the crew rebelled through the night, believing that the three in the beginning we telling the truth, and that I sent them out there to die. It was not true, in fact I am most likely the one that sleeps in the worst cold. And with them ripping the ship apart for wood, it's only getting worse for me... The other half opened fire on them, calling them traitors. Me, Hatuka, the chef, the accountant, three deck hands and two sail managers remain... How will this go?... How much more of this madness I fail to admit to will happen? I can't tell them now... Surely... I HAVE to keep the lie up... Let them believe..." "Day 10, delusion had set into one of the deck hands, and he believed that there was a sail on the horizon... Even on the crows nest another said there was not, but the other ran into the water and swam off into the horizon... We didn't see him again... but we assumed the worst for him... But here is the kicker. The worst for US... Is that we're out of food." "Day 11, nothing new, tearing the ship apart for firewood, no food, hunger setting in... We're all mentally well, Hatuka came to talk to me some... He kept taking his hand into mine, smiling warmly in this mess... I couldn't help but feel shy and flush. Why do I feel so anxious toward another man?... Am I lonely?... ... Yes." "Day 12. Nothing new, hunger pains setting in, starting to get hard to move..." "Day 13. The unspeakable happened... One of us passed away, the accountant, little guy... The Chef had an idea... We're full... And disgusted." "Day 14, two of the men are showing signs of the shivers, horrible shaking from them, they are eating snow to fill their stomach, but they are looking at us... Watching... Why?" "Day 15, I awoke to the sound of gunshots once more, rushing outside to find the chef screaming in pain and holding his shoulder, red spilling onto the frozen ground, and two of the last deckhands dead, their mouths red... The Chef is missing a large chunk from his shoulder, those bastards... Hatuka was there, tending to the Chef, the two sail trimmer running about to get supplies... Hatuka's cough is worse." "Day 15. The Chef passed away from natural causes... We buried him normally... We ate the other two... The two sail hands seem to find comfort in themselves, even playing cards on the ice. Two sane people that believe in me... How misguided their trust truly is. Damnation please await me..." "Day 17, nothing new... Hatuka slept with me through the night, holding me close... He's a big lad, bastard could beat me in a fight, with his size... I found myself in his chest this morning, him holding my head... I pulled away, he's still asleep... I almost forget about the two outside, the horrors and crimes against nature... Like I was in some sort of cabin with him, hiding away from the world..." "Day 18, a death... One of the two sailors rolled too close to the fire at night, and caught himself aflame... When his friend woke, it was already too late, he claimed he rushed to to the barrel to get water, though I don't believe him... It's all damned ice... Hatuka agrees with me, there is something wrong with that story... But for tonight, he said it was his birthday... I want to give him a gift before this all ends..." "Day 19, sore, but alive, door latched... I didn't even bother to come out, in fact, Hatuka is behind me, waiting to continue the night... I can't describe perfectly how I feel, but two words fit... Comforted, and loved. The last sail trimmer knocked on the door, calling for us, but we said we were fine. He asked that we come outside, but without a reason to it, we refused, and he left... Strange..." "Day 20, I woke once more in his arms, happy, thought upset to the knocking at the door... So did Hatuka. He was coughing though, horribly, too much so as to even stand. So, I got up, pulled on a robe and walked to the door. Opening it, I faced a gun barrel to my face... A quick reflex pull to the side moved me away from the bullet, letting the gun go off and the round sink into the ceiling. After a short fight, I can't recall what happened... But when it became clear again, I was sitting atop him... All three of his eyes gouged out, his face... His face.... ... What have I done..." "Day 21, I buried the man, cloths and all with the others, twenty seven... Twenty seven in total has died... They have all left me, most believing a lie... He, I think, meaning the sail trimmer, most likely thought me and Hatuka were hiding away, hording food... No... We didn't... The fire is long died out in the hole, and coals are cold... The door is shut, and the blinds are closed... Hatuka is not improving... Only getting worse..." "Day 22, worse coughing... He went to sleep..." "Day 23, he wasn't asleep." "Day 24, alone... Alone... I want him back, give him back..." "I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied,I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied,I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied,I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied,I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied,I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied,I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied, I lied-" "I died..." You flip through a few blank pages... "Day 27... Thirsty... Hungry... Cold... This is hell... This is hell... Sad... Lonely... Guilty.... One last round... One last entry... Spirits, forgive me... I want to see his smile again... I want to hug him... I want to tell him I'm so sorry... I want my crew back... I want to earn their broken trust through hard work... I want to be a Captain..." "Now I'm just alone... And this is how you found me." A chill runs through you as you look back to the skeleton... Your thoughts comment on his choices, good or bad, and you slowly set the book down... You turn, and start to walk away, closing the door behind you, even kicking some snow in front of it... You walk out without taking anything, leaving the captain's ship be as a memorial. You walk back to the ship, looking back, almost seeing it all play out in front of you... The deaths, the fights, and the last gunshot... You turn once more, and head into your ship... You have had enough venturing for one day... S.A.I.L greets you, chipper! "Greetings Captain!" You walk past the hologram, murmuring. "Don't call me that, Sail..." "Then what should I call you?" "... Just call me Commander..." -End-
