Aquaria - 23. Aqu Chapter 23

Derek, your last shift on the Aquaria ends tonight, to give you and Jocelyn time to pack everything of yours. Travis and Nigel, as of tonight you have time off to also pack everything that is yours, so you are all ready for the move to the new vessel. Derek, you are to become the new Chief Science Officer of the RSV Oceania, which I will be the captain of, Jocelyn, you are coming to be with your husband, and to remain as my administration officer, and you boys are joining me to be my stewards on the new vessel” I announced.

“Wow, now that I was not expecting, can you tell us anything more sir?” Derek asked. “Join me in the conference room next door, and I will show you the layout plans, which I have only just received” I said, and grabbing my laptop, I led the way into the conference room, where I connected the computer to the projector.

All that I know, is that the Oceania is 282 metres long, and 42 metres wide, with 5 decks, has a cruise speed of 27 knots, and maximum speed of 31 knots, cabins for 57 crew, consisting of 9 officers, 32 general crew and 16 science crew, and 12 guests.

So, she is smaller and faster than the Aquaria, and the two vessels will be travelling north up the West Coast and around to Darwin, before continuing East then north to our home base on Wake Island” I said to my crew members.

“Are there other crew from Aquaria that will be joining us?” Derek asked me, “No, you four are it, so all the rest will be the new crew that have been trained onboard the Oceania, while it has been built” I said as I brought up the layout plans onto the wall, so we could see each deck clearly.

For the next twenty minutes or so, we all studied the layout plans of the Oceania, and I was very impressed with what I saw. Especially with all crew members having their own single living quarters, with their own bathrooms, as do the VIP and executive guests, while the small number of general guests and cadet guests will have twin cabins with shared bathrooms.

The vessel was very much work orientated, although there is plenty of recreation and lounge space scattered throughout the vessel, and a gymnasium and cinema, several multi-purpose rooms and separate dining rooms for guests, crew and officers, and guests have access to only the forward half of decks 2 & 4.

When we arrived in Cockburn Sound, in the middle of the afternoon, we headed to the Australian Marine Complex, were the new vessel was currently berthed. I was standing next to my uncle on the main bridge as we approached the area, having surfaced before passing Garden Island.

Uncle Jonah had me take over at the helm, once we passed the island, and he instructed me to bring the Aquaria alongside the jetty opposite to where the Oceania is moored, so they are side by side at one jetty, and once the mooring ropes had secured the Aquaria to the jetty, I was given permission to leave the bridge, and I raced down to the deck 3 airlocks, so I could get my first proper look at my new vessel.

When I stepped out onto the deck three platform, I saw a full parade of men and women, who I guessed to be my new crew, and among them was Travis, Nigel, Jocelyn and Derek, all dressed in new uniforms that are completely different than those of the crew of the Aquaria.

When I heard a slight noise behind me, it was my Uncle Jonah, who was smiling broadly, “Welcome to your new command nephew” he said to me quietly, and I smiled as I turned towards him, “Permission to leave my old job Captain?” I asked my uncle formally, saluting as I did so. “Permission granted Captain Blackthorn, and good luck” my uncle replied.

When I stepped onto the jetty, my new crew all snapped to attention, and the officers saluted, that is when I noticed that the most senior officer, is Daniel Atkins, who stepped forward and saluted me, which I returned, with a frown. “When I heard about the new vessel, and that you were going to command it, I made a special request to your father, asking if I could be your executive officer” Dan said to me quietly.

“So, who is running the island now?” I asked sounding a little shocked, “The boss himself, he is not happy about me defecting from the island, to be 2IC of the Oceania, but my dear wife insisted that I go, if that is what I wanted” Dan explained, and I chuckled, “Well, you don’t want to upset your wife now, do we?” I responded.

“No sir we don’t, and she really likes living on the island, which has a more settled environment than being on a giant submarine, which is better for Joshua too” Dan replied, and he began to introduce me to all the officers, followed by all the general and science crew.

As I stepped onboard the Oceania for the first time, I felt happy for the first time in a long time, my first command of a vessel, and I was looking forward to taking her out as soon as possible.

Having studied the layout of the Oceania for hours, I knew that I had entered the Oceania on deck three, with the mini-sub hanger and two research science labs behind the airlocks, with a T shaped passageway leading to the aft elevators and past two science offices, before entering the main hallway.

With Dan following close behind, we walked forward past the two meeting rooms & conference hall, to the forward elevators, where we travelled up to the bridge. “I have had the pleasure of taking her out on test manoeuvres, and she handles magnificently, once the crew have finished transporting the belongings of the crew transferring, we will be ready to leave on your orders” Dan said to me, as some bridge crew arrived.

“Sir, and incoming message” one of the crew men announced, “To allow the crew of the Aquaria two days of R & R, you are hear-by given permission to take two days to cruise around to get familiar with your new command. Regards H. Lloyd, Managing Director of Lloyd Family Corporation” the crewman read out.

“Very well let me know when the transfer of belongings is complete, and we shall be on our way, I am going for a short wander around, XO you have the bridge” I responded, before exiting the bridge. When I arrived at my suite at the aft of deck one, Travis and Nigel were busy outing all my belongings away. “Did you bring all of the paintings from my former suite and admin area?” I asked the lads.

“Yes sir, Jocelyn is sorting those out, I think she has them stored in your new office at the moment” Travis replied, “Very good, thankyou lads” I said as I did a quick inspection of my suite, which consisted of a large lounge area, with a bathroom behind is, and to the left is my bedroom, and the right has a study.

By the time that I had returned to the bridge, having seen all the key areas of the vessel, Marcus Arlington the Navigator was chatting to Dan, and the two other bridge crew on duty were busily checking all the instruments. “Are we ready to go XO?” I asked Dan.

“Yes sir, just awaiting your orders” Dan replied. “Very well XO, the course is 315 degrees at 26 knots, for 32 nautical miles, then change course to 355 degrees at 26 knots, for 212 nautical miles” I announced, and I could see that Dan was trying to work out the destination in his head.

“Is that to the Abrolhos Islands sir?” Dan asked, “That is correct XO, somewhere close to land, but away from prying eyes of the media” I replied, as I sat down in the Captain’s chair for the first time and smiled.

The End