Chapter 2: Getting a job

For someone who had not been to sea before the feeling of the room going from side to side is an unusual one and guaranteed to wake anyone from their concussed state. There was little light coming into the room, but it was apparent almost immediately that I was not at the bottom of a flight of steps any more, but instead a curled up in room of no more than six foot by eight foot with just a hard wooden floor. There were no windows, and just one sturdy looking door which I assumed was well bolted.

My heart sunk as I sat up, rubbed my eyes and leant against the wooden wall staring at the door. I could hear voices on the other side of it and then footsteps but they faded as they walked past me. I had what must have been three hours to contemplate the mess that I had got myself in. A stowaway on a ship – a military ship at that – would have serious consequences for me. The military was secretive enough in Caledonia and in the back of my mind I wondered if I would even live to tell the tale but reasoned if they wanted to get rid of me they had the ideal opportunity to do so before we left port. I was sure that my fate would not be a happy one.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the door to my cell being unbolted and then flung open. The harsh light flooding into the room burnt my eyes and I instinctively closed them and buried my face into my hands. Rough hands lifted me to my feet and pushed me out of the room. With one person either side of me, I was almost carried down the ship and then pushed up some stairs. My eyes, acclimatising to the light were starting to function again and I was amazed at what I saw at the top of the steps. Believing at first that I was still concussed, I shook my head but it was real.

There were half a dozen girls all busy doing things, but dressed identically. A skimpy shiny black thong left little to the imagination, as did a skimpy white T-Shirt tied in the middle at the base of the cleavage. A dark red with black trim elegant jacket that extended down to the back of the bare knees and calf high black boots decorated with gold studs completed their outfit. I looked at my two escorts who were still ascending the steps and saw that they too, were dressed identically.

'Where Am I?', I blurted out, but was pushed along the corridor without being answered. Before too long, and around 15 girls later, I was at a door marked "CAPTAIN", and one of my escorts knocked loudly.

'In!', came the reply and I was pushed into the room. The door slammed shut behind me.

The captain's quarters were grandiose and imposing. Varnished wood lined the room, with pictures of important people and swords dotted around the wall. A double bed with tall sides was fastened to the floor in the corner of the room with portholes on the opposing wall and a large desk. Behind the desk was the captain, who didn't look much older than myself. She too was dressed in the same pirates outfit, as was another girl who was stood next to her. The captain was still reading something on her desk, but was easily 6ft tall, and had shoulder length brown hair tied in a ponytail. The cleavage of her more than ample breasts were proudly displayed in the outfit that she was wearing.

'Who are you and what are you doing aboard my ship?' she barked at me. Both women looked at me, inquisitively and felt myself shrink into the floor.

'My name is John', I replied and then repeated my story of getting lost on the docks and subsequently hiding before being spotted and falling down the steps. I thought about pleading for mercy but both of the women listening to my tale were frowning with icy looks.

After I finished, the Captain started immediately, 'You have committed a number of offences both on land and at sea. One, you entered a secret military area. Two, you boarded a military vessel, twice. And three, you resisted arrest. The seriousness of these crimes would lead me to suspect that a Caledonian military court may seek the death penalty and at sea, I am entitled to enact the same justice you would receive on the mainland... '

'Please!', I interrupted. 'I didn't mean to. I'm not from Hamilton and I didn't know... '. Without warning, her partner stepped forwards and kicked backs of my legs toppling me onto the floor.

'DO NOT INTERRUPT THE CAPTAIN', she barked at me.

' ... the same justice you would receive on the mainland, and am therefore considering what to do with you.'

'Shall I prepare the plank, Captain?'

The captain looked at me in thought. 'No. Not yet.', she finally said.

'But Captain with the greatest respect, we can't ever let him go. All of this has been top secret for centuries' she replied waving her arms around and I felt my heart leap.

'I am well aware of that Commander Helen, but I am not here to take life needlessly', she gestured her hands towards me, and then continued. 'If I ever believe that he is a threat to my ship, my crew or this mission, I will kill him in an instant, but at the moment he is harmless. I don't think he is a threat to us at all ... Anyway I've always wanted a Cabin Boy or Cabin Girl, like the Captains of yesteryear but was always told that the practice has died out. Well, I've found my guinea-pig. If he doesn't measure up you can have him for breakfast or the courts can when get back, if he does, then I will see about squaring it with the Admiral.'

'Captain, he has had no training to be at sea', the Commander continued. 'Should we not have him just scrubbing the decks if we want to keep him?'

'To do what I need him to do, he doesn't need to have had any training. Ask Lieutenant Iona's team if they can sort out the old Commander's room next door and ask her to fish out a couple of uniforms with shorts in his size. Also get one of your seawomen to show the cabin boy around our ship and dig out the handbook he will need to read.'

'Yes Captain', Commander Helen said coolly.

The Captain turned to me as though I hadn't been in the room during the last few moments and addressed me directly. 'I will give you a chance to serve me and save your life, but you will be the lowest rank person on this ship. You will serve myself and only myself. Disappoint me during our trip I will either hand you to the courts on our return or kill you at sea. Do I make myself clear?'

'Yes Captain', I replied meekly

'Excellent. I will explain your duties to you tomorrow at dawn when I expect you to be knocking on my door washed and dressed. At Dawn.'

Commander Helen pushed me out of the Captain's office as I thanked her and she called a pirate girl who walking past.