Sea Sick: A Horror Novel

Tally sighed impatiently. “The ship is owned by BR shipping. They take advantage of their cruise itineraries by offering free freight service to their subsidiary companies.”


Jack scratched his chin. “BR? BR? Where do I know that name from?”

“Black Remedy. They are the largest commercial entity in the world. I would think they are familiar to everybody.”

Jack clicked his fingers. “Yeah, that’s it, Black Remedy. Jesus, they even have their hands in the holiday business now?”

Tally shrugged. “Looks like it. Now come on. We may feel like we have eternity to find the pathwalker, but we do not.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked.

“Enough!” Tally took Jack by the arm and begun dragging him away from the pool. “No more questions. We have to get started.”

***

Tally took them down to the bowels of the ship via the elevator. She first had to key in a code on the console which allowed her access to the none-passenger parts of the ship.

The Orlop Deck was stifling, lit only by fluorescent strip lighting. There were no windows or soft furnishings of any kind. The floor was uncarpeted, leaving the metal walkways exposed. There was the sound of machinery nearby and the ship seemed to move with every wave.

“The cargo hold is aft,” said Tally. “This way.”

They headed down a corridor towards the back of the ship. There were no doorways on this level and everything was wide open. Up ahead there were several cargo pallets, wrapped tightly in saran wrap and secured to the floor by ropes and buckles. Some of the pallets were stacked ten feet high.

“What is all this stuff?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know. BR usually transports medicines from their plant in Portugal to other countries in Europe.”

“How do you know so much about Black Remedy?”

“Because I like to know who I work for. Plus, all the staff know that the lower hold is used for shipping. It is no secret.”

“Then what do you expect to find down here?”

“Evidence of a spell.”

Jack frowned. “Huh?”

“You cannot just reset time without having certain things prepared. Somewhere on this ship there is a candle burning. If we find it, we find the person who cast the spell.”

Jack looked about the cargo hold at the various boxes and crates. He raised an eyebrow. “We’re looking for a candle? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Because if you saw the candle in question you would have mentioned it anyway.”

“Why?”

“Because all time-magic requires a candle. That candle will burn with a bright blue flame. It’s probably being kept somewhere private, undisturbed – like the cargo hold.”

Jack moved between the pallets, prodding at various boxes and crates. Sure enough they all had printed labels reading BR PHARMACEUTICALS. “You think this stuff has anything to do with the virus onboard? What do you make of what has been happening to people every night? There’s something pretty damned nasty onboard.”

Tally hoisted herself up onto a pallet with the agility of a circus performer and began scanning the area from her elevated viewpoint. “I know nothing of the virus except that it is unnatural, man-made.”

“How do you know it’s been engineered?”

“Because nature does not bring back the dead to kill the living. Only man is wicked enough to create such a thing.”


Jack pulled at some of the wrapping on a cardboard box and attempted to get at the contents inside. “Maybe there’s some nasty substance in one of these boxes that got loose. I’ve read things about Black Remedy being involved in all sorts of dodgy practises and corruption in the past – that’s how they got so powerful in the first place. Maybe they’re into weapons and chemicals and stuff.”

“Perhaps,” said Tally. “That all sounds a bit like a conspiracy to me. I think if we find the pathwalker we will find answers for all our questions.”