Dear Diary,
Today marks a peculiar chapter in our odyssey. We started our day in the warm glow of victory, having retrieved the first piece of the Quadforce, thanks to Lint’s unorthodox navigation skills and my steering. But as they say, calm seas never made a skilled sailor and today was anything but calm.
Our destination was the Phantom Shoals, the supposed resting place of the second Quadforce piece. In Lint’s hands, our map seemed to live a life of its own, leading us to submerged alleyways and right into the path of a drifting billboard. It crunched against our hard top, and in an instant, our newly acquired Quadforce victory seemed to be overshadowed by another incoming repair bill.
As if on cue, Beetle’s floating shop bobbed into view. “You again!” he cried out, a chuckle escaping him. I watched as his hands worked expertly, repairing our hard top with a finesse that spoke of years in the trade. Beetle ran a marine stainless steel fabrication business near Melbourne and had seen his fair share of nautical mishaps. In this flooded city, his skills were a godsend.
His bustling shop was filled with various tools and parts, and something caught my eye – a shiny new boat latch. My weary eyes lit up at the sight of the sturdy latch. With Lint’s tendency for unexpected detours, it was an investment for the inevitable.
As the sun dipped below the skeletal remains of Melbourne’s skyline, we were once again ready to take to the waters. With the repaired hard top and the new boat latch in place, the SS Lionel was stronger than before. We ventured towards the Phantom Shoals with renewed determination.
Lint was an agent of chaos, that much was certain, but his spirit was infectious. As we journeyed onwards, the trials we faced seemed less daunting, our resolve hardened like the stainless steel of our ship.
Tomorrow, the Phantom Shoals await.
Till then,
Captain Lionel