Don't Derail The Plot

13. Mission 1 - My Lady (8)

A/N: I've been gone so long that I even forgot my login details  >.< 

Chapter Title: Bumpy Ride

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Tanzu had no time to commend herself for her moral decision for the Concorde righted itself with a slam, throwing her and Emma back with its force. With her left arm no longer tying her down, they were loose projectiles shooting past the boat supports and heading straight for the other end of the ship.

"Fuck!"

Her back slammed against a surface, knocking the wind out of her. It wasn't so much the impact that drew out a curse as much as Emma's body crashing against her front. Had it not already been dark, she would have thought her vision dimmed from the shocking pain. Tanzu wanted to push Emma off to lessen the pressure on what she was sure was a broken collarbone, but the mind-numbing pain radiating from it quite literally froze her in place.

Hell hath no fury like a pissed off Plotline. Tanzu will think twice before messing with it in her next missions.

What did I bump into? She asked 909 , trying to distract herself.

From the flat and fairly smooth surface, she couldn't tell if it was the ledge of the ship or something else. She doubted it was the former because the ship's deck was lined up with small canons pointed at the sea. There weren't many on board, but she's sure Plot would have cracked her head on one of them for her obstinacy.

[Wooden cargo.]

Describe. The sooner she understood her surroundings the easier it would be to know whether the situation could still be salvaged.

Tanzu tried to visualize 909's words. She and Emma were now lying against stacked wooden cube units. The three-foot cubes were four crates high and five crates across. The boxes were held down by ropes hooked to the deck and each row was tied together by ropes looping around. It would be enough to shield them partially from a portside wave behind them, but would do absolutely nothing for the starboard waves in front of them. Tanzu doubted she would be lucky enough to avoid a mortal injury if they were pulled back the way they came.

How she wishes she could ask whoever was steering the ship to point the bow at those goddamn waves. She wasn't very familiar with meteorology, and was completely clueless about sailing, but every wave she experienced seemed to have come from the right side of the ship. If any wave was going to fulfill the Plotline and capsize the ship, it would probably come from that direction. Then again, if this could be deduced by her, then it would be obvious to the experienced seamen. They must have their own troubles with a Captain out of action.

Anyone nearby?

Tanzu refused to believe the she was Emma's only option. There had to be some other rescuer for her.

[The closest individuals are approximately 8 feet away from you at your 11 o' clock position.]

The center mast guys again? Tanzu thought when she visualized their distance. Those guys are the real G cannon fodder to still be standing after the mast broke and fell around them. But they were a bit too far to be seen or heard by them in this chaos. Must she be coerced into more heroism? She wanted to be protected too!

What can I grab onto? Tanzu asked in resigned frustration.

[The rope half a foot above from your left shoulder, or the one 2 feet above your shoulder.]

Tanzu surmised they must be the ones securing the crates horizontally. She could reach for the rope closest to her left hand when needed.

Is Emma conscious?