Oceania - 8. Oce Chapter 8

Chapter 8

“Hey, how are you feeling?” my partner said to me, looking a little concerned, “Very tired, and looking forward to lying in bed with you later” I replied softly, grinning, and Travis chuckled at this. By the way, I was meaning to give this to you earlier in the afternoon, but it was so busy, I totally forgot all about it till just now” Travis said to me, as he handed me a business card, and my smile disappeared as soon as I read it.

“When did you get this?” I asked in an angry manner, “Err, just before we started the tours at 12 noon, a teenager dressed in a suit, with a strange accent came around to the front, and asked me to pass the business card to the CO or Senior Officer, as soon as possible, and he said he would be close by, to take the phone call, why what is wrong?” Travis replied.

“Do you realise that you have done, this young man is a family member of one of Europe’s wealthiest private investment companies, and you just took the card and forgot to hand it over?” I responded, as I tried to calm down a little, “I’m sorry, I just thought he was just a spoilt little rich teenager, trying to push his way in ahead of the line” Travis replied, now looking visibly upset.

“Is he still here, have you seen him standing around?” I asked, “Yes, he is over there in the shade of that building, he has been standing there all afternoon,” Travis said, as I jumped the gap between the platform and the top of the stairs, and began to make my way down the stairs.

“Clear a space, make way, coming down” I shouted, to the visitors who were coming up the stairs at the same time. As soon as I landed on the wharf, I sprinted the 100 metres to where the security barrier is located and slowed down.

Passing the security guards as I slowed to a fast walk, I turned left and headed towards the building, where I saw a lone figure standing there, where he was looking at something on his phone, and I cleared my throat as I approached him, to get his attention.

“Mr Devonport, my apologies for not getting to you earlier, I have only just been given your business card, and recognised your family company name right away,” I said smiling, as I held out my hand and the teenage shook it firmly.

“That is fine, I didn't have anything else planned, and it was a last-minute decision to fly here from Auckland when I saw the news report on tv last night” the teenager replied.

“My name is Trenton Blackthorn, Director of Ocean Guardian Enterprises, which is the newly established branch of Lloyd Family Corp, looking at patrolling and dealing with issues on all of our seas and oceans around the world, and I am the Chairman – Mr Hamysh Lloyd’s son.

Unfortunately, I cannot discipline the crew member who you gave your card too, as he happens to be my partner, but I have already given him a stern telling off, and he may end up sleeping on the lounge tonight” I said, which had the teenager laughing.

“Oh please, don’t do that, I am sure he will already feel bad enough as it is,” Xander Devonport said in response, “I will take that into consideration, thank you for your understanding, now I would like to offer you a stay onboard our vessel, we are going on a four-day trip down the coast, with a group of local naval cadets and officers, as guests, and I would like to invite you to join us,” I offered.

“That would be very nice, much more than I had hoped, as I understood that access to your rather enormous vessel is heavily restricted. I will need to retrieve my luggage from my hotel suite in town thou” Xander replied.

“Just tell me the hotel and suite number and one of my personal butlers will happily go and do that for you if you will please follow me, we will go on board,” I replied smiling, and as we began walking back to the Aquaria, I sent a text to Travis. “Meet me at the bottom of the stairs of the Aquaria, you have a chore to do for me” and once I sent it, I sent another text, this one to Nigel.

“Please go and find my father, and inform him and the captain, that I have invited a VIP guest to stay on board with us for the next few days, we are on our way. Travis is going to collect the guest’s luggage at the hotel,” and once that was sent, I pocketed the phone.

“So, Mr Devonport, what brought you to New Zealand?” I asked politely, “A bit silly really, I had a disagreement with my guardian, who is the head of the family, Sebastian Wagner. Anyway, I decided to take some time off from my school studies, and all the BS that was happening, and I jumped on a plane and flew to Auckland.

My original plan was to fly to Chile and onto the Falkland Islands, to visit my father’s grave, but when I saw an online news article and the news report, I changed my mind and came to Whangarei instead,” Xander replied.

“I see, and won’t you guardian, be worried about you?” I asked, “No, he had just got to check my credit card records to see where I am heading, he knows I will be fine, and we have family friends in the Falklands, who will look after me,” Xander replied.

As we arrived at the bottom of the stairs, with me remaining silent for the rest of the walk, to let Xander admire the outside of the vessel, Travis was there waiting for me, and it looked like he had quickly showered and was dressed in a suit.

“Travis, can you go to Mr Devonport’s hotel in town, he is in suite 216, and pack his luggage, and bring it back here, as he will be staying with us for a few days,” I said sternly to my partner, to indicate that I wanted this done without any questions and right away.

“Very good Commander Blackthorn,” Travis replied, as he accepted the suite key from Xander, and dashed off in search of a taxi. Xander had already called the hotel, to let them know that he was checking out and that someone will be around shortly to collect his luggage.

At the top of the stairs, Nigel was also wearing his suit and he smiled as we arrived, “Welcome to the Aquaria Mr Devonport, the Chairman and senior officers ask that you join them for evening drinks before dinner if you will follow Commander Blackthorn please,” Nigel said.

“I would like to freshen up and change before I do that please, so just show me where I will be staying,” Xander responded. “Executive Suite 3, please Nigel, and if Mr Devonport does not mind, he can loan my spare dinner jacket until his luggage arrives,” I said, and I lead the way through the main entry foyer and airlocks.

“Thank you Trenton, but I will wait for my luggage, and I am sure your butler here can guide me to where drinks and dinner will be served” Xander responded, and I nodded my head in understanding as the elevator door opened, and Nigel lead our guest inside, while I headed up to deck one, where I found all senior officers, my dad Julia and Joshua gathered.

I informed everyone, that Xander Devonport, from Wagner International, had flown to Whangarei especially to see the Aquaria since he has been following the news about us for some time, and with him being in Auckland, he flew down today to have a closer look.

“Is that the only reason why you allowed him to be a VIP guest for this short trip?” Dad asked me, “Well, I thought maybe we could come up with some sort of partnership with his family’s company, which would be beneficial for both of us” I responded.

“He is still quite young, isn’t he?” Daniel asked, “Yes, I think he is 16, he said he is taking some time off high school, due to an argument with his guardian, who is Sebastian Wagner,” I replied, and I noticed my father give a small smile.

“What is that for, do you know something that I don’t?” I asked my father. Only that I have met Mr Sebastian Wagner a couple of times, when I approached his company, to see if they were interested in being involved in our organisation, but he said he was tied up with other projects, so he couldn't take on anything new.

I have a feeling that his young cousin may have a different view, and may be interested in being involved” Dad said to me.

When Xander Devonport arrived in the officer's lounge, we all enjoyed some pre-dinner drinks, before heading to the officers dining room for dinner. “So young Joshua, how do you like living on a giant submarine?” Xander asked my son, who had been introduced as Captain Daniel’s stepson.

“I like it, I get to travel all over the place, and see really weird and incredible things underwater, and being at school underwater is fantastic” Joshua answered enthusiastically. “So, you’re the captain’s stepson, where is your biological father?” Xander said, and I almost burst out laughing, as everyone else around the table smiled.

“I am right here, Julia and I had a relationship some years back, and Joshua is a result of it. Unfortunately, our relationship only lasted a short while, and not that long ago, when Daniel asked if his wife and stepson could join us on the Aquaria, I received the shock of my life” I replied, with Xander's face shocking surprise at my statement.

“A lot like my story in a way, my father had no idea that I existed, after a brief relationship while on the Falkland Islands, and when my mum passed away, my grandmother looked after me, until she was getting too old to look after a growing boy, so we went in search of my father, only to learn that my father had passed away and was buried at the Stanley cemetery.

Thankfully we discovered that I had some first cousins, who were happy to take over responsibility for my future and to assist my grandmother with her retirement, and since then it has been a whirlwind of adventures, being educated in Europe, and travelling all over the world 1^st class all the way” Xander said.

“That I can believe, you are so lucky to have such loving first cousins to help you,” I said to our new friend. “Mind you, they can be a real pain sometimes, especially the twins, but I didn’t say that. Now, I would like to know some more about this Ocean Guardian Enterprise if I may” Xander said.

The dinner was very enjoyable and informative, as we learnt some more about Xander and his family, as well as sharing our plans for an expanded fleet of submarines to patrol the world’s oceans and seas, and we told him that we would have our first UN special envoy joining us, when we are on the return journey from the four day trip.

The UN envoy, 32-year-old Ms Jacqeline DeLaria’s, from Quebec, Canada, would be joining us when we stop at Auckland, on the way back from Napier, in two and a half days’ time. Her father was a senior officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, so she was used to being around large ships, and she is a very keen sailor during her spare time, and she would be the only female UN envoy.