An Interrupted Journey [FICTOID]

The butterfly effect hit the cruise ship industry like a vulture’s bad stomach cramp making it purge itself.

The almost deserted ship floated listlessly, no crew to man the engines, no passengers to serve.

A year earlier, a world away, an accountant received a warning that a snitch was turning him in for embezzlement.  With little time and no scruples, he cooked the books and now what should have been a simple little felony turned into a worldwide disaster.

(And ironies of ironies, it did him no good; they arrested him and found enough evidence to lock him away for the rest of his life, but since that came too late to undo the damage done, it really wasn’t justice.)

Captain Luigi Saphronsella climbed up a rope ladder dangling from the side of the becalmed cruise ship.  He’d been snorkling under the keel, checking for rust damage.

If the cruise ship sank, he and the remaining skeleton crew would need to enter the lifeboats.  That was not a thought he relished since they were in worst repair than the ship.

Climbing onto the deck, his first mate -- a bartender promoted after the mutiny -- ran up, saluted, and pointed to the horizon.  

An ocean going tug -- the tow truck of the open seas -- headed towards them.  “Word just came in,” the bartender cum first mate said breathlessly.  “We’re going home -- finally!”

“What about the ship?”

“Towed in, sold for scrap.”

That pained Captain Saphronsella but he said nothing.

“Since we’re going home, I’d like to resign,” the first mate said.

“Permission granted,” said Captain Saphronsella.  “Now fix me a drink.”

© Buzz Dixon