MV Bulolo, a former armed merchant cruiser now cruise ship, is on her last voyage in 1968 to Taiwan for her fate with the shipbreakers. However, fate itself has other plans for the formerly great Australian ship as she is sunk in a storm prior to he...
Sydney Harbour, May 1968. Captain Brett Hilder was walking along the pier to his ship at Dawes Point in Sydney. A mighty, white-hulled passenger ship with a green band around its hull, some spots of rust and a black and white checked funnel. Atop its mast, a small company flag flew proud. Many gathered along the shore and in small boats to see this ship, the old passenger vessel MV Bulolo. For 30 years, she had sailed through war and peace and now, her story was coming to a close. Captain Hilder entered the bridge and looked around.
Hilder: One last journey, old girl.
Crew member 1: It is, sir. We'll miss her once we leave her in Taiwan.
Crew member 2: It's a shame she wouldn't be here longer. I feel like we're loosing a part of us more than just a ship.
Hilder: It would be an honour to captain her on this last voyage, even if it will be the last time Bulolo leaves a port.
Crew member 3: Captain, engine reports all three engines functioning. The tugs are just waiting for the word, and we'll be on our way.
Hilder: They have my word.
With permission given, the tugboats pulled the old vessel out of the pier and under the magnificent Sydney Harbour Bridge. Once free, they passed by Circular Quay where a flotilla, including the ferries Baragoola, Karrabee, South Styene and Lady Edeline, all blasting their whistles with pride as they farewelled an old friend from the harbour. People lining the ferries' decks, waving and cheering as Bulolo headed for the open ocean. Not wanting to be left out, the young destroyers HMAS Vampire, Vendetta and Brisbane leaded the old mighty ship out past Garden Island, all other ships there blasting their horns in salute to both a historic passenger ship, but an illustrious war veteran.
Crew member 3: It's like the whole of Sydney is here to see Bulolo depart, even if it's to the scrapyard.
Hilder: She's the city favourite ship. They're just as sad as us but just as proud of what she did in her life. She had the King on her and even Churchill during the war.
The crew looked to their captain, knowing what he meant, then continued to look around as everyone cheered and the three destroyers lead their ship out to the Pacific.
Timeskip three hours
Far out in the Pacific Ocean, Bulolo's skeleton crew were into their daily activities. No passengers, just themselves making what they could with the interiors on would be the last of their ship's final voyage. Captain Hilder continued to keep watch with his men as they watched the weather. Ahead of them, the sky was getting darker.
Crew member 2: Captain. Weather reports are disturbing. Looks like a typhoon ahead of us.
Hilder: Better get everything tied down. I think old Bulolo doesn't want to lose anything or anyone on this final voyage.
Crew member 1: Understood, captain.
Crew member 3: All personal. This is the bridge. Better strap everything down as we have a typhoon ahead of us, so I suggest we be careful.
Waves were beginning to pick up as Bulolo's bow pitched in them. Not a problem for the 30-year-old cruise ship, as she was built for this kind of weather however, something didn't seem right. Water was crashing onto her forecastle and as Captain Hilder knew, this was not natural. Just then, one of the crew rushed into the bridge, panting as if he had been running.
Crew member 4: Sir! Report from below deck! We're taking on water!
Hilder: Tell them to get the pumps operational.
Crew member 4: That's the thing, sir. The pumps aren't slowing down the flooding.
Hilder: Close all watertight doors. I'm not letting Bulolo sink on my watch.
Waves continued to crash the cruise ship's bow as they closed the watertight doors to further slow down the flooding however, they didn't know the damage had been done. Bulolo's bow was diving lower and lower into the waves, water entering the decks.
Crew member 3: Engineering are saying they're getting water near the engines. I don't think she's going to make out of this one.
Hilder: Prepare the lifeboats. Abandon ship.
The crew looked to each other.
Crew member 1: You heard the man. Abandon ship.
The skeleton crew organised themselves to the lifeboats as Bulolo's bow began to submerge. The boats swung out, a final distress call sent out, and the ship evacuated. Captain Hilder looked towards his ship for one last time. Bulolo's stern rose high into the air as the ship began its final plunge. The flag of Australia flying defiantly from the stern as it slipped below the waves.
Hilder: Farewell, old girl. You've done well.
Crew member 2: I can't believe she's gone.
Crew member 4: Better sunk than the shipbreaker. I think she didn't want to end that way.
Hilder: At least there's one thing, Bulolo is now at peace.
Crew member 3: I can say that too. She's done well for herself.
As they were all talking, the first of the rescue ships arrived on the scene, it was the recently recommissioned American battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62).
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was steaming to Vietnam to support US troops when it picked up Bulolo's distress call. The mighty WWII battlewagon pulled alongside and sheltered the lifeboats of the now sunken cruise ship, but it was then, something strange happened. Falling from the sky, a small, bright blue object descended from the heavens and disappeared into the depths, right over the top where MV Bulolo had slipped below the waves. Many didn't realise that deep below the waves, right as Bulolo came to rest, the mysterious object landed on the cruise ship's deck, and began to make the hull glow. Bulolo wasn't done yet.
A/N: I know it's a short chapter but I needed to be short to set up how Bulolo is the end up in the Azur Lane world. The next chapter will be much longer.
