“Security to the bridge!”

Previously:

While all this was going on the Jason Everett Martin caught and overtook the struggling Huron Explorer. The wind had shifted and was now coming from directly ahead of both ships and to make matters worse it’s velocity increased to twenty-five knots with gusts to thirty knots. This slowed both ships, but the sleeker Martin with her more powerful engines was slowed only to twenty-five knots. The Huron could barely maintain twelve knots, her massive superstructure catching the full force of the wind.

Captain Molly Halloran was smiling as they passed the Huron and could only imagine the language Captain Matthews was using as he tried to get his engine-room to come up with more power.

Her imagination was accurate…

Season VI, Chapter 4, Episode 9:

Captain Tug Matthews was in a rage; his crew was doing everything possible to gain maximum speed but the combination of a lack of hull maintenance and the design of the superstructure was more than they could overcome. It was then he gave the order that sealed their fate, “Order the engine-room to bypass the engine governors and give us everything…EVERYTHING!”

The bridge-crew exchanged glances as the helmsman relayed the order to the engine room. They felt the ship surge briefly and then both engines shuddered to a stop as each threw at least one piston-rod.

The Huron Explorer came to a stop very quickly and began to flounder in the ever-increasing wind. “Captain, we need to send out a distress call, now!”

“NO! We’ll not let that woman know we’re stalled!” Matthews roared, “Tell the engineers to repair the engines.”

It was then the the ship’s first officer took the only option open to him, “You are relieved, Captain. Helmsman, send out the distress call…NOW!”

The Captain was stunned momentarily, “YOU DARE TO RELIEVE ME?”

His answer came as the first officer picked up the ship’s public address microphone, “Security to the bridge! Security to the bridge!”

The captain deflated—he realized finally—that it was over.

Ship’s Marshal Douglas Cloud knocked on the Schmidlap cabin door…he was looking forward to speaking with them…oh yes he was.

953

To be Continued...