Chapter 187. Whirlpools
Tap. Tap. Tap
The rhythmic drumming of Charles' fingers on the nautical chart echoed through the captain's quarters. With a deep crease in his brow, Charles fixed his gaze on the specific island he had chosen.
The island was not too far away; it formed an equilateral triangle with Skywater Island and Hope Island.
As the ship sailed, Charles could sense that his crew seemed to have grown rusty at handling the pressure at sea. They appeared excessively tense.
He and his crew had been away from the sea for three years. Over this extended period, they had grown somewhat out of touch with the ocean. Choosing the nearest island seemed reassuring, as it would provide a quicker escape should situations deteriorate.
"I hope there will be clues on this island..." Charles muttered to himself, but he knew all too well that it was just a hopeful wish. After all, hope was a scarce commodity in the Subterranean Seascape; desolation was the norm.
The door to the captain's quarters creaked open as a colorful entourage of mice entered the room. At the helm was Lily, her fur a striking fluorescent green today. Her tiny paws firmly gripped onto Charles' cell phone as she hauled it behind her.
"Mr. Charles, the mirror on your phone has turned black."
Accepting the phone from Lily, Charles swiped his thumb across the screen and placed it into his pocket.
"You have used up all the battery."
Lily's tiny ears drooped slightly. "Huh... such a pity. I wasn't done watching."
"It's just a fifteen-minute short clip; was it that entertaining? Enough for you to watch it that many times?" Charles asked.
"Yeah! It was so, so entertaining! I love that mouse; he's so clever," Lily chirped as the colorful pile of mice gathered and formed a tower to boost Lily up onto the desk.
Standing on the map, Lily looked at it for a brief moment before she turned her gaze up toward Charles. "Mr. Charles, can I sleep with you tonight? It's been so long."
Charles shot her a side-eye glance. "If you were still human, you'd be fourteen now, right? Do you really think that's appropriate?"
"But I'm no longer human; I'm a mouse! Are mice supposed to care about proprieties, too? I don't even know if I can ever turn back to a human," Lily countered as she rolled around on the back of Charles' hand.
"Have you returned to the Coral Archipelago to visit your parents recently?" Charles picked her up to place her in his palm and gently toyed with her tail.
"Nope! I requested Mr. Bandages to offer a handsome salary to recruit Daddy over to Hope Island. Oh, Mommy's pregnant again. I wonder if I'll be getting a younger brother or sister," Lily answered as she nuzzled her furry face against Charles' fingers.
Despite the tiny mouse' continuous spirited chatter, Charles offered no response. Lily looked up again and found a grim expression on Charles' countenance.
Thud-thud-thud.
Charles' boots struck the ground in rapid succession as he hurriedly headed for the round window and craned his neck out to get a better view.
"Mr. Charles, did something happen out there? What's the matter?" Lily scurried along the window edge and peered outward. However, she couldn't notice any anomalies.
"Something's amiss... the ship's speed is increasing," Charles remarked with a grave expression. He then swiftly grabbed Lily and placed her into his coat pocket.
"Dipp, what's happening? Didn't I specify to advance at twenty knots? Why are we hitting at least twenty-five knots now?" Charles asked as he dashed into the ship's bridge.
A look of genuine surprise appeared on Dipp's face as he steered the wheel. "Huh? I didn't accelerate. Ask the big guy if you don't believe me."
After confirming the situation with the Chief Engineer in the turbine chamber, Charles realized that the Narwhale had indeed maintained the same speed. If the ship weren't the issue, then the waters would be the only alternative explanation. He had to urgently discern the circumstances.
"Audric! Survey the surroundings! See if there's anything amiss in the surrounding waters."
At Charles' command, a massive bat soared into the inky expanse overhead.
Charles didn't dare to risk the Narwhale picking up speed even further and hurriedly ordered the ship to drop anchor.
However, another problem manifested. The anchor failed to touch the seabed.
The situation triggered some unnerving memories in Charles' mind. His expression grew more grim as seconds ticked by. He was certain that something sinister was at play.
Soon, the vampire returned, but with dire news.
"Captain, at the ship's nine o'clock, there's a colossal whirlpool about two nautical miles away. It's causing our unusual acceleration. Its massive size is almost comparable to the size of Dark Crystal Island," Audric reported.
Upon hearing his words, a palpable tension descended among everyone present on the bridge. If the Narwhale were to be caught in a whirlpool that enormous, it would surely be torn asunder in mere seconds!
Snatching the wheel from Dipp's hands, Charles spun it rapidly.
"Chief Engineer, load up the turbines! We need to break free from the whirlpool's pull!" Charles shouted into the communication pipe.
Accompanied by occasional sparks, plumes of black smoke billowed from the smokestacks as the Narwhale accelerated.
As the ship's bow adjusted its course, the sound of the roiling waves crashing against the hull intensified. The tug-of-war between the propellers and the underwater force of the whirlpool sent vibrations coursing through the vessel.
Fortunately, they detected their perilous situation early enough to take countermeasures. After about half an hour, the underwater force started to wane.
Observing the waters slowly calm under the illumination of the searchlights, there was a collective sigh of relief. It seemed that they had averted the crisis.
Charles handed the wheel back to Dipp and instructed, "Stay vigilant. We are in an uncharted region. These waters may be a little treacherous."
Dipp grumbled in response, "Understood. If I hadn't been spending the past three years arresting people on the island, I would've long detected the anomaly."
Just as Dipp was about to grab the wheel, the Narwhale sounded a mournful groan from its horn. Immediately after, the vessel suddenly tilted, and Charles flew toward the open cabin door.
Swoosh!
A whip-like sound hissed through the air as a rope shot out and wrapped itself tightly around Charles' right ankle.
Suspended in mid-air, Charles couldn't afford the luxury of time to express his gratitude to his ship. As he gazed at the waters, a chill coursed through his body.
The roar of the surging waves surrounded him as his eyes locked onto a massive whirlpool spanning kilometers in diameter. It was rapidly pulling the Narwhale toward its inky center. Also, the whirlpool was moving!
Instantaneously, Charles' muscles tensed up. He grabbed hold of the rope, and with a fierce yank, he swung himself back onto the deck.
"Overload the turbines! NOW!" Charles dashed into the pilothouse and shouted into the communication pipe.
"Stop standing around! Boatswain, take your sailors to lighten the load! First and Second Mate, inspect the cabins for any water breaches! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"
At Charles' series of commands, the entire crew of the Narwhale sprang into action. For the safety of their lives, everyone onboard gave their utmost.
The tug from underneath the waters continued to intensify, and the next moment, the Narwhale emitted a creaking sound to signal the strain of its metallic form.
Charles gritted his teeth as he held on to the wheel with all the strength he could muster.
The rapidly spinning propellers inched the Narwhale closer to the edge of the whirlpool. But just as escape seemed within reach, James' voice echoed from the communication pipe.
"Captain! We can't fire up the turbines any further! It's about to explode!"
"Keep doing it! Don't stop!" Charles cried out in response before giving the wheel an encouraging pat. "Hang in there, buddy. You can do it, we are almost there! Hold on a little longer for all of us!"
Charles' heart raced with anxiety as though he was going to get a heart attack. If the turbines were to fail, everyone would be doomed.
Twenty seconds, thirty seconds, and forty seconds...
Charles felt an abrupt jerk. They had escaped from the whirlpool.
Charles clutched the wheel tightly as he breathed heavily.
One by one, the crew members convened in the pilothouse. Seeing the relieved expressions on their faces, the corners of Charles' lips curved up into an exhilarated smirk.
"Seems like we have gotten quite an appetizer. Everyone feeling alive now?"
"Yes!" the crew echoed in unison.
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