Terminus Part I: The Journey There (Draft)

Chapter 4: Something That Matters

The headline read "The Rogue Detective Leads Robbery of Douglas Estate" with the subtitle "Millionaire Son Milangelo Douglas Implicated As Accomplice". A man in his twenties sat reclined on a beach chair, drinking a mojito, and thinking about money as he read through an article talking about a new pirate loose on the Phobos Sea.

He laughed at the thought of 50 million onits, and said to the man next to him, "Hey, little brother, I think we've just found ourselves some good work."

"I just changed into my swimming trunks and now I can't go in the pool!"

"You weren't going to go in the pool anyway. Let's go."

"I was too planning to go in the pool."

"You'd be out right after you went in. You don't like water."

"I just want to do things that other people do."

"I know, but sometimes, you've just got to focus on what you can do. We're really good at hunting, which is why we do it."

"Hunt? Is there game afoot?"

"Yes, brother, it's headline news, in fact."

"Then why didn't you lead with that? We're more than bounty hunters, after all."

With that, the two brothers got up and walked to their hotel room. "Bullseye! Did you pack the guns? Or are we going to have to go home and get them?"

"I only packed my Protector and my Signature. If we need more, I think a detour is in order."

"Well, we're both at fault here. We were naive enough to think that a vacation would remain a vacation."

"Marcus, that's the normal assumption to make, not a fault."

"Right, well, regardless, let's go home."

Meanwhile, aboard the SS Psychic, James had summoned his crew to discuss the long-term plan.

"Okay, so when I set out for sea, I had no long-term plan. I simply wanted to escape from land. However, of all the seas, one has caught my attention: the Terminus."

"You mad genius! You're not serious, are you?" Milangelo said as his eyes widened and his spirit seemed to be in shock.

"The Terminus? You do know that means 'end', right? Are you sending us on a suicide voyage?" asked Cameron, worried.

"I'm not sending anyone on a suicide voyage. I'm certain that this will be the greatest adventure any of us will ever have!"

"Hey, captain, I was just messing with you when I gave that speech about the Terminus. I didn't think you would seriously send us there," said Crock, in a half-hearted way.

"So, am I to understand that we're not going on an amazing adventure?" asked Patricia, slightly confused.

"Well that's a bummer..." said Karnilla.

"Wait, that's not what I meant. The Terminus is hands down the wildest sea ever borne by waves. The islands there are like something out of your dreams... good and bad alike. But getting from island to island would be impossible in this ship. As good as it is, it has weaknesses that would be its downfall in that sea. If you want to go to the Terminus, you would need to either get a new ship or hire a team of engineers to rebuild the ship, fixing its flaws."

"This ship has flaws?" asked Milangelo.

"Aye. They're not the kinds of flaws that would sink a ship in a regular sea, like the Phobos or the Hermes, but the currents of the Terminus are..."