Just a little bit of blue R1.2

1.2 - Indian Ocean

Eager to get inside the ship's castle and to get rid of the stinking Hazmat suit, Albert measured his steps and reached for the hatch handle. The Darwin Underground had found him a place as a deck hand in an ore freighter bound to Mogadishu, the mutant capital of the world. He had to get to New Constantinople and that was the closest they could send him without arousing suspicions. No one but the Technos travel between Centers and he already risked his life just by leaving Alice Springs. He thought long and hard before accepting to embark on this odissey, but he didn't really have a choice. Since he joined the Underground, his head had a prize on it, and he knew that. Wherever he went, he could always be caught. And killed. With extreme prejudice, as they ask for in the wanted ads.

(Image: Vladimir Oprisko in Unsplash)

As he got inside, he hurried to close himself in the disinfection chamber. The faster he got on with it, the lesser the chance of nature doing the very thing he was running from. Some of the mutant bacteria that fed on the algae fields of the Indian Ocean were extremely poisonous. The sailors called it the hagteria, as any one that had his skin infected would go on to look like an old hag, his body de-hydrated by the bacteria and turned into a moving skeleton until an excruciating death, not unlike a mumification in life, would come, in a week or so. These bacteria were all over the ocean and Albert had just been outside, and he knew you can catch the hag in the seaspray that hits you everytime you go out.

-Hey Vlad! How did the deck inspection go?- Asked the Captain's Mate. Albert remembered his new name. His ID chip had been replaced with one from a sailor that found a bitter end in one of Darwin's Red Light District back alleyways. His name was now Vladimir Orlov and he had to keep in mind not to forget it. -Oh! Man! Fucking hot outside.- He replied.- The deck inspection?- The Mate repeated, down from his imposing gorilla like figure.- All the seals are perfect Sir.- The officer smirked and said, with the best approximation he could do of a self-righteous smile under his thick beard,-Of course it's fucking hot outside. That's why we send your worthless piece of ass there and don't go out there ourselves.- Albert noted the undesguised racism on the Mate's voice. Most people still regarded the Russians as the party to blame for the Holocaust. He was about to open his mouth when he recalled he was stuck with a Russian sailor's ID chip. Better to dismiss it and make his way to his bunk.

As he walked down the corridor, he calmed himself with the notion that in two days they would be reaching port and he would never cross paths with this crew again. At least, he hoped so, as he still had to find his way to Nairobi and then to get on the flash train to the Capital. The prototype he carried had to get there no matter what. People have died to get it out of the Governmental Weapons Test Range in New Caledonia and he had to get it to the Tunisian JIhad, one of the groups the Underground worked with. They hoped the Tunisians had a guy that could get the thing running. He was only given a name, Sadiq. And he was going to find him.

As he got to his bunk, he checked if the part was still in his bag. No problems. From there, it would be smooth sailing the rest of the way and he didn't expect to be called to go out again. He changed into a pair of boxers and a t-shirt and turned the fan on. It was scorchingly hot outside and he really had to cool down. Clean water was a luxury onboard the freighters, so showers were only one a week. He'd still have to wait for his turn, in the next day. I hope I didn't get the hag, this time - He said to himself, to try and get reassured that the disinfection chamber worked as it should. And he got on his cot, picked up the Al-Koran from beneath his pillow and started to read:" I begin with the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praise is to God, Lord of all the worlds..."

-To be continued

20.01.25 - @hefestus

Disclaimer:
"Just a little bit of blue" is a work of fiction. Every event, character, planet, continent, country, city, street, building, corporation, institution and product mentioned in this work is totally fictitious and has absolutely no relation to reality or real events, persons, planets, continents, countries, cities, streets, buildings, corporations or institutions. Everything is derived from the author's own imagination and no AI products were involved in the planning, writing or revision of this work. Additionally, the story happens in the future, in a time that has not yet come, so, any considerations about the possibility of the occurrence of facts or release of products mentioned herein, in the years to come, are due to mere coincidence and in no way derive from the author's inside or 3rd party knowledge of any country, organization or person's plans to implement actions or release said products into the market.
Just to be clear: All that's written here is fictional and originated by the author's own toughts about what may happen to come in the unknown future.