Chapter 9: Explanations

"As your Captain I welcome you aboard The William's Hunt. Some of you know that she is a stolen vessel from the Naviwerks' fleet of chrono-ships." On the bridge Alex saw Geri and Angel exchange a small but knowing smirk since they had been there to assist the Captain in procuring the ship. "They do not name their ships but number them. I have always found this practice distasteful. The corporation found it an effective way to keep captains and crews from gaining a preference for one ship over another. But none of us are employees of the corporation any longer. In order to drive that point home I have chosen a name for our ship."

Alex knew that Nigel was most likely wearing a smug expression as he sat in his Library. This had been his contribution to the ship and her Captain. "In the heyday of piracy during the 18th century Captain Calico Jack Rackham captained a sloop named The William. It wasn't because of his deeds that he or the ship became famous. Within his crew were the only two female pirates of the time: Mary Read and Anne Bonny. When the ship was captured they were the only two pirates that were sober, and the last to surrender." Captain Alex paused just long enough to give Angel a nod. "I intended to honor those ladies and their determination by naming my ship after theirs."

Alex knew their fate could well be her own eventually. In fact, the odds were against her ship and crew with what they faced against Naviwerks, but uninterrupted success wasn't their main goal. As she continued she hoped her crew understood that. "But that only accounts for part of the ship's name. I added my own touch to represent what we are going to accomplish." Not "trying". She wanted to make that clear. "Most of you are aware of Naviwerks' monopoly on the antiquities trade, and their...generous...endeavors towards mankind through the use of time travel. They proclaim to be saving precious artifacts that were lost to families and museums, and they do." Her voice suddenly became hard and clipped. "But at a high cost. They charge families exorbitant prices knowing that the promises of having long lost heirlooms returned to them is temptation enough. They do the same with museums and governments, all the while growing richer and more powerful than any one business should. Through their trade they have controlled elections, manipulated diplomatic decisions and reworked political rulings. Assassinations have been committed by their say so, even if evidence was spontaneously lacking."

Naviwerks had used Captain Alex's talents for their own profiteering and had attempted to tighten their hold on her even more just before she left their employ. Alex's outrage was bordering on fury after she had learned the truth about the company she had served with unwavering loyalty. It could be heard in the subtle shift in her tone of voice - nobody cashed in on her good name. She intended to make that point abundantly clear to them. "The truth is that all of the artifacts that they offer to retrieve have already been removed from time. Naviwerks owns warehouse upon warehouse all throughout the past and present throughout the world where they store antiques, books, documents, statues and what have you that they retrieved from history, stored, labeled and documented. They then manufacture the approach to a government, museum or family where they obtain expensive contracts to agree to retrieve the item in question from the past. They use the trade and the agreements to cover their continued travels into the past to steal, hide and store more items for their warehouses. All they need do is hand over the already acquired item they signed on for to the client. And if the family or government agency falls short of the price they had agreed to Naviwerks keeps the item in trust until the monies can be raised, but they pile on an interest to the final price calling it a Holding Fee so that it becomes impossible for the clients to meet the final price. And all the while Naviwerks is making money from a sale that is never completed."

Captain Alex knew that the crew of The William's Hunt felt her indignation to one degree or another, but all of them agreed with her that the greed of Naviwerks had to be stopped. That was why they had signed on to her employ with only the promise of equal shares in pay. All of them had been exposed to Naviwerks' underhanded dealings in some manner. All of them save one.

Laurence Kane had tried to obtain a position with the corporation for years, but his tendency for independent thought had not been appealing to them. Alex had read the evaluation report created by Naviwerks in conjunction with his professors. He questioned authority when it came to Horotechnology, did as he pleased just because he knew without a doubt that his way was better regardless of what others thought, and was an acknowledged genius. Their intention had been to deny his degree and let him slip into obscurity. Someone missed a memo and Laurence had graduated somewhere in the middle of his class. He was overlooked and did indeed slide into the cracks of society, but Alex had found him. She offered him the chance to prove himself.

"So what can be done?" Alex continued over the comm. "What can one small crew on a single chrono-ship do to defy a corporation the size and power of Naviwerks?" On the bridge she ceased to look at Geri and Angel. Her attention seemed to be on nothing in particular, but in her mind's eye she was seeing each member of her crew. She knew them. Trusted them. She had recruited them with an eye for their personalities as well as their unique approaches to their jobs. For this she would need a crew who could think on their feet, adapt to unusual protocols and techniques, and flourish in the face of danger. She knew that all of them were capable of shining through, even Mr. Kane. She let those sentiments show through in her voice as it projected throughout her ship.

"With the gathered talent we have aboard the question should be 'what can't we do?' The William's Hunt is like no chrono-ship in Naviwerks' armada. No other ship anywhere. We haven't just given her a name. We have given her an identity. Pride. Heart." A proud but grim smile curled the Captain's lips. "Making use of these qualities and the knowledge and experience most of us bring from our service to Naviwerks, we will go back in time, steal back what the corporation seeks to use to expand their power and control over the people of the world, and give them back to the rightful owners. Through this, we will expose Naviwerks and the CEOs so that eventually the world will rise up against them and demand recompense. Our actions will make them answer for their crimes." Even if we are destroyed in the trying, Alex thought. The people will know. "This is why I named her The William's Hunt. We will hunt Naviwerks with our cunning and our pride, and with justice on our side."