The sudden appearance of a pistol in the old man's hand pointed directly at my face, left me frozen in shock.
*Woof! Woof!*
"S-sir! Please calm down, Rex, calm down," I stammered, as Rex, my loyal companion, prepared to spring into action.
The old man's voice trembled with intensity, "Answer me! Where did you find the NS Scorpion? What happened to the crew?" His anger was palpable, the gun steady in his grip. "If you try any funny business, I won't hesitate to end you."
I struggled to steady my voice, "S-sir, I'll share all the information I have. I can tell you about where I found the NS Scorpion and what happened to the crew, but I'm afraid my knowledge is limited to Captain Francis, Max, Sam, and a few others."
His eyes widened at the mention of those names, and his grip on the pistol relaxed slightly. He took a step closer, his tone still wary, "Kid, I don't know how you're aware of them, but you've got one shot to explain. Just one. Mess this up, and you won't like the consequences."
As he threatened me, my mind raced to find the right words, to convince him somehow that I wasn't his enemy.
*Woof! Woof!*
Rex was furious, his angry barks filling the air as he attempted to charge at the old man. Acting swiftly, I intervened, gripping Rex's collar firmly to rein in his aggressive energy. "Easy, Rex. I understand you're upset, but this person might hold vital information about NS Scorpion and the world we are currently in that could be really useful," I reassured both Rex and myself, aiming to ease the tension in the air.
Turning to the old man, I adopted a more understanding tone. "Sir, I'm willing to share what I know, but could we find a quieter spot to talk? Somewhere with fewer people watching and listening? Our little scene has attracted too much attention."
The old man hesitated, glancing at the onlookers, then nodded. "Okay, but I won't go far from NS Scorpion."
"How about we head inside the ship?" I proposed.
He nodded, and we entered NS Scorpion. Once inside, I noticed a whirlwind of emotions on the old man's face—nostalgia, joy, and a hint of sadness. He even had tears in his eyes, showing his deep connection to the ship.
Strangely, Lucas and Lara, my companions, were not around. The other survivors observed us with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Taking a seat, I retrieved Captain Francis's diary from my bag and presented it to him. His eyes widened in genuine surprise, and he questioned, "Where did you find that diary?"
So, I started telling him about everything that happened to me since I arrived in this strange world—the scary time on the cannibal's island, the strange encounter with the mermen, finding Captain Francis's diary, and how I ended up with the NS Scorpion. I wanted him to understand my journey and why I cared about all of this.
I hoped that by sharing my experiences, he'd understand the depth of my connection to NS Scorpion and why uncovering its history was so crucial to us.
…..
After learning about the fate of the crew and Captain Francis, the old man's eyes welled up with tears. It was as if a mix of relief and sorrow had washed over him all at once. He turned towards me once more, his voice carrying a tone of regret, "You've been through quite the ordeal, haven't you? I deeply apologize for the way I threatened you earlier. It's just that seeing the NS Scorpion after all these years, with a stranger standing there, missing an arm, a leg, and an eye, well, it's nothing short of a surprise." His words held a sincere apologetic note as if he truly regretted his actions.
"I also wanted to take a moment to thank you," the old man continued, his voice carrying a deep sincerity. "You've given Captain Francis, Max, and Sam a final resting place in this strange new world. It's a gesture most people wouldn't even consider, and I can't express how much I appreciate what you've done for them."
Then he asked me something with a curious tone, "Even if you found the NS Scorpion, how on earth did you manage to operate her? She's a military vessel, and most regular folks wouldn't even catch a glimpse of a normal submarine in their entire lives. And what's more, the NS Scorpion is a Nuclear Submarine. You'd need heaps of training and knowledge just to understand what you're looking at, let alone operate her. So, I'm really curious – how did you pull it off?"
"Well, it's a bit of a tale, but to sum it up, I used to serve in the NAVY," I explained. "During my service, I picked up quite a few things, so I had a general idea of what to do. But handling the NS Scorpion was a whole different challenge. She was an old vessel, and getting her to work wasn't straightforward. Still, somehow, I managed to make it work," I added with a nonchalant shrug.
"I understand that your NAVY experience must have given you some insights," the old man nodded thoughtfully. "But I'm curious, what prompted you to leave the NAVY?"
Taking a moment to reflect, I responded, "Leaving was due to personal reasons, mostly. By the way, I'm quite interested to know, how did you come to know about the NS Scorpion, Captain Francis, and the others?"
"Oh, I must apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Norman Bessac, and I used to be the commander of NS Scorpion," he said.
My eyes widened with surprise. Could this really be Commander Norman Bessac? The same one who had lost an eye while battling the infamous cannibal pirate, Captain Blood Beard? Now that I thought about it, he did have a distinct scar over his left eye.
"Wait, are you Commander Norman Bessac, the one who lost an eye fighting against the cannibal pirate Captain Blood Beard?" I blurted out.
He appeared surprised but quickly nodded, a hint of curiosity in his expression. "Aye, but how did you come to know about that?" he asked, clearly intrigued.
I showed him the diary once more and explained, "It's all thanks to Captain Francis's diary. If it weren't for the diary and Rex, I would have surely been killed by those monstrous mermen. Captain Francis's diary provided me with the crucial information I needed to survive, while Rex became my reason to keep going. He protected me during my most vulnerable moments."
The old man shifted his gaze towards Rex, his eyes now filled with apology. He addressed Rex, saying, "I apologize for threatening your master. You're fortunate to have such a remarkable master, and he's equally fortunate to have a faithful companion like you." With those words, he reached out and gently petted Rex on the head.
"Can I ask you something?" I inquired of the old man, "In Captain Francis's diary, it was mentioned that they were responsible for creating the island Mermaid's Veil near the Monstrous Mermen's territory. Is that true?"
"Yes, indeed," the old man nodded, "the Scorpion Syndicate is responsible for creating Mermaid's Veil. It was meant to be an outpost near the territory of the Monstrous Mermen. But why the sudden interest?"
I explained, "Well, the island where we encountered the Cannibals is called Mermaid's Veil. It's situated close to the Monstrous Mermen's territory. As I mentioned earlier, I acquired a map during my time on the Mermen's island, and I noticed that Mermaid's Veil was marked with a skull."
His surprise was evident as he asked me, "What? If what you're saying is true, then that Island must have been taken over by those Cannibalistic Pirates. How did they manage to achieve that? The only explanation I can think of is that the TerraNova government gave up on that Island due to its remote location. And by the way, is that how you found Port Aurora? With the help of the map?"
"Well, that's partially true. One of those cannibals actually told me about the location of Port Aurora. And now that I think about it, I read in the diary that you all became mercenaries, and your group was known as the Scorpion Syndicate. Is that why you said the Scorpion Syndicate created Mermaid's Veil?" I inquired.
"Aye, you've got it right. We were some of the finest mercenaries around, and no one could match us, nor the NS Scorpion for that matter. Your question brings back some old memories. By the way, I realized I still don't know your name," the old man remarked.
"Ah, my apologies for not mentioning it earlier. My name is Slander, Francis Slander, but you can just call me Frankie," I introduced myself.
"Francis Slander? Your name is quite similar to Captain Francis. The Captain of the NS Scorpion was Francis, and the person who discovered the lost NS Scorpion after fifty years is also named Francis. It's quite a coincidence, isn't it? Almost like fate," he mused.
As I thought about it, I noticed the similarity in our names. Our first names were almost identical, with my last name being Slander and Captain Francis's last name being Slattery. Lost in my thoughts, I was suddenly brought back to the conversation by the old man's voice.
"So, what are your plans for that arm and leg of yours? Don't you think it's time for an upgrade?" he asked with a playful tone.