The Explorer's Apprentice

7: Ship of Dreams

I don't own Rose.:)

Marley Faulkner

Whenever treasure is mentioned in storybooks, there’s always some adventure to go with it, whether it’s traveling the seven seas or solving the impossible riddle or slaying the evil dragon. Even the word “expedition" often leads one to believe in ancient secrets and perilous trials. In real life, treasure-hunting means waiting for days on a big, waterlogged boat while men in wetsuits dodge through jungles of wires and metal and stare at computer screens at the real action going on below.

Marley spends her time alternating between sitting outside on deck, which is too cold, and sitting inside the cabin, which is too hot. The first few hours had been fun, when she’d been pulled side to side by eager employees ready to tour her around the research ship, or show her a state-of-the-art schematic of Titanic , or let her watch them perform complicated formulas on glowing machines, or shove glasses of juice into her hand. But now, after the submersible had been launched, everyone is too busy manning the stations to pay much extra attention to three kids. Her head is still buzzing with useless but interesting tidbits. … The Titanic  was about as long as the Empire State building is tall… Titanic’swhistles could be heard over 11 miles away… There’s a rumor that Hollywood based the Titanic movie off of a true story, and an old, abandoned drawing of a mysterious girl no one is able to trace … Titanic was built with over 3 million rivets… 14 years before Titanic sunk, Morgan Robertson wrote a  book about Titan, an “unsinkable” boat hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean in April… The lookouts on Titanic did not have binoculars, a mistake that might have prevented the tragedy… With this kind of information, Marley feels fully prepared to take on the audition and beyond.

She burrows deeper into the collar of her jacket. Marley wishes she’d packed warmer, but she hadn’t expected such bitter ocean winds. She should have guessed though. If it’s cold enough out to have icebergs, it’s cold enough to freeze off her fingers. She starts daydreaming of other things she’d rather be doing with her Saturday. Lying on the Florida beaches, meeting new people, walking on the boardwalk, examining the curiosities of the stalls, working on getting that driver’s license, thanking Florida over and over for its low driving age...

Alison, stretched out on the bench beside her, seems unperturbed by the weather. She tilts her head back, her hair streaming over the edge like a gold waterfall. “Hey. You bored?”

Marley shakes her head and smiles. Her cousin and uncle are sharing something special with her. She isn’t about to tell them she isn’t enjoying it.

“Well I’m bored,” says P.J. over her video game. “I’ve done this level like, twice.” She gets up and dusts off her jeans defiantly, marching towards the door of one of the equipment rooms. “I’m going to find Uncle Brock. He’ll know how long this is supposed to take.”

“Is she allowed to do that?” Marley asks, feeling too comfortable to chase after her.

“She’ll be okay, I practically grew up on these. I’m sorry; I know you’re bored, too. Usually my dad stays to keep me entertained, and I’m not sure what’s keeping him. The way he talks, you’d think every minute was exciting and suspenseful, when really you're just waiting around for them to move the submarine.”

 "Oh, that's okay!" Marley flashes her cousin her biggest, most winning, (and hopefully convincing) grin. "I'm not bored. Really. This is fun." She nods for added effect. And before Alison can get in another word of protest, Marley continues to speak up. "But um, I have been meaning to ask you something. And I guess now would be the best time."