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Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Stranded Horrors: The Barge From Nightmares


Zana and Jenere sat in silence for a good while. Taking advantage of the silence both reveled in their own thoughts. Jenere’ mind went back to Onna the Nurse he just met for the second time in his life or more likely encountered a second time. This new acquaintance turned out to be a ludicrous one for him. Scientist Nurse Onna would visit him at odd times. She would either swim to vessel or ride a motorboat regardless of the patrols. Whatever race she was she enjoyed arriving at his ship in a wetsuit or trench coat with nothing underneath. Jenere shared this with his fellow privateer.
            Zana laughed aloud at this as he told her. She gave him this very intrigued smile. Jenere could not keep himself from scowling at her. He never wanted his love affairs or relationships known outside a circle of trust. During his years at sea he would have more than one woman to visit.
            “That is when you know there is more, she wants from you. Yet she cannot openly admit that. Your part of…no viewpoint of the story is gold!” Zana pointed out with heavier laughter coming from her. He glared at her when she laughed. Jenere did not want to hit her nor did he wish to do her any harm.
            “Let’s discuss the damage and the aftermath.” Jenere insisted through gritted teeth.
            “Very well then we have covered the death toll. Lead on Captain Omavern.” Zana gave the floor to him.
            “Aside from casualties and ships lost we have acquired some loot. A reasonable fleet of ghost ships most of which were tugged away. On board the ones we found experiments, dead crews, scientists, nurses, caches of weapons, much needed necessities, and technology for our own scientists to play with.” Jenere noted while jostling all the events that happened.
            “Don’t forget the new enemy beneath us. Those aquatic warriors pose a serious threat.” Caniir added to the conversation.
            “How the sverx do we fight, no, no, route and discourage an underwater foe!” Jenere bellowed in frustration.
            “It appears they can’t be after the first battles. We are not dealing with U-boats.” Caniir commented about their enemy. Jenere knew their new adversary among the Gantronese ranks attacked them with no vessels of war. Offering the idea that they had none was naïve in his mind.
            “We know the enemy can attack us from above, the seas, and from beneath us. There is also the chance they could attack us from islets or islands.” Jenere surmised.
            “Wait how- never mind battery emplacements and gun positions on land.” Caniir caught herself from making a naïve question.
            “Exactly!” Jenere said jumping up to his feet. “It is the goal of the Gantronese to ambush this navy by any means! This is a trap of some sorts. A trap-“ he was interrupted by a knock on the metal door followed by a female’s voice.
            “Hello Captain Caniir, Captain Omavern.” The voice behind the door addressed them. Sour over the female’s interjection neither of them answered her. The knocking and the voice came back when she did not get a reply.
            “Hello in there, Captain Caniir, Captain Omavern are you in there?” she asked from the other side of the closed door. She knocked again making it a third time.
            Zana looked at Jenere and waved her hand for him to see who it was. Disgruntled over a fellow pirate captain ordering him around, he got up to answer the door. As he approached the door the knocking came a fourth time. Annoyed by the interjection Jenere forced open the door to a reclining room for staff. Whoever was at the door was about to knock a fifth time. Standing at no taller than five foot five inches was the culprit to the interruption. A female half elf with short hair that made her ears big. That was not all that was big on her. Her chest seemed a little packed in the naval uniform as it fitted tightly. One would assume a button could pop off at any moment. An hourglass, petite body in a uniform appeared too distracting. Even if she was covered her curves it still attracted attention.
            “Hello there!” She said cheerily with a huge grin on her face. It disappeared quickly when she seemed to recall her duties.
            “Sorry good sir, I am Lieutenant Secretary Naphene Tramyar Blue-rose Vagi of V.S. Frigate Class Hervorne. Under the command of Admiral Kezef my Captain sent me to retrieve you.” Lieutenant Secretary Vagi introduced herself.
            Jenere could not help but craft a smile on his face. Having this cute, voluptuous elf standing there aroused him. Ideas started entering this pirate’s head. He licked his teeth wondering what kind of mother she might make one day. Caniir’s voice pierced the silence and disrupting the scene from behind him.
            “Captain Omavern who is it?” she asked him with a mix of curiosity and hint of agitation in her voice. She was on the verge of yelling.
            “A Lieutenant Secretary Vagi of the V.S. Hervorne sent here to retrieve us.” Jenere presented the secretary like a gift to Zana. Whatever agitated expression she held melted away. It transformed into an intrigued facial expression. She got up appearing obsessed with this Lieutenant Secretary Vagi. Zana went up to her holding the same expression. Before Jenere’s eyes this fellow pirate captain placed her hands on Vagi’s breasts. Zana began fondling her as she put hands all over the Lieutenant. 
            “My, my what a lovely physique. There is no doubt it makes for delicious eye candy.” Zana proclaimed as she squeezed softly. 
            “Excuse me Captain Caniir is this how you greet people?” Lieutenant Vagi asked sounding confused with a hint of comprehension in her voice. Jenere watched in bewilderment at how Zana just fondled Vagi’s body. Frozen to the floor Jenere watched her hands go all over Vagi’s butt, breasts, and legs.
            “Captain Caniir I had no idea you had an infatuation with the, the same sex-“ Omavern tried to make sense of what he was witnessing. He had something else to say when Vagi lost it. With no warning or hesitation Vagi pulled out her pistol from its holster. In full panic mode she discharged six shots that went everywhere. Neither Caniir nor Omavern were caught in the frantic crossfire. Each round she fired missed them and found other targets. She only shot the floor, table, wall and one of the chairs. Both Pirate Captains jumped out of the way. Jenere hid behind the door while Zana dove to the other side of the room. When it fell silent Jenere came out from behind the door.
            “Well isn’t this perfect?” A nicely set up room shot up by a jump sailor!” Caniir remarked angrily. She picked herself up. Zana marched up to Vagi who looked like she pissed herself. The pirate Captain snatched the pistol from Vagi’s hands. Omavern studied the Lieutenant Secretary a little worried about her. She did not move from the doorway as if she was frozen with fear and shock. Vagi did not budge or react letting her own hands shake.
            “Lieutenant Vagi are you okay?” Jenere asked her only to receive an outburst of anger from her.
            “I AM PERFECTLY FINE!” she snapped at him. He did not hesitate to smack the elf across the face Jenere never enjoyed being yelled at, or get snapped at. Him smacking her was to shut her up while getting her back on track. Zana was too distracted by the pistol to notice.
            “This Lightning Flash Eighty-Four looks brand new.” Caniir commented as she studied the pistol further. Vagi shook her head returning to a normal state and calming down. She checked to see if she had peed herself, which she did not. Jenere tapped her on the arm. As though nothing even happened this Vestrisian held a pleasant expression on her face. Vagi must have brought her own thoughts to a happy place to cope with the fondling.
            “Sverx any explanations Lieutenant just lead on!” Caniir barked at Vagi disrupting her happy moment. Zana shoved the pistol inside Vagi’s shirt. She then grabbed Vagi and twirled the Secretary around. Ignoring her protests Caniir pushed the Secretary through the hall.
            Zana forced Vagi to lead the way. Jenere followed them up to the main deck of the ghost ship. All the guards on board were ordered not to come even if they heard gunfire. They passed a total of thirteen pirate guards. Six came from his own ship, and the rest from her own vessel. He knew the faces of the six crewmembers who stood guard. Their names did not escape him like some, Agrima, Pola, Virdo, Durlad, Huverne Warmjaw the Dwarf, and Arbane the Glaive Elf. Agrima hailed from Castaria, Pola was a Condor native covered in tribal tattoos, Virdo was a half human, half goblin from Geverine, Durlad of Borvados, Warmjaw was from the Southern Blackmell Mountains. As for Arbane he came from the ship itself. Born from a mistress he wanted nothing to do with his own father.
            On the main deck the found Admiral Kezef and five officers waiting. Ten armed sailors surrounded the Admiral and his party. Next to him stood another privateer-pirate. This figure had a monster’s claw scar across her face. Whoever this figure was wore a striped shirt under a coat, trousers made form some sea creature, and a sailor’s cap. Beside her was a snake woman armed with a crossbow, bolts, curved daggers, and tips for her tail.
            “Good work Lieutenant Vagi. I never thought anyone would gather those two. At first we believed you’d need back up-“
            “After attempting to blast both of us? I doubt that!” Zana interrupted him. She pushed Vagi past the guards into the Captain next to him. Vagi’s body was pushed against him. It caused a crowd to laugh, revealing more people on board the ghost ship.
            “Captain Caniir, Captain Omavern I hope you did not suffer too many casualties.” Kezef said sounding sympathetic.
            “You mean casualties like our allies suffered?” Jenere asked him. “Yes, not heavy casualties, but some.”
            “Yes and you are requested to clear that barge. The parties we sent either died or ran out of there scare for their lives. Our fleet have discovered a small Gantronese fleet of five ships. We have reason to believe there are more fleets out there-.” Kezef was once again interrupted.
            “I see you are just sending us into that barge we have surrounded.” Omavern pointed out interrupting him.
            “Yes, Captain Omavern, because you are the best we have here.” Kezef softly grabbed Vagi by the arm and set her next to the snake woman whom she hugged. “This is shipmate Sea Legs Lost Marbles Tommathe, one of two hundred eleven crew members of two privateer anti- u-boat sloops, and survivors from that explosion. The snake woman is a Lamia, Seleris the Constable from another world and my bodyguard.”
            “Which means we have to divide them up and put them with our own crews.” Zana added crossing her arms impatiently.
            “I assume it may cause issues or trouble among your crews?” Kezef asked raising his eyebrows with concern.
            “Yes!” Both Captains replied.
            “Considering what they just experienced? Most pirates would say you are asking for brawls, or beatings. If the crew was at port you may find their attitude warming.” Omavern explained to the Admiral.
            “Two hundred and eleven you say?” Zana asked him looking directly at Lost Marbles Tommathe.
            “Divide them up and sort them out as best you can.” Kezef ordered them and simply left them with two hundred eleven to divide up between their ships.
            They did not waste time on this day off. A total of fifty-two of these crewmates were selected to man the captured ghost ship Zana managed to save. Lost Marbles was voted to be its Captain. Fifty others expressed their own fears of joining either crew. Each one of them settled for working on board the newly named Leven, the ghost ship. With one hundred eight left to sort through they discovered the crews from the Sloops were under the admiralty of a homosexual. None of them had any issues with him being gay. To their dismay he was over dramatic at times. Finding his drama unbearable those poor souls sought a new ship and new Captain. Because of their abandoning the Admiral they were dubbed Squares. Omavern managed to convince twelve of them to join his crew. As for Zana’s crew only eight signed on her ship. Eighty-eight had to be sorted out among the other privateers. Each one put the crews to work, adding a third Captain to their own Privateer fleet.
            Both Captains took in a deep breath of relief. Jenere and Zana left the Leven to its fishing while they prepared their boarding parties. All he had to do was rouse the lot up. Out of the one hundred fourteen available crewmates thirty were hand-picked. Caniir rallied thirty-three of her own crew and corralled a reserve of forty-eight She encouraged Jenere to do the same. Using the hand radio he managed to get thirty seven as a reserve force. Neither of their forces went lightly armed for this. From what they experienced it was obvious the Gantronese had more here.
            A force of sixty-five made up the boarding parties. In their minds they imagined an army behind their backs. The reality screwed them in the arse since no one else came. It was just sixty-five privateers on their own with small reserves. On various types of boats Jenere and Zana approached this massive vessel called a Barge Fort. To him it was a colossal sized vessel that could pass off as a castle on water. Something about this Barge said it was more of a moving port and fortress. Along its lower hull sat five entry ways for ships. Each entry way had some docks and retractable ones in between.
            None of these entryways appeared alive with no lights on. Jenere did not trust the way it looked abandoned nor the retractable docks. Caniir took her boarding parties to the other side of the Barge. Her search for another way in left this whole side to him. As they drew closer they saw the barge had bodies decorating its hull. Jaws must have dropped at the sight of corpses nailed to the hull.
            “By the Tortoise God what demon does this?” he heard one of his crew cried out. Jenere turned to instill discipline when Zana’s voice came up over the hand radio.
            “Heads up Jenere we may have company. It looks like some of Kezef’s new friends have landed on top. Over.” Caniir said over the radio.
            “Do you see the corpses attached to the hull? Over.” He asked her, wondering if she even saw the corpses. He glanced up for a second curious about the new non-Calornese allies Kezef brought with them.
            “What corpses-?” Caniir’s voice was cut off by the noise of a roaring engine. Its source was traced to the skies. Whatever kind of engine it was it sounded more mammalian beast mixed with a carnivorous reptile. Sounding more like a scream the engine noise pierced the skies for a moment.
            “Did you hear that? Over.” She asked him quickly.
            “I think the whole world heard that. Over.” Jenere replied smartly. She must have scoffed at that response. One his party got close enough to dock he ordered for some lights to be used. Ten flashlights illuminated a few parts of the entryway and docking portions. More corpses lined the interior walls. Jenere counted close to one hundred forty-three or more of their own allies nailed to the hull. Most of the corpses still had the uniforms on. All of them were covered in blood.
            Looking at the tattered, and bloodied uniforms he recognized those uniforms on the corpses. Lybresans, Alagens, Ivodrans, Ruhonthrans, and a handful of Vestrisian Volunteer Privateers were among the many poor souls nailed to the metal. On the retractable docks they spotted figures interacting in some activity. A pair of bloated slug looking humanoids stood on one of the docks with a third figure between them. Keeping an eye on the trio Jenere scanned the other docks sticking out.
            Some humanoid creature with ten limbs, pale grey skin grappled another figure in its grasp. It appeared to hold the figure hostage from the way the other one struggled. Just six of limbs were all over its hostage. Pleasures and needs often got mixed when urges go out of hand. What ever it was it appeared to be violating a broad in peril. She struggled to get free of this multi-legged mutation. Jenere motioned for his crews to dock at the occupied ones as he drew his revolver. His best target were the violator’s limbs. Going for the limbs proved difficult until they came closer to the dock. Eight of his crewmates opened fire on the slugs that went down. One dropped on its back and the other fell in the water. Third figure was released from her captors and nightmare. A skiff full of his pirates approached her slowly.
            Jenere took aim at the limbs and drew a second firearm. With zero intentions of showing mercy he fired on the ten-limbed monster. He took out three of the limbs that held it up. Stray bullets hit its side, and two other limbs. A loud screech of pain emitted from this creatures lips. Its hostage collapsed on the dock when it released her. His target limped around the dock screaming in pain. Using his revolver, he followed its movement. Jenere prepared to take the shot to end it when the victim sprang up on her feet. She grabbed the closest object to her. Jenere and those on the same boat watched the woman take her rage out on the ten-limbed creature. He could tell from her uniform that she belonged to the Ruhonthran Civilian Volunteer Paramilitary. Although she was not an official member of her nation’s armed forces, she still acted as a combatant for defense. Beating the multi-limbed creature to a pulp was no easy task. The Ruhonthran used a piece of metal to strike down on the creature that was now crawling. His craft came up to her while the rest disembarked quickly.
Thirty blows all over the body killed her assailant-captor. Blood was splattered all over the dock and her. It added more to what was already there. Here weapon of choice dripped with blood. Oblivious to their presence she flung her weapon at them. It flew above their heads splashing in the water behind them. None of his party members found it humorous. Most of them wanted to shoot her, but held back. Jenere looked over to see the rest docking.
“Hold up wait for my order!” Jenere commanded with his eye on the Ruhonthran. “Excuse me miss, hello! Would you like to get off the monster infested ship?”
His voice caught her attention. This woman dove for the skiff right as it docked. She landed on the skiff pushing against the crew. To them it was obvious what she wanted mos. A way to get off this Barge Fortress. She wanted out and they wanted in. Jenere motioned for his party to disembark. Ignoring the Ruhonthran they stepped on the retractable dock. As Captain he had full command over the crewmates during combat, and missions. Those who already disembarked at the other docks formed defensive formations. After fighting the Gantronese, their allies, and experiments his own crew were ready. Fully aware of the Ruhonthran’s eagerness to get off Jenere ordered for two crewmates to go with her.
“Saggi, Gilmark take this Ruhonthran to the ship. Who are you miss?” He had to ask for her identity. Jenere did not like meeting people without knowing their names.
“Valinna Eogav-Pattris, Lieutenant of RCVP U-boat 017 Barracuda Class…I…I b-believe two out of one hundred and sixty-one survived. We had m-just get me OUT!” Lieutenant Eogav-Pattris explained to him. Jenere stepped off the skiff leaving the Ruhonthran under the care of the two pirates he summoned. Taking nothing from the woman he prepared to go in with two less pirates.
“Go join your Captain, I will take these three back to Kezef. Go on.” A familiar voice urged them. He turned around to see Onna on a rescue boat with two other passengers.
“What happened to her?” he asked Onna pointing at the woman he did not recognize. A Lybresan female holding her arm in a sling had the rank of Able Crewmate sat next to Onna and the other Ruhonthran they saved.
“She was nearly dragged under while trying to avoid you.” Onna said not even looking at him in the face. He would be taken aback if this woman was not in danger.
“Get them to Kezef quickly. I don’t know how many of those monsters are there.” Jenere told Onna, hoping she would be on her way now.
He turned around to focus on the occupants of this large vessel. His boarding parties kept their flashlights on the walls, water, blood covered docks, and some gangways. Jenere looked at the corpses in search of the source behind these corpses’ fates. His gaze followed some corpses set up in a pattern joined by puncture holes in the metal surface. Using his own eyes, he followed a trail of these puncture holes. More bodies decorated the walls. Their allies were not the only ones pinned to the walls. Gantronese, those aquatic humanoids they fought and a few other races. One race among the corpses was a humanoid with an octopus head. It did not have tentacles just an elongated octopus head like crest in the back. Another figure nailed to the wall was a person with tentacles rather than legs.
A Cecaelia (Octopoid) was the name of one of these humanoids. Jenere heard of them while hiding in Kilscar Orvain before the Gantronese took over. He counted more than six of these and spied one being nibbled at the arm. Some six-legged insect creature was feasting. This creature had a salamander torso, lizard head, large bug eyes, a bull mouth with pincers, and sharp teeth. Not sure what this thing was, Jenere watched it tear flesh with its pincers. Its legs appeared very arachnid in appearance. Each leg dug into the metal latching on. This thing had some mutation that allowed detaching long tips of the legs, and grew back. He could see each tip that detached acted like a spike pinning the corpses down.
“Crewmate Cliff the handsome Orc, hand me your rifle.” Jenere requested.
“My old rotting Folteri 2 bolt action rifle? Captain, how many good targets do you see up there?” Cliff asked him politely.
“One so far.” Jenere answered the Orc who then gave him the rifle.
“Whatever it is I believe that is responsible for placing those poor souls on the walls.” Jenere took aim at the salamander-spider looking mutation. Squeezing the trigger, he fired a round into his target. He hit the torso this creature fell to the bottom platform. The impact of its body landing made that smacking sound when something hits metal. Jenere expected more to show up or reveal themselves. He kept an eye out for more of these mutations. All members of his crew watched the walls, water, platforms, and any doorways. As the silence filled the atmosphere again at the docks Jenere spotted more these mutations. Eight multi-legged mutations stalking a lone winged creature.
Taking his time, the Pirate Captain shot each stalking mutation. One by one they fell off the walls and ceiling. Some fell in the water while the rest on the platforms onto something else on the platforms. He scanned the rest of the dock, which appeared more like a U-boat dock. Looking up at the ceiling he discovered more creatures.
“Men go towards any doors you see. Keep your eyes focused on your surroundings.” Jenere ordered his crew.
In groups of five or six his boarding parties made their way to the platform parts. Each member kept an eye out for any signs of more mutations. Jenere handed Cliff’s rifle back to him. He stood by Cliff’s side while he focused on the winged figure. They seemed to be struggling with some other winged figure. Squinting his eyes to focus he saw the winged figure pull on the spikes. Whatever the other winged thing was there were more of its kind. Both winged figures wrestled against the other on the wall.
“Cliff do the honors and dispose-.” Jenere ordered, but got cut off by a surprising event. One of the winged creatures, a female, drew some weapon and stabbed her assailant. It fell off her splashing into the water. Whoever she was she had three more foes to worry about.
“Take care of those three! Then stay here and watch for any more mutations lurking around.” He ordered the Orc. “I need two more men to stay put!”
Two more members of the main boarding party broke away from their own groups. Both passed him, eying the scenery. He ignored their looks and joined four crew members at the end of the dock. Cliff’s bolt action rifle fired several more times followed by a series of splashes in the water. As he went over to them it became clear to him what happened here.

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