Aram's Bataillon

Next Stop Canberra

The waves rippled underneath the pontoons in the water at Shoalwater Bay as we boarded a big boat Alexis called a 'landing craft' boat but as we slowly drifted in beside HMAS Hobart III. But nothing could prepare you for the size of the mega gigantsaurous of a Navy destroyer. A ladder lowered beside us earning a shocked squeal from Felicity who hated heights. Aquila who was beside me whispered "Even you  scared of climbing up that?". "Nah, that's nothing to creeping up to a howitzer and solving a mettel circle down its barrel with a shitty weld so it snaps as you fire and running away as the Russians wake up amd or the barrel going up and down. I'm joking......I'm freaking terrified of that! I know I'm not scared of heights but I still hate climbing up thatt because my eyes don't see it as stable!" I whispered back. Lachlan grabbed the ladder first after a few Navy guys had climbed up and with instructions from our skipper he climbed up the daunting climb on the side of an Australian Navy Destroyer.

I couldn't look down. If I didn't I would've panicked but I did anyway. My lungs battled against themselves to stop hyperventilating and I slowly drew in shallow breaths other long periods of time. My mind was racing with an infinite amounts of thoughts  of what could happen or could've happened; in the end I tore my eyes of the boat we'd climbed aboard from. Down below it looked like a toy ship from my position far up and next to the towering colossal Destroyer beside it, made the landing craft look like a tiny tinnie. I finally reached the deck of the Hobart and Alexis placed a studying hand on my back and helped me steady myself before we walked along the bow. She guided us down the lengh of the ship to the doorway of a watertight door and down the passageway to the bridge where the captain stood waiting to meet us along with Marus and Zephyr. Alexis greeted him and he greeted her back before giving all nine of us a scrutinising gaze; he seemed to take particularly long with his eyes glaring at my sole. "So. All nine of these are A.B? Seven of them are just kids; and well....- two are Australian soilders but I'd want to know how they brought kids into this. This invasion is no matter for escaped prisoners" he addressed us, ignoring everyone else and their eyes that were staring in wonder, gawking our way.

Without restraining myself I lashed out; he needed to get his facts right plus what actually happened before he started his allegations. "Actually, we never escaped, we were never captured; Stewart and Grimm found us after the fireworks launched!" I said impulsively. The captain whose name tag read Nicolas Davis and I was sure the next time I saw that name tag I was prepared to run if I ever saw the expression on his face again. "Davis, she's 17. And not apart of the army; you can only get mad at her and that's all. Plus she is telling the truth. Meet Makayla, the appointed leader of Aram's Battilon" Alexis cautioned Davis in a soft but still meticulous voice. "Sorry Ravencroft-Blois" he responded in a low, almost a whisper, voice. "Bois? Ravenscroft-bois wasn't in Alexis name tag" I thought as I watched this whole confrontation go on. "Come one, right now we gota get underwater if we're to keep to our schedule and make it by our deadline otherwise the Priminister and our super won't be happy. I'll take you to your rooms than show you around after we visit it the foodcourt/canteen for lunch" Alexis almost shouted as she straightend her posture and started to stroll towards the bridges door only to stop and wait for us. Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping ever sailor turned back to what they were doing or scurried off without a second glance. What made them scared of her that much?

Lunch wasn't lunch, it was a mixture of steaming mince and pasta to repres spaghetti bolognese with two lumps of mashed potatoes and pumpkin and to finish it off which mad emy day complete was a glass of cold Coca-Cola. Inside was a maze of haze grey, hallway and passages; outside was full of fresh air to breathe albeit it tasted and smelt salty plus a new section of the east coastline of Australia every few hours was enough entertainment for me to stay up top and instead of down there. Everytime the Destroyer rocked from a wave I felt at ease, even peaceful up and outside the grey insides of the ship but below when a wave hit almost everything went sliding around and not to mention the some claustrophobic places on Earth in felt unsafe and like the ship was going to tip any second. Though it was fun to try and run up a hallway while the ship listed to its starboard or port. Heck, even just trying to see if you could climb the wall like spiderman when a wave it- if you could make it up the ever so tilting floor.

Suddenly uncontrollably laughter slipped from my mouth and I had to clamp a hand over it with enough force to shater my jawbone so that only snickers escaped as I replayed the memory from earlier this morning. I'd knocked on Zephyr and Marcus's room to let them know breakfast was ready and when I mentioned the word baccon Zephyr shot out of the doorway and he was past me before I could even turn my head. A rouge wave came and the floor started tilt upwards on the portside, almost knocking me off balance but luckily I grabbed a hold of Zeph and Marcus's open doorway and my legs began to lift from the floor. Zephyr didn't have the luxury of something to grab onto to stop his  body sliding around and winced as tiny frame hit the starboard side of the ship with a loud thud; pushing off the right wall he tried to regain his footing and balance when a Korean featured man rounded the corner, his muscles big enough to make out beneath his red and black checked flannel and black ACDC tank top but not enough to be bulging and almost about to rip his clothes to shreds. Noticing the other civilian Zeph stopped his battle for balance in the sideways hall and gave a push off the rightside wall which as now almost the floor. Instead of grabbing the left wall and la ding safely on his feet, half on the sideways wall, half on the original floor he faceplate with an agonising thud and slid back down the sideways hall which was already fixing itself back into place. The guy came over to Zephyr to give him a helping hand and zeph took it, rising to his feet which were firmly planted on the now rightened floor.