A Change of Plans
In the crowded pub at the docks of Queensville, two men approached a small table, where two French men sat with drinks half-empty and a stack of cards. Along with some money made from a full month of hard work.
The pub was filled with men and music, along with some women looking for some company. The whole room smelt of smoke and liquor, creating an atmosphere that attracted the addictive types. While nothing good ever happened at a pub, it didn't always mean it had to be bad either.
"Jon, why are you doing this?", asked the man on the left.
Jonathan Baker turned to his friend and patted him on the shoulder, wearing a very confident smile. He had black curly hair, blue eyes, and was just barely close to twenty.
"Because I want to," he sat down in one of the four seats at the table, speaking in French to the two men as they began to set up the game. Taking his own stack of cards, he began to draw a couple for himself to see, while placing a couple on the table, face down.
Jon's friend sighed and took the last seat next to him, dropping two bags onto the floor, "Fine! But Taylor isn't going to like this."
Jon laughed, "He'll get over it. Besides, we can make our money back in America."
"If he doesn't change his mind about going there… again."
Jon rolled his eyes as he finished setting up his cards, putting the rest in the middle with the leftovers. Turning to his friend, he gave him a reassuring smile, "Something tells me he won't. Trust me, Tony."
Tony frowned, "Speaking of, wasn't he supposed to meet us here to discuss our travel plans?'
Jon shrugged, "Probably got held up doing his thing. Until he gets here, we're going to gamble a little bit."
Tony moaned, rubbing the right side of his face. His hair was brown, as well his eyes. He was also thinner than Jon, although mainly because of the life he once lived as an orphan. He too was close to twenty like Jon.
"Let's hope he's safe."
/
CRASH
The door to an apartment burst wide open and bounced off the wall, creating a large dent as wood and splinters scattered across the floor.
A man dressed in black jeans and a black jacket entered, checking his corners as he aimed his gun, maintaining a strong grip. The room was dark, with the only source of light being the window in the far corner. The living room was in connection with the kitchen, with a small bed, couch, table, and a large tv set up. The sink was slightly filled with dirty plates and silverware.
Reaching for his small flashlight that was attached his jeans, he unclipped it and held it with one hand, while the other held his gun. Both were right next to each other as he surveyed the small apartment.
Quickly walking forward, he cleared the living room before his flashlight found two doors to the right side of him. Heading to the first closest, he got next to the wall and took a deep breath before moving to the side and bringing his leg up, kicking the door open to find the bathroom empty.
Wasting no time, he moved to the next door and repeated the process, kicking the door open to the second room, which was pitch dark. Moving forward, he checked his corners and shined directly ahead of him.
There was medical equipment and a large chair around him. Including cabinets filled with drugs and other materials.
His flashlight revealed a foot on the other side of the chair, just out of sight. Reaching for the side of the wall, he turned on the light switch and walked forward, reattaching his flashback back to his heavy jeans. Holding his gun, he walked around the chair, aiming down as he came upon the body of a man, lying on the ground.
A pool of blood surrounded the man's head, almost dry. Clearly a gunshot, most likely from a silencer. No signs of a struggle, meaning it was done when the victim wasn't looking and didn't anticipate it.
Taylor sighed, quickly whispering a soft prayer for the man before turning to his surroundings. He studied the cabinets, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing appeared to be taken, which only added to his suspicions that his target was the one who did this.
His short hair was brown, including his eyes. His age was slightly over thirty, although some would guess him to be in his late twenties.
Turning back to the man, he put on some plastic gloves after carefully removing them from the container on the counter, making sure not to leave any fingerprints, and began to search the deceased's body for evidence that could prove valuable to him, but he found none.
Sighing in frustration, he kept the gloves on, wishing to dispose of them later at a different location. He needed to leave quickly, knowing that his target would be on the move.
But he didn't wish to leave without feeling some form of satisfaction with his search, so he took a chance and began looking around again. And this time, he found something.
Behind some books was a small recorder, along with some tapes.
Taylor frowned, as he picked up the recorder, seeing that it was still on but had used up the remaining tape due to being neglected. Taking the recorder and the other tapes as well, he put them in his pocket. Looking around, he quickly found a jug of gasoline.
Opening the top, he began to pour it all over the floor, the cabinets, the chair, and even the body. While he despised doing this, he needed to take care of the evidence, in accordance with the rules he was bound to follow.
Taking out his gun, he depowered the hologram, revealing its true form as a Hybrid Gun. Switching the settings, he found the lighter symbol and clicked it. Pulling the trigger, fire popped out as he exited the room and lit the gas ablaze.
He watched as the room burned, destroying everything there. Even if some remnants remained, no one would know what they were. The worst being conspiracy theories in the far distant future.
Knowing the building was abandoned, he didn't need to worry about anyone dying in the fire that would spread to the rest of the building. Closing the door, he ran down the hallway, smelling the smoke.
Once outside, he walked down the sidewalk for a couple of blocks, keeping his head down and hidden from others to see him. After taking some different turns and routes to confuse anyone who would investigate, he took off the gloves and pocketed them to dispose of later.
Taking out the tape recorder, he pressed play once finding an alley way.
"Do you have the payment?" a man asked on the tape, but a passing vehicle honked its horn, making Taylor unable to identify him.
The sound of a small suitcase being placed on the counter could be heard.
"Like we agreed," another voice replied.
"Good!" the first voice said with glee.
Taylor's eyes widened as he began to wonder if this was the man he had been searching for.
"This more than makes up for all the times I've had to change my face."
"Your target-" the recording became static, making him unable to hear what was being said for a few seconds "-the Olympus. Details are in the case on how to proceed."
Taylor pressed pause, "Olympus?"
Everything started to become clear to him. He had always assumed that Prometheus was targeting someone in America, but this proved wrong. Slightly shaking his head, he pressed play again.
"Oh, and one other thing," the man added. "The boss has given confirmation that Taylor Reeves is tracking you."
Taylor's eyes widened once again as he pressed pause.
Shit!
Taking a deep breath, he processed the information he was receiving from the conversation. Not only has his target had a plastic surgery operation, but he had lost the element of surprise, and his identity was now known.
He questioned how they could have gotten that information, even if they were to know what he looked like. Only a select few knew of his mission. Which meant someone betrayed him.
Pushing aside the anxiety and the many questions that began to surface, he pressed play again.
"I'm familiar with him," the man chuckled. "Will he be onboard the Olympus?"
"Unlikely. That said, do not treat it as a fact. If you see him… eliminate him. But do not place him above the mission. Understood?"
"Yes," the man confirmed, reaching for something.
The sound of a silencer going off and a body hitting the floor could heard. He could make out someone taking the suitcase and walking out of the room, shutting off the lights and closing the door behind him.
Sighing, he pressed stop on the recorder and put it in the pocket of his jacket.
Hearing sirens in the distance, he began to walk down the sidewalk again, passing a barrel that was burning fire for some homeless people. Taking the plastic gloves, he threw them in and kept walking, while those standing next to the barrel eyed him with suspicion.
Heading towards the docks of Queensville, he entered a rundown hotel and went directly to his room. Once inside, he grabbed his briefcase, opening it up to reveal a built-in computer system as he booted it up. Checking the system, he typed in the name Olympus and searched for any ships by that name to set sail in the coming weeks.
After a short system run, he found a match.
/
August 25th, 1921
The RMS Olympus
Schedule to set sail for Boston, Massachusetts at 1 pm in the afternoon.
/
Checking the time on his watch, Taylor cursed as he saw the clock about to strike noon. Typing into his computer, he searched for copies of the tickets for the Olympus and ordered for three to be printed. From the side of the case, three tickets appeared from a thin opening.
Once snatching them, he powered down the computer and placed his gun in the place holder before closing the case. Grabbing his small bag, he exited the room and the hotel, heading towards the pub where he was supposed to meet his friends.
After a long walk, he entered the pub, breathing in the air of smoke that reminded him of his grandma's old habit. Searching the large, crowded room, he found his friends at a table with two Frenchmen, playing a game of some sorts. Approaching, he dropped his bag on the floor, startling them.
"Bloody hell!" Tony cursed, while Jonathan laughed. "Do you have to do that?!"
Taylor shrugged, slightly smiling, "There's been a change of plans. We're leaving in an hour."
While Tony's expression was one of shock, Jon's was filled with curiosity, "Where to, captain?"
"Boston," he handed both their tickets. "We're boarding the Olympus."
Tony frowned, "Why?"
Leaning in between them, he whispered, "I'll explain later. For now, finish your game and I'll see you onboard."
"Oh, come on!" Jon smirked. "Stay and support us."
Rolling his eyes, Taylor picked up his bag, including the briefcase, and began to walk towards the door, "Don't be late!"
/
An automobile pulled up to the loading dock of where the Olympus was stationed, coming to a stop as the driver got out and opened the back door, offering his hand to a lady inside, who accepted his hand before exiting.
The young woman stared up towards the enormous ship before her. She wore a fancy blue dress and a large hat that kept the sun from shining on her, a true noble of royalty birth.
While hidden, her hair was blonde, her eyes were green and was a beautiful young woman of only eighteen years old. Although short, the high heels helped with making her feel taller.
An older man got out behind her, including an older woman from the opposite side, who was being helped by their bodyguard. All three stared up in amazement at the ship that was legendary after a full year in service.
"Father… is that truly the ship you built?" the young woman asked, turning to the man as addressed as father. "It doesn't look any bigger than the Liverpool."
Her father laughed, "Actually, my dear, it is bigger than the Liverpool. And far more luxurious, I promise you."
The Lily Cornelius turned away and began to walk towards the steps of the ramp, while her father turned to the woman behind him as she came around the vehicle.
"Our daughter has quite the high standards, my love."
Rebekka Cornelius slightly laughed as she began to follow her daughter, "So, this is your grand achievement. I must say, you've most certainly outdid yourself."
Although in her late thirties, she had maintained a healthy lifestyle to appear younger and in great shape. To some, she still appeared to be in her twenties. She took had blonde hair and green eyes as her daughter.
"Thank you, my dear," Augustus Cornelius cried out, smiling with satisfaction by his wife's praise. "It's high time you and Rachel went on a voyage, especially for America."
Despite being in his forties, age had only seemed to help improve him as he got older. The mustache also helped to some extent. His hair was black, his eyes were brown and stood at exactly six feet tall.
Hearing something fall onto the ground from behind, Augustus turned to see that some of the servants had dropped luggage onto the wet ground, although nothing had spilt out. Sighing in frustration, he called over his main bodyguard.
"Handle this mess, please."
Thomas Hartley nodded with a stern look and turned to the servants, "Handle those with care, you maggots! If you can't act professionally, then you'll be unemployed by tomorrow!"
The servants nodded vigorously as they quickly began to correct their mistake.
Augustus looked back to the Olympus and smiled, taking pride in his creation as he followed Rebekka. They both caught up with their daughter, being allowed in without any paperwork or inspection. Like true royalty.
From behind them, a man dressed in a fancy suit and carrying only a suitcase walked up the ramp, providing his ticket and identification to the inspectors. Once approved, he boarded the Olympus and watched as the rich family walked down the hallway, his eyes focused on family.
"Sir," a man cried out to him. "Your room is this way."
He turned offering a small smile, "My apologizes. It's my first time onboard."
/
Meanwhile, back at the pub, Jon and Tony continued their game of poker, hoping to win some more money for their trip to America. At first, it seemed like they were going to lose, which caused Tony to become anxious and angry at Jon.
"I knew I shouldn't have let you talk me into this!"
The two Frenchmen began to laugh, despite not understanding English.
However, Jon smiled at his friend and threw the cards he had left down on the table, revealing that they in fact had the winning hand in the game.
"CHEERS!!!" he declared, immediately reaching for the money on the table.
However, one of the Frenchmen grabbed Jon by the shirt and formed a fist with his free hand, ready to strike. Surprised by this, Jon's expression turned to fright at seeing the anger in the man's eyes, but was met with surprise as Tony grabbed a glass of liquor and splashed it directly into the man's face, forcing him to fall to the floor.
While the other Frenchman was caught off guard, Jon used his arm to slide the money into a small bag, dropping a few coins and bills onto the floor. But he didn't care. They had enough as it was. And he wasn't wanting to stick around for the two to gain the upper hand.
"RUN!!!" he cried to Tony, who was already picking up their bags.
Just as they heard the two Frenchmen men cry out in anger, the two were already heading towards the door of the pub, bumping into the crowd who had been watching the scene unfold. They knew that the two Frenchmen wouldn't let them escape that easily, so they booked it for the Olympus, not daring to miss their ride out of the country.
"Thanks for the save!" Jon cried out as they entered the street, almost being hit by a vehicle.
"No problem!" Tony panted, trying to carry two bags. "Let's get out of here before they catch us!"
"No need to tell me twice!"
They didn't need to look behind them to know that the two were already charging out of the pub in hot pursuit, fueled by anger and rage. Thankfully, they just had enough fear to outrun them. The moment they turned a corner, they saw the ship ahead of them, with a large crowd gathered to see the famous Olympus off on its next voyage.
As they ran into the crowd, squeezing between the people, a figured watched from the railings, having boarded mere minutes before. Taylor smiled as he drank a glass of wine, which he took from one of the servants without anyone noticing.
Running up the ramp and ignoring the protest of the officers, as well the two Frenchmen men from afar, Jon and Tony made it to the loading doors, presenting their tickets to the officers.
"Have you been through inspection?" one asked.
Jack nodded, "Yes, of course! We're Americans!"
"Yes!" Tony panted, looking behind at the crowd, managing to stop the two Frenchmen who were making their way through.
The leading officer frowned but sighed, waving them through, "All right, come aboard."
Hearing the horn of the ship sound off for the final boarding preparations, the two quickly boarded, laughing as they ran through the halls. Meanwhile, the two Frenchmen ran up the ramp but were stopped by officers before they could reach the entrance of the ship, being forced to turn around.
As Jon and Tony ran through the halls, they came to stop upon seeing Taylor, who was standing in the middle of the crowded hall.
"I see the game went well," he smiled.
"Well, I won, didn't I?" replied Jon, holding up the bag.
"Yes, and barely made it before your pursuers caught ya. However, no need to worry about your room. I secured us one a lot nicer."
The two smiled and followed him up the stairs. Taylor presented papers to secure them access to the 1st Class area, where a more luxurious room was waiting for them. The room was not huge, but it was a lot bigger than the ones down below. The windows were more inviting, and the view of the sea was breathtaking.
Once putting their bags on the floor, they immediately ran for the deck, making their way to the bow, followed by Taylor, who watched with amusement, feeling the raw strength of the Olympus as it began to pull away from the docks of Queensville. Even from where they stood, they could feel the propellers begin to spin.
Soon enough, the ship was pulling out of harbor and was setting out on its voyage for Boston. As they got further away, the crowd on the dock started to disperse and go about their business.
/
Meanwhile, Lily followed her parents to the main suite that had been reserved for them on the highest part of the 1st Class floor. It was the best suite available in the entire ship. As they began to settle in and began to unpack with the help of servants, the young woman focused on her art, setting them up to help brighten her room.
Her mother entered, drinking a cup of tea, "Must you show those off so freely?"
Lily sighed, managing to hide it from her, "It's only for my room. No one else has to see them."
"But I will."
From behind her, Augustus entered, "Oh, let her decorate. Soon enough, she'll be putting this part of her life behind her."
Lily cringed, remembering why they were going on this voyage to begin with. It was her last chance, at least from what her parents have said.
Rebekka sighed, "Very well. I will allow it."
Augustus smiled, "No need to worry, my dear. Some artwork isn't going to keep our daughter unfit for marriage. Now, let's go meet the captain and see the Olympus on her way across the Atlantic.
"What a wonderful idea," Rebekka smiled before casting a disapproving look in Rachel's direction. "Come along, Lily."
Sighing, Lily followed her while smiling at her father, who smiled back in return.
Once outside their suite, Augustus led the way, while their bodyguard followed from behind, keeping an ever-watchful eye. Once they arrived at the helm area of the ship, they were met by Captain George Murdock, who shook Augustus' hand.
"It's a pleasure to have you onboard, Mr. Cornelius," greeted Murdock.
"Let's take her to sea, Captain," he said with a voice full of pride, turning away to place his hands on the railing as he stared out the window towards the sea. "Time to show the world what she is truly capable of."
"Yes sir," Murdock smiled before going to fulfill the order to the men to increase the ship's speed.
/
Jon, Tony, and Taylor stood at the forehead of the Olympus, watching the dolphins as they swam in front of the ship and leaped into the air. They could feel the chill of the wind on their skin as the ship began to travel faster.
"Ah, finally!" Tony exclaimed. "A chance to see America."
Jon patted his shoulder, "And my chance to go back home." Stepping onto the first level rails, arms stretched out, he let out a cry.
Tony laughed, while Taylor rolled his eyes but ultimately couldn't help to smile, as they stared out towards the horizon.
/
A couple of hours later, Lily found herself sitting at table of six, amongst her mother and father, Captain Murdock, and two others. Once ordering their meals, the men began to talk about the full year anniversary since the Olympus began the voyages across the Atlantic and the ship's origins.
"After the end of the Great War, I had a revelation, a dream to build the finest ship that the world has ever seen. To begin a new era of peace," declared Augustus. "I owe it to both my lovely wife and my daughter for keeping me strong after the loss David."
Rebekka turned away, keeping her expression hidden at the mention of their son. Including Lily.
"But through the struggle, the Olympus has become a chance to connect two great continents after such hardship. May she forever sail these waters until the end of time."
"Here, here!" cried out Murdock.
Everyone raised their glasses in a toast, drinking the champagne.
"Miss Rachel, I hear that you're being courted by James McCoy," said Kelley Calvertt.
All eyes were on her now, which made her skin crawl. Especially when two of those belonged to her mother.
"Yes," she smiled, turning to the recent Mrs. Calvertt. "I look forward to meeting Mr. McCoy."
"Ah, to be young," said Mr. Calvertt. "I remember the day Kelley and I first met during our courtship. It was quite the experience, to meet someone you hadn't met before."
"Same for me and Rebekka," said Augustus.
Rebekka offered a smile, "Yes… it certainly was."
Once the food came, Lily quickly ate her dinner before standing up from the table.
"Excuse me, I'll be taking my leave now."
Rebekka glared at her daughter, while Augustus was dumbstruck.
"But… right before desert?" he asked.
Not wishing to be in the room any longer, Lily headed out for some fresh air on the deck, while being followed Thomas.
/
On the front deck of the ship, Jon was drawing pictures of the people around him in his notepad, currently focusing on a father named Brock, and his little daughter, Lucy.
Meanwhile, Taylor and Tony were deep in a conversation, while Jon listened.
"So, care to explain the sudden desire to sail on the legendary RMS Olympus?" Tony asked.
Taylor sighed as he leaned against the railing, feeling the cool air brush against him, "Earlier today, I found a possible location on Prometheus, which in turn led me to this ship."
Jon stopped drawing, his eyes narrowing as he turned to him.
"He wasn't at the location, and his contact was killed before I could get to him," he continued. "But I discovered proof that Prometheus' target is not in America but possibly on this exact ship."
Tony shook his head, confused, "Who would be of great importance on this ship?"
Jon resumed drawing Brock and Lucy.
"I don't know. Whoever he's working for, they specifically told him to board."
"Is it possibly the ship itself is the target?" Tony asked.
Taylor shook his head again, "I don't think so. With the Time-Lock in full effect, he would be endangering himself by doing so."
"So, all you have to do now is hunt down Prometheus and keep him prisoner. That should be easy."
"If only! He's changed his face to look like someone else. He also is aware that I'm after him-"
Tony scoffed, "Oh, so it isn't just that we don't know what he looks like, but he can see you coming a mile away. No pressure!"
"But what is in our favor is that we have him trapped on the Olympus for four days, with no escape. And he doesn't know about the two of you."
Tony sighed, "Taylor, meaning no offense, but this is your mission. Not ours. We're just tagging along."
Taylor frowned, "You're welcome to leave at any point. All you have to do is say so."
Both Jon and Tony paused, sharing a look. While others didn't see it, Taylor did. They both held an expression of sadness.
"That's… not what I meant," Tony said, his voice low.
Taylor sighed, "Look, I like having you around. But understand that until Prometheus is captured, and the Time-Lock is lifted, my mission comes first."
Jon nodded, a his expression hinting at sorrow, "Yeah… we know."
"A businessman, yeah?" a voice called out.
Startled, the three turned around to find an Englishman leaning against the rails with a smoke in his hand, smiling. He was tall, muscular, had brown hair and eyes, wearing some slightly worn-out clothing.
"Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear the last part."
Taylor stared him with suspicion, while Jon stopped drawing to he reached out his hand, smiling, "I'm Jonathan."
"Michael," the man replied, shaking his hand before turning to Tony, who accepted his handshake.
"I'm Tony."
Michael turned to Taylor next and offered his hand, "And you?"
Staring at him for a moment, he finally shook it, "Taylor Reeves."
"American?"
"Born and raised."
Michael laughed, "Yep, that sounds about right. You seem like the business type."
Turning to Jon, he saw the drawing of the father and daughter, motioned towards it with his smoke, "Do you make money with your drawings?"
Jon nodded, "Not as much as I would like, but it's far more than just something to make money. It's a passion."
"Well spoken."
Suddenly, Jon's attention was pulled to the upper deck across from them, his eyes fixated on a young woman who was walking towards the railings and leaning against them, staring out into the horizon.
Everyone saw his attention was elsewhere and turned to see the woman on the upper deck. Immediately, they smiled and laughed.
"Earth to Jonny," Tony waved his hand in front of Jon, making him snap out of it. "You got a father and daughter to draw."
Shaking his head, he went right back to drawing, while also stealing some glances towards the woman, attracted to her beauty.
Michael laughed upon seeing this, "I wouldn't dwell on the likes of her. Guys like us can never catch a beauty for our own sake."
Taylor studied the man, trying to get a good read on him. He wondered if this man was possibly Prometheus. But he soon concluded that Michael couldn't be him. Not with how he was exposing himself in such a way.
His attention turned to Jon, who was finishing up his drawing of Brock and Lucy.
/
In a first-class room, the man who boarded the ship from earlier began to set up shop, putting up equipment and a series of notes. He checked his watch and began to sort out everything he needed.
Taking a briefcase, he set it on the bed and opened it, powering up his built-in computer as he started to receive his final orders.