Capital Ferry Accident 1

Capital Ferry — en route to Olympic Village Harbor

'10 minutes. 10 more minutes until we reach the dock.'

Chinshih patted her chest to calm her heart. Who knew this mission was not as easy as everyone thought it would be and she could not wait to get off this forsaken ship at once.

The cabin speakers echoed a scratching sound followed by the captain's smooth voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard to M/V Capital. The weather ahead is good with the sky clear and therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful sail. We are only four nautical miles away from the Olympic Village Harbor and everybody is advised to stay in their cabin for your safety as we dock and anchor."

Chinshih let out a sigh of relief. The thought of dry land excited her more than anything. This ferry ride felt like forever.

She hopped off the bed and peeked in the hall. The ship's crew started to come in trickles, the best time for her to escape. Some crew looked at her like she was a lost sheep. 'What was a passenger doing on this side of the ship?'

Chinshih reached her cabin in no time. The sound of water splashing soothed her nerves. With her adrenaline rush now gone, she was drained to a pulp and was starting to get lulled at the swaying of the ship.

She glanced over Jenny's bed to check in on her but the sunny girl was not there. She shrugged it off then continued to pack up her bag.

A little while later she heard fairy-like footsteps come near her cabin. "Da-Jie!!!! I have been looking for you. Would you like some snacks?"

She offered her Reuben sandwich specially prepared for her by the Huang Household chef. Chinshih nodded her head, who would say no to food? A yummy looking expensive food at that?

They sat on Jenny's bunk bed and ate their share. The girls would giggle every time sauce would get stuck on the corners of their mouths. When Chinshih was done, she wiped her mouth with her shirt, drank water from her flask, and cleared her throat.

"Aren't you supposed to be with your coach?"

"Oh that… I don't really like hanging out with them before a game. It makes me nervous," Jenny said shyly. Her once sanguine personality turned into a complete opposite.

"And you're better company than them too," Jenny added as she clung onto Chinshih's arm.

They heard the ship blow its horn. Jenny clapped in delight, she wanted to go home as soon as possible. She heard Lucas was back in town, which means he would pay back what he owed her. She needed to check if he kept his silly promise last Christmas.

Chinshih, on the other hand, clutched the hidden necklace under her shirt. She was inches away from completing her mission.

…

Below the crew's cabins, a gunshot hole could be seen from one cabin door. A crew member noticed it and immediately checked below the ship where the engine could be found.

"F*ck f*ck f*ck!"

The crew ran to the walkie-talkie area and called for the captain but the walkie-talkie was jammed. He ran in panic towards the wet rusty staircase and slipped to his death. His head pooled in blood mixed with gasoline.

Another crew entered the same cabin. He snatched the towel wrapped around his end and lazily sat down on the lower bunker. He frisked both sides of his pants and smiled when he felt what he was looking for. He fished it out and straightaway put a cigarette stick in his mouth. He was itching for a smoke the whole morning. He held the lighter and rolled the spark wheel down into the ignition button with his thumb but no flame was produced. He tried for a second time but it still won't work. He shook the lighter, annoyed at its defiance. He tried for the last time and a tiny flame ignited.

But the tiny flame was not enough to light the cigarette. The anger on the crew's eyes intensified by the second but he chose to give up. He threw the cigarette on the floor and decided to lie down instead. A few minutes of power nap would get him by for the rest of the day.

What the crew didn't know was that cigarette dropped inside the bullet hole on the floor.

What the crew also didn't know was that the cigarette was ignited.

The cigarette stick fell down the bullet hole towards the engine room. It fell and landed on a thump. The ship swayed side to side, the cigarette stick danced with it too. It slightly touched a wet surface but the fire on the other end of the stick still kept burning.

…

Up in the captain's deck, the captain grabbed his binoculars. He could see the Olympic Village Harbor. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and pressed the PTT Button.

*TSSSSSSK*

"Alpha Romeo Oscar, Alpha Romeo Oscar, this is Bravo Oscar Tango. Come in, over."

*TSSSSSSK*

"Bravo Oscar Tango, this is Alpha Romeo Oscar. Go ahead, over."

*TSSSSSSK*

"Ready to dock in 5. Over."

*TSSSSSSK*

"Roger, Wilco. Over."

TSSSSSSK

"This is Bravo Oscar Tango. Over and out."

*TSSSSSSK*

*************************************

Control Room — Olympic Village Harbor

The officer on the other end sent a thumbs up and rotated his index finger at the crew below - a signal for the harbor crew to start with the standard operations procedure.

Not far away, the capital's ferry that carried delegates for the Junior Summer Olympics blew its horn - a signal for their arrival. The crew on the Olympic Village Harbor pushed what seemed to be a rusted staircase that would be connected to the ship once it docked and anchored.

"Negative. Still en route, about to dock. Package arrives in 5 oh sh*t!"

Edited by Swaning