MAROONED: Will YOU Endure Treachery and Survival on the High Seas? (Click Your Poison) Read online

  MAROONED

  A Click Your Poison book

  by

  James Schannep

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. Historical elements were used to give a sense of time and place.

  Copyright © 2018 by James Schannep

  For the sake of irony, the author would like to ask you specifically not to pirate this book. Please do not pirate other books either, without a sense of irony.

  All rights reserved.

  Kindle Edition

  www.jamesschannep.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Schannep, James, 1984—

  MAROONED: a Click Your Poison book / James Schannep

  COVER ART BY JAMES SCHANNEP (based on MAROONED by HOWARD PYLE, public domain)

  To my mother, for showing me the many worlds that await inside a good book.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Click Your Poison Books

  Acknowledgments

  How It Works

  Click Your Poison Books

  INFECTED—Will YOU Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

  MURDERED—Can YOU Solve the Mystery?

  SUPERPOWERED—Will YOU Be a Hero or a Villain?

  PATHOGENS—More Zombocalypse Survival Stories!

  MAROONED—Can YOU Endure Treachery and Survival on the High Seas?

  SPIED (coming in 2019)—Can YOU Save the World as a Secret Agent?

  * More titles coming soon! *

  Sign up for the new release mailing list

  Or visit the author’s blog at www.jamesschannep.com

  Acknowledgments

  Special thanks to my wife, Michaela, who it seems will never stop believing in me. Thank you for being my compass on this adventure.

  A big thanks to my beta readers: Mike Beeson, Fred Buckley, Tyson Bertmaring, Sarah-Jayne, Don Ricardo Joven, Arkady Bogdanov, Martin Barnabus Noutch, Alex Rezdan, Kari L. Cowell, Scott & Jessica Santos, and Evonna Hartshorn and for the test play through by Mike “#midtableglory” Harlock, Jarred “Jet-lagged” Luko, Grant “Grunt” Smith, and James “5-color Green” Quinn.

  To my copyeditor Linda Jay, and to Paul Salvette and the team at BB eBooks. Thank you all for your generosity and professionalism.

  And to my friends and family, for your unyielding encouragement, enthusiasm and support.

  Author’s notes:

  1) The Age of Sail ran from roughly 1500-1850, and the Golden Age of Pirates is generally considered to be 1650-1725. While I deliberately did not set a specific date, some of the details point to a more specific span of years inside this window. Wherever possible, the particulars of this story are true and factually correct. I admit to taking liberties in order to make a more engaging story, but if you think you’ve found an error, please let me know. I believe fiction has great power to educate, and I do my best to pass on my research to the reader in a fun and palatable way. While there are real-life survival scenarios, this book is not intended to be used as a survival guide.

  2) As in others, the main character in this Click Your Poison book is supposed to be “you.” That is to say, it was my intent that you should fit into this story regardless of your age, gender, race, or orientation. There were indeed female sailors, albeit usually in a clandestine role, as well as seamen of color. I did my best to keep things neutral and, for your own suspension of disbelief, I did not use the more typical address aboard ships, “Mister.” Let your imagination and preferences flesh out the main character.

  Here’s how it works: You, Dear Reader, are the main character of this story, a youth born to prosperity in the English countryside. Now it’s up to you to sail atop the vast oceans or be swallowed into their murky depths; the choice is yours. Simply click the links to progress through the story. Each link represents a choice, and there’s no going back, so choose wisely. Are YOU ready for Survival and Treachery on the High Seas?

  CLICK HERE to begin. Good luck.

  MAROONED

  It takes a concerted effort to keep the bile below the threshold of your throat; and though the carriage on the way to London has soured your stomach, it has not spoiled your mood. Your cousin should soon arrive in port—this very evening—after two years at sea aboard a merchant vessel.

  And you? Why, you get to be the first to greet him. To hear his stories of grand adventure! Perhaps he has survived being shipwrecked, fought bravely against a raiding party of Spanish war dogs, even defended his crew against mutineers… or pirates? Could any man’s life be more thrilling?

  The carriage rocks again, sending your thoughts reeling back to your queasy stomach. Trying to master your constitution once more, you focus on this morning’s lessons: Translating Homer’s Odyssey from the original Greek, a task you were fully invested in before the summons came.

  Another lurch of the carriage almost reminds you of this morning’s breakfast too, but this time you’ve drawn to a stop. The partition is flung open, and the compartment fills with late afternoon sunlight.

  “End-o’-the road, Guv,” the driver says, holding the door open for you.

  As you step out onto the muddy banks, you’re greeted with the full impact of the River Thames—here waits the biggest port in the seafaring world, the Port of London: ships and commerce far as the eye can see. Hundreds of wooden vessels, of unknown make and model to your inexperienced eye, with white sails tucked safely while at anchor.

  Thousands of men and women, from all nations, in all manner of dress, speaking all manner of tongues, crowd the riverbanks.

  Although each one is a distinct figure on a separate mission, somehow they form a cohesive whole. Salesmen shout of exotic fruits and fishes, spices and spirits, trophies and trinkets from the barbarous parts of the world. Though you’ve read many volumes about bustling London, life in the countryside of Buckinghamshire could never have prepared you for the grandeur of such a sight in person.

  End of the road, indeed. End of the map, too. This is no longer London, nor England; this truly is a portal to another world.

  “I do believe the man’s waiting t’be paid,” a gruff and masculine voice says.

  Your eyes go to the driver, his hand extended expectantly. In response, you place the requisite money in his open palm, then turn to face the speaker. The man’s hardened, suntanned skin is peppered with sores and scabs. A rugged jawline of ruddy whiskers frames his gaunt face, made tighter still by hair tucked and tied beneath a bolt of deep blue cloth. His shirt, probably once bright-white, hangs loose, revealing his taut, muscled frame.

  “Cousin… James…?” you stammer, still not convinced that the man who stands before you is the same youth of sixteen who left England only two years ago. His eyes twinkle with the same mischievous quality as the river to his back, until a smile finally breaks across his face. With the dreamlike quality of the encounter, your mind reverts once again to Homer. These words pour from your lips almost unconsciously:

  “Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of many ways, of twists and turns; that man skilled in ways of contending, the wanderer, driven time and again off-course….”

  The smile disappears, and in its place there is now a grave countenance. It’s a sudden change in demeanor; you fear you ma
y have said something to insult him. But just as soon as it departed, that mischievous grin returns.

  “Christ Almighty, I need a bloody drink!” James says, laughing. “I should’ve known mother’d send an escort t’see me home. Still, does me well t’see a familiar face. You’ve grown taller, coz.”

  “The driver,” you say, not quite able to regain your senses just yet, “will take us—”

  “The driver’s paid and gone.”

  Somewhat panicked, you turn to see the carriage disappear past the muddy banks of the Thames and down the cobbled London streets.

  “Same condition could be said-o’-me as well, now I’m free-o’-that bloody ship,” James adds, walking towards the shantytown of shops lining the port. “Come, cousin. ’Tis awfully cold and lonely at sea, and I aim t’grant a good portion-o-me wages to the first woman who’ll make me feel warm and welcome. I imagine ’tis well past time you tasted the kiss of gin, too. As luck would have it, there’s a tavern right here in port where we can pay to wet whichever end we please. Don’t look so troubled, now—I’m buying!”

  The driver has left, and now your cousin aims to go on a bender as his first act in port. This is not going according to plan! Thinking quickly, you decide:

  • Maybe a drink will do him good? Even the most spirited man becomes more amiable once he’s supplemented with a few more spirits. Part ways to find another driver while James ties one on.

  • James has clearly spent too much time in the sun. Your aunt has entrusted you to bring your cousin back home safely, and you intend to honor that commitment. Don’t let him go!

  • Though you know it’s taboo, you’ve always wondered what the inside of a brothel looks like. James is celebrating; what could a peek hurt? No one back home has to know….

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  The Accused

  A collective gasp pulls in a wave of murmurs like a ghostly tide rising to meet the shoreline. Even the new pirates have heard of Captain Bullock’s fate, it would seem. Rediker, for his part, stoically considers your words while the others whisper their speculations. They look at one another with renewed skepticism, wondering who you might indicate as the killer.

  “Bluffing,” Marlowe mutters in a huff.

  “And I can prove it,” you add.

  “But how?” Chips asks. “We left ya here ’cause it couldn’t be proved.”

  “I’ve had nothing but time and memories. The clues were all there, laid out, waiting to be ordered and solved. I’ve been here in exile for a crime I didn’t commit—but maybe there was a reason for it all? So I’d have time to discover the truth. Pirates or no, I don’t believe you’ll leave me here once I clear my name. Now, once and for all, you can prove if there truly is no honor amongst thieves.”

  “Let’s hear what ya have t’say, Saltboots,” Rediker says.

  Not standing on ceremony, you report:

  • It was Billy Greaves, Bullock’s mate.

  • It was your mate, Barlow.

  • It was you, Rediker.

  • It was the surgeon, Butch.

  • It was the carpenter, Chips.

  • It was your quartermaster, Marlowe.

  • It was the bosun, Joe.

  • It was the cook, Dudderidge.

  • It was the gunner, Robin.

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Acting Commander

  Captain Longwick leaves the Hornblower in Dalton’s hands, taking a few able seamen with him into a longboat and embarking towards the flagship. Once these men have rowed the Master and Commander out of sight, Lieutenant Dalton turns back and appraises the ship with new eyes.

  “Midshipman Ward, what say we leave the ship in better hands than we found her?”

  “Aye, sir,” you reply.

  “Excellent. There’s much to be done. Not the least of which is tending to the scrapes and bruises sustained by both the Hornblower and her crew. And if we manage to see to those before the Captain’s return, well, there’s always plenty in need of scrubbing.”

  “Aye, sir! I’ll personally see to…

  • …the wounded. The men who sacrificed their bodies for our victory deserve our best thanks.”

  • …the repairs. The Hornblower is our England; let’s get her back shipshape and Bristol fashion.”

  MAKE YOUR CHOICE

  Action Stations!

  As soon as the order is given, the whole ship comes to life with the excitement of impending battle. The prospect of fighting a pirate ship is especially enticing, and not just because of any romantic notions of heroes versus villains, but because the crew is likely to be given a share of any booty returned to the crown.

  What’s more, many of the Royal Navy sailors have been pressed into service, while the pirates are called “freebooters” because they live the life they please. Let’s be honest—there’s a subconscious jealousy that might also compel the fervor. If I can’t, nobody can! has been reason enough to kill throughout most of human history.

  The drummers beat out the cadence of war and the HMS Hornblower sails into action. Mustering with your gun crew on the starboard lower gun deck, you peer through the gun ports, eager for a look at your foe. Though you’re not privy to Captain Longwick’s plans, it’s clear the Master and Commander has something in mind as the ship heads into coastal waters. The smaller pirate ship has the advantage in the shallows, so he must have a good reason for the maneuver.

  “Fire starboard guns!” the order comes from above.

  “Stations, damn you all,” Lieutenant Saffron relays. “FIRE!!!”

  You dart back from the gun port just in time, shoving your fingers into your ears before the deafening explosion.

  “Swab the guns! Load cartridge! Shot! Now run out the guns!” Saffron orders, and you do your part, swabbing the bore clean of sparks and heat.

  In only a few moments, the team has the gun ready to fire again. But it was to be a warning shot, it seems, for no further order to fire is given. As soon as there’s a lull in the action, the crew (yourself included) rushes forward to peer through the gun ports once more.

  “Bloody rubber-necking bastards,” the lieutenant says, shaking his head.

  The Hornblower follows the pirate ship along the convex bend of the coast, until another ship is revealed from around the curve. A Spanish Man-o’-War, not too different from the last you’ve seen. She’s moored in this hidden inlet, and the pirate ship dares not sail into her. This is an unexpected tactical wildcard—neither ship is allied with the Dons.

  Will Captain Longwick continue the approach with the Spanish ship just beyond? It appears so, despite this new player being a much more dangerous foe. The man’s of a singular mind and intensity, it would seem.

  The Cooper’s Pride turns, facing perpendicular to your approach. Then the pirates let loose a broadside of their own. The hit comes from only half a dozen guns and doesn’t even slow the Hornblower as she shifts to return fire.

  Sensing the move, Lieutenant Saffron yells, “Ready, gun crew!” and you return to your stations.

  The order to fire comes from above, again relayed with precision. The cannons rip into the pirate ship, turning their gun decks to Swiss cheese. But again, one shot only. Now you wait as the boarding crews launch themselves across the open sea and onto the pirate vessel. Small-arms fire and war cries fill the air; then the clatter of edged weapons and melee combat.

  Part of you wishes you could be with them, taking down the rogues, but that sentiment ends rather abruptly when there’s an enormous explosion from the pirate vessel. A fireball mushrooms into the air, sending flaming debris and viscera around like hellfire and brimstone.

  “The knaves have blown themselves apart?!” Saffron asks to himself.

  Dozens and dozens of sailors from the Hornblower, dead in an instant—along with most of the pirate crew. Looks like they didn’t want to be taken alive….

  “Sink what’s left of them!” the order comes from above.

  “FIRE!!!” the lieutenan
t roars. “Swab the guns! Load cartridge! Shot! Now run out the guns! FIRE!!!”

  The orders come again and again, until the cannons are in danger of cracking from the heat of overuse. Finally, a ceasefire arrives, leaving nothing but a ringing in your ears and air thick with haze. Once the gunpowder smoke clears, you see the pirate ship is nothing more than a heap of splinters dipping beneath the waves for good.

  You’ve sunk the Cooper’s Pride. Then there’s another volley of cannon fire, this time from the Spanish ship. The men rush back to their stations, ready to return.

  “Steady,” Lieutenant Saffron says. “They’re saluting us. There’s only one thing the Dons hate more than the English Navy, and that’s an English Pirate.”

  Orders are relayed for a cease of hostilities, and normal watches are resumed. It’s in a somber mood, feeling a victory that came at a heavy price, that the HMS Hornblower turns and sails away from this fateful coast.

  Click to continue…

  Admiral of the Coast

  Having taken Captain Longwick of the HMS Hornblower captive, his ship is yours. The rest of the Royal Navy crew is rounded up, and you’re shocked to learn that Cousin James is among them! He was pressed into military service the same day you boarded the Cooper’s Pride, and several of his old shipmates recognize him as Jimmy Saltboots. It doesn’t take much to convince your cousin to join you, especially when the alternative is being marooned with the rest of the Royal Navy crew on the shores of the island where you careened your ship.

  You tell Rediker to keep the clothing and continue the position of Captain Bloodbeard aboard the Deleon’s Revenge. This Hornblower will serve as your new flagship, with your cousin as your quartermaster. Together, you’re the Saltboot Buccaneers, and the man-o’-war is rechristened as the Best Ending.