The cool sea air felt grounding as Kade stepped back onto the main deck, her mind still buzzing from the conversations she’d had with the crew over the past few hours. She had tried to get some rest, but the quiet pull of duty had led her to wander the ship instead, checking in with the young sailors who looked up to her for reassurance.

  The crew was on edge, and she could see it in the way they glanced over the rails or muttered in small groups. A few of the trainees had pulled her aside, their voices hesitant but hopeful, asking if there was any word on what exactly had happened to their world. The questions were always the same, circling back to the families they had left behind, the loved ones who might be as confused and scared as they were now. One or two had gone so far as to ask if they’d have a chance to leave and go home as soon as it was possible, a request that had stung more than she cared to admit. She hadn’t had an answer for them, and the concern lingered in her mind like a low ache.

  "Don’t worry about what’s coming," she had told one of the younger sailors, a boy no older than twenty, who had been nervously wringing his hands. "All we can do is focus on what we’re facing now, and I promise we’ll get through it. Together."

  The words had seemed to help, if only a little. She had repeated them, or variations of them, more times than she could count throughout the afternoon. It was part of her job as XO to keep the crew steady and be their point of contact and reassurance when the unknown felt overwhelming. But if she was honest with herself, she wasn't even sure she believed what she was saying.

  Not that she would leave the ship. While she had a sister and pair of older nephews back in the United States, leaving the ship wouldn't actually be helpful, as she would not have the supplies or support system to reach them without the ship. Even though leaving the ship was not her best option, she could understand why some others might want to leave.

  With the world burning, did a contract with the military still have any validity? She thought so, but she would need to bring the question to Voss. The thought weighed on her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind for the moment.

  Kade’s gaze shifted to the horizon, her steps automatically guiding her toward the foredeck where a small group had gathered. They were nearing the last known location of the cargo ship, and there was quiet anticipation in the air, every eye scanning the distant line where the sea met the sky.

  "Ship spotted!" The lookout’s voice broke the silence, excitement threading through his tone. "Bearing north northeast, about two miles out!"

  But then his voice came again, this time sharper, the edge of alarm unmistakable. "It’s showing November Charlie, ma’am. Ship in distress!"

  Kade’s gaze followed the lookout’s pointed finger until she caught sight of the ship on the horizon. Even from this distance, the November Charlie flags were visible through her binoculars, snapping in the wind. One flag split clean between blue and white, the other a checkered red and white. The universal maritime signal for distress. The deck beyond the flags looked still. No movement. No crew.

  Given everything they’d been through, she had expected something like this, but actually seeing the distress flags flying made the situation official. It brought with it a flood of questions she didn’t have answers to. Was this simply a technical failure and a call for help, as any ship might use it in its current situation? Or did it signal something more dire?

  She tried to push down the flood of questions, reminding herself that assumptions wouldn’t help until they knew what they were dealing with. But as the ship loomed closer, an unsettling thought lingered: what exactly had the cargo ship’s crew meant by those flags?

  The Horizon Talon glided silently through the water as it closed in on the cargo ship, steeping the deck in an uneasy quiet with each passing minute. Kade watched the looming vessel from her position near the bow, her gaze fixed on the ship’s shadowed hull. Signal flags still fluttered in the wind, proclaiming its distress, but there were no visible signs of life. Just a towering mass drifting on the open sea.

  The lookout had attempted to call out several times, but each call met only with silence. His face grew more unsettled with each unanswered hail, his voice slightly more strained each time he called out. Kade didn’t need to see the crew to know the tension was ratcheting up among them again. The silence of the other ship was like a black hole, absorbing sound and energy and leaving only questions in its wake.

  Finally, Captain Voss’s voice cut through the stillness, "Lieutenant Kade, Gunnery Sergeant Briggs, prepare the boarding party."

  His tone left no room for hesitation, carrying a weight that grounded the surrounding officers. The crew snapped into motion, a rush of disciplined movements filling the deck as Kade and Briggs moved to assemble the team.

  Kade glanced at Briggs, his expression set in a hard, experienced line. She took a breath, mentally steeling herself for whatever they might find aboard the vessel. This wasn’t the first time she’d led a boarding operation, but the stillness of the ship felt unnatural, as though it were waiting for them.

  Then, without warning, a translucent message appeared in Kade’s vision, its text standing out against the darkening horizon:

  The Forsaken Drift

  Quest Notification! The silent cargo ship stands adrift, its distress flags snapping in the wind, yet no sign of life stirs on its decks. Board this eerie, seemingly abandoned vessel, scouring its darkened holds for survivors and salvaging any supplies you can find.

  Difficulty: Easy

  Completion Conditions: Find the missing crew, locate the cargo manifest, and retrieve needed supplies.

  Rewards: 100 Gold, Experience, Two Magic Items, Ship Supplies

  Accept? Yes/No

  The words seemed to hang in her vision. The description felt a little ominous to her, but she was also a little thankful that the quest interface seemed more straightforward than the status screen. Did the phrase 'seemingly abandoned' give away the status of the ship or was AI behind the Simulation trying to screw with them?

  Selecting yes, she turned to the Marines nearby. "Did everyone get that quest notification? I'm going to recommend selecting yes. We're going to do it anyway, and we might as well get some additional reward for it."

  "This isn't a routine boarding. That ship is flying distress flags, but we've had no communication. Could be survivors. Could be worse. We will assess, secure the area, and, if possible, salvage supplies."

  "Marines will take point. I'm here to make sure we don't get lost in that hulk. Stay sharp, stay together, and we get back to the Talon in one piece."

  Kade’s voice carried across the deck as she finished her briefing to the Marines. The men and women in front of her listened with rapt attention, the weight of the mission hanging over them as they prepared for the unknown. Gunnery Sergeant Briggs was already overseeing the last checks, his usual gruff voice keeping the Marines focused as they strapped on their gear and loaded into the longboats.

  As the deck quieted for a moment, 2nd Lt. Mark Lawson approached her, his gaze steady but with a flicker of something guarded. "Lieutenant," he began, his voice low enough not to carry. "I know you outrank me, but with this being a Marine action…" He paused, and though his words were careful, there was a hint of posturing, his shoulders squared as he added, "I need you to understand that I’m in charge here."

  Kade caught the subtle edge in his tone, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She understood the importance of clear command lines and just how much a tangled chain of command could spell disaster. She held his gaze, nodding once.

  "Relax, Lawson," she replied. "Confusing chain of command is the fastest way to get people killed, and I don’t intend to lose anyone today. This is your operation. I’m here to make sure we don’t get lost and that we find what we came for."

  Lawson studied her momentarily, the tension easing from his stance as he absorbed her words. A flicker of understanding passed between them, and his posture relaxed, the hint of respect clear in his expression. "Understood, ma’am," he replied, his tone now more at ease. "Glad to have you on board."

  Giving him a nod before turning back to her own gear. She glanced down at herself, her borrowed bulletproof vest and sturdy boots starkly contrasting the Marines’ full combat gear. The vest was more optimism than armor, and the boots pinched. She knew they wouldn’t do much in the long run. Especially if the world was now playing by fantasy game rules. The thought sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. She had her cutlass strapped securely at her side, but she knew she was heading into this operation, woefully under-equipped.

  The Marines, however, looked every bit the part of a boarding party ready for battle, even if their equipment had shifted to meet the demands of this strange new reality. Each Marine had traded their firearms for axes and pike poles, a raw and rugged arsenal that reminded her of an age long past. They adjusted their packs and tested the grip on their new weapons, a determination visible in their movement.

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  Kade watched as Briggs called them to load the two longboats. She could feel the quiet intensity radiating from the group, a sense of purpose and readiness settling over them like a second skin. These were men and women of action, and while the weapons were different, the rules of combat were the same. Find the enemy, engage and eliminate with extreme prejudice.

  The Marines were first to board as the long boats pulled alongside the cargo ship. A heavy ladder clanked as it hooked over the cargo ship’s side, and one by one, they ascended. Kade waited below, watching as each Marine reached the deck and fanned out, their eyes scanning every corner, every shadow, weapons gripped and ready. The silence of the cargo ship seemed even more oppressive as the last Marine signaled for her to come up.

  Kade climbed the ladder, her boots meeting the metal deck with a muted thud. She scanned the empty expanse of the main deck, taking in the locked cargo hatches and the eerie stillness that seemed to seep into the air. There was no sign of survivors or anything else. Everything appeared to be in its place, yet a chill settled over her as if the ship itself held some dark secret.

  The Marines moved methodically, every step controlled, their stances low and alert. Gunnery Sergeant Briggs took point, his experienced gaze sweeping the open space as he directed his team with subtle hand signals. Two Marines moved forward in tandem, checking blind spots and peering around every corner, their shoulders relaxed but their eyes sharp. Their weapons gleamed dully in the dim light as they held them ready, the tools of another age now repurposed for the unknown threats that might await.

  Kade made her way to Lawson. "We’ll need to search the crew quarters, the hold, and the bridge. No tech means the manifest logbook will be on the bridge if it’s still there. It’ll tell us what’s on board and give us an idea of where to look."

  "Understood," he replied.

  With a quick gesture, he signaled two Marines to take positions near the first hatch leading below deck. The Marines approached the hatch, one gripping the handle and giving it a firm tug. It didn’t budge. With a glance back at Lawson, the two Marines braced themselves and pulled together, muscles straining as the rusted metal creaked in protest. After a few tense moments, the hatch gave way with a jarring groan that echoed across the empty deck, stirring the air with an eerie finality as if they had just opened the door to their doom.

  As they moved deeper into the ship, the air grew stale and thick with the air recycling equipment offline. A dropped wrench and an overturned coffee cup, among other signs of a sudden disturbance, littered the floor. The scene suggested the crew had left or been forced to leave quickly. The groaning of the ship as it swayed in the ocean pressed in from all sides, a hollow, unnatural sound that amplified the steady rhythm of their breathing.

  Kade’s eyes caught on a small riveted emergency exit map fixed on the wall. She quickly scanned it, orienting herself as the Marines maintained a careful formation, their weapons poised and their eyes tracking every darkened doorway. Her finger traced a line up through the ship’s levels. "The bridge is four decks up from here," she said, her voice low but edged with tension. "But we should check the crew quarters first. If anyone’s still alive…that’s where they may be."

  Lawson signaled to Briggs and the rest of the Marines to tighten their formation. They fell in line without a word, moving deeper into the ship, alert and ready. Kade took the third position in the column behind the point, navigating the labyrinthine corridors with quick, cautious steps, leading them through the unfamiliar layout. Her eyes flicked from door to door, noting each detail, the small hints of a life suddenly interrupted.

  Then, as they rounded a corner, they saw them. The first bodies.

  Kade’s mouth hung open as she took in the scene before her. The bodies of several crew members lay sprawled in the corridor, their limbs twisted at odd angles as though they had collapsed mid-step. Their skin was bloated and pale, slick with an unnatural sheen, like corpses fished from the ocean’s depths. And yet, here they were, deep inside the ship, where no seawater should have touched them.

  Kade knelt, keeping her expression steady as she examined the nearest body. Water oozed from its clothes and hair, pooling beneath it, and a smell lingered. It was damp and stagnant, like something left to rot in a flooded room. She forced herself to look closer, noting the fingers and nails tinged with an unnatural blue, the skin swollen and cracked as though submerged for days.

  One of the Marines stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he took in the macabre scene. "That’s not possible," he said, as a flash of disbelief crossed his hardened features. "There’s no way they all drowned… not here."

  Kade’s gaze swept over the other bodies, her breath catching slightly as she noticed something else. Some corpses had been torn apart, limbs severed, their torsos marked with jagged wounds that looked both deliberate and savage. The Marines exchanged wary glances, their professional calm faltering ever so slightly.

  "This wasn’t just a drowning. Something… or someone… made sure they couldn’t leave," Lawson said.

  The words struck like a hammer, and Kade felt a chill spread through her. The sight of the waterlogged, dismembered bodies wasn’t just disturbing; it was a warning. Whatever happened here was far from ordinary, and whatever had caused it might still lurk somewhere in the darkness ahead.

  Briggs’ voice cut through the moment. "We need to move, LTs, and do it now. This is not a good defensible position."

  "Got it, Gunnery Sergeant," she said, a moment of self-reproach edging her tone. She’d allowed herself to lose focus, if only for a instant, but she wouldn’t let it happen again. "We’re close to the bridge. Let’s get what we came for."

  Briggs signaled for the Marines to fall in line. Their steps quickened as they navigated the winding corridors. Every corner they turned felt more foreboding than the last as they approached their destination. It felt as if they should have encountered whatever had torn the crew apart already, and the absence of that attack made the unknown even more ominous. Kade’s eyes stayed forward, her mind focusing on their objectives. Find the logbook, any signs of survivors, and clues as to what could have caused such devastation.

  They arrived at the bridge in short order, and Kade paused at the sight before her. Something, or multiple things, had warped and bent the bulkhead door, wrenching it from its hinges. Deep scratches and dents marred the metal around the doorframe, leaving behind clear evidence of the violence that had taken place. She exchanged a tense look with Lawson, his eyes narrowed and alert.

  As they stepped inside, the grim reality of the bridge met them. The room was in complete disarray, equipment shattered and panels ripped from the walls, with wires hanging loose like severed veins. Maps and papers littered the floor, scattered as if thrown in a frenzy. The emergency case on the far wall, once holding a fire axe, was smashed open, leaving shards of glass scattered below, fresh and glinting in the dim light.

  Then there were the bodies.

  It looked as if the crew had made their last stand here. Slumped over consoles and sprawled across the floor, the slain crew members bore the brutal marks of their last moments. A figure huddled in the corner, twisted like a rag doll, missing a leg and both arms, his eyes staring sightlessly at the surrounding chaos. Kade’s breath caught as she noticed a book lying near him, its cover darkened by smears of blood. The logbook.

  Her gaze lingered on the bloodied logbook, their discovery settling over her like a lead cloak. The bridge was a graveyard. A place where desperation and horror had collided, leaving behind only fragments of what had once been a functioning ship.

  Picking up the logbook, Kade pulled back the bloody cover. The first two dozen pages held the information they were looking for. There were indeed a significant amount of supplies that they were going to desperately need now that it was clear that what had happened to the Horizon Talon wasn't an isolated event.

  However, the last two pages told a more immediate and pressing tale. The captain had written a brief description of their moments since the cataclysm. The pages recounted a similar story to the Horizon Talon's experience, yet it escaped immediate attack after the cataclysm. Instead, the Meridian Venture had sat dead in the water for several hours. While the crew decided on their next steps, something the captain described as reanimated drowned dead attacked them.

  The Drowned, they were called, weren't fast but incredibly strong, and the crew had no weapons to fight back. They had fought back the best they could, but it wasn't enough. The Captain's note finishes by describing the bulkhead bending under the strength of their attackers. Based on the Captain's note, everyone left alive had been on the bridge. There were no survivors.

  The Forsaken Drift

  Quest Notification! The cargo ship is noisier than people once thought. The Drowned have taken up residence and turned it into a floating tomb. Defeat the Drowned and avenge the crew.

  Difficulty: Hard

  Completion Conditions: Avenge the crew, locate the cargo manifest, and retrieve needed supplies.

  Rewards: 250 Gold, Experience, Two Magic Items, Ship Supplies

  The updated quest details startled Kade. Not only were the completion conditions updated, but the rewards had also been adjusted. She wasn't a gaming expert, but the quest giving more rewards than originally intended indicated their task had just gotten exponentially more difficult. The difficulty level of the quest changing to hard was a pretty good indicator that things had gotten more challenging, though it was wishy-washy as to what easy versus hard meant. Kade didn't linger to ponder if there was a straightforward way to measure some of the more hand-waving aspects of this new reality.

  Kade ran her fingers over the logbook, squinting at the cramped handwriting and flipping through several pages to cross-check the locations. Finally, she straightened, glancing at Lawson, her voice quick but edged with tension.

  "There are three entries for aid supplies," she began. "Two slots in the main hold one, aft. The third slot is in main hold four, center. We’ll start with those."

  "And there’s a ‘goods crate’ marked as general supplies in main hold four, port side. That could be a useful find, but…" She hesitated, then let out a wry sigh. "Let’s just say our quartermaster back on the Talon told me to keep an eye out for anything that felt ‘off’ about this manifest. I’m thinking this might be it."

  She tapped a finger on the entry for the goods crate. "If it’s just general equipment, fine. But the vague label doesn’t sit right. And neither do a few other things I spotted back there. Look here." She held the logbook out so Lawson could see the scribbled, irregularly spaced notations. "Some items have no standard cargo codes, no details beyond vague descriptions like ‘personal effects’ or ‘specialty goods.’"

  A trace of sarcasm crept into her tone. "I mean, maybe they were just carrying someone’s prized collection of fishing lures, but in my experience, this feels more like someone was trying to keep a few items under the radar."

  Lawson replied, "So you think this ship was running more than what’s listed?"

  Kade shrugged, snapping the logbook shut. "Wouldn’t be the first time a ‘general cargo ship’ played loose with its inventory."

  "If they were smuggling, there’s no telling what else we might run into down there. I’d rather we didn’t get any nasty surprises."

  "Alright, folks, it looks like we've got to do this the hard way. Good news, this ship has everything we need and more," Kade said to the entire boarding party. "Bad news. I'm sure you all saw the quest update. There are no survivors, and there is some monster called The Drowned onboard."

  Lawson responded, "This is why we came on board first, men. We're at the pointy end."

  "Ma'am, I will insist you stay in the middle of the formation moving forward. Now, which way to the cargo hold? We've got monsters to deal with."

  Tides of Ruin.

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