Hydra Heart

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter 23: Boat

"Alright, let's be realistic here," Shay led. "There is an astounding seventy thousand square kilometers of land on Cremsillian where we could find... the place. The East coast, where all this territory is, is probably the least sympathetic region to Alogos, and thus Hirudenia. On the other hand, there are eight million square kilometers of eligible land in Hirudenia's territory... You guys ready to place bets?"

Vesta was suddenly reminded of Tenra. "How will we get to Hirudenia?" She asked.

"You guys worry about that," Priscilla suddenly interjected. "I'll take care of the towering problem that will loom over us, should we embark on this journey."

"That being?" Shay raised an eyebrow.

"We've set our course for the maw of the beast, and you think its mighty gizzard won't catch us? I'll talk to some of my contacts and get us new faces."

Shay was deeply skeptical. "You have a face guy?"

"I spend my days seeing how fast I can get in and out of prisons. What do you think would happen to me if people knew my real identity, or worse, could recognize my face and know that arrest isn't an option? See, look, even this face is fake."

He painstakingly peeled the false skin from himself. Vesta and Shay watched with morbid fascination.

"So, yeah." He affirmed. "I have a face guy, let's get going."

It was unnerving how quickly plans were being made, how soon they would find themselves in enemy territory. They could not think of any more issues they would run into, so the only question left was one of transportation.

"Vesta, if you steal a ship, do I get to name it?" Shay asked.

"I... I guess," Vesta resigned.

Priscilla scoffed. "What, I don't get a say?"

"Okay, you want us to get to Hirudenia by a plane or something?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not talking about how we get there. I'm talking about naming the boat! I say we christen her Charybdis."

"How about Shippy?" Shay countered.

"Children!" Vesta snapped. Shay and Priscilla looked nervous. "I'm sure you will find inspiration when we see her. Let's get moving."

Shay and Priscilla walked behind her. They shot one another glances of confusion. Priscilla mouthed, you can't read her either?

--

Ultimately, they decided to travel west, deciding it would weigh less on their consciences to steal from Hirudinea. The port of Talcykten was filled with warships and cargo ships alike, even a handful of fishing boats. A thick haze of smog hung over the sea, which itself was a long dead puddle. The only life present was scum-sucking bottom feeders and a couple of dirty fish, too.

Of the boats observed, most were leaving with much more than what they brought in. An odd number seemed redundant, returning packages that had originated on Cremsillian, creating a circulation of objects for which no one was paying. Shay recalled a time when she did not understand why anyone would go through the hassle of shipping products to a region where they could be made by the same processes. She pretended to be uninterested, but had absorbed a great amount of knowledge from snooping on Tenra's studies. The flow of goods is more important than the flow of soldiers, his words echoed in her mind.

On the docks, employees complained about the grimy, sometimes dangerous work. "It pays enough to pay for my future plans," was the general reasoning for working there. One would often hear the lie, "It's only temporary."

The sun set, turning the atmosphere from dingy gray to pitch black. A shroud of fog still hung over the docks, almost interrupted occasionally by lights that were always smothered. Vesta hacked. Even the air in Nidus was preferable to this. She resolved that, after all this, she would go see a doctor. Index cards as bandages had only gotten her so far.

"So, which one are we gonna take?" Priscilla asked.

They laid out the plan. They would wait until a cargo ship had unloaded its weight completely, and then stow away. Once they had gotten some distance between them and the port, they would be able to perform a cleaner hijacking, and attract little attention to themselves. Then, it was a straight shot to Hirudenia, using the guidance of a captain taken hostage.

Vesta rifled her pockets. Explosives, check. Gun one, check. Gun two, check. Mints, check. Gun three, check. Gun four, check. Motorcycle keys, am I supposed to not lose these in the next week? Gun five, check. Wallet, check. Gun six, check. Gun seven, check. Knife one, check...

They crept in, Vesta taking lead. Their approach went unnoticed. The voices of some employees drifted over to them.

"Man, that weather... crazy, right?"

"Same as it always is, Linda."

"So... you got kids? I could show you some pictures of mine. The lady at Cam's said my youngest could be a model!"

"Can we just get the crane and reload the boat?"

Priscilla began to worry upon eavesdropping on that last question. The three looked at each other, each thinking the same thing. It'll take us forever to get anywhere if they put cargo back on this boat. They would have to do the hijacking immediately.

The cargo ship was a massive lady. She was bound to the dock by incredibly thick rope, in four main strands. Underneath her main deck, there was room for all the supplies a small crew could possibly need. On top, there was nothing but space for commercial goods. On this blank canvas, employees were using a crane to paint an image of dingy crates filled with unrefined metals.

Shay set her eyes on who she was sure was the captain. She took a deep breath and created the illusion.

"Oh my god, is that on fire? Yes! I finally get to use the giant hose!" The captain rushed towards the ship, ready to be a hero. Shay held her focus, feeling her energy drain, but staying firm. Steady, steady, until...

He passed Vesta, who clocked him and dragged him away. Shay let out the breath she had been holding. She took Vesta's knife and got busy with the rope, feeling the muscles in her arms burn with the effort. She could hear faint whispers coming from the dock, planting the seeds of worry. Priscilla took a turn after Shay finally made it through the first rope. Then, the employees came into view, emerging from the smog.

"Hey, they're cutting the ropes!"

They came rushing in, but so did Vesta. She fired two warning shots in the air. The barrel lowered, settling on the space in between the two employees.

"Don't move. We are leaving with this ship, you are leaving with your lives. That is all." She handed the pistol off to Priscilla, who seemed uncomfortable wielding it. Her boomerang, she remembered, was incredibly sharp. It took to the rope well, and soon the ship was drifting off. They quickly got on board.

The employees breathed a sigh of relief as the engine started and the threat was gone. They put their hands down.

"Who do you think they were?"

"That's for the government to figure out and deal with. They screwed us out of a job, the least we can do is snitch on them. Tracking a ship that big won't be a problem."

One of the employees searched up contact information. Then, after finding the right person to talk to, she started a message.

"So, there's this boat..."