//------------------------------// // 31. Headlines // Story: Time to Shine // by Easysnuggler //------------------------------// 31. Headlines The Minoan Sunday 4/15 1000 ATS DISASTER AT SEA In what the Minoan Royal navy is calling its worst peacetime disaster the test vessel Manatee burned to the water line after a coal bunker caught fire and flames spread to the rest of the vessel. Originally named the Sea Cow, she had been rushed into service and refitted with a steam powered paddle wheel as part of The Great Race. Manatee sank a little before dawn on the 13th. Over three hundred are missing. Admiral Perfect Storm, the commander of the vessel and Lt. Close Shave (candidate heir to the royal line) were both reported lost at sea. An observer from Zebrabwe, Dr. Sakai Nyarai was arrested after alerting the crew to the fire. In possession of an axe, he admitted to starting the fire with a lantern “on accident”. The coal bunker was locked in an open position. A padlocked accessway to firefighting equipment and panic prevented a more effective response. Details p.12. In related news the Kirin observer Red Leaf, a military attaché stationed in Istanbull was rescued after she spent over 14 hours in the water. The handsome well-known Saddle Arabian diplomat Prince Haakem is still missing and presumed lost. The Minoan Royal Navy observed not all plucked from the water were returned to Istanbull so there is a slim chance of additional survivors. The Zebrican vessels Zarnata and ZCS-Minjin were close to the scene and began to render aid immediately. Sharks and other dangers of the deep preyed upon survivors as they awaited rescue. Several known to have survived the fire are missing. Gen. Kazier of Saddle Arabia has threatened retribution to any instigator of the disaster. — “As you know, our own response to the fire is what led to the loss of the ship. Panic, and confusion. The situation was salvageable till the fire spread to the rig. Perhaps even then. Certainly, the locked open bunker and jammed accessway contributed to the disaster. As for the latter, we know now that was NOT the doing of the Doctor, but another sailor who admitted locking the accessway thinking it was proper to keep that hatch shut. “Is this what you were expecting, your majesty?” “Well, no Mish Mash, at least not like this and not so quickly. And certainly not from the Zebras. Did you manage to get this chemist Dr. Nyarai into our custody and away from the vengeful marines?” “Yes, but they already worked him over quite thoroughly. It was apparently an individual act. He had no orders and was acting on what he himself called a delusional suspicion that we had some ill intent towards the Zebricans. He admitted to taking the lock from the coal bunker and locking it open. He claimed he was trying to look inside and the lantern he was using slipped and fell inside. He called for help immediately and was prevented from knocking the lock loose with an axe. There were some elements to his story that sounded… supernatural. As in he claimed he was being controlled. Despite its fantastic nature he essentially maintained this story despite various forms of torture - flogging, sleep deprivation, dragging him along the ground up a staircase, beatings, a broken nose, and a mock hanging. Eventually he began to make up fantastic stories to get the torture to stop, but that is to be expected.” “Holy cow. Who authorized any of that?” The king shuddered, sipped his dark coffee, and grimaced at its bitterness. An appropriate drink to have on such a grim morning. “Well, no one sir. The appropriate corrections are being made, but apparently our security forces took it upon themselves to get to the bottom of things. Diplomatic immunity be damned. We’ve been stalling the zebras, but by now I’m pretty sure they know exactly what transpired. I’ve been denying them access to the prisoner till he doesn’t look as bad. I wasn’t sure what action you wanted to take? Prior monarchs might have made the problem vanish…” There was an unasked question there. Mish Mash was a good majordomo, but his own sense of ethics didn’t extend to placing constraints on his king. Iron Hoof rather wished it was the opposite. “Oh, no that won’t do. Call the zebra ambassador. I want to speak to him at once.” “Are you sure that’s wise sir? Tensions are running quite high.” The king considered. “No, no, it’s best to get this over with.” “He’s actually been waiting all morning. I don’t think he left the palace last night.” “You didn’t tell me.” “You needed to sleep, sir, and making decisions on short sleep has led to bad outcomes in the past for many monarchs.” Upon reflection, maybe the ethics issues the majordomo and the king perceived were just not the same issues.