Cruising with Cthulhu

Dallas felt pity watching the cabby lift the last suitcase, “Honey, really? A separate suitcase for all your shoes? What? Did you pack steel-toe-boots?! It’s only a 14 day cruise with ten days at sea. Where/when do you plan to wear each pair?” Reed lifted her makeup bag over her shoulder, “You’re the mystery writer. It’s another case for you to solve. I’m the true-crime writer, and it would be a crime if I didn’t have matching shoes for each of my outfits.”

Dallas tipped the cabby extra as he dropped them at the pier in front of the ‘Cobalt Sky’. There waiting to greet them was Val (his secretary/editor) and her husband Alex. Alex approached to shake hands, “Thanks again for this ‘business’ trip. Val says you have a 2-week deadline for your next book. I've always wanted to visit Hawaii. Hopefully this cruise will give you inspiration to complete your story.”

They shuffled thru the registration lines, posing for their picture to be tagged for their individual room keys. Val and Alex headed to the pool deck while Dallas and Reed headed to the 15^th top deck for drinks. They rejoined for the 4pm pre-sailing ‘muster’ drill, then remained at the railing to watch the departure out of Vancouver. After a late dinner, they returned to their rooms finding letters posted on their doors, “Congratulations. You’ve been selected for 7am breakfast tomorrow morning with the Captain.”

Come morning, the captain’s personal steward Rupa seated the guests. They joined 2 other couples: 1) Liz + husband Todd: naval commander shipping overseas, 2) Erica + John Smith: older retired couple. After ten minutes of table talk, Rupa made a formal announcement, “Ladies and gentlemen. May I present Captain Reinholt Barclay.” The captain soon explaining his rich accent, “I’m from St. John’s VI in the Caribbeans. In fact, my 600 crew members are an international mixture.” The conversation lively till another steward leaned in to whisper to the captain…Dallas overhearing (...been ...murder...). As the captain stood to excuse himself, Dallas whispered, “Maybe we can be of assistance. My wife and I have experience in such…delicate matters. My secretary has research background to also lend invaluable aid.”

And so Rupa led the entourage (captain and guests) thru “Crew Only” passages into the bowels of the ships, eventually coming to the ship morgue. The tending doctor surprised by the arrival of guests. “Doctor Pedro Rodriguez; these guests offer you help since they have some experience with…foul play. I’ve given them full reign on the matter.”

As Rupa and the captain depart, the body is revealed. Tall, middle-aged man, back of skull smashed in. Weapon: putter from putt-putt golf course deck 10. Body found around 0430 by another crewmember. Reed used her forensic skills to examine the putter for prints while also inspecting the wound. Val had read enough of Dallas’ books to know to look at the fingernails for defensive wounds…none. But she did find a raised welt on his forehead, “Is that a brand?! 

Looks recent. The detail…looks cultish.” Yet she couldn’t place the symbol per her Occult skills. Meanwhile, Dallas looked for a wallet and ID eventually finding a room key that could be cross-referenced by security for identification. But it was Alex who asked the obvious, “Are there any security cameras around the putting green?”

The head of security, Kunta Kente, was an imposing large man from Ghana! A call to the captain to confirm the guests’ authority before he cross-referenced the room key, “Mr. Rob Jensen, room 615.” Dallas using his charm to get on the good-side of security. Then a rewind of the security tape for the golf course, starting at 0430 going backwards. “Stop. 0103 when that other shadow appears. See the club raised.

Shorter assailant. Hooded cloak. Why’s he bending over the body? Look, he’s pulled something out of his pocket and is heating it with a lighter. Ewww, he’s branding the forehead. Now raising his hands in prayer.” Dallas has seen enough, “Middle-eastern shit. Terrorist?”

A search of Mr. Jensen’s room is fruitless. Recent divorce, pictures of kids. Nothing to suggest enemies. Even a visit to the murder scene (that has been taped off) only reveals the killer’s smaller footprint imbedded in the astro-turf. Dead ends. Nothing from computer searches of cultist activities and symbols. Dallas puts in a call to his research aid back home in Vancouver, “Here’s a picture of the brand. See what you can dig up. And hurry!” The rest of the evening is a bored effort trying to enjoy the cruise. Awkward conversation trying to change the subject. Morning brings a knock at the door.

“There’s been another incident.” Rupa reports another murder committed in the theater. This time by garrote; same branding. Usher found the body also around 0430. Last movie was some B-rated show; no surprise theater deserted. Camera grainy from back of room but can make-out robed figure sneaking up on seated man around 0130. Then the garrote comes out. Then the heated branding. Room key found…Chad Nurata from room 777. Another trip to the morgue to view the body. Garrote imbedded in neck. Blood on garrote possibly from assailant; cut right hand. “The brand looks the same. Pull out Mr. Jensen so we can compare.” But the slab is empty!

A quick search finds the morgue camera disabled. Same for hallway camera: wires cut. Even elevator camera disabled per opened access panel. “He knew what he was doing. Possible crew member. Let’s be discrete as we talk to security.” As we explained our findings, Kunta noticed Alex staring at the large man’s hands. He exposed the calloused hands, “Satisfied?” As we ran the morgue cameras backways, the static continued till 0100 when a gloved hand became visible reaching up to the camera. “Assuming it’s a crew member, check cameras on the lower floors starting around 0100.” Sure enough, the 2^nd deck camera captured the screen of what looks like Rupa pushing a wheel-barrel into a storage room. “Something sloshing in it. Was that meat chunks?! Did he cut up the body?!”

As we walk towards the captain’s quarters, we pass Head Stewardess Patricia Swift who seems to be stretching her back. Aches and pains of the day? Rupa greets us at the door, “Just a minute, captain is shaving.” A scream from the bathroom shatters our thoughts. A nasty neck cut while shaving but worst; in the pain and panic, he dropped the razor slicing the webbing between thumb and forefinger on his right hand. Alex oh so suspicious of a convenient cover-up. After Dallas and Val use medical skills to patch him up, we show the captain the two similar brandings. His reaction, “Bad juju…voodoo. I’ve seen similar in the Caribbean.”

With no further explanations, with a security guard leading, we decide to head below decks to the storage area to see where Jensen’s body was dumped. Reed grabs a fire-extinguisher while Dallas grabs the fire-axe. Shuffling and grunting sounds in the dark as we round a corner.

There, before us…two HUGE black goats (as large as mules) graze in a slop pen made of concertina wire. As they bleat, we see a mouth full of shark teeth! Alex fails his SANITY checks and collapses with rubbery legs. The security guard freaks out, gouging out his own eyes. Grabbing our wayward companions, we slowly back out of the room; Dallas relieves the guard of his gun. “What the hell is going on?!”

Thinking the murders are meant to feed these beasts, we return to the morgue to check on Chad’s body. As if premonition…we encounter Patricia in a trance walking into the morgue. She lifts the body over her shoulder. Val grabs a scalpel for defense. We follow, expecting her to take the elevator down to the storage. But she goes up to the 5^th floor (we squeeze into the elevator beside her, careful not to disturb her trance). It’s soon apparent she plans to throw the body overboard at the railing. As Dallas grabs Chad’s leg, Val and Alex tackle her as she begins to heave the body. Reed happens to glance over the stern noticing a large swarm of sharks.

Disposing of evidence? Val hears Dallas’ phone chirping…an inbound file from his researcher. No time to read as Patricia is on the move. We follow Patricia (still in a trance) as she returns to her room (512) crawling into bed. As Dallas checks under the bed finding a box, Patricia awakes. Awkward explanations. Bust open the box to find a voodoo doll and (poem or prayer or ritual?).

Val vaguely recognizes the black goat reference, “I think it has something to do with Shub-Niggurath.”

It’s time to warn the ship of the growing danger. “I don’t know anything about this occult you mention, but the passengers must be warned about a murderer on the loose.” But the hallway to the security offices is dark. Silent. No answers to our calls. We open the door and flip on the light switch…the room bathed in blood splatter floor to ceiling!” More Sanity loss by all as we realize Kenta’s crumpled body is the source of all the blood. Who or what was able to best that mountain-of-a-man?! Bloody footprints exit the room. We follow into the elevator. Dallas notices decks 2 and 11 buttons with bloody smears. “Whoever or whatever went to feed the goats and then went topside.” Suddenly a fire alarm pierces our thoughts.

We exit the elevator on deck 11 to dark skies and the sight of other passengers confused. Most treating the alarm as a drill; no hurry or panic. Dark clouds grow rapidly on the east and west horizons and seem to be rushing toward the ship on a collision course. Lightning flashes illuminate the bloody trail that leads to the stern of the ship. The 2 huge black goats have been slaughtered and now hang hoofs up from separate pyres. Their fur set ablaze. Reed rushes toward the pyres with her fire extinguisher as Alex stops to uncoil a fire hose. Another lightning flash illuminates 3 figures standing atop the ship funnel housing; their arms raised in prayer. Suddenly, another bolt of lightning explodes one of the figures.

Reed easily extinguishes the goat fur just before Alex arrives with the hose. Dallas on the other hand is focused on the chanters. And from his skyward vision, he sees a huge pillar descend from the clouds and impale the open sea before the ship.

Torrential rain now almost blinding us; Dallas’ excuse for thinking the pillar covered in fur. Then just as suddenly, another pillar descends on the bow of the ship, tipping the stern skyward. This pillar IS covered in fur and ends with a cloven hoof! Val’s sanity is frayed; she lashes out at anyone and everyone with her scalpel. The ship is sinking; every man and woman for themselves.

Val swipes at Alex trying to rescue her; her strike (02) just missing his dodge (06). Alex manages to tackle his wife as they both slide along the rising angular deck. Meanwhile, Reed has managed to grab hold the railing but Dallas fails. Reed grabs her husbands’ ankle but his weight dislodges her grip on the railing. Both slide toward the far ship side. In a last desperate lunge, Dallas manages to hit the release button for a life-raft. The raft falling abeam Dallas also plummeting toward the choppy ocean water. Reed is not so lucky (93). She hits the deck railing with a “Thwack.” Unable to dodge (93), her chin hits the railing with such force her head is ripped from her shoulders.

Dallas only sees her body falling into the sea. He abandons the raft, swimming toward his wife, never seeing the massive jaws rising from the waters to envelope them both!

Val and Alex also succumb to the events; theirs a more humane drowning. Before eaten by sharks.

EPILOGUE

Dallas’ laptop lays open inside the raft. The file opened and now in auto-play, “Mr. Dallas. The branding image you sent is similar to a Caribbean cult worship of a fantastical god named Shub-Niggurath, also known as ‘The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young.’ There are many versions of this beast, even water born. Legend and Caribbean lore has it, if one [Captain Reinholt himself] makes 3 sacrifices [Rob, Chad, Kenta] he gains inhuman strength [enough to drag both huge goats topside]. If he also sacrifices two beasts, he can summon forth Shub-Niggurath himself.”

Lapping water soon strikes the laptop shorting its electrical components. The story of actual events lost forever. The few remaining survivors have no knowledge of any pillars striking the ship. They were the fortunate drunks who survived the crash and ship sinking.