In the afternoon, I visited the town and its stunning surroundings. The landscape was a tapestry of verdant meadows, where bunnies frolicked and wildflowers painted the scene with bursts of color. The scent of pine trees filled the air, and the gentle rustling of leaves created a serene symphony. A few times, I just wanted to lay down on the soft grass and bask in the tranquility of the environment. As I strolled along a picturesque pedestrian track, I stumbled upon a charming cabin. Inside, I found all the basic necessities: a fridge stocked with simple provisions, a cozy kitchen, a neat toilet, a welcoming fireplace, and a snug sleeping area. There was a book of regulations and conduct, advising visitors to take only what they needed. A map on the wall showed these cabins, also known as shelters, were scattered throughout the country, offering refuge to travelers. Respecting the sanctity of the place, I didn't touch anything.
As I ventured further, I encountered separate tracks for bicycles and, later, motorcycles. It was strange to see everyone had their own track. Near the town, I was stunned to see a road for cars, motorcycles, bikes, and pedestrians all perfectly aligned next to each other. It looked like overkill, especially with traffic lights on almost every road. I walked into a few stores and found the prices astronomical for my financial status. As the sun went down, I returned to the ship.
On my way up to my cabin, I encountered Captain Stormbeard in a hallway. He said, “Jack, I need a copy of the documentation you prepared for this port. The agent took everything, and I like to keep one copy with me.”
I said, “Sure, Captain. No problem. I’ll sort it right away.”
Captain Stormbeard coughed and said, “You can give it to me tomorrow morning.” Captain Stormbeard walked away to his cabin.
I went to the bridge and printed all the documents. Once I was done, I brought the papers to the Captain’s quarters. Captain Stormbeard never closed his door; instead, he had a heavy dark blue curtain. I knocked on the door frame, which was covered in inox.
I said, “Captain!?”
Captain Stormbeard gargled, “Come in.”
I opened the curtain and saw Captain Stormbeard behind his desk.
I handed him the papers and said, “Here you go, Captain.”
Captain Stormbeard got excited and said with a smile, “I knew it… I knew you were going to bring me the papers straight away. Good job, Jack. Thank you.”
I said, “No problem, Captain.”
Captain Stormbeard asked, “And how was your trip to the town?”
I replied, “Loved it. I never saw bunnies roam free.”
Captain Stormbeard said, “Here, they take great care of nature. You’ve probably seen most of the world in other places. For them, these bunnies are simply free food.”
I said, “I know. Once, I read a newspaper article about a bunny near the road. A driver chased it with his car, went off the road into the forest, and eventually crashed into a tree.”
Captain Stormbeard laughed and coughed, then said, “Humans, Jack… Humans…”
I said, “See you later, Captain.”
Captain Stormbeard said, “Ok, Jack, good night. Please close the curtain on your way out.”
I left the Captain’s quarters and went to my cabin.
A few days later, we departed the port without the old crew. On the voyage, after a day, the ship lost rudder control. The engine department couldn't find any faults because everything seemed to be working, but the ship wouldn't steer. Captain Stormbeard organized an ocean tug to tow us to the nearest port. Upon arrival, a diver discovered that we had no rudder—it had just fallen off. The ship went into the local dry dock for repairs. Captain Stormbeard was furious with the shipyard that built this ship. As I planned to leave, I met the new 3rd Engineer, Milo, in the hallway. He was of average height, with a short black beard and long curly hair. His light blue eyes were framed by straight thick eyebrows. He had a straight nose and medium lips.
3rd Engineer Milo said, “Did you see all those great cars in the last port? All that horsepower, you know. Turbo engines, you know.”
I said, “Yes, but I prefer supercharged. If I had money, I would buy me a Pursuit Special from the movie Mad Max.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “You mean the black interceptor. That is old tech, you know. Turbines are awesome, and you can have two of them, you know. One guy retrofitted an old retro four-piston sleeper car with two turbines and smoked a V10 luxury sports car, you know. They stopped at a nearby gas station, and the rich man said he will do a chip tuning, and the guy replied, ‘I’ll just increase the pressure of the turbos,’ you know.”
I said, “There is no black interceptor; it’s called Pursuit Special. I know turbos are fun, but I still love superchargers, especially when Max switches on the supercharger, the sound… mmmm…”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “You know that is not real; you can’t switch a turbocharger on or off.”
I said, “Sure, you can.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “No, you can’t, you know.”
I said, “No disrespect, but you are an engineer, and you’re telling me no. There are magnetic and electric clutches. I read about them.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “Not buying it. It cannot be done, you know.”
I said, “Well, everyone is entitled to his opinion. Anyway, I’m going out soon to see the town…”
3rd Engineer Milo interrupted me and said, “Can I come with you?”
I said, “Sure. Meet you in half an hour at the port entrance.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “Thanks. See you in half an hour, you know.”
In half an hour, we met at the port entrance and walked a few blocks until we realized we had to take a small ferry to the center of the town.
As we traveled on the ferry, we were greeted by a stunning sight of tall buildings rising gracefully from the water. The area resembled a floating city, with no roads in sight, just boats tied to small docks around the buildings. The architecture was a beautiful blend of historic charm and modern elegance, creating a unique skyline. Canals wove their way through the city like veins, and the gentle sway of the boats added to the serene atmosphere. It felt like a place where time slowed down, allowing us to fully absorb the enchanting scenery around us.
When we arrived in the city, I was surprised to see many junkies. On every corner, there seemed to be a young person passed out, smelling like burnt hay. I'll never forget a beautiful young girl lying on the street. She was missing one shoe, and one of her breasts was exposed. People walked over or around her as if it was normal. I glanced at the nearby coffee shop, which was filled with young people smoking marijuana.
I said, “Do you see this? Look at her.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “This is normal here, you know. I read about it, you know. Marijuana is legal here, and a lot of tourists come here to get high.”
I said, “Well, I see how it works for them. I mean, look at that.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “Better to just ignore it, you know.”
A few young people barely passed us, staggering like drunks from left to right. They laughed constantly, their faces distorted with amusement. We walked further and saw a game shop filled with consoles and posters for a few new games. We walked in, and I saw a console on a 50% discount with four controllers, a remote, and a few popular games like Halo 2. The moment I saw the price, my mind shouted, ‘Shut up and take my money.’
3rd Engineer Milo was hyped, and I said to the shopkeeper, “I’m interested in buying this.”
I pulled out money from my pocket, revealing a few 200 euro notes. The shopkeeper saw them and said, “We only accept 50 euro notes or less.”
I said, “But this is also euro.”
The shopkeeper said, “50 euro is hard to counterfeit.”
I asked, “What am I supposed to do now?”
The shopkeeper replied, “Find a bank or maybe a currency exchange office.”
I just shook my head and said, “Ok.”
We left the store and walked all over the city. We found a few banks, but they refused to change my money since I didn't have an account with them. We scratched banks off our list and started searching for a currency exchange office.
On the way, 3rd Engineer Milo said, “Can we stop here for a second? I want to buy a telephone card to call home cheaper.”
I nodded and glanced at a nearby newspaper stand. We stood behind a man in a suit who was arguing with the lady at the stand. He shouted, “What... don’t you understand? Any... any card... Give me any card!”
The lady in the stand enumerated around 10 types of cards.
The man in the suit shouted, “Just give me any card… any!”
I said, “Tough day, huh.”
The man in the suit said to me with an agitated voice, “They fucked me in my country, I came here, they fucked me even more. Now I just want to get out of this country, and she won’t sell me any card.” The man in the suit shouted at the lady in the stand, “Do you sell telephone cards!?”
The lady in the stand said, “Yes, sir.”
The man in the suit shouted, “Well then give me any card!”
The lady in the stand just looked confused.
I said, “Can you show me all the telephone cards you have?”
The lady at the stand stretched out her hands, holding a box of cards. I picked a random card and handed it to the man in the suit.
I said, “He will take this one.”
The lady at the stand nodded, and the man in the suit calmed down a bit. He said, “Thank you… you see, he understands any card.”
After he paid and left, 3rd Engineer Milo bought the telephone card.
Soon after, we found a currency exchange office. I begged the lady inside for five minutes to exchange my money, but she refused. She said I could have fraudulent money and that she only exchanged different currencies.
I said, “Well, can you please exchange this money for some dollars?”
She was reluctant, but she indulged me. She gave me the exchange.
I said, “Thank you.”
I walked a circle in front of the currency exchange and said, “Hello there! Please could you exchange these dollars for euros and please 50 euro notes only.”
The lady inside just shook her head and exchanged me the money.
3rd Engineer Milo said, “Finally, you know.”
As we walked back to the store, 3rd Engineer Milo noticed a tattoo salon and said, “Can we stop for a second? I want to check out this tattoo salon, you know.”
I said, “You want a tattoo?”
3rd Engineer Milo entered and said, “Wanted one since I was a kid, you know.” He looked at some tattoos and picked a hazard sign for his shoulder.
The tattooist said, “You like this one!? If you like, I can do it right now.”
3rd Engineer Milo said, “You could. Awesome, you know.” 3rd Engineer Milo looked at me.
I said, “Don’t look at me; you’re an adult. I’ll go buy the gaming console and come back.”
3rd Engineer Milo smiled and said to the tattooist, “You know it’s game on.”
I shook my head and left them. After a long walk, I reached the game store and bought the gaming console without any problems. Afterward, I returned to the tattoo salon and waited for the tattooist to finish 3rd Engineer Milo's tattoo. He was done late in the evening.
As we walked back to the ship, we were struck by the vibrant glow of the red-lit street. The entire area was bathed in a crimson hue, creating an almost surreal ambiance. In the shop windows, women of various sizes, shapes, and appearances stood in their alluring lingerie, striking poses that enticed passersby. They waved or called out to us from the doors of these establishments, their voices mingling with the faint hum of the city. The scene was a blend of mystery and allure, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who wandered through this intriguing part of the city.
At one point, 3rd Engineer Milo got closer to one side of the street, and a beautiful young girl touched his shoulder. He let out a startled, almost girlish scream, “My tattoo...” and we stopped.
I laughed and said, “Don’t be a wuss, Milo.”
The young beautiful girl in her underwear said, “You speak my language. I’m sorry if I hurt you, Milo. What a cute name. I’m Dorothy.”
3rd Engineer Milo raised his sleeve from a T-shirt, and Dorothy said, “Awww, this is so beautiful.” Dorothy took his palm and massaged it.
I asked, “Where are you from?”
Dorothy told us she was from our country, from a city further inland. She then kissed 3rd Engineer Milo's hand.
I asked, “How did you end up all the way here?”
Dorothy replied, “Well, I’m… sort of studying… at least that’s what my parents think back home.”
3rd Engineer Milo asked, “Will you ever come back home?”
Dorothy replied, “Of course, as soon as I save enough money to buy me a car and a house.”
I said, “Won’t they be suspicious of where you got all that money?”
Dorothy said, “I’ll just tell them I got a job and studied, but enough about me. Do you want to join me? You could both come in. Double the pleasure.”
I smiled and said, “No thanks. We don’t know each other well enough to cross swords, and once it gets dark, I don’t know if his aim is good; he could mistake my hole for yours.”
Dorothy and 3rd Engineer Milo laughed. He then said, “We better get going, you know. Maybe next time, Dorothy.”
Dorothy smiled and said, “Ok then, boys, be safe. See you back home.”
We left and returned to the ship.
Over the next few days, 3rd Engineer Milo and I played Halo 2 in the TV room. Eventually, the repairs on the ship were done, and we continued our navigation to the destination port.
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