Oulen was less the continent forgotten and more the continent ignored. Discovered in the seventeenth century it was disregarded as a barren landscape inhabited by hardy and aggressive natives, with no value either strategically or in terms of resources. Governments had turned their attentions elsewhere.
Those with different agendas though, saw the allure of the ignored continent.
The Explorers.
Those with different agendas though, saw the allure of the ignored continent.
The Explorers.
Not looking for coal or gems or colonies, these men quested for one thing above all; adventure. They rode the high seas over thousands of miles to reach the shores of Oulen only to find an inhospitable, alien landscape and an uncivilized population. Few had tried and none had returned.
The dawn of the nineteenth century brought the newest generation of explorers to the fore and Oulen was ready for opening.
The dawn of the nineteenth century brought the newest generation of explorers to the fore and Oulen was ready for opening.
Kerley, Vjiay
21st January, 1805
A glass half full of ale flew across the table and shattered against the wall. The two men stopped their conversation and glanced in the direction it had come from. The glass-thrower was by then underneath two other men on the bar, the three of them embroiled in some fight resulting from a drunken argument. Their mates were stood in a semi-circle around them, egging them on and placing bets on any winners. The barmaid served drinks around them.
“Animals.” One of the men in the booth said quietly, his voice drowned out so no-one could hear him by the raucous shouting from over at the bar. “Makes you wonder what we fought for, eh?”
The other man nodded solemnly, scooping the shattered glass into a small pile in the corner of the table. The rest he would no doubt find had embedded itself in his coat somewhere. “We fought for the freedom to fight your countrymen in a bar, if you so wished. I dare say you haven’t forgotten we had a few scraps in our time.”
The two men winked at each other, clinked their glasses and took deep swigs.
“So, about your little adventure,”
The other man, who had now finished collecting what glass he could find held his hand up, “’scuse me, it isn’t a ‘little adventure’, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore a hitherto unexplored place. See new things, meet new people,” he took another swig, “Don’t tell me that don’t interest you?”
“Jed,” the man replied, “I’m forty years of age, I’m married and I have kids. I can’t be swanning off to a certain and a painful death without a fuckin’ pay check made out to my family first.” He looked across the table at the man staring right back at him. Despite being the same age, Jed looked much younger than he, probably as a result of not being married and not having kids. His hair hadn’t started going grey as his own had and remained auburn and naturally messy. His boyish, active green eyes betrayed his solid and hard features. His narrow lips were currently smirking.
“Those are the exac’ reasons you ‘ave get away, mate!” Jed laughed, banging his closed fist on the table, “To get away from all tha’!”
Seth Hubbert didn’t laugh. He’d known the bastard he called his best mate across from him for half his life and was quietly jealous of his completely carefree lifestyle.
“You don’t even have a boat lad, less a crew to sail it.” He reached across and punched Jed on the arm to get his attention, he had been looking at the bar fight which has now stopped, the belligerents were buying each other drinks and a band had started up somewhere behind him, playing fucking sea shanties.
“Science.” Jed said simply, as if that answered all of Seth’s queries in one smooth stroke.
“What the bloody hell does that mean?”
“I believe it’s defined as the systematic study of the structure an…”
“Shut the fuck up and answer my question!” Seth interrupted,
Jed grinned, “Ther’ are scientists all around Vjiay, hell, all around the worl’ that wan’a go to Oulen. They pay, we take ‘em.”
Seth stared at Jed and tried to deduce if he was joking. It was a difficult task so instead he just asked, “You want to take airy fairy scientists to the most desolate and dangerous place on the planet?”
“Urbaurum?” Jed retorted, apparently seriously, “No, I’m talkin’ about Oulen, haven’ you been lis’enin’?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Seth repeated, taking a gulp from his pint, “Alright, boat. Where is your fucking boat?”
Jed fidgeted inside his coat, that was rolled up next to him for a moment, “Ah, bastard!” he pulled his hand out which was bleeding, “I knew tha’ glass’d get in there!” he shot a scathing look at the prick who had thrown it. Sucking on the small wound he went in more carefully with his other hand and pulled out an envelope. “Ah bloody ‘ell, it’s got blood on it.” He threw it to Seth, “You open it an’ ‘ave a gander.”
Seth caught the envelope and, avoiding the blood opened it up. The seal had already been broken.
The Office of The Royal Vjiayan Geographical Association
7th January, 1805
Mr. Jedediah Keaty
Dear Mr. Keaty,
I am writing to you with regards your recent letter requesting the hiring of our ships as part of your “Expedition of Endeavour.”
First, may I commend your impressive recommendations and achievements, I thank you for your service to The Queendom. As the father of a Navy Rating in the war I understand to some extent the ferocity of it and am honoured to be in talks with an individual who attained the Gold Cross in such circumstances. Congratulations.
Fortunately, I am sending you good news.
After talking to my colleagues and pulling in some favours I have managed to secure you the rent two ships, the ESQ Spaniel and ESQ Terrier, sister ships laid down at Urbaurum and launched in 1785 and 1786 respectively. They require a crew of twenty-six and have space for forty-five all told.
Rental costs are, for the six months you requested, 4,800 bits (four thousand, eight hundred bits) each, plus stores.
I hope these numbers are to your liking and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
Albert Fodsham,
Research and Exploration Department.
Seth put down the letter and sighed,
“You don’t have ten thousand bits, Jed.”
“Not yet.”
“You don’t have a crew.”
“Not yet.”
Seth sighed again, “This is a fantasy I’m afraid, mate. You don’t have that sort of money and you won’t get an experienced enough crew.”
“You’re wrong Seth. I put an advertisemen’ out, I’ve already had numerous responses. Holdin’ interviews next week, gives ‘em a chance to get here, you see. It’s multi-national. I asked the Geographical to send it out to all their twin associations in other countries, they’ comin’ from far an’ wide, there’s even talk of other private people doin’ what I’m doin’. We could have a bloody fleet goin’ down there!” Jed’s excitement was palpable and he was damn near bouncing. His eyes were bright and his grin was wide, he swigged confidently.
Seth had to admit that he was impressed. Jed was smarter than he sounded and had a certain force of will about him. He believed in this expedition and as a result, Seth couldn’t help starting to believe in it too.
“Alright, say I came along,” Seth said, not daring to look into his mate’s smug eyes, “How you goin’a pay me?”
“All sor’ed. Those tha’ have got back to me so far have been told they will be expected to donate to the cause, they’re all willin’. According to my numbers and assuming they’re all true to their word, I already have the rent of the ships covered, all’rest is gravy.”
Seth was stunned, Fuckin’ Jed, always gets what he wants. “Come on then, lets see this famous advertisement that has attracted such a worldwide fucking interest.”
Jed fiddled in his coat pocket for a few seconds, before pulling out a scrap of paper with handwritten words on it. He passed it to Seth.
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY INTEREST
MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY
LOW WAGE, BLAZING HEAT, CONSTANT DANGER, SAFE RETURN DOUBTFUL
HONOUR AND RECOGNITION ON SURVIVAL
LIEUTENANT JEDEDIAH KEATY, GC
Seth downed his pint.
