Mystery At 4,000 Fathoms

Chapter 1: A Magnificent Machine

The sound of the waves rolling is loud as they hit the side of the ship, combining with the pitter of rain as it starts to fall. I simply take a breath of the freezing cold air and salt mist, my breath leaving my mouth as a faint white puff-a stark contrast to where I was earlier. It feels a lot nicer out here than it does being near that damn furnace, feeding the ship fuel. I'm sure I've sweat off an entire pound down there.

You need the money, Callie. And this job has lasted longer than the others.

I sigh, letting my head hang low for a second. I shouldn't be complaining. This is the first time in four years I've not had to worry about finding my next job while working my current one. I won't have to hop from odd job to odd job, hoping I'll make enough to pay for food and rent this month. Although since my job is here on this ship, I'll be spending more time on the open waters than I will on land. Not my favorite way of doing things, but it'll do. Same with how intensive the labor can sometimes be. It's not fun, but it's something.

Better than nothing.

"Weather's a-turning," Jones, one of my crewmates, says, and I look up to his scarred face and coily hair. As the rain starts falling harder, faster, I have to walk over to him just so I can hear him. Within seconds, I can't even see him, and he says he can't even see his hand in front of his face. "Stoker Five, come with me. You'll be needed soon enough."

"But I'm on break!"

"Not for long," He replies, and I huff as I start following him, rain pelting our jackets. "You know where we are, Five? Why the weather's turned all of the sudden? We're over Atlantis."

I roll my eyes. He can't be serious, can he?

"I'd rather not say the name, but the Captain's said it already. Aye. Tis the name that brings the curse."

Thunder rolls, and I deadpan. "And yet you said it again, because let's double the curse that's most definitely true."

He glares at me. "Laugh all you want, but the curse is real. Any vessel that passes through these waters will be lost. Atlanteans protect their own."

"If that's the case, then why are we in these waters?!"

"Because the Captain is like you and has newfangled beliefs. Wanted to make up for lost time and thought we'd be safe here to-" He cuts off, squinting at something ahead-long, large and protruding above the water. "Lord! Five, do you see that?! Iceberg! Iceberg!"

Jones' warning comes too late, and the ship slams into it. Metal rips, the sound loud and painful as I'm thrown forward onto the wet deck. I can hear Jones yelling.

"It's ripped the hull asunder!"

The other crewmates are screaming. I'm thrown around again, my hands scrambling for purchase as large waves come up over the boat, sending water across the deck. One of the waves crashes into me, seawater getting in my mouth, my nose. I cough raggedly, everything all a blur as I try to stand, but gravity pulls me down, farther down than it should.

I can't see. The rain and waves have me blinded. I'm sliding down the deck!

"We're capsizing!" Jones shouts, and I see his burly figure hanging on for dear life, just barely a shadow in the glimpse of darkness and rain. "Five, you're slipping!"

I cough up more water. "Help me!"

I push up onto my knees, then my toes even as I slide backwards. My back hits the deck's railing, and I flip, falling headfirst into freezing cold water. The railing of the deck I just hit soon follows as the ship continues to capsize.

The sudden shock of cold has me gasping, and water floods my mouth and throat as I flail around. My legs kick and my arms thrash as I try to move through the ragged, unforgiving ocean. I can't tell which way is up or down, but I swim until my head breaks the water. I gasp and hack as rain continues to pour, the waves rough and trying to drag me under. My wide eyes search for something, anything.