The Captain and the Super-Whale

"We've got the bastard now," the captain shouted to his crew over the tumult of the sea, foam mist spraying his face like so much semen. His hat threatened to fly into Poseidon's gaping maw for all eternity but was narrowly saved with one firm hand, though it quaked so. He was frightened to finally acheive his dream of being the first man to ever kill one of the new super-whales: a goverment funded project gone horribly awry. They were twice as intelligent as the whales of before who, in turn, were already three times as fast after beginning to copulate with sea-jaguars - another case of science overstepping it's bounds. However dastardly this new creation was, Captain Beene was only moments away from having his months of hard work finally pay off.

"Increase speed to 60 knots," he yelled back to Delong, his first mate, who, in turn, gave an inspired

"Aye, aye sir" and pulled himself along the gaurd rail back to the steering room thing.

Hate and fear burned in Adron's heart as he watched his prey flee only a matter of meters in front of him. They had been following the beast's migration for two months before they had reached harpoon distance. The first harpoon tore into it's flesh upon Adron's mighty command earlier that morning, sending a wave of excitement through the crew. At the time of impact, Delong was fast asleep, having that same dream again; the one where he was back in finishing school. The moment he found his then-girlfriend Sara Galvez cheating on him, he knew he had to have an abrupt change in his life's direction, so he did the only thing he knew: he went to the docks and hopped on the first sea worthy vessel that would have him. He felt emotionally afloat for so long that he thought he should finally feel the same way physically. Questionable logic, at best.

However, as soon as he met the captain he knew that this was the man who would shape his life to come. He had never met such a determined, deep-voiced vision of ruggedness and he knew he'd never find such a thing again, so he joined up, despite the obvious risk of hunting a super-whale.

"No man has ever caught one," the captain reminded him before he took the boy's life in his hands.

"Nor has one ever returned alive from trying."

"I know, Captain Beene, but I was the best navigator in my class and I think you could use a man like me on your crew."

He hesitated a second before sighing and saying, "Welcome aboard, son."

"But remember," he continued, "I'm a man just like you and I'll be addressed as such. No more of this 'Captain Beene' business. From here on out you will refer to me as Adron." Matt smiled and agreed to adhere to the captain's down-to-earth standards.

There was as much pain in the man's eye as there was compassion. There was also a hint of foreboding and something else that young Matt could not put his finger on. Later on he found out that it was a glass eye and the pain and compassion he thought he saw were just reflections of light, but he trusted the man nonetheless.

That night, the captain introduced Matt to the rest of the crew.

"This is Ben Doan," he said, holding an arm out to the young man in hot pants, widdling away at a piece of wood. "He's the finest gay weapons expert this world has ever seen."

"Pleasure to meet you," Matt said timidly. Adron continued the introductions.

"And this here is Ian Silber, the scientist who first began to experiment on the super-whales."

A look of horror breifly flashed over Matt's face but was quickly swayed by Ian's disarming smile.

"I began the experiments," he said, a little embarrased, "but the government seized my project and turned it into the monster it is today. I merely wanted to see if we could train them to salvage ancient ruins too far below the sea for our current technology to dive."

A reasonable enough explanation, thought Matt.

Back to the matter at hand, thought the narrator.

"We've still got the bastard now!" the captain shouted again for no real reason, seeing as the action hadn't really progressed much. He did weird things sometimes as most people do. A final moan escaped the beast as it's progression slowed in the waters ahead.

"We're about to run dead on into that island two clicks up!" Matt screamed, poking his head out of the steering room.

"I don't care," Adron shouted back. "We've done it, that's all I came to do! My brother has finally been avenged." (His brother was killed by this super-whale!)

"Maybe you don't, but I know the rest of the crew would love to see land again."

Suddenly Captain Beene realized what he had become: his father. The very man who he resented for dying when he was only six. His father had been the captain on another ship chasing some other behemoth for whatever reason and he had let his rage take over him and crashed into the boat from Speed 2 in attempts to capture the creature.

What have I done, he thought to himself.

"Matt!" he said, determinedly.

"Yes Captain Be...Adron?"

Adron turned around and focused his world-weary eyes on Matt.

"Turn this ship around. We're going home."

"And that's how I got this huge scar," Captain Matt said, lowering his shirt.

The room was silent for a while, but then they started to talk again.

the end