Submerge v2

The three of you are stunned for a half second. Then everyone's in action.\n\n[[Look for Wendy.|S4b1]]\n[[Sound the alarm.|S4b2]]\n[[Drop the lifeboat.|S4b3]]

There's not much of a gap between the boat and the angular rocks here, but you manage to make do by putting your legs in first.\n\n<<if visited("Attach and inflate a bag astern on the port side.", "Attach and inflate a bag ahead on the starboard side.", "Attach and inflate a bag astern on the starboard side.")>>\s\nLast one. <<endif>>\s\nYou tie the float bag to the railing and start inflating it with the hose. <<if visited("Attach and inflate a bag astern on the port side.")>>\s\nYou're about halfway through when you hear a groan and suddenly\n<blockquote>the boat heaves and\n<blockquote>shifts towards you,\n<blockquote>[[pinning you to the rocks.|L3a]]</blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><<else>>The bag takes its time filling up and you're glad that no one else can see the cartoonishness of you wrestling with to keep it out of your face.\n\n<<display Inflate Actions>><<endif>>

"Yeah. Yeah, thanks," you stammer and nod. "Yeah, if you could do that, that'd be great. Thanks."\n\nStu nods. "Okay, then. We'll pull the van up. There's... there's not a lot here, so you can wait here and help us with it if you want or we can take care of it. Just hit us up later, when you get... yeah."\n\nEarl looks back down to the ground.\n\n"Cool, thanks." You wave to the pair as they make their way to their primer-coated Econoline.\n\nThen you light another cigarette. You look at the junk in front of you. [[And then you just walk away.|S4a]]

"No, I got it. Thanks."\n\nStu nods. "Okay man. Take care. Sorry for...." And he nods his head again and leaves with Earl, who's returned his gaze to the ground.\n\nThen you smoke another cigarette. You look at the junk in front of you. [[And then you just walk away.|S4a]]

This part of the Mira has seen better days, though you can't imagine anyone having better days than you did here. Some worse days, too, but that's a given.\n\n<<if visited("O1fore")>>You tie the second cable to a ring at the stern, pull on it, and [[surface.|L1a]]<<else>>You tie the first cable to a ring at the stern, pull on it and [[move to the fore of the boat.|O1fore]]<<endif>>\n

You catch your breath and turn around to leave, mumbling some words to the officer. As you do, you catch a last glance at Leslie.\n\nShe is, in fact, [[looking out over the sea|S3a]].

You fail to connect. You fail even worse than the first time. Your feet slide out from under you on their own and you collapse prone back on the wooden floorboards. It's the perfect position for the officer to slap his cuffs on you. He yanks you up and as he places you in the car, you look into the bar and catch a last glance at Leslie.\n\nShe is, in fact, [[looking out over the sea|S3a]].

And you take a look at the Mira. The gleaming hull. The tarnished rails. You have to imagine what the deck looks like, but that's not hard.\n\nYou've had dreams of her ever since you first stepped on her. They've been occurring more and more often.\n\nAnd not one of them is a nightmare.\n\nYou dream of hauling in fish with Jaime. Dumping them in the hold with Wendy. Setting up gear with Alex. Drinking in the cabin with Cap. Standing alone on the deck, just watching the sea.\n\nAnd she's here with you now. It's all in her hands. There's nothing more for you to do but [[relax...|L5a]]

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Submerge

"I've been saving up a bit. So has Jaime. More than me, and that's after him sending a good chunk back home every month. I know you've been living on the boat and figure you must have a decent bit stashed away. And even if you don't, well, fuck it. Who fucking cares? I know a couple hands who'll be keen to join in with us, and whatever we pool together goes to the boat and gets shared equally and fuck ledgers and fuck debts and let's just fucking get back on the water, man!"\n\nYou laugh (and cringe) again, and Alex can read your smile and know she's won you over. The Mira saving your ass again.\n\nBut fuck, that pain's pretty bad, so Alex says "Think it over" with a wink and you sink back in the hospital bed and [[try to relax|O6a]].

Alex cracks wide, sensing that you need some help connecting the dots.\n\n"No bosses. No owners. We patch her up, raise her up, and we work for ourselves with no one to tell us if we've been out on the water long enough or haven't caught enough."\n\nAlex's life project, handed to her on a silver platter. Damn.\n\n"And you, dear scrub, as part of her last crew, are officially invited to partake in this fucking grand idea."\n\n[["So, where's the money coming from?"|S5g]]

"The Mira."\n\n"But..." you protest.\n\n"She's at the bottom, yes, but it's shallow and she's recoverable. I took a look and the hole in her's easily patched up. It'll take a few weeks to do it, but I've rounded up most of the equipment we'll need and Jaime's already got a barge lined up to work from."\n\n"But the owners..."\n\n"And this," Amy points at you for emphasis, "this is the beautiful part of the plan. Cap's gone so he doesn't give a shit. The owners, well, I called them up with a sob story about his drinking problem and they couldn't wash their hands of the boat fast enough. So, the deal is, we salvage it, and it's ours."\n\n[["'Kay."|S5f]]

When you open them again, Amy looks back at you. "But hey, since you're asking things, let me ask you something." She leans in, and her game face is on and you see the gears whirring. "You still feeling like running out with us?"\n\nMight as well admit it now. Couldn't hide it anyway. "Sure, but there's no boat."\n\n"But there is."\n\n[["Which one?"|S5e]]

"The rest?"\n\n"Jaime's itching to go back out already, too." Alex cracks another smile. "And Cap, well, he's done. Him and Irene are headed back to her old stomping grounds down south. Away from the water. If I were him, I'd want to stay away from anything that reminded me of this. I'm not him, so I'm making damn sure that fucker stays away from it. If I ever hear of him slipping onto a dock again, the old bastard's gonna regret it."\n\n"I'm sure." You laugh, and the resulting pain in your chest makes you wince. "And Wendy?"\n\nAmy looks out the window. "Yeah, well..."\n\n[[You close your eyes for a minute.|S5d]]

It's official. The charts will confirm that you feel like shit. Second opinion?\n\n"You look like shit," Alex says, still grinning.\n\n"Thanks."\n\n"No problem. Doc says a few cracked ribs, but otherwise you'll be back on the water in no time."\n\nYou grimace. [[But you're not against the idea.|S5c]]

[[Alex smiles.|S5b]]

You heave a sigh and use your knife to cut your breathing tube. You close your eyes and [[wish wish wish for help to arrive.|L4a]]

You know what it says. You have three days to get you and your shit out. If you don't, the cops will get you and your shit out for you. In this town, that likely means Baby Mac now.\n\nGood for him. [[You're going to sleep.|S2a]]

//blah blah blah NONPAYEMENT blah blah blah TENENT THREE DAYS TO VACATE blah blah blah ENFORCMENT blah blah blah SIGNED blah blah blah//\n\nYou're fairly sure that's not how you spell "vacate". You now regret vacating the sofa, so you return to it and [[it's lights out|S2a]].

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The mass of bubbles rises toward the surface. The white-silvery trail takes you back to the boat you and Leslie took out on your second official date. Or third. It was early you know that. The sun was out and you both were sitting at the back and drinking beers and looking at the wake you created as you rushed forward, looking back to the harbor, the town, the life, the history receding from you. [[Leaving that behind.|O5ba]]

This one's a breeze, with the water being clear of any obstructions.\n\nYou tie the float bag to the railing and start inflating it with the hose. The whooshing of the air is strangely meditative, and as it's a while before it fills completely, your thoughts drift to what the bastards in the harbor will say when a boat they thought saw its last run comes back to the docks.\n\nSure, they'll probably just laugh even harder, but you can dream.\n\n<<display Inflate Actions>>

You shuffle past the officer in the clothes you slept in. Stu mutters a "Sorry, man" and Earl nods and looks downward as they enter the apartment. You stand by the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette as you watch the two mostly carefully dumping your possessions on the lawn next to you.\n\nMcEwan has taken a position between you and the house, taking a stance that makes it look like he's supervising the pair of movers. [[That's fine.|L4c]]

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The other float bag on the port side is a silvery fully-inflated bag of air.\n\n<<if visited("knife", "hose")>>\s\nYou suppose that you could bend things just right to attach the knife to the trigger on the hose. And a huge goddamn signal would be sent if you [[cut the fully-inflated air bag with the knife/hose harpoon.|O4cutbag]]\n\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("hose")>>\s\nThe fully-inflated float bag may be just within reach of the sturdy hose, although there's no way you could attach the nozzle to it.<<endif>>\s\n<<else>>\s<<if visited("knife")>>\s\nIf you could get the knife close to the bag, there would be a significant rupture of air. Unfortunately, your arm can get nowhere close to it.\n\n<<endif>><<endif>>\s\n[[You consider what else is on hand.|O4c]]

The makeshift fix looks like the patches on the elbows of Wendy's denim jacket. (God bless. That ratty thing's still hanging in the room you've rented out.) It's not pretty, but it'll do the job until you get the Mira to port and can get her properly repaired.\n\nYou take the opportunity to adjust the ropes to minimize the risk that the tarp will [[peel away.|L2a]]

The hole's a pretty nasty one. You hope there isn't another, but you won't see that until you get the Mira raised a bit.\n\nAt least this side's clear. She's resting slightly on her side, the area with the tear is on the broadest visible surface and the bottom's sandy here. The port side is lower and leaning close to some serious rocks, but you checked it out earlier and the boat looks intact. Maybe you're lucky and will only need to [[cement the other two ends of the plastic to the hull below the hole.|O2c]]

You volunteered to do this diving work. Not that there was much choice in the matter. Even though you were the rookie on the Mira, you did get a recreational scuba certification when you were in school.\n\nBut that was a long time ago.\n\nStill, you trump Alex, who never found the time, and Jaime, who only admitted a kid crush on Lloyd Bridges.\n\nTime to [[inspect the seal.|O2d]]

At the moment, patching the Mira's hull is ridiculously lo-fi. All that's involved is putting a tarp over the hole, tying it down with some rope. After you attach the float bags to her, you'll seal it a bit more and pump the water out. It's not until you tow it back to port that the actual repair work will be done. All you're doing now is aimed at getting her afloat in enough shape to make the journey home.\n\n[[You tie two ends of the large tarp to the railing and swim down.|O2b]]

Cap's the last one down the ladder, shouting at you, but you keep your eyes on the black, roiling sea. It's so dark that anything should stand out, but there's nothing but black, nothing but...\n\n<blockquote>@@color:lightgrey;silver@@\s\n@@color:orangered;orange@@</blockquote>\s\n\n"Cap!" You shout. [["She's..."|S4e1a]]

Damn it. You start your way to the lifeboat, but the Mira pitches and you're thrown in that direction anyway. The action isn't violent. You feel the ship holding you, cradling you, until it lets go...\n\n... and you're thrown directly in the center of the lifeboat. Your breath's knocked out of you. Jaime blinks twice with surprise, and then everyone's rowing and Cap looks back at the Mira sinking and debris rises and floats and something snags on Alex's oar and it's a blue denim jacket with patches on its elbows and \s\n<<if visited("O4cuttube")>>\s\n[[you pass out|O5cuttube]].\s\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("O4cutbag")>>\s\n[[you pass out|O5cutbag]].\s\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("O4explodebag")>>\s\n[[you pass out|O5explodebag]].\s\n<<endif>><<endif>><<endif>>

The rugged compressor hose you use to fill the float bags with air. There's a trigger on the hose that releases the air.\n\n<<if visited("knife", "air tube")>>\s\nYou reckon that severing the tube would be easy using the knife and the bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. You'd lose your normal way of breathing, but it might just be possible to [[cut the tube and breathe through the hose.|O4cuttube]]\n\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("air tube")>>\s\nThe hose may -- and that's a big "may" -- serve as a secondary breathing apparatus if your breathing tube fails.\n\n<<endif>><<else>>\s\n<<if visited("knife")>>\s\nYou reckon that severing the breathing tube would be easy using the knife and the bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. Of course, it comes at the cost of losing all of your air.\n\n<<endif>><<endif>>\s\n<<if visited("knife", "fully inflated bag")>>\s\nYou suppose that you could bend things just right to attach the knife to the trigger on the hose. And a huge goddamn signal would be sent if you [[cut the fully-inflated air bag with the knife/hose harpoon.|O4cutbag]]\n\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("fully inflated bag")>>\s\nThe fully-inflated float bag may be just within reach of the sturdy hose, although there's no way you could attach the nozzle to it.\n\n<<endif>><<endif>>\s\n<<if visited("half-inflated air bag")>>\s\nThe hose is still attached to the air bag in front of you. You're a bit nervous about how much explosive force would be involved, but you could [[overinflate the half-inflated air bag until it bursts.|O4explodebag]]\n\n<<endif>>\s\n[[You consider what else is on hand.|O4c]]

You're nodding off.\n\nThen you open your eyes in a glaze. The room is still. Glacial. You're at peace. You're in bliss. Mike's in front of you, and he's seeing the same thing. You're sure of it.\n\n[[And you nod off again.|O5bc]]

You shake it off. The utter helplessness, the utter dependance, neither's good for your sanity.\n\nThe sea's different when you have the choice to sit still and take it all in. When it's mandated, the awe is no longer beautiful, but terrifying.\n\nBut beautiful.\n\nAnd you're waiting here while your chest is heaving with more and more pain and each second blacking out seems like a more and more desirable option.\n\nYou close your eyes. [[And you take your time opening them.|O5d]]

You ascertain that the nozzle of the air compressor hose is still attached to the half-inflated float bag and return to filling it with air. For the next ten minutes, you have repeated dizzy spells while you wait for the bag to inflate. You take it past its normal level of inflation and brace yourself for the moment it will --\n\n[[//PHWOOOM//|L4a]]

The bubbles recede from your view. Jaime and Alex will surely see them and immediately radio for help. From there it's maybe fifteen minutes when you could first expect someone to arrive.\n\nFor now, there's not much to do. You struggle a little again, hoping to gain some leverage to squeeze out, but it's no use, and for all you know you might be making things worse.\n\n[[So you remain still.|O5bb]]

"Well, whenever you do, let us know. You have to give us a notification within a week of a change of address. You know what happens if you don't."\n\nYeah, you know.\n\n"Find gainful employment yet?"\n\n[["No."|L3d]]\n[["Fuck off."|L3d]]\n[[Stay silent.|L3d]]

You get as many late payment notices for credit cards as you once did offers for them. The last purchase on this particular card still sticks in your mind: a couple lobsters and more than a couple of beers at Lucky's. Leslie glowed in that sunset something fierce.\n\n<<display "Letter Actions">>

Unfortunately, there's nothing on the Mira within your extremely limited reach that you could imagine assisting you.\n\n[[You consider what else is on hand.|O4c]]

Squeezing into this space takes some care. You slide feet first into the narrow gap between the boat and the rocks. They're particularly nasty here.\n\n<<if visited("Attach and inflate a bag ahead on the port side.", "Attach and inflate a bag ahead on the starboard side.", "Attach and inflate a bag astern on the starboard side.")>>\s\nLast one. <<endif>>\s\nYou tie the float bag to the railing and start inflating it with the hose. <<if visited("Attach and inflate a bag ahead on the port side.")>>\s\nYou're about halfway through when you hear a groan and suddenly\n<blockquote>the boat heaves and\n<blockquote>shifts towards you,\n<blockquote>[[pinning you to the rocks.|L3a]]</blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><<else>>The bag takes its time filling up and you're glad that no one else can see the cartoonishness of you wrestling with to keep it out of your face.\n\n<<display Inflate Actions>><<endif>>

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Once, in high school, you and some friends sat in your basement and did whippets. What a riot. The small nitrous oxide canisters offered some cheap laughs. They always got classified as a "gateway" drug, which was ridiculous. The only person in your circle who progressed on to harder stuff was...\n\nYou reflexively scratch your arm.\n\nThe air from the compressor hose is an order of magnitude more forceful than the whippets. This isn't easy at all, but it works and your head clears and [[your lungs fill with air...|O5ctc]]

Fuck, your chest hurts. Did you puncture a lung? You imagine you'd feel something different when you took a breath. Like trying to inflate a popped balloon. But you got air in just fine. It just...\n\nFuck! There it is again. [[This is, this is...|O5d]]

The breathing tube moves out of your vision. Rate it was going, you assume it'll break the surface in half a minute. Alex and Jaime might have already noticed the slack and radioed for help. If not, they will in the next minute.\n\nNow to hold out for another twenty. Or thirty.\n\nTime to breathe. You're not sure how this will result, but [[you breathe air in through the air hose.|O5ctb]]

A thick titanium knife with a rubber grip.\n\n<<if visited("air tube", "hose")>>\s\nYou reckon you severing your breathing tube would be easy using the knife and the resulting bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. You'd lose your normal way of breathing, but it might just be possible to [[cut the tube and breathe through the hose.|O4cuttube]]\n\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("hose")>>\s\nThe hose could be severed quickly. However, the air is under so much pressure that there's a significant risk of it flying out of the water and injuring anyone on the barge.\n\nThe sturdy hose may just be long enough to reach the fully-inflated float bag, although there's no way you could attach it to the nozzle.<<endif>><<else>>\s\n<<if visited("air tube")>>\s\nYou reckon that severing the tube would be easy using the knife and the bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. Of course, it comes at the cost of losing all of your air.\n\n<<endif>><<endif>>\s\n<<if visited("hose", "fully inflated bag")>>\s\nYou suppose that you could bend things just right to attach the knife to the trigger on the hose. And a huge goddamn signal would be sent you [[cut the fully-inflated air bag with the knife/hose harpoon.|O4cutbag]]\n\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("fully inflated bag")>>\s\nThe sturdy hose may just be long enough to reach the fully-inflated float bag, although there's no way you could attach it to the nozzle.\n\n<<endif>>\s\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("hose")>>\s\n<<endif>><<endif>>\s\n[[You consider what else is on hand.|O4c]]

The boards of the deck have some age, and more than some character to them. Your first trip on her, you thought they were in serious need of replacing. But as you watched the crew work on your break-in run, everyone's feet danced on them. Leslie took you to the city to see the ballet once. Wasn't until that first trip on the Mira until you finally got it.\n\n"Hey //say//-lor!" Alex's chiding voice snaps you out of your reverie. [["Give me a hand tying this gear down."|S3c]]

The mottled brown and gold rails saved you from more than one spill over them. A sudden lurch to starboard, line catching your feet, you name it. Every rookie mistake you made, and they were there to reach out to, to grab hold on you. You're almost certain that a couple of times, their placement was more than a coincidence. As if they bent in just the right way, just the right amount to arrest your fall.\n\n"Hey //say//-lor!" Alex's chiding voice snaps you out of your reverie. [["Give me a hand tying this gear down."|S3c]]

As ratty as the other sections of the boat might look at first glance, the bow of her shone like pearls. You took a good part of your offtime washing the salt and grime off. If she was a home, might as well treat her like one. The other sections had "character," but the gleam of the cabin was a different sort of character. And putting the two together added to a third sort of character. Multi-dimensional. Something like that.\n\n"Hey //say//-lor!" Alex's chiding voice snaps you out of your reverie. [["Give me a hand tying this gear down."|S3c]]

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[[About]]

You wake up.\n\nYou're still where you thought you were.\n\nThe float bag's shredded. You look up and can just make out bits of it flowing downstream. They make the same patterns the gulls made in the air as you and Leslie walked along the beach the day you decided to make things a little more... practical. At least that's what you told each other, but the walk and the staring out into the sea [[said something different.|O5ea]]

Cap blankly stares out of the window for a bit, then rounds back to face the stern. "Naw, fuck it."\n\n"Seriously?"\n\n"We got enough. 'Sides, I'd have better luck dragging my bathtub at this point. Tell 'em we're headed back."\n\nWell, fuck. As tired as you are, you're not ready to face //back// yet. Maybe another trawler would pick you up for a last minute run. Then again, maybe Baby Mac will present a full pardon from the governor next time he comes to chat. Har.\n\nBesides, working on a boat other than the Mira would feel like cheating after the past two seasons on her.\n\n"'Kay."\n\n"We'll go unload, dock her, then the cabin's yours for the winter. You need that shit washed, Irene can pick it up and drop it back by next week."\n\n"Thanks, Cap."\n\n[[Tell the rest of the crew the trip's over.|S1d1]]\n[[Go out on the deck for some alone time.|S1d2]]

Your eyes are just about close for good when you hear Wendy bellow "Numbers, scrub!" Shit.\n\n<<display 'S1b1'>>

Somehow, you manage to climb up to the bridge. Cap's seated at the helm with a beer in hand and a couple empties on the dash. You hear aluminum crinkling as he turns to not quite face you.\n\n"What we got?"\n\n"650 pounds."\n\n"Exactly?"\n\nShit. It's close enough. "Uh..." you stammer.\n\n"SIX FIVE FIVE" Wendy yells out from below. God bless.\n\n"Right." Cap's been more than kind towards your disregard of hard numbers. It's Wendy who's given you a ride about it. She could just as well give everyone a break by getting up here to mouth them herself for once. But then, her and Cap aren't on the best of terms when the season's about wrapped up. And she has more than a few years on you.\n\n[["Net's ready."|S1c]]

You walk in the door and see that Leslie has already laid the mail out on the kitchen table. It's not used for much else these days. She'll be at the diner for another five hours, then add a few more hours for a stop by The Porthole. Enough time to do...\n\nWell, you don't do much nowadays, do you? Beer. TV. Whatever passes the time.\n<<display "Letter Actions">>

Okay. Okay. This is bad, but calm down and assess the situation.\n\nAir? You can breathe. There aren't any stray bubbles that you can see. So that's intact. The pumps on the barge will provide oxygen for as long as you care to stay down here.\n\nBody? Well, that's the problem. Most of it -- primarily your chest -- is pinned between the hull of the boat and the rocks, with you facing the boat. The pressure against your chest is aggravating your ribs, which were still in the process of healing. Hell, it seems some are rebroken. A slight spell of dizziness is enough to tell you that you're in serious danger of blacking out. You'll need to act quickly.\n\n[[You try to squeeze out...|O4b]]

... to no avail. Fuck.\n\nAlex and Jaime on the barge above will radio for help in about an hour if you haven't surfaced. You're certain you don't have that much time.\n\nIf you can get some sort of signal to them... it'll take, maybe, twenty minutes for help to arrive. That's asking a lot at the moment, but you'll want to alert them anyway.\n\nThe only other option is to somehow move this boat off of you.\n\n[[Think.|O4c]]

You assess what you have at hand: your [[air tube]], the [[hose]] from the air compressor, and a [[knife]] on your waist that you might be able to reach. In front of you is the [[Mira]] and a [[half-inflated air bag]] attached to it. Further down the railing, and out of arm's reach, is the [[fully inflated bag]] you attached earlier.\n\n<<if visited("air tube", "knife", "hose")>>\s\nYou reckon that severing the tube would be easy using the knife and the bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. You'd lose your normal way of breathing, but it might just be possible to [[cut the tube and breathe through the hose.|O4cuttube]]\n\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited("hose", "knife", "fully inflated bag")>>\s\nYou suppose that you could bend things just right to attach the knife to the trigger on the hose. And a huge goddamn signal would be sent if you [[cut the fully-inflated air bag with the knife/hose harpoon.|O4cutbag]]\n\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited("half-inflated air bag", "hose")>>\s\nThe hose is still attached to the air bag in front of you. You're a bit nervous about how much explosive force would be involved, but you could [[overinflate the half-inflated air bag until it bursts.|O4explodebag]]\n\n<<endif>>\s\n\n

The Naucett County Sheriff's Office dutifully informs you that you will now report to Officer Tom McEwan for your parole checks instead of Officer Paul McEwan, who has retired and is now most likely watching the boats sail in and out in the harbor while drinking a Coors, feet kicked up on the railing, relaxing in the shade.\n\nYou were out on many of those boats for years while Papa Mac was chasing out drunks or pushing papers or just generally being an asshole. Then the dick found you sprawled out in a corner of the marina with a needle, a tube, and enough black tar to get you blacklisted from every outfit in the state.\n\nAnd so you were. That was two years ago? Three? Three years with no fishing crew willing to take you on board.\n\nAnd now you have to deal with that prick's son, Baby Mac. Fucking hell.\n\n<<display "Letter Actions">>

Joshua Houk

There's line and netting you have to push away before tying the bag on to the rails, but it's nothing major. Before long, you're filling up the bag.\n\nMaybe that netting is salvageable. It couldn't have deteriorated that much, and you'll need to scrimp a little bit. This process, as low-budget as you're running it, isn't cheap.\n\n<<display Inflate Actions>>\n\n

You make your way to Alex and pull her away and she slides in the direction of the lifeboat. Alex shouts "Fuck you!" and she has every reason to be pissed but she also knows there's nothing to be done.\n\nAs you start toward the lifeboat yourself, you take [[one last look over the rail...|S4d1a]]

"Well, I heard that you'll be needing to notify me of a new address soon." You don't need to look up to read Baby Mac's smirk. "Do you have that address now?"\n\n[["No."|L3c1]]\n[["Fuck off."|L3c1]]\n[[Stay silent.|L3c1]]

"No need for the hostility. Anyway, someone tells me that you'll be needing to notify me of a new address soon." You don't need to look up to read Baby Mac's smirk. "Do you have that address now?"\n\n[["No."|L3c1]]\n[["Fuck off."|L3c1]]\n[[Stay silent.|L3c1]]

The float bag you were inflating when the boat shifted and pinned you to the rocks is in front of you and slightly above your head.\n\n<<if visited("hose")>>\s\nThe hose is still attached to the air bag in front of you. You're a bit nervous about how much explosive force would be involved, but you could [[overinflate the half-inflated air bag until it bursts.|O4explodebag]]\n\n<<endif>>\s\n[[You consider what else is on hand.|O4c]]

You shout at Alex and she doesn't look like she's heard you but she has.\n\n[[Run and pull Alex away.|S4d2a]]

Doesn't take long for Stu and Earl to empty the place. Officer McEwan posts a notice in large red letters on the door, makes sure the door is locked, nods in your direction -- you're sure he cracks the slightest grin -- and makes his way to the manager's office.\n\nThe haulers walk on over to you and your pile of crap. "Hey man," Stu says, "if you want, we can hold this stuff for a bit. There's been a bit of a lull this winter, and, yeah, that's something we can do for ya."\n\nEarl looks up apologetically and says "Yeah."\n\n[[Accept the offer.|L4d1]]\n[[Thank them but say you'll take care of it.|L4d2]]

//This story includes salty language.\n\n[[Click to continue.|O1a]]//

You hear a knock on the door echo in your swimming head. You've expected it. Greeting you is that young, baby-faced arm of the law.\n\n"Morning. We're here..." Tom McEwan motions to the bulky Earl and the extra bulky Stu, "to enforce a lawful eviction order by request of the lessor of this property. Notice was given three days ago, and I will now escort you from this property. These men will move your effects out of the residence. I trust," and here he shows some genuine emotion for once, "that we won't reprise our recent confrontation of two nights back."\n\n<<if visited("L3f2")>>It's not that Baby Mac let you walk free the day after that final lunge at him. Enough of the regulars at the Porthole would've gladly testified that he baited you, making prosecuting you a losing proposition for him. Not that they have any love for you, but their hate for this creep and his father extends long and deep. Rather, y<<else>>Y<<endif>>ou're done with fighting. You're done with it all.\n\n[[You nod, dumbly.|L4b]]

Your breathing tube begins a slow ascent to the surface. You're reminded of the time you and Leslie went to the cape and her silk scarf flew away in the wind. The white ribbon kept [[ascending and ascending and...|O5cta]]

"Again, when you find gainful employment, you need to let us know." Baby Mac's got the script down. Must've inherited it from Papa. "I've been looking for opportunities for you, but, you know, with your previous history of using illicit substances and the job market situation as it is..." he trails off with a "tsk."\n\nYou're not sure whether a job that comes with the baggage of this asshole's eagle eye being on you right from the start is worth it... but things have gone so bad for so long that you're not sure it's not, either.\n\nBefore you can muse on this, Leslie walks in. She spots you, pauses for a second while she frowns just enough for you to notice, and makes her way to the corner of the bar furthest away from you.\n\n"I see there's even some more trouble at home," says the observant asshole. "I heard about that, too." And that's as much as you can take.\n\n[[Punch him.|L3e]]\n[[Slap him.|L3e]]\n[[Lunge at him.|L3e]]

The problem with attacking Officer Tom McEwan, besides him being an officer, is that you've had a day's worth of drinking on you and Baby Mac's barely touched his bottle of near beer. You fall forward and Baby Mac lets you follow through to the ground and pins your arms behind your back.\n\n"Dumb move. Attacking a public officer's a pretty serious offense and, hey, easy," he stammers as you futilely struggle, "I'm willing to let that bit slide. Just leave the bar. Now."\n\nYou consider the options you have with your face planted on The Porthole's waxy, grimy floor. If you were able to look up, you're sure you'd see Leslie's face turned away, looking out the window, out toward the water.\n\n"'Kay."\n\nBaby Mac waits a second before he hauls you back up and makes a show of brushing your clothes off. Just like Papa, playing bad cop/good cop at the same time.\n\n"Okay, then. Out you go."\n\n[[Leave.|L3f1]]\n[[Throw a punch.|L3f2]]

Paula puts both her palms on the bar, stares at you, and holds her words for effect. "No. I ain't seen Mike." Easing up, "Now, what'll you have?"\n\n[["'Kay... the usual."|L5b2]]

"What a surprise seeing you here."\n\nShit. You know that voice. Your new parole officer, Tom McEwan. The problem with a one bar town is that every bar is a cop bar.\n\n"What?"\n\n"I said it's a surprise seeing you at The Porthole."\n\n[["I heard."|L3b1]]\n[["Fuck off."|L3b2]]\n[[Stay silent.|L3b1]]

You buckle your straps and see Jaime reluctantly doing the same. "Cap's damn good, but he's been..."\n\n"Drinking, I know," Wendy says. "He can hold it in damn well, but..."\n\nYou feel the Mira lurching side to side and Alex has already gone out and is rushing back in saying "Guys, check it out."\n\n[[Everyone heads out on the deck.|S2d]]

You turn to head out on the deck and your lifejacket hits you in your back.\n\n"On now," Wendy orders. You comply and buckle your straps and head out. Alex is already there.\n\n"This is bad bad bad bad bad," she says.\n\n"He had the usual end of trip celebration going on up there."\n\n"Including the Meat Loaf?"\n\n"You didn't hear?"\n\nAlex's face turns as cloudy as the skies right now. "Sorry. Preoccupied." She sighs.\n\nThe the Mira lurches and you and Alex nearly lose your footing. Jaime and Wendy rush out to [[join you on the deck|S2d]].

You've got a hold on the two ends of the cables already. The other ends are attached to the barge downstream. So is the tube providing your air. The two-person crew on the barge is taking care of the surface side of the operation -- getting gear ready for her raising, making sure the compressor feeding you air is working.\n\n[[Take a cable to the fore.|O1fore]]\n[[Take a cable to the aft.|O1aft]]

And here she was again.\n\nYou could see the damage immediately. Open scar in her hull. Aside from that, nothing too bad. Some barnacles have already started attaching themselves to the underside. Some paint peeling where there were scratches in the white.\n\nFixing those little things would come later. The idea now is to tie the cables on, patch up the hole, attach and fill the float bags, then raise her up.\n\nIt'll take a week or two of diving, but that's nothing when you consider the years of being out on the water to come.\n\n[[The peace to come.|O1d]]

<<revise mira "Mira.">><<revision mira>> Cap had named her that. Means 'ocean' in Sanskrit. Of course Cap would have named her that.<<becomes>> Alex pointed out that it also means "wonder" in Latin, which is why she decided not to rename her. That stood to reason.<<becomes>> I looked it up and in various Balkan countries it means "peace". I never dreamed of changing it.<<becomes>><<O1c>><<endrevision>>

It's been so long since you've seen her. And now here she is in [[front of you|O1b]].

"Cap's damn good, but he's been drumph..."\n\nWendy's planted your jacket right in your face. "Don't need to say nothin', kid. Seen it plenty. Get it on." Jaime's buckling himself and you feel the Mira lurching side to side and Alex has already gone out and is rushing back in saying "Guys, check it out."\n\n[[Everyone heads out on the deck.|S2d]]

Jaime runs to you and helps you throw gear into the lifeboat and Cap bursts through the cabin doorway shouting "She's going down!" The boat's rocking and Jaime's making his way down the ladder. You scream at Alex to abandon the ship.\n\n"One sec!" Alex keeps looking but there's no time.\n\n[[Run and pull Alex away.|S4d2a]]\n[[Yell at Alex again.|S4d2b]]

"Headed in."\n\nNow it's Wendy's turn to light one. "Yes!" Jaime exclaims while pumping his fist. "Give me a sec to chill and I'll fix up something for the way back."\n\n"No thanks", you say. "I'm so fuckin' beat, I'm just going to slump down. If there's anything left..."\n\n"No problem. Check the fridge later."\n\n"Thanks."\n\nYou glance at Wendy who's just leaning back, eyes closed, with a cigarette planted on the grin on her face.\n\n//Thump. Thump thump. Thump.//\n\nNot from the engine, thank god. Sounds like that's coming from outside.\n\nYou head out on the deck, and Alex is there picking up the gear, dropping the gear, shoving the gear.\n\n[["What's up?"|S1d1a]]\n[["Did you hear?"|S1d1b]]

Another season over. You'll miss the open water and regret leaving so early. The Mira's been home for a while, and she never feels more at home when she's as far from land as she can be. But then again, you're just so tired. This is just how it is. The gear will need to be tied up and the net stowed and...\n\nAlex comes out on the deck, reads your face, and shouts at those inside to start wrapping things up. A couple cheers from the others, but Alex is now wordlessly stowing the gear, slamming the bins.\n\n[[//Thump.//|S1d1a]]

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Alex goes to Jaime and they both throw gear into the lifeboat and Cap bursts through the cabin doorway shouting "She's going down!" The boat's rocking and Jaime's making his way down the ladder. Alex screams at you to abandon the ship.\n\nBut Wendy. If you can keep looking for just a few seconds...\n\n[[Scan the water.|S4d1a]]\n[[Run to the lifeboat.|S4d1b]]

You peel your face off the couch when you hear a key go in the lock of the front door. It's a long while, however, before the door opens.\n\nLeslie comes in, one hand clutching her keys, the other clutching both her purse and a sheet of paper. The purse drops by the door. The paper goes on the table.\n\nLeslie turns back around and leans on the wall by the door and stares at you.\n\n[["'Sup?"|L2b]]\n[[Stare back.|L2b]]

Leslie continues to stare back at you. You know this is it. And it is.\n\n"Can't do this anymore."\n\n"I know."\n\n"I love you, you know."\n\n"I know."\n\nLeslie sighs and closes her eyes. Sometime later, she opens them. "I'm gonna head to ma's. I'll be back to pack my stuff tomorrow."\n\n"'Kay."\n\n"There was an eviction notice on the door." Leslie picks up her purse and walks out.\n\nTwo non-surprises in one day.\n\n[[Read the notice.|L2c1]]\n[[Fall back to sleep.|L2c2]]

"Heard," Amy responds.\n\n//Thump thump. Thump.//\n\n"Yeah," you mutter, "it's smaller than we expected, but the paycheck's not that far off from..."\n\n"That's not the problem. You know that. The problem is that I didn't have a say. I didn't have a say. You didn't have a say. Jaime and Wendy didn't have a say. We just get dropped or kept on by the whims of a gruff old fucker, whims modified by whatever his blood alcohol content happens to be when we ask."\n\n"He's not that bad..."\n\n"I not saying that he's bad or not. I've had worse. But that's irrelevant. The point is....", and emphasized with another //thump//, "The point is, that we're not working for ourselves. We just give a good bit of what we should be taking in to the 'investors', who I don't fucking see out here on the Mira, and who Cap hardly sees except maybe once or twice a year."\n\n"But they're responsible for the boat, for the insurance, the whatever..." you say, [[trailing off.|S1e]]

//Thump thump. Thump.//\n\nYep. She's pissed. "Yeah," you mutter, "it's smaller than we expected, but the paycheck's not that far off from..."\n\n"That's not the problem. You know that. The problem is that I didn't have a say. I didn't have a say. You didn't have a say. Jaime and Wendy didn't have a say. We just get dropped or kept on by the whims of a gruff old fucker, whims modified by whatever his blood alcohol content happens to be when we ask."\n\n"He's not that bad..."\n\n"I not saying that he's bad or not. I've had worse. But that's irrelevant. The point is....", and emphasized with another //thump//, "The point is, that we're not working for ourselves. We just give a good bit of what we should be taking in to the 'investors', who I don't fucking see out here on the Mira, and who Cap hardly sees except maybe once or twice a year."\n\n"But they're responsible for the boat, for the insurance, the whatever..." you say, [[trailing off.|S1e]]

@@color:#0086B3;Relax.@@\n\n@@color:#005875;Just relax.@@\n\n@@color:#00455C;Just relax.@@<<timedgoto "About" 10s>>

[[Relax.|O6a1]]

You drop the lifeboat while Jaime sounds the alarm bell, which alerts Cap that there's at least one person overboard. Alex goes to the spot where you last saw Wendy and scans the waves.\n\n"There's nothing there," she yells. [["Where the fuck are you?"|S4c2]]

You sound the alarm bell which alerts Cap that there's at least one person overboard. Jaime goes to the prepped lifeboat and drops it down into the water. Alex goes to the spot where you last saw Wendy and scans the waves.\n\n"There's nothing there," she yells. [["Where the fuck are you?"|S4c2]]

Alex sounds the alarm bell which alerts Cap that there's at least one person overboard. Jaime goes to the prepped lifeboat and drops it down into the water. You go to the spot where you last saw Wendy and scan the waves.\n\nThere's nothing there. [[Not a goddamn thing.|S4c1]]\t

Alex hauls in the net. The fish in it ain't much, but they're keepers. Jaime dumps them out and you and Wendy sort them and pool this last bunch in with the rest of this trip's haul. There's still plenty of room in the hold, but the season's about over and the crew's all beat to heck. The net's prepped back up and everyone goes inside for some decaf.\n\n"How many more, y'think?" No one answers Wendy's question. Jaime shrugs and fishes out a cigarette. Alex fixates on whatever gear she's wrangling with. You're too tired to focus on what gear, exactly.\n\n[["I'll check with Cap."|S1b1]]\n[[Sit and stare at nothing and rest your bones.|S1b2]]

"But there's no reason why we couldn't take on the responsibility. And I know you don't need much to get by so you don't care about the money, and that's fine, but it's the fucking principle. We get fucked over, and fucked over by 'not bad' people like Cap, because we've just assumed that there's some angel capitalist investors that we will never be a part of, could never be a part of, would never //want// to be a part of, and..."\n\nIt's not that you've heard this time and time again from Alex. It's not that you particularly disagree with her. And maybe it's because you're so tired, but mostly you're losing focus on Alex's words because your eyes are focusing on this [[fucking dark squall line that's moving directly in front of you.|O2a]]

You bend the metal clasp around the trigger and use it to affix the knife to the hose through a hole in the handle of the knife. Once you're certain of it holding, you grasp the hose as far down as you can and still have leverage, and a huge blast of air bubbles explode as you [[jab the fully-inflated float bag.|L4a]]

Wendy's smile grows. "Not turnin' back, is he?"\n\n"No."\n\nAlex blurts out a series of fucks. "This is bad. This is fucking bad. Fuck. Okay. Okay."\n\nJaime tries to calm her, saying "C'mon, he's not //that// big of a fuck-up. He knows how to sail. Probably got barnacles on his ass."\n\n"No. No. This is bad. It's going to reach us around the time we hit Broadmoor Point. The fucking rocks there, you know how bad they are."\n\n"Ain't really noticed," Jaime says.\n\nBut Wendy has. She's stubbed out her cigarette, picked up a lifejacket, and thrown it over the counter to Jaime in one move. "On. Now. Yeah, Cap's good, but just to be sure, awright?"\n\n[[Talk to the others.|S2c1]]\n[[Put your life vest on.|S2c2]]\n[[Go out on the deck.|S2c3]]

The Mira pitches and you're thrown in the opposite direction. The action isn't violent. You feel the ship holding you, cradling you, until it lets go...\n\n... and you're thrown smack in the center of the lifeboat. Your breath's knocked out of you. Jaime blinks twice with surprise, and then everyone's rowing and Cap looks back at the Mira sinking and debris rises and floats and something snags on Alex's oar and it's a blue denim jacket with patches on its elbows and \s\n<<if visited("O4cuttube")>>\s\n[[you pass out|O5cuttube]].\s\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("O4cutbag")>>\s\n[[you pass out|O5cutbag]].\s\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("O4explodebag")>>\s\n[[you pass out|O5explodebag]].\s\n<<endif>><<endif>><<endif>>

"You tell Cap. I'll get the others." And Alex is already down to the galley.\n\nYou run up the stairs.\n\n"I seen it."\n\n"'Kay. 'Cause..."\n\n"I seen it. We're okay."\n\nIn your years, off and on the sea, you've seen others balk in this situation. It doesn't surprise you that Cap doesn't, but in his state, you're not sure that he's got things pinned down quite right.\n\nBut whatever. You hesitatingly start down. And then you hear Cap's radio blaring a piano at top volume...\n\n//The skies were pure and the fields were green\nand the sun was brighter than it's ever been//\n\nThat old bastard. [[You smirk and go below.|S2b]]

"Right." Paula gets a glass and pours from the tap and slides the beer over. She relaxes again, saying "No charge. You're looking like you need a bit of a break today."\n\nConsidering your usual appearance, you're scared to ask how she sees you now. "Thanks, man."\n\nPaula goes back to her normal rotation of wiping the place down. [["No sweat."|L5c]]

The dark sea is already rolling and cresting white. You steady yourself by the bins. Jaime sobers up quick and points at the coastline.\n\n[[Everyone sees the rocks.|O3a]]

Does it count as ironic if you drown in a mask while surrounded by the sea? You're sure this can't meet the definition. Maybe you could ask...\n\n//cough//\n\nWater. There's already enough in the system that you're inhaling a bit. Not a lot, but too much. Come on, help will arrive soon. Just regulate your breathing, take slow shallow breaths, don't hyperventilate, be sure to...\n\n[[//cough cough cough cough//|O5d]]

The bubbles in the spoon as you heat it up and draw the...\n\nThere's a break in the seal. That would have happened when the bag exploded. Water seeping into your air supply is -- it's just bad. [[You reflexively take shallower breaths.|O5ec]]

You must have been out for a couple minutes. Jaime and Alex would have noticed the mass of air bubbles and immediately radioed for help.\n\nJust need to hold out for, what, half an hour?\n\nYou breathe deeply. And notice bubbles emerging from where the tube connects with your mask. [[You stare at them.|O5eb]]

You swim to the fore section of the Mira. The cabin's here as well as the crew quarters and galley. The blue gives the white of this section an unearthly glow. Jewel of the sea. Even more so at the bottom of it.\n\n<<if visited("O1aft")>>You tie the second cable to a ring at the bow of the boat, give it a tug, and [[surface.|L1a]]<<else>>You tie the first cable to a ring at the bow of the boat, give it a tug, and [[move to the aft.|O1aft]]<<endif>>\n

You approach the Mira with four deflated plastic float bags and a hose from the air compressor on board the barge. The hose has a nozzle and a trigger to release the air.\n\nThe air bags themselves won't raise the boat to the surface, but they'll adjust and stabilize it. You'll tie them two to each side, inflating them as you go.\n\n[[You give the vessel a quick re-inspection to confirm your plan.|O3b]]

The two attachment sites on the starboard side are free and clear and easy to reach, angled upwards from the sandy floor of the sea. The port ones will give you some trouble. That side's angled down and nestled in some harsh looking rocks. There's a little room to maneuver, but not much.\n\n<<display Inflate Actions>>

//Dedicated to all the beautiful losers.//\n\n"Submerge" was written by Joshua Houk (as Carlos Percival Saldanha) for ShuffleComp: Disc Two using Twine 1.4.2 and Leon Arnott's Combined Replace Macro Set and timed goto script. The two songs which inspired it and formed the basis for the story are:\n<blockquote>"The Mary Ellen Carter" by Stan Rogers : [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhop5VuLDIQ]]\n"Jusqu'a la Mort" by Bárbara Eugenia : [[https://soundcloud.com/barbara-eugenia/07-jusqua-la-mort]]</blockquote>\s\nTo a lesser degree, additional self-selected inspiration taken from:\n<blockquote>"A Glorious Shipwreck" by Pat the Bunny : [[https://patthebunny.bandcamp.com/track/a-glorious-shipwreck]]\n"Submerge" by Come : [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFFZGx01vjk]]</blockquote>\s\nAnd this piece was written using the first three albums by Bettie Serveert (//Palomine//, //Lamprey//, and //Dust Bunnies//) in heavy rotation, with pertinent tracks being:\n<blockquote>"Under the Surface" : [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls3Dk6rGnJM]]\n"Crutches" : [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE02ry66BR0]]</blockquote>\s\nVarious bits of the oeuvre of Meat Loaf also make an appearance.\n\nVersion 2, released after the end of the judging period, fixes a significant typo early on, cleans a little programming, resolves a change of voice problem late in the game, adds a few slight revisions, and modifies the About text.\n\nThanks to Carl Muckenhoupt for the suggestion of "The Mary Ellen Carter" and Bruno Dias for the suggestion of "Jusqu'a la Mort". Many thanks to beta testers Hugo Labrande and J. Marie. Thanks to Sam Kabo Ashwell for advice regarding who to thank. Much love to Donna B. for support and encouragement. And thanks to Neil Butters for facilitating ShuffleComp: Disc Two.

Yes, you were completely aware that the water will be disconnected in two weeks. It's only a week and a half until Leslie gets her paycheck, so fuck off.\n\n<<display "Letter Actions">>

You grab a beer from the fridge and crash on the couch. You turn on the TV and stare.\n\n[[You stare and you stare and you stare...|S1a]]

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You drop by The Porthole for one last time, probably. It's mid-afternoon, so it's a long while before Leslie would arrive, which is ideal. Paula's running the bar, which is not.\n\n"Hey, Paula. You seen Mike around?"\n\nShe pretends not to have heard the question. "What'll you have?"\n\nWell, if you had wanted a drink, you would've already told her. Of course, she knows that. You tap your fingers.\n\n[["I said, you seen Mike?"|L5b1]]\n[["Uh... the usual."|L5b2]]

You breathe air supplied from a pump on the barge through this flexible, clear lightweight tube.\n\n<<if visited("knife", "hose")>>\s\nYou reckon that severing the tube would be easy using the knife and the bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. You'd lose your normal way of breathing, but it might just be possible to [[cut the tube and breathe through the hose.|O4cuttube]]\n\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited("hose")>>\s\nThe hose may -- and that's a big "may" -- serve as a secondary breathing apparatus if your breathing tube fails.\n\n<<endif>><<else>>\s\n<<if visited("knife")>>\s\nYou reckon that severing the tube would be easy using the knife and the bubbles might send a large enough signal to Alex. After a minute or two, the cut tube itself would surface and they'd radio for help immediately. Of course, it comes at the cost of losing all of your air.\n\n<<endif>><<endif>>\s\n[[You consider what else is on hand.|O4c]]

You're halfway through your pint when the crusty old fuck two seats down leans over in your direction. "Ya doin' alright?"\n\nYou look at him and continue drinking. The old man shrugs and returns to his stance.\n\nThe free beer was the one good thing so far today, and now you're wondering whether you should stretch that to two. But you were saving the little cash you had left for...\n\n"Y'know, I had Mike on my boat fer a while."\n\nOh god.\n\n"He was a good hand, fer the most part. Din't care about the shit he was into as long as he din't sell that on my boat."\n\nOkay. Now your ears perk up. But the pint's still tempting.\n\n[["Oh yeah?"|L5d]]\n[[Keep drinking.|L5d]]

The old man continues. "Yeah, had to let'm go. Got a bit too tight too many times when we were haulin' 'em in. But otherwise..." He shrugs.\n\nNow this strikes you funny. Good funny. You've never heard of an operation willing to bend things that far. Not around here. But you glance at Paula and she gives you a serious glance like, kid, this is something you should take.\n\nYour return glance is like, this guy's on the level? The barkeep's eyes are still sober, and she gives you a slight nod.\n\nYou take another swig and set the glass down firmly. You finally take a look over at the crusty and ask [["you looking for anyone?"|L5e]]

The old man looks you over like he's sizing you up, but you're sure he had you nailed as soon as you set at the bar. He nods.\n\n"Yep. Taking a trip out tomorrow. Got a crew that's been with me for a few. C'mon by the docks and we'll see how ya do. Look for the mangy old boat. Not much t'look at, but the Mira's solid, she is."\n\n"'Kay." You nod back. "Thanks."\n\n"Yep. Name's Cap." And the old fart swings unsteadily off his stool, makes his way to the jukebox, ponders it for a minute, slots a quarter in, and he stumbles out of the door. Probably to piss in the alley instead of using the john here.\n\n//I was nothing but a lonely boy looking for something new,\nAnd you were nothing but a lonely girl but you were something,\nsomething like a dream come true.//\n\nOh god. [[Definitely pissing in the alley.|L5f]]

You finish your drink, and as you look up you see the bartender scowl. That could only mean that Mike's walking in, toward the back, as usual. You don't look up, and then you do. At Paula. You hand her your last twenty...\n\n[["Another round?"|L5g]]

[[Paula smiles.|S5a]]

<<actions "Attach and inflate a bag ahead on the starboard side." "Attach and inflate a bag astern on the starboard side." "Attach and inflate a bag ahead on the port side." "Attach and inflate a bag astern on the port side.">>

"So plan is gather near the raft and hold on for all you've got. Got it?"\n\n//Baby we can talk all night,\nbut that ain't getting us nowhere.//\n\nAlex looks down at the deck and stomps it twice. "Oh man, oh man." She hurls an extra pair of gloves at the back window of the bridge. Cap responds by pumping the speakers louder.\n\n//I told you everything I possibly can.\nThere's nothing left inside of here.//\n\n"Fuck you, old man!"\n\nAs if on cue, there's a screech and the boat pitches forward. Jaime slides down to your and Alex's feet and Wendy...\n\n[[Wendy's just gone|O4a]].

The rain's coming hard and sideways now. The chill makes your bones even stiffer. The boat's rocking is barely keeping pace with the waves. You sense the girl's unease, and figure that might be a result of Cap's unsteadiness at the wheel.\n\nAlex is certain of it. "You fucking bastard! Keep her straight!". She yells futilely through the wind and glass.\n\nJaime locks the bins into place and Wendy starts prepping the lifeboat. You? You're in a daze. This is a bit more than you bargained for. Your thoughts are more concerned with the Mira itself and how she's holding up. It's been your home for a couple seasons, out on the water and in the harbor. You've grown rather attached to her.\n\n[[Look at the wooden deck.|S3b1]]\n[[Look at the golden rails.|S3b2]]\n[[Look at the white bow.|S3b3]]

"This is so fucked," Alex yells as she throws you the line. She attaches her end to the bow eye and you loop it around the winch hook and hand the free end back to her. "You heard about the Ninotchka, right?"\n\n"No."\n\n"Bashed into the rocks here five years ago. Sank like a stone. Rescue didn't see a speck of anything. All hands lost."\n\n[[You nod.|S3d]]