Foggy Waters

(There are 2 version of narrative in this chapter. The new script format and the traditional one. It is recommended to read the script format.)

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Script format (including extra content)

[INT. BRIDGE - MV SIRENA]

Radio Transmitter: MV Sirena, prepare to be boarded for inspection. Lower your defenses and await our team.

Captain Ajwad: We have no choice but to comply for now. Lower the water cannon and stand down the rifles.

The hazy fog that surrounded them. The radio crackled with a transmission, bringing all eyes to the speaker.

Radio Transmitter: This is the Kedah/Perlis Maritime. MV Sirena, please state your intended destination and purpose of travel.

Ajwad reached for the radio transmitter, taking a deep breath before pushing the button to respond.

Captain Ajwad: We are en route to Indonesia but renew our course to Langkawi for a minor issue.

Radio Transmitter: Any additional passengers or goods aboard since your last registered port?

Captain Ajwad: No additional cargo. We... we stumble upon a castaway. We keep it under wraps for now.

Radio Transmitter: Could we have a closer look at the castaway?

Captain Ajwad: Sure, he's currently in the medical bay.

Rizal: (whispers) Captain, the kid's documentation...or lack of it…

Captain Ajwad: (to Rizal) Handle it. I'll deal with the Coast Patrol. (Pushing the radio transmitter button and continued) We will transmit the rest of the documents shortly. Please stand by.

Radio Transmitter: Once we receive and verify the documentation, you may proceed to the nearest port. Do not divert from your current course until verification is complete.

The captain simply grunted in response as Rizal hurriedly began to type away at the computer.

[INT. BRIDGE - MV SIRENA]

*Coast Guardsmen enters*

Leading Coast Guardsman: We have received an update on your passenger manifest. Please confirm the number of passengers on board.

Captain Ajwad: (Steadily) There are 22 crew members and 2 passenger.

The MV Sirena began to dissipate as the coastal patrol's voice on the radio confirmed the verification of their passport IDs.

Coast Guardsman 1: Where is the refugee?

Nurse Murni: (leading the way) He's recovering in the medical bay.

*Nurse Murni and two Coast Guardsman exits*

Leading Coast Guardsman: MV Sirena, your passport IDs have been verified. You are cleared to proceed to Langkawi. We will escort you there.

Captain Ajwad: Thank you, Coast Patrol. We appreciate your diligence.

He leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

Rizal: (relief) We're in the clear, Captain.

Captain Ajwad: Indeed. We won't be able to get to Indonesia as quickly as we had hoped at this point.

[INT. SICK BAY - MV SIRENA]

Two coast guards seems to be asking Hffyl some questions.

Coast Guardsman 1: What's your name, boy?

Hffyl: I am Hffyl. I came from Penang.

Coast Guardsman 2: All the way from Penang... Don't worry, we will bring you back to your parents. Just answer our questions truthfully and we brought you there safely.

Hffyl: Alright...

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Original version (very outdated. Do not read.)

The crew of the MV Sirena congregated around the long wooden table, their expressions a blend of curiosity and concern. The cargo had been successfully delivered to Langkawi, and the ship was momentarily relieved of its burdens. But the question of Hffyl, the young stowaway, remained.

Dollah, leaning back in his chair, began the discussion. "We've completed our delivery. Now, what do we do about the lad?"

Rizal, rubbing his temple thoughtfully, replied, "The logical step is to send him back to Penang, to his family. He's still a kid, after all."

Faiz nodded, "Agreed. He's been through enough. It's time he returns to safety."

Before anyone else could weigh in, Mei Ling interjected, holding a small bag in her hand. "Before you decide, there's something you all should see." She carefully emptied the contents of Hffyl's pockets onto the table.

The crew leaned in, their attention immediately captured. Among the items, a gleaming golden coin caught the dim light, its face engraved with an unfamiliar symbol. Beside it, a small container filled with a radiant blue substance shimmered mysteriously. Additionally, there was a neatly folded piece of paper. Upon closer inspection, it was a letter, but it was written in Portuguese, a language unfamiliar to most of the crew.

Suresh, eyeing the golden coin, murmured, "What on earth? This isn't just some trinket. It's ancient."

Captain Ajwad, always the voice of reason, took the letter and examined it. "Does anyone here understand Portuguese?"

Mei Ling nodded, "A bit. My grandmother was of Portuguese descent. Let me see." She carefully read through the letter, her expression deepening in concern with every line. "It speaks of a legacy, a duty to protect something, and some mention of a threat. It's rather cryptic."

The crew exchanged worried glances. The weight of the situation was slowly sinking in. It wasn't just a matter of returning a stowaway. There was a larger mystery at play, and they were inadvertently drawn into it.

Rizal exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "This changes things. The lad isn't just running away; he's involved in something much bigger."

Captain Ajwad, with his ever-present calm, summarized, "We need to talk to Hffyl. Get his side of the story. But we tread cautiously. There's more at stake here than we initially believed."

The crew nodded in agreement. The mystery of the stowaway and his curious belongings had taken an unexpected turn, intertwining the fates of the MV Sirena's crew with that of a young boy carrying the weight of an ancient legacy.

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Then, a voice crackled over the radio once more, "MV Sirena, prepare to be boarded for inspection. Lower your defenses and await our team."

Captain Ajwad glanced at his crew. "We have no choice but to comply for now. Lower the water cannon and stand down the rifles."

The night had fully descended over the bridge of the MV Sirena as the crew continued their tense vigil, keeping an eye on the instruments and the hazy fog that surrounded them. The radio crackled with a transmission, bringing all eyes to the speaker.

"This is the Coast Patrol. MV Sirena, please state your intended destination and purpose of travel," the voice crackled in.

The captain, Ajdaw, reached for the radio transmitter, taking a deep breath before pushing the button to respond. "We are en route to Langkawi for a minor maintenance issue," he said, his voice even but his eyes flitting briefly to Rizal.

A pause ensued as the Coast Patrol voice asked their next question, "Any additional passengers or goods aboard since your last registered port?"

"Just the standard cargo, no additional passengers," the captain responded, his eyes still flicking toward Rizal.

Rizal leaned in to whisper something, but the captain cut him off. "I know. We keep it under wraps for now," he muttered back, his voice still steady.

The Coast Patrol voice continued to press them, "We've received reports of a missing child in your last port. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, Captain?"

The tension on the bridge grew as the captain responded, "We've had no such encounters. We run a tight ship, and we would've reported any stowaways immediately."

Rizal leaned in again, this time whispering, "Captain, the kid's documentation...or lack of it…"

The captain held up a hand to silence him, "Handle it. I'll deal with the Coast Patrol." Pushing the radio transmitter button, he continued, "We will transmit the crew's passport IDs shortly. Please stand by."

The Coast Patrol voice acknowledged his response and instructed, "Once we receive and verify the documentation, you may proceed. Do not divert from your current course until verification is complete."

The captain simply grunted in response as Rizal hurriedly began to type away at the computer. Meanwhile, the tension on the bridge continued to build, no one daring to make a sound as they waited for the Coast Patrol's determination.

From the darkness of the bridge, the eerie silence was suddenly broken by the static of a radio transmission. The crew of the MV Sirena strained to hear the voice on the other end, their hearts pounding with anticipation.

"MV Sirena, this is the Coast Guard," came the voice, crisp and official. "We have received an update on your passenger manifest. Please confirm the number of passengers on board."

The crew members exchanged nervous glances, their stomachs twisting with anxiety. Captain Ajdaw was the first to respond, his voice steady but firm.

"There are 15 crew members and 1 passenger," he replied, counting silently under his breath.

The tension aboard the MV Sirena began to dissipate as the coastal patrol's voice on the radio confirmed the verification of their passport IDs.

"MV Sirena, your passport IDs have been verified. You are cleared to proceed to Langkawi. Safe journey," the voice from the coastal patrol declared.

Captain Ajwad let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing as the weight of uncertainty lifted for the moment. "Thank you, Coast Patrol. We appreciate your diligence," he replied over the radio, his voice conveying his gratitude. "MV Sirena out."

With the transmission complete, Captain Ajwad released the radio transmitter button, his eyes reflecting a mixture of relief and determination. He leaned back in his chair, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

Rizal, the first mate, couldn't help but smile as the tension in the room lifted. "We're in the clear, Captain," he remarked, a note of optimism in his voice.

Captain Ajwad nodded in agreement but remained cautious. "For now," he replied with a measured tone. "But we can't afford any more surprises. Keep a close watch, everyone."

The crew members, their expressions a mix of relief and readiness, understood the gravity of their situation. As they sailed on through the thick fog, the MV Sirena continued its journey with renewed caution.

Hffyl, still nursing his injuries, approached Captain Ajwad with a determined look on his face. The cargo hold hummed with activity as the crew prepared for their impending arrival at Langkawi.

"I know this may sound strange, Captain Ajwad," Hffyl began earnestly, "but I need to go to Indonesia, specifically somewhere near Aceh. I can't explain it, but something is guiding me there."

Captain Ajwad, a seasoned and practical mariner, furrowed his brow at the unexpected request. Beside him, Rizal, the first mate, and Faiz exchanged dubious glances.

"Hffyl," Captain Ajwad replied carefully, "we understand you've been through a harrowing experience, but our current course is set for Langkawi. We have a cargo to deliver, and changing our route is not a decision we can make lightly."

Hffyl's eyes pleaded with Captain Ajwad, his belief in the mysterious force guiding him unshaken. However, the crew members surrounding them were less convinced, finding Hffyl's request unconventional and impractical.

Rizal leaned in, his voice low as he addressed the captain, "Captain, altering our route like this would be highly impractical. We have obligations to fulfill."

Faiz nodded in agreement, adding, "He's just a young lad. Perhaps he's disoriented from everything he's been through."

Captain Ajwad, his decision firm, responded to Hffyl, "Hffyl, I understand your feelings, but our current mission takes precedence. We will reach Langkawi first to fulfill our cargo delivery. Once that's accomplished, we can discuss your request further. However, for now, we cannot deviate from our course."

Though disappointed, Hffyl recognized the captain's reasoning. He knew he had to earn the crew's trust and respect before they would consider changing their plans for him.

"Thank you, Captain," Hffyl conceded with determination. "I'll wait."

Dollah, who had been silently observing, finally spoke, "The seas have a way of calling out to some people, Captain. Maybe there's more to the lad's feeling than we realize."

Captain Ajwad looked thoughtful, clearly torn between logic and the mysteries of the sea. "First, Langkawi. Then, we'll decide."

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