Terminus Part I: The Journey There (Draft)

Chapter 5: Burundi, the Fish Market

Captain's Chronicle, Second Day: 10/10/4098

Today we were met by bounty hunters. They weren't all that impressive. I really haven't thought twice about it. Crock lied when he said he wouldn't regale us about the Terminus. Although, perhaps his stories are just tall tales. In my ignorant ears, they sound preposterous. This is exactly why I must go to the Terminus. Such things couldn't be real, could they?

James Baron, signing out.

The next day, the SS Psychic docked in the port of Burundi, as it had been scheduled to. The crew of the Detective Pirates disembarked with enthusiasm for a new adventure.

"We're pirates. Are you sure it'll be fine if we go into town and buy supplies?" asked James.

"As long as we don't draw attention to ourselves, no-one will care. After all, accusations are a form of questioning, so people can't just go around accusing without evidence unless they want to be branded a dangerous criminal," replied Crock.

"Ah, of course. Well, this should be fairly straightforward. Would a bit of looking around be acceptable?"

"You take yourself quite seriously, don't you, James?"

"If I don't, we go to prison. I don't even know where."

"There are only two prisons I know of where they house lost causes. Snyke's Maximum Security, in the Atlas Sea, and Fort Tartarus, in the Dry Half. You don't want to end up in either."

"See why I take myself seriously?"

"Fair enough."

James wanted to look around, as did Patricia and Karnilla. Cameron didn't have anything in particular he wanted to do, so he followed Milangelo and Crock, who were going to walk through the markets and buy what they could with a budget of 30 million onits. Both groups agreed to meet up back at the boat at about four p.m. for a meeting.

James and company were walking through the street, until they saw a street sign pointing to their left, that read James St.

"Look, Pat, Mister Captain has a street named after him!"

"Why is my name Mister Captain?" asked James.

"Look Kans, another dummy who doesn't know how to play."

"Come on now, Pat, we're the ones playing the game without letting anyone know beforehand. I think we shouldn't expect them to understand our dispositions."

"Ah, forgive me for not understanding your self-involved and inexplicable games," said James.

"Eh, he's being mean?" said Patricia, surprised.

"No, don't you know how to play, Miss Lookout?" said James.

"He's a fast learner. Perhaps we misjudged him," said Karnilla.

"Perhaps?" asked James.

"Yeah, perhaps, Mister Captain," said Patricia.

"Then perhaps your games are meaningless," said James.

"Damn, we didn't plan for this. He's on a completely different level than us," said Karnilla.

"I'm a really good detective. Why do you think that is?"

"Gee, maybe you got lucky?" said Patricia.

"I suppose, and maybe you weren't so lucky, Miss Lookout."

"Whatever could you be referring to?"

"I don't know. What have you done for this world? How have you contributed to the world?"