Chapter Seven
Basil Jenks
I t’s amazing how quiet the ship is at night in the crew areas. Passenger space is always noisy, if not with people, then there’s piped in music playing softly in public spaces. Or there’s live entertainment spaced out in a cross-hatch of venues for passengers to enjoy.
Not so in crew areas. Once away from the M-1, the main highway below decks used by crew to move from one end of the ship to the other, the crew’s living spaces are surprisingly peaceful.
Walking again after meeting the captain, I meander, deep in thought. My phone buzzes and I stop for a moment, leaning against a wall, to answer Simone’s call.
“Mr. Jenks, I’m sorry to call so late, but I have information I think you should know soonest.” Her words tumble out even before I’ve had a chance to say hello. “Victor Ardan. Do you know Victor Ardan? He’s making a move on Mystic Cruises. He’s putting together an offer to buy.”
“Ardan? Never heard of him. Find out who he is and who’s backing him and email it to me soon as you have it. Raw data and links are good. Don’t wait to make it pretty. Most important, find out WHY he’s after my cruise company.”
“Yes sir. I’ve called in the team, and they are on it. We’ll have a preliminary who’s who for you within an hour. Texting you a doc now with what I know so far.”
“Give me the cliff notes and I’ll read the rest when I get back to my cabin.”
“Victor Ardan. Shadowy. The kind of shadow only power and money beget. He is you with no morals, from what I can see so far, Mr. Jenks. He has an interest already in the area you are cruising. A research facility, underwater research, on Lemesurier Island near Glacier Bay. It’s a recent acquisition and I speculate this might be the source of his desire to buy Mystic Cruises. No proof of that yet, sir.”
“OK. Stay on it. Get Jefferson to dig into the research facility. Usual background, but deep dive on Ardan’s involvement.”
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye—a familiar figure strolling towards the engine room.
Cordelia.
“I have to go.” I swipe to end the call and put my phone back into my pocket. What is the Chief Engineer hiding?
Cordelia moves with purpose, her silhouette barely visible in the dim light. The ship lurches and she stumbles, catches herself, and we lock eyes.
“Cordelia.” My voice slices through the silence.
She freezes. Her eyes flash as she recognizes me.
“Basil. What are you doing here?”
“What’s happening on this ship, Cordelia?” I step closer, unable to mask my irritation. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing that concerns you.”
“I’m not buying it.” I press, moving even closer. “You’re always around when something strange happens. Why?”
“You wouldn’t understand.” She turns away, but not before I see a flush rise in her cheeks.
“Try me.” I step close enough to breathe in her scent. Caramel and sea salt and…what was that? Her body, her skin shimmers with luminescence, like moonlight dancing on the waves.
“What was that?”
“You’re seeing things.”
“No.” I grab her arm, my fingers tingle at the contact with her soft skin. Despite my irritation, a spark of desire flares within me at her proximity. “I’m not letting this go.”
“I’m not your enemy.”
“Then what are you?” My grip tightens on her arm as she makes a move to pull away.
“Cordelia. “
“You don’t understand. There are secrets, not mine to tell… you should not, cannot know.”
“The secrets you are keeping are putting everyone at risk.”
“It’s you who puts us at risk. You’re not invincible. Secrets can destroy. You bulldoze through life unaware of forces beyond your control or perception.”
The tension between us crackles like electricity. Her defiance only fuels my determination.
“Then enlighten me. Or are you too scared?”
Her breath catches, and for a moment, vulnerability flickers across her face. It’s enough to make my resolve waver. I’ve hit on the truth. She is afraid.
“Please… you don’t know what you’re asking for.”
“Trust me.” My frustration reaches a boil. “Your ship, or you, or I don’t know what, is giving me visions, Cordelia. I’ve always had a sixth sense. I’ve used it ruthlessly to get where I am. But ever since I set foot on this ship, my instinctive hunches have changed. Vivid visions with incredibly confusing hallucinations. And these… episodes… are increasing, happening more often and gaining in power.”
Our gazes lock, and the air thickens with unspoken tension.
“Trust me with your secrets, Cordelia. I think your ship wants me to know.”
Without thinking, I close the gap between us. Her lips part slightly as if she’s about to speak but then—
Another flash hits me. Demanding and taking my full attention.
I’m submerged in water again, surrounded by those ancient ruins. But this time Cordelia is there too—her form shifting into something inhuman. Her skin ripples and shimmers, taking on an iridescent sheen. Her legs fuse, elongating into a powerful tail. I watch, transfixed, as her arms shrink and transform into sleek flippers. Her face stretches, her nose elongating into a distinctive beak. Even as her features change, her eyes remain the same—those piercing blue orbs that have haunted my dreams for weeks. In mere moments, where Cordelia floated, now a graceful dolphin, hovers in the water before me, radiating an otherworldly beauty that takes my breath away.
Impossible. She’s... she’s not human?
The vision shatters as quickly as it comes. I step back, stumbling away from Cordelia, mind reeling from what I’ve seen.
She reaches out to steady me, but I pull away instinctively.
“Basil... “ Her voice is a mixture of desperation and fear.
“What the hell are you?” The words spill out.
Cordelia’s concerned expression crumples into hurt, and I regret my question, but I can’t take it back.
Are my visions real? What IS she?
I stare at her and feel my world tilt on its axis. What have I gotten myself into?
I stumble through the ship, my mind swimming with images that defy reality. Cordelia, a dolphin? This can’t be real. I’m hallucinating. I must be.
The corridors twist and warp around me, and I blink hard, trying to clear my head. My footsteps echo in the empty hallway, each step a reminder that I’m losing my grip on sanity.
A crew member appears out of nowhere, concern etched on his face. “Are you alright, Mr. Jenks? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I wave him off, forcing a semblance of control into my voice. “I’m fine. Just... need air.”
His eyes linger on me for a moment longer before he nods and walks away. I watch him go, noticing the way his shadow stretches unnaturally long against the wall. Another trick of the light? Or something more?
I shake my head and press forward, but the ship seems to conspire against me. The walls pulse with an almost organic rhythm, and the whispers grow louder in my mind: “Seeker... finder... join us...”
My vision blurs again, and I’m underwater, surrounded by those ruins. Inhuman figures move gracefully through the depths, their eyes glowing with an eerie light. One of them turns towards me, its gaze piercing through my soul.
I gasp and snap back to reality, clutching the wall for support. My breaths come in ragged gasps as I struggle to maintain control.
Focus, Basil. You’re not losing it. Not yet.
I push myself off the wall and continue my aimless journey through the ship. Every corner hides another oddity—a crew member’s eyes flashing momentarily with an unnatural color, a door that wasn’t there before now standing ajar.
Another psychic flash hits me like a sledgehammer. This time I’m in a vast underwater city, its towers reaching up towards the surface like fingers grasping for salvation. Figures swim past me—some humanoid, others more monstrous.
The vision fades as quickly as it came, leaving me reeling once more.
I need to get back to my suite. I need something familiar, real, to grab ahold of.
With renewed determination, I navigate through the ship’s labyrinthine corridors until I finally reach my door. My hand trembles as I turn the handle and step inside.
What greets me isn’t my suite but an underwater scape, straight out of my visions. Coral reefs replace walls; bioluminescent plants cast an otherworldly glow.
In the center stands Cordelia—or something that resembles her but isn’t quite human. Her skin shimmers, iridescent and smooth; her eyes glow with an unearthly light.
“It’s time you knew the truth. Her voice echoes with a haunting song I’ve heard before. “About me, about this ship, and about your role in what’s to come.”
I shut my eyes, rejecting the vision, desperate to make these images cease. A voice is yelling. As I cover my ears to muffle the sound, I realize it’s my own. I don’t know how long I remain this way, paralyzed, resisting the psychic onslaught.
Eventually, I collapse to my knees and sit back on my heels, let my arms drop and open my eyes.
The coral reefs are gone.
I’m back to the familiar walls of my suite on the Mystic Princess.