"Tales From Where Angels Fear to Tread" A White Star Lines Publication, A Division of Orbital Spa and Cruise 31 March 828 A.S.
A Return to Service
Eagle-eyed passengers looking up at the "big board" on Curacao were in for an unexpected treat. While the signature clacking sound continued to roll over for all the venerable ships in the luxury fleet, one indicator had been silently gathering figurative dust (Curacao's grand terminal, like all Orbital properties, is kept meticulously clean). At the bottom of the list, after every liner, cruise ship, transport, shuttle, and ferry was "BREEZEWOOD - OUT OF SERVICE."
While the designation has, traditionally, been granted to lost ships before their fates were fully determined, no wreath laying ceremony or investigation was ever launched for Breezewood or her well known Captain, Jonathan Seabourne, who also served as Chairman of the organization. But today, with no fanfare other than a knowing smile from the dispatch officer on the board, "OUT OF SERVICE" rolled over into "PARADISE LIMITED - MANHATTAN - BADEN BADEN" for the first time in recent memory.
Yes, Breezewood and her captain have returned to service, with "serve" being the operative word. "The only title I ever cared about was captain," said the former director, disappointing those hoping for juicy stories of corporate infighting. "I was only ever a placeholder, and I've been thrilled to read up on what Director Cross has done with the place. After a few years of wandering in the desert, it seems Orbital's finally found its huckleberry."
When asked about the sudden disappearance, Seabourne only offered comments that it related to a "personal health issue" and would go no further. As to where the former face of the corporation has been hiding these past few months, the Captain simply beamed his signature smile. "I hear Bielefeld is lovely this time of year."
A Bit of Magic
The Liberty Navy is rightfully proud of its magnificent hardware, but paradoxically the most impressive ships of the fleet are the ones that are seen the least. While Liberty's battleships stand their silent vigils in the tradelanes, the ship spotters of Sirius usually have blank spots on their checklists for one elusive name: Osiris. Fortunately, one lucky band of socialites got the opportunity to cross the name off in spectacular fashion.
Commodore Edwards of LNS Akhetaten found himself crossing paths with Breezewood while the latter was performing search and rescue duty in Manhattan orbit. The liner was hosting a large bachelorette party for a well known socialite and her 1,999 closest friends and took to playing "life guard" to keep the crew otherwise occupied. Captain Seabourne hailed the Navy ship looking to swap intel on any nearby threats but it ended with some spectacular fireworks.
"I jokingly asked for a demonstration of the hardware on an Osiris," said Seabourne, "and to my immense delight, Edwards agreed to put on a show."
Ensuring he limited himself to only declassified information, Edwards proceeded to show off the offensive capabilities of the battleship. From anti-capital ship cannons to defensive flack guns, the "oooohs" and "ahhhhs" of the passengers echoed throughout the ship, supplementing the guided tour provided by the commodore over comms. "I liked the green one best," slurred one passenger, holding what was unlikely to be her first, or last, Liberty Ale. "Though the orange ones with the long tails were also hella pretty."
But Akhetaten had one more trick up her sleeve, demonstrating the technology that the sine qua non of the class. After a countdown, Edwards deployed the ship's cloaking device, causing the massive warship to disappear before the passengers' very eyes. "It's like you're not even there!" exclaimed an awe-struck Seabourne over comms. "That's because I'm not there," came the reply from Akhetaten's bridge.
The warship, which had disappeared on the starboard side of the liner, materialized on the port side to give both sets of passengers a show. "Our entertainers work a lot of prestidigitation into their show in the Cabaret," said Seabourne, "but usually it centers on making parts of their costumes disappear and reappear. This is the first time I've ever seen it applied to something the size of a battleship at such close range."
The party-loving socialites will have quite the story to tell once they are planetside again, provided they remember any of it. But in this case, large ships suddenly disappearing can't be blamed on the alcohol, but rather the technical brilliance of the Liberty Navy and the showmanship of her captains.
A Resumed Subscription
With Wanderlust coming back to a full printing schedule, expect to see more of Orbital's in-flight magizine on board stations and liners near you. As always, the magazine is eager to print the stories of adventures all across Sirius and beyond. Do you have an engaging or amusing tale involving an Orbital vessel? Is so, we want to hear from you! Address all communications to Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Seabourne, and you might just see your words in the next copy relatively free of charge!
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OS&C|Breezewood
Captain Jonathan Seabourne, Editor-in-Chief, Wanderlust Magazine